Sebouh Chouldjian

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.

The Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey declared its support for the Turkish army in Operation Peace Spring on Sept. 11. Sahak Maşalyan, head of Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, spoke to the press in Istanbul about the ongoing operation.

Archbishop Mesrob II Mutafyan, the top religious leader of Orthodox Christians Armenians in Turkey, was laid to rest on March 17 as many political and religious figures and Armenian nationals from overseas have bid their final farewells to him.

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.

Turkey's "new" and "advanced" democracy is getting entrenched in exceptional developments. One of those rather interesting happenings came at a meeting between the prime minister and representatives of minority religions.