The public toilet, bus station and dressing room, which were built on an Armenian cemetery in Van Province of Turkey, have not been dismantled yet, despite assurances by Numan Kurtulmuş, now former Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism.

Last year, Atıf Çiçekli, who was appointed acting mayor of Van’s Edremit town, had these structures built on the Armenian cemetery, Akunq.net reported; this, however, caused a negative reaction among people.

Subsequently, Istanbul Armenian MP and vice-chairman of the opposition pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) Garo Paylan had brought this matter on the Parliament’s agenda, and the then minister of culture and tourism of Turkey had to make a statement on this topic noting that these structures would be dismantled within 60 days.

Though a year has passed since the minister’s statement, these structures are still standing.

And even though the Committee on Conservation of Cultural Assets in Turkey also has made a similar decision on this matter, no step has been taken yet to dismantle these structures.