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TURKISH-ARMENIANS PROTEST FOUNDATION BOARD
Hurriyet Daily News
Nov 20 2011
Turkey
A group of Turkish-Armenians participate in a demonstration in
Istanbul. Around 100 people called for the resignation of the board
of the Uc Horan Church Foundation.
A group of Turkish-Armenians staged a demonstration after a religious
service yesterday to protest fraud allegations leveled against
foundation's board elections.
Around 100 people called for the resignation of the board of the Uc
Horan Armenian Church Foundation, who they claimed were occupying
the post illegally.
Garo Paylan, a leading figure among the protesters, told the Hurriyet
Daily News the protest was a class action.
"The current administration labels Armenians from eastern Turkey as
'Kurds' and does not want them to be on the board. These foundations
belong to the whole community and the administration method of the
Armenian community should change."
The board members of the foundation did not attend the religious
service, reportedly to avoid facing the protesters.
The Turkish-Armenian community owns 42 foundations, all of them based
in Istanbul. Uc Horan has the largest amount of revenue among them.
In May 2009, the foundation applied to the General Directorate of
Foundations to elect their administrative board. However, reports
said that after the polls the administrative board had conducted an
unlawful election for its own ends. The election was canceled and
the issue was taken to court.
The General Directorate of Foundations demanded a new election, which
was scheduled for Nov. 21 last year. However, the same administrative
board was found to have unlawfully prepared an election list and the
election was postponed again.
Paylan said the foundation board has filed complaints against 603
members of the Armenian community. "They have been resisting change for
35 years, such practice cannot survive without the state's support,"
he added.
Sarkis Arık, from the southeastern province of Batman, said he was
sad to be labeled a Kurd by the foundation's board. "The Armenians
of the east survived despite killings and pressure, but we are not
allowed to take responsibility in the foundation," he said. "We have
been fighting against the system in the east and struggling against
our own community, which does not want to accept us in the west."
Varujan Turac, a protester from the Central Anatolian province of
Sivas, said he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
about the situation. "The Armenians in Istanbul do not want to include
in the foundation's administration the Armenians from the east,
who are mostly working class, but we will not give up," he said.
From: A. Papazian
Hurriyet Daily News
Nov 20 2011
Turkey
A group of Turkish-Armenians participate in a demonstration in
Istanbul. Around 100 people called for the resignation of the board
of the Uc Horan Church Foundation.
A group of Turkish-Armenians staged a demonstration after a religious
service yesterday to protest fraud allegations leveled against
foundation's board elections.
Around 100 people called for the resignation of the board of the Uc
Horan Armenian Church Foundation, who they claimed were occupying
the post illegally.
Garo Paylan, a leading figure among the protesters, told the Hurriyet
Daily News the protest was a class action.
"The current administration labels Armenians from eastern Turkey as
'Kurds' and does not want them to be on the board. These foundations
belong to the whole community and the administration method of the
Armenian community should change."
The board members of the foundation did not attend the religious
service, reportedly to avoid facing the protesters.
The Turkish-Armenian community owns 42 foundations, all of them based
in Istanbul. Uc Horan has the largest amount of revenue among them.
In May 2009, the foundation applied to the General Directorate of
Foundations to elect their administrative board. However, reports
said that after the polls the administrative board had conducted an
unlawful election for its own ends. The election was canceled and
the issue was taken to court.
The General Directorate of Foundations demanded a new election, which
was scheduled for Nov. 21 last year. However, the same administrative
board was found to have unlawfully prepared an election list and the
election was postponed again.
Paylan said the foundation board has filed complaints against 603
members of the Armenian community. "They have been resisting change for
35 years, such practice cannot survive without the state's support,"
he added.
Sarkis Arık, from the southeastern province of Batman, said he was
sad to be labeled a Kurd by the foundation's board. "The Armenians
of the east survived despite killings and pressure, but we are not
allowed to take responsibility in the foundation," he said. "We have
been fighting against the system in the east and struggling against
our own community, which does not want to accept us in the west."
Varujan Turac, a protester from the Central Anatolian province of
Sivas, said he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
about the situation. "The Armenians in Istanbul do not want to include
in the foundation's administration the Armenians from the east,
who are mostly working class, but we will not give up," he said.
From: A. Papazian