HISTORIC AKDAMAR CHURCH REOPENED AS MUSEUM

Turkish Press
Cumhuriyet
March 30 2007

Van’s Akdamar Armenian church, restored at a cost of $1.5 million,
was reopened yesterday as a museum in a ceremony with the attendance
of Culture and Tourism Minister Atilla Koc and Armenia’s Culture
Minister Gagik Gyurjan. Addressing a crowd, including leading
Armenian figures from the US, Koc said that Turkey has always
respected different cultures and their artwork, pointing to the
need for their protection for future generations. Also speaking,
Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II thanked Turkish officials on behalf of
the Armenian community.