The Spiritual Council of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople (Turkey) adopted a decision today in the morning on relieving Archbishop Aram Ateşyan from the post of the General Vicar of the Armenian Patriarch. In an interview with Agos newspaper, Chairman of the Spiritual Council Sahak Mashalyan informed that the decision was passed in a vote of 22 in favour and 2 against.
On May 24, Archbishop Aram Ateşyan invited newly elected patriarchal locum tenens Garegin Bekchian to Istanbul, however until now he did not step down as patriarchal vicar.
On 24 June, a meeting was held between Ateşyan and Bekchian, during which Ateşyan officially announced that he did not intend to resign.
