The official paperwork to begin work on the restoration was filed by the Çarmuzu Tepebaşı Mosque Building and Preservation Foundation at the start of 2009.Malatya Provincial Culture and Tourism Director Bahaettin Kabahasanoğlu said foundation officials had contacted them about restoring the church. Noting that one-third of the land where the church locates belongs to the municipality and the rest to the General Directorate of National Real Estate, Kabahasanoğlu said: “We filled out the paperwork with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and prepared a final report. According to the report, the municipality must hand its share over to the General Directorate of National Real Estate. We also briefed the Sivas Regional Board of Protection of Cultural and Natural Assets on the project. After the board approves it and the municipality hands its share over, the church can be restored by the foundation.”
Latif Yıldırım, president of the foundation, said the church is about 280 years old and was built during the Ottoman period, adding that the church is a symbol of tolerance and freedom of religion in Ottoman times. He also noted that the restoration would be carried out with support from the Municipality of Malatya.
Dink, upon visiting the site in 2002, said the church should be restored.
