The Turkish “Akşam” pro-government newspaper had accused the member of the Turkish parliament, the member of the pro-Kurdish Democratic People’s Party (PDP), Garo Paylan, in manipulating the elections, in its “PDP intrigue fails in patriarchate” article in January 12 volume. The article claims that the PDP wants to “overtake” the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople through Paylan, bringing its activities closer to the political line of the Armenian Diaspora. The pro-government paper also claimed that Paylan allegedly supported the leader of the Gugarats diocese Patriarch Archbishop Sepuh Chuljyan, who is a Patriarch candidate, a favorite of Diaspora and one of the pioneers in the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
“Garo Paylan, who played a major role in the formation of the PDP, and his team wanted to manipulate the elections and influence them. Since Paylan’s goal is to direct the process as Armenia wants”, wrote the newspaper, adding that Paylan failed to fulfill his intention.
In response to the defamatory article of the Turkish paper, Pailan issued a written statement, which states:
“We, the representatives of the Armenian community of Turkey, have been waiting for the Patriarch elections for a long time. This is also reported in the newspaper article. I started taking steps as a member of parliament to start the electoral process as quick as possible and to organize it according to the rules. I have repeatedly met with government members on this question. I have brought this topic to the agenda many times on different occasions in the Turkish Parliament. As a representative of the Armenian community, I fought for the realization of our right to hold Patriarchal elections. Contrary to what is stated in this article, so far, I have not expressed any support to any of the Patriarch candidates. Anyone who respects the community and fulfils his responsibilities is acceptable to me, and the Armenian community decides who will be elected as a patriarch”.
The Armenian MP noted that recently the Turkish state has begun applying “old traditions” to the Armenian community: “Some “partners” within the community who are controlled from outside, want to confuse the government and the public, by manipulating our just demands”.
Paylan ended the statement with a call:
“Crises rising in democratic institutions are overcome through democratic elections.We, as an Armenian community, need to focus on holding the patriarchal elections, which are our right by law, in order to end this chaos in the spiritual and secular world. We should have a well-managed community. I will continue to declare from all platforms that it is also in the interests of Turkey. I will continue making efforts in this direction. We invite all concerned bodies, except those pursuing their own interests, to join this common work”.
Ermenihaber.am