Garo Paylan raises issue on minorities in Turkish parliament

Turkish MP of Armenian descent Garo Paylan, who represents the Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), has brought the issue of impunity of the hate crimes against the minority groups to the parliamentary agenda, Istanbul-based Armenian newspaper Agos reports.

Paylan tabled a written parliamentary inquiry addressed to Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım. He reminded that the suspects who placed a black wreath in front of the Agos office were released last week.

The MP also recalled that during the year some racist statements had been written on the walls of three Armenian schools, acts of vandalism being committed in the Asri Jewish Cemetery in Hatay and the Syriac ancient cemetery of the Syriac Orthodox Mor Peter and Mor Paul Church.

Paylan sent the request to find out what kind of efforts are exerted towards preventing the crimes against the minority groups, whether precautionary measures are in place for protecting the minority institutions at risk and, finally, whether any investigation is conducted into hate crimes.