YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian community of Turkey is awaiting a response from the interior ministry for a long time regarding the organizational issue of the election of the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul. The ministry hasn’t yet responded to the request of the patriarchate, which was presented through the Istanbul Governor’s Office.

Garo Paylan, the ethnic Armenian MP of Turkey, has raised the issue in the parliament, by addressing a written appeal to the interior minister, Agos reports.

Paylan stressed that according to media reports, the Istanbul Governor has said that Turkey doesn’t recognize Garegin Bekchian as locum tenens and wants a new election between the other two bishops.

“Interference of this kind by the state into the patriarchal election and protracting the process for this long has become a reason of concern in the community”, the MP said.

He demanded a response from the minister on the basis for interference, and whether or not there really is interference, as stated by the governor.

In addition, he seeks to clarify the reason for delaying the process for so long.