Failed Elections of Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople to be examined at Turkey Constitutional Court

• 05.22.2019, 17:07
•  Region,  World

On May 22 the Turkish Constitutional Court will consider the issue of failure to elect an Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople for over a decade, Public Radio of Armenia reports, referring to Ermenihaber.am reports.

The late Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan’s inability to perform his duties from 2008 prompted the Armenian community to initiate a process of election of his successor. However, the Turkish state declared in 2010 that a new Patriarch could not be elected as long as the acting Patriarch was alive and allowed to elect a General Vicar. Archbishop Aram Ateshyan was elected to the post that had never existed before.

After years of discord Ateshyan lost a re-election, but Istanbul Governor’s office declared the elections invalid.