Raffi Hovannisian Visits Western Armenia

RAFFI HOVANNISIAN VISITS WESTERN ARMENIA

Lragir.am News

18:41:44 – 26/10/2011

October 26, Karin (Erzurum)–The leader of the Heritage Party, Raffi
Hovannisian, is on a one-week visit in Western Armenia. On October 22,
he joined thousands of Armenians who flocked Tigranakert (Diyarbakir)
from around the world to participate in the reopening and consecration
of the Surp Giragos Church.

A group of Western Armenians, raised as Sunni Mulsims, were baptized
that day at this historic Armenian Apostolic church.

“It is exceedingly important for the two peoples to engage in dialogue,
but without forgetting that great, dark disaster of history, like
genocide,” Raffi Hovannisian told the Hurriyet Daily News.

().

Mustafa, a Kharberd resident, and Hovannisian exchanged cards.

Pilgrims from Armenia, Istanbul and Armenian communities from around
the globe were joined by Kurdicized Armenians from Turkish provinces
trying to regain their identity.

Hovannisian then paid visits to Bitlis and Mush, Sulukh and Khnus
where he stopped by the Sanasarian Academy. He also traveled to Van
for a couple of hours (before the quake) and then arrived in Karin
where he visited the building that used to house the Haraj newspaper.

Following visits to several more Western Armenian towns, Hovannisian
is to return to Armenia