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Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
June 12 2011
Armenian foundation retrieves former property in Istanbul
Saturday, June 11, 2011
VERCÄ°HAN ZÄ°FLÄ°OÄ?LU
ISTANBUL ` Hürriyet Daily News
The Foundations Directorate General has turned over the property
rights of a historical building in Istanbul's Topkapı neighborhood
back to the Surp NigoÄ?oyos Armenian Church Foundation.
The church foundation's president expressed his satisfaction with the
move, but many other buildings in Topkapı were yet to be reclaimed,
according to the administration.
`I believe the laws passed by the Justice and Development Party [AKP,
in 2008] concerning foundations are extremely useful. [But] I do not
want to talk about either politics or anything else about the AKP,'
Monik Ergan, the church foundation's president, told the Hürriyet
Daily News.
Another historical building, the Selamet Inn in Karaköy in BeyoÄ?lu,
was also handed back to the Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital Foundation
earlier in 2011 following a legal battle that lasted several years.
Unlike the Selamet Inn, however, the return of the building in Topkapı
was accomplished without any legal hassle after the church foundation
simply filed an appeal to the directorate general.
`Even the reclaimed buildings will not be sufficient to [help with the
financial] upkeep of the school and the church,' said Murat Ã?akan, the
church foundation's second president.
The foundation is in desperate financial straits, Ã?akan said, adding
that many documents listing foundation property had been found in the
church archives.
The foundation in Topkapı, a 195-year-old institution, operates the
Levon Vartuhan Primary School in addition to the church, Ergan said.
Patriarch Mesrop II and other leading figures in the Armenian
community had decided to close the school down, following an appeal by
the foundation's former administration, but this decision was later
overturned, said the church president.
Turkey's Greek community decided last month to close down the Iokimian
School in the district of Fener, the Tatavla Boys' School in Sefa
Square in the district of Å?iÅ?li as well as the Private Arnavutköy Coed
Greek School, which was founded in 1902. The historical schools will
be transformed into cultural centers to provide new income for the
community.
`The Greek community may have shut their schools down, but we are a
community 60,000 strong,' Ergan said, reiterating his opposition to
closing their schools.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=armenian-foundation-retrieves-their-former-property-2011-06-08
June 12 2011
Armenian foundation retrieves former property in Istanbul
Saturday, June 11, 2011
VERCÄ°HAN ZÄ°FLÄ°OÄ?LU
ISTANBUL ` Hürriyet Daily News
The Foundations Directorate General has turned over the property
rights of a historical building in Istanbul's Topkapı neighborhood
back to the Surp NigoÄ?oyos Armenian Church Foundation.
The church foundation's president expressed his satisfaction with the
move, but many other buildings in Topkapı were yet to be reclaimed,
according to the administration.
`I believe the laws passed by the Justice and Development Party [AKP,
in 2008] concerning foundations are extremely useful. [But] I do not
want to talk about either politics or anything else about the AKP,'
Monik Ergan, the church foundation's president, told the Hürriyet
Daily News.
Another historical building, the Selamet Inn in Karaköy in BeyoÄ?lu,
was also handed back to the Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital Foundation
earlier in 2011 following a legal battle that lasted several years.
Unlike the Selamet Inn, however, the return of the building in Topkapı
was accomplished without any legal hassle after the church foundation
simply filed an appeal to the directorate general.
`Even the reclaimed buildings will not be sufficient to [help with the
financial] upkeep of the school and the church,' said Murat Ã?akan, the
church foundation's second president.
The foundation is in desperate financial straits, Ã?akan said, adding
that many documents listing foundation property had been found in the
church archives.
The foundation in Topkapı, a 195-year-old institution, operates the
Levon Vartuhan Primary School in addition to the church, Ergan said.
Patriarch Mesrop II and other leading figures in the Armenian
community had decided to close the school down, following an appeal by
the foundation's former administration, but this decision was later
overturned, said the church president.
Turkey's Greek community decided last month to close down the Iokimian
School in the district of Fener, the Tatavla Boys' School in Sefa
Square in the district of Å?iÅ?li as well as the Private Arnavutköy Coed
Greek School, which was founded in 1902. The historical schools will
be transformed into cultural centers to provide new income for the
community.
`The Greek community may have shut their schools down, but we are a
community 60,000 strong,' Ergan said, reiterating his opposition to
closing their schools.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=armenian-foundation-retrieves-their-former-property-2011-06-08