An Armenian church cemetery in Istanbul’s historic Scutari district was vandalized during the night of July 7–8, with six graves and a fountain on the cemetery grounds damaged, according to the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The Patriarchate said an unidentified individual entered the cemetery overnight and carried out the acts of vandalism. The extent of the damage and the identity of the perpetrator remain under investigation.
The cemetery is the final resting place of several prominent Western Armenian figures, including renowned writers Hagop Baronian, Yervant Odian, and Bedros Tourian, as well as composer Dikran Chukhajian, the author of the first Armenian opera.
The incident has raised concern over the protection of Armenian cultural and religious heritage in Turkey.
