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Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Sept 18 2010
Renovator criticizes politicization of SE Turkish church
Saturday, September 18, 2010
VERCÄ°HAN ZÄ°FLÄ°OÄ?LU
VAN - Hürriyet Daily News
Architect and renovation expert Zakaria MildanoÄ?lu, who participated
in the renovation of the historical Surp Haç Church on Akdamar Island,
says parties from both Turkey and Armenia have overly politicized
recent activity over the erection of a cross on the edifice. Still,
the fact that the service is going ahead is a big breakthrough, he
says
The cross was handed to the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey earlier
this week and is now on the Akdamar Island, waiting to be blessed at
the service and placed on the dome even though the erection is
unlikely to occur during Sunday's service.
Quarrels over the erection of a cross on the Surp Haç Church on Van's
Akdamar Island should not detract from Sunday's special religious
service to be held there, according to one of the house of worship's
renovators.
`I have constantly stated that the cross should not be used for
politics. The cross would be placed on the dome after the renovation
but it has been politicized by both sides so much that it ended up
causing disputes,' architect and renovation expert Zakaria MildanoÄ?lu,
who participated in the renovation and followed the developments
throughout the process, recently told the Hürriyet Daily News &
Economic Review.
Armenian priests from Istanbul and Deputy Patriarch Archbishop Aram
AteÅ?yan will lead the service in the name of the Armenian Patriarchate
of Turkey in the first service at the historical church in 95 years.
However, the service will not be attended by clerics from the Armenian
Apostolic Central Church of Armenia nor the Jerusalem Armenian
Patriarchate following a strain in relations which developed after
church renovators in 2007 neglected to erect the cross.
With only days left before the historic service, which Turkey will
only allow once a year, the issue of the cross on the church is still
causing tensions. Following the Central Church's declaration that it
would not send clerics if there was no cross, tours transferring
hundreds of Armenians to the eastern province of Van were cancelled.
But the cross was handed to the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey on
Tuesday and is now on the island, waiting to be blessed at the service
and placed on the dome even though the erection is unlikely to occur
during Sunday's service.
MildanoÄ?lu said the Istanbul Patriarchate made some mistakes during
the renovation, adding that legal Armenian Istanbul Patriarch Mesrop
Mutafyan did not want to attend the church when he heard it would open
as a museum.
`The renovations were the first step, it was obvious even in those
days that service in church would be allowed. He did not accept when I
told him we should make preparations,' MildanoÄ?lu said.
`The [Istanbul] Patriarchate could have made an important mission, it
could have provided steady information sharing with the Jerusalem
Armenian Patriarchate. This type of mediation could have eliminated
misunderstandings and tension,' he said.
If everything had been done calmly, with the Istanbul Patriarchate
presenting its demands to the Turkish government formally, even
Armenian President Serge Sarkisian could have been invited to the
service.
`Such an invitation would benefit the dialogue between the two
countries. Also, a representative from the Vatican could have been
invited; Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew and the Turkish
President of Religious Affairs could have been invited. Such
approaches would have minimized tension and disputes,' he said.
MildanoÄ?lu said Turkey took an important step by allowing the service
to go ahead.
`We would have been in danger 20 years ago just by using the term `the
Armenian Problem.' However, we are discussing everything freely today.
It was forbidden to even mention the existence of Armenians in
Anatolia back then, but today Armenian historical artifacts are being
renovated. We cannot ignore this,' he said.
A common opinion in Armenia and among the Armenian diaspora is that
Turkey is making political maneuvers, simply renovating churches under
its control to aid its ascension bid to the European Union. Another
prominent opinion is that Turkey is renovating the artifacts to
transform them into tourist destinations.
MildanoÄ?lu said he did not think the latter suggestion was necessarily
a problem, however.
`Thousands of historical churches are open for tourism in Armenia;
they earn income from tourism, too. It is only natural ` it is the
same everywhere in the world. It is not right to politicize everything
so much,' he said.
From: A. Papazian
Sept 18 2010
Renovator criticizes politicization of SE Turkish church
Saturday, September 18, 2010
VERCÄ°HAN ZÄ°FLÄ°OÄ?LU
VAN - Hürriyet Daily News
Architect and renovation expert Zakaria MildanoÄ?lu, who participated
in the renovation of the historical Surp Haç Church on Akdamar Island,
says parties from both Turkey and Armenia have overly politicized
recent activity over the erection of a cross on the edifice. Still,
the fact that the service is going ahead is a big breakthrough, he
says
The cross was handed to the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey earlier
this week and is now on the Akdamar Island, waiting to be blessed at
the service and placed on the dome even though the erection is
unlikely to occur during Sunday's service.
Quarrels over the erection of a cross on the Surp Haç Church on Van's
Akdamar Island should not detract from Sunday's special religious
service to be held there, according to one of the house of worship's
renovators.
`I have constantly stated that the cross should not be used for
politics. The cross would be placed on the dome after the renovation
but it has been politicized by both sides so much that it ended up
causing disputes,' architect and renovation expert Zakaria MildanoÄ?lu,
who participated in the renovation and followed the developments
throughout the process, recently told the Hürriyet Daily News &
Economic Review.
Armenian priests from Istanbul and Deputy Patriarch Archbishop Aram
AteÅ?yan will lead the service in the name of the Armenian Patriarchate
of Turkey in the first service at the historical church in 95 years.
However, the service will not be attended by clerics from the Armenian
Apostolic Central Church of Armenia nor the Jerusalem Armenian
Patriarchate following a strain in relations which developed after
church renovators in 2007 neglected to erect the cross.
With only days left before the historic service, which Turkey will
only allow once a year, the issue of the cross on the church is still
causing tensions. Following the Central Church's declaration that it
would not send clerics if there was no cross, tours transferring
hundreds of Armenians to the eastern province of Van were cancelled.
But the cross was handed to the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey on
Tuesday and is now on the island, waiting to be blessed at the service
and placed on the dome even though the erection is unlikely to occur
during Sunday's service.
MildanoÄ?lu said the Istanbul Patriarchate made some mistakes during
the renovation, adding that legal Armenian Istanbul Patriarch Mesrop
Mutafyan did not want to attend the church when he heard it would open
as a museum.
`The renovations were the first step, it was obvious even in those
days that service in church would be allowed. He did not accept when I
told him we should make preparations,' MildanoÄ?lu said.
`The [Istanbul] Patriarchate could have made an important mission, it
could have provided steady information sharing with the Jerusalem
Armenian Patriarchate. This type of mediation could have eliminated
misunderstandings and tension,' he said.
If everything had been done calmly, with the Istanbul Patriarchate
presenting its demands to the Turkish government formally, even
Armenian President Serge Sarkisian could have been invited to the
service.
`Such an invitation would benefit the dialogue between the two
countries. Also, a representative from the Vatican could have been
invited; Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew and the Turkish
President of Religious Affairs could have been invited. Such
approaches would have minimized tension and disputes,' he said.
MildanoÄ?lu said Turkey took an important step by allowing the service
to go ahead.
`We would have been in danger 20 years ago just by using the term `the
Armenian Problem.' However, we are discussing everything freely today.
It was forbidden to even mention the existence of Armenians in
Anatolia back then, but today Armenian historical artifacts are being
renovated. We cannot ignore this,' he said.
A common opinion in Armenia and among the Armenian diaspora is that
Turkey is making political maneuvers, simply renovating churches under
its control to aid its ascension bid to the European Union. Another
prominent opinion is that Turkey is renovating the artifacts to
transform them into tourist destinations.
MildanoÄ?lu said he did not think the latter suggestion was necessarily
a problem, however.
`Thousands of historical churches are open for tourism in Armenia;
they earn income from tourism, too. It is only natural ` it is the
same everywhere in the world. It is not right to politicize everything
so much,' he said.
From: A. Papazian