Turkish MFA refused to hoist cross on Akhtamar ChurchApril 13, 2007 - 17:29 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Turkish Foreign Ministry has rejected the proposal of Patriarch of Constantinople Mesrob Mutafyan to hoist a cross on the Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar island. The request, which was initially addressed to the Minister of Culture and Tourism, was later on handed to the Foreign Ministry, which announced its decision on the issue."There is not a cross even at Hagia Sofia Temple, since it's a museum. The Church on Akhtamar will also function as a museum and hoisting a cross on its dome would be a wrong step," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, Marmara Istanbul-based newspaper reports. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “Great success”: Pashinyan pleased with new border protocol Pashinyan has described the signing by Armenia and Azerbaijan of a protocol on delimitation in Tavush as “a great success”. Armenia, Azerbaijan sign protocol on demarcation coordinates Armenia’s government took on May 15 another step towards handing over four border areas to Azerbaijan. Power of One Dram sums up two-year program with Teach for Armenia Idram Junior also joined the companies during the visit, bringing with it a fascinating intellectual game for children |