Turkey: On Armenian Church
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Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 19:20:56 +0300 (EET DST)
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Subject: Turkey: On Armenian Church
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Greek Helsinki Monitor <[email protected]>
Turkey: On Armenian Church
HUMAN RIGHTS WITHOUT FRONTIERS
RUE DE LA PRESSE 5
B-1000 BRUXELLES
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INFORMATION AND PRESS SERVICE
Section "Religious Intolerance and Discrimination"
September 3, 1998
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TURKEY
TURKISH STATE 'APPOINTS' ARMENIAN CHURCH LEADER
HRWF (03.09.98) - The Turkish Interior Ministry unilaterally appointed
an interim leader for the Armenian Church in Turkey two days ago, in
an apparent attempt to invalidate the church's elected choice of
Acting Patriarch.
The Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of Turkey
was informed indirectly yesterday that the government had appointed
Archbishop Shahan Sivaciyan as the official representative of the
Armenian Patriarchate, effective August 17.
In a swift overnight response, the patriarchate's Religious Council
issued a unanimous declaration today, rejecting the government's
interference in its internal affairs. Printed in Istanbul's two
Armenian-language dailies and distributed to Armenian churches
worldwide, the declaration reiterated the church's insistence on
adhering to its "holy canons and traditions" in the selection of a
spiritual leader.
"Until the election of the 84th Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul," the
declaration stated, "Turkish citizens who are members of the Armenian
Church will remain under the spiritual jurisdiction of the elected
Acting Patriarch, Mesrob Mutafyan."
The Turkish state has refused to allow its 65,000 Armenian Christians
to elect a new patriarch since the death of Patriarch Karekin II on
March 10. In the meantime, pressure has mounted from a deputy in the
Istanbul Governor's Office to install Sivaciyan, 72, as the official
Patriarchal Representative until elections are permitted.
As the church's interim choice for Acting Patriarch, Mutafyan, 42, has
been head of the Patriarchal Synod for the past eight years. He and
Sivaciyan (who retired 12 years ago) are the only qualified candidates
for the post under church canons and Turkish law.
According to both the "Jamanak" and "Marmara" newspapers, Sivaciyan
went to the Istanbul Patriarchate yesterday morning. In a brief
meeting with Acting Patriarch Mutafyan, the elder archbishop presented
himself as the Patriarchal Representative of Turkish Armenians
"appointed by the state."
Sivaciyan provided a photocopy of an August 17 directive from Istanbul
Deputy Governor Osman Demir, investing him with official government
recognition. The notice was based on Interior Ministry Order No.
185811, issued August 13.
In curt terms, the directive rejected the decision of the church's
General Clerical Assembly on August 3, when Mutafyan was elected
Acting Patriarch. Demir claimed that the assembly had convened under
the provisions of an 1863 constitution ratified by the Ottoman
Sultanate, but later annulled by both the Turkish Constitution and the
Lausanne Treaty.
The church was also ordered to stop "direct contact" with any
government ministries in Ankara. All its communications, Demir said,
were to be routed through the district security police office in
Eminonu, the Istanbul township where the Armenian Patriarchate is
located.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Rev. Krikor Damatyan received a telephone
summons yesterday afternoon from Minority Police Chief Orhan Akar,
allegedly to meet this morning with the Security Police Chief of
Istanbul.
Afterwards, Damatyan said, he received "numerous" anonymous telephone
calls until the early morning hours, threatening him about "what might
happen" at security police headquarters the next day. Damatyan said
his callers spoke "both with and without Armenian accents."
In fact, the chancellor was received only by Akar, who handed him back
a recent letter sent under his signature. Damatyan was told that the
government would only act upon letters from the Patriarchate that were
signed by Sivaciyan.
The arbitrary government appointment of Sivaciyan was opposed today by
a Foreign Ministry source. In remarks quoted in today's "Cumhuriyet"
newspaper, the Foreign Ministry source stated that there were
established regulations for the church's patriarchal elections that
should be followed. He went on to criticize local officials for trying
to introduce an obscure, unratified set of new rules which violate
both Turkish and international legal codes. "The Turkish state will be
subjected to new and fierce criticisms over human rights" for this
move, the source concluded.
According to the Armenian Patriarchate's legal consultants, the latest
Interior Ministry order violates the government's strictly secular
codes by interfering in the internal affairs of a religious
institution like the Armenian Patriarchate. The constitution and laws
also guarantee every Turkish citizen the right to file applications or
complaints to the highest levels of government authority, they said.
"If this is true, this is the first time in the history of the
[Turkish] republic that we have faced this kind of administrative
problem from the governor's office," sources in the Armenian community
told "Hurriyet" newspaper yesterday. "We are waiting for our Interior
Ministry to inform us of the election permission as soon as possible.
We cannot find any meaning in departing from an established practice
in use since the fourth century," the sources said.
Until these unprecedented pressures from the Turkish government are
resolved, several Armenians admitted to Compass, it "seems impossible"
for the church to conduct free and democratic elections for a new
patriarch.
Source: Compass Direct August 21, 1998
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Fax +30-1-807.57.67
e-mail: [email protected]
http://www.greekhelsinki.gr
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