US embassy cable - 03ISTANBUL399

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000399 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2013 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, AM, TU, Istanbul 
SUBJECT: ARMENIAN PATRIARCH MESROB II ON THE CHURCH, 
ARMENIA, AND TURKEY 
 
 
Classified By: Consul General David Arnett for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
 
 
 
1. (C) Summary: In a March 13 meeting, Istanbul Armenian 
Patriarch Mesrob II blamed Catholicos Karekin II and Armenian 
President Robert Kocharian for increasing tensions within the 
Armenian Church and criticized the Armenian Diaspora for 
focusing exclusively on "genocide" recognition and for 
ignoring Turkish-Armenian reconciliation.  Mesrob admitted 
that the Armenian community in Turkey continues to experience 
problems regarding their right to own property, but dismissed 
it as an issue for international concern.  Mesrob is also 
hopeful that the new single-party Justice and Development 
Party (AKP) government will carry through on some of its 
early rhetoric regarding the treatment of minority religious 
communities.  End Summary. 
 
 
Armenian Orthodox Church 
------------------------ 
2. (C) Placing the blame squarely on Etchmiadzin and Yerevan, 
Mesrob told poloff that tensions within the Armenian Orthodox 
Church are on the rise.  Although personal relationships 
between the Catholicos and Patriarchs are good, Mesrob 
claimed that Catholicos Karekin II's efforts to assert his 
authority have caused friction with the others (Note: In 
addition to Catholicos Karekin II in Etchmiadzin (Armenia), 
there are three other hierarchical Sees in the Church: the 
Catholicos of Cilicia (Lebanon), and the Patriarchs of 
Jerusalem and Constantinople. End Note).  Mesrob lamented 
that Karekin's election to the Catholicosate in 1999 had not 
been democratic, and, in fact, had been orchestrated by 
Armenian President Robert Kocharian.  According to Mesrob, 
Armenians worldwide are increasingly frustrated with the 
Armenian government and their Church.  Clearly disappointed 
that Kocharian was reelected March 5, Mesrob doubted whether 
such an outcome would have been possible without massive 
election fraud.  Poloff told Mesrob that both the OSCE and 
the State Department had publicly criticized the conduct of 
the elections and called on the Armenian government to 
investigate the irregularities. 
 
 
Armenians in Turkey 
------------------- 
3. (C) As for his own community, Mesrob told poloff that his 
best estimates indicate that there are between 50,000 and 
60,000 Orthodox Armenians in Turkey (Note: There are a few 
thousand Armenian Catholics as well.  End Note).  The Turkish 
government estimated that there are as many as 80,000, but 
Mesrob believes this number is exaggerated and may include 
many Armenians who have since emigrated.  Mesrob reports that 
the population is fairly stable; there are even 100 or so new 
converts each year.  More interesting, Mesrob offered, is the 
continuous stream of visitors claiming Armenian descent and 
varying levels of adherence to Church traditions who come to 
see him from all over Turkey.  When he himself travels to 
other parts of Turkey, particularly the eastern regions, 
Mesrob said that he is besieged by such people.  Mesrob 
deliberately refrains from encouraging such visits and 
exchanges in order to avoid the appearance of proselytization 
and to preserve good relations with the Turkish government. 
Asked to hazard a guess as to their numbers, Mesrob 
speculated that there might be a million or more such people 
who accept their Armenian roots.  (Comment: Poloff has heard 
similar estimates from other sources as well.  End Comment). 
 
 
4. (C) With regard to ongoing government restrictions on the 
activities and rights of the local Armenian community, Mesrob 
admitted that in spite of recent improvements in legislation, 
such problems continue.  Shortly before meeting with poloff, 
for example, Mesrob  had met with local Armenians to decide 
whether to take legal and/or political measures in response 
to a decision to revoke a property deed for one of the 
Armenian high schools.  (Note: Although Mesrob did not 
mention the school by name, a sympathetic March 23 article in 
daily Radikal suggests that he may have been referring to the 
Surp Hac Armenian School in Uskudar.  End Note).  Despite 
these difficulties, however, Mesrob was emphatic in 
emphasizing that he does not believe that this should be a 
subject of international concern.  In his view, U.S. and 
European pressure on the Turkish government has been 
counterproductive. "Would it make sense for Turkey to lobby 
the U.S. on behalf of Native Americans?" he asked 
rhetorically.  Mesrob acknowledged that each religious 
minority deals with these issues differently.  The Greeks, he 
said, favor a more confrontational approach because they feel 
that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartolomeos' political stature 
gives them more influence.  Meanwhile, the Jews rely heavily 
on the political and financial support of a few powerful 
patrons within their community (including Jak Kamhi (Profilo) 
and Isak Alaton (Alarko)). 
 
 
Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation 
------------------------------- 
5. (C) Mesrob told poloff that the real obstacle to 
Turkish-Armenian reconciliation lies with the Armenian 
Diaspora.  According to him, most older Turks acknowledge 
that the so-called "genocide" occurred, but are unable to 
discuss it openly.  The Diaspora, however, is single-mindedly 
focused on recognition of the "genocide" and has no interest 
in Turkish-Armenian reconciliation.  Mesrob also questioned 
Armenian President Kocharian's commitment to reconciliation, 
suggesting that he too may be overly influenced by the 
Diaspora.  Mesrob told poloff that his own position is 
particularly delicate.  He is seen by many in the Diaspora as 
an apologist for Turkey and by many in Turkey as an agent of 
Armenia.  As long as he can avoid feeding these 
misimpressions,  Mesrob assured poloff that he is personally 
prepared to do whatever he can to support reconciliation; he 
is even ready to travel to Azerbaijan for meetings with the 
Chief Mufti, an offer he claimed he recently made to the 
General Director for Religious Affairs Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz 
(Note: Mehmet Nuri Yilmaz retired on March 17 "under 
pressure" from the AK government.  End Note). 
 
 
Turkish Politics 
---------------- 
6. (C) Asked whether he expected to see movement on these 
issues from the new Justice and Development Party (AKP) 
government, Mesrob remarked that they have been saying some 
of the right things, but that he has not seen many tangible 
results so far.  He did note that this single-party 
government may be in a stronger position to effect change 
than the previous coalition government.  Ties between the 
Patriarchate and the Democratic Left Party (DSP) and 
Motherland Party (ANAP) coalition partners in the 1999-2002 
Ecevit government had been good, but the third coalition 
partner, the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), had refused to 
even meet with him.  Mesrob dismissed speculation that 
Islamic-leaning AKP may "use" the minority religious 
communities as an excuse and cover for loosening state 
control over religion to advance their "hidden" 
socio-religious agenda.  Mesrob also doubted whether AKP 
would be able to undertake any bold initiatives regarding 
either its minority populations or relations with Armenia 
until after the Iraq situation is resolved. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
7. (C) Much of what Mesrob said about the differences between 
the minority religious communities tracks closely with what 
we have observed.  Of the three major communities, the Greeks 
(numbering only a few thousand) have been the quickest (and 
often only) ones to ask for our help in addressing property 
and religious training issues.  The Jewish community 
(numbering about 22,000) explicitly prefers a 
non-confrontational style, which they claim has enabled them 
to meet the needs of their community.  Perhaps because they 
are faced with such sensitive and unresolved issues (i.e., 
"genocide" and Turkish-Armenian reconciliation) and because 
they are caught between Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora, on 
the one hand, and the Turkish government and a nationalist 
Turkish population, on the other hand, the Armenian community 
here has been careful to deal with their local problems 
themselves without appealing for international assistance. 
At the same time, the three communities have cordial 
relations and have cooperated on a number of issues.  Most 
recently, all three community leaders openly supported 
Turkey's EU aspirations.  Mesrob claims that they had planned 
to make a joint trip to European capitals before Copenhagen, 
but in the end he made the trip alone (Note: His initiative 
was widely reported and well-received in the Turkish media. 
End Note). 
ARNETT