AZG Armenian Daily #055, 26/03/2007
National Interest
MUTAFIAN PATRIARCH PROTESTS AGAINST REFERRING SURB KHACH AS "THE
CHURCH OF AKHTAMAR" AND TURNING IT INTO A MUSEUM
In a recent interview to "Anatolu" agency, published in "Miliet" on
March 23, Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafian said that the Reolution on the
Armenian Genopcide, pending at the US Congress, will do no good either
to Armenia or Turkey. Armenian media made a short conclusion that the
Patriarch is against adoption of the bill. Such conclusion is
reasonable indeed, but it also must be taken into consideration that
the initiative of the interview belonged to the Turkish side. The
Turkish press, being eager to get negative comments, was asking
prevocational questions about the resolution. It is obvious that after
the murder of Hrant Dink the Patriarch of Constantinople is becoming
the target of the attacks of Turkish nationalists, even if his
position on the Resolution is just neutral.
In short, demanding the Patriarch to defend the Resolution, means
putting the Armenian community of Turkey under the threat of the
violent Turkish nationalists. Especially when the nationalists are
eager to take revenge for the "We are all Armenians, All Hrant Dink"
slogan.
In the same interview the Patriarch also mentioned the opening of the
Surb Khach church of Akhtamar. "Everybody speaks of `the Church of
Akhtamar’. There is no such church in this world. Akhtamar is the name
of the isle, an the name of the churc is `Surb Khach’ (Holy
Cross). Moreover, the church is to be opened as a museum. I have
addressed the venerable Prime Minister and Minister of Culture with a
letter, demanding to permit celebration of a divine service at the
curch, each year on the holyday of Surb Khach, but received no reply,"
Said Mesrob II.
By H. Chaqrian