NEW BOOK PUBLISHED ON ABANDONED PROPERTY

ISTANBUL – Hurriyet Daily News

Lawyer Elbeyoglu will publish a book on Armenians’ abandoned assets.

DAILY NEWS photo, Emrah Gurel

Vercihan Zifliogluvercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr

Lawyer Ali Elbeyoglu is set to release a book on a Turkish law on
Armenians’ abandoned property, after being granted access to the
parliamentary archives.

For the book, Elbeyoglu examined Turkish and Ottoman files on the
law, the “Emval-i Metruke,” which regulated the ownership rights of
properties abandoned by Armenians after the 1915 incidents.

He said he had experienced no problems in accessing the files, which
are kept in the archives of the Turkish Parliament.

“There is a serious archive, which dates back 500 years,” Elbeyoglu
said, adding that the documents were very well preserved.

He said the former owners of the properties could file lawsuits to
reclaim them, but added that repeat lawsuits opened outside of Turkey
were “irrelevant.” He particularly recalled a case opened in the United
States by members of the Armenian diaspora over lands in Adana, where
the Ä°ncirlik base is currently located, saying that this case could
only have led to a positive result if it had been opened in Turkey.

Elbeyoglu highlighted that the “Emval-I Metruke” should not be
confused with the content of a 2011 decree that ruled for the return
of confiscated property from minority foundations, saying that the
older law is related to properties belonging to individual people.

He said the 100th anniversary of the 1915 incidents could see several
lawsuits opened, and added that Turkey should “deal with the issue
if it wants to be a democratic country.” He also stressed that the
issue was not only limited to Armenians, but also related to Greeks,
Syriacs and even a number of Muslim Turks as well.

November/22/2013

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress