LOS ANGELES—The Turkish government is now in default after ignoring a lawsuit brought against it and two Turkish banks over reparations for land in southern Turkey seized from Armenians during the Armenian Genocide (Alex Bakalian et. al vs. Republic of Turkey, the Central Bank of Turkey, and T.C. Ziraat Bankasi et. al, Case Number 2:10-CV-09596, Dec. 15, 2010). The default notice was entered on Sept. 1, 2011.
The land in question is currently home to the Incirlik Air Base, which houses the United States 39th Mission Support Group and 39th Medical Group. The Air Base is located near Adana, Turkey.
After refusing to accept service of the lawsuit under governing rules of the 1906 Hague Convention, Turkey was served through U.S. Embassy channels on June 20. Service was confirmed and the court was notified. Turkey had 60 days (by Aug. 19) to answer the complaint, but did not. The two bank defendants, Central Bank of Turkey and T.C. Ziraat Bank, requested and were given an extension to respond by Sept. 19.
“The U.S. Department of State had sent a diplomatic note to Ankara warning that the country is bound by law to defend against the lawsuit,” says Vartkes Yeghiayan, with the Yeghiayan Law Firm and one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs. “Choosing to ignore the lawsuit won’t make it go away.”
The plaintiffs are arguing that their Armenian relatives owned land now occupied by the Incirlik Base. Their complaint includes documents showing legal ownership. When their relatives were forced to flee the then Ottoman Empire, their property was subsequently seized and then sold without their permission.
By refusing to respond, Turkey risks having the court rule against it in absentia. Damages could be as high as $100 million.
Representing the plaintiffs are the Yeghiayan Law Firm in Glendale, Schwarcz, Rimberg, Boyd & Rader, LLP in Los Angeles, and Michael Bazyler from Chapman University School of Law in Orange.
Well .. we all know Turkey is guilty ….
There is no running Turkey.. sooner or later Turkey will face its responsibilities to Armenians..
Gayane
Gayane,
Have you accepted my challenge for a debate between the two of us yet? I asked you on another story post.
@robert,
no one needs to debate you. def all! Understand?
John,
First of all, I wasn’t addressing you, I was addressing Gayane. Secondly, your remark is that of a typical denialistic coward. So now you speak for “def all” Armenian people? You have only proven yet again that even after two decades of repeated requests by Turks/Turkics to have a civilized debate in an open public forum with full media coverage with Armenians, AND after my gesture to challenge Gayane to a personal debate (since she is so voiciferously colorful and obviously so well informed about this topic), you “def all” will never accept our requests. There’s an old saying John…If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…!
and Robert.. I already answered you in the same story you speak of…go back to it and read it over and over and over again…
Oh on another note… YOU have no business telling my compatriot what he should or should not do… if you address something to me, THEY have all the reasons and the right to answer to a denialist like you.. you understand???? John does and will have the right to reply on my behalf.. and that goes to all of the Armenians posters on these pages…
Also, are you upset that we exposed you of lying to us??? is it why you feel you have to attack ME personally??? you posing a “debate” BS shows how angry you are that we caught you lying… until you decide which person you are…Robert 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or whatever, you have no right to address me directly…. if you feel i wrote something that was inaccurate and non-related to what you tried to do, you express that and show us… until then, don’t ask for a debate; something that you have no clue what you will be debating about….especially if it relates to Genocide and true history…
by the way, you calling John a coward because he told you straight to your face that you are not worth debating.. what do you call yourself ROBERT (whichever # you are) for trying to pull our leg and disrespecting the memory of my murdered ancestors with your anti-Armenian denialists motives and acts??? look at yourself first before you call others cowards…
and your statement of
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck- YES INDEED.. a denialist is a denialist no matter how much COLORFUL and CREATIVE they become… and GENOCIDE IS A GENOCIDE no matter how much you cry debate .. debate..
good day
Gayane