Antranik Ashdjian
Gibrahayer September 12, 2005. A prominent community activist - a dentist by profession - with an impeccable track record in community affairs is bidding to become the next Armenian representative in the Cyprus House of Representatives, in the by-elections that will take place on Sunday October 9, 2005.
Besides his current position as Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of Cyprus - a post which he has continuously held for the past eight years - Dr. Antranik Ashdjian has been on the Editorial Board of the Artsagang Armenian language monthly since its founding ten years ago.
He has on many occasions participated in conferences, seminars and discussions in Cyprus, Armenia, Brussels and elsewhere, addressing issues concerning the Armenian nation, the Armenian Cause, the Armenian Church, and the Armenian Community in Cyprus as well as minority rights. Together with the late representative Bedros Kalaydjian, he played a key role in formulating the Armenian community's positions and visions regarding its status in a post-solution Cyprus.
He has written numerous articles on these issues which have been published in Cypriot (Greek and Armenian language) and Diaspora publications. Dr. Antranik Ashdjian - a graduate of the Semmelweis Medical University of Budapest - speaks and writes Armenian, Greek, English and Hungarian fluently. With his perfect knowledge of the Greek language he has - on numerous occasions over the years - appeared and advocated on Armenian related issues on national TV and all local printed and electronic media.
In 1998 he was ordained a Deacon in the Armenian Apostolic Church of Cyprus which he has been serving since childhood.
Dr. Ashdjian has been a member of the Diocesan Committee for the 1700th Jubilee of the Proclamation of Christianity as State Religion in Armenia and numerous delegations of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Ecumenical meetings and conferences.
He has also been active in the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) and served for several terms in the AYMA/HMEM committee.
In AYF's first International jamboree held in Armenia in 1997, he met his wife Aline - a Kuwaiti Armenian whom he married in 1999. Aline works as an IT professional in PricewaterhouseCoopers, and is an active member of The Armenian Relief Society (HOM) of Cyprus, Hamazkayin Oshagan Cyprus Chapter and The Nareg School Parents and Teachers Association. Their daughter Alik aged five, currently attends first grade in Nareg Armenian School.
Dr. Ashdjian has been instrumental in the publication of the coloured tri-lingual album titled "The Armenian Apostolic Church in Cyprus", as well as the Armenian-Greek-English booklet containing the Armenian Liturgy aimed at bringing non-Armenian speaking families closer to the Church and the community. He is also responsible for the publication of "Keghart" - the periodical of the Armenian Prelacy of Cyprus and assists in the publication of "Ardziv", a literary weekly published in Lebanon.