CONCERNS RISE AS ISTANBUL-ARMENIANS KEEP FACING VIOLENCE

tert.am
11:06 ~U 25.01.13

The Istanbul-Armenian community keeps remaining concerned over the
continuing violence against Armenians in the Samatya district.

The Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos has devoted a report to the recent
assault against an 80 year-old Armenian woman. It has brought up more
details of the incidents.

“The 80-year-old Sultan Akyar was entering the house when a masked man,
aged 35, assaulted her. The neighbors, who had heard the woman’s voice,
rushed to the scene to save Akyar at the last moment. Injured on the
head and face, Akyar had her vision in the right eye deteriorated.

The witnesses, two young girls, said they had seen the perpetrator
smoking at the door-entrance. They had also noticed a car, with two
men leaning against it and ‘reading a magazine’ while keeping an eye
on the scene.

This witness evidence proves that the assault was pre-arranged,”
says the publication, adding that a Turkish parliamentarian from
the Republican People’s Party (CHP) has sent a note to the country’s
interior minister, Idris Naim Shahin, expressing concerns over the
assaults against the ethnic Armenians in the Istanbul district.

The CHP lawmaker is particularly interested to know whether the recent
acts of violence are linked to one another in any way and weather
they were committed pursuant to a dirty scheme. He asks the interior
minister what measures have been taken to ensure the security of the
Samatya Armenians.

Turkey’s Human Rights Association has promised in a recent statement
to submit a report to the Interior Ministry in this connection.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress