Armenian journalist running for Parliament asks for support from his community
by Daily Sabah
ISTANBULMay 15, 2015 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Daily Sabah
May 15, 2015 12:00 am
A prominent Armenian journalist, Markar Esayan, who will run in the elections for the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), met with the Armenian community in the Taksim district of Istanbul on Wednesday on his election trail. During the dinner, Esayan said his candidacy derives from his intention to address the concerns and needs of his community, specifically in the neighborhoods he is familiar with.
Highlighting the suffering and oppression his community faced at the hands of previous governments - which he noted bore the mindset of the Committee of Union and Progress, whose leadership is claimed to be responsible for the killings of Armenians during 1915 - Esayan lauded the efforts of the AK Party government to improve the standards of every section of society, during his speech at the eclectic dinner that was attended by Armenians, Jews, Assyrians and also Muslims.
Addressing his community, Esayan recalled how Armenians had contended with hardships under what he labeled "fascist" regulations of the previous governments, until the AK Party turned a new leaf in Turkish history and adopted an embracing attitude towards all sections of society.
"Old Turkey persecuted different sections of society in this country, which also extended to non-Muslim communities, Alevi community, Islamists and socialists, " Esayan said, adding that the current ruling party thawed conditions for these circles by giving back their rights as citizens of the country after decades of apathy.
Minorities in Turkey, who have lived in the country since its foundation, have previously faced difficulties securing their most basic needs of security, having a place to live and freedom to practice their religion. Now the needs and problems of these groups that have long-suffered from isolation in the place they call home, are finally being addressed.
Esayan also touched upon the rigors the foundations were exposed to starting from the single-party term, during which he said the governments had confiscated the properties of the foundations to collapse the community in what he described as an intentional "fascist" governmental regulation.
After decades of indifference, which has often turned to animosity, by the previous ruling parties since the foundation of the Turkish Republic, the current ruling party, which has been in office for three terms, has launched significant efforts to bring relief to minorities in Turkey. The AK Party is acting more confidently in admitting that there have been past wrongdoings against minorities. In doing so, it is detaching itself from previous ruling parties in both ideology and governmental policies and refuses to see itself as successor to the Republican People's Party (CHP), who presided over a single-party term during which the confiscation of minorities' properties occurred.
"Armenians hail my candidacy and think the AK Party should continue to be the ruling party," Esayan said. He also added that the ameliorating of the law of foundations had been eased during the tenure of the AK Party.
"Every foundation which carries out works with the state appreciates the good-will of the government [to return confiscated properties]," Esayan also noted.
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