Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Feb 13 2010
Turkey’s Armenians question election process of co-patriarch
Photo: Bishop Chuljyan, a candidate for the position of co-patriarch
from Armenia, arrived in Ä°stanbul on Wednesday to meet with members of
the Armenian community in Turkey.
As the Armenian Patriarchate in Ä°stanbul tries to designate a
co-patriarch in light of the illness of Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan, or
Mesrob II, Turkey’s Armenians are questioning the election process for
their co-patriarch as they think the community has not been informed
by the patriarchate well.
According to the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, which has been debating
the issue in detail in its pages in recent weeks, the patriarchate’s
Spiritual Board has not remained neutral in its position on the
candidates.
The weekly indicated that Archbishop Aram Ateshyan, the head of the
Spiritual Board and a candidate for the position of co-patriarch,
aimed to strengthen his own base and desired quick elections to reduce
the chances of other candidates who live abroad.
In its Jan. 22 edition, Agos called on the patriarchate officials to
be transparent in their approach and inform the community about the
steps that they take. The weekly stated that the community will watch
the manner in which the patriarchate officials host Bishop Sebouh
Chuljyan, a candidate for the position of co-patriarch from Armenia.
They also noted problems during the January visit of another
candidate, Bishop Karekin Bekjyan, the religious leader of Germany’s
Armenian community. They are both qualified to take up the position
since they were both born in Turkey as required and have impressive
religious qualifications.
Bishop Bekjyan was quoted in Agos as saying, `I am going to come to
Ä°stanbul again,’ after his 10-day visit. He also promised to maintain
close contact with the community.
The Turkish Armenian community recognizes Mesrob Mutafyan as their
community’s spiritual leader until the end of his life. Influential
members of the community have been critical of the patriarchate
officials because they were secretive about Patriarch Mutafyan’s
condition and were therefore late in arranging the election of a
co-patriarch. Patriarch Mutafyan, 54, has been diagnosed with
frontotemporal dementia.
An announcement on the patriarchate’s Web site in December stated that
they had submitted an application to the relevant authorities
regarding the selection of a co-patriarch. The statement noted that
until the emergence of his health problems, Patriarch Mesrob II had
served in the position for 11 years and that on Dec. 24, 2008, the
patriarchate decided that he would be the community’s spiritual leader
until his death.
The patriarchate has forwarded a request to the ministry that
elections for the co-patriarch be held on May 9.
`We should follow Hrant’s way’
Bishop Chuljyan, who is the primate of the Gougark diocese in Armenia,
arrived Ä°stanbul on Wednesday evening to meet with members of the
Armenian community in Turkey.
A close friend of Hrant Dink, the former editor-in-chief of Agos who
was assassinated in 2007, Bishop Chuljyan visited Dink’s grave on
Friday.
`The road that Hrant Dink started down is the way to dialogue between
Turks and Armenians. We should support this way and we should
strengthen it,’ he said, speaking to a group of journalists on Friday.
Bishop Chuljyan, who is staying at the patriarchate and says he is
being treated very well, is making contact with the Armenian community
in Ä°stanbul. He will leave on Feb. 17 and said that he will come back
to Ä°stanbul following Easter in April.
13 February 2010, Saturday
YONCA POYRAZ DOÄ?AN Ä°STANBUL
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