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  • ANKARA: CHP Visited Fener Greek, Turkish Armenian Patriarchies

    CHP VISITED FENER GREEK, TURKISH ARMENIAN PATRIARCHIES

    Hurriyet Daily News
    May 11 2011
    Turkey

    The Republican People's Party, or CHP, Deputy President, Osman Koruturk
    pay a visit to Fener Greek and Armenian patriarchies of Turkey. His
    visit to Armenian Patriarchy of Turkey took longer than anticipated. On
    the matter of the Armenian deputy who had declared candidacy from CHP
    yet been excluded out of the list, Koruturk said, 'We do not separate
    people according to their ethnic identities, 4,300 people applied'

    The main opposition reaches out to minorities ahead of elections.

    The Republican People's Party, or CHP, Deputy President and Foreign
    Politics Representative Osman Koruturk and General Secretary Bihlun
    Tamayl覺gil paid a visit to Fener Greek Patriarchy and the Armenian
    Patriarchy of Turkey on Monday.

    While the officials' visit to Fener Greek Patriarchy took half an hour,
    their visit to the Armenians Patriarchy of Turkey took approximately
    an hour and half. They were met by the Acting Patriarch Archishop
    Aram Ate癬_yan at the Turkish Armenian Patriarchy and the meeting
    was held closed to the press.

    Answering the questions of Hurriyet Daily News after the meeting,
    Koruturk touching upon the incidents of 1915, said: "Both of the sides
    experienced agonies, it would be unjust to say they are one-sided. As
    two rival parties the CHP, and Justice and Development Party, or
    AKP, we brought on the agenda the proposal of establishing a history
    commission. Nevertheless, the proposal was not approved in Armenia."

    Answering the question why Arev Cebeci putting candidacy from CHP on
    behalf of the Armenian community could not be elected, Koruturk said
    they do not separate people according to their identities. "More
    than 4,300 people applied and 550 of them won. We do not have an
    Armenian deputy in Parliament on behalf of our party. However, we
    have Armenian-origin citizens taking positions in the administration
    of CHP and local levels."

    Explaining why the visit to the Armenian Patriarchy of Turkey took
    a longer span of time, Koruturk said: "They had a long agenda
    to discuss. We have comprehensive projects, family insurance,
    agriculture projects and economic projects. These projects would
    change the country throughout."

    Saying that minorities are crucial for CHP, Koruturk said they stand
    by all of the rights recognized to minorities within the frame of
    Lozan Treaty.

    One of the presidents of Istanbul Armenian Foundation Bedros
    Marzubanyan showing at the meeting said the recent statements of
    CHP leader Kemal K覺l覺cdaroglu upset the Armenian community. "Some
    people said K覺l覺cdaroglu's mother is an Armenian from Dersim and
    he tried to prove his mother is not an Armenian. I would like to ask
    him whether being an Armenian is really such a bad thing after all."

    Despite that they are welcome as the door is open to everybody, said
    Marzubanyan. "CHP is the closest rival of the government. Therefore,
    learning their opinions is to our advantage," he said.

    "There should have been at least two Armenian parliamentarians both
    in government and in the opposition. It is said on each occasion
    Turkey is a mosaic. If the parliament is a place where this mosaic
    is represented, and that is the case, as far as I know, then the
    pieces missing from the mosaic must be completed. We have deputy
    mayors and village headmen, but now we want to send a representative
    to parliament," said Marzubanyan, who highlighted the fact that the
    50,000-strong Armenians in Turkey did not have a single representative
    in parliament.

    Another participant in the meeting, Apik Ozf覺r覺nc覺, said the visit
    was part of the election campaign in Turkey and the patriarchate had
    demonstrated its hospitality.

    "As we stated earlier, we listen to both sides and our doors are wide
    open to both of them. The decision will undoubtedly stem from the
    ballot box," said Hrant Hasba癬_yan whose affinity with the ruling
    AKP is well known due to the Turkish-Armenian community's gains on
    issues relating to minority foundations.

    Bedros 癬^irinoglu, the president of the Yedikule Surp P覺rgic Hospital
    Foundation, which ranks in second place in the protocol following the
    patriarchate, did not attend the meeting. 癬^irinoglu, who is also
    known for his disposition toward the AKP, had told Daily News in a
    previous interview that he was ready to serve as a parliamentarian,
    if he was offered a position.

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