Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
March 4 2007

New preservation order delays Melkonian sale plans

INTERIOR Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis has issued a new preservation
order for the disputed estate of the Melkonian school in Nicosia,
which could cause indefinite delays in the administrators’ efforts to
dispose of the land.

A previous order, declaring most of the 125,000 square metre property
a heritage site with `historical, architectural and national
importance’ had been overturned by the Supreme Court in December
following an appeal by the lawyers of the AGBU.

The Armenian community then wrote to the President of the Supreme
Court, the Attorney-general, political party leaders and the Interior
Minister expressing its dismay at the decision and calling on all
parties involved to review the matter and reinstate the preservation
order.

Reports last month suggested that the Town Planning Department had
reviewed the case and was working on a new preservation order based
on stronger arguments justifying the decision in order to prevent the
case from being thrown out of court again.

The new preservation order was published in Friday’s Official Gazette
with immediate effect, which means that no one can harm any part of
the old buildings erected in 1925 or even cut any of the trees of the
forest on Limassol Avenue planted by the first orphans who found
shelter in Cyprus after the genocide of the Armenians by the Ottoman
Turks.

`I am delighted with this news as it shows the determination of the
Republic of Cyprus and in particular the Minister of Interior to
protect this important site not only for the Armenians of Cyprus and
the whole diaspora, but also for all the people of Cyprus for whom
the Melkonian has been and will always be a jewel with historic
value,’ said the Armenian Representative in the House, Vartkes
Mahdessian.

The Melkonian Alumni, who were at the forefront of the struggle to
save the Melkonian ever since the decision to close the school was
made three years ago, praised the efforts of a few dedicated people
at the Town Planning Authority.

`They seem to have appreciated more than many other people the true
value and importance of this historic school,’ the Alumni said.

The Alumni also made reference to the justification used to
reintroduce the new preservation order according to which it is
deemed imperative `to protect the larger part of the property with
historic traditional buildings as a unified whole, as the property
with its structured and natural environs is part of the larger
historic and traditional town planning network of Nicosia, which must
be protected.’

The Alumni conclude that `with such decisions, as well as the general
support of the whole community, hopes to reopen the school one day
are revived. We thank the Representative, Mr Mahdessian and the
Minister, Mr Sylikiotis, for all their efforts in this direction.’