Armenian citizens of Turkey voted yesterday to elect delegates that will select the 85th Armenian Apostolic Church Patriarch of Constantinople.

According to the Istanbul based Agos newspaper, the orange list (Bishop Sahak Mashalian) received 9,008 votes, the purple list (Archbishop Aram Ateshian) received 3,529 votes.

The Orange list thus received 89 delegates, and the Purple list 12 delegates.

A total of 13,705 ballots were cast. 744 ballots were invalidated and another 377 were empty.

After the election results were announced, Bishop Mashalian went to the Gedikpaşa Armenian Church and met with his supporters.

The delegates will assemble on December 11 to formally elect the 85th Patriarch.

While most of the voters reside in Istanbul and environs, ballots were also cast in Diyarbakir, Iskenderun, Kayseri, and Vakif.

See election results at Agos.