CONSTANTINOPLE ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE SUES FOR SANASARYAN SCHOOL
hetq
13:16, March 16, 2012
The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople has filed a landmark
suit in Ankara for the return of the historical Sansaryan School in
the eastern province of Erzurum, this according to a Hurriyet News
report today.
"Some other foundations belong to [minority] communities, but the
Sansaryan Foundation was granted to the patriarchate by philanthropist
Mıgırdic Sansaryan in the 1800s. The administration and management
of the Sansaryan Foundation legally belong to the patriarchate,"
said lawyer Ali Elbeyoglu, who represents the Patriarchate.
The Patriarchate has also demanded the return of other properties
in the Central Anatolian province of Sivas formerly owned by the
Sansaryan Foundation in the lawsuit it filed March 14.
"We are not going to content ourselves with the mere return of
historical buildings. We are also going to demand compensation from
the Foundations General Directorate for all material losses incurred
by the Patriarchate since 1936," Elbeyoglu said.
The Armenian community currently owns three small foundations across
the whole of Anatolia. If the patriarchate wins its lawsuit, it will
mark the first time that Turkey's Armenian community has regained
control of a foundation in Anatolia.
Upon the government's request, Turkey's minority groups in 1936 gave
the government declarations detailing their real property. Over the
years, however, many of these properties did not remain registered
under the minority foundations' names, and some were even sold to
third parties.
hetq
13:16, March 16, 2012
The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople has filed a landmark
suit in Ankara for the return of the historical Sansaryan School in
the eastern province of Erzurum, this according to a Hurriyet News
report today.
"Some other foundations belong to [minority] communities, but the
Sansaryan Foundation was granted to the patriarchate by philanthropist
Mıgırdic Sansaryan in the 1800s. The administration and management
of the Sansaryan Foundation legally belong to the patriarchate,"
said lawyer Ali Elbeyoglu, who represents the Patriarchate.
The Patriarchate has also demanded the return of other properties
in the Central Anatolian province of Sivas formerly owned by the
Sansaryan Foundation in the lawsuit it filed March 14.
"We are not going to content ourselves with the mere return of
historical buildings. We are also going to demand compensation from
the Foundations General Directorate for all material losses incurred
by the Patriarchate since 1936," Elbeyoglu said.
The Armenian community currently owns three small foundations across
the whole of Anatolia. If the patriarchate wins its lawsuit, it will
mark the first time that Turkey's Armenian community has regained
control of a foundation in Anatolia.
Upon the government's request, Turkey's minority groups in 1936 gave
the government declarations detailing their real property. Over the
years, however, many of these properties did not remain registered
under the minority foundations' names, and some were even sold to
third parties.