Foundations closed ‘in difficult times’ to reopen

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

‘It’s a significant responsibility of ours to bring life again to the foundations that were closed in difficult periods for Turkey,’ Deputy PM Bülent Arınç says. AA photo

urkey will pave the way for the reopening of foundations which were closed or dissolved since the year 1990 and return their estates, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç has said.

“It’s a significant responsibility of ours to bring life again to the foundations that were closed in difficult periods for Turkey,” Arınç said yesterday, speaking at the opening ceremony of Foundations Week at the parliament. Arınç made clear that the Halki Seminary was not subject to this arrangement.

Referring to details of a study conducted by a parliamentary Coup and Memorandum Investigation Commission, tasked with investigating military coups and illegal memorandums, Arınç said that report showed that foundations and associations were closed due to pressure on the courts.

Founders of these organizations would be able to reopen the foundations, which numbered around 20 or 21 according to government records, he said. Seven of those foundations have real estates, the deputy minister added.

“We will return all estates taken from foundations and transfer them to the administration of the general directorate for foundations,” Arınç said.

Legal action needed

Arınç restricted those foundations to the ones which had taken only domestic legal actions in the past, but not in international courts.

“Foundations, aside from two which applied to the European Court of Justice, that did seek legal actions in Turkish courts will benefit from this,” he noted.

In his earlier remarks, Chairman of the general directorate for foundations Adnan Ertem said that foundations “which were closed on charges against fundamental actions in the Feb. 28-era,” would be reopened.

Reportedly, the foundations whose estates would be returned are; Milli Gençlik Vakfı, Zehra Eğitim Vakfı, Zöhre Ana Eğitim Vakfı, Polatlı Eğitim ve Kültür Vakfı, Gebze Hizmet Vakfı, İslami Dayanışma Vakfı.