Embezzlers have desecrated an old Armenian cemetery in Stanoz, one of the small towns of the Sinjan region of the Turkish state of Ankara. This is what Armenian member of the central executive board of Turkey’s Democratic Party of Nations Mourad Mihci wrote on his official Facebook page.

According to Tert.am, the photos clearly show how the embezzlers dug the tombs and took out the bones.

It is known that the territory of the cemetery pertains to the Holy Savior and Forty Children Foundation.

Photos by Mehmet Ozer

Mihci stated that nobody is interested in the condition of the cemetery, except for some heartfelt citizens. He added that the cemetery is completely unattended.

Moreover, there are facts stating that some tombstones have been removed from the territory through the direct intervention of the authorities of the region.

Mourad Mihci informed that they have already contacted the territorial headquarters of the Democratic Party of Nations in Sinjan, but expect the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul to also interfere and help build a wall around the cemetery.

Located at a distance of 30 km from Ankara, the residents of Stanoz town (also called Zir) was completely composed of Armenians before WWI. In the early 20^th century, there were 3,142 people (668 families) living in Stanoz. As most of the Armenians of Ankara, the Armenians of Stanoz had also migrated from Cilicia in the 15^th century. According to some data, another large group of Armenian migrants came from Eastern Armenia and settled here in the 17^th century.

Stanoz had two Armenian Protestant Churches, including the Holy Savior Church and the Forty Children Church. The Armenians of Stanoz had two educational institutions where there were a total of 500 Armenian schoolchildren. The Armenians of this region were mainly involved in crafts, gardening and cattle-raising. Armenian leather makers, rug makers, painters and silk producers were very popular in Stanoz.