VIDEO. Shops Being Built on Armenian Cemetery in Ankara, Garo Pailian Denied Access

The Kurdish-oriented Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Armenian member of parliament, Garo Pailian, was denied entry on March 16 to the area in Ankara's Ulus neighborhood where Turkey's Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) is conducting construction on a historic Armenian cemetery. According to "Armenpress," this information was reported by Bianet.

Initially, the Ankara branch of the Turkish Chamber of Architects alerted about the construction of shops on the historic Armenian cemetery in the capital's Ulus neighborhood on March 10. The branch's announcement specifically stated: "Scientific sources indicate that this area was a cemetery for Armenians and Catholics. During illegal excavation works, human bones have been discovered, which have been taken for study by the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. Despite all this, the continuation of construction in this area is a great disrespect towards multiculturalism in Anatolian lands. This is barbarism, a violation of human rights."

Garo Pailian raised the issue in parliament, questioning the Minister of Environment and Urbanization, Murat Kurum, noting that even though human bones have been found during construction, the construction work has not been halted. The parliament member inquired why construction is not being suspended and whether TOKİ is aware that it is destroying Ankara's cultural heritage and urban memory, and why concrete is being poured over the bones and cultural wealth of Armenians. Minister Murat Kurum has yet to respond to Pailian's inquiry.

On March 16, Pailian, along with the president of the Ankara branch of the Turkish Chamber of Architects and a group of others, attempted to assess the construction work on site, but they were denied access. Consequently, Pailian was forced to make a statement near the barriers, saying, "This place has been the cemetery of Armenians. The Armenians who lived here have been exiled from this land. Not only the living but also the deceased are subjected to humiliation. The Armenian people who lived here left their loved ones to rest with prayers, placing gravestones here. And now, concrete is being poured over those graves. Which conscience can accept this?"

Expressing astonishment at being denied access to the area, Pailian noted that illegal construction is taking place since there are no appropriate permits. "I demand that this illegal construction be stopped immediately, the pouring of concrete over the graves of the Armenian people must cease. The parliament, civil society, and first and foremost the people of Ankara must stop the pouring of concrete over the Armenian cemetery. The people of Ankara deserve no such humiliation," declared Pailian.