Davutoglu pledges to prevent Armenian orphanage from demolition

PanARMENIAN.Net - A campaign to prevent demolition of the former Armenian orphanage known as Camp Armen in the Tuzla suburb of Istanbul continues, with the issue having found its way into the agenda of the Turkish government.

The parliamentary nominee of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), ethnic Armenian Markar Yesayan discussed the issue with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkish media report.

According to Yesayan, Davutoglu vowed to interfere in the matter. Also the Minister of Environment and Urban Planning Idris Gulluce, Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş, Istanbul's AKP chief Selim Temurci, who were present at the discussion, pledged to get in touch with the owners of the building to find a solution.

As Yesayan noted, it will no longer be possible to proceed with the demolishing of the orphanage.

"The owner got a permission to pull down the building by falsely calling it a dangerous structure in his report to the municipality," Yesayan said, stressing that at present, measures are taken to procure a document annulling permission to demolish the orphanage.

Activists occupied the former Armenian orphanage known as Camp Armen in the Tuzla suburb of İstanbul on Wednesday, May 6 night to prevent the former home of prominent Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink from being demolished and replaced by a luxury residence.