Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II: I plan on speaking to General Buyukanit about Hrant

Monday, June 04, 2007
Hürriyet, Turkey

The leader of the Armenian Orthodox community in Turkey, Patriarch Mesrob II, has said that the initial societal support shown in the wake of journalist Hrant Dink's murder has lessened as a result of nationalist pressure, and that the figures behind the murder of Dink in Istanbul are still being protected.

Mesrob II noted in his comments, which were published on the German magazine "Der Spiegel"'s website, that he planned to meet soon with the leader of the Turkish military, General Yasar Buyukanit, on this matter.

Notably, Mesrob II also used his comments to express support for the current AKP administration, asserting that the AKP demonstrated a more tolerant attitude towards religious minorities than the opposition CHP.

Also in the interview, Mesrob II commented on the controversies swirling around the Armenian claims of genocide, noting "Rather than insisting on recognition for the Armenian claims of genocide, we Turkish Armenians should make an effort to see that dialogue between Turkey and Armenia can be developed."

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.