Fatih Altaylı

Fatih Altaylı

Habertürk Editor-in-Chief Altaylı to return Armenian church

5 October 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL Journalist and Habertürk daily Editor-in-Chief Fatih Altaylı has said he will hand back ownership of a historic church, known as “Seven Churches,” in the village of Yukarı Bakraçlı in Van province, that he inherited from his grandfather.

Members of the Armenian community in Turkey have called on Altaylı to give the church he inherited back to its real owners, the Armenians.

Altaylı, who spoke to bilingual Armenian weekly Agos, has said that the Armenian church is located on land belonging to his family and that he is ready to hand over ownership of the historic church either to the Culture and Tourism Ministry or the Armenian community without asking for a penny.

This issue came into the spotlight after a news report about the church was published in the Taraf daily. While Altaylı says no official has approached him regarding the giving back of the church, either before or after the item was published, the Van Governor's Office, which has already prepared a restoration project for the damaged church, is waiting to start the necessary work after the ownership status of the church is settled.

Altaylı's ownership of the ruined Armenian church has sparked a debate in social media, particularly among Armenians and liberals. Armenian activists started a campaign through social media calling on Altaylı to give back the church and also staged a protest in front of the offices of Habertürk.

Responding to the call from the Armenians, Altaylı said: “I am really ready to give back the church, but the officials should say what procedures I should follow to do this. I am ready to give the church to the ministry or the Armenian Patriarchate in İstanbul, whenever they want. I don't expect any financial reward for this at all. What am I going to do with a church?”

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