Եկեղեցական գոյքի վերադարձման խնդիրը որպէս հայոց պահանջատիրութեան բաղկացուցիչ
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Date
2015
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The issue of church property restitution in Turkey as a constituent element of Armenian demands has recently become a matter of further urgency. Action related to the issue is conditioned by the existence of the competent body, namely the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, as a legitimate-organizing and self-governing institution of the Armenian community, the pressures by the European Union and the USA and the adoption of a relevant law in Turkey in August 2011.
In spite of the existence of the above-mentioned positive conditions, there are also a number of practical legal and political obstacles, which severely hinder the issue of property return. Among the legal obstacles are: time constraints, the issue of the legal status of the churches (as some religious communities are not recognized by the Turkish state), the limitations of retroactivity (as the law is applied to properties confiscated after 1936, while most of the church properties were confiscated between WWI and 1936), the fact that some properties have been sold. The political obstacles are bureaucratic acrimony and political speculation.
Notwithstanding the obstacles raised by the Turkish authorities, the issue continues to be urgent, and the Armenian Church must press harder. This would help bring further transparency to the difficulties of the Christian minorities in Turkey.
The author suggests a set of steps and strategies to be adopted by the Christian minorities for more hopeful results. Among these strategies the author calls for broad collaboration and extensive cooperation between churches at both national and international levels in the matters of drafting and submitting claims, mutual legal and information assistance, etc.
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Հովեան, Վ., «Եկեղեցական գոյքի վերադարձման խնդիրը որպէս հայոց պահանջատիրութեան բաղկացուցիչ», «Հայկազեան հայագիտական հանդէս», 2015, Պէյրութ, էջ 605-622