A religious service scheduled to be held at the Akdamar Church in Lake Van on Sept. 12 has been postponed until Sept. 19, as the originally scheduled date coincides with a referendum on Parliament’s constitutional amendment package.
According to a statement issued by the Van Governor’s Office, Van Governor Münir Karaoğlu called Armenian Orthodox Archbishop Aram Ateşyan to offer to change the date of the religious service at the church to Sept. 19.
Noting that the Armenian community reacted positively to the suggestion, the statement read, “Recalling that the referendum will take place on Sept. 12 and the votes of Turkish-Armenian citizens would be jeopardized [in the event the service was held on the scheduled date], Karaoğlu conveyed his suggestion that the service to be held the following week, on Sept. 19. While noting that re-scheduling the service would not cause any problems, Ateşyan said Sept. 19 would be suitable for them.” The statement also noted that Governor Karaoğlu thanked Ateşyan for his positive response.
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