ARMENIAN FAMILY GIVEN LEAVE TO RESIDE IN TURKEY
Anadolu Agency
Apri 27 2010
Turkey
Istanbul, 27 April: An Armenian family is glad to stay in Turkey
after they were granted residence permit with direction of Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In an interview with the Anatolia correspondent, Hasmik Manukyan,
mother of 22-year-old Arthur, who suffers from moya-moya disease, said
that she was glad that her son could continue his treatment in Turkey.
Manukyan said they came to Turkey in 2005 and Arthur worked at a
jewellery shop in Kapalicarsi and she baby-sat.
"Arthur had chronic headaches and we went to Sirp Pirgic Hospital.
Doctors diagnosed him with moya-moya disease (an inherited disease in
which certain arteries in the brain are constricted)," Manukyan said.
She said they were granted residence permit on Monday [26 April]
and they were really happy to stay in Turkey. Manukyan said they
appreciated Prime Minister Erdogan’s efforts for their permit.
"We hope that Turkish and Armenian people will live together like
friends. I hope that one day borders will be opened," she said.
Manukyan said she also felt deep sorrow that Turkish flags were burned
in Armenia.
Turkey has granted a five-year residence permit to Manukyan family
on Monday.
Thousands of Armenians are living illegally in Turkey, most of them
in Istanbul. The exact number is unknown but they are usually known
as undocumented Armenians who are working illegally in Turkey.