Patriarch Mesrob II, the leader of the Armenian Orthodox Christians in Turkey, has died. He was 62.
Mesrob Mutafyan, the 84th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, died in hospital in Istanbul on March 8.
Serving as patriarch since 1998, Mesrob had been incapacitated since being diagnosed with dementia in 2008.
Archbishop Aram Atesyan was appointed as the acting patriarch for Turkey’s Armenian community which numbers an estimated 70,000.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Atesyan to offer his condolences.
Mesrob was born Minas Mutafyan in Istanbul in 1956.
It was not clear when his funeral would be held.
A new patriarch will be elected following a 40-day mourning period.
Armenian Patriarch In Turkey Dies At 62
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Authorities Seek Answers After Deadly Crash Of Azerbaijani Passenger Jet In Kazakhstan
2North Korean Troops Take Pounding In Kursk As Kim Reportedly Doubles Down
3'So Much Death': Ukrainian Drone Pilot Shares Emotional Account Of Frontline Combat
4Russia Moving Military Assets To Africa After Syria Setback
5Syrian Islamist Rulers Shun The Taliban Governance Model
6Ukraine Hits Kazan Buildings In Latest Display Of Drone Power
7Mystery Photos Shed Light On Romania's 1989 Revolution
8Orban Says Higher NATO Defense Targets Would Cripple The Hungarian Economy
9Iran's Supreme Leader Calls On Syrians To Resist Rebel Government
10Russia Launches Massive Drone Attack As Putin Vows Revenge For Kyiv's Attack On Kazan
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
