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Viewing cable 08ISTANBUL574, ACTING ARMENIAN PATRIARCH CRITICIZES TREATMENT BY

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08ISTANBUL574 2008-11-17 12:24 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Istanbul
VZCZCXRO2712
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHIT #0574 3221224
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171224Z NOV 08
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8595
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
UNCLAS ISTANBUL 000574 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM AA TU OSCE
SUBJECT: ACTING ARMENIAN PATRIARCH CRITICIZES TREATMENT BY 
GOT 
 
1.  Summary.  During a November 3 farewell call by the 
Ambassador acting Armenian Patriarch, Archbishop Aram Ateysan 
described Patriarch Mesrob II's failing health and indicated 
the Patriarch will likely continue in his position until 
death.  Atesyan also outlined the impact of the amended 
Foundations Law and expressed his sadness at the lack of 
tangible outcomes from the Turkish community and government 
following the murder of Hrant Dink. End summary. 
 
2. According to Archbishop Atesyan, the Patriarch is 
suffering from dementia and has become very forgetful.  His 
staff takes him out for two to three hours of fresh air daily 
as he gradually "takes his hands from the world." The 
Archbishop stressed that despite his poor health Mesrob II 
remains the Patriarch, and only upon his death or choice to 
renounce his role does an election occur.  Additionally, 51 
percent of the delegates who initially elected him can also 
call him down from the Patriarchy. 
 
3. While noting that the Armenian community has an on-going 
problem with the GOT, the Archbishop said that their 
situation improved during the AKP government. He stressed 
that Prime Minister Erdogan is not a nationalist, and 
therefore he understands the community.  The 2008 amendment 
to the Foundations Law showed that the AKP was open to 
greater minority rights. According to the Archbishop, 
Armenian foundations requested the return of 500 pieces of 
property and only 50 have been returned. Despite the GOT 
contention that it cannot return the remaining pieces as they 
have been sold to third parties, the European Court of Human 
Rights stated that in such cases the GOT must provide 
compensation to the requesting party. 
 
4. Critical of the lack of concrete results following the 
"show" of support after the murder of Hrant Dink, the 
Archbishop said the "people have given their attention but 
nothing else, nothing positive."  As Turkish citizens, he 
said, the Armenian community wants what is rightfully theirs 
and "does not want any more than any other Turk." 
The government has decided to hold back these rights, and not 
to recognize the Patriarchate as a formal institution, 
because of their differences with Armenia, he contends. 
According to the Archbishop, problems between the Armenian 
communities - in Turkey and Armenia - and the Turkish 
community are created by politicians, not the people 
themselves.  President Gul's trip to view the soccer match 
between the Armenian and Turkish national teams in Yerevan 
was a good gesture, he said, and more must be done to open 
doors between the two countries. 
 
5. With the potential of greater rights as minorities and 
Turkish citizens in mind, the Archbishop hopes Turkey will 
enter the European Union.   In 1910, he explained that there 
were 2,200 Armenian Orthodox Churches in Turkey while only 45 
remain today. Currently the GOT does not provide any funds to 
maintain their churches, schools, newspapers and hospital, 
and the community survives through the donations and work of 
the Armenian foundations. Overall, the Archbishop contends, 
the AKP desires to improve conditions for members of minority 
religious communities, but other parties have a role in 
decision-making on government levels. 
WIENER