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Aram I: Petitioning to ECtHR regarding Armenian Catholicosate of Sis is first judicial step in national claimancy

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ANTELIAS. – Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Church Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia—in Antelias, Lebanon—, arrived in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

After a brief meeting at the airport, Aram I headed for the UAE capital city of Abu Dhabi, and then returned to Dubai on the same night, the Catholicosate informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

And a dinner reception was held Friday in honor of the Catholicos.

At the event, Aram I explained about the Great House of Cilicia’s lawsuit, which was first filed with the Constitutional Court of Turkey and then with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), with a demand that the territory of the Armenian Catholicosate of Sis—which is in  modern-day Turkey—be returned.

He noted that this lawsuit is the first judicial step along the lines of Armenian national claimancy.

In April 2015, the Armenian Church Catholicosate of Cilicia and Catholicos Aram I filed a petition with the Constitutional Court of Turkey, and demanded the return of the historical estate of the Catholicosate of Sis. The court, in turn, petitioned to the Turkish Ministry of Justice, which, however, dismissed this lawsuit, stating that it is beyond the scope of the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court of Turkey. As a result, the Armenian Church Catholicosate of Cilicia petitioned to the ECtHR.

Aram I: Our goal is to perform religious ceremonies in Catholicosate of Sis

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aram-demondThe demand of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia from the Constitutional Court of Turkey is clear: the return of the historical Catholicosate of Sis.

The Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Aram I, stated the aforesaid on Friday in Paris.

He added, however, that the approaches toward the judicial process should not be mixed up with the intended purpose of the respective lawsuit.

In Aram I’s words, their objective is to also perform religious ceremonies in the Catholicosate of Sis.

“Our lawsuit is not an ordinary lawsuit, and nor is it for the return of land. We just wanted to make this matter become the starting point for the demand of our estates belonging to the [Armenian] Church and nation,” said the Catholicos. “We believe that this legal move will give new strength to our claimancy.”

On April 28, the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia had filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court of Turkey, and demanded the return of the Catholicosate Seat and estates of Sis, which is located in the historical Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, in modern-day Turkey.

Aram I to petition Turkish court for return of Sis catholicosate

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September 19, 2014 – 18:35 AMT

182624PanARMENIAN.Net – The Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia will petition to Turkey’s constitutional court to demand the return of Sis catholicosate to the Armenian Church.

As Aram I stressed at the 5th Armenia-Diaspora conference in Yerevan, he’ll apply to the European Court for Human Rights, should Turkey’s court turn down the petition. As the Catholicos stressed, Turkey must always be reminded that Armenia will never stop fighting for its rights in the face of all odds.

The Catholicos further called to struggle for retribution of misappropriated Armenian property and restoration of rights in following the suit of the Armenian youth who raised their voices in 1965 demanding return of their lands.

“In 2015, on the centenary of Genocide, their children and Diaspora youth must join their voices to urge for justice,” the Catholicos said.