Date of worship in the Armenian Church Island Akhtamar near Van may be postponed indefinitely by the authorities in Turkey, due to the increased terrorist threat.
Regnum News Agency today published a story, according to which the security forces in Turkey have received information about a possible provocation by an Azerbaijani -Turkish organization called "The Union Against Unfounded Claims of the Armenians." Regnum makes reference the the online version of Yerkramas newspaper.
Turkey fears provocation at the opening of Armenian church
According to the source of Yerkramas Turkish authorities may fear that special police and army forces, who sympathize with Turkish nationalists opposing the conduct of a Christian worship in the Armenian Church, may be involved in the preparation of a possible provocation.
"We note that the protest movement against the September 19 liturgy in Holy Cross church increases with each passing day. Turkish nationalists , who oppose the placing of a cross atop the church, require the government to stop the coming of the Armenia pilgrims from Armenia and the diaspora to participate in the worship service. This ant-Armenian campaign involves not only the above-mentioned marginalized organization, but also a serious political force. In this regard, the statement by the Turkish authorities about the impossibility of installing the cross on the top of the Holy Cross church, allegedly due to technical problems, can be interpreted as a concession to nationalists," Regnum writes.
According to Today's Zaman, the Turkish government had spent 1.7 million U.S. dollars renovating the 10th century Armenian Church in the island of Akhtamar in Eastern Turkey. However, few days ago the Turkish authorities in Van, told the Armenian archbishop of Istanbul Aram Ateshian that the cross won't be erected on the the top of the dome. The worship service was going to be allowed only one time on September 19.
Holy Etchmiadzin, the Mother See of the Armenian Apostolic Church was going to send two high ranking church officials to participate int he service from Armenia. However, on Saturday, September 4th, the center of the Armenian Church announced that it cancels its earlier decision on the participation of its two representatives at the worship service in Akhtamar due to the fact that Turkish authorities refused to erect the cross on the top of a Christian church due to invalid reasons. Turkish authorities say they won't have time to install the 200kg heavy cross on top of the church. However, the renovation of this church was ended in 2007 and three years has passed.
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