<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< LRAPER Church Bulletin Armenian Patriarchate TR-34130 Kumkapý, Istanbul Licensee: The Revd. Fr. Drtad Uzunyan Editors: The Revd. Archpriest Krikor Damatyan, The Revd. Deacon Vagarsag Seropyan Press Officer: Attorney Mrs. Luiz Bakar T: +90 (212) 517-0970 F: +90 (212) 516-4833 lraper@lraper.org patriarchate@post.com <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< PATRIARCHATE DISAPPROVES OF FR. KALAYJIAN'S STATEMENT ISTANBUL (Lraper Church Bulletin, 15/04/2005) - In a press communiqué released by the press office of the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, attorney Mrs. Luiz Bakar stated that the Chancellery of the Patriarchate has taken note of numerous articles in the Turkish press concerning the remarks of the Revd. Fr. Vertanes Kalayjian of Washington about the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. According to news widely circulated in Turkey, Fr. Kalayjian called Ataturk `a butcher' during the United States Helsinki Commission briefing on Religious Freedom in Turkey, held at the Rayburn House in Washington on 12 April 2005. The transcripts of the briefing released by the Commission state Fr. Kalayjian as saying: `Something very drastic happened. And that was the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire. And with that, unfortunately, the paranoid attitude of the leaders, both sultans and the successive Ittihad and Terakki Party and their successor, Kemal, who is now being regarded as a hero, was another butcher, if you ask me'. Representing the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, press spokesperson Mrs. Bakar said, `The priest who has uttered these words is not a member of the Armenian community in Turkey, and has no ties with either the Armenian Patriarchate or the Armenian Church in Turkey. Regardless of who has uttered that word, one should question his grasp of history. The military and political genius of the founder of the Turkish Republic renders all sorts of accusations meaningless and void. A look at the geographical situation of Turkey within her present borders should be more than sufficient to understand and to evaluate Ataturk. We disapprove of Fr. Kalayjian's mode of speech, and presume that such sorties do not help in the efforts being made as regards the Turkish-Armenian dialogue'. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress