It is hard to figure out if Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian, Patriarch of Istanbul, is running scared of the Turks for whom he obviously has deep affection, or whether he simply opposes anything favorable for Armenia and Armenians in general.
What is galling is the honor he is given in some newspapers as the “leader” of Armenians in Turkey. A leader of Armenians hopefully does not undermine leaders of the Armenian community, Armenian history or friends of Armenia. What the Turkey-fawning Mutafian fails to understand is that his words impact upon Armenians and non-Armenians around the world.
The Turks do not hesitate to splash his comments in international newspapers because Mutafian has become one of the favored Ankara-sponsored spokespersons in the world. Unfortunately, his title receives attention because most persons outside of Turkey do not know him or his style and assume that he really has deep concerns for Armenians and Armenia. It is assumed in too many places that because Mutafian bears an Armenian name that he lives Armenian pain, Armenian hopes and Armenian dreams as verbalized by most Armenians in general.
That he is now a lobbyist for the Turkish government has become very obvious. He has indicated many times that the 1.5 million Armenians slaughtered in the 1915 Genocide share responsibility with the butchers for their own deaths.
Upon the departure from Armenia of French President Jacques Chirac, one of Mutafian’s comments as he again kissed the Turkish hand was, “If Armenians did not lead separation actions… at least 10 million Armenians would live in Turkey today.” He went on to say that Turkey would win a lot with that population.
It is interesting that he did not profess sorrow for the Genocide of Armenians. His main interest was that Turkey would have gained a lot if the murderers did not butcher the Armenians. It is hard to imagine that any honest person, much less an Armenian clergyman, has the audacity to state that the slaughtered Armenian babies, women, old people, young, sick, etc., were equally responsible with Talaat, Enver, Djemal and Nazim for the 1915 Genocide.
Of course, Mutafian does not have the courage, or perhaps even the belief, to state that 1915 was genocide. Keep in mind that he castigated the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II for having done so during the latter’s visit to Turkey some weeks ago.
Mutafian objected that Jacques Chirac advanced the Armenian Genocide as a pre-condition for Turkey’s entrance into the European Union (EU). Mutafian stated that even if that is what President Chirac wants, “One must not forget that Louis Michael, the minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, decisively said that one must not put new political standards before Turkey for membership to the European Union.”
Is this person, Mr. Mutafian, supposed to be a religious leader or Turkey’s lobbyist? Recalling that he traveled around Europe lobbying European politicians to allow his masters into the EU, he fits the description of a lobbyist. Being a political lobbyist for Turkey, Mr. Mutafian said that Jacques Chirac’s comment that “Turkey must recognize the Armenian Genocide for membership to the European Union” might be a “political precept.” In his comments to the Turkish press, Mr. Mutafian advanced himself as a spokesperson for the Armenians of Turkey. One wonders who or what gives him the right to say that it would have been preferred if the French president attempted to create dialogue between Armenia and Turkey. For the most part, Armenians to whom I have spoken who were from Istanbul and now live in the US are embarrassed, dislike, or find excuses for the comments made by Mutafian.
The excuses are generally that he is frightened of the repressive government in Turkey and says such things to protect the Armenian flock. My comment usually is, if this is fact, then Mutafian should say nothing outside the realm of being a clergyman. A clergyman does not denigrate proven Armenian/world/genocide history. When anyone says that the slaughtered Armenians were responsible for their own deaths, that is abominable and a disgrace. He has become the David Irving (Holocaust denier) of the Armenian Genocide.
Mutafian’s position and spoken words have even more appalling impact than David Irving’s books. Mutafian’s words were spoken to international outlets and will appear in English, Turkish and German languages, perhaps on TV as well as in written form. I do not blame Mutafian for wanting Turkey in the EU. Perhaps he recognizes that the EU will stick by their demands that Turkey must be a democracy before being allowed into that prestigious body. And if Turkey does become a democracy and is allowed into the EU all citizens of the country will benefit, including the Armenian flock. But it is not necessary for Mutafian to join the Genocide denier club for that to happen.
Mutafian wants Turkey to be able to write its own rules for entrance into the EU instead of Turkey complying with rules set up for Turkey. The Turks object to rules that specifically apply to them. If one of the leading Europeans (Jacques Chirac) wants to satisfy the demands of 400,000 French Armenians and countless non-Armenians in France and Europe for Turkey to recognize 1915 as genocide, it is unseemly for a wannabe Turk like Mutafian to object.
Why is it appropriate to have rules specifically applicable to Turkey to join the EU? Point out another wannabe nation to the EU that has as abysmal a human rights history as Turkey does. What other nation that aspires to the EU currently threatens to invade northern Iraq to get its way, and particularly to get oil that is in short supply? Let us not overlook that Foreign Minister Gul of Turkey threatened to invade northern Iraq because of comments made about Kurds by President Talabani of Iraq.
Perhaps Mutafian has lived so long in Turkey under pressure from the government that he has forgotten what truth and human rights are. One does not have to be an Armenian to understand these things. So much the greater shame for the current Patriarch sitting in Istanbul.
By Murad Muradian, Oct. 14 editorial of The Armenian Mirror Spectator
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