ARMENIAN FOUNDATION TO REPEAT ELECTIONS FOLLOWING FRAUD CLAIMS
Today’s Zaman
May 8 2009
Turkey
The Beyoglu Uc Horon Foundation in Istanbul, one of the wealthiest
foundations of Turkey’s Armenian community, is likely to repeat its
administrative elections following allegations of fraud in its March
22 elections.
Opponents of Apik Harabetoglu, who has chaired the foundation for
25 years, have claimed that Harabetoglu and his team manipulated the
election. A group of Armenians who migrated from southeastern Anatolia
ran in the election against Harabetoglu. They accuse Harabetoglu of
resorting to illegal methods to prevent his opponents from winning
the election. The two sides have been holding mediated talks since
the election, attempting to come to an agreement.
Speaking to Today’s Zaman after the most recent session on Monday,
one of the opposition candidates, Garabet Paylan, said a consensus
would be reached soon. Rober KoptaÅ~_, a columnist from Armenian daily
Agos, told Today’s Zaman that it would be better if the elections,
in which only Armenians residing in Beyoglu can currently vote, are
broadened to include all Turkish-Armenians. Other Armenian community
members attending the meeting said the election would be repeated
soon. The Foundations General Directorate also wants the elections
to be repeated.
The Kurdistan Democratic Confederation (KCK), an umbrella organization
of networks affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK), has been accused to be trying to infiltrate the Uc Horon
Foundation and seize 400 pieces of real estate owned by the foundation.
Prosecutors in the investigation into Ergenekon, a criminal network
accused of plotting to overthrow the government, have included evidence
in the most recent indictment in the case that indicates that the KCK,
the arm of the PKK responsible for creating chaos in urban areas by
organizing protests and civil disobedience, has served the interests
of Ergenekon, which allegedly worked to stage attacks, assassinations
and demonstrations for the ultimate purpose of triggering a military
coup. Nearly 50 people, the majority of them members of the pro-Kurdish
Democratic Society Party (DTP), were detained in early April in
operations in 13 cities on orders from the Diyarbakır Prosecutor’s
Office over alleged links to the PKK. As the investigation into the
KCK proceeds, some have claimed that the organization manipulated
the Armenian foundation’s March 22 elections.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
