I was actually in Trabzon, when the mass happened. The city was a little bit tense. MHP activists made a big fuss in town I was told. Still a good sign emerged in Sümela Monastery: Turkey’s peace with her citizens. In the mean time, Turkish State’s defense at ECHR is a scandal. At least, President Abdullah Gül was quick to denounce that defense…
Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, conducts a service at the Sumela Monastery in Trabzon, northeastern Turkey. The Greek Orthodox faithful flocked to the cliffside setting of Sumela monastery after Ankara allowed mass to be celebrated here for the first time in 88 years.? Read more »(AFP/Bulent Kilic)
Turkey Allows Christians to Hold Historic Church Service
from Yahoo news
Turkey allowed Christians to hold a rare service at a politically sensitive monastery for the first time since the modern-day country’s creation nearly nine decades ago.
First Service at Sümela Monastery after 88 Years
from Bianet :: English
Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew advocated for a peaceful coexistence, saying, “We have no ulterior motives. We came to commemorate the Greek Orthodox people living in this area”. The service was attended by hundreds of Greek Orthodox Christians from Turkey and abroad.
Turkish-Armenian Journalist Dink Blamed at ECHR
from Bianet :: English
The government defended assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Dink’s conviction for “insulting Turkishness” with the comparison to a neo-Nazi case. “Since Dink had not asked for protection, he was not under threat”, the government also claimed.
President Gül Admits State’s Responsibility for Dink Murder
from Bianet :: English
President Abdullah Gül accepted the state’s responsibility for the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Gül said that Dink died because “necessary precautions” had not been taken prior to the murder.
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