Garо Paylan, the Armenian-origin deputy of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in Turkey’s parliament, has brought the issue of preserving the Armenian monastery complex in Van to the parliament’s agenda. He noted that the 16th-century Surp Marinos Monastery, located in the Akboyu neighbourhood of Van’s Gülpınar district, has been ravaged by treasure hunters for years and is in a deplorable condition.
Paylan directed a written question to Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, drawing attention to the fact that the historical and cultural structures in the vicinity of Van have suffered greatly as a result of treasure-hunting activities and the authorities’ inaction. The Armenian-origin deputy expected an answer from the Turkish minister as to whether a legal process has been initiated to identify individuals digging in and around Surp Marinos Monastery in search of treasure. Paylan also inquired why the ministry does not attend to the preservation of historical structures belonging to Christians in Van and its surroundings.
“Will work be undertaken for the restoration of Surp Marinos Monastery? Has an inventory been made of the monasteries, churches and cultural monuments built by Armenians in Van province? The erasure of cultural traces belonging to Armenians has been state policy to this day. Do you intend to change that approach?” — stated in Paylan’s petition.
