Karo Paylan, deputy of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party, has raised the issue of the destruction of the Armenian cemetery in Ankara within the Turkish parliament, Ermenihaber reported.
The deputy recalled that the Armenian cemetery belonging to the Armenian churches of Surp Pırgiç (Holy Saviour) and Surp Kırk Manuk (Holy Forty Children) in Ankara’s Sincan district is part of the capital’s historical and cultural heritage and was declared a specially protected area in the 1990s. Yet it has again become the target of treasure hunters and is being continually destroyed for the purpose of looting, which deeply offends the Armenian community of Turkey.
Referring to reports in the press, Paylan noted that in recent days treasure hunters have also opened a number of tombs dating to the Hellenistic era and scattered human bones here and there. Paylan sought to ascertain from Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Nuri Ersoy, what measures are being taken for the preservation of Armenian cemeteries.
Incidentally, the cemetery grounds, located 30 km from the centre of Ankara, need protection not only from treasure hunters. Part of the area is also used by locals for picnics.
