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The architectural plan for the restoration of Camp Armen, a former Armenian summer camp located in Tuzla district of Istanbul is already ready, Panorama.am reports referring to Ermenihaber.

As the source reports the camp will serves as a youth and technology centre meanwhile functioning as an orphanage.
President of Gedikpasa (Istanbul) Armenian Protestant Church and School Foundation Krikor Agabaloglu has informed that the reconstruction works will begin when the Municipality of Tuzla removes the phrase “administrative area” written on the restoration plan of the camp.

“In that case we will be able to launch the program. It will be a great joy for us. We want the competent bodies to deal with the issue as soon as possible. We are waiting for a good news from the municipality,” he added.

Notably Camp Armen is currently an abandoned, dilapidated building in Tuzla district of Istanbul. In 1961, Camp Armen occupying an area of 8,552 sq. meters was purchased by the Fund of the Armenian Protestant Church and turned into a summer camp for children from low-income families and Armenian orphans. Hrant Dink and his wife, Raquel Dink grew up in this camp. Later the camp was illegally seized from the Armenian community by the Turkish authorities.

In 2015 the owner of the building started its demolition, but the work was suspended following mass protests staged by the Armenian community of Turkey and the camp was returned to the rightful owner, i.e. the Fund of the Armenian Protestant Church of Gedikpasa.