An Armenian orphanage, publicly known as “Kamp Armen,” in Istanbul’s Tuzla district, which was demolished on April 8 to prepare for the construction of a new building, have been chosen to be rebuilt in October, Hurriyet Daily News reports.
A dormitory where 100 young people could stay, cultural center, foyer, library, auditorium and multi-purpose halls will be built on the land belonging to the Gedikpaşa Armenian Protestant Church and School Foundation.
The orphanage was built in 1962 by the Gedikpaşa Armenian Protestant Church, as a former building on the site could not host the increasing number of Armenian students arriving from various parts of Anatolia.
During the summer of 1962 and afterwards, Armenian orphans, between the ages of eight and 12, worked on the construction of the buildings at the camp.
Known as the orphanage where Hrank Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist who was murdered in 2007, and his wife, Rakel Dink, met, studied and grew up, the orphanage was expropriated by authorities in 1987 on the basis of a 1936 bill preventing minority foundations from acquiring property.
Although the Turk...
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