Public Council subcommittee urges not to attend Surb Khach Mass

Armenia's Public Council subcommittee for preservation of monuments and national historic values adopted a decision on Monday calling on all Armenians not to attend a mass to be served this autumn in Surb Khach (Saint Cross) church on Akhtamar Island located in Lake Van, Eastern Turkey, subcommittee Chair Zhasmen Asryan told reporters.

“We call on the Armenian Apostolic Church, tourist companies and everybody not to attend this event organized by the Turkish authorities in Surb Khach church,” Zhasmen Asryan said.

The move comes after Romik Hovnanyan, President of Van-Vaspurakan patriotic union, sent a letter to the Council, calling on Armenians not to attend the mass to be served on September 19. Surb Khach has been closed for almost a century, and many Armenians say that by opening it for one-off mass ceremony Turkey attempts to use Armenians for pursuing its objectives: to show the world that it is in good terms with Armenians and that it pays due attention to minorities in Turkey, also to improve its image in the eyes of the international community on its way towards EU membership.