Lawsuit Over Armenian Properties Worth $150 Million
by Sefa Kaplan, Ýstanbul
<,,sid~1@w~1@nvid~553333, 00.asp>
Hürriyet (Internet edition) 23 March 2005
The Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADLP) was formed by Turkish
Armenians in 1908, has been active overseas since 1915, and has been a
participant in Armenia’s political life since 1991. The party has now
launched an ugly attack against Patriarch Mesrob Mutafian. A
statement issued by the party’s central committee in Boston and
published in its official press organ Azg directly targets the
Armenians of Turkey and their patriarch. The statement alleges that
Mutafian was elected patriarch with the support of the Turkish
Republic, that he has not made any efforts to defend the rights of
Armenians, and that he has not raised his voice against injustices.
It adds that Diaspora Armenians have been monitoring Mutafian’s
actions with anxiety for a long time, that no one in the [Turkish
Armenian] community has dared to criticize this “young patriarch,” and
that Mutafian is not on good terms with [Turkish] Armenian
intellectuals.
Unbridled Ambition
Charging that the Patriarch of Turkey has been working to bring other
Armenian churches under his influence to satisfy “his unbridled
imperial ambitions,” the statement of the Boston Central Committee
says:
“Patriarch Mutafian refuses to answer our criticisms and sees the
views of the ADLP as a bankrupt ideology. The ADLP’s ideology that
Mutafian says is bankrupt is based on the democratic system and stands
for the recognition of the Armenian genocide and the independence of
the historic homeland of the Armenians (Eastern Anatolia). Only a
community that lives under the fearsome rule of the Turkish army could
declare these ideals to be bankrupt.”
They Cannot Belittle Us
In the meantime an article
<;AltYazi=3DMakaleler+%3e+Genel&Id=3D216&DilId=3D1> penned by Murat Bebiroglu and published on the HyeTert
Website <; says that the reason for
these allegations is the international legal action Mutafian has taken
to recover the funds and real estate that was bequeathed to the
Patriarchate by Garabed Melkonian of Kayseri in 1921. The Bebiroglu
article says: “The Armenians of Turkey are strong enough to defend the
Patriarch. We cannot allow anyone to belittle us.”
The Melkonian Gift
In 1921 Garabed Melkonian of Kayseri bequeathed his wealth of millions
of dollars and real estate holdings to the Armenian Patriarchate of
Turkey for the construction of an orphanage and school in his name.
Because the conditions were more attractive [in Cyprus] the school and
orphanage were built in Nicosia under the name Melkonian in 1924.
However because of the uncertainty of the future of the Patriarchate,
in 1926 all authority over the Melkonian school and its endowment was
turned over to the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), which is
an auxiliary organization of the ADLP, on condition that the AGBU
comply with the terms of the Melkonian trust and that it pay a
symbolic donation to the Patriarchate each year.
Last year the AGBU decided to close the school without giving warning
to anyone and to sell its properties for $60 million. On the surface,
the goal of this action was to open a college in Armenia. Melkonian
alumni and Armenians in all corners of the world oppose this decision
vehemently. It has now been determined that the real estate that was
said to be worth $60 million is actually valued at $150 million. In
contrast the planned college in Armenia would cost only $3 million to
$5 million. Lawyers researching the background of the dispute
eventually knocked on the doors of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey
which appears as the legal beneficiary in the trust deed. Mutafian
had the issue examined by his own lawyers and filed a lawsuit against
the AGBU. After the lawsuit was filed in Paris [as published],
criticisms against Mutafian turned into an ugly attack.