Tert, Armenia
Oct 24 2009
Armenian-Turkish Negotiations Spark Armenian Recognition in Turkish-Armenians
14:43 ¢ 24.10.09
The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople of the Armenian Apostolic
Church, His Beautitude Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian, welcomed attempts
to improve Armenian-Turkish relations. The Patriarch’s address
emphasized the necessity of peaceful dialogue, which will make it
possible to treat one other in a more tolerant and forgiving way.
`The Protocols signed between Armenia and Turkey are particularly
significant for the Armenian community in Turkey. The Armenian
community in Turkey is inclined towards the optimistic solution of the
diplomatic process that has begun, that all the steps will be directed
toward the improvement of relations between the two countries. We hope
that Armenia’s and Turkey’s leaderships will not give up in the
improvement of the two countries’ relations, based on the sincerity of
their wishes, since the [two] neighbours’ further peaceful cooperation
depends on it,’ noted the Patriarch in his address.
His Beautitude Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian also stated that Archbishop
Aram Ateshian, the Grand Sacristan of the Holy Mother of God Armenian
Cathedral and the Vicar General of the Armenian Patriarchate of
Constantinople, presented his position during Armenian president Serzh
Sargsyan’s and Turkish president Abdullah Gul’s visit to the Turkish
city of Bursa, where the qualifying football match between the two
countries took place on October 14, 2009.
According to official sources, approximately 70,000 Armenians live in
Turkey, the majority of whom have changed their Armenian last names to
Turkish. Nevertheless, the number of ethnic Armenians, many of whom
converted to Islam in order to avoid deportation during the Armenian
Genocide, greatly exceeds official numbers. Until today, the majority
of Hemshin Armenians (those who converted to Islam) have been
negatively referred to as `Ermeni’ (that is, Armenian). However, after
the start of Armenian-Turkish negotiations, an inclination in
recognizing their Armenian identity was evident among young Hemshin
Armenians. Take for instance, the first film on the topic which was
made by Hemshin Armenian filmmaker Ozcan Alper and includes the
Hemshin Armenian dialect; it was screened at this year’s Golden
Apricot International Film Festival in Yerevan.
After the improvement in Armenian-Turkish relations, Armenians living
in Turkey hope that the issue of electing head of clergy will also be
resolved, since it’s been a long time that the Turkish government has
allowed the Armenian community to conduct elections to appoint a new
Patriarch or his successor. His Beautitude Archbishop Mesrob
Mutafian’s health is in serious condition after undergoing numerous
surgeries and experiences of attempts on his life by `Erkenegon’
terrorists.
It is important to note that Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople,
along with the Armenian Patriarchate of Jersualem, is one of the
Armenian Church’s autonomous Patriarchates.
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