Patriarchate election

Turkey's Armenian community still divided on patriarchate

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

Turkish Armenians are still not able to elect a new patriarch, partly due to the government’s delay and
partly due to a conflict of ideas within the congregation.

If the Interior Ministry does not announce a date for the new election within 60 days of notice, the Armenian community is planning to take legal action, sources told Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.

An “Initiating Committee” formed by the community foundation’s executives and members of the Civilian Initiative applied to the Istanbul Governor’s Office for the second time last week. According to the schedule planned months ago, May 9 was to be the date for the delegation election, and May 12 was to be the date for the election of a new patriarch.

Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Setrak Davuthan, a member of the Initiating

Committee and the community’s attorney, expressed amazement at the latest developments. "In every election until this one, the ministry used to send us a document stating every detail on how the election should be conducted. Not this time,” Davuthan said.
The committee had to go a second time to the Governor’s Office after receiving no reply to their first application, Davuthan said. “Legally, we must receive an answer within 60 days. If we do not, we will go to court.”

The impediment for the election does not only come from the ministry. The congregation itself has not yet reached a consensus on whether to choose a patriarch or a co-patriarch. Therefore, in the last few months there have been two separate applications submitted to the Governor’s Office from the Initiating Committee and from the Turkish Armenian Patriarchate Spiritual Assembly Committee.

The latter insists that a co-patriarch should be elected, whereas the Initiating Committee says a new patriarch is a must. Mesrop II, the current patriarch, suffers from dementia and cannot fulfill his duties. According to the rules of the Armenian Apostolic Church, a new patriarch cannot be assigned before the previous one passes away. The Initiating Committee, on the other hand, is concerned that legal conflicts might arise if a co-patriarch is elected.

Ateşyan’s position

Speaking to the Daily News, Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, chief of the Turkish Armenian Spiritual Assembly and the 85th Turkish Armenians’ Co-Patriarch candidate, said the May 12 date was decided solely by the Initiating Committee “without consulting the Spiritual Assembly.” “

We are waiting for a reply from the Governor’s Office for an election date,” he said.

Noting that the Initiating Committee was founded by the Patriarchate and granted civic authority, Hampo Tanışman, a committee member, said the Patriarchate granted them certain rights. “We did not take action on our own,” Tanışman said.

Tatyos Bebek, a prominent figure in the congregation, said the Spiritual Assembly is responsible for the ongoing debate on the election. “This debate obstructed the course. Those in power within the community adopted a self-centered approach and the Spiritual Assembly could not direct the course well,” Bebek said. “Therefore, the problem could not be contained and started to involve state authorities, as well.”

Noting that the Armenian community has many issues to resolve, Bebek said: “Although we should take care of issues concerning our foundations immediately, we are just wasting time. Unfortunately, as the Patriarchate does not function effectively, the rights of the congregation members cannot be watched over to a sufficient degree. This impedes possible gains on the foundations issue.”