Catholicos of All Armenians Announced Persona Non Grata in Turkey
30.06.2006 16:13 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An investigation has been launched by the Istanbul
Chief Public Prosecution Office into the world leader of the Armenian
Apostolic Church, Catholicos Garegin II, following claims that he
‘denigrated Turkishness’ in remarks made during his recent visit to
Istanbul.
A complaint was lodged at the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecution Office
by both Recep Akkus and the strongly-nationalist Turkish Lawyers
Union. The Istanbul Prosecution Office has opened an investigation
into the matter.
Catholicos Garegin II stated last Sunday evening at a press conference
at the Turkish Armenian Patriarchate in the Kumkapi quarter in
Istanbul that Turkey must recognize the killings of 1.5 million of
Armenians during the final years of the Ottoman Empire as Genocide,
reported Cihan news agency.
Zaman Turkish newspaper writes that 200,000 Armenians died during
forced migrations due to cold weather and bad transportation
conditions.
To note, Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II arrived in Istanbul on
Tuesday of last week as the guest of Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate
Mesrob II and the Fener Greek Orthodox Partriarchate Bartholomeos.