ARCHBISHOP MESROP MUTAFIAN DEMANDS PATRIARCHATE BE WITHIN JURISDICTION OF INSPECTION OF RELIGIONS
Noyan Tapan
Aug 16 2006
ANKARA, AUGUST 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian
Partiarchate of Turkey finished discussing the draft regulations
on the Partriarchate’s activities and authorities, bringing the
draft to its final form. A body called the Council on Minorities
Issues submitted this draft to the Patriarchate for consideration,
the newspaper "Marmara" reported, citing the newspaper "Zaman". The
Patriarchate objectet to an article of the draft, according to which
the Patriarchate is within the jurisdiction and under control of
the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). (NT: the Patriarchate is
now under the jurisdiction of the MIA). The Armenian Patriarch of
Turkey Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian noted that the Patriarchate is a
religious institution, and the Partriarch is a clergyman, so both
the Partriarch and Patriarchate should be within the jurisdiction
of the Inspection of Religions rather than the Ministry of Internal
Affairs, as the ministry implements control only from the viewpoint
of security issues, whereas the inspection – from a broader viewpoint
including also religious issues. The Patriarch expressed a wish that
the Ministry of Internal Affairs would intervene for the purpose of
making an amendment to that article.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
