ARMENIA SHOULD DEMAND THROUGH COURT THAT TURKEY RETURN ITS CHURCH PROPERTY - POLITICAL SCIENTIST
May 07, 2013 | 11:52
YEREVAN, - Armenia should demand, by way of the courts, the return
of its church property it had lost after 1915, political scientist
Ara Papyan said during a press conference on Tuesday.
According to Papyan, the respective talks can be conducted
independently from the activities toward the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide.
"It is necessary to prepare documents related to churches and to
commence talks on the return of property," he added.
If talks do not yield a result, as per the political scientist,
claims can be submitted to the courts. If the judicial process is
rejected by all Turkish judicial instances, the case will be sent to
the European Court of Human Rights.
According to Papyan, such processes were carried out in the past by
Greece, with respect to the monasteries in Northern Cyprus, and Israel,
concerning synagogues in Eastern Europe.
The analyst recalled that the Armenian monasteries and church property
were inventoried in 1913, and the aforesaid claims can be based on
this fact.
"But this is not enough. You need well-trained professionals who
are able to substantiate Armenia's rights to these churches, since
Georgia likewise has claims to some of them," Ara Papyan concluded.
Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am
News from Armenia - NEWS.am
May 07, 2013 | 11:52
YEREVAN, - Armenia should demand, by way of the courts, the return
of its church property it had lost after 1915, political scientist
Ara Papyan said during a press conference on Tuesday.
According to Papyan, the respective talks can be conducted
independently from the activities toward the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide.
"It is necessary to prepare documents related to churches and to
commence talks on the return of property," he added.
If talks do not yield a result, as per the political scientist,
claims can be submitted to the courts. If the judicial process is
rejected by all Turkish judicial instances, the case will be sent to
the European Court of Human Rights.
According to Papyan, such processes were carried out in the past by
Greece, with respect to the monasteries in Northern Cyprus, and Israel,
concerning synagogues in Eastern Europe.
The analyst recalled that the Armenian monasteries and church property
were inventoried in 1913, and the aforesaid claims can be based on
this fact.
"But this is not enough. You need well-trained professionals who
are able to substantiate Armenia's rights to these churches, since
Georgia likewise has claims to some of them," Ara Papyan concluded.
Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am
News from Armenia - NEWS.am