ECHR OBLIGES TURKEY TO PAY COMPENSATION TO ISTANBUL-BASED ARMENIAN FOUNDATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.12.2008 17:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled
Tuesday that Turkey violated the property rights of two Armenian
foundations in Istanbul.

The Board of Governors of the Samatya Surp Kevork Armenian Church,
School and Cemetery and the Foundation for the Armenian Hospital in
Yedikule appealed to the Strasbourg-based court claiming the decision
taken by Turkish courts setting aside their title to property acquired
as a donation, violated their property rights under the European
Human Rights Convention.

The two Armenian foundations were established by Imperial Decree in
1832 under the Ottoman Empire and founded under modern Turkish law.

According to the ruling, Turkey must return the titles of all
properties to each foundation and pay compensation of 600,000 euro
to the Samatya Foundation and 275,000 euro to the Yedikule Foundation.

The charter of both foundations complies with the provisions of the
Lausanne Treaty affording protection to foundations that provide
public services for religious minorities.

The ECHR said Turkey had violated the protection of property rights
defined under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 of the convention, Hurriyet
Daily News reports.