A historian's claim that will shake the Vatican: The new Pope is from Kayseri and is my relative.

13.05.2025 12:13

History researcher Nurhan Çetinkaya announced through a post that Pope Leo XIII, the new spiritual leader of the Catholic world, is from Kayseri and is a relative of his. Çetinkaya stated, "He is our relative through my mother's uncle. May it be beneficial for our world."

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Nurhan Çetinkaya (57), an Armenian-origin historical researcher born in Sivas (Gemerek) and living in Beyoğlu, Istanbul, has been researching Ottoman history and Armenian history for years. After the migration events that emerged in the 1900s, Çetinkaya initiated a study to find her relatives, from whom she had not heard and had almost lost track. In her research, she reached some of her relatives and claimed that some had changed their names.

Recently, Çetinkaya claimed that the new spiritual leader of the Catholic world, Pope Leo XIV, is from Kayseri and is her relative. Announcing this claim through a post on her social media account yesterday, Nurhan Çetinkaya said, "May it be beneficial for the whole world, French Francis Parses Prebis, also known as Faruk Parsehyan Pars. His ancestors went from Kayseri to the USA, received religious education there, and then went to the Vatican. Today, he has become the Pope. He is our relative through my mother's uncle. May it be beneficial for our world," she stated.

"I LOOKED AT MY FAMILY TREE"

Nurhan Çetinkaya made statements regarding the claims she brought to the agenda. "I am a Turkish citizen of Armenian descent. I started my words by saying that we have been the children of these lands for almost a thousand years, including my father and grandfather," Çetinkaya said, "I have been researching Ottoman history and Armenian history for about 5 years. I am researching my own roots and trying to reach my own roots. Between 1900 and 1915, there was a deportation event. Many Armenians migrated from these lands or went missing during these deportations. My maternal side is from Kayseri (Everek) and my paternal side is from Sivas (Gemerek). Therefore, my great-grandmother's brother, Setrak Parsehyan, migrated from the Develi district of Kayseri (Everek) to Argentina during the 1915s. The current Pope, whom I refer to as Faruk Parsehyan, whom I mentioned as his children, is reportedly a clergyman according to the information I received. We learn that he is a member of the Catholic denomination and has risen significantly in the Vatican. Of course, we cannot confirm this. We have not gone to meet him until today. We have never met. Based on this information, I claim that he is a Pope whose roots belong to Kayseri. When you look at the family tree, Setrak's child's grandchild appears, that (Pope Leo XIV) comes out," she said.

"I WILL WRITE A LETTER CONFIRMING OUR FAMILY TREE"

Çetinkaya, who stated that the different name of Pope Leo XIV and the name change is a tradition among clergymen, said, "There is an Asadur Sarafyan in Kayseri. He went to America and changed his name to Oscar Bankır. He is currently the Armenian with the most patents living in the USA. He also starts his journey to cardinal in the Vatican by changing his name and identity after his father. Based on this assumption, we concluded that the Pope is our relative and that he is from Kayseri and Everek. I will write him a letter confirming our family tree and I even want to visit him to meet him. I will look at the response because this is an international issue. I cannot predict what kind of response I will get, but at least I want to contact the foreign ministry of a country and work with the Vatican Consulate or embassy here regarding this issue. If the current Pope is indeed our relative, it is truly very important and a source of pride for Turkey," she said.

"WE HAVE A FAMILY CONNECTION WITH THE POPE"

Çetinkaya, who believes in the authenticity of her documents and her studies, stated, "I am researching my history. I want to tell the history that has been lived, not just the written history, to future generations. For this reason, I have seen that we indeed have a family connection with the Pope. I announced this with joy on my social media. It received a lot of interaction. My next task is to write a letter to congratulate him and to state that his roots belong to Anatolia, that he is from Kayseri. Perhaps based on the response I receive, we can bring our Pope to Kayseri and have him pray there. If I am wrong in my studies, it does not change anything in my life. Therefore, I do not have much opportunity to look at the Ottoman archives. I have records from the Patriarchate. There is a possibility of being wrong. However, according to the kinship dynamics and roots I have researched, I have come this far. If I am wrong, there is no problem from my side; after all, the Pope is a very important religious leader. We must respect him," she said.

"I STAND BEHIND MY CLAIMS"

Nurhan Çetinkaya stated that the possibility of being wrong in her studies would not create a problem for her and that she would continue her life from where she left off. She mentioned that she has done many studies with her friends in her country, Armenia. "No matter what happens, I stand behind my studies and claims. In any case, I will write a congratulatory letter to the Pope and express to him that his roots are in Kayseri and send him the family tree I will prepare. I have not had any meetings with anyone from the authorities in Kayseri regarding this issue. I have been researching the history of Kayseri for years. When you look at history, there are records of what the Greeks and Armenians experienced. If they search, I can sit and talk about these developments. There is no problem from my side. After I announced this claim, many people called me crazy and laughed. I do not care what anyone says; I am doing what I believe is right, and I am conducting my research," she said.