Archbishop Aram Ateshyan, General Vicar of Armenian Patriarch of Turkey, has resigned, Agos reported on Wednesday, May 24.

For a while, Armenians of Turkey have been making efforts for holding patriarchal election.

According to church customs, the seat of the general vicar must be eliminated in order to launch the election process.

After debates among the Armenian society, Ateshyan met with a group of foundation executives and benefactors on Wednesday.

The executives attending the meeting confirmed the news of Ateshyan's resignaion.

The Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey is expected to release an official statement concerning the resignation.