Turkish-Armenian Deputy of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party Garo Pailan opposed Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Hakan Cavusoglu’s speech during discussions on the 2018 Budget in Turkish parliament.

As reported the Armenian Agos Weekly of Istanbul, in his speech, Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Hakan Cavusoglu touched upon budgetary expenditures, including the appropriations for national minorities and claimed that the national minorities of Istanbul have been ��?deposited’ to Turkey.

Garo Pailan opposed the Deputy Prime Minister’s speech and said the following: “We are nobody’s captives, and nobody has ��?deposited’ us. We have been living here for thousands of years. We demand equal citizenship. Turkey was the first country that took a step back from the Treaty of Lausanne by levying property tax on national minorities, seized schools, didn’t recognize the status of the patriarchate and closed down religious schools.

The Armenia community has problems that are in need of speedy solutions. The elections of funds and foundations need to be organized. The status of the patriarchate needs to be recognized, and religious schools need to be opened. The Armenian community needs to hold the elections of the patriarch quickly,” Garo Pailan said, reported news.am.