Turkey’s minorities can no longer apply for property return

PanARMENIAN.Net - The 12-month period for Turkey’s minority foundations to apply for the return of properties expropriated by a 1936 proclamation ended, with 56 minority foundations applying for 430 immovable properties, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

The foundations, which won the right to apply for the return of their properties via a temporary article in the Foundations Law, made petitions for land in Istanbul, Diyarbakır, Bursa, Hatay and Balıkesir.

Some minority representatives, however, said the one-year application was not long enough.

“There are 49-50 Armenian foundations [in Turkey]. I think there is not enough time available for all of these foundations, but I hope they will do their best with good intentions in the future,” Gedikpaşa Armenian Church Foundation Chairman Harut Şanlı said.

“Sometimes we come across lands where mosques or healthcare centers have been built. In such cases, we cannot demand the territory. Can you imagine demanding land that has been home to a mosque for 50 years?” he said.

In the course of reviewing the applications, the Foundations Assembly chose to register 51 immovable properties, pay the cost of one immovable property and rejected the appeal of 32 other properties.

The foundation’s general directorate will review the other applications during scheduled meetings conducted every other week.