Civilnet
On June 4, Istanbul’s 13th Court rejected the claim of the Armenian Patriarchate with respect to the return of the historic building of Sanasaryan Han. The building was confiscated by the state nearly seven decades ago. The Court made this decision despite the recent adoption of a plan by the Turkish government that outlines the return of properties belonging to minorities. The Armenian Patriarchate, has been fighting for this return since 2011. The Armenian Patriarchate, who has been fighting to this end since 2011, has recently become a victim of fraud, when the Patriarchal Vicar paid six thousand Turkish Liras to an unknown forger that presented himself as the prime minister’s envoy and promised to pursue the return of the property in return.
CivilNet's Alin Ozinian spoke to the Armenian Patriarchal Vicar for Constantinople, Archbishop Aram Ateshyan, about court proceedings related to the return of the Han Billion building and its future. The Archbishop is determined to continue his fight and says that, if necessary, the Patriarchate will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. “The trial has been going on for about two years. We had hopes of winning, but the Court rejected the claim. This is certainly the first decision of the Court, and we will continue to fight, appealing to a higher court. If we fail to settle the matter in Turkish courts, we will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights,” said the Archbishop.
The historical Han was built in 1895 thanks to Mkrtich Agha Sanasaryan. The building was seized by the government during the early years of the Turkish Republic. Archbishop Aram Ateshyan discussed this matter with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Edrogan. A few days later, a man arrived at the Patriarchate and introduced himself as an inspector from the Prime Minister’s office. He asked Ateshyan to sign blank documents, saying that the Han Billion building would be returned to the Patriarchate. The “inspector” then required a “gift” and subsequently received six thousand Turkish lira (about $2,800) and disappeared from the premises. Soon, Ateshyan realized that they had been conned, and the situation was brought to court.
“The Turkish state’s cruel policy of property deprivation, which for decades has affected minorities, is behind this case of fraud against the Patriarchal Vicar,” wrote columnist Orhan Kemal Cengiz on the Al-Monitor website.
CivilNet spoke with Armenian Patriarchal Vicar for Constantinople Archbishop Aram Ateshyan about the return of Armenian properties and other contemporary issues and challenges in May. The first and second parts of the interview are below.
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