Opposition MP Paylan asks if historic building will be returned to Armenians

Garo Paylan, an MP from the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) has filed a parliamentary question about the historic Armenian building Sanasaryan Han. "Will Sanasaryan Han's ownership be turned over to the Armenian people like it was intended?" he asked.

Duvar English

A deputy from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has asked whether a historic Armenian building's ownership will be turned over to the Armenian people.

"Will Sanasaryan Han's ownership be turned over to the Armenian people like it was intended?" Garo Paylan asked in a parliamentary question.

Commissioned in 1895 by Armenian tradesman Mıgırdiç Sanasaryan, Sanasaryan Han was donated to the Armenian Patriarchate after the death of the tradesman.

The building could now be rented out for 35 years to finance a renovation of the edifice. Yet since 2014, a lawsuit for the ownership of Sanasaryan Han has been ongoing, Paylan noted.

"The renting of Sanasaryan Han for 35 years both hurts the public conscience and dismisses the legal process," Paylan noted.

In the parliamentary question he addressed to the Culture and Tourism Minister Nuri Paksoy, Paylan asked about the possible rental of the building while the legal process is ongoing.

Paylan inquired about the impact it would have on public morale to take away a structure intended for poor Armenian students.

"Why is Sanasaryan Han, considered a cultural heritage, not being renovated by the government?" Paylan also asked in his parliamentary question.