Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople

Turkey's president received Sahak Maşalyan, head of Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, at the presidential complex, on Jan. 14.

The meeting was closed to press.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also hosted Maşalyan and congratulated him for being elected as the 85th Armenian patriarch in Turkey.

Çavuşoğlu wished the best for the Armenian community and Turkey.

Sahak Maşalyan (Mashalian), the 85th Patriarch of Turkey's Armenians, was enthroned as Sahak II in a ceremony held at the Surp Asdvadzadzin Patriarchate Church in Istanbul on Jan 11.

Born in 1962 in Istanbul with the Turkish name Şahin Maşalı, he was ordained a priest in 1992, receiving the name Sahak.

Aram Ateşyan, the acting patriarch of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, resigned on May 24, paving the way for patriarchal elections, Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos has reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a message to a religious ceremony held in the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul on April 24 to commemorate the victims of the 1915 killings of Armenians under Ottoman rule, addressing Patriarch Aram Ateşyan, general vicar of the Armenian patriarch of Turkey, and citizens of Armenian origin.

The Armenian Patriarchate in Turkey has welcomed a message of condolences by Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu over the killings of Armenians at the hands of Ottomans in 1915, just days before the ceremonies on April 24. 

The Armenian Patriarchate in Turkey has established a foundation under the name "Hovagim 1461," in order to formally acquire a legal personality.

The foundation is named after the first Armenian patriarchate Hovagim and the date when he was appointed to his position.