PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
December 9, 2004
His Holiness Karekin II Receives Turkish Intellectuals
On December 8, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of
All Armenians, received a group of 30 Turkish scientists, journalists,
authors and intellectuals in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The
delegation from Turkey were members of the “Eastern Assembly Initiative” who
are in Armenia accompanied by Hagop Dink and Ara Kochounian, editors of the
Istanbul-based “Agos” and “Jamanak” newspapers respectively.
Mr. Dink introduced the delegation to His Holiness and expressed the
gratitude of the group for the audience. He noted that the intention of the
participants was to become better acquainted with their neighboring country
and people, and their cultural, economic, political and religious life.
The Catholicos of All Armenians welcomed the guests and greeted the
initiative stating, “An important mission is reserved for intellectuals in
the spheres of education and instruction, in the internal national and
public life of each country, as well as in the formation of mutual
relationships between countries and peoples, and in their progress and
development.”
During the meeting, in response to questions from the Turkish delegation,
His Holiness presented the mission of the Armenian Church throughout the
world, focusing on the difficulties during the Soviet years, and the new
opportunities and challenges in the present day of Armenian independent
statehood. Special mention was made by His Holiness of the pan-national
nature of Armenian life and the work of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
in inter-church and inter-faith ties.
With regards to the current state of Armenia-Turkey relations, His Holiness
specifically emphasized the Armenian Genocide, and stressed that the
genocide is a historical fact which cannot be a point of debate.
Regarding international conflicts in the region, as well as in the Middle
East, the Pontiff of All Armenians underscored the necessity of not
attributing a religious nature or religious grounds to these disputes. His
Holiness stated that an excellent path to resolving and settling these
conflicts would be through inter-faith dialogue.
Concluding his remarks, His Holiness Karekin II extended his best wishes for
the success of the mission of the “Eastern Assembly Initiative”. Present
for the meeting were His Eminence Archbishop Grigoris Buniatian, primate of
the Armenian Diocese of the Ukraine, and His Grace Bishop Arshak
Khatchatrian, Chancellor of the Mother See.