The iftar dinner, held on the evening of Saturday, March 7, at the Feriköy Nazar Şirinoğlu Hall, was attended by Minister Kacır, as well as the Armenian Patriarch of Turkey Sahak Maşalyan, AKP Istanbul MP and Chairman of the TBMM Internal Affairs Commission Süleyman Soylu, AKP Istanbul MP and Chairman of the TBMM Justice Commission Cüneyt Yüksel, Presidential Culture and Art Policies Board Member Aram Kuran, Şişli District Governor Cevdet Ertürkmen, Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, Spiritual Leader of the Armenian Catholics of Turkey Kerabaydzar Vartan Kazanciyan, church foundation presidents and board members, businesspeople from the Armenian community, and school principals.
During the dinner, hosted by Jbid İskenderoğlu Kalaycı, businessman Berç Darçın stated that the month of Ramadan is an occasion for love, brotherhood, and sharing. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sıvacıoğlu emphasized that at a time when the language of war, tension, and division is rising in different parts of the world, the sounds of the adhan and church bells resonate together under the same sky in Istanbul. In his speech, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacırtouched upon the importance of producing together and creating added value for Turkey. Kacır praised the employment, production, and economic contributions provided to Turkey by industrialists belonging to the Armenian community.
At the dinner, Patriarch Maşalyan presented plaques of appreciation to leading industrialists of the community Aret Erganyan, Avedis Polat, Hayk Aslanyan, Anahid Bozacıyan, and İrma Polat for their contributions and efforts. Delivering the closing speech of the dinner, Patriarch Sahak Maşalyan thanked President Erdoğan and state officials for the interest and support shown to minority communities. Stating that AKP MP Sıvacıoğlu serves as a bridge between the community and the government, Patriarch Maşalyan noted that he is carrying out efforts to resolve existing issues.
