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  • Armenians in Turkey

    From: [email protected]
    Subject: Armenians in Turkey

    ARMENIANS IN TURKEY
    VARDAN GRIGORYAN

    Hayots Ashkhar Daily
    Published on May 31, 2008
    Armenia


    Harassments Not Excluded

    The most noteworthy thing recorded in Armenian-Turkish relations during
    the recent years is the direct touches between the representatives of
    the two peoples - by mutual visits and various events organized by
    different international organizations.

    Unlike certain non-official negotiations on state-governmental level,
    which usually end in the exchange of the viewpoints regarding
    unsolvable issues, the before mentioned touches are undoubtedly much
    more sincere.

    The fact that the victims of the Great Genocide of Armenians living in
    different parts of Turkey gradually return to their roots, gives
    additional significance to the before mentioned.

    Before, those `Turks' revealed their identity only after shifting to
    Europe, but at present they start this process even inside Turkey.

    By the way the conversation is not only about Armenians.

    According to the approximate calculations of the scientists the
    overwhelming majority of the present-day Turks are absolutely not the
    generations of the tribes, which have once moved from Middle Asia.
    Moreover, not only the forcibly `islamized' natives, Armenians and
    Greeks, but also different peoples and representatives of different
    tribes were added to them. This entire conglomerate, gained the most
    ignorable name `Turk' during the formation of the Republic of Turkey.

    At present not only the Kurdish and Zaza communities, but also all the
    other representatives of the nations, as if `once and for all' merged
    with the Turks, want to separate.

    The present-day Armenian-Turkish dialogue hold on the level of people's
    diplomacy often reveals the existence of a `hidden internationalism' in
    Turkey, compared to which the population of European multinational
    countries can seem homogenous.

    At present, when the bilateral touches develop and when lots of
    Armenian tourists visit Turkey and on the other hand the leadership of
    this country is trying to convince Europe that they are very tolerant
    towards the non-Turkish citizens of their country, lots of `islamized'
    Armenians remind of their existence.

    The evidence is the extremely sensitive attitude towards the singers in
    `Eurovision' in Turkey. The great number of the votes given to the
    singer representing Armenia testifies to the fact that Armenians have a
    bigger community in Turkey, than the representatives of Europe and
    Balkans.

    The Armenians visiting Turkey often eyewitness similar manifestations
    of mutual sympathy. No matter how the slaughterers tried to uproot the
    natives leaving in their motherland for centuries, Armenians, with
    their surprising quality to adjust, survived 1 century after the Great
    Genocide. So their great interest towards Armenians and Armenian
    culture testifies to the fact that this part of our people is not lost.

    The interest towards Armenian culture manifested by the `'islamized''
    Armenians must find response by the persons responsible for the spheres
    of education and culture in Armenia and the process of democratization
    must become more real in Turkey. The indefinite policy in this country
    and the threats about new harassments demands great caution towards the
    destiny of our compatriots living in this country.

    The evident absence of the possibility of Turkeys membership to
    European Union during the coming decade, the unavoidable complications
    in Turkey-USA relations make the future harassments of the national
    minorities living in that country more real.

    In our view by helping the `islamized' Armenians in their search for
    self-identification we should avoid to politicize the processes taking
    place in the cultural and partially educational fields, which Turkish
    state itself is trying to initiate in the future, as a new
    anti-Armenian provocation.

    Armenians still remain an endangered national minority in Turkey and no
    one can exclude the repetition of harassments towards them.
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