The event, held at the church on Friday, September 25, was attended by Armenian Patriarch of Turkey Sahak Maşalyan, Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, clergy members, foundation and school administrators, students, and guests. The church foundation's board of directors, together with the school administration, teachers, Women's Committee, School Parent Association, Tbrats Tas [Choir Committee], Sahak Mesrop Choir, the Association of Yeşilköy School Alumni, students, and volunteers all contributed to organizing the evening.
At the event, hosted by Armaveni Çakaroğlu, deputy principal of Yeşilköy School, Father Natan Arabyan, the clergy member serving at Surp Stepanos Church, and Yeşilköy School Principal Dilara Şabciyan provided information about the histories of the church and school.
Students Melani Demirci, Sevan Nergis, and Kayl Eseoğlu recited poems. Duduk player Gagik Gasparyan, who lives in Argentina, also traveled to Istanbul for the anniversary celebrations of Yeşilköy Church and School. Gasparyan, together with mezzo-soprano Lerna Baloğlu Akbulut and Deacon Edvin Galipyan, gave a musical performance. The artists performed works by Surp Nerses Şnorhali, Franz Schubert, and Komitas.
Following the musical performance, Patriarch Maşalyan gave a speech in which he said he was happy to come together to mark the anniversaries of the two institutions.
After the concert, the guests went into the church garden for the unveiling of the khachkar commissioned to mark the anniversary. The khachkar, specially created in Armenia by Artak Hambartsumyan, was brought to Istanbul and installed in the garden of Surp Stepanos Church. A khachkar is a monumental stone characteristic of Armenian culture and art, decorated with cross motifs.
The covering over the khachkar was removed jointly by Patriarch Maşalyan, Father Arabyan, Erol Ara Çınar, president of the Yeşilköy Surp Stepanos Church Foundation, Vice President Kevork Özkaragöz, school principal Dilara Şapçıyan, and former foundation president Habip Özfuruncu.
The celebrations continued with a communal meal held in the school hall. Musical performances and dance shows prepared by the students accompanied the evening. A presentation using projected images highlighted the history of Yeşilköy Armenian School and commemorated the people who had contributed to the school over the years.
Deacon Krikor Samuelyan spoke during the meal, saying that he came from a Yeşilköy family that had lived there for three generations and sharing his happiness at the occasion.
Duduk player Gagik Gasparyan and Antonio Simeon Sarafian, president of the Armenian Charitable Association of Argentina, also gave speeches. Gasparyan and Sarafian emphasized that the Armenian communities of Argentina and Istanbul should get to know one another better and stressed the importance of making the existence of Istanbul's Armenian community better known throughout the diaspora.
Ara Çınar, president of the church foundation, said they hoped the khachkar installed in the church garden would represent the unity and solidarity of the community.
“We are very happy. We have boundless respect for our ancestors who established these institutions and had the church built under difficult circumstances in the past. We are trying to live up to their legacy,” Çınar said.
