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Armenians ask for return of 142-year-old church in Diyarbakır
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-302481-armenians-ask-for-return-of-142-year-old-church-in-diyarbakir.html
28 December 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL ,
The Armenian community in Diyarbakır filed a petition at the
Diyarbakır Regional Directorate of Foundations on Wednesday demanding
the return of the Armenian Protestant Surp Prgiç Church to the
community, the Radikal daily reported on Friday.
The church was built in 1870 in Diyarbakır. The Diyarbakır Regional
Directorate of Foundations confiscated the church in 1983 on the
grounds that it was "no longer in service." In 2010 the church was
restored by the same office at a cost of TL 339,000 and rented out to
the Sur District Governor's Office to be converted into a women's
center. Women started to take rug weaving, silk weaving and filigree
making classes in the church.
In 2012 the Armenian Protestant community decided to apply for the
return of the church following a landmark move by the government in
2011 to return all confiscated immovable property belonging to
minority foundations in Turkey.
Promulgating a decree, the government made it possible for non-Muslims
to reclaim real property they had declared back in 1936. All property,
cemeteries and fountains would be returned to their original title
deed holders. Immovable property currently belonging to third parties
would also be paid for, according to the decree.
The last president of the church, Ohannes Gülsatar's son, Erol
Gülsatar, and Kirkor Ağabaloğlu, the Turkish representative with the
Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE),
initiated the process.
The petition said that although the church building is well
maintained, it has been used as a place for hobby classes, which was
not compatible with its mission. The petition also demanded the return
of the church to the community members in Diyarbakır and nearby
provinces. The community is currently awaiting a reply to their
petition.
Ağabaloğlu, who initiated the petition process, said Turkey has gone
through a great transformation in terms of minorities for they are
treated much better in comparison to the past. Ağaloğlu added: "We are
not keeping track of the events of a hundred or a thousand years.
There is currently a community presence and properties belonging to
this Armenian community. There is no Armenian Protestant left in
Diyarbakır, but they also did not disappear. The last of the community
is in İstanbul. That church was built for the Armenian community and
funded by that community. This property should be returned to the
Armenian Protestant community."
Ağabaloğlu recalled that the state could also confiscate the
properties of the Islamic foundations, although he added those
properties still served the purpose they were built for. Ağabaloğlu
said: "The state does not use properties of the Christian communities
for the right purposes. The state either sells them or uses them for
whatever purpose it needs such as a sports complex, hospital or a
center for rug weaving classes." Stating that there are buildings in
similar situations in Kilis, Gaziantep and İstanbul, Ağabaloğlu added:
"We do not know where else there are such properties. We demand
documents from the state to no avail." Gülsatar also commented:
"Developments in recent years have been a source of hope for us so we
wanted to take this opportunity," and added he was optimistic about
that the return of their property.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-302481-armenians-ask-for-return-of-142-year-old-church-in-diyarbakir.html
28 December 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL ,
The Armenian community in Diyarbakır filed a petition at the
Diyarbakır Regional Directorate of Foundations on Wednesday demanding
the return of the Armenian Protestant Surp Prgiç Church to the
community, the Radikal daily reported on Friday.
The church was built in 1870 in Diyarbakır. The Diyarbakır Regional
Directorate of Foundations confiscated the church in 1983 on the
grounds that it was "no longer in service." In 2010 the church was
restored by the same office at a cost of TL 339,000 and rented out to
the Sur District Governor's Office to be converted into a women's
center. Women started to take rug weaving, silk weaving and filigree
making classes in the church.
In 2012 the Armenian Protestant community decided to apply for the
return of the church following a landmark move by the government in
2011 to return all confiscated immovable property belonging to
minority foundations in Turkey.
Promulgating a decree, the government made it possible for non-Muslims
to reclaim real property they had declared back in 1936. All property,
cemeteries and fountains would be returned to their original title
deed holders. Immovable property currently belonging to third parties
would also be paid for, according to the decree.
The last president of the church, Ohannes Gülsatar's son, Erol
Gülsatar, and Kirkor Ağabaloğlu, the Turkish representative with the
Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE),
initiated the process.
The petition said that although the church building is well
maintained, it has been used as a place for hobby classes, which was
not compatible with its mission. The petition also demanded the return
of the church to the community members in Diyarbakır and nearby
provinces. The community is currently awaiting a reply to their
petition.
Ağabaloğlu, who initiated the petition process, said Turkey has gone
through a great transformation in terms of minorities for they are
treated much better in comparison to the past. Ağaloğlu added: "We are
not keeping track of the events of a hundred or a thousand years.
There is currently a community presence and properties belonging to
this Armenian community. There is no Armenian Protestant left in
Diyarbakır, but they also did not disappear. The last of the community
is in İstanbul. That church was built for the Armenian community and
funded by that community. This property should be returned to the
Armenian Protestant community."
Ağabaloğlu recalled that the state could also confiscate the
properties of the Islamic foundations, although he added those
properties still served the purpose they were built for. Ağabaloğlu
said: "The state does not use properties of the Christian communities
for the right purposes. The state either sells them or uses them for
whatever purpose it needs such as a sports complex, hospital or a
center for rug weaving classes." Stating that there are buildings in
similar situations in Kilis, Gaziantep and İstanbul, Ağabaloğlu added:
"We do not know where else there are such properties. We demand
documents from the state to no avail." Gülsatar also commented:
"Developments in recent years have been a source of hope for us so we
wanted to take this opportunity," and added he was optimistic about
that the return of their property.