Church tax, fine erased

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet

A dispute over Saint Antoine’s courtyard had been ongoing for the last 26 years.

The Beyoğlu Municipality and the Finance Ministry have erased the 1 million Turkish Lira real estate tax and fine on Istanbul’s largest Catholic church Saint Antoine.

The fine and tax were levied on the church’s 642 meter square courtyard. The Finance Ministry told the church management that taxes would only be levied on the stores belonging to the church which receive a rental income.

“We told the Vatican, the Italian Embassy and our followers that the fine had been erased and that a mistake had been made. They said they were happy that the issue had been resolved,” said Lulian Pişta, Saint Antoine’s pastor, to the Hürriyet newspaper.