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AZG Armenian Daily #163, 13/09/2005
Turkey
TURKS LOOK FOR TURKISH TRACE IN ARMENIAN PATRIARCHS' GENEALOGY
Turkish Yeni Safak published an article in its September 9 issue titled
"Mother and Sisters of Mesrop Mutafian Muslims?". The same paper wrote an
article about Archbishop Shnork Galustian in its previous issue where it
stated that the late Patriarch's grandmother married a Turk, adopted Islam,
and that the Patriarch was the brother of former head of department of
religious affairs, Lyutfi Doga.
Milliyet newspaper joined Yeni Safak with a September 8 article. It's hard
to say what made Turkish paper go down the genealogy of Armenian Patriarchs
of Constantinople in search of Muslim relatives. It is evident though that
the articles citing the example of Patriarchs Shnork Galustian and Mesrop II
Mutafian aim at lessening the resistance of Turkey's Armenian community to
mixed marriages with Turks.
Patriarch Mutafian replied to Yeni Safak's article about his grandmother and
sister on the same day. His response was posted at www.hyeter.com, Armenian
online edition, by the Patriarchate's press organ of Lraber. The Turkish
paper claimed that the mother of Mutafian's mother, Mariam (Meryem) was
married first time to a Muslim Turk and even made a pilgrimage and had
children. But after her husband's death, she married second time to
Mutafian's grandfather. The correspondent of Yeni Safak, Fatma Durmus,
turned to the Patriarch's niece who refused to provide explanations but did
not deny the paper's information. Moreover, an Armenian lady from Istanbul
told the correspondent that Mutafian's sister, Azatuhi, is married to a
Muslim.
To shed light on this matter, Patriarch told Yeni Safak's correspondent: "My
grandmother's father was Armenian but her father was Greek. Her father was
Poghos Qaraqashian and mother was Olympia. My grandmother's name was Verzhin
Efzad Epraksi Qaraqashian. Her first husband was Artin Balkchian. They gave
birth to my aunt Azat and my mother Mari. My aunt married to Nshan, Armenian
Christian from Zara village of Sebastia. He is buried at the Armenian
cemetery of Istanbul. My mother married to a native of Adabazar, Onik
Mutafian, i.e. my father. As a result of their marriage my sisters Peruz and
Azatuhi and I appeared".
The Patriarch's words display that the name of Mutafian's mother was not
Meryem as Yeni Safak claimed. As to the Muslim relatives of the Patriarch's
father, Mrs. Verzhin got acquainted with Mehmed Ali Varoler after Artin
Qaraqashian's death. They married in 1944 giving birth to a daughter Sevim
by name. Muslim Sevim Varoler married to Ersan Senqan and left for Germany
where they gave birth to the Patriarch's niece Nilgyun Senqan. In 1995 she
married to Ahmed Gyursen and gave birth to a daughter named Ozde.
Mutafian's sister Peruz wedded Ara Qamar and Azatuhi married Gilbert
Malghasian. Peruz had a son Natan and Azatuhi a daughter Mane. In other
words, Patriarch Mutafian has no other Muslim relatives but his aunt, her
husband and her daughter and grandchild.
In his reply to Yeni Safak, Mutafian refutes Turkish paper's claims
concerning Islamic roots of Archbishop Shnork Galustian's mother and that
Lyutfi Doga was his brother. Patriarch Mutafian stated that Archbishop's
father, Mihran Galustian, was from the village of Yazgati Igdeli and mother,
Shushan, was from Bebek. Their marriage in 1908 gave birth to Anush,
Shnorhik, Armen and Arshak - future Patriarch Galustian. The Turks killed
Mihran Galustian and his 3 brothers during the massacre of 1915, Mutafian
states.
Haji Ali Doga married to Archbishop Shnork's mother, Shushan but the woman
with her children lived in the first floor of a ruined two-storied house of
Mihran Galustian. Moreover, feeling that Turks will ill-treat her children,
she handed them over to an orphanage. Appointed Patriarch's deputy in
Jerusalem in 1956-60, the then Bishop Galustian moves to Israel, and her
mother makes a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to see her son not to Mecca as the
paper claimed.
Patriarch Mesrop II Mutafian's replies to the correspondent of Yeni Safak
are very noteworthy as they prove false the rumors concerning the late and
current patriarch of Constantinople and once again bring to surface the fact
of the Armenian Genocide.
By Hakob Chakrian
Turkey
TURKS LOOK FOR TURKISH TRACE IN ARMENIAN PATRIARCHS' GENEALOGY
Turkish Yeni Safak published an article in its September 9 issue titled
"Mother and Sisters of Mesrop Mutafian Muslims?". The same paper wrote an
article about Archbishop Shnork Galustian in its previous issue where it
stated that the late Patriarch's grandmother married a Turk, adopted Islam,
and that the Patriarch was the brother of former head of department of
religious affairs, Lyutfi Doga.
Milliyet newspaper joined Yeni Safak with a September 8 article. It's hard
to say what made Turkish paper go down the genealogy of Armenian Patriarchs
of Constantinople in search of Muslim relatives. It is evident though that
the articles citing the example of Patriarchs Shnork Galustian and Mesrop II
Mutafian aim at lessening the resistance of Turkey's Armenian community to
mixed marriages with Turks.
Patriarch Mutafian replied to Yeni Safak's article about his grandmother and
sister on the same day. His response was posted at www.hyeter.com, Armenian
online edition, by the Patriarchate's press organ of Lraber. The Turkish
paper claimed that the mother of Mutafian's mother, Mariam (Meryem) was
married first time to a Muslim Turk and even made a pilgrimage and had
children. But after her husband's death, she married second time to
Mutafian's grandfather. The correspondent of Yeni Safak, Fatma Durmus,
turned to the Patriarch's niece who refused to provide explanations but did
not deny the paper's information. Moreover, an Armenian lady from Istanbul
told the correspondent that Mutafian's sister, Azatuhi, is married to a
Muslim.
To shed light on this matter, Patriarch told Yeni Safak's correspondent: "My
grandmother's father was Armenian but her father was Greek. Her father was
Poghos Qaraqashian and mother was Olympia. My grandmother's name was Verzhin
Efzad Epraksi Qaraqashian. Her first husband was Artin Balkchian. They gave
birth to my aunt Azat and my mother Mari. My aunt married to Nshan, Armenian
Christian from Zara village of Sebastia. He is buried at the Armenian
cemetery of Istanbul. My mother married to a native of Adabazar, Onik
Mutafian, i.e. my father. As a result of their marriage my sisters Peruz and
Azatuhi and I appeared".
The Patriarch's words display that the name of Mutafian's mother was not
Meryem as Yeni Safak claimed. As to the Muslim relatives of the Patriarch's
father, Mrs. Verzhin got acquainted with Mehmed Ali Varoler after Artin
Qaraqashian's death. They married in 1944 giving birth to a daughter Sevim
by name. Muslim Sevim Varoler married to Ersan Senqan and left for Germany
where they gave birth to the Patriarch's niece Nilgyun Senqan. In 1995 she
married to Ahmed Gyursen and gave birth to a daughter named Ozde.
Mutafian's sister Peruz wedded Ara Qamar and Azatuhi married Gilbert
Malghasian. Peruz had a son Natan and Azatuhi a daughter Mane. In other
words, Patriarch Mutafian has no other Muslim relatives but his aunt, her
husband and her daughter and grandchild.
In his reply to Yeni Safak, Mutafian refutes Turkish paper's claims
concerning Islamic roots of Archbishop Shnork Galustian's mother and that
Lyutfi Doga was his brother. Patriarch Mutafian stated that Archbishop's
father, Mihran Galustian, was from the village of Yazgati Igdeli and mother,
Shushan, was from Bebek. Their marriage in 1908 gave birth to Anush,
Shnorhik, Armen and Arshak - future Patriarch Galustian. The Turks killed
Mihran Galustian and his 3 brothers during the massacre of 1915, Mutafian
states.
Haji Ali Doga married to Archbishop Shnork's mother, Shushan but the woman
with her children lived in the first floor of a ruined two-storied house of
Mihran Galustian. Moreover, feeling that Turks will ill-treat her children,
she handed them over to an orphanage. Appointed Patriarch's deputy in
Jerusalem in 1956-60, the then Bishop Galustian moves to Israel, and her
mother makes a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to see her son not to Mecca as the
paper claimed.
Patriarch Mesrop II Mutafian's replies to the correspondent of Yeni Safak
are very noteworthy as they prove false the rumors concerning the late and
current patriarch of Constantinople and once again bring to surface the fact
of the Armenian Genocide.
By Hakob Chakrian