TURKEY’S ARMENIAN COMMUNITY STILL DIVIDED ON PATRIARCHATE
Hurriyet
May 11 2010
Turkey
Turkish Armenians are still not able to elect a new patriarch, partly
due to the government’s delay and partly due to a conflict of ideas
within the congregation.
If the Interior Ministry does not announce a date for the new election
within 60 days of notice, the Armenian community is planning to take
legal action, sources told Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
An "Initiating Committee" formed by the community foundation’s
executives and members of the Civilian Initiative applied to the
Istanbul Governor’s Office for the second time last week. According
to the schedule planned months ago, May 9 was to be the date for the
delegation election, and May 12 was to be the date for the election
of a new patriarch.
Speaking to the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Setrak Davuthan,
a member of the Initiating Committee and the community’s attorney,
expressed amazement at the latest developments. "In every election
until this one, the ministry used to send us a document stating
every detail on how the election should be conducted. Not this time,"
Davuthan said.
The committee had to go a second time to the Governor’s Office after
receiving no reply to their first application, Davuthan said.
"Legally, we must receive an answer within 60 days. If we do not,
we will go to court."
The impediment for the election does not only come from the ministry.
The congregation itself has not yet reached a consensus on whether
to choose a patriarch or a co-patriarch. Therefore, in the last few
months there have been two separate applications submitted to the
Governor’s Office from the Initiating Committee and from the Turkish
Armenian Patriarchate Spiritual Assembly Committee.
The latter insists that a co-patriarch should be elected, whereas
the Initiating Committee says a new patriarch is a must. Mesrop II,
the current patriarch, suffers from dementia and cannot fulfill his
duties. According to the rules of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
a new patriarch cannot be assigned before the previous one passes
away. The Initiating Committee, on the other hand, is concerned that
legal conflicts might arise if a co-patriarch is elected.
AteÅ~_yan’s position
Speaking to the Daily News, Archbishop Aram AteÅ~_yan, chief of the
Turkish Armenian Spiritual Assembly and the 85th Turkish Armenians’
Co-Patriarch candidate, said the May 12 date was decided solely by
the Initiating Committee "without consulting the Spiritual Assembly." "
We are waiting for a reply from the Governor’s Office for an election
date," he said.
Noting that the Initiating Committee was founded by the Patriarchate
and granted civic authority, Hampo TanıÅ~_man, a committee member,
said the Patriarchate granted them certain rights. "We did not take
action on our own," TanıÅ~_man said.
Tatyos Bebek, a prominent figure in the congregation, said the
Spiritual Assembly is responsible for the ongoing debate on the
election. "This debate obstructed the course. Those in power within
the community adopted a self-centered approach and the Spiritual
Assembly could not direct the course well," Bebek said. "Therefore,
the problem could not be contained and started to involve state
authorities, as well."
Noting that the Armenian community has many issues to resolve,
Bebek said: "Although we should take care of issues concerning our
foundations immediately, we are just wasting time. Unfortunately,
as the Patriarchate does not function effectively, the rights of the
congregation members cannot be watched over to a sufficient degree.
This impedes possible gains on the foundations issue."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
