TURKEY IGNORES CHRISTIANS DELAYING ARMENIAN PATRIARCHAL ELECTION
Armen Hareyan
HULIQ.com
May 4 2010
SC
The Armenian Patriarchate in Turkey has once again delayed the election
of the community’s Patriarch because the authorities in Istanbul do
not give the appropriate go-ahead for the elections to take place.
Originally the elections of the Armenian Patriarch were scheduled for
May 12. However, as Austrian Catholic Press Agency and DomRadio from
Germany report, the election is postponed. The Turkish state has not
yet approved the election.
The Interior Ministry of Turkey has not yet responded to the request
made by the election committee of the Armenian Patriarch on January
14 of 2010. According to the Turkish regulations the Interior Ministry
must give it’s approval for a new patriarch to be elected in country’s
Christian churches: something unheard of in European Union member
countries.
The OK has to come also from the Governor’s Office of Istanbul.
A similar situation has happened in 1998 when the current Armenian
Patriarch Mesrop II was elected. Now, the young Patriarch is gravely
ill and the Patriarchate had planned to elect a new Patriarch or a
co-Patriarch while Mesrop II is alive.
Currently the Patriarchate is run by Archbishop Aram Atesyan. Other
candidates for the election are the Archbishop of the Armenian Diocese
in Germany, Karekin Bekdijan, and the Bishop of Gugark in Armenia,
Sebuh Tschuldijan.
According to another Turkish law the patriarch must be born in Turkey
and be a Turkish citizen. This of course limits the possibilities
that the Christian communities have in Turkey.
Other Christian communities in Turkey are also experiencing similar
difficulties and limitations of religious freedom. Recently the Greek
Patriarch of Istanbul in a documentary made by CBS 60 minutes said
"Christians are treated as a second class citizens in Turkey." He was
referring to these types of limitations and particularly the ban by the
Turkish authorities to reopen the Greek Orthodox Halki Seminary near
Istanbul. Patriarch Bartholomew said sometimes he feels "crucified."
* Watch Greek Patriarch speaking about the conditions of Christians
in Turkey.
Yet, Turkey was very vocal defending Swiss Muslim rights when the
authorities in Switzerland banned four minarets in November of 2009.
Limiting people’s religious rights and freedom is equally worrying
no matter where it happens.