Epress.am News from Armenia
Turkey made a chess move and Armenia, in the case of going and not going to Van’s Holy Cross Church, lose one of their pieces, said Yerevan State University (YSU) Faculty of Oriental Studies Deputy Dean, Turkologist Rouben Melkonyan.
Melkonyan called sending two priests from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin “a correct decision.” [Editor’s note: the Mother See has since recalled its decision and is suspending the participation of its clergymen in the Divine Liturgy, according to ArmenianChurch.org.]
“However, the Mother See agreed after statements were made that the cross is going to be sanctified and placed on the [church’s] dome,” he said.
According to Melkonyan, the Turkish “propaganda machine,” for two months, succeeded in dictated and forming Armenia’s agenda. He’s convinced that it was necessary to provide a better organized and expert response to what was done.
The Turkologist found it amusing, Turkey’s latest statements on not placing the cross on Holy Cross Church because of technical issues. Melkonyan considered linking not installing the cross with technical complications not serious, when Turkish media, for a long time, were reporting on all the conditions that had to be created for the Armenian pilgrims coming on Sept. 17.
Melkonyan said that it was due to internal political issues that the cross would not be placed on the church’s dome. In this context, he noted the Sept. 12 referendum on Constitutional amendments in Turkey.
“This is the most important issue in Turkey’s domestic political life, since the amendments have been proposed by the ruling party and opposition parties are coming out against them,” he said.
These days, believes the YSU professor, Turkish society is going to view the Armenian church very negatively and it will directly influence the governing party’s political rating.