ISTANBUL. – The Directorate General of Foundations of Turkey rented the Armenian historical Sanasaryan Han in Istanbul through a tender, despite a legal struggle by Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate.

The tender for renting the historical building, organized by the Directorate General of Foundations, was won by Özgeylani Construction Company, despite the ongoing trial over the ownership of the building, informs Hürriyet Daily News’ Armenian reporter Vercihan Ziflioğlu.

Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate claims that the han (large commercial building), which was donated to the patriarchate in 1881 by Russian-Armenian Mıgırdiç Sansaryan, belongs to them as they have the documents to prove the donation.

The Directorate General of Foundations, on the other hand, claims that the building did not fall under the jurisdiction of a law on the return of properties to community foundations that took effect in 2011 as it had been owned by a person.

Şahin Gezer of Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate Real Estate Commission told Hürriyet Daily News that they had hoped until the last minute that the tender would be halted. Gezer said they would continue their legal action.

To note, the han, after being donated to Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate in 1881, was confiscated by the then government in 1935.