PEOPLE ON THE WAY TO THE EU WELCOMES THE CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS WITH A SCANDAL
ArmRadio.am
22.06.2006 17:51
Although the Turkish security forces undertook unprecedented
security measures on the occasion of the visit of the Catholicos of
All Armenians Garegin II to Istanbul, unpleasant accidents still
occurred. A group of chauvinists welcomed the Armenian Supreme
Patriarch in the airport. "Radiolur" correspondent Marlena Hovsepyan
had a talk with the editor-in-chief of the Istanbul based "Marmara"
newspaper Rober Hatechyan over the visit of the Catholicos of All
Armenians to Istanbul and the accident.
At the invitation of Archbishop Mesrop Mutafyan and Ecumenical
Patriarch His All-Holiness Bartholomew I, the Catholicos of All
Armenians left for Istanbul. This was the third visit of Armenian
religious leaders to Turkey during the last 50 years. In 1961 Vazgen
I paid an official visit to Turkey. In 1996 Garegin the First’s visit
was non-official. Garegin the Second’s visit is also of a non-official
character, although he should meet the Governor of Istanbul.
On the occasion of the Catholicos’s visit unprecedented
security measures were undertaken in the Ataturk airport of
Istanbul. Journalists were prohibited to enter the territory of the
airport. Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian met the Catholicos and they left
not passing through VIP, as provided before. Next to the airport
entrance a group of 50 people organized an act of protest. Those
protesting threw eggs on cars of two Patriarchs, who were meeting
Garegin II.
Catholicos of All Armenians was received in the Patriarchy building,
which is guarded around the clock by Turkish security forces.
Rober Hatechyan noted in his interview to our correspondent that
despite the accident, the program of the Patriarch’s visit did not
undergo any changes.
"To be fair, it was not a big accident, ant we do not have to focus
on it.
We were expecting more serious accidents," the editor of "Marmara"
newspaper said.
Although the accident was not that serious, it wholly expressed
the essence of the people, which has taken the course towards the
European Union.