TURKEY’S ARMENIAN COMMUNITY STILL DIVIDED ON PATRIARCHATE

Tert.am
17:56 12.05.10

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 newspaper, 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.