Armenians raise expropriation of property by Turkey to Australia FM

PanARMENIAN.Net - On April 1, the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) and the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) sent a joint letter to Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, ANC Australia said in a statement.

The joint letter addresses the issues and concerns of both the Armenian and Assyrian communities in regards to the decision made by Turkey to take ownership of more than 6000 properties in the Sur district of the Diyarbakir region, including Saint Giragos Church, which is the largest Armenian Church in the Middle East, as well as the Virgin Mary Ancient Assyrian Church.

The letter makes references to the reports covering this ruling. It also references statements made by Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament and member of the Kurdish Peoples’ Party (HDP), the Co-chair of the HDP, Figen Yüksekdag, as well as the Diyarbakir Bar Association.

The letter stressed that this “immediate expropriation” violates the right of property, and explicitly contradicts the Turkish Constitution’s Expropriation Law, and the European Convention on Human Rights.

The letter stated that there could be no justifiable “security” grounds to expropriate churches and other religious sites or property. Even more so because of Turkey’s atrocious record of destroying and desecrating Armenian, Assyrian and Greek religious and cultural heritage, especially during and after the Genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks in 1915.

It was stressed that this was a renewed attack by President Recep Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on the Christian Communities of Turkey whose heritage and existence is increasingly under threat.

ANC Australia and the AUA jointly call upon the Australian Government urgently to add its voice to our Communities’ concerns; convey its objection to the expropriation of these Churches (and all other religious sites and property) to the representatives of the Republic of Turkey; and request the immediate return of all Churches and other religious sites and properties back to their rightful owners.