Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Patriarchate Disapproves Of Fr. Kalayjian's Statement

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Patriarchate Disapproves Of Fr. Kalayjian's Statement

    <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
    LRAPER Church Bulletin
    Armenian Patriarchate
    TR-34130 Kumkapý, Istanbul
    Licensee: The Revd. Fr. Drtad Uzunyan
    Editors: The Revd. Archpriest Krikor Damatyan,
    The Revd. Deacon Vagarsag Seropyan
    Press Officer: Attorney Mrs. Luiz Bakar
    T: +90 (212) 517-0970
    F: +90 (212) 516-4833
    [email protected]
    [email protected]
    www.lraper.org
    <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

    PATRIARCHATE DISAPPROVES OF FR. KALAYJIAN'S STATEMENT

    ISTANBUL (Lraper Church Bulletin, 15/04/2005) - In a press communiqué
    released by the press office of the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul,
    attorney Mrs. Luiz Bakar stated that the Chancellery of the Patriarchate has
    taken note of numerous articles in the Turkish press concerning the remarks
    of the Revd. Fr. Vertanes Kalayjian of Washington about the founder of the
    Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

    According to news widely circulated in Turkey, Fr. Kalayjian called Ataturk
    `a butcher' during the United States Helsinki Commission briefing on
    Religious Freedom in Turkey, held at the Rayburn House in Washington on 12
    April 2005.

    The transcripts of the briefing released by the Commission state Fr.
    Kalayjian as saying: `Something very drastic happened. And that was the
    disintegration of the Ottoman Empire. And with that, unfortunately, the
    paranoid attitude of the leaders, both sultans and the successive Ittihad
    and Terakki Party and their successor, Kemal, who is now being regarded as a
    hero, was another butcher, if you ask me'.

    Representing the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, press spokesperson Mrs.
    Bakar said, `The priest who has uttered these words is not a member of the
    Armenian community in Turkey, and has no ties with either the Armenian
    Patriarchate or the Armenian Church in Turkey. Regardless of who has uttered
    that word, one should question his grasp of history. The military and
    political genius of the founder of the Turkish Republic renders all sorts of
    accusations meaningless and void. A look at the geographical situation of
    Turkey within her present borders should be more than sufficient to
    understand and to evaluate Ataturk. We disapprove of Fr. Kalayjian's mode of
    speech, and presume that such sorties do not help in the efforts being made
    as regards the Turkish-Armenian dialogue'.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Working...
X