EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COURT TO CONSIDER INFRINGEMENT OF PROPERTY
RIGHTS OF ARMENIANS IN TURKEY

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15. ARMINFO. The European Court of Human Rights is
expected to announce a decision next week on the property rights of
minority foundations. Specifically, the Court will adjudicate two
cases filed by the Soorp Purgich Armenian Hospital Foundation and the
Fener Greek Boys High School Foundation against Turkey.

In both cases, property gifted to the Armenian and Greek foundations
were seized as the Turkish courts upheld orders declaring that the
bequest violated a decree disallowing non-Moslems from donating real
estate. If the court rules in favor of the foundations, hundreds of
buildings seized in the past may be returned.

Earlier this year, Armenian Assembly Board Member and former Board of
Directors Chairman Van Krikorian testified before the Helsinki
Commission on freedom of religion in Turkey with respect to the
Armenian Church and community. During his testimony Krikorian noted
that “for centuries, Armenians paid and in many places still pay a
high price for their Christianity,” and that seizure and destruction
of Armenian Church property was commonplace. Krikorian noted that in
1914, in Turkey, there were approximately 5,000 Armenian Churches,
seminaries and schools registered by the Patriarchate and that today,
90 years after the Armenian Genocide, there are less than 50 Armenian
Churches.