The March 2004 meeting of Malatya Armenians and Mesrob Mutafian
	Representatives of the Malatya community visit Patriarch Mesrob II 01/02/2005 Source: Bianet While there are extensive rights granted to minorities by Turkey, which is eagerly awaiting a negotiation date for the EU, minorities who regard these newly gained freedoms as unsatisfactory strive to increase their playing field. Substantiating these developments is an event that happened several months ago. In a website belonging to Armenians, the visit by a group of Armenians claiming to reside in Malatya to Patriarch Mesrob II, requesting assistance for the restoration of a church and an Armenian cemetery, was publicised. The article featured in www.hyetert.com is as follows: Patriarch Mesrob II received in his official study on Friday, March 12th at 17:00, the representatives of our Malatya community, Harut Kurumlu, Karabet Cekem, Sarkis Delgi, Hosrof Köletavitoglu and Kevork Özkaragöz. The visitors brought to His Beautitude’s attention the small community of Malatya, which nowadays consists of thirty families of Armenian origin and that the present church is still standing since World War I, but in need of restoration and is closed to service. The necessity for the urgent overhaul and restoration of the Armenian cemetery of Malatya was relayed to His Beautitude, whose advice and blessings they requested before repair work is commenced. The Patriarch expressing his appreciation for the efforts of the Malatya community to restore estates and places of worship also commended the more than 1200 Armenian families from Malatya who reside in Istanbul for their contribution to communal life. Our spiritual leader added that thousands of Armenians of Malatya, who are spread all over the Middle East, Europe and America, are esteemed and productive members of their respective communities. In the meeting, the state of Armenian minority schools, the impending board elections for the community foundations and cultural activities were discussed. Translation: E.Y.