Istanbul Patriarchate Locum Tenens Archbishop Karekin Bekdjian. He is leaving Istanbul after his election was nullified by the state
ISTANBUL—The elected Locum Tenens of the Istanbul Patriarchate Archbishop Karekin Bekdjian is leaving Istanbul after the city’s governor demanded that the cleric’s election be voided and forcibly reinstated Archbishop Aram Ateshian as Vicar-General and cancelled a planned election of a new Patriarch.
In parting statement Archbishop Bekdjian said that his arrival in Turkey was borne from a desire to end the transition period of nine years at the Patriarchate “and to contribute to the Patriarchate’s legitimate administration.â€
