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ARMENIAN TRAVEL FIRMS THREATEN TO JOIN TURKEY MASS BOYCOTT
Hasmik Smbatian
Armenialiberty.org
Sept 10 2010
Travel agencies in Yerevan said on Friday that they will cancel plans
to take hundreds of Armenian pilgrims to the upcoming landmark liturgy
at a medieval Armenian cathedral in southeastern Turkey unless Turkish
authorities restore a cross on its dome.
They linked their decision with a boycott of the September 19 ceremony
announced by the Armenia-based leadership of the Armenian Apostolic
Church at the weekend.
The 10th century church of Surp Khach (Holy Cross) will see its first
mass in nearly a century three years after undergoing a $1.5 million
renovation funded by the Turkish government, its current owner.
The government has allowed Turkey's surviving Armenian Christian
community to hold religious services at the church perched on the
legendary Akhtamar island in Lake Van once a year. It has promoted
the decision as proof of its commitment to tolerance and a gesture
of goodwill towards Armenians.
In a September 4 statement, the Mother See of the Armenian Church
based in the town of Echmiadzin accused Ankara of breaking a pledge
to allow the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul to place a cross on
the temple before the ceremony. It said it has therefore reconsidered
an earlier decision to send two high-level Echmiadzin clerics to the
Akhtamar mass.
Hundreds of ordinary Armenians were also expected to be in attendance,
having booked tour packages to eastern Turkey through Yerevan-based
tour operators specializing in the area which had a significant
Armenian population until the 1915 genocide. The largest of those
agencies, Narekavank Tour, alone planned to bus 250 pilgrims from
Armenia to Akhtamar. Its director, Ashot Soghomonian, said the Turkish
authorities' apparent reluctance to restore the cross is "humiliating
and disrespectful" towards the Armenian people.
Turkey -- A Turkish flag and a picture of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk posted
at the entrance to the 10th century Armenian church of Saint Cross
on Akhtamar island, Lake Van, during a ceremony marking the end of
its renovation, 29March 2007. "We could have earned a lump sum in
just one day from 250 people," Soghomonian told RFE/RL's Armenian
service. "We can't take that many people to Western Armenia (eastern
Turkey) even within three months. But for them and us, participating
in that liturgy without the cross is not acceptable."
Vladimir Arushanian, whose Ani Tour agency had attracted about 100
other pilgrims, agreed with Soghomonian. "Organizing a pilgrimage on
that day would not be right as the Turks have failed to keep their
word," he said.
"People's desire to take part in that ceremony was mainly related to
the restoration of the cross," Arushanian told RFE/RL. "But now that
the cross will not be restored, people automatically wonder what they
would be going there for."
Arushanian added that Ani Tour clients will be offered to travel to
Lake Van and other parts of eastern Turkey, still carrying traces of
the ancient Armenian civilization, later in September.
Not all travel agents organizing trips to the area agreed with
the boycott." "The Mother See has its policy and goals," said Ruben
Markosian of Arpi Tour. "I am a good Armenian Christian, but I see no
need to cancel the trip just because the Mother See has decided so. We
just want to go there and see the ceremony. What's wrong with that?"
Markosian also argued that Armenia's government has not officially
called for a boycott, even if it will not be sending any officials
to the liturgy.
President Serzh Sarkisian's Republican Party did speak out against any
Armenian participation in the "imitational show" last month. Like other
major Armenian political forces, it regards the event as a Turkish
publicity stunt designed to mislead the international community.
Speaking to RFE/RL, Markosian said he still does not know how many
Arpi Tour clients will actually sign up for the pilgrimage. "People
are bewildered," he said. "Everyone has said they will call and tell
us about their final decision in the coming days."
Both Soghomonian and Arushanian said their agencies may still revert
to their original plans if the cross is placed on the Akhtamar church
dome by September 19. "If they say tomorrow or the day after that
the cross will be placed, we will definitely go there on that day,"
said Arushanian.
That the Turkish government had promised to restore the cross was
confirmed by Archbishop Aram Ateshian, the spiritual leader of the
Turkish-Armenian community, earlier this week. "If that does not happen
in time for the service, it will definitely be placed just after it,"
Ateshian told "Hurriyet Daily News."
From: A. Papazian
Hasmik Smbatian
Armenialiberty.org
Sept 10 2010
Travel agencies in Yerevan said on Friday that they will cancel plans
to take hundreds of Armenian pilgrims to the upcoming landmark liturgy
at a medieval Armenian cathedral in southeastern Turkey unless Turkish
authorities restore a cross on its dome.
They linked their decision with a boycott of the September 19 ceremony
announced by the Armenia-based leadership of the Armenian Apostolic
Church at the weekend.
The 10th century church of Surp Khach (Holy Cross) will see its first
mass in nearly a century three years after undergoing a $1.5 million
renovation funded by the Turkish government, its current owner.
The government has allowed Turkey's surviving Armenian Christian
community to hold religious services at the church perched on the
legendary Akhtamar island in Lake Van once a year. It has promoted
the decision as proof of its commitment to tolerance and a gesture
of goodwill towards Armenians.
In a September 4 statement, the Mother See of the Armenian Church
based in the town of Echmiadzin accused Ankara of breaking a pledge
to allow the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul to place a cross on
the temple before the ceremony. It said it has therefore reconsidered
an earlier decision to send two high-level Echmiadzin clerics to the
Akhtamar mass.
Hundreds of ordinary Armenians were also expected to be in attendance,
having booked tour packages to eastern Turkey through Yerevan-based
tour operators specializing in the area which had a significant
Armenian population until the 1915 genocide. The largest of those
agencies, Narekavank Tour, alone planned to bus 250 pilgrims from
Armenia to Akhtamar. Its director, Ashot Soghomonian, said the Turkish
authorities' apparent reluctance to restore the cross is "humiliating
and disrespectful" towards the Armenian people.
Turkey -- A Turkish flag and a picture of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk posted
at the entrance to the 10th century Armenian church of Saint Cross
on Akhtamar island, Lake Van, during a ceremony marking the end of
its renovation, 29March 2007. "We could have earned a lump sum in
just one day from 250 people," Soghomonian told RFE/RL's Armenian
service. "We can't take that many people to Western Armenia (eastern
Turkey) even within three months. But for them and us, participating
in that liturgy without the cross is not acceptable."
Vladimir Arushanian, whose Ani Tour agency had attracted about 100
other pilgrims, agreed with Soghomonian. "Organizing a pilgrimage on
that day would not be right as the Turks have failed to keep their
word," he said.
"People's desire to take part in that ceremony was mainly related to
the restoration of the cross," Arushanian told RFE/RL. "But now that
the cross will not be restored, people automatically wonder what they
would be going there for."
Arushanian added that Ani Tour clients will be offered to travel to
Lake Van and other parts of eastern Turkey, still carrying traces of
the ancient Armenian civilization, later in September.
Not all travel agents organizing trips to the area agreed with
the boycott." "The Mother See has its policy and goals," said Ruben
Markosian of Arpi Tour. "I am a good Armenian Christian, but I see no
need to cancel the trip just because the Mother See has decided so. We
just want to go there and see the ceremony. What's wrong with that?"
Markosian also argued that Armenia's government has not officially
called for a boycott, even if it will not be sending any officials
to the liturgy.
President Serzh Sarkisian's Republican Party did speak out against any
Armenian participation in the "imitational show" last month. Like other
major Armenian political forces, it regards the event as a Turkish
publicity stunt designed to mislead the international community.
Speaking to RFE/RL, Markosian said he still does not know how many
Arpi Tour clients will actually sign up for the pilgrimage. "People
are bewildered," he said. "Everyone has said they will call and tell
us about their final decision in the coming days."
Both Soghomonian and Arushanian said their agencies may still revert
to their original plans if the cross is placed on the Akhtamar church
dome by September 19. "If they say tomorrow or the day after that
the cross will be placed, we will definitely go there on that day,"
said Arushanian.
That the Turkish government had promised to restore the cross was
confirmed by Archbishop Aram Ateshian, the spiritual leader of the
Turkish-Armenian community, earlier this week. "If that does not happen
in time for the service, it will definitely be placed just after it,"
Ateshian told "Hurriyet Daily News."
From: A. Papazian