Organization of Istanbul Armenians (OIA)

The Organization of Istanbul Armenians was established in 1976 at St. Sarkis Church in East Los Angeles, California and the first General Assembly consisting of 36 members elected the following representatives as their first Board of Directors: Berc Mihcian – President (deceased), Onnik Balyan (deceased), Aram Amirhanian, Manuk Yilmaz, Yervant Balci (deceased), Avedis Tekolian, Gulbenk Movsesian, Mihran Sasounian and Setrak Chiftchian. The original purpose of the Organization was to provide help in finding housing, jobs and assist in basic necessities, such as translation services, to newly arrived immigrant Armenians from Istanbul and other parts of Turkey back in the 70’s and 80’s.