VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
The Culture and Tourism Ministry ends speculation about the historical Surp Haç (Holy Cross) Church on Akdamar Island in Van. Officials from the ministry say the church will be opened for prayer and a cross will be placed on the roof by September 2010
Renovation of the historical Surp Haç (Holy Cross) Church on Akdamar Island in the eastern district of Van helped begin the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia, but the church remains a topic of considerable debate.
The Armenian church was renovated and opened as a museum in 2007 by former Culture Minister Atilla Koç; since then, debate has centered on whether a cross would be placed atop the building’s dome and whether the church would once again be opened for prayer.
Buildings designated as museums are not allowed to host religious services under Turkish law.
Current Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay has told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review that the ministry is making the final legal arrangements to allow the church to open for prayer once a year.
Last week, however, daily Milliyet and other Turkish newspapers announced that the ministry was no longer considering opening Surp Haç for prayer. The announcement naturally attracted the interest of Armenian media and the Armenian diaspora as well.
‘The information is old; preparations are at the final level’
The Daily News spoke to ministry officials to get the latest developments about the historical church. Denying last week’s news story, the officials said the church would be opened for prayer in September 2010 with a cross on the building’s roof. According to the ministry sources, Milliyet’s story was based on old information; in fact, they said, the legal preparations for opening the church to prayer are continuing rapidly.
Disappointment caused by museum status
Günay said there are obstacles to churches in addition to Surp Haç being opened for prayer, adding that the ministry is handling the legal arrangements very carefully to prevent similar difficulties in the future.
The church has symbolic importance in the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia. Although it is commonly believed that Armenian-Turkish dialogue began with the World Cup Qualifier between the two countries’ national teams in 2008, the actual process began with the initial renovation of Surp Haç.
Former minister Koç contacted Gagik Gürciyan, the deputy culture minister of Armenia at that time, to provide experts from Armenia to come to Turkey to inspect the church. Despite the closed borders between the two countries, Turkish and Armenian experts have engaged in a coordinated effort aimed at restoring Surp Haç.
Leaving the church without a cross and opening it as a museum, however, disappointed the Armenian world. During the restoration, a replica of the original cross was prepared by experts according to the traditions of the Apostolic Church. That cross was brought to Istanbul and delivered to Mesrop II, patriarch of Turkish Armenians.
The cross is still at the Istanbul patriarchate, waiting to be placed atop Surp Haç.
Hürriyet Daily News
