Court procedure will be stopped if Turkey agrees to pay

Court procedure will be stopped if Turkey agrees to pay
15:31 • 10.08.10




The recent lawsuit filed by American-Armenians against the Turkish Government and two banks does not require returning the real and movable estate confiscated from their predecessors in the Ottoman Empire but rather the incomes gained from the property and the money kept in bank accounts, American-Armenian lawyer Perch Boyajyan said in an interview with Turkish Haberturk.

On July 29 four Armenian-American lawyers filed a federal lawsuit against the Turkish government and Central Bank of Turkey and Agriculture Bank seeking compensation for the heirs of Armenians whose property was seized during the Armenian Genocide in 1915.

Mr Boyajyan further said the lawsuit has nothing to do with the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

“That lawsuit doesn’t aim to prove the Genocide perpetrated by the Turks,” Boyajyan was reported as saying.

“In 1915 the Ottoman Empire made a decision to remove Armenians. In the meantime another decision was made which according to which the bank accounts, lands, factories of those who left [Turkey] would be kept under the state’s control. They have used all that during 95 years and have gained incomes. We do not want property. What we say is that they return the income gained from that property. This is a very simple lawsuit.”

Further Mr Boyajyan mentioned that they are ready to sit and talk with Turkish authorities.

“First we will wait for the Turkish Government’s response. Then we will examine the property certificates and will afterwards calculate the income gained from that property. And if agreement is reached over the sum, there will be no need to continue the court procedure. Otherwise it will continue, and the court will reach its ruling.”


Tert.am