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MINORITIES RETRIEVE THEIR PROPERTY
Hurriyet
Oct 31 2011
Turkey
Representatives of Turkey's minority communities have begun filing
lawsuits to retrieve confiscated property, following the recent
enactment of a new foundation law.
"We have had numerous gains due to the government of the Justice and
Development Party (AKP). We are going to solve our problems regarding
[our] appropriated lands through dialogue," Bedros Å~^irinoglu,
president of Yedikule Surp Pırgic Hospital Foundation, told the
Hurriyet Daily News.
Certain Armenian and Anatolian Greek foundations, however, had already
started recovering some of their property before the new law went
into effect.
Turkey's Armenian community took the lion's share in retrieved
property, including the Selamet Han building in Istanbul's Eminönu
district, which was granted to the Yedikule Surp Pırgic Hospital
Foundation by Kalust Gulbenkyan, the founder of the Gulbenkyan Museum
in Lisbon.
"There is nothing to be done about it, even if only a miniscule
payment was made during nationalization. We are only going to request
compensation for [property that was confiscated] without following
due legal processes," Å~^irinoglu said.
The Anatolian Greek community also retrieved a historical school
building in Istanbul's Galata district, while Anatolian Greek schools
that remained shut due to lack of attendance were also allowed to
obtain revenue before the law went into effect.
"Many more appeals have to be issued for all the minority foundations
to retrieve their rights," Laki Vingas, the spokesman for Anatolian
Greek foundations and a member of the Foundations General Council,
told the Hurriyet Daily News.
The process for retrieving confiscated property is taking shape
normally, as it should be, Vingas said.
Members of the Syriac Christian and Bulgarian foundations also followed
suit and took legal action, even though the new law is relevant only
for Turkey's Armenian, Jewish and Anatolian Greek communities, which
constitute the three officially recognized minorities as defined by
the Lausanne Treaty of 1923.
Hurriyet
Oct 31 2011
Turkey
Representatives of Turkey's minority communities have begun filing
lawsuits to retrieve confiscated property, following the recent
enactment of a new foundation law.
"We have had numerous gains due to the government of the Justice and
Development Party (AKP). We are going to solve our problems regarding
[our] appropriated lands through dialogue," Bedros Å~^irinoglu,
president of Yedikule Surp Pırgic Hospital Foundation, told the
Hurriyet Daily News.
Certain Armenian and Anatolian Greek foundations, however, had already
started recovering some of their property before the new law went
into effect.
Turkey's Armenian community took the lion's share in retrieved
property, including the Selamet Han building in Istanbul's Eminönu
district, which was granted to the Yedikule Surp Pırgic Hospital
Foundation by Kalust Gulbenkyan, the founder of the Gulbenkyan Museum
in Lisbon.
"There is nothing to be done about it, even if only a miniscule
payment was made during nationalization. We are only going to request
compensation for [property that was confiscated] without following
due legal processes," Å~^irinoglu said.
The Anatolian Greek community also retrieved a historical school
building in Istanbul's Galata district, while Anatolian Greek schools
that remained shut due to lack of attendance were also allowed to
obtain revenue before the law went into effect.
"Many more appeals have to be issued for all the minority foundations
to retrieve their rights," Laki Vingas, the spokesman for Anatolian
Greek foundations and a member of the Foundations General Council,
told the Hurriyet Daily News.
The process for retrieving confiscated property is taking shape
normally, as it should be, Vingas said.
Members of the Syriac Christian and Bulgarian foundations also followed
suit and took legal action, even though the new law is relevant only
for Turkey's Armenian, Jewish and Anatolian Greek communities, which
constitute the three officially recognized minorities as defined by
the Lausanne Treaty of 1923.