Minority foundations | Armenians of Turkey express concern over new regulation rumors

Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital in İstanbul has been operating since 1832. (Photo: Cemaat Vakıfları)

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After annulling the regulation on minority foundations in 2013, the government has not issued a new regulation since then, which has prevented the minorities from electing heads of their foundations.

A new regulation is expected to be issued within this month, but there are rumors that hospitals belonging to minority foundations will be excluded from the regulation, hence will not be able to hold elections.

Releasing a statement about the issue, 258 Armenians said it would be disregarding the Armenian community of Turkey.

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Full text of the statement:

While the discomfort and damage caused by the foundation elections that could not be done for nine years have not been eliminated yet, it is now said that elections of boards of directors of our hospitals, which are among the largest and most well-established institutions of the Armenian Community of Turkey, will be postponed or will not be held at all.

The foundations have a key importance in the social life of the Armenian Community of Turkey. As a long-standing practice and a requirement of democracy, the election of foundation boards is the most fundamental way for the community to have a say in what belongs to it.

Failure to hold elections for any of our foundations, especially our hospitals, which serve as a cornerstone, is a violation of people's right to vote and to be elected, as well as disregarding the Armenian community.

It is not possible for us to accept this. Those who will pave the way for such a practice that would mean the usurpation of will be responsible to the Armenian community today and to history in the future.

We hope that the practice in question is nothing more than a rumor; if it is not, we state that we are strongly against this and our will to struggle, calling on the authorities that have the responsibility to take action.

Signatories:

Abraham Nurnur, Adam Sarkis, Ağa Çizmeci, Ağavni Çit, Ağavni Duraslan, Agop Darboyan, Agop Demir, Agop Kasparyan, Agop Topal, Akup Alakuş, Alen Zinzal, Alexis Kalk, Alin İşlemecioğlu Misisyan, Alin Kaprielyan, Anahit Aharon, Anahit Elmon Çakır Olgar, Ani Camgöz, Ani Harzıvartyan, Ani Ohanyan Şahinoğullarından, Ani Setyan, Ani Susmak, Ani Torosoğlu Kalaycı, Anjel Yelegen, Anna Turay, Antil Destici, Anto Kösedağ, Arakel Duman, Araksi Çingunyan, Aram Demircioğlu, Aram Evatoğlu, Arda Özçakan, Aret Arpanyan, Arev Cebeci, Ari Demircioğlu, Ari Gürman, Aris Bododoğan, Arman Aharon, Arman Koçak, Armen Keşişoğlu, Armenag İpekçi, Armine Yazdanoğlu, Arno Kalaycı, Arpi Ganze, Arşak Kocabay, Arşaluys Nubar, Arşaluys Zurnacı, Arşo Gemici Kazar, Arthur Kalk, Artin Avedikyan, Arto Arman, Arto Horata, Arto Nalcı, Atam Camgöz, Ayda Gülhancı Boyaciyan, Ayda Manukyan, Ayk Erkman, Ayk Kadıyan, Ayk Serdar Didoyan, Bedros Dağlıyan, Bedros Tomasyan, Boğos Güraslan, Can Kartun, Cemil Değirmenci, Civan Aved Hergel, David Aslanbaş, David Evyapan, Diana Kuyumciyan, Dikranuhi Değirgeç Yılmaz, Diran Aykez, Diran Duraslan, Elizabet Peynirci, Elmas Özdemir, Emil Aharon, Emili Birsel Sezar, Emili Sezar, Fani Kervancıoğlu, Garabet Orunöz, Garabet Yanık, Garbis Diktaş, Garbis Duraslan, Garbis Evyapan, Garo Kaprielyan, Güher Basut, Gülbenk Yalçın, Gürbüz Boztaş, Haçadur Delgi, Haçig Baharoğlu, Hagop Hamparsumyan, Hagop Mamigonyan, Harut Kurumlu, Harutyun Çekem, Harutyun Kalataş, Harutyun Özer, Hasmik Cingöz, Haygaz Babek, Hayik Yıldız, Hera Karadeniz, Herman Akdülgeryan, Hosrof İliözer, Hovnan Dursun, Hovsep Haroyan, Hrip Kuyumcuoğlu, İstepan Gedik, İstepan Tatlıdil, Jaklin Akdülgeryan, Jaklin Setyan Azizof, Jale Demircioğlu, Jan Gavrilof, Janet Özçakan, Janya Çakır, Jbid Zurnacı, Jean Silahlı, Jilda Özuygun, Jirayr Karagöz, Jüliet Demircioğlu, Jüliet Erkol, Jüliyet Gazaryan, Kalust Akdülgeryan, Kalust Aslanbaş, Karin Aleksanyan, Karin Bododoğan, Karin Çekem, Karni Atınç, Karolin Sarıboyacıyan Mamigonyan, Kayane Gavrilof, Kayuş Çalıkman Gavrilof, Kevork Apkaryan, Kevork Evyapan, Kirkor Delice, Kirkor Elmayan, Kirkor İboalev, Kirkor Sağlamer, Kirkor Sahakoğlu, Lerna Gaspar, Lerna Kuyumcu, Lerna Papazyan, Levon Yıldırımyan, Lidya Menesyan, Luiz Bakar, Lusin Bengi, Madlen Toraman, Maral Ayvaz Çağlaçubukçu, Mardiros Demircioğlu, Mari Akbaş, Mari Karaca, Masis Harzıvartyan, Mayram Yeşil Pilibosyan, Menekşe Diktaş, Meral Kalayciyan, Murad Cingöz, Murad Ekmekçi, Murad Köşker, Murad Mıhçı, Murat Çekem, Muraz Sarangil, Nadin Çifçiyan, Nadya Danacı Gündoğdu, Nadya Kontsanagian Dindar, Nadya Uygun, Najda Dirasuyan, Nare Gavrilof, Narod Erkol, Nartuhi Akkayataş, Natali Demircioğlu, Natali Yiğit, Nazlı Demirci, Neda Barsamyan, Nigoğos Karaca, Nişan Güreh, Nıvart Duraslan, Norayr Olgar, Nubar Opan, Nubar Şerbetçioğlu, Nubar Taşı, Nuran Gezdirici, Nurhan Becidyan, Nurhan Çetinkaya, Nurhan Gülüstanyan, Ohannes Conkar, Ohannes Kılıçdağı, Ohannes Şaşkal, Ohannes Yalın, Onno Kolukısayan, Orhan Şarklı, Oşin Şirinpınar, Oskihan Habeş, Pakrat Estukyan, Raffi Kayaer, Raffi Portakal, Raffi Süzme, Rita Delgi, Robert Rita Küçükaltunyan, Roy Manukyan, Rüstem Ayral, Şake Hilda Kuyumciyan, Şake Yalçın, Samuel Bakırcı, Sara Nurnur, Sarkis Altan, Sarkis Arık, Sarkis Aslan, Sarkis Çimen, Sarkis Erkol, Sayat Kevork Gürün, Sayat Serhan Didonyan, Sayat Tekir, Sebuh Koçak, Sebuh Zaman, Selin Kuyumciyan, Selin Tomasyan, Selma Kasapoğlu, Selma Melekyan, Serli Çolakyan Dikme, Seta Estukyan, Sevan Çavuşyan, Sevan Karabetoğlu, Sevan Ünal, Şimavon Çimen, Sime Habeş, Simon Yıldız, Sirun Irmak Çakıryan, Şınork Beşiktaşlıyan, Sona Menteşe, Suren Zurnacı, Şuşan Ohanyan Tütün, Suzan Ohanyan, Takuhi Zaman, Talin Cancik, Talin Jilda Zinzal Çamkerten, Talin Mirzahanyan, Talin Papazyan, Talin Şirinpınar, Tamar Erkman, Tamara Ohannesyan, Taner Özer, Tanya Elmasdağ, Tanya Özçakan, Tatyos Bebek, Tavit Köletavitoğlu, Vahan Kopar, Vahe Bakırcı, Vahram Mardiryan, Vartanuş Opan, Vartkes Hergel, Vartuhi Işıktel, Varujan Horata, Vera Dellaloğlu, Vera Nişanyan Alün, Vilma Kunuzyan, Yaşar Kaynak, Yeprem Bulgan, Yerçanik Ünal, Yervant Gülsataryan, Yetvart Taşı, Yetvart Varjabetyan, Yıldız Çulcu, Yıldız Horata, Zulal Berberyan. 

(HA/VK)