Coordinator of an educational commission created by Armenian foundations of Istanbul at Yesilkoy School, Garo Paylan said that the Armenian schools of Istanbul lack teachers of Armenian language, as a result of which children gradually forget their mother tongue. Besides, chairs of Armenian language do not operate in Turkey's universities yet.

"The number of people who know Western Armenian at an academician level is very limited in Turkey - only 5-10 people," said Paylan, adding that they also face problems with books.

He noted that problems of security and existence of Armenian schools are partially solved today. "After the murder of editor-in-chief of Agos paper Hrant Dink, the Armenian educational institutions were receiving letters with threats. And some parents did not want their children to attend Armenian schools. However, these difficulties have been overcome partially. Financing is another important issue. The Turkish government does not allocate a penny. There are 16 Armenian schools in Istanbul with 3,000 students. Until 1974, the Turkish state had been paying for each student under the Treaty of Lausanne. Currently, the community allocates funds, while the Diaspora does not assist anyhow the Armenian educational institutions of Istanbul," Bianet agency quoted Paylan as saying.