Armenians regain historical school in Istanbul

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkey’s Foundations General Directorate made a landmark decision to return the Armenian Surp Haç Tıbrevank Foundation in Istanbul’s Üsküdar district back to the Armenian community yesterday. 

“We managed to ensure the foundation’s return after a very long struggle. We are very happy. Tıbrevank will now freely continue where it had left off,” Laki Vingas, a council member of the Foundations Directorate General, told the Hürriyet Daily News.

Surp Haç Tıbrevank’s clerical school was shut down in 1940. It then lost its foundation status in 1985. 
The Surp Haç High School’s headmaster Hayk Nişan told the Daily News the re-opening of the clerical school was not on their agenda. 

“Our only goal is to educate our students as is necessary. This school faithfully abided by the [regulations] of the Education Ministry until this [day],” said Nişan. 

The decision was made right after a meeting held in the Foundations General Council yesterday. 

“We are grateful to our prime minister and the Foundations General Directorate for their decisions,” Nişan added.