Armenians of Istanbul are the hostages of the Turkish Government
06.06.2007
PanARMENIAN.Net
Archbishop Mutafian gives publicity to Turkish official viewpoint regarding the issue of the Armenian Genocide, and doesn't forget to mention about “the Armenian armed revolt against the government”.
Since January, 2007 as the Resolution N 106 about the Armenian Genocide was passed in the US Congress, different opinions about the Patriarch of Constantinople Mesrop Mutafian (Mesrop II), speaking against the above mentioned Resolution, have started to appear in Turkish press. The Patriarch's viewpoint, which gave rise to severe criticism both in Diaspora and Armenia, is quite explicable; Mesrop II wants to maintain the fragile but peaceful relations both with Turkish authorities and with the country's population.
According to the Constitution Armenians, Greeks and Jews are considered to be the only national minorities in Turkey. And if the Turkish Government is more loyal towards the Jews, based on the fact that Israel is in friendly relations with Ankara, it is not at all loyal and moreover carries out rather harsh policy towards the Armenians and Greeks. The spiritual leader of the community should by all means be a citizen of Turkey. The truth is that he is elected by the community itself, yet the candidacy must be confirmed by the government first. In fact the Armenian and Greek Patriarchs are functionaries, called to perform their duties and not to permit any announcements contradicting the policy carried out by the Turkish Government. In fact the Patriarch and the Armenian Community of Istanbul have become the hostages of the Turkish Government and this is why the announcement shattering every Armenian in any part of the world should be regarded from a different point of view.
Recently official meetings of the Members of the US Congress Delegation with Turkey's initiative have been held in Ankara, after which the Congressmen headed to Istanbul, where they visited the Armenian Patriarchate in Constantinople. During the meeting of the Congressmen with Mesrop Mutafian issues concerning Resolution on the Armenian Genocide, Hrant Dink's murder, as well as the murders of the Catholic Priest Santoro in Trabzon and three evangelical believers in Malatya were discussed. “Lraber” quotes the Patriarch's words, “Based upon both the intergovernmental relations of Turkey and Armenia and the relations of the local Armenians with the Turkish Nation, we are not positively disposed towards the Resolution about the Armenian Genocide submitted to the US Congress. But at the same time we cannot deny the tragic events of the past. The history will never forgive the Ittihad ve Teraki's (Unity and Progress) act aimed at not only the punishment of the Armenian armed revolt against the government, but also all the Armenians living in Turkey. 1,5 million people of Armenian origin were killed in the Syrian deserts. Today there are 70.000 Armenians living in our country. The Armenians who adopted Islam to avoid deportation shouldn't be forgotten either. Since they continue speaking Armenian, they remain faithful to the Armenian Culture, and regardless their religion we consider them one of us. And we never consider the Armenian Diaspora being an object of dispute. We are Armenians from Turkey and together with our Muslim neighbors we try to maintain healthy social and commercial relations. The time to develop the politics of tomorrow has come. The Republic of Armenia boarders on Turkey, and since it is out of question to change the border lines between the two countries, it is of great benefit to the Armenians of Turkey for two neighboring countries to be in better relations with each other. What we have in common with the Turkish Republic is of political character, with Armenia we are connected with religious and cultural ties. We, the Armenians of Turkey, want nothing but peace”.
In fact the Archbishop Mutafian gave publicity to Turkish official viewpoint regarding the issue of the Armenian Genocide, and didn't forget to mention about “the Armenian armed revolt against the government”. One should really have some very serious reasons to fear for his life and the future of the Armenian Community in Istanbul to call the heroic defense of Van and Sasun an “armed revolt against the government”. Another truth is that it is always easier to judge. Yet the thousands of the Armenian priests, who didn't leave their posts and had their share of sufferings shouldn't be left unmentioned. By the way in Istanbul there had already been a Patriarch, Maghakia Ormanyan who carried out prudent and constructive politics, which aroused frustration among the Armenian intellectuals and political parties. In July 1908 the participants of the mass demonstration in Constantinople broke into the Patriarch's residence and deposed him.
«PanARMENIAN.Net» analytical department
! Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to «PanARMENIAN.Net».
PanARMENIAN.Net
Archbishop Mutafian gives publicity to Turkish official viewpoint regarding the issue of the Armenian Genocide, and doesn't forget to mention about “the Armenian armed revolt against the government”.
Since January, 2007 as the Resolution N 106 about the Armenian Genocide was passed in the US Congress, different opinions about the Patriarch of Constantinople Mesrop Mutafian (Mesrop II), speaking against the above mentioned Resolution, have started to appear in Turkish press. The Patriarch's viewpoint, which gave rise to severe criticism both in Diaspora and Armenia, is quite explicable; Mesrop II wants to maintain the fragile but peaceful relations both with Turkish authorities and with the country's population.
According to the Constitution Armenians, Greeks and Jews are considered to be the only national minorities in Turkey. And if the Turkish Government is more loyal towards the Jews, based on the fact that Israel is in friendly relations with Ankara, it is not at all loyal and moreover carries out rather harsh policy towards the Armenians and Greeks. The spiritual leader of the community should by all means be a citizen of Turkey. The truth is that he is elected by the community itself, yet the candidacy must be confirmed by the government first. In fact the Armenian and Greek Patriarchs are functionaries, called to perform their duties and not to permit any announcements contradicting the policy carried out by the Turkish Government. In fact the Patriarch and the Armenian Community of Istanbul have become the hostages of the Turkish Government and this is why the announcement shattering every Armenian in any part of the world should be regarded from a different point of view.
Recently official meetings of the Members of the US Congress Delegation with Turkey's initiative have been held in Ankara, after which the Congressmen headed to Istanbul, where they visited the Armenian Patriarchate in Constantinople. During the meeting of the Congressmen with Mesrop Mutafian issues concerning Resolution on the Armenian Genocide, Hrant Dink's murder, as well as the murders of the Catholic Priest Santoro in Trabzon and three evangelical believers in Malatya were discussed. “Lraber” quotes the Patriarch's words, “Based upon both the intergovernmental relations of Turkey and Armenia and the relations of the local Armenians with the Turkish Nation, we are not positively disposed towards the Resolution about the Armenian Genocide submitted to the US Congress. But at the same time we cannot deny the tragic events of the past. The history will never forgive the Ittihad ve Teraki's (Unity and Progress) act aimed at not only the punishment of the Armenian armed revolt against the government, but also all the Armenians living in Turkey. 1,5 million people of Armenian origin were killed in the Syrian deserts. Today there are 70.000 Armenians living in our country. The Armenians who adopted Islam to avoid deportation shouldn't be forgotten either. Since they continue speaking Armenian, they remain faithful to the Armenian Culture, and regardless their religion we consider them one of us. And we never consider the Armenian Diaspora being an object of dispute. We are Armenians from Turkey and together with our Muslim neighbors we try to maintain healthy social and commercial relations. The time to develop the politics of tomorrow has come. The Republic of Armenia boarders on Turkey, and since it is out of question to change the border lines between the two countries, it is of great benefit to the Armenians of Turkey for two neighboring countries to be in better relations with each other. What we have in common with the Turkish Republic is of political character, with Armenia we are connected with religious and cultural ties. We, the Armenians of Turkey, want nothing but peace”.
In fact the Archbishop Mutafian gave publicity to Turkish official viewpoint regarding the issue of the Armenian Genocide, and didn't forget to mention about “the Armenian armed revolt against the government”. One should really have some very serious reasons to fear for his life and the future of the Armenian Community in Istanbul to call the heroic defense of Van and Sasun an “armed revolt against the government”. Another truth is that it is always easier to judge. Yet the thousands of the Armenian priests, who didn't leave their posts and had their share of sufferings shouldn't be left unmentioned. By the way in Istanbul there had already been a Patriarch, Maghakia Ormanyan who carried out prudent and constructive politics, which aroused frustration among the Armenian intellectuals and political parties. In July 1908 the participants of the mass demonstration in Constantinople broke into the Patriarch's residence and deposed him.
«PanARMENIAN.Net» analytical department
! Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to «PanARMENIAN.Net».
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.
Labels: Turkey anti-Genocide Recognition PR, USA and the Armenian Genocide Recognition
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