A Strange Visit: Ümit Özdağ at the Armenian Patriarchate
Victory Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ visited the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey. The statement made by the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey regarding the visit is as follows:
“His Beatitude Patriarch Sahak II received the delegation headed by Victory Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ in his office on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Present at the reception were Daniel Atsüp, Chairman of the Board of the Surp Pırgiç Armenian Catholic Church Foundation, Father Şirvan Mürzyan, and Garo Vram Babayan.
During the meeting, Ümit Özdağ stated that they carried out the visit to obtain information about the problems and expectations of the community and expressed that they are closely interested in these issues.
Özdağ also emphasized that the vast majority of the centuries-long experience of coexistence passed with good relations, stating that some periods in the past were disrupted by 'imperialist provocations,' and expressed that their goal is to work for a common future in peace and prosperity.
His Beatitude the Patriarch stated that expressions that can occasionally turn into hate speech in society disturb the youth of our community in particular. Noting that the Turkish and Armenian peoples have a long shared history and that there are more common features than assumed, our Spiritual Leader expressed that the decrease in the community population could also be seen as a loss for Turkey. Pointing to the value of being able to produce together and live in peace, His Beatitude the Patriarch stated that ‘the real key is to win hearts’ and that prejudices decrease as people get closer to each other.”
According to the statement, Patriarch Maşalyan “pointed out that institutions such as schools, newspapers, and TV channels of the Armenian community in Turkey are a concrete indicator of the culture of coexistence, adding that they attach importance to the development of relations between Turkey and Armenia and look to the future with hope.”
The statement made by the Victory Party included the following expressions:
"Our Chairman, Prof. Dr. Ümit Özdağ; along with our Victory Party Presidential Board Members Azmi Karamahmutoğlu, Nazif Okumuş, Atty. Tayga Ak, and our Chairman's Chief Advisors Selçuk Geçer and Dilek Karafazlı, visited the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey. During the visit, a meeting was held with Patriarch Sahak Maşalyan and Daniel Atsüp, Chairman of the Board of the Galata Surp Pırgiç Foundation. We present our thanks for their kind hospitality."
Özdağ’s Previous Statements
In a social media post on March 15, 2024, Ümit Özdağ used the expressions, “One Talat goes, a thousand Talats are raised.”
In 2021, HDP MP Garo Paylan shared a post on Twitter on April 24, saying: "106 years later, we are walking on streets named after Talat Pasha, the architect of the Genocide. We are educating our children in schools named Talat Pasha. We live in a Turkey that is like what Germany would be if there were streets named Hitler and children studied in schools named Hitler today." Ümit Özdağ, quoting Paylan’s post, had stated: "Insolent provocative man. If you are not very satisfied, go to the bottom of hell. Talat Pasha did not deport patriotic Armenians, but those like you who stabbed in the back. You will and should have a Talat Pasha experience when the time comes."
Following this post containing a threat, Paylan and the Human Rights Association (İHD) filed a criminal complaint, and many users reported Özdağ’s threatening post to Twitter.
Upon the complaints, Twitter, which now operates as X, deleted Özdağ’s post at that time.
