What happened at Bekçiyan-Ateşyan meeting?

On April 3, a meeting was held in the patriarchate with the participation of Değabah Bekçiyan, Archbishop Ateşyan, Representative of Minority (Community) Foundations and Council Member of the Directorate General of Foundations Toros Alcan, Surp Pırgiç Foundation Chair Bedros Şirinoplu and Bishop Sahak Maşalyan. After the meeting, Değabah Bekçiyan, Bishop Maşalyan and Toros Alcan made a statement to the press. 

Bekçiyan said:

"His Eminence Aram hadn't attended our first meeting. And His Eminence Sahak participated in the second meeting. 

We told about the entire process. Bedros Şirinoğlu explained what the state said and I asked His Eminence Aram how the process will go on and how the authorities will be divided. He said, 'You don't have any authority for now. You are the değabah and you will start working once the process of election begins.'

Then, I asked him to write down these conditions to be discussed and solved later.”

“Ateşyan left two times”

“He left the meeting two times. He shouldn't have done this. He doesn't have the right to be angry. He was respectful to me and to His Eminence Sahak. However, I don't like his leaving. 

He didn't come to the first session. We waited for him for 45 minutes with Bedros Şirinoğlu. Şirinoğlu went for persuading him to come. His Eminence Sahak complained and said that we should leave, if His Eminence Aram isn't coming. We went with Şirinoğlu and then Toros Alcan came. After almost 2 hours, His Eminence Sahak came back.

Now, we will wait for 2 days to receive a letter from His Eminence Aram. He said that he will send the same letter to Vehapar.

Alcan: every one suggested possible solutions

Toros Alcan also spoke about the meeting:

“We talked about the process roughly. Every one suggested possible solutions. Our goal is to come up with solutions. We talked about what we will do, now that we both have a değabah and vicar. 

A welcoming ceremony (Hraşapar) for Bekçiyan was expected to be held on April 3. However, we saw that the doors of the patriarchate was locked. It was said that the patriarchate hasn't given permission for holding the ceremony. However, when Bekçiyan and Maşalyan came, they opened the doors. No cleric was allowed to participate in the ceremony except from Bekçiyan and Maşalyan.”