Category: 2022

Istanbul’s Surp Prgich Hospital

The Armenian community of Istanbul might lose control of the Holy Savior—Surp Purgich—Hospital, a 188-year-old Armenian landmark in the community.

The concerns have escalated as elections for the hospital board are imminent and worries about a change in laws enacted in 2013 have create confusion.

For decades, the Surp Purgich Hospital, located in a suburb of Istanbul, has been regulated as a foundation, similar to a non-profit organization in this country.

However, in 2013, the Turkish government abolished the regulations governing the elections at foundations of national minorities, and new regulations have not been approved since then.

Bagrat Estukian, the editor-in-chief of the Istanbul-based Armenian Agos newspaper, told Armenpress that rumors have been circulating in the community that the authorities will soon introduce the new mandates, which the community believes will not solve the problem.

“Very concerning developments are taking place,” Estukian said. “It’s about the 2013 abolition of the regulation [governing foundations], which they said was taking place because a new charter was being prepared.”

He explained that the hospital board elections have been indefinitely delayed because a new charter governing elections and other administrative matters has not been drafted.

“Now there are rumors that a new charter will be introduced. Nevertheless we won’t be able to hold elections of the executive board of the hospital. This could be an attempt to seize our biggest institution. It’s about an 188-year-old institution that is considered to be a national hospital in the community. It also has an elderly care component,” Estukian said.

The Agos editor warned that if the Armenian community is unable to hold elections of the board then they could possibly “lose the hospital as an Armenian institution.”

He explained that as an institution designated as a foundation, all Armenians in Turkey may take part in board election.

“Now, if we get deprived from this right, this would mean that this isn’t an Armenian hospital anymore,” Estukian said.

The Armenian community recently organized an online petition against any charter or regulation that would potentially prevent them from taking part in the electoral process. 

Estukian added that this problem concerns all other national minorities of Turkey as well.

Asked whether or not national minorities could come together and join efforts against the regulation, Estukian said there are no developments like that yet.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Istanbul Patriarch Says Artsakh part of the Ankara-Yerevan Normalization Package

Special envoys for normalizing relations between Armenia and Turkey, Ruben Rubinyan and Serdar Kılıç held their third meeting in Vienna on Tuesday.

Following the meeting the two foreign ministries issued identical announcement expressing their countries’ commitment to the process.

“The Special Representatives reaffirmed the declared goal of achieving full normalization between their respective countries through this process. In this sense, they had sincere and productive exchange of concrete views and discussed possible steps that can be undertaken for tangible progress in this direction,” said the statement. “They reiterated their agreement to continue the process without preconditions.”

Since the last meeting in Vienna in February, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan traveled to Turkey and attended a diplomatic conference in Antalya.

Following the first meeting in Moscow in January, the sides committed to advancing relation “without preconditions.”

Official Yerevan has signaled that it wants to open the borders with Turkey and establish diplomatic relations.

While Ankara has echoed similar sentiments, its leaders have stepped up their calls urging Armenia to recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity—including Artsakh. On April 23, Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu flashed the hand gesture used by the ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves to a group of Armenian protesters in Montevideo, Uruguay, where he was on an official visit.

In an interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul Archbishop Sahag Mashalian said that Turkey wants a resolution from Armenia, suggesting that such a package also includes the settlement of the Artsakh conflict.

He said that although the Turkey-Armenia talks are proceeding between representatives from the two countries, however, in reality there are four countries, including Azerbaijan and Turkey.

“This is not just about Armenia-Turkey relation,” Mashalian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

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An ABMDR volunteer team, including Board members, outside the Kalaydian Hall of the Western Diocese, during the recruitment drive for Jack Chorlian. Photo courtesy of the ABMDRDonor Recruitments Are Held In Los Angeles, Boston, Yerevan, Gyumri, And Las Vegas

In the past several weeks, thousands of supporters in the United States and Armenia answered the call to attend recruitment drives organized by the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry and become bone marrow stem cell donors, for a chance to save the lives of Alex Darbinyan and other patients. At every single recruitment drive, whether in California, Nevada, Massachusetts, Yerevan, or Gyumri, young supporters turned out in massive numbers.

The events were also attended by community and church leaders, including Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Father Khajag Shahbazyan, and pastor of Las Vegas’ St. Geragos Armenian Apostolic Church Rev. Sasoon Zumrookhdian.

Alex Darbinyan, 13, is suffering from leukemia. In order to survive this life-threatening illness, he urgently needs a bone marrow stem cell transplant. Given the unique genetic makeup of ethnic Armenians, Alex’s transplant can be possible only if he is matched with a bone marrow stem cell donor from the Armenian community.

To help Alex find a life-saving match, his family teamed up with ABMDR to organize a series of recruitment drives in the United States and Armenia, with additional support from the Western Diocese.

The recruitment drives were held on April 6 and 26 at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral in Burbank; on April 18 through 22 at the ABMDR headquarters in Yerevan; on April 22 at St. James Armenian Church in Watertown, Massachusetts, during the Hye Café community event; on April 23 in Gyumri; and on April 30 at St. Geragos Armenian Apostolic Church in Las Vegas. ABMDR also held a recruitment drive for leukemia patient Jack Chorlian, on April 13, at St. Leon Cathedral. Every one of these drives sought to find donor matches for not only Alex and Jack, but many other ABMDR patients currently awaiting donor matches for their own life-saving transplants.

On hand at all the recruitment drives were scores of ABMDR volunteers who explained to supporters the simple, safe, and painless process of becoming a donor and welcomed them to the ranks of ABMDR. In all, over 2,000 supporters between the ages of 18 and 50 registered as potential bone marrow stem cell donors.

“The turnout was just incredible,” said Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of ABMDR. “It is extremely heartwarming to see our wonderful youth respond to the call for help, to see it rally around the cause of saving a fellow Armenian’s life without a moment’s hesitation. I would like to thank every single supporter who attended our recruitment drives and became a potential donor, as well as the families of our patients, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, whose longtime support of our mission remains exemplary, Father Khajag Shahbazyan, and Rev. Sasoon Zumrookhdian.”

“Also, our very special thanks go to our sponsors, including Suzy Sogoyan; IceLink; Love Armenia and its team, with Ani Mardirosian; and Fuliane Petikyan / FANS With a Cause. We are deeply grateful for their generosity,” added Dr. Jordan.

In a video appeal to supporters, posted on ABMDR’s Facebook page, Arpine Zohrabyan said, “Alex’s journey has impacted our lives beyond measure. His fight against leukemia will continue to further highlight the importance of being the ‘one’ to donate. Consider yourself the ‘lucky’ one if you are the match, as it gives you a new purpose and drive to do that much more.”

Zohrabyan is herself a bone marrow donor. Since donating bone marrow stem cells some years ago, she has become a dedicated advocate of ABMDR’s life-saving mission, joining the organization’s board and helping coordinate all recruitment drives. In her video appeal, Zohrabyan also mentioned that on April 30, as ABMDR volunteers were on the flight to Las Vegas for the recruitment event there and the flight attendant, Kimberly, learned of the purpose of their trip, she asked everyone in the cabin to raise their hands and join them together in the shape of a heart, offering prayers for Alex. All 140 passengers fulfilled the flight attendant’s request, in a show of solidarity with the young Armenian patient.   

Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians and non-Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 32,000 donors in 44 countries across four continents, identified over 9,000 patients, and facilitated 38 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit the ABMDR website.

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