Cars with Azerbaijan flags tour around İstanbul Armenian Patriarchate amid Karabakh clashes
Click to read the article in Turkish
Amidst the clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia, a convoy of cars with Azerbaijan flags was seen touring around the Kumkapı quarter in İstanbul's Fatih district yesterday (September 28).
The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople is located and many refugees from Armenia live in Kumkapı.
A video shared on Twitter shows several cars passing while blaring horns.
Ermeni Patrikhanesi’nin olduğu sokakta böyle bir gösteri yapılmasına izin verilmesi provakasyondur.
— Garo Paylan - Կարօ Փայլան (@GaroPaylan) September 28, 2020
İktidarı, Patrikhanemiz ve kurumlarımızla ilgili gerekli tedbirleri almaya çağırıyorum.
Nefret söylemlerinin sonu nefret suçlarıdır.
Nefret siyasetine son verin! pic.twitter.com/ggGLf6SIqX
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been clashing over the disputed Upper Karabakh region since early Sunday (September 27). Dozens of soldiers and civilians were killed in the clashes.
Garo Paylan, an Armenian lawmaker from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), also shared the video on Twitter, saying that "Allowing such a demonstration on the street where Armenian Patriarchate is located is a provocation. I call on the government to take the necessary measures regarding our Patriarchate and institutions."
"Hate speech results in hate crimes. Stop the politics of hate!" he added.
Rober Koptaş, an Armenian journalist in Turkey, also tweeted about the incident: "Right, the patriarchate is in Kumkapı, but more important than that, many Armenian migrants live there. It seems to me that what was done was a threat to them. Very dangerous! The life safety of people must be absolutely ensured and bad incidents must be prevented."
HDP deputy Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu tweeted, "Are new September 6-7 incidents planned?" referring to the 1955 İstanbul pogrom against the Greek, Armenian and Jewish minorities in İstanbul.
"You are not supporting Azerbaijan by disturbing our Armenian citizens like this. You only become a tool for dangerous provocations," he added. (EKN/VK)