The Global Armenian Summit, which brought together Armenian opinion leaders, community representatives, and important figures from the world of culture and art from all over the world, was held in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, on 5-8 November.
Kuran, Member of the Presidential Board of Culture and Art Policies and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Luys Media, who was invited as the guest of honor of the Armenian state at the summit attended by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, took part as a speaker in the cultural panel held on November 8.
In the panel discussion on keeping Armenian culture alive in different geographies, protecting it and passing it on to future generations, Kuran was asked what difficulties he encountered while establishing a television channel broadcasting in Armenian in Türkiye.
While answering the question, Kuran first touched on the press legislation in Türkiye and stated that publishing activities in Türkiye, as in every country, are subject to certain legal procedures.
Explaining that they made the necessary applications for their newspapers to be published in Turkish and Armenian and completed the process without encountering any problems, Kuran later gave information about the establishment process of Türkiye's first Armenian television channel, Luys TV.
Stating that they conveyed the issue directly to President Erdoğan before implementing this project, Kuran stated that they explained that Western Armenian is in danger of disappearing and that it is of great importance to preserve the language and pass it on to future generations.
Kuran stated that they expressed to President Erdoğan that they wanted to establish a television channel broadcasting in Armenian for the first time in Türkiye so that children can learn Armenian, get to know their own culture, keep their cultural heritage alive and pass it on to future generations.
THERE WAS APPLAUSE WHEN IT WAS TRANSLATED INTO ARMENIAN
President Erdoğan responded to this request by saying, "Oh no, of course, install it." Upon the statement of Kuran, who stated that he responded with the following words, applause rose from the participants who speak Turkish in the hall.
As the words of the Quran were translated into Armenian simultaneously, the applause echoed in the hall again and in a much stronger tone.
At the international summit, where representatives of the Armenian community from various countries of the world were present and where the culture and future of the diaspora were discussed, the applause of President Erdogan's positive approach towards Armenian language publishing by the participants was among the prominent moments of the panel.
Continuing his speech, Kuran underlined that they did not encounter any obstacles during the establishment of Luys TV.
Stating that the necessary permission for the establishment of the television channel was received within 24 hours after the necessary official applications were made, Kuran shared with the participants the implementation process of the broadcasting initiative launched to keep the Western Armenian language alive in Türkiye.
Luys TV, which started broadcasting as Türkiye's first Armenian language television channel, aims to reach Armenians living in various countries besides Türkiye by broadcasting in Turkish and Western Armenian.
