Despite repeated promises for the return of Kamp Armen, the official handover has not taken place yet. The current owner of the camp, Fatih Ulusoy, has stated that the procedures are continuing, and that the return will take place next week. The postponement of the return of the camp to after the election has increased concern, and calls have been made for the immediate finalization of the process.
The return process following the protests against the attempt to demolish Kamp Armen has still not been concluded. The current owner of the camp, Fatih Ulusoy, made a statement of 23 May and said he had donated the property to the Gedikpaşa Armenian Protestant Church Foundation. However, 10 days have passed since that statement, and the return of the deed has not taken place.
Ulusoy implies post-election return
The latest meeting regarding the return of the camp took place on June 1 between Tuzla Mayor Şadi Yazıcı and Fatih Ulusoy. Ulusoy conveyed to both sides his written commitment to the donation of the camp. Ulusoy must now carry out the deed transfer at the deed registry office.
Speaking to Agos, Ulusoy said that they had submitted the official written document regarding the donation, and that the procedures would be carried out at the deed office after the preparation of the letters of attorney, adding, “It should be completed next week”.
‘The process is still unclear’
Gedikpaşa Armenian Protestant Church Foundation lawyer Sebu Aslangil pointed out that the process remained unclear despite the abovementioned document, and said, “This document is necessary to begin the donation process. After receiving this document, the foundation decides whether it will accept the donation. This is how the legal procedure develops. The foundation has also taken the necessary decisions for its acceptance of the donation. The only remaining procedure is for Ulusoy to go to the deed registration office and declare his decision of donation.”
Aslangil also said that despite the written statement it was possible to retract the decision at any moment, adding, “The process remains unclear”.
‘The return of the camp should not be left for after the election’
Düşünce Platformu (Thought Platform) member Harut Özer emphasized that the failure in completing the process, and its possible postponement for after the election had raised new concern. Özer said, “Fatih Ulusoy, in the first meetings, had said 10 days later. Now it appears that he had thought of after the election in the first place. We nevertheless continue the necessary attempts. The vigil continues at the camp. We want the process to be finalized before the vigil faces any difficulty.
Stating that the Prime Minister’s Office had been involved in the process from the start, and that Ulusoy had made the donation upon Prime Minister Davutoğlu’s request, Özer called upon both the Prime Minister’s Office and all the actors in the process to solve any problem that exists before the election.
