Cyprus Interior Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis issued a new preservation order on Friday for the disputed estate of the Melkonian school in Nicosia which could cause indefinite delays to the administrators’ efforts to dispose of the land.
The order was published in the Official Gazette and has immediate effect, which means that no one can harm any part of the old buildings erected in 1925 or cut any of the trees of the forest along Limassol Ave. planted by the first orphans who found shelter in Cyprus after the Genocide of the Armenians by the Ottoman Turks.
A previous order, declaring most of the 125,000 sq.m. property a heritage site with “historical, architectural and national importance†had been overturned by the Supreme Court in Nicosia last December following an appeal by the lawyers of New York-based AGBU.
The Armenian community of Cyprus then wrote to the President of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General, political party leaders and the Interior Minister expressing dismay at the decision and called on all parties involved to review the matter and reinstate the preservation order.
Reports published in the Cyprus media and reported on CyBC public television in February suggested that the Town Planning Dept. had reviewed the case and was working on a new preservation order based on stronger arguments justifying the decision.
“I am delighted with this news as it shows the determination of the Republic of Cyprus and in particular the Minister of Interior to protect this important site not only for the Armenians of Cyprus and the whole Diaspora, but also for all the people of Cyprus for whom the Melkonian has been and will always be a jewel with historic value,†said the Armenian Representative in the House, Vartkes Mahdessian.
The Melkonian Alumni, who were at the forefront of the struggle to save the Melkonian ever since the decision to close the school was made three years ago, were praiseful of the efforts of the people at the Town Planning Authority.
“They seem to have appreciated more than some people in Cyprus and abroad the true value and importance of this historic school and the need for quality education,†the Alumni said.
The Alumni also made references to the justification used to reintroduce the new preservation order according to which it is deemed imperative “to protect the larger part of the property with historic traditional buildings as a unified whole, as the property with its structured and natural environs is part of the larger historic and traditional town planning network of Nicosia, which must be protected.â€
The Alumni conclude that “with such decisions, as well as the general support of the whole community, hopes to reopen the school one day are revived. We thank the Representative, Mr. Mahdessian and the Minister, Mr. Sylikiotis, for all their efforts in this direction.â€
