More than 250 signatures from the Armenian community

The new regulation, which will allow for the Board of Directors of Minority Foundations to be elected by voters, is expected to be published soon. However, according to rumours, the elections of hospital foundations will either be postponed or excluded from the scope of the elections. More than 250 people from the Armenian community signed the text on the Facebook page of the Düşünce (Thought) Platform and said, "Failure to hold elections for any of our foundations, especially foundations that serve as cornerstones of our hospitals, is a violation of people’s right to elect and be elected, as well as the disregarding of the Armenian community."

Minority Foundations have not been able to elect their boards of directors since 2013, when the election regulation was annulled by the Directorate General for Foundations (DGF) on the grounds that "a better one would be prepared". In the 9 years that elapsed since then, DGF has not issued a new regulation. However, upon the reactions and demands of various circles, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy pointed to April 2022 for the [new] regulation. As the date approaches, delegations from the Ministry of Interior and the DGF stepped up their contacts with representatives of minority communities, however there are increasing rumours that hospital foundations such as Yedikule Surp Pırgiç and Balıklı Rum Hospital would be excluded from the elections or elections thereof would be postponed In an interview held with Prof. Dr. Toros Alcan the previous week, Agos carried the issue to its headlines.

More than 250 people from the Armenian community in Turkey united on the Facebook page of Düşünce (Thought) Platform Initiative, signed a text entitled "No to the usurpation of our will" and said, "Those who will lead to such a practice, which means the usurpation of our will, will be accountable to the Armenian community today and to history in the future." The process of signing the text on the Facebook page of the Thought Platform is still in progress.

The text and signatures are as follows:

“No to the Usurpation of our Will!"

“While the discomfort and damage caused in our community by the lack of foundation elections for nine years has not yet been eliminated, it is furthermore rumoured that the election of the board of directors of our hospitals, which is one of the largest and most rooted institutions of the Armenian Community in Turkey, will be postponed or not held at all.

Foundations have a key importance in the social life of the Armenian community in Turkey. As a long-standing practice and a requirement of democracy, the election of foundation managements is the most fundamental way for the society to have a say over what belongs to them.

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

Names

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

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