March 11, Turkish Vice Prime Minister Bulent Arinc met with representative of ethnic and religious minorities in Istanbul.

Head of Religious Council of the Armenian Patriarchate Archbishop Aram Ateshyan expressed gratitude for attention devoted to the issues of ethnic minorities. According to Patriarchate website, Ateshyan invited Vice-Premiers’ attention to education of Armenian children whose parents are ineligible employees. He asked permission for these children to attend educational institutions as free attendees.

The question on closure of Armenian schools by Turkish Government was also raised. Arinc pledged to solve the problems of Armenian community, recalling that 25 properties were recently returned to community representatives.

Twenty-one ethnic minority representatives, including Jewish, Georgian, Greek, Armenian communities attended the event. Earlier, Aram Ateshyan informed Premier Erdogan about educational problems of Armenian children who declared that the legislative solution will be found.

A.G.