Armenia may participate in return of Sis residence

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS: The Republic of Armenia theoretically has the opportunity to apply to the European Court of Human Rights to act as the third party in returning the residence and estates of Sis, located in the territory of historical Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. The Chair of the Department for European and International Rights of the Yerevan State University Vigen Kocharyan told Armenpress.

“One of the most important requirements of the process of joining the European Union is the implementation of the property return, due to which the violated rights and the historic justice would be restored. The abovementioned demand applies also to Turkey, which recently has made some actions in that direction. According to the general procedure, these issues should be settled inside the country. The Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I made a statement concerning this issue – on the intention of applying to the Constitutional Court of Turkey to satisfy the legal claim on returning the residence and estates of Sis, located in the territory of historical Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia”, - said the international rights specialist.

Earlier it was reported that the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia is going to apply to the Constitutional Court of Turkey with the claim on returning the residence and the estates of Sis, located in the territory of historical Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. The Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I announced about it at the 5th conference Motherland-Diaspora. “We will demand from the Constitutional Court to return our estates, and in case of rejection by the Constitutional Court of Turkey we will apply to the European Court of Human Rights. We will fight for our purpose till the end,” Aram I stressed, Armenpress reports. “Catholicosate of Cilicia, which is situated in Sis, capital city of the historical Cilicia, has a symbolic significance for Cilicia and all Armenians,” Aram I said.

In his address Aram I also referred to the issue of international recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, underscoring that it must be a core issue for Armenians. “Nagorno Karabakh security is very important for us. We should do everything possible to maintain security in Karabakh and to establish sustainable peace. Karabakh independence is also Armenia’s independence,” said the Catholicos. His Holiness also referred to Armenian Genocide recognition and compensation, stressing that this issue is very important too and in this fight we need the unity of Armenia and Diaspora.