Paris, “Haratch”: -Armenian deputy of the Turkish Parliament Garo Paylan again raised the issue regarding the election of the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople and stated that the Patriarchate is currently in a state of hostage.
“The post of Deputy Patriarch of Constantinople Patriarchate is occupied by a person who has ties with the state, that is, the state has appointed a government representative in the Patriarchate. You can exert pressure on Armenians in Turkey, but there are over 12 million Armenians in the world, and almost all of them are from Anatolia, all of them support our Patriarchate, but now it is in a state of hostage”, said Paylan.
“There is a reality: Ateshian is not honoured by Armenians around the world. The only way to solve this problem is election. This chaos can be resolved only by election. Organize an election and we will solve this problem, which is critical both for the Armenian community and for Turkey. The world has not witnessed such an example of such a position remaining vacant for so many years under the guidance of another man. This man cannot hold this position for years, just doing nothing”, the Armenian deputy added.
Paylan has also spoken about this issue with the Prime Minister of Turkey: “I asked the Prime Minister: “Which community is more beneficial to you: an uncontrollable and weak Armenian community, or a community that has an honourable religious leader and has its own contribution in all areas of the country? Look at the issue from this angle”.”, said Paylan.