Month: November 2006

WHAT IS TURKEY’S IMPORTANCE ALL ABOUT?
Barin Kayaoglu

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Nov 27 2006

News agencies recently reported that former German Chancellor Helmut
Schmidt delivered a lecture at Florence last week, arguing that in
contrast to popular thinking, Turkey was not a bridge between Europe
and the Muslim world and that it was in fact disliked in the Arab
world. The heyday of the address allegedly came when Schmidt said
that "it is suffice to remember how Arabs suffered under Ottoman
rule." Because of the Ottoman past, incorporating Turkey would be
counter-productive to the European Union, Moreover, he continued,
Turkey’s EU membership was not in European interests and was indeed
pushed by the United States. [1]

It is important to attend to such questions, especially when they
come from senior statesmen. Let us embark on a mind-quest to figure
out just exactly what Turkey’s "importance" is all about. What do we
really mean by Turkey being a "bridge" or a "model country" to the
Muslim world? Is Turkey really a viable answer to the problems of
the world today? If so, what are those lessons?

Modernizing the state and the socio-economy of the land was one of
the greatest hardships that challenged the Ottoman Empire. Renowned
historian İlber Ortayli calls the 19th century the "Empire’s
Longest Century." Ottoman reforms, even though always intended to
modernize the armed forces first, extended to other aspects of the
Empire’s life: a secular legal system, a new education system, female
emancipation, the advent of a lively press and intelligentsia all came
about during the 19th century. It was during the 19th century that the
power of the sultan was legally curbed through a constitution. This
was extremely significant, one should bear in mind, because the
Ottoman sultan held the title of caliph, the nominal successor of
the Prophet Mohammed. What really happened with the Ottoman example
was the limitations imposed to the authority of an Islamic absolute
monarch who was believed to hold divine right.

For those who study political science or European history, there is
nothing new here. But it was a historic precedent for a Muslim empire
to witness the rise of a parliamentary and constitutional system.

Ottoman constitutionalism, for sure, was not trouble-free. Sultan
Abdulhamid II suspended the constitution and kept the parliament shut
for over thirty years from 1877 until 1908.

Another very important element of the Ottoman experience was what
has been dubbed Pax Ottomana (Ottoman peace). As can be inferred
from the name, this system involved the peaceful co-existence of
different nations under Ottoman imperial rule. The central government
did not interfere with the intra-ethnic workings of its constituent
communities and sustained a multi-cultural social order until the
very end. Pax Ottomana ultimately collapsed, with tragic consequences:
present-day Middle East and Balkans, as well as the mutual headaches
between Turks and Armenians are but a few of these.

The peace and tranquility that the Ottomans delivered to the Balkans
and the Middle East remain to be resuscitated.

The Ottomans had the greatest misfortune of being on the losing side
at the end of World War I. Faced with an ominous partition, Turkey
managed to negotiate a more fair peace treaty with the Allies thanks
to its successful conclusion of its War of Independence in 1922 under
the leadership of its founding father, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Volumes have been written on Ataturk’s legacy. There are but two very
important points to bear in mind about that legacy: democracy and
secularism. One of the virtues of Ataturk – and there were many of
them – was that he was a great visionary. He restructured the Turkish
political system in such a way that despite all of the challenges,
it has been able to remain both democratic and secular and adapt
to changing global dynamics. Secularism, the separation of church –
well, in Turkey’s case mosque – and state, has been the core element
through which Turkish society has been able to safely practice its
myriad religious aspirations. For their part, Turkish statesmen have
had an easier time in running the state as secularism freed their
hands from addressing religious concerns and allowed them to operate
pragmatically in the realm of politics. In other words, secularism
has empowered Turkey.

Democracy has also been a blessing for Turkey. Since the establishment
of the Republic in 1923, Turkey has always claimed to be a democracy
of some sort. This claim was realized in the late 1940s with the
advent of multi-party politics and an extension of the boundaries of
freedom of expression. Those years were marked by incessant political
turmoil and economic instability but today Turkish people elect
their representatives and despite all the problems that trouble the
country, such as poverty and the inadequacy of public services, they
remain hopeful. In spite all of its deficiencies, Turkey sustains
a vibrant civil society and press which exert a remarkable degree
of influence over the state. Democracy, just like secularism, has
empowered Turkish people.

One should aviod the trapdoor of self-righteousness, however. The setup
of the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet İşleri
Başkanligi – which does not sponsor non-Sunni Muslim places
of worship) and the remaining obstacles to free speech (such as the
hideous article 301 of the penal code) are still formidable setbacks
for Turkey. The solution to these problems are not intractable,
nevertheless. The inclusion of other major religious parties in
the country -the leaders of Alawite foundations, Greek and Armenian
Orthodox patriarchs, and the Chief Rabbi – would not only enrich the
intellectual aura of divinity schools and the Directorate itself,
but also grant tremendous legitimacy to the state’s supervisory role
over religion. As for freedom of expression, it has been stated time
and again in this column to view free speech not as a danger, but as
one of Turkey’s most important allies. Anybody who wishes to disagree
with anything – with the caveat that they do not espouse violence –
should have their say. That is the best and luckily the only option
before Turkey.[2]

Notwithstanding these nuisances, any objective commentator must
appreciate the democratic and secular character of Turkey. Turkey
is the only country that combines the elements of being Muslim,
democratic, and secular. This is a unique thing in the world today.

No other Muslim country has managed to combine these three
characteristics yet.

The question is, then, as to what can be done in a turbulent world.

Many people would agree that there is a significant democratic
deficit in Muslim countries today. We cannot afford to ignore this
problem that has global ramifications. Lack of proper governance in
distant parts of the world affects each and every member of the global
community. The answer to that problem is to empower Muslims around the
world. The only way to do that is to follow Turkey’s example. Islam is
not inherently in conflict with modernization. The problem is not with
Islam but with how Muslims interpret it. We ought to realize that not
only are secularism and democracy not in contradiction with Islam,
but they in fact augment it. Turkey is the case in point. For the
past 80 years, and even before that, religious tension has not been
a major issue in Turkey. Turkish people enjoy both the pleasantries
of mundane life while practicing their religions freely.

Perhaps the statement by Prime Minister Mr. Tayyip Erdogan’s former
senior advisor sums all of what has been said so far. About a year
ago, Mr. Omer Celik stated that secularism was the greatest power
("nuclear" power, as he put it) which Turkey had in comparison with the
Middle East. The Republic’s secular and democratic characteristics,
according to Celik, were proof that Turkey’s political ideals were
compatible with those of Europe.[3]

Turkey is at a critical juncture in its accession negotiations
with the EU. Those who follow this column already know that I have
lost my enthusiasm for Turkey’s EU membership. But it would be too
foolish to deny the fact that there is still a historic opportunity
before the EU and the West. By faithfully negotiating with a Muslim
country that has been a part of Europe for centuries (bear in mind
that the Ottoman Empire was a European power even more than a Middle
Eastern one), the EU and the West have it within their grasp to turn
to other Muslim countries around the world and convincingly make the
case that there are genuine benefits by joining the global community
through democratization and secularization. This appeal will not be
easy and that Turkey will probably not join the EU. Nevertheless,
by accepting Turkey as a legitimate partner, European countries can
counter most of the criticisms that they are Islamophobic. Following
Turkey’s example, Muslim countries will finally ease their suspicions
in their dealings with the West.

Turkey is the best asset that Europe can hope to incorporate in
the brave new millenium. The European Union with Turkey would serve
European interests more than Turkish interests in the long run. The
decision to walk that bridge is for Europeans like Helmut Schmidt
to decide.

+++

24 November 2006

Barin Kayaoglu is a Ph.D. student in history at the University of
Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia and a regular contributor to
the Journal of Turkish Weekly.

E-mail: [email protected]

[1] "Schmidt: Turkiye Kopru degil" (Schmidt: Turkey is not
a bridge), ntvmsnbc.com, November 18, 2006; available from

[2] Barin Kayaoglu, "Turkey’s Allies are Common Sense and Freedom of
Expression," Journal of Turkish Weekly, October 25, 2006; available
from

[3] "Laiklik Turkiye’nin elinde nukleer guc gibi" (Secularism is
like nuclear power for Turkey), Sabah, October 13, 2005; available
from

THE STATE OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN TURKEY
Interview With R.M.T. Schmid of the Becket Institute

Zenit News Agency, Italy
Nov 27 2006

ROME, NOV. 26, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The Christian churches in Turkey
want more religious freedom, even as they realize that the country’s
secularism might also be a bulwark against radical Islam, says an
observer.

Raphaela M.T. Schmid, the Rome director of the Becket Institute for
Religious Liberty, offered that assessment in this interview.

Schmid just returned from Istanbul where she spoke with religious
authorities and government officials who will be meeting with Benedict
XVI later this week.

Q: What is the state of religion in Turkey?

Schmid: Turkey is not really an Islamic country, even if it is over
99% Muslim and mosque attendance is going up.

Until the 1920s it was a theocracy under Shariah law. Ataturk saw this
as a stumbling block for social and commercial progress. He reinvented
Turkey as a secular state and helped Turks gain the reputation of
being "Muslims with a Protestant work ethic." His reforms included the
abolition of polygamy, equal rights for women, coed public schools,
and the prohibition of religious garb in public.

Ataturkist laws have been applied in such a way that Turkey de facto
has an unofficial established religion, a moderate sort of Sunni
Islam. The state appoints imams; it oversees what is preached in the
mosques and what is taught in Koran schools.

Q: Why are Muslim Turks not reacting against this sort of state
control?

Schmid: Recent polls indicate that the majority see themselves as
Turks first and as Muslims second. Ataturk is universally revered as
a hero; his memory and legacy are protected by law. But behind this
picture of national pride, Ataturkist secularism and Muslim identity
make for conflicting loyalties.

Turks who want to be good citizens of the republic may also want to
wear the veil and send their kids to a Koran school of their choice.

What makes this even trickier is the concern that religious freedom may
be exploited by those who are pushing for a more radical, politicized
Islam in Turkey. The military so far has been the protector of the
secularity of the state. The question is whether that will remain so
in the future.

So, it is important to understand that these problems cannot simply
be resolved by appealing to international human rights tribunals.

The Turkish attitude toward religion in the public sphere is something
that is intimately tied up with the modern notion of Turkish national
identity, a notion more complex than Islamic law and tradition would
have, where nationality and citizenship are defined by religion.

Q: What about the Christian churches in Turkey?

Schmid: Christian leaders say that it’s easy to live in Turkey as a
Christian. Turkey is known for its tradition of a very tolerant Islam,
which goes back to medieval times.

It is striking, though, how the number of Christians has dwindled.

For example, at the beginning of the 20th century half of the
population of Istanbul was Christian. Now Christians make up less
than 1%.

The circa 65,000 Armenian Christians in Turkey are the survivors of
the ethnic cleansing of 1915-16, which is still a taboo subject.

There are about 20,000 Syrian Orthodox and circa 20,000 Catholics.

Most of the Greek Orthodox were exchanged for Greek Muslims that came
to Turkey in the ’20s. Their patriarch, Bartholomew I, as far as Turks
are concerned, is a foreign cleric with a local congregation of not
more than 3,000 faithful. The fact that 300 million Christians around
the world recognize his authority does not figure.

In fact, all Christian churches are regarded as foreign and relations
with them are handled mostly by the Foreign Ministry, even if their
members are Turkish citizens and the presence of those churches
predates Turkey, the Ottoman Empire and Islam by centuries.

Q: What are the concrete problems Christians face in Turkey?

Schmid: Christians can freely worship, but there are difficulties.

Limitations imposed by the state have left their schools struggling.

Christian seminaries were closed in the ’70s and the communities find
it difficult to train their leaders and teachers.

There is a treaty which guarantees legal status to non-Muslim religious
communities, but it doesn’t specify, so the interpretation by the
Turkish state is rather random. The Catholic Church, for example,
does not have legal status; it cannot own or inherit properties, etc.

So, the Christian churches want more religious freedom but they too
are aware that the secularism of the Turkish state may also be a
bulwark against a more radical form of Islam.

Q: What is the significance of the papal visit in Turkey?

Schmid: Of course, this is not the first Pope to visit. In recent
times both Paul VI and John Paul II have been to Turkey.

The Turks’ favorite Pope is John XXIII, who before his election had
been nuncio in Istanbul for nearly a decade. He is even nicknamed
"The Turkish Pope." "He really knew us," "he really understood us"
is what we were told, and the reason given again and again was this:
"because he loved us."

Pope Benedict XVI was originally invited by Patriarch Bartholomew,
but because of the Regensburg lecture this ecumenical meeting now is
eclipsed by the visit to Turkey as a Muslim country.

So far there have been only two occasions when the Turkish media have
paid real attention to this Pope. One was when, as Cardinal Ratzinger,
he commented that Turkey’s joining Europe would be "anti-historical";
the other occasion was his lecture at Regensburg.

In each instance, certain sound bites from his discourse were
overamplified so as to drown out the actual point he was making.

Q: Was did the Pope actually say about Turkey and Europe?

Schmid: Cardinal Ratzinger in a 2004 interview with Le Figaro
magazine was considering the European Union and Turkey from a cultural
perspective.

He suggested that Turkey’s integration into Europe may mean a loss
of richness and cultural distinctiveness for the sake of economic
benefits. This caused waves of indignation in Turkey, where the memory
of that interview still seems to be that Cardinal Ratzinger in some
way didn’t deem Turkey worthy of entry.

To me quite the opposite seems the case: He was taking Turkey and
its distinct culture very seriously when he questioned whether this
sort of loss would be worth it for Turkey. He expressed himself in
favor of a Turkey that may be a bridge between Europe and the East
precisely because of its own distinct identity, rooted in Islam rather
than Christianity.

This line of thinking is not necessarily an expression of a
clash-of-civilizations worldview. I see it in line with a recurring
theme in the writings of Joseph Ratzinger: that religion and culture
cannot be separated.

This is why he expressed himself in favor of close forms of association
and collaboration that at the same time would not abandon the cultural
concept of a Europe rooted in Christianity.

Ironically, I heard this same point made by Turkish intellectuals
and Muslim authorities, only that they start by saying that Turkey
should be part of the EU for economic reasons and then admit that,
of course, it should maintain its own culture, rooted in Islam.

Q: How does the Regensburg lecture fit into all this?

Schmid: The Pope’s point was that a dialogue of religions can only
take place where there is room for both faith and reason. He warned
against two extremes: a rationality that rejects religion and a
religion that rejects rationality.

He tried to show that "whether God has to act in accordance
with reason" for any religion is a question with far-reaching
consequences. To illustrate that it is not a new question he quoted the
now infamous 14th-century emperor Paleologus accusing Islam of getting
the answer wrong. But the Pope also looked at Christianity and its own
moments of placing God above and beyond reason. So, I think he tried
to initiate a conversation on the level of a philosophy of religion.

It didn’t seem to go so well at the time and Pope Benedict’s meeting
with the highest Muslim authority, the president of religious affairs,
is made awkward by the fact that he was someone who spoke out very
quickly and very strongly against the Regensburg speech, though he
later admitted that he had not read it. But as the Grand Mufti of
Istanbul said in this context: What starts out badly may still come
to a good end.

SIGNIFICANCE OF BENEDICT XVI’S TRIP TO TURKEY
Piero Marini

Zenit News Agency, Italy
Nov 27 2006

Presented by Archbishop Marini, Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 26, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is the Introduction
to the missal that Benedict XVI will follow during his apostolic
journey to Turkey, this coming Tuesday to Friday. It was prepared
by Archbishop Piero Marini, master of the liturgical celebrations of
the Supreme Pontiff.

* * *

PRESENTATION

1. The Significance of the Apostolic Journey

In the footsteps of his predecessors Paul VI and John Paul II, His
Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has chosen to honor the land of Turkey
with one of the first Apostolic Journeys of his Pontificate. Turkey
is spread over a vast region which, not without reason, has been
called "the Holy Land of the Church". It was there that the Christian
community, particularly in the great centers of Antioch and Ephesus,
became conscious of her identity and consolidated her growth. There the
Church opened out to the ancient world in a process of inculturation
and adaptation which made her truly "catholic", open to all cultural
expressions. Furthermore, this land was the starting-point for the
first evangelization of both the Far East and the Slav peoples.

It was not by chance that most of the writings that make up the New
Testament originated in this land or were addressed to its Christian
communities. Two of those biblical authors, Paul of Tarsus and Luke
of Antioch, are among the first witnesses to a Church that in the
course of the centuries saw a rich flowering of outstanding figures
who left their mark on the whole of Christianity. We need but recall
the Cappadocian Fathers, and those of Antioch and the Syria, to say
nothing of the ranks of martyrs and ascetics whom even today the
liturgy offers us as models of Christian life.

The journey of the Bishop of Rome to Turkey takes place between two
significant dates that recall those illustrious witnesses of the faith:
the seventeenth centenary of the birth of Ephrem the Syrian (306)
and the eighteenth centenary of the death of John Chrysostom (407).

Both are splendid rays of that "light from the East" which the Holy
Father John Paul II, in his Apostolic Letter "Orientale Lumen" (1994),
wished to reaffirm, so that the universal Church would treasure the
rich witness, wisdom and spirituality of the Christian East and would
look back with nostalgia to the first Christian millennium, when the
Church lived in unity.

In a pluralistic age like our own, the manifold riches of the various
religious traditions, past and present, found in the land of Turkey
bear witness to the fact that pluralism in liturgical and spiritual
expressions, and unity of faith in Christ the Lord, can be combined
harmoniously. The Holy Father has rightly spoken of dialogue as a
"polyphony of cultures".

This principle is true for the various Christian confessions, but it is
also applicable to the dialogue between Christians and the followers
of Islam. Shadows from the past cannot obscure the light radiating
from the daily "dialogue of life", the "dialogue of charity" and the
"dialogue of religious experiences" which has marked relations here
between Christians and Muslims.

The journey of Pope Benedict XVI to Turkey is a part of this history,
and must be understood in the light of that history. It is a pastoral
journey, an ecumenical journey and a journey of dialogue with the
Islamic world.

1. A pastoral journey

The Catholic Church in Turkey, with its various ritual expressions
(Latin, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Catholic, Chaldean) is a small
minority in a prevalently Sunni Muslim world. Like the Apostle Peter
who, wrote a letter (1 Peter) from Rome to the Christian communities in
diaspora in present-day Turkey, his Successor now speaks to those same
communities, not only in words but also by his presence. Saint Peter
urged the Christians there "to account for the hope that is in you"
(1 Pet 3:15). In our own times, which have seen the rise and spread
of forms of religious intolerance, Pope Benedict XVI, through the
preaching of the word and the celebration of the sacraments, comes
to confirm the Catholic community of Turkey in hope and in fidelity
to Christ.

There are two celebrations of the Eucharist with the Catholic faithful
of Turkey. The first takes place at the national Marian shrine of
Meryen Aria Evi (the House of Mother Mary) in Ephesus, the city where
the Council of 431 proclaimed her divine maternity, but also where —
according to a pious tradition — Mary dwelt for some time with Saint
John. The shrine is a point of encounter and prayer for Christians
and Muslims, who acknowledge in Mary the ever-virgin mother of Jesus,
the woman chosen by God for the good of humanity.

The second Eucharistic celebration takes place on 1 December in
Istanbul, in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit. Representatives
of the various Eastern Rite Catholic communities in Turkey will take
part in the Mass, which will be celebrated in the Latin rite; their
presence will be emphasized by a number of ritual expressions proper
to each Rite.

2. An ecumenical journey

>>From the very beginning of his Petrine ministry, Pope Benedict XVI
has made commitment to ecumenism a priority of his Pontificate. As he
stated on 20 April 2005, in a homily delivered in the Sistine Chapel
the day after his election, "the present Successor of Peter feels
personally responsible in this regard, and is prepared to do everything
in his power to advance the fundamental cause of ecumenism. In the
footsteps of his predecessors, he is fully determined to encourage
every initiative that seems appropriate for promoting contacts and
understanding with the representatives of the different Churches and
Ecclesial Communities".

The Pope’s journey to Istanbul is to be seen against this background,
and finds a first significant moment in his meeting of prayer and
dialogue on 29 November with His Holiness Bartholomew I in the
Patriarchal Cathedral. At the end of the common prayer, the relics
of Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom will be
venerated. The heart of the visit to the Ecumenical Patriarch takes
place on 30 November, the liturgical memorial of the Apostle Andrew.

The Holy Father’s participation in the Divine Liturgy is followed
by a brief common prayer and the unveiling of a stone commemorating
the last three Popes who visited the Patriarchate, and concludes with
the reading and signature of a Joint Declaration by His Holiness and
Patriarch Bartholomew I.

The ecumenical character of the journey of the Bishop of Rome to the
Sister Churches of Turkey is also emphasized by a visit that same
day to His Beatitude Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan at the Armenian
Apostolic Patriarchate.

The moment of personal encounter, common prayer and the unveiling of
an inscription in Armenian and Turkish commemorating the visits of
Paul VI, John Paul II and now Benedict XVI, is meant to signify the
ties linking the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church.

In the same spirit of fraternal communion in Christ, the Holy
Father later that afternoon receives, in the Papal Representation
in Istanbul, the Syrian Orthodox Archbishop and several heads of
Protestant communities.

3. A journey under the banner of interreligious dialogue

It is significant that the Holy Father’s first journey to a
predominantly Muslim country begins in the very land from which
Abraham, the common patriarch of Judaism, Christianity and Islam,
undertook his journey of faith in God. It was from Harran, a village
in present-day Turkey, that he set out in a spirit of total dependence
upon God, trusting solely in the word that had been revealed to him.

The renewed memory of these common roots linking the three religions,
which the Holy Father wishes to evoke in his journey, is an invitation
to overcome the conflicts between Jews, Christians and Muslims that
have taken place over the centuries.

Here, we cannot fail to recall that during his nine year stay in
Turkey, the Apostolic Delegate Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, later Pope
John XXIII, came to recognize the urgent need for interreligious
dialogue, which found expression in the Declaration "Nostra Aetate"
of the Second Vatican Council, which he called as Pope.

Recently, Pope Benedict XVI referred to that Declaration as the Magna
Charta of the Catholic Church in her relations with the Islamic world
(cf. Address to the Diplomatic Corps, 25 September 2006).

The Holy Father’s journey to Turkey — in continuity with the thought
of Pope John Paul II — is meant to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s
conviction of the pressing need for interreligious dialogue. Turkey,
an officially secular state, which acts as a bridge between Europe
and Asia and is home to various religious traditions, is, as it were,
a balcony looking out on the Middle East, from which the values
of interreligious dialogue, tolerance, reciprocity and the secular
character of the State can be reaffirmed.

II. The liturgical book for the journey

The Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff,
as is customary for papal journeys, has also prepared a liturgical
book for the Pope’s Apostolic Journey to Turkey.

The volume, intended especially for the Holy Father himself and the
concelebrants, contains the texts and the rubrics of the celebrations
planned for the journey.

1. Celebrations with the Catholic community

The Holy Father presides at three celebrations of the Eucharist:

— Wednesday, 29 November, at the Shrine of Meryem Ana Evi in Ephesus;

— Thursday, 30 November, at the Chapel of the Papal Representation
in Istanbul;

— Friday, 1 December, at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul.

The celebration at the Shrine of Meryem Ana Evi

The Eucharist is celebrated in an open place near the Shrine of Meryem
Ana Evi, and is marked by clear mariological and ecclesiological
themes.

The Mass is that of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The euchological texts
and the biblical readings stress the mystery of Mary’s maternity
with reference to her presence, with the Apostle John, beneath the
Lord’s Cross. Jesus’ words from the Cross: "Behold your son … Behold
your Mother" (Jn 19:26-27), have been seen by the Church as a special
testament, by which Christ the Lord "entrusted to the Virgin Mary all
his disciples to be her children", while at the same time entrusting
his Mother to the disciples.

In addition to Latin, the celebration uses Turkish, Italian, French,
English and German.

The celebration in the Chapel of the Papal Representation

The texts of the celebration are from the Feast of the Apostle
Andrew. The Mass is celebrated in Latin, while the readings are
proclaimed in the vernacular.

The staff of the Papal Representation will take part in the
celebration.

The celebration in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit

The texts for the celebration in the Cathedral of Istanbul are
drawn from the Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit. The celebration has
an explicit pneumatological dimension, linked not only to the fact
that the Cathedral is dedicated to the Holy Spirit, but also to the
particular nature of the assembly taking part, which is made up of
various groups of different languages and rites, united in the same
faith, by the same love and by one Spirit.

The celebration, both in its use of these languages and certain ritual
sequences, is meant to express the diversity of the Catholic community.

The languages used are: Latin, Turkish, French, German, Syriac,
Arabic and Spanish.

A number of ritual sequences emphasize the presence of the various
Eastern rites: Armenian, Chaldean, Syrian. The Armenians will chant
the entrance song and the Sanctus; the Chaldeans will chant the
responsorial Psalm and the offertory song (in Aramaic); and the Syrians
will chant the Gospel in accordance with their own ritual usage.

2. The ecumenical celebrations

There are three ecumenical moments of prayer:

— Wednesday, 29 November: Prayer service in the Patriarchal Church
of Saint George in the Phanar:

— Thursday, 30 November: the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
in the Patriarchal Church of Saint George in the Phanar;

— Friday, 1 December: the Liturgy of the Word in the Armenian
Cathedral of Saint Mary.

The prayer service in the Patriarchal Church of Saint George in
the Phanar

The evening prayer service is made up of a brief Akolouthia composed
for the occasion, using various elements drawn from the different
hours and feasts of the offices of the Byzantine Church.

As the Pope and the Patriarch enter the Church, seven antiphons are
sung, five of which are taken from the Psalter and from texts of
the Byzantine night service for Sunday. The first antiphon, drawn
from Psalm 88:16-17: "They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of your
countenance; in your name shall they rejoice all the day, and in
your righteousness shall they be exalted", contains a reference
to the theme of light which links the service to the evening hour
when it is celebrated. The other Psalm antiphons are invitations
to praise the Lord in his glory. The third and the sixth antiphons,
drawn from the Sunday service, make explicit reference to the Holy
Spirit bestowed upon the Apostles: "The Holy Spirit is the fount
of all wisdom, for from him comes grace to the Apostles… The Holy
Spirit is the source of divine treasures, for from him comes wisdom,
awe and understanding…".

The office opens with the initial blessing found in all the services
of the Byzantine tradition: "Blessed is our God, always, now and
forever and to the ages of ages".

Six troparia chosen for the celebration are then chanted: the first is
from Pentecost, the day when the Lord, by sending the Holy Spirit,
made fishers men of wisdom for the salvation of the world. The
second and third troparia are from the feast of Saints Peter and
Paul, Patrons of the Church of Rome, and the feast of Saint Andrew,
Patron of the Church of Constantinople. The fourth troparion honors
Saint Benedict. The fifth is a "new" text, used first for the visit
of His Holiness Pope Paul VI to Istanbul in 1967: it sings the joy
of the city of Constantinople in receiving the one who presides over
the Church of Rome and sits in the Chair of Peter. The last of the
troparia is the kontakion chanted in the weeks prior to Christmas,
which describes the joy of the world at seeing the Virgin ready to
give birth to the Eternal Word of God.

The third part of the office contains six verses of the doxology
concluded by the Trisagion. There then follows a litany with seven
intercessions and a final prayer, recited by the Patriarch. There
are intercessions for the Pope, for the Patriarch, for the Churches
and for the whole world.

A biblical reading follows, taken from the prophet Zechariah
(8:7-17). The voice of the prophet calls the peoples from East and
West and assembles them in Jerusalem.

The recitation of the Our Father follows the reading, introduced by
the customary invitatory from the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom:
"Make us worthy, Master, with confidence and without condemnation,
to dare call you, the heavenly God, Father, and to say…". The chant
of the Our Father ends with the verse which ordinarily concludes the
proclamation of the Gospel: "Glory to you, O Lord, glory to you".

This is followed by the veneration of the relics of Saint Gregory the
Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom. A portion of the relics of these
two sainted Fathers of the Church of Constantinople, preserved in the
Basilica of Saint Peter, were given by Pope John Paul II, of venerable
memory, to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in the course of a
moving celebration in the Vatican Basilica on 27 November 2004. During
the veneration of the relics, the choir chants two troparia, those
of Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Gregory the Theologian.

The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom in the Patriarchal Church
of Saint George in the Phanar

The Byzantine Liturgy is common to all the Churches of the Byzantine
tradition, both Orthodox and Catholic: those of Greece, the Middle
East, Eastern Europe and southern Italy. The Byzantine Churches use
three anaphoras or Eucharistic prayers, also called simply "liturgies":
those of Saint John Chrysostom — used almost daily; Saint Basil —
used ten times a year; and Saint James — used only once a year. The
Byzantine Divine Liturgy, like that of all the Eastern Churches,
is celebrated facing East. The priest and all the faithful look to
the East, whence Christ will come again in glory.

The priest intercedes before the Lord for his people; he walks at the
head of the people towards the encounter with the Lord. At different
moments the priest turns to the people: for the proclamation of the
Gospel, for the dialogue preceding the anaphora, for the communion
with the holy gifts, and for all the blessings. These symbolize
moments in which the Lord himself comes forth to meet his people.

The Byzantine Divine Liturgy has three parts: the preparation of the
priest and the gifts of bread and wine (prothesis); the liturgy of
the catechumens (liturgy of the word); and the liturgy of the faithful.

A. The preparation of the gifts has two parts. First, the preparation
of the priest, which includes the prayers and his clothing with the
sacred vestments. In the prayers the priest asks the Lord in his mercy
to make him worthy to offer the sacrifice, to intercede for the people,
to call down the Holy Spirit.

There follows the preparation of the gifts of bread and wine.

Although the rite of preparation is performed by the priest alone,
the whole Church, in heaven and in earth, is symbolically present.

B. The liturgy of the catechumens calls for the participation of
the catechumens, who are then dismissed after the proclamation of
the Gospel.

The Divine Liturgy begins with an invocation of the Holy Trinity:
"Blessed be the kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit…". Three litanies follow, a longer one and two shorter ones,
which invoke the Lord’s mercy upon the whole world and the entire
Church. Mention is made of the Church, her members and all those in
need. These litanies always include an invocation to the Mother of God,
who intercedes for everyone and for the Holy Church. After the second
litany the christological hymn, "Only-Begotten" is sung; this is an
ancient liturgical hymn that summarizes the principal dogmas of the
Christian faith: the Trinity, the Incarnation of the Word of God,
the divine maternity of Mary, the salvation that is bestowed on us
by Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. There follows the "Small
Entrance". In a solemn procession, the priest and the deacon take the
Gospel from the altar, show it to the faithful and set it again on
the altar, in order to indicate the beginning of the proclamation of
the word of God: originally this was the entrance procession. Before
the readings the Trisagion is chanted: "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy
Immortal…". Two readings are then proclaimed from the New Testament.

The Gospel is usually followed by a homily.

C. The Liturgy of the Faithful. The third part of the Divine
Liturgy is the liturgy of the faithful, in which those who are
baptized participate fully. It begins with the "Great Entrance",
the procession with the bread and wine towards the altar. The choir
sings the hymn: "We who mystically represent the Cherubim…", another
ancient liturgical text in which the Church of heaven and earth is
united in praise and thanksgiving to God for his gifts. The priest
incenses the altar, the church, the gifts and the faithful, all of
which are icons of Christ. He then solemnly takes the paten and the
chalice, and after asking the Lord to remember all those who have
been commemorated and the whole Church, he sets them on the altar
and covers them with the veil. The priest then recites for himself
and the whole Church the words of the Good Thief from his cross:
"Remember me, Lord, in your Kingdom…". The gifts, a symbol of
Christ, the Lamb who was slain, are then placed on the altar, as if
in the tomb from which, after the consecration or sanctification,
the life-giving Body of Christ will be given to each of the faithful.

After the entrance, litanies are sung, the sign of peace is exchanged,
and the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed is recited. There follows the
anaphora of Saint John Chrysostom, which has a structure similar to
that of the other anaphoras of the Eastern and Western liturgies: an
initial Trinitarian dialogue, Preface, Sanctus, anamnesis, institution
narrative, epiclesis, intercessions and conclusion.

This is followed by the Our Father, the breaking of the bread and
communion. Before communion the priest pours some boiling water
(called the "zeon") into the chalice as a symbol of the outpouring
and presence of the Holy Spirit, as well as a sign of the life which
comes from communion in the living and life-giving Body and Blood of
Christ himself. Communion is received under both species.

The Divine Liturgy concludes with the final blessing.

The Liturgy of the Word in the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral of
Saint Mary

The prayers and ritual sequences making up the prayer service have
been drawn from various elements of the Eucharistic celebration of
the Armenian Liturgy.

Before the entrance procession in the Cathedral, in accordance with
the Armenian national tradition, the Holy Father is presented with
bread, salt and rose water as symbols of welcome and good wishes.

As His Holiness and His Beatitude enter the Cathedral, the choir
performs the chant Herasciapar Asdvadz ("O Wondrous God"), which
recounts the story of the conversion of the Armenian people to
Christianity through the efforts of Saint Gregory the Illuminator.

At the foot of the altar, a prayer is said. The Holy Father and His
Beatitude then take their places before the sacred altar, from which
the Gospel, carried in procession from the entrance of the Cathedral,
is solemnly proclaimed.

The prayer service in the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral expresses the
joy of the Armenian Apostolic Church at the visit of His Holiness
Pope Benedict XVI.

III. Conclusion

The Office of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff is
most grateful to all those who assisted in the publication of the
present volume.

Thanks is first due to the Bishops of the Turkish Episcopal Conference:
meeting in Istanbul on 18 September 2006, the members of the Conference
provided general guidelines regarding the texts, languages and ritual
expressions to be used.

A particular expression of gratitude is also due to the Ecumenical
Patriarchate of Constantinople for the fraternal cooperation shown in
the preparation of the texts in English and in Greek for the Prayer
Service of 29 November and the Divine Liturgy of 30 November.

Appreciation is also expressed to the authorities of the Armenian
Apostolic Cathedral.

Finally, a word of thanks to the members of the Liturgical Commissions
established for the occasion by the Bishops of Izmir and Istanbul.

The present volume will stand as testimony to the Pope’s love for
the Turkish people, for the Sister Church of Constantinople, and in
particular for the Catholic community in Turkey. The celebration of the
Eucharist and the preaching of the word of God by the Bishop of Rome to
the communities of Ephesus and Istanbul are an encouragement and a gift
which the Successor of Peter makes to the Church in Turkey, so that it
will remain united in faith and love, in communion with its own Pastors
and with the Roman Pontiff, and remain open to ecumenical dialogue,
to interreligious dialogue and to preserving and promoting for all men,
peace, liberty, social justice and moral values" ("Nostra Aetate," 3).

PRO-PKK PROGRAMS BROADCASTED ON FRENCH RADIO
By Zaman, Paris, Istanbul

Zaman Online, Turkey
Nov 26 2006

France had stopped broadcasting Turkish programs on Radio France
International (RFI) on grounds of financial difficulties, while it
remained silent on pro-PKK broadcasts. The Kurdistan Workers Party
(PKK) is listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union,
which includes France.

Pro-PKK associations are allowed to broadcast on the Frequence Paris
Plurielle, a state radio station allocated to associations by France.

During the yesterday’s broadcast, PKK supporters were asked to attend
a program that would be organized for the 28th anniversary of the
PKK on Sunday.

The announcement was delivered in both in French and Kurdish.

A number of Kurdish artists will attend the program. "We celebrate
the 28th anniversary of the PKK," a program ticket reads.

One-third of radio frequencies were allocated to stations during
presidency of Francois Mitterand.

Funded by France, many associations conduct their activities and
organize broadcasts on French radio stations for an allotted time
every week.

‘Year of Armenia’ Conference Addresses Turkey

The history of Kurdish, Pontus Greek, Chaldean and Armenian minorities
in Turkey was discussed in a conference held in the Parisian suburb
of Versailles by Armenians.

The conference was held as part of the "Year of Armenia" in France
and attended by Pontus Greek historian Vassia Karkayannis-Karabelias,
head of the Kurdish Institute of Paris Kendal Nezan, Secretary-General
of the International Federation of Human Rights Raffi Kalfayan and
President of the Chaldean Association of France Naman Adlun.

The French Chaldean community asserts Chaldeans were exterminated by
Turkey and built a Chaldean genocide monument in Paris last year.

The monument was received with surprise by Turkish diplomats in Paris,
who have good relations with Chaldeans.

Representatives from the Chaldean community were invited to this
year’s Republic Holiday reception at the Turkish embassy in Paris as
usual despite the genocide monument.

Chaldean priests in Paris attended the reception.

46 OF 100 WOMEN IN ARMENIA ARE SUBJECTED TO FAMILY VIOLENCE

Regnum, Russia
Nov 26 2006

According to a poll conducted in Armenia, 46 of 100 women have been
subjected to family violence, 67 were subjected to gender-based
infringement. UNDPA Resident Representative in Armenia Consuelo
Vidal made the announcement at a news conference dedicated to the
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
on November 25. According to her, most women were subjected to
gender-based violence did not turn to appropriate institutions
for help.

The UN representative stressed that despite the fact that in Armenia
women’s rights are protected by law and they enjoy equal rights with
men, but in reality they are subjected to violence in family, at work
and in society. To eradicate this evil it is necessary to change the
way of thinking in family and in society. UN institutions active in
Armenia have continued rendering assistance to find roots of violence
against women and conducting activity in eradicating the violence.

Consuelo Vidal also noted that since November 25 to December 10
(International Human Rights Day) in Armenia actions against
gender-based violence will be held.

At the news conference, an address by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against
Women. It particularly says: "Fighting this scourge requires us
to change a mindset which is still too common and deep-seated. To
demonstrate, once and for all, that when it comes to violence against
women, there are no grounds for tolerance and no tolerable excuses. …

Together, we must work to create an environment where violence against
women is not tolerated."

FLOWERS OF TURKEY
Gerhard Pils

Kurdish Info, Germany
e=News&file=article&sid=5010
Nov 26 2006

Kurdishinfo-I am the Austrian teacher, who had to leave Turkey because
of mentioning the word "Kurdistan" in a completely apolitical member
in the Austrian school in Istanbul.

During the last decades Turkey experienced an enormous touristic
boom. At present about 20million visitors are pouring into the country
each year, among thema considerable number with an interest in Turkeys
natural beauties. Unfortunately this desire to learn more about nature
is hindered gravely by the lack of well illustrated literature. With
4153 species of ferns and flowering plants infull colour this
book intends toclose the gap.It should make plant identifications
mucheasier for both, professional botanists but also interested
"laymen" as entomologists, geographers, gardeners ornaturalists.

Knowledge of the Turkish Flora is still rather rudimentary in
comparisonwith the situation in European countries. This is due
partly to its highbotanic diversity, but also to the peculiar
development of scientific botany in Turkey. Until the middle of the
20. century, floristic exploration was mainlydone by foreigners. The
most importantof these early pioneers was PIERRE EDMOND BOISSIER,a
Swisscitizen. Withhis monumental "Flora Orientalis"(5 vols.,
1867-1888) he laid the fundamentals for all further research
in this area. The first local botanist with an international
reputation was GEORGES VINCENT AZNAVOUR (1861-1920), a wealthy
Armenian of Christianconfession. His collection of plants fromthe
Bosporus regioncomprised about 20.000 samples. After his deathTurkish
botanyagain sank back into stagnation. One possible reason was repeated
ethnic cleansing by the Turkish Republic. Thereby a considerable part
of the intelligentsia was slaughtered or expulsed, namely Armenians
andGreeks.

A final impetus to the explorationof the Turkish flora came from
the Flora of Turkey Project (DAVIES & al. 1965-2000). Specialists
frommany European countries contributed to this monumental work. One
of the most active collectors at that time wasmy compatriot Mrs.

FRIEDERIKE SORGER(Linz). Her private herbarium of Turkish plants
finally comprised about 33,000 samples. The Flora ofTurkey Project was
also a considerable stimulus for the development of systematic botany
in Turkey. Inconsequence the last supplement to the "Flora of Turkey"
was already published by an exclusively Turkish team of scientists
(GUENER & al. 2000).

The present book is the result of my 5-years stay as a teacher at the
Austrian school ("Avusturya Lisesi") inIstanbul. Fieldwork for this
project was originally planned for at least 8 years. Unfortunately,
however, my Turkish work permit was withdrawn suddenly in summer
2004. TheTurkish authorities argued that I was ~Da danger to the
security of the Turkish Republic". But apart froma single use of
the word "Kurdistan" in a completely apolitical manner there was
no concrete accusation whatsoever against me. Unfortunately, the
Austrian government showed no interest at all in startingdiplomatic
quarrels with the Turks because of this human rights violation
against an Austrian teacher.Therefore all my attempts to take legal
steps against this completely arbitrary verdict were underminedby
the Austrian authorities. In the end also my wife lost her jobat the
Austrian school and we had to leave Turkey*

*The withdrawal of my working permit was an obvious violation of
articles 6 und 8 of the Human RightsConvention (right for a fair
trial, protection of the family) and the Agreement of Association
between Turkey and the EU. Nonetheless theAustrian education ministry
ordered my immediate transfer back to Austria,refusing any possibility
of objection. In addition the Austrian ministry of foreign affairs
did everything possibleto hinder my defence against the Turkish
verdict. For form’s sake the lawyer of the Austrian embassyin
Ankarawas entrusted with my defence.But the man did not even write
a simple objection in time. In last minute I had todo everything by
myself, including translation works. Then at the crucial moment of
deciding over a suit against the Turkish authorities, I was forced
to renounce due to false informations from the ministry. Attempts
of the Austrian Television Company (ORF) to inform the public about
the affair were blocked. Only some monthslater, when my case already
had been discussed in the Austrian press, the ORF was allowed to
report; but thiswas done in a completely one-sided manner. Finally
the education ministrydirectly intervened, forbidding any further
information of the press. But the peak of hypocrisy was reached by
Dr. U.Plassnik, Austrian minister for foreign relations, when she
informed the public about her personal efforts to solve my case. As
far as I can judge,these efforts had been purely symbolic. Their
intention was to deceive the public over the previous nine month of
continuous sabotage byher own ministry.

With our return to Austria my botanical projects in Turkey came to
an abrupt end. Also this book could not be finished in the planned way.

A lot of species I would have liked to include could not be
photographed any more (e.g. Phelypaea tournefortii, Zelkova
carpinifolia). But nonetheless about 45% of the Turkish Flora could be
illustrated, making this photo guide by far the most comprehensive
one for Mediterranean, Black Sea and Irano-Turanian flora. As I
intended to keep the book within reasonable dimensions, text hat to
be limited to an absolute necessary minimum. Therefore no keys were
added. For non specialists they would be of a rather limited use,
whereas for scientific purposes they never could replace the use of
"Flora of Turkey".

The preparation of a book of this kind would have been completely
impossible without the continuous support of my wife Inge. In the first
years she was a most reliable and patient companion on my journeys to
the most remote corners of Anatolia. At this time we climbed together
a lot of the best known peaks of the country. After the birth of our
son Felix, she took by far the bigger part of parental obligations,
thus keeping me free for further work on the project.

Another crucial point was access to scientific literature. In Turkey
I was confronted with such a lot of bureaucratic obstacles that I
decided to do my literature studies whenever possible in Austria.

Most disappointing was the refusal of admitting loans, photocopies
or photos by the Istanbul office of WWF, which is in custody of a
rather interesting collection of local botanical literature.

The contrast to the generous and always friendly treatment by my
Austrian colleagues could not have been greater. Dr. G. Leute and Dr.

R. Eberwein, both botanists at the Karnter Landesherbar, gave me free
access to scientific literature in a completely unbureaucratic way.

The same is valid for the botanists at the Vienna Natural History
Museum, Dr. E. Vitek und Dr. B. Wallnofer as well as for Doz. Dr. F.

Speta (Biologiezentrum Linz). The latter also controlled my
identifications of Scilla and Ornithogalum and identified Ornithogalum
cydni, not included in Flora of Turkey. Mag. H.

Standhartinger (Linz) had the kindness to review the English text.

All of them I would like to thank for their help.

STARTING JANUARY 1 THE MINIMUM SALARY IN ARMENIA WILL BE 20,000 DRAMS

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 27 2006

Starting January 1, 2007 the minimum salary of Armenian citizens
will comprise 20 thousand drams, increasing with 5 thousand drams
as compared to 2006. RA Minister of Labor and Social Issues Aghvan
Vardanyan said in the National Assembly today that by the year 2009 the
minimum salary in Armenia will reach 30 thousand drams. According to
the Minister, in case of undertaking adequate measures, this process
can be accelerated. It is envisaged to allocate 505 million drams
from the state budget to resolve the issue.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ROBERT KOCHARYAN TO PARTAKE IN THE SITTING OF THE CIS COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 27 2006

November 28 Armenian President Robert Kocharyan will leave for Minsk
to participate in the recurrent sitting of Council of leaders of CIS
member states.

The sitting of the CIS Council of Presidents will open with the
meeting of the heads of states. Later the Foreign Ministers will
joint the Presidents to hold the plenary sitting.

The discussions will mainly focus on the report on raising the
effectiveness of the CIS and prospects of its development.

Views will be exhanged on the cooperation in the humanitarian and
economic spheres, as well as the issues of fighting illegal migration.

More than ten documents will be signed during the sitting, which will
enlarge the legal basis of cooperation between the CIS member states.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FIBA EUROPE CONFIRMS ARMENIA’S PARTICIPATION IN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 27 2006

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA Europe) has confirmed
the participation of the under 16 and under 18 basketball teams of
Armenia in the European Championship contests to be held in Italy,
Romania and Macedonia, "Armenpress" was told at the Basketball
Federation of Armenia.

MEMORIAL TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS ERECTED IN ROME

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 27 2006

November 23 the festive opening of the memorial to the Armenian
Genocide victims was held in Rome. "Armenpress" was told from the
European Armenian Federation Office in Italy that the opening ceremony
was attended by representative of the Mayor of Rome, Chairman of the
Cultural Issues Commission Saverio Galeota, RA Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to Italy Ruben Shugaryan, a great number of secular
and religious figures, representatives of different organizations
and unions.

In his speech Saverio Galeota highly assessed the role of the Armenian
community in Italy, adding that " Justice and democracy are cherished
objectives, for the achievement of which no effort should be spared."

Robert Shugaryan thanked the Municipality of Rome for this initiative,
noting that "Armenia, which recently celebrated the 15th anniversary
of independence, takes an example of democracy from Italy."