ARCHBISHOP MUTAFIAN, AGAIN TURKEY’S SPOKESPERSON
By Murad Muradian, Oct. 14 editorial of The Armenian Mirror Spectator
AZG Armenian Daily
26/10/2006
It is hard to figure out if Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian, Patriarch of
Istanbul, is running scared of the Turks for whom he obviously has
deep affection, or whether he simply opposes anything favorable for
Armenia and Armenians in general.
What is galling is the honor he is given in some newspapers as the
"leader" of Armenians in Turkey. A leader of Armenians hopefully does
not undermine leaders of the Armenian community, Armenian history
or friends of Armenia. What the Turkey-fawning Mutafian fails to
understand is that his words impact upon Armenians and non-Armenians
around the world.
The Turks do not hesitate to splash his comments in international
newspapers because Mutafian has become one of the favored
Ankara-sponsored spokespersons in the world. Unfortunately, his title
receives attention because most persons outside of Turkey do not
know him or his style and assume that he really has deep concerns for
Armenians and Armenia. It is assumed in too many places that because
Mutafian bears an Armenian name that he lives Armenian pain, Armenian
hopes and Armenian dreams as verbalized by most Armenians in general.
That he is now a lobbyist for the Turkish government has become very
obvious. He has indicated many times that the 1.5 million Armenians
slaughtered in the 1915 Genocide share responsibility with the butchers
for their own deaths.
Upon the departure from Armenia of French President Jacques Chirac,
one of Mutafian’s comments as he again kissed the Turkish hand was,
"If Armenians did not lead separation actions… at least 10 million
Armenians would live in Turkey today." He went on to say that Turkey
would win a lot with that population.
It is interesting that he did not profess sorrow for the Genocide
of Armenians. His main interest was that Turkey would have gained
a lot if the murderers did not butcher the Armenians. It is hard to
imagine that any honest person, much less an Armenian clergyman, has
the audacity to state that the slaughtered Armenian babies, women,
old people, young, sick, etc., were equally responsible with Talaat,
Enver, Djemal and Nazim for the 1915 Genocide.
Of course, Mutafian does not have the courage, or perhaps even
the belief, to state that 1915 was genocide. Keep in mind that he
castigated the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II for having done
so during the latter’s visit to Turkey some weeks ago.
Mutafian objected that Jacques Chirac advanced the Armenian Genocide
as a pre-condition for Turkey’s entrance into the European Union
(EU). Mutafian stated that even if that is what President Chirac wants,
"One must not forget that Louis Michael, the minister of Foreign
Affairs of Belgium, decisively said that one must not put new political
standards before Turkey for membership to the European Union."
Is this person, Mr. Mutafian, supposed to be a religious leader or
Turkey’s lobbyist? Recalling that he traveled around Europe lobbying
European politicians to allow his masters into the EU, he fits the
description of a lobbyist. Being a political lobbyist for Turkey,
Mr. Mutafian said that Jacques Chirac’s comment that "Turkey must
recognize the Armenian Genocide for membership to the European Union"
might be a "political precept." In his comments to the Turkish press,
Mr. Mutafian advanced himself as a spokesperson for the Armenians
of Turkey.
One wonders who or what gives him the right to say that it would have
been preferred if the French president attempted to create dialogue
between Armenia and Turkey. For the most part, Armenians to whom I have
spoken who were from Istanbul and now live in the US are embarrassed,
dislike, or find excuses for the comments made by Mutafian.
The excuses are generally that he is frightened of the repressive
government in Turkey and says such things to protect the Armenian
flock. My comment usually is, if this is fact, then Mutafian should
say nothing outside the realm of being a clergyman. A clergyman does
not denigrate proven Armenian/world/genocide history. When anyone says
that the slaughtered Armenians were responsible for their own deaths,
that is abominable and a disgrace. He has become the David Irving
(Holocaust denier) of the Armenian Genocide.
Mutafian’s position and spoken words have even more appalling impact
than David Irving’s books.
Mutafian’s words were spoken to international outlets and will appear
in English, Turkish and German languages, perhaps on TV as well as
in written form. I do not blame Mutafian for wanting Turkey in the EU.
Perhaps he recognizes that the EU will stick by their demands that
Turkey must be a democracy before being allowed into that prestigious
body. And if Turkey does become a democracy and is allowed into the
EU all citizens of the country will benefit, including the Armenian
flock. But it is not necessary for Mutafian to join the Genocide
denier club for that to happen.
Mutafian wants Turkey to be able to write its own rules for entrance
into the EU instead of Turkey complying with rules set up for
Turkey. The Turks object to rules that specifically apply to them. If
one of the leading Europeans (Jacques Chirac) wants to satisfy the
demands of 400,000 French Armenians and countless non-Armenians in
France and Europe for Turkey to recognize 1915 as genocide, it is
unseemly for a wannabe Turk like Mutafian to object.
Why is it appropriate to have rules specifically applicable to Turkey
to join the EU? Point out another wannabe nation to the EU that has
as abysmal a human rights history as Turkey does. What other nation
that aspires to the EU currently threatens to invade northern Iraq to
get its way, and particularly to get oil that is in short supply? Let
us not overlook that Foreign Minister Gul of Turkey threatened to
invade northern Iraq because of comments made about Kurds by President
Talabani of Iraq.
Perhaps Mutafian has lived so long in Turkey under pressure from the
government that he has forgotten what truth and human rights are. One
does not have to be an Armenian to understand these things. So much
the greater shame for the current Patriarch sitting in Istanbul.