ICC Note: The church is tightly controlled in Turkey, creating a whole array of legal hurdles that make it difficult for the church to freely make decisions. One such example is a situation involving the election of a new patriarch for the Armenian Apostolic Church, a church officially recognized by the authorities. Due to the ill-health of Patriarch Mesrob, the church since the year 2016 has been trying to pursue an electoral process of appointing a new patriarch. The state has thwarted the election process at every turn. Although the church has already decided the process according to tradition, they are at an impasse because of the state’s interference.

02/27/2018 Turkey (MEC) – Christians in Turkey request prayer for the Armenian Apostolic Church in Turkey following the state’s interference in the election of a new patriarch.

As one of Turkey’s officially recognised churches, the Armenian Apostolic Church of Constantinople is subject to a degree of government control in the election of a new patriarch. The previous patriarch, Mesrob II, suffers ill-health and was formally retired on 26th October 2016. Archbishop Karekin Bekdjian was elected interim leader (Patriarch Locum Tenens) by an overwhelming majority on 15th March 2017, replacing Archbishop Aram Ateshyan (Patriarchal Vicar General) who had been appointed interim leader since 2010, due to the patriarch’s ill-health. As Patriarch Locum Tenens, Archbishop Bekdjian was to oversee the electoral process for the appointment of a new patriarch.

However, on 6 February the Istanbul Governorate declared in writing that the election could not take place as “Patriarch” Mesrob was still alive, and stated that the Governorate considered Ateshyan to still be the Patriarchal Vicar General.

On 7 February the Minister of the Interior, Süleyman Soylu, convened a meeting of key representatives of the Armenian community at the Çırağan Palace on the Bosphorus with the governor of Istanbul as well as the Chief of Police and several other senior officials, but did not invite church leaders. The Interior Minister confirmed that the Turkish State recognises Ateshyan as Patriarchal Vicar General. Attorney Sebouh Aslangil informed the Interior Minister that the Armenian Clerical Council had followed church rules in removing Ateshyan from his post as Patriarchal Vicar General. However, the minister insisted that Turkey was “acting under the law”, saying it was the state’s duty to recognise the role of the patriarchal vicar.

As Turkish-Armenian Agos newspaper declared, “The government has openly intervened in the traditions of the church and told them that they cannot elect their own Patriarch.”

Archbishop Bekdjian felt obliged to leave his post and Archbishop Aram Ateshyan was reinstated as Patriarchal Vicar General on 16 February 2018.

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