Sanasarian Han building located in Istanbul to be returned to Armenian foundation after 92 years

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. The Sanasarian Han building located in Istanbul, which was seized by the Turkish state in 1930, will be returned to the Armenian Sanasarian Foundation 92 years later by the decision of the Constitutional Court of Turkey, t24 reports.

In 2011, the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul appealed to the court requesting to change the ownership right of the building. In 2017, the 2st Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court annulled the court’s decision.

Later, the Sanasarian Foundation submitted an appeal to the Constitutional Court. In its appeal the Foundation said that it was established for taking care of the education and training needs of the Armenian children. The appeal also presented facts that the registration made by provincial leadership in 1952 was illegal as it has not been based on any decision of the court.

The Constitutional Court has made a unanimous decision that the appeal on the violation of the right to ownership is acceptable and sent the copy of the decision to the Ministry of Justice.

TheSanasarian Collegewas anArmenian-languageeducational institution in the city ofErzurum(Karin) founded in 1881by an Armenian merchant, Mkrtich Sanasarian. Its students were children of primary and secondary school age.After the1915 Armenian Genocide, and when the property was abandoned, the Sanasarian College was chosen as the location for thepolice, economic court.