Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, said the Holy See was preparing to initiate legal
claims against Turkey to regain ownership of the historic headquarters
of the Catholicosate of Sis.
“The Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia will soon
present its legal claims to Turkey’s Constitutional Court, demanding the
return of its historic seat, the Sis Catholicosate, to its rightful
owners—the Armenian Church and the Armenian people,” said His Holiness.
Aram I’s message was delivered before attendees of the fifth
Armenia-Diaspora Pan-Armenian meeting at the Yerevan Opera House on
Sept. 19, organized and hosted by Armenia’s Diaspora Ministry.
During the speech, Aram I said, “We cannot remain indifferent towards
the abuse of the rights of the Armenian nation. Indifference amounts to
the betrayal of the nation.” The Armenian genocide centennial will be
marked by such initiatives and acts of commemoration that will leave
permanent stamps on—and give new direction to—the Armenian Cause, he
said. His Holiness also discussed the efforts of recent years, noting,
“It is now time that we move Hai Tahd efforts beyond the
recognition of the Armenian genocide into the legal sphere.” During the
past two years, under his supervision, a great deal of work has been
carried out to reach that goal in collaboration with international law
experts, he added.
“If Turkey’s Constitutional Court rejects our claims, we ill
immediately present our case to the European Court of Human Rights,” he
said. “If we win the case, the honor and victory will belong to our
nation and church. And if we lose the case, that will also be a victory,
because in presenting our case we will have reminded the perpetrators
and the international community that the Armenian nation remains
committed to demanding its rights no matter the number of years that
distance it from the onset of the genocide.”
Finally, His Holiness noted that this legal initiative would require
significant funding, but that he trusted he would receive the support of
the Armenian people, because the Armenian Church is essentially the
people, and any church center ultimately belongs to the people.
The headquarters of the
Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia were located in the city of Sis (modern-day Kozan) from 1293 to
1921. During the Armenian genocide, the Armenians of Cilicia were
subjected to massacres. The last Catholicos in Sis was Sahak II, who
fled to Syria with the surviving Armenian population of Cilicia in 1921.
His Holiness’s speech was delivered during the opening ceremony of
the conference, which also featured speeches by Armenian Prime Minister
Hovik Abrahamian, Artsakh President Bako Sahakian, Catholicos of All
Armenians His Holiness Karekin II, Catholic Patriarch Nerses Petros XIX,
and Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau Chairman Hrant Markarian.
"The Armenian Weekly," September 19, 2014
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