The Armenian community of Turkey has addressed a letter to Naira Zohrabyan, the head of the Prosperous Armenian Party parliamentary faction, wherein it asks the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin not to let Archbishop Aram Ateshian, General Vicar (Acting Patriarch) of the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, to the clergy meetings. Zohrabyan read out the letter in the Armenian Parliament today.
The authors of the letter say Ateshayn has become an instrument for anti-Armenian propaganda in the hands of Turkey's authorities and protects their interests. By his behavior, he discredits not only his rite, but also the Armenian people and the community in Turkey. Consequently, he must be stripped of his rite, the letter reads.
Further in the letter, the Armenian community members urge the authorities of Armenia not to let Ateshyan into the country - the General Vicar will visit Armenia on June 22 to attend the meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council and the events to be organized on the occasion of Pope Francis' visit to Armenia.
A public initiative objecting to Aram Ateshian's visit has already been created on Facebook. A group of activists will go to the airport to prevent his entry to the country.
To note, earlier Ateshian wrote a letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In his letter, Ateshian criticized the German Bundestag resolution on recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and apologized for that resolution. This caused indignation of the Armenians worldwide.