Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
April 14 2005

Armenian Church Representative Insults Ataturk in US

The New Anatolian
14 April 2005

Vertanes Kalayjian, a top representative of the Armenian Church in
the U.S., on Tuesday insulted the founder of the Turkish Republic,
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, by describing him as a `butcher.’

Father Kalayjian, pastor of the St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church in
Washington, made the remarks during a briefing on `Religious Freedom
in Turkey’ at the U.S. Capitol, where the Congress meets. The pastor
criticized Turkish efforts for reconciliation with the Armenians on
the so-called genocide issue, saying that he wasn’t optimistic about
any future progress.

The meeting was organized by the Helsinki Commission, an independent
agency of the U.S. government which monitors areas such as human
rights and democracy.

Throughout his speech, he referred to Ataturk using his middle name,
Kemal, and said, `From my point of view, Kemal also was a butcher.’
He also accused Turkey of treating the Armenians in the country as
`second-class citizens.’ He charged, `The Armenians are discriminated
against in the same way as other minorities in Turkey.’

Fatih Yildiz, a diplomat from Turkey’s Washington Embassy who was
also present at the meeting, protested Kalayjian’s remarks, saying,
`It’s wouldn’t be acceptable to insult the founder of the U.S.,
George Washington, in the U.S. Capitol building, so the same respect
should be shown to the founder of the Turkish Republic.’

`Turkey’s Jewish community has no problems worshiping’

Despite Kalayjian’s criticisms, American Jewish Committee member
Barry Jacobs said that the Jewish community in Turkey has no problems
worshiping there.

`Synagogues and Jewish institutions in Turkey are protected by
Turkish security forces, and 25,000 Jews in Turkey are free to live
as they wish,’ Jacobs said. `Jewish leaders in Turkey frequently meet
with Turkish politicians.’

On the subject of the Ottoman Empire, and then the Turkish Republic,
opening their doors to Jewish people escaping from anti-Semitism in
Europe, Jacobs said, “This historic reality is important for the
creation of an atmosphere of freedom for Jewish people in modern
Turkey. This is a eulogy to the greatness of Kemal Ataturk, the
founder of modern Turkey, which is the only secular country in the
Middle Eastern region with Israel.’