Istanbul Armenian church turned into reception hallFebruary 26, 2016 - 17:03 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian protestant church in Istanbul's Beyoglu district has been turned into a reception hall, Ermenihaber.am reports citing Sozcu. The first and second floors of the building, which was built in 1850 and was in active use until 1922, served as a school and a church, respectively. The Beyoglu municipality declared the church a public domain in 1995. Istanbul City Council member, representative of Turkey’s Republican People's Party (CHP) Hussein Sagi criticized the decision to use the building for other purposes. “The head of Beyoglu district succeeded in turning the historic church into a “multifunctional one,” he ironized. “The building was to be renovated, reopened for worship and returned to its legal owners. What place of prayer has ever served as a reception hall for engagement or wedding parties?” the official said. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. Ex-President: Only removal of “defeatist” rulers can save Armenia Former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Pashinyan: We must stop searching for homeland, we have found that homeland Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. |