For the first time in nearly a century, Armenians have been allowed to conduct a religious service in a recently renovated island church in eastern Turkey, in an event that Ankara intended as a show of tolerance toward its Christian minority. Van-turkey-rferl)- But the Sunday Mass was boycotted by many Armenians because of the failure by Turkey to place a cross atop the building. The September 19 Armenian Orthodox service on the Lake Van island of Akhtamar, conducted by Archbishop Aram Ateshian, the spiritual leader of Turkey's Armenian community, lasted for 2 1/2 hours and attracted many visitors, including representatives of the foreign diplomatic corps in Turkey and the mayor of the city of Van. Hundreds of Armenian pilgrims also attended. Read more of this story at Farsi Christian News Network.