an assyrian identity is today maintained by followers of the assyrian church of the east, the ancient church of the east, the chaldean catholic church, assyrian pentecostal church, assyrian evangelical church, and eastern aramaic speaking communities of the syriac orthodox church (particularly in northern iraq, north eastern syria and south eastern turkey) and to a much lesser degree the syriac catholic church. those identifying with assyria, and with mesopotamia in general, tend to be mesopotamian eastern aramaic speaking christians from northern iraq, north eastern syria, south eastern turkey and north west iran, together with communities that spread from these regions to neighbouring lands such as armenia, georgia, southern russia, azerbaijan and the "western world".