More on the Aghtamar Church Service
Armenian boycott calls grow ahead of Akdamar mass
21 August 2010, Saturday
TODAY’S ZAMAN İSTANBUL
Armenians groups have stepped up calls for a boycott of an upcoming
Mass at a renovated Armenian church in eastern Turkey, calling the
event a publicity stunt by the Turkish government aimed at improving
its image in the West.
The Turkish government agreed to open the 1,100-year-old Cathedral of
the Holy Cross on Akdamar, an island in Lake Van, for a one-day
religious service on Sept. 19, an event that could become an annual
occurrence. Many believe that the religious service at the church,
which is now a state museum, could be a symbol of reconciliation
between Turkey and Armenia, two neighbors bitterly divided over
history and the fate of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Turkish-Armenians have welcomed the move and Karekin II, the
Catholicos of All Armenians, has agreed to send two senior clerics to
the church for the Mass.
But others, in Armenia and elsewhere, say the event should be
boycotted. “Those calling for a boycott indicate that the true aim of
the Turkish authorities is to score propaganda points with the
European Union and the United States, by feigning tolerance towards
Christians and other minorities,” Harut Sassounian, the publisher of
The California Courier, an English-Language Armenian weekly based in
Glendale, California, said in an article published this week.
Sassounian reminded readers that there have been questions raised
about the prudence of attending the church service. “In reality,
successive Turkish governments have carried out a systematic policy of
eliminating all visible signs of Armenian presence throughout Western
Armenia (Eastern Turkey) for over nine decades, during which more than
2,000 Armenian churches and monasteries have been destroyed or
converted into non-religious use,” he argued.
Sassounian also criticized the Turkish government’s classification of
the historic church as a “museum” and it allowing only one service in
a year. He said there is “no reason for Armenians to be grateful to a
country that, after confiscating and destroying thousands of churches,
is now allowing a religious ceremony in a single church, which it
classifies as a museum.”
There have also been some calls for a boycott in Armenia, including
from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia. The party spokesman,
Eduard Sharmazanov, denounced the Turkish government’s decision to
reopen the church for a one-day religious ceremony as a publicity
stunt and “provocation” aimed at misleading the international
community.
“Once again, instead of taking a serious step, the Turks are staging a
show,” Sharmazanov told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL)
Armenian service earlier this month. “I don’t think you can achieve
tolerance and solidarity between civilizations in that way.”
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) political affairs director
Giro Manoyan has also urged Armenians to boycott the Mass. “I think it
would be wrong to go there on a day set by Turkey and especially in
these conditions of blockade and so on,” Manoyan told the RFE/RL. “I
don’t want to blame believers willing to go there but they must know
that they somewhat contribute to the Turkish provocation,” he added.
Manoyan expressed regret for the decision of Karekin II to send
clerics to the Mass as well. “I’m not sure that’s the right step,” he
said.
But a spokesman for Karekin II rejected the calls for a boycott. “We
believe that if we are given an opportunity to cherish a shrine that
had functioned for centuries but is devoid of prayer today for some
reasons, we must use even that single day in order to assert our
rights and ownership to the shrine with our participation,” Father
Vahram Melikian told the RFE/RL.
The Mass is to be officiated by Archbishop Aram Ateshyan, who
currently leads the Armenian Patriarchate of İstanbul. The church was
opened in 2007 following a restoration project by the Turkish
government that cost $1.7 million
21 August 2010, Saturday
TODAY’S ZAMAN İSTANBUL
Armenians groups have stepped up calls for a boycott of an upcoming
Mass at a renovated Armenian church in eastern Turkey, calling the
event a publicity stunt by the Turkish government aimed at improving
its image in the West.
The Turkish government agreed to open the 1,100-year-old Cathedral of
the Holy Cross on Akdamar, an island in Lake Van, for a one-day
religious service on Sept. 19, an event that could become an annual
occurrence. Many believe that the religious service at the church,
which is now a state museum, could be a symbol of reconciliation
between Turkey and Armenia, two neighbors bitterly divided over
history and the fate of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Turkish-Armenians have welcomed the move and Karekin II, the
Catholicos of All Armenians, has agreed to send two senior clerics to
the church for the Mass.
But others, in Armenia and elsewhere, say the event should be
boycotted. “Those calling for a boycott indicate that the true aim of
the Turkish authorities is to score propaganda points with the
European Union and the United States, by feigning tolerance towards
Christians and other minorities,” Harut Sassounian, the publisher of
The California Courier, an English-Language Armenian weekly based in
Glendale, California, said in an article published this week.
Sassounian reminded readers that there have been questions raised
about the prudence of attending the church service. “In reality,
successive Turkish governments have carried out a systematic policy of
eliminating all visible signs of Armenian presence throughout Western
Armenia (Eastern Turkey) for over nine decades, during which more than
2,000 Armenian churches and monasteries have been destroyed or
converted into non-religious use,” he argued.
Sassounian also criticized the Turkish government’s classification of
the historic church as a “museum” and it allowing only one service in
a year. He said there is “no reason for Armenians to be grateful to a
country that, after confiscating and destroying thousands of churches,
is now allowing a religious ceremony in a single church, which it
classifies as a museum.”
There have also been some calls for a boycott in Armenia, including
from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia. The party spokesman,
Eduard Sharmazanov, denounced the Turkish government’s decision to
reopen the church for a one-day religious ceremony as a publicity
stunt and “provocation” aimed at misleading the international
community.
“Once again, instead of taking a serious step, the Turks are staging a
show,” Sharmazanov told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL)
Armenian service earlier this month. “I don’t think you can achieve
tolerance and solidarity between civilizations in that way.”
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) political affairs director
Giro Manoyan has also urged Armenians to boycott the Mass. “I think it
would be wrong to go there on a day set by Turkey and especially in
these conditions of blockade and so on,” Manoyan told the RFE/RL. “I
don’t want to blame believers willing to go there but they must know
that they somewhat contribute to the Turkish provocation,” he added.
Manoyan expressed regret for the decision of Karekin II to send
clerics to the Mass as well. “I’m not sure that’s the right step,” he
said.
But a spokesman for Karekin II rejected the calls for a boycott. “We
believe that if we are given an opportunity to cherish a shrine that
had functioned for centuries but is devoid of prayer today for some
reasons, we must use even that single day in order to assert our
rights and ownership to the shrine with our participation,” Father
Vahram Melikian told the RFE/RL.
The Mass is to be officiated by Archbishop Aram Ateshyan, who
currently leads the Armenian Patriarchate of İstanbul. The church was
opened in 2007 following a restoration project by the Turkish
government that cost $1.7 million
HULIQ.com, SC
Aug 21 2010
Turkish Police Break Up Children's Prayer in Armenian Church
Submitted by Sandy Smith
Turkish police ushered a group of Armenian children out of a
10th-century Armenian Christian church on the island of Akdamar in
Anatolia after the children began lighting candles, singing hymns and
engaging in prayer.
The church of Sourp Khatch, or Holy Cross, was a cathedral of the
Armenian Apostolic Church dating back to the 10th century; its priests
and monks were murdered and monastery at the church destroyed in the
Armenian genocide of 1915. In 2005-06, as part of the fitful path
toward reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey, the Turkish
government launched a costly and controversial restoration of the
cathedral building, which reopened in 2007 as a secular museum in a
ceremony to which Armenian government officials and the international
press were invited.
Since then, Turkish officials have been reluctant to allow any
religious activities at the site beyond a service scheduled for the
end of this month, a stance that has offended Armenian religious
leaders. Meanwhile, some Muslim Turks have also protested the church's
reopening on the grounds that a Christian place of worship, even if
run as a museum, is inappropriate in a Muslim country.
Armenian children on field trip ousted for religious activities at
Sourp Khatch church in Turkey
It was in this context that the visit of a group of Armenian
schoolchildren to Sourp Khatch became an international incident. The
children were on a field trip sponsored by an Armenian youth education
group called Hay Aspeth (Armenian Knight). When the children began to
light candles in the church, a Turkish policeman in the building told
them they could not, as the soot from the candles would stain the
church walls. The group then moved into the center of the room with
their lit candles and began to sing and pray, at which point the
police told them to leave the church.
VIDEO: Policeman in Turkey Breaks up Armenian Children's Prayer
The children and their escorts continued to sing and pray outside the
building, on the church grounds, but police also disrupted their
efforts to light incense and candles at gravestones and cross-stones
in the churchyard.
The field trip, which ended Aug. 17, was sponsored by Hay Aspeth in
order to introduce Armenian youth to the historic heart of Armenia,
which lies today in eastern Turkey.
Some Turkish newspaper commentators have criticized the Turkish
government's behavior in reopening the church as largely a publicity
stunt to score points in the court of world opinion.
Panorama, Armenia
Aug 21 2010
8 youth organizations call on Armenians not to take part in St. Cross holy mass
A group of eight Armenian youth organizations have addressed a call to
all Armenians worldwide, urging not to take part in a mass to be
served in Sourb Khach Church (Saint Cross) on Akhtamar Island, Lake
Van, eastern Turkey, on September 19.
"As you know, Turkey is getting prepared for a mass to be served in
Sourb Khach Church (Saint Cross) on Akhtamar Island, Lake Van,
September 19. According to the data at our disposal, about 6000
Armenians have booked tickets and are going to attend that
show-program organized in the homeland occupied by Turkey. Well aware
of all that being anti-Armenian, considering any Armenian's
participation in that event as an unconscious pro-Turkish activity we
call on all Armenians not to go and not to participate in that event
that mocks Armenians. Any Armenian, who wants to attend it, must ask
themselves: but where are the descendants, the offsprings of those who
erected that wonderful building?
Where is our virtue? ... Remember we can never be guests in a land which
was seized from us by barbars. We call on all Armenians to join us at
6 pm on August 22 to march to Tsitsernakaberd hilltop memorial to the
victims of the Armenian Genocide.'
Aug 21 2010
Turkish Police Break Up Children's Prayer in Armenian Church
Submitted by Sandy Smith
Turkish police ushered a group of Armenian children out of a
10th-century Armenian Christian church on the island of Akdamar in
Anatolia after the children began lighting candles, singing hymns and
engaging in prayer.
The church of Sourp Khatch, or Holy Cross, was a cathedral of the
Armenian Apostolic Church dating back to the 10th century; its priests
and monks were murdered and monastery at the church destroyed in the
Armenian genocide of 1915. In 2005-06, as part of the fitful path
toward reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey, the Turkish
government launched a costly and controversial restoration of the
cathedral building, which reopened in 2007 as a secular museum in a
ceremony to which Armenian government officials and the international
press were invited.
Since then, Turkish officials have been reluctant to allow any
religious activities at the site beyond a service scheduled for the
end of this month, a stance that has offended Armenian religious
leaders. Meanwhile, some Muslim Turks have also protested the church's
reopening on the grounds that a Christian place of worship, even if
run as a museum, is inappropriate in a Muslim country.
Armenian children on field trip ousted for religious activities at
Sourp Khatch church in Turkey
It was in this context that the visit of a group of Armenian
schoolchildren to Sourp Khatch became an international incident. The
children were on a field trip sponsored by an Armenian youth education
group called Hay Aspeth (Armenian Knight). When the children began to
light candles in the church, a Turkish policeman in the building told
them they could not, as the soot from the candles would stain the
church walls. The group then moved into the center of the room with
their lit candles and began to sing and pray, at which point the
police told them to leave the church.
VIDEO: Policeman in Turkey Breaks up Armenian Children's Prayer
The children and their escorts continued to sing and pray outside the
building, on the church grounds, but police also disrupted their
efforts to light incense and candles at gravestones and cross-stones
in the churchyard.
The field trip, which ended Aug. 17, was sponsored by Hay Aspeth in
order to introduce Armenian youth to the historic heart of Armenia,
which lies today in eastern Turkey.
Some Turkish newspaper commentators have criticized the Turkish
government's behavior in reopening the church as largely a publicity
stunt to score points in the court of world opinion.
Panorama, Armenia
Aug 21 2010
8 youth organizations call on Armenians not to take part in St. Cross holy mass
A group of eight Armenian youth organizations have addressed a call to
all Armenians worldwide, urging not to take part in a mass to be
served in Sourb Khach Church (Saint Cross) on Akhtamar Island, Lake
Van, eastern Turkey, on September 19.
"As you know, Turkey is getting prepared for a mass to be served in
Sourb Khach Church (Saint Cross) on Akhtamar Island, Lake Van,
September 19. According to the data at our disposal, about 6000
Armenians have booked tickets and are going to attend that
show-program organized in the homeland occupied by Turkey. Well aware
of all that being anti-Armenian, considering any Armenian's
participation in that event as an unconscious pro-Turkish activity we
call on all Armenians not to go and not to participate in that event
that mocks Armenians. Any Armenian, who wants to attend it, must ask
themselves: but where are the descendants, the offsprings of those who
erected that wonderful building?
Where is our virtue? ... Remember we can never be guests in a land which
was seized from us by barbars. We call on all Armenians to join us at
6 pm on August 22 to march to Tsitsernakaberd hilltop memorial to the
victims of the Armenian Genocide.'
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Aug 21 2010
Historian Ara Sarafian to attend church ceremony in Turkey's Van
Ara Sarafian, a historian of Armenian origin, plans to attend the
ceremony to be held at Surp Haç church in Van in September. Sarafian
says he finds the decision to allow the ceremony positive, unlike much
of the Armenian diaspora. `Most Turks and Armenians are good people.
If they are given the chance, they can resolve their differences. We
have that chance now and should not lose it'
With the eastern province of Van preparing to host visitors in
September for a ceremony at the historical Surp Haç Church on Akdamar
Island, a historian has called on people on both sides to maintain
sensible perspectives.
Visitors from both Armenia and the Armenian diaspora are expected to
attend to ceremony and historian Ara Sarafian, director of the Gomidas
Institute in London, plans to be among them.
"Most Turks and Armenians are good people. If they are given the
chance, they can resolve their differences. We have that chance now
and should not lose it," Sarafian told Hürriyet Daily News & Economic
Review. He said Turkey took an important step by granting permission
for the ceremony. "Who would have believed 10 years ago that Surp Haç
Church would be renovated and a church service held there?"
Playing games and insulting Armenians
According to the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul and the Van
Governor's Office, 50,000 people are expected to visit Van for the
ceremony. Hotel rooms in the province were booked months ago according
to the Van Governor's Office. Sarafian said he is doubtful of that
number. "I hope 50,000 Armenians will come to the ceremony, but I am
skeptical. I do not know of anyone in the diaspora who has been
invited, so I am more cautious."
The act of opening Surp Haç to worship was discussed thoroughly on the
domestic and international agenda. Objections were made both from
Turkey and the Armenian diaspora. "Some Armenians insisted that the
opening ceremony should be boycotted because Surp Haç was made into a
museum and does not bear a cross on its dome," said Sarafian. "They
said Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] ErdoÄŸan was playing games and
insulting Armenians."
AKP's decision is strategic
"Some people are complaining that the Armenian religious ceremony will
be just once a year," said Sarafian. "I do not think this is a real
problem. I am sure the matter will be re-examined. We should not make
the problem appear bigger than it is."
Sarafian said he finds the decision of the Justice and Development
Party, or AKP, appropriate despite the objections from Turkey and the
diaspora. "Some Turkish groups opposed the placement of a cross and
demonstrated against the opening ceremonies. They said Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan was 'soft' on the Armenian issue. But ErdoÄŸan has
made a correct, strategic decision."
The historical church was renovated in 2007 by the efforts of Atilla
Koç, culture and tourism minister at the time. The church was opened
after being renovated into a museum and a cross was not placed on the
dome. The lack of a cross became the point of a debate of its own for
some time. `The cross issue was made into a problem and became a
political football. Some people used it for different purposes," said
Sarafian. "So was the issue of turning Surp Hac into a museum and not
a church. The people who raised these 'problems' either had bad
intentions or were simply emotional and not thinking. There was no
serious discussion," Sarafian said.
`Put cards on the table'
Sarafian said he has seen a photograph of the church from the early
20th century without a cross. "I once pointed out that the church
didn't have a cross at the turn of the 20th century and was criticized
for it. However, what I said was true and included a photograph. The
point I was making was that we needed to put all the cards on the
table and discuss them openly.'
Sarafian said it was very important that the church was renovated and
standing tall despite all objections. "Perhaps the church will have a
cross on it one day. It may even be turned into a church or a
monastery as a symbolic gesture from the Turkish government. However,
if it is not turned into a church, that is not the end of the world
and we should not read anything negative into it. The restoration and
maintenance of the church is itself already a significant step and we
need to maintain a sensible perspective."
[is it a church or not? If yes, how much more negative can you get?]
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Aug 21 2010
Turkey making small but important advances in religious freedom
Thousands of Orthodox pilgrims attended the service conducted by
Patriarch Bartholomew at the Sümela Monastery.
Recent developments in the area of religious freedoms in Turkey, such
as the historic service at the Sümela Monastery in the Black Sea
coastal province of Trabzon, a government minister's statement that
problems related to the status of Alevi houses of worship will be
solved and preparations for another historic day of worship at an
Armenian church in eastern Turkey, have raised expectations for a more
democratic future in the country despite their shortcomings.
These steps show that Turkey is striving to become a country where
religious freedoms prevail, but it is still far from that ideal, as
many problems remain unsolved, including the controversial ban on the
Islamic headscarf in the public sphere and the issue of the Greek
Orthodox seminary on Heybeliada, which remains closed despite
international calls for its reopening.
`Everything was so perfect. It was as if there was a coordination
center to make it a success story. Even though it was rainy in
Trabzon, the sun shone during the service at Sümela. At the end we
were all relieved with a nice wind,' said Laki Vingas, a council
member at the General Directorate of Non-Muslim Minority Foundations,
about the service at the Sümela Monastery on Aug. 15.
Vingas is understandably happy about how well the service went, as it
could not be held last year because of fear of provocations. There had
been such fears this year, too. Days before the service an
ultranationalist daily, YeniçaÄ?, tried to provoke reactions amongst
ultranationalist youth against the Christians who would attend the
service.
Observers note that Trabzon is of particular importance for
ultranationalist groups. A Catholic priest, Father Andrea Santoro, was
killed in Trabzon's Santa Maria Church in 2006. Ogün Samast, the
murderer of the Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, was a member
of ultranationalist groups in Trabzon and had long been making
preparations for the murder.
Yet there were no disturbances at the service last Sunday. Vingas, who
represents more than 160 non-Muslim minority foundations in the
Turkish capital, said it is important that the locals requested that
there be a ceremony, referring to Maçka Mayor ErtuÄ?rul Genç's request
to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate for the service to he held.
As the patriarchate responded positively to requests of the government
and the Ministry of Culture, `They supported it,' in Vingas' words.
As the patriarchate responded positively to requests of the government
and the Ministry of Culture, `They supported it,' in Vingas' words.
He said the government was courageous to do it because it is not
`propaganda material' just prior to the Sept. 12 referendum for a
constitutional amendment package.
Regarding support from local residents, he said: `First of all, their
request to have the service this year shows that they were ready for
it. Maybe we wouldn't be able to have this success story today if we
did not have last year's discouraging experience. We probably will
have more supporters of the event next year.'
Although allowed only one day in the year, the historic service at the
Sümela Monastery was the first in Turkey's republican history. Three
thousand Orthodox Christians, from Turkey and abroad, flocked to the
ancient monastery to attend the ceremony, conducted by Fener Greek
Patriarch Bartholomew, a Turkish citizen. [!!!]
Another breakthrough decision adopted by the current government
matters a great deal to the Armenian community in Turkey, as well as
to Armenians abroad. A religious service scheduled to be held at the
10th century Armenian Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island on
Lake Van on Sept. 19 is a significant event marking the reconciliation
of Turks with their own past. The church, regarded as one of the
finest architectural examples of ancient Armenian civilization in
Turkey, reopened in 2007 as a museum following the allocation of a
$1.5 million restoration fund by the Turkish government.
Ara Koçunyan, editor-in-chief of the Armenian daily Jamanak, published
in Ä°stanbul, said opening such sacred places, which have great
importance to people, would definitely make a contribution to society.
`When Armenians went to various places to visit in Anatolia, they
would see old places of worship in a state that did not correspond to
their value. It is a very positive development that the church was
restored with the state budget,' he said, noting that there are more
things that can be done. `But you can never reach the 15th step on a
staircase without first setting your foot on the first step,' he
added.
According to Koçunyan, Turkey has been showing its `good will' at a
time when attempts at a rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia have
been stalled. [which side has made it stall?]
`The church has been restored as a museum, and the Armenian
Patriarchate in Turkey worked in harmony with the government in that
effort,' he said.
He also noted that a cross, which caused a controversy earlier, would
be erected on the church's steeple.
The church, which was reopened in 2007, will serve as a monument and
museum, despite demands from some Armenians that it be opened for
worship. The head of the Armenian Orthodox Church, Garegin II, had
refused to attend the reopening ceremony three years ago because the
site will not be serving as a church. A similar controversy focused on
whether a cross would be erected on the steeple of the church.
This year, Garegin II, representative of about 10 million Armenians in
Echmiadzin -- the historic center of the Armenian Apostolic Church
about 20 miles northwest of Yerevan -- is sending two high-level
representatives to the one-day religious service on the island on
Sept. 19.
However, some Armenians still have reservations about the developments
because they think that by turning the church into a museum and
tourist site the Turkish government is concerned less with its
renovation and more with its appropriation as a Turkish cultural
heritage site. This view has been expressed in the bilingual Armenian
weekly Agos, which is based in Ä°stanbul, by Editor-in-Chief Rober
KoptaÅ?.
`Why does the government evaluate the opening of the church, which has
belonged to the Armenians for centuries, in the context of `faith
tourism'?' he asked in his column in the paper's Aug. 13 issue.
`Why is there just `one' day of worship at the church? What is going
to happen in the remaining 364 days?' he continued. `Is the government
going to open it `for one more day' when it needs to do it to save
itself regarding the Armenian issue?' Berat Ã-zipek, an academic and
member of the Association for Liberal Thinking, said Turkish-Armenian
citizens are right in their reservations.
`For example, the cross issue. There is nothing in the Islamic
tradition preventing the erection of a cross of a church or silencing
a church's bells,' he said, adding that the current government is
against the Kemalist line, which is strictly secularist, but that
there are still legal barriers to what the government wants to do.
`The constitution carries prohibitions that are harmful to every
Turkish citizen. And when the ruling party wants to change it, it
becomes vulnerable to closure cases,' he said.
He noted that it was the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP)
that fiercely opposed the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK
Party) attempt to pass the Foundations Law regarding property owned by
minorities. Ã-zipek added that despite the government's attempt to
create more legal freedoms, there are still `mental barriers' blocking
its wider view. `The latest example of this is the prime minister's
words against his opponent Kemal KılıçdaroÄ?lu implying that
KılıçdaroÄ?lu does not have `proper roots of descent',' he said.
`Kemalist prejudices that are engrained in people's subconscious often
come to the surface.'
He also said the government must understand that only `radical steps'
would help it to move forward.
According to Ã-zipek, if the government recognizes the legal status of
cemevis, Alevi places of worship, the general public would not be
offended, despite the fears of some government circles. `But the
decision-makers do not realize this,' he said. `The government should
be stripped of its fears and be bold.' Ä°stanbul Sunday's Zaman
`Back to the drawing board for the monastery'
The Syriac Universal Alliance (SUA), the recognized United Nations NGO
representing Aramean (Syriac) people worldwide, reports that the
Supreme Court of Appeals in Ankara handed down its long-awaited
decision regarding St. Gabriel Monastery's battle over land boundaries
with the neighboring villages of Yayvantepe (Qartmin) and EÄ?lence
(Zinol) in southeastern Turkey.
`In a shocking verdict, the Ankara court has decided against the
monastery, resulting in its earlier victory on May 22, 2009 becoming
null and void,' the statement from the SUA said.
The case dates back to an original decision by the Midyat Cadastre
Directorate in May 2008 to redraft the monastery boundary lines and
grant neighboring villages 110 hectares of land originally owned by
the monastery for over 1,600 years. The monastery appealed this
decision to the Turkish Land Registration court, but lost the case on
Aug. 29, 2008.
The monastery then appealed the decision of the registration court to
the local court in Midyat, at which point the surrounding villages
claimed an additional 190 hectares of monastery land. Following the
monastery's victory in May 2009 at the local court, the neighboring
villages appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Appeals in June
2009.
The Supreme Court of Appeals ruled on Aug. 13 that the Midyat court,
which officially began hearing the trial on Nov. 19, 2008, never had
jurisdiction to hear the case, meaning that the boundary lines drafted
by the Midyat Cadastre Directorate back in 2008 are back in effect and
that the Midyat court case proclaiming victory for the monastery of
its original boundary lines is null and void. `Since the Midyat court
victory, the monastery was confident that the Supreme Court of Appeals
would uphold the original lower court decision. The Midyat court
decision originally found that the neighboring villages of Yayvantepe
and EÄ?lence had no basis on which to argue that the some 300 hectares
of land belonged to them. This evidence presented by the monastery,
relating to land title and financial/tax documents, undoubtedly showed
ownership of the land by the monastery,' the SUA explained.
The SUA noted that they are now weighing their options in response to
the decision, and among those is to commence with proceedings at the
European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Their press statement emphasized `Inside sources inform the SUA that
the monastery will appeal the decision back to the Supreme Court of
Appeals.'
Aug 21 2010
Turkey making small but important advances in religious freedom
Thousands of Orthodox pilgrims attended the service conducted by
Patriarch Bartholomew at the Sümela Monastery.
Recent developments in the area of religious freedoms in Turkey, such
as the historic service at the Sümela Monastery in the Black Sea
coastal province of Trabzon, a government minister's statement that
problems related to the status of Alevi houses of worship will be
solved and preparations for another historic day of worship at an
Armenian church in eastern Turkey, have raised expectations for a more
democratic future in the country despite their shortcomings.
These steps show that Turkey is striving to become a country where
religious freedoms prevail, but it is still far from that ideal, as
many problems remain unsolved, including the controversial ban on the
Islamic headscarf in the public sphere and the issue of the Greek
Orthodox seminary on Heybeliada, which remains closed despite
international calls for its reopening.
`Everything was so perfect. It was as if there was a coordination
center to make it a success story. Even though it was rainy in
Trabzon, the sun shone during the service at Sümela. At the end we
were all relieved with a nice wind,' said Laki Vingas, a council
member at the General Directorate of Non-Muslim Minority Foundations,
about the service at the Sümela Monastery on Aug. 15.
Vingas is understandably happy about how well the service went, as it
could not be held last year because of fear of provocations. There had
been such fears this year, too. Days before the service an
ultranationalist daily, YeniçaÄ?, tried to provoke reactions amongst
ultranationalist youth against the Christians who would attend the
service.
Observers note that Trabzon is of particular importance for
ultranationalist groups. A Catholic priest, Father Andrea Santoro, was
killed in Trabzon's Santa Maria Church in 2006. Ogün Samast, the
murderer of the Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, was a member
of ultranationalist groups in Trabzon and had long been making
preparations for the murder.
Yet there were no disturbances at the service last Sunday. Vingas, who
represents more than 160 non-Muslim minority foundations in the
Turkish capital, said it is important that the locals requested that
there be a ceremony, referring to Maçka Mayor ErtuÄ?rul Genç's request
to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate for the service to he held.
As the patriarchate responded positively to requests of the government
and the Ministry of Culture, `They supported it,' in Vingas' words.
As the patriarchate responded positively to requests of the government
and the Ministry of Culture, `They supported it,' in Vingas' words.
He said the government was courageous to do it because it is not
`propaganda material' just prior to the Sept. 12 referendum for a
constitutional amendment package.
Regarding support from local residents, he said: `First of all, their
request to have the service this year shows that they were ready for
it. Maybe we wouldn't be able to have this success story today if we
did not have last year's discouraging experience. We probably will
have more supporters of the event next year.'
Although allowed only one day in the year, the historic service at the
Sümela Monastery was the first in Turkey's republican history. Three
thousand Orthodox Christians, from Turkey and abroad, flocked to the
ancient monastery to attend the ceremony, conducted by Fener Greek
Patriarch Bartholomew, a Turkish citizen. [!!!]
Another breakthrough decision adopted by the current government
matters a great deal to the Armenian community in Turkey, as well as
to Armenians abroad. A religious service scheduled to be held at the
10th century Armenian Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island on
Lake Van on Sept. 19 is a significant event marking the reconciliation
of Turks with their own past. The church, regarded as one of the
finest architectural examples of ancient Armenian civilization in
Turkey, reopened in 2007 as a museum following the allocation of a
$1.5 million restoration fund by the Turkish government.
Ara Koçunyan, editor-in-chief of the Armenian daily Jamanak, published
in Ä°stanbul, said opening such sacred places, which have great
importance to people, would definitely make a contribution to society.
`When Armenians went to various places to visit in Anatolia, they
would see old places of worship in a state that did not correspond to
their value. It is a very positive development that the church was
restored with the state budget,' he said, noting that there are more
things that can be done. `But you can never reach the 15th step on a
staircase without first setting your foot on the first step,' he
added.
According to Koçunyan, Turkey has been showing its `good will' at a
time when attempts at a rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia have
been stalled. [which side has made it stall?]
`The church has been restored as a museum, and the Armenian
Patriarchate in Turkey worked in harmony with the government in that
effort,' he said.
He also noted that a cross, which caused a controversy earlier, would
be erected on the church's steeple.
The church, which was reopened in 2007, will serve as a monument and
museum, despite demands from some Armenians that it be opened for
worship. The head of the Armenian Orthodox Church, Garegin II, had
refused to attend the reopening ceremony three years ago because the
site will not be serving as a church. A similar controversy focused on
whether a cross would be erected on the steeple of the church.
This year, Garegin II, representative of about 10 million Armenians in
Echmiadzin -- the historic center of the Armenian Apostolic Church
about 20 miles northwest of Yerevan -- is sending two high-level
representatives to the one-day religious service on the island on
Sept. 19.
However, some Armenians still have reservations about the developments
because they think that by turning the church into a museum and
tourist site the Turkish government is concerned less with its
renovation and more with its appropriation as a Turkish cultural
heritage site. This view has been expressed in the bilingual Armenian
weekly Agos, which is based in Ä°stanbul, by Editor-in-Chief Rober
KoptaÅ?.
`Why does the government evaluate the opening of the church, which has
belonged to the Armenians for centuries, in the context of `faith
tourism'?' he asked in his column in the paper's Aug. 13 issue.
`Why is there just `one' day of worship at the church? What is going
to happen in the remaining 364 days?' he continued. `Is the government
going to open it `for one more day' when it needs to do it to save
itself regarding the Armenian issue?' Berat Ã-zipek, an academic and
member of the Association for Liberal Thinking, said Turkish-Armenian
citizens are right in their reservations.
`For example, the cross issue. There is nothing in the Islamic
tradition preventing the erection of a cross of a church or silencing
a church's bells,' he said, adding that the current government is
against the Kemalist line, which is strictly secularist, but that
there are still legal barriers to what the government wants to do.
`The constitution carries prohibitions that are harmful to every
Turkish citizen. And when the ruling party wants to change it, it
becomes vulnerable to closure cases,' he said.
He noted that it was the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP)
that fiercely opposed the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK
Party) attempt to pass the Foundations Law regarding property owned by
minorities. Ã-zipek added that despite the government's attempt to
create more legal freedoms, there are still `mental barriers' blocking
its wider view. `The latest example of this is the prime minister's
words against his opponent Kemal KılıçdaroÄ?lu implying that
KılıçdaroÄ?lu does not have `proper roots of descent',' he said.
`Kemalist prejudices that are engrained in people's subconscious often
come to the surface.'
He also said the government must understand that only `radical steps'
would help it to move forward.
According to Ã-zipek, if the government recognizes the legal status of
cemevis, Alevi places of worship, the general public would not be
offended, despite the fears of some government circles. `But the
decision-makers do not realize this,' he said. `The government should
be stripped of its fears and be bold.' Ä°stanbul Sunday's Zaman
`Back to the drawing board for the monastery'
The Syriac Universal Alliance (SUA), the recognized United Nations NGO
representing Aramean (Syriac) people worldwide, reports that the
Supreme Court of Appeals in Ankara handed down its long-awaited
decision regarding St. Gabriel Monastery's battle over land boundaries
with the neighboring villages of Yayvantepe (Qartmin) and EÄ?lence
(Zinol) in southeastern Turkey.
`In a shocking verdict, the Ankara court has decided against the
monastery, resulting in its earlier victory on May 22, 2009 becoming
null and void,' the statement from the SUA said.
The case dates back to an original decision by the Midyat Cadastre
Directorate in May 2008 to redraft the monastery boundary lines and
grant neighboring villages 110 hectares of land originally owned by
the monastery for over 1,600 years. The monastery appealed this
decision to the Turkish Land Registration court, but lost the case on
Aug. 29, 2008.
The monastery then appealed the decision of the registration court to
the local court in Midyat, at which point the surrounding villages
claimed an additional 190 hectares of monastery land. Following the
monastery's victory in May 2009 at the local court, the neighboring
villages appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Appeals in June
2009.
The Supreme Court of Appeals ruled on Aug. 13 that the Midyat court,
which officially began hearing the trial on Nov. 19, 2008, never had
jurisdiction to hear the case, meaning that the boundary lines drafted
by the Midyat Cadastre Directorate back in 2008 are back in effect and
that the Midyat court case proclaiming victory for the monastery of
its original boundary lines is null and void. `Since the Midyat court
victory, the monastery was confident that the Supreme Court of Appeals
would uphold the original lower court decision. The Midyat court
decision originally found that the neighboring villages of Yayvantepe
and EÄ?lence had no basis on which to argue that the some 300 hectares
of land belonged to them. This evidence presented by the monastery,
relating to land title and financial/tax documents, undoubtedly showed
ownership of the land by the monastery,' the SUA explained.
The SUA noted that they are now weighing their options in response to
the decision, and among those is to commence with proceedings at the
European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Their press statement emphasized `Inside sources inform the SUA that
the monastery will appeal the decision back to the Supreme Court of
Appeals.'
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