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.