Category: 2022

The new Community Foundations Election Regulation, which addresses the crucial demand of Turkey’s minorities, received a mixed welcome, but communities largely hailed the news. The regulation is in response to a key matter for the communities’ future as foundations primarily oversee everyday affairs, from running places of worship to hospitals serving the communities.

The old regulation allowing the Community Foundations to elect their own board of directors was suspended in 2013. For the last nine years, a new regulation has been tried to put into action. Finally, it was issued by the government in June.

“We advise our community to focus on the positive aspects of the regulation. Since the regulation is new, it will start showing results in time. We believe that constructive dialogues between Armenian and other minority communities and with the General Directorate of Foundations (VGM) are essential and valuable at this stage,” said Sahak II, the Armenian patriarch of Turkey. “In this sense, we would like to thank President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, VGM and the Interior Ministry, who contributed to the preparation of this regulation that meets our needs,” Patriarch Sahak II added. “Minorities consist of 12 different communities with different needs. Therefore, it is nearly impossible to make a common regulation that meets the demands of every community. That is why we are grateful to (VGM) and the Ministry of Interior for their hard work,” Süleyman Can Ustabaşı, a member of the Assyrian community and the representative for all minorities at the Assembly of Foundations, said.

“It is very pleasing that elections are being held once again and that the staff will be renewed. After 10 years of obscurity in the election of foundations, I believe that a positive change will happen with the entry of new names into the cadres,” Karel Valansi, a columnist who is an expert on this subject, told Daily Sabah.

According to Article 40 of the Treaty of Lausanne, non-Muslim minorities have equal rights to establish, run and inspect their religious and social institutions as well as the other establishments. However, putting the elections off for nine years caused some setbacks.

“The Community Foundations Election Regulation was, of course, a highly desired and expected situation. However, there are many negative situations and destruction caused by the fact that a suspended regulation has not been renewed for as long as nine years,” Valansi, who pens columns for only Turkish Jewish weekly Şalom, said. “The right to vote and to be elected and freedom of association were disrupted. There was a delay for administrations that reflect the voters’ will to accede,” she added. “The status quo was maintained while the enthusiasm of the few young administrators in the foundations and candidates for elections diminished. The regulation should have been put into effect much earlier before the problems piled up,” she said. Valansi also voiced her concerns about what might be the possible outcomes of the new regulation. “There were some problems with the old regulation. Some of them have been resolved, however, the new regulation can lead to other problems. For example, Istanbul is divided into electoral districts just like in parliamentary elections and six months of residency is required to be able to be a voter and candidate. However, there are Anatolian foundations without communities,” she said.

The Armenian Patriarchate, meanwhile, welcomed the decision to add electoral districts to the regulation. “Our main complaint was the narrowness of electoral districts. We see that the new regulation mostly meets our demand to expand the election area. The administrations of districts with reduced population and some of our foundations with large incomes will be put under public control with the majority of votes,” Patriarch Sahak II said. Article 10 of the new regulation declares that after examining the information and documents required for the election, a certificate of authorization is given to the relevant foundation by the Regional Directorate of Foundations.

“How will the authorization certificate mentioned here be issued? How long does it take to be issued? What will happen in case of rejection? Will the elections be postponed again?” Valansi questioned. Valansi also stated that there were ambiguities in some articles such as Article 12, which states that the list of candidates should be sent beforehand to the Regional Directorate of Foundations.

On the other hand, the Armenian Patriarchate stated that they believe the authorities were always solution-oriented. “We believe that the authorities will have the same approach in enlightening the ambiguities and will complete what is lacking in the new regulation if there is anything,” Patriarch Sahak II said.

Minorities in Turkey have suffered from the deprivation of their basic rights for decades. Efforts to restore the oft-neglected rights of minorities took a landmark turn in 2011 as the country amended the laws for the return of properties without current owners to the minorities they were obtained from.

A 1936 charter enabled non-Muslim minorities to acquire properties. Despite all the improvements, this process came to a halt in 1974 when a new regulation was issued. Now, most of the confiscated properties have been returned to their rightful owners. Properties once owned by religious foundations of Armenian, Greek and Jewish communities were seized as part of discriminating state policies in the past. The properties, ranging from historical buildings and churches to schools were mostly sold to third parties by the Treasury after their confiscation.

The country returned 1,084 confiscated properties to minorities between 2003 and 2018, whereas compensation was paid for 21 properties’ value.

“The process of returning the properties ended at the end of 2014. Justice has been served for many properties, but there are also more properties that were not returned because of the shortcomings of the law. Thus, a new regulation is needed,” Ustabaşı said. “Our relationship with the government officials, especially with our honorable President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been progressing well for the last two decades. We are aware of their good intentions to solve our problems,” he added.

Turkey hosts 167 minority foundations, including 77 Greek Orthodox, 54 Armenian, 19 Jewish, 10 Syriac, three Chaldean, two Bulgarian, one Georgian and one Maronite organization.

From left: Fr. Drtad Uzunian, Rev. Kirkor Ağabaloğlu, Archbishop Sahag II Mashalian, Zaven and Sona Khanjian, and Father Krikor Damadian

PARAMUS, NJ—Following the Armenian Evangelical Church’s 175^th Anniversary commemorative events in Armenia, Armenian Missionary Association of America Executive Director/CEO Zaven Khanjian, along with his wife Sona, traveled to Istanbul on Friday, July 16, for a short mission field visit where they were welcomed by Rev. Kirkor Ağabaloğlu, Pastor of the Armenian Evangelical Church in Gedikpaşa.

On Sunday, July 17, Khanjian participated in the Armenian Evangelical Church in Gedikpaşa’s Worship Service, where he shared a message in Armenian, while Rev. Ağabaloğlu translated said message to Turkish. The message was based on Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world.”

On Monday, July 18, Khanjian, with his wife Sona and accompanied by Rev. Ağabaloğlu, visited the Patriarchate of Istanbul where they were received by Archbishop Sahag II Mashalian, Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople.

The guests congratulated Archbishop Mashalian on his election as the Patriarch of Constantinople. Khanjian spoke about the celebratory events of the 175^th Anniversary of the Armenian Evangelical Church held in Yerevan and remembered with gratitude the presence of Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisian, who delivered the congratulatory message of His Holiness Karekin II Catholicos of All Armenians. Khanjian also thanked the Patriarch for his message on the same occasion.

Archbishop Mashalian once again congratulated the 175^th Anniversary of the Armenian Evangelical Church and emphasized the importance of preaching the Holy Bible in our times, as people sometimes have a negative attitude toward the Bible. He also emphasized the need to continue living our Christian faith by following the example of our grandfathers who experienced miracles with faith.

Khanjian referred to the reconstruction project of Camp Armen in Tuzla and expressed the desire of His Eminence’s moral support and blessing. His Eminence emphasized that the rightful owner of the institution is the Armenian Evangelical Community and, since it will be used by members of the Armenian community without religious discrimination, the work done would be of interest to the Patriarchal See and the Armenian Catholic Archdiocese. He also stated that he gave instructions for fundraising, and engagement in future plans.

Hrant Dink School students

Khanjian expressed his satisfaction that an inter-community understanding was formed for the realization of such a goal. He also emphasized that there were healthy inter-church relations in Istanbul, the result of which was the book about the Basic Principles of Christianity published in Turkish, Armenian, and English languages, the like of which has never been seen before. His Eminence gave copies of these books to the guests, as well as copies of his authored book “Yergu Ukhtavor” (Two Pilgrims). The guests expressed their gratitude for the hospitality and dialogue and bid farewell to His Eminence.

On the same day, Khanjian and his wife, accompanied by Rev. Kirkor Ağabaloğlu, visited Archbishop Boghos Lévon Zékiyan of the Armenian Catholic Archdiocese of Istanbul at Sourp Hovannes (St. John) Voskeperan mother church in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. Joining the guests was Father Vartan Kazanjian.

Matters relating to the Armenian community in Istanbul and the region were topics of discussion. Archbishop Zékiyan expressed support for the reconstruction of Camp Armen in Tuzla and affirmed the Church’s inclination to engage in the project. The guests thanked the Archbishop for welcoming them with a warm reception.

On July 18, the Khanjian’s also visited the Hrant Dink School located at the Armenian Evangelical Church of Gedikpaşa in Istanbul. They interacted with the students in grades K-9 who presented a special performance of recitations and songs. It was a moving experience to see this island, a ghetto of national identity. These children and their school are equivalent to the “Youth Home of Istanbul” – children who are ‘cast out’ of the system, but warmly embraced by our Church in Gedikpaşa supported by the AMAA, where they come to know, learn, and realize their national identity, origin, and Christian faith.

On July 19, his last day in Istanbul, Khanjian along with his wife, Rev. Ağabaloğlu, Hrant Dink School children, teachers, and staff, as well as members of the Camp Armen Building Committee, representatives of the three Armenian denominations, and representatives of the Gedikpaşa Municipal Council visited Camp Armen. A bus was provided by the Municipal Council who invited the guests to share a meal with them following the visit. At the Camp, they reminisced Camp Armen and the two Hrants – Guzelian and Dink  ̶  and pledged to realize the dream of rebuilding the Camp for the youth and young adults of the community without discrimination. Turkish newspaper and TV reporters met the guests at the Camp and interviewed them.

“It was a very rewarding experience to embrace the legacy of Camp Armen, its heroes and heroines and the promise of a new community camp which will perpetuate that legacy and bring forth the promise of a new faithful generation of youth in Istanbul,” said Khanjian. “AMAA, holding hands with the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic Churches, vows to support the rebuilding of the new camp for the benefit of community youth and young adults.”

May God bless the sweet memory of the past and the plans to rebuild the new Camp Armen in Istanbul.