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Why so many Turks are losing faith in Islam

April 17, 2018 By administrator

 

Turks are losing faith in Islam

Turks are losing faith in Islam

Mustafa Akyol,

On April 10, at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did something unusual during his usual weekly address to the deputies of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). He suddenly paused during his address and called the national education minister, Ismet Yilmaz, to the podium. The two men then murmured for about half a minute in front of the huge audience. Muted microphones did not catch the whole conversation, but the minister was heard speaking about “the report on deism” and “the thoughts of our youth about this.” “No,” Erdogan was heard saying in a definitive tone. “That is wrong.”

The report in question, which was discussed at a workshop by the Ministry of Education branch in Konya, a conservative Anatolian town, had made the news in early April. Titled “The Youth is Sliding to Deism,” the document shared surprising observations about the very young people that Turkish society often expects to be the most religious: the students of the state-sponsored religious “imam hatip” schools. The report says that because archaic interpretations of Islam cannot persuade the new generation on issues such as the “problem of evil” (why God allows evil to take place), some imam hatip students have begun questioning the faith. Instead of adopting atheism, the report added, these post-Islamic youths embrace the milder alternative: “deism,” or the belief in God but without religion.

The report surprised and also angered Turkey’s conservative establishment. Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Action Party, which is supposed to be an opposition party but has lately become a staunch Erdogan ally, lashed out against those who prepared the report, for “putting on the Turkish youth the stain of deism, which is one stop before atheism.” A few days later, Turkey’s top cleric, the head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, also spoke on the deism controversy. Explaining that the term implies “a philosophy that denies prophethood,” the theologian hopefully added that once they really understand what deism is, “no member of [the] nation will accept such a deviant thought.”

In fact, the deism controversy has been on Turkey’s agenda even before these recent outbursts by prominent figures. One of the first intellectuals to draw attention to this issue was Mustafa Ozturk, a progressive Islamic theologian who writes a column in the daily Karar. In an April 2017 piece titled “The Footsteps of Deism,” Ozturk argued that despite the conviction among religious conservatives that they are in the midst of a golden age, something very fundamental is slipping out of their hands, as “the new generations are getting indifferent, even distant, to the Islamic worldview.” Most of the people who claim to represent Islam in Turkey offer a very archaic, dogmatic notion of religion, Ozturk explained, and this leads to secularization among the more cosmopolitan, questioning youths.

Since then, the erosion of Islam among young people has been an oft-repeated theme in the Turkish public sphere. At a conference in March, a conservative academic at Istanbul’s Medeniyet University said he has students who wear the Islamic headscarf because of their family environment, but “who confess in private that they are not even deists but atheists.” In the past several months, dozens of articles in the press discussed the “deism plague,” and even TV shows highlighted the issue. Yet there is no data on how many Turks have abandoned Islam to jump on the “deism” bandwagon, though plenty of anecdotal evidence suggests that this is no imaginary matter.

The most interesting question is why so many Turks are losing their faith, especially at a time when Islam seems more ascendant than ever. Answers vary, especially according to political stance.

For the staunch supporters of the government, deism seems to be just one of the many conspiracies that Western powers have cooked up against the glorious Turkish nation. Yusuf Kaplan, a columnist for the pro-government daily Yeni Safak, said deism was spreading among the children of conservative families, while the children of more secular families were going for the more radical edge: atheism. The underlying reason, according to Kaplan, was the hedonistic, materialistic and degenerate culture coming from the West. Turkey had to stand up to this cultural erosion by further Islamizing its education and media, or else “the imperialists could occupy the country, mentally, from within.”

For other Turkish commentators, however, the real reason for the loss of faith in Islam is not the West but Turkey itself: It is a reaction to all the corruption, arrogance, narrow-mindedness, bigotry, cruelty and crudeness displayed in the name of Islam.

This view is often supported by opposition voices, but even some reasonable pro-government voices in the media have given it a thought. One such voice is Kemal Ozturk, another columnist for Yeni Safak, who wrote that the rise of deism in Turkey is an unmistakable fact “observed by anyone who follows society.” He added that the religious conservatives who explain this away as slander against their beloved government or as a “foreign conspiracy” against Turkey were making a mistake. The real problem was within the very sphere of Islam, within the deep contradictions between the conservatives’ alleged ideals and actual practices, as well as within the “dogmatic clerics” and the “ignorance, animosity and immorality” among Islamic communities.

Another commentator, Akif Beki, comes from a pro-government background but has lately turned critical. Beki pointed to a more specific problem: the unabashed exploitation of Islam for political ends. A recent example, according to Beki, was a propaganda speech by Ali Murat Alatepe, a member of the ruling AKP and the mayor of Esenyurt, an Istanbul municipality. “If we lose here,” Alatepe told a large audience, referring to his municipality, “then we will lose Jerusalem, we will lose Mecca.” So, accordingly, the dominance of the AKP is indispensable to Islam. Or, in other words, Islam is indispensable to the AKP’s dominance.

I agree with Akif Beki and other like-minded Turkish commentators on why so many young Turks are losing faith in Islam. It is precisely because Islamists are empowered, and, by their own behavior, they are pushing people away from the faith they claim to uphold.

I had predicted this, in fact, in an Al-Monitor article back in March 2015 titled “Turkey is becoming more secular, not less.” “The AKP experience, including its dreams of re-Islamizing Turkey,” I then wrote, “is likely to be counterproductive and will serve to further accelerate secularization.” Today, after three years of further deterioration, the counterproductive effect seems to be in full swing. It even has a famed banner now called “deism.”

 

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: faith, Islam, Turks

Armenia’s Sargsyan: Azerbaijan president’s assurances inspire little faith

May 17, 2016 By administrator

Cio9quvVAAAzm8bDuring the Armenian-Azerbaijani meeting, which was held Monday in Vienna, the Armenian side had aimed to find out whether or not the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks have met an impasse, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan told Armenian journalists on the way back from the Austrian capital city.

“Our objective was to find out whether the negotiations have actually deadlocked and there is no other way but to war, or, nonetheless, we can solve the problem with minimal losses,” the President said.

“Overall, me and my associates are satisfied with the results of the meeting, and we can say more clearly about this when the [respective] statement by the [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group] Co-Chairs is made,” Sargsyan added. “The president of Azerbaijan assured that his country and he, personally, have no intention to reach the solution of a problem by way of hostilities (…). This is good, but it inspires little faith because there was such talk repeatedly, but in reality, the [respective] arrangement [to cease fire] is not kept for several years, now.

“We [i.e. the Armenian side] are ready for any outcome. [But] of course, it is our wish that this outcome be through peace.”

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Armenia’s Sargsyan, assurances, Azerbaijan, faith, inspire, little, presidents

Forbes: Armenians give life of hope, faith, love 101 years after Genocide:

May 1, 2016 By administrator

211437One hundred and one years ago, 1.5 million Armenians were killed. Armenian sons saw their mothers murdered in front of their eyes. Mothers saw the same of their children, as did brothers, sisters, grandparents, and friends. “If you were in Armenia in 1915, you were a victim of genocide,” speaker, trainer, and author, as well as Forbes contributor Brian Rashid says in a Forbes article he wrote after travelling to Yerevan, Armenia to celebrate – as he puts it – the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

On April 24, 2016, 101 years after the atrocities that wiped 1.5 million lives from the planet, the first annual Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity was held in Armenia. On behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity will be granted annually to an individual whose actions have had an exceptional impact on preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes. The Selection Committee, including George Clooney – who does his best to shed light on vital issues like this – consists of nine professionals who bring a diverse background. Only one of them is Armenian.

“To say this was a world-class event would be an understatement. Everyone was there to celebrate the Aurora Prize,” Rashid says.

Celebrating the three philanthropists – Vartan Gregorian, Dr. Noubar Afeyan, Ruben Vardanyan – who founded the Aurora Prize, as well as presenting the outstanding individuals and the winner of the prize who through their work have had an exceptional impact on vital humanitarian causes, Rashid says that the event was more than a prize, more than a night of celebration.

When asked if there is anything he needs, Rashid says he wanted to answer that Armenians “have done more for me that you will ever know. In the face of a century of the death you experienced, you have shown me how to live?”

“George Clooney shook the winner’s – Marguerite Barankitse – hand as she won the Aurora Prize of $1.1 million. Her life will be forever changed, and she will in turn change the lives of those she lovingly serves,” the author says.

“But for an entire weekend, I was handed something perhaps more valuable than a million dollars.”

“Hope,” Rashid adds. “Because the 1.5 million Armenians that were killed 100 years ago are still alive. They live in the smiles of their beautiful people. The ones we see on the streets. The ones we stand with on the stages. The ones we hold close in our hearts.”

“You (Armenians – editor’s note) have already given me everything I’d ever need. A life of hope, faith and love. So I guess the winner of the Aurora Prize is… you.”

Related links:

Forbes. George Clooney, The Aurora Prize And Hope In Armenia
The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, the Italian Chamber of Deputies, majority of U.S. states, parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium and Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Chamber of Commons of Canada, Polish Sejm, Vatican, European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.

Filed Under: Articles, Genocide Tagged With: 101 years, A conference in Turkey dedicated to 100th anniversary of Armenian Genocide, Armenian, faith, forbs, Genocide, hope, love

SAUDI ARABIA This is an Armenian architect who built the Museum of Islamic faith in Mecca

January 24, 2016 By administrator

French Armenia architect Michel Mossessian

French Armenia architect Michel Mossessian

This is Mossessian Architecture, designed by the French architect Michel Mossessian of Armenian origin, based in London, which won the competition to design the Makkah Museum, a new building dedicated to the Islamic faith, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The Mecca Museum will be built at a remote site seven kilometers from the Grand Mosque which is the Kaaba, the most sacred place in the Muslim world.

The construction will include a gallery space of 5600 square meters which will host exhibitions on international practice of Islam and the life of Muhammad.

It will also include a reception hall, an auditorium, a library, teaching space, a rooftop garden and a restaurant.

“The Makkah Museum will offer a presentation and a reflection of the faith million Muslims who visit Makkah from around the world, and until now, had no cultural institution in this way to diversify their visit to the holiest of Muslim cities, “reads a declaration issued Mossessian.

Mossessian teamed with Adeline Rispal exhibition architecture studio to engage in competition for the museum project. The duo was declared as the winner this week.

Rispal has designed an empty space at the center structure to represent a “virtual minaret”, where visitors will rise by browsing through the exhibits.

Mossessian Architecture has achieved this by designing a ramp continues to rise in this space t, with a parallel spiral back down, “said the firm.

“Both Circular (as the celestial sphere) and rising (as in a spiritual journey), the central space contained a minaret called the Muslim community to transcend the earthly values ​​through their faith and continuing the quest for recognition infinity “.

Exhibitions and film screenings will be presented on both sides of the ramp during the ascent into space.

At the top, visitors will have access to an air-conditioned garden, designed to be usable even in extreme heat summers of Saudi Arabia.

The lower spiral staircase to descend bear the inscription of the 99 names of Allah, the names of God in Islam, which will be visible from a gallery space on the ground floor.

The outer wall of the museum include a stone after each country of the world where Islam is common practice. The rock Hejaz mountains near Mecca will be used for the interior.

“Inside, the rock is used to create alcoves and baseboards that visitors will cross during their ascent of the ramp,” said the architect. “This is where the presentations will be received, which tell the story of the Prophet’s life and enrich the understanding of Islam.”

Based in Hoxton, east London, Mossessian Architecture was created in 2005 by architect Michel Mossessian. The firm is working on many projects currently in the Middle East and Africa, including the renovation of Place Lalla Yeddouna at the center of the historic Medina of Fez, Morocco.

Among the projects of the company in the UK are the multi-purpose towers London Paddington Basin and offices in King’s Cross.

Mecca is the holiest city of Islam, where the Prophet Muhammad was born. Non-Muslims are banned from the city. The central mosque is home to the annual hajj pilgrimage solid.

Some guardians of the heritage expressed concerns about the development of the city in recent years, due to the indiscriminate destruction of historic buildings, to build shelters for the millions of pilgrims who visit Mecca .

Royal Clock Tower Makkah in Mecca was the height the second tower in the world until the completion this month Gensler tower in Shanghai.

The nearest airport is located in Mecca in Jeddah, the second largest city in the country, including a terminal is reserved for the hajj. The London architecture firm Foster + Partners designs for 8 billion pounds in Jeddah a transport system with metro terminal, ferry, bus and cycles.

Jeddah also plans to host the tallest building in the world, the Kingdom Tower currently under construction expected to reach 1000 meters.

London architect to build Islamic faith museum in Mecca

Translation Gilbert Béguian

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Armenian architect, faith, Islamic, mecca, Museum

Armenian architect to build Islamic faith museum in Mecca

January 18, 2016 By administrator

Islamic faith museum in Mecca

Islamic faith museum in Mecca

London-based Mossessian Architecture, which is founded by renowned French Armenian architect Michel Mossessian, has won a competition to design the Makkah Museum, a new building dedicated to the Islamic faith in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, according to Dezeen architecture and design magazine.

Muslims around the world await the construction of this museum.

The Makkah Museum will occupy a site 7 kilometers from the Grand Mosque of Mecca, and symbolize the birth of Islam.

The building will include 5,600 square meters of gallery space for 3D exhibitions, and also contain a virtual mosque, reception area, an auditorium, book store, teaching space, roof garden, and restaurant.

The outside wall of the museum will incorporate stone sourced from every country in the world where Islam is currently practiced.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Architect, Armenian, faith, mecca, Museum, Saudi Arabia

Armenians have lost faith in Russia #ElectricYerevan

July 5, 2015 By administrator

Unrest in Armenia reflects a renewed sense of outrage over Russia’s arrogance towards this small, landlocked country.

By Richard Giragosian

hese demonstrations are different from the ones in Armenia's past, writes Giragosian [AP]

hese demonstrations are different from the ones in Armenia’s past, writes Giragosian [AP]

After more than a week of sustained protests over increasing electricity prices, Armenian activists have demonstrated a new sense of empowerment in the face of an increasingly embattled government. But it is actually the broader implications of this unrest in Armenia that is much more significant, for two distinct reasons.

First, although this wave of protests is clearly rooted in a set of underlying problems reflecting the unique socioeconomic and political conditions of Armenia, the discontent and dissent in Armenia have already reverberated well beyond the borders of this small, landlocked country.

More specifically, the trajectory of the protests have already exceeded the confines of the initial focus of anger over the Armenian government’s decision to impose a price rise for electricity.

The fact that it was a price rise that was sought by a Russian-owned energy firm in Armenia sparked a renewed sense of outrage over Russia’s general arrogance towards Armenia.

Reliable partner

For years, Armenia stood alone in the South Caucasus as the only reliable partner for Russia in the region. Armenia is the host of the only Russian military base in the region. This partnership also included ceding control of two of Armenia’s borders to Russian border guards.

And beyond even that basic infringement on sovereignty, the terms of the Russian military base agreement are rather insulting, as the host government not only forgoes any “rental” payment for the land, but is also required to incur all operating costs of the base itself.

This was generally seen as a necessary trade-off for a Russian security guarantee for Armenia, which is considered an imperative in the face of heightened military tension with neighbouring Azerbaijan – due to the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Yet the terms of this trade-off are now being challenged due to three recent developments. The first challenge stems from the long-term trend of Russia’s emergence as the number one arms provider to Armenia’s rival Azerbaijan. There has been a serious escalation in ceasefire violations. These violations are no longer measured in bullets fired, but rather by bodies of victims. For many Armenians, it’s impossible to ignore that the weapons killing their people are directly supplied by their “partner” Russia.

Russian security guarantees 

A second development is the disappointment over Russia’s reaction to these attacks on Armenia. There was a general lack of response in the face of the Azerbaijani attacks which has deeply shaken Armenian faith in Russian security guarantees.

Yet, it was the third development that has profoundly inflamed and personalised public anger in Armenia. In January, a tragic murder of an entire Armenian family by a rogue Russian conscript, stationed at the Russian base, sparked a series of protests. But in this case, it was not merely the tragedy itself, but the mishandling of the murder by both Moscow and Yerevan that only exacerbated the situation.

While the Armenian government’s response was slow and minimal, the Russian reaction was widely seen as arrogant and demeaning, as it initially insisted on ignoring demands for an Armenian trial of the confessed murderer.

The combination of these recent developments resulted in an eruption of public outcry and organised protests, not necessarily over the strategic partnership between Armenia and Russia, but challenging the asymmetry and lack of respect inherent in the terms of that relationship.

Within that broader context, the current unrest in Armenia stands as a significant test of relations and reliance on Russia as a partner and patron for not only Armenia, but for several other post-Soviet states. And so far, Moscow seems grossly inept and grandly ignorant of the deeper repercussions of what is now becoming a crisis in Armenian-Russian relations.

With an equal degree of resonance, the waves of dissent and underlying resentment in Armenia has revealed new cracks and weaknesses in the post-Soviet model of authoritarian rule. In the case of Armenia, which has been plagued by a deeply entrenched trend of authoritarian governance with little legitimacy and even less popularity, years of apathy and a deceptive degree of stability have now been replaced by activism and protest.

New generation of activists

Empowered by the emergence of a new younger generation of activists much less timid and remarkably less fearful, a broader cross-section of the Armenian population have taken to the streets in a show of support and solidarity with these recent demonstrations.

These demonstrations are different from the ones in Armenia’s past, and these differences are rooted in both context and content.

The context is different because this wave of unrest stems from a deadly combination of political dissent and economic discontent. And unlike earlier examples of political protest, the recent downturn in the Armenian economy has deprived the government of any capacity to placate or pacify a disgruntled population.

The content of this unrest is also different, as the protest has succeeded in mobilising an accumulated frustration with a government that relies more on ruling and less on governing the country. The government is increasingly vulnerable from a lack of legitimacy grounded in a lack of elections and an absence of public trust.

While the outcome for Armenia is far from certain, the shock of a resilient challenge to the traditional post-Soviet authoritarian model should worry a number of neighbouring countries. As Russian rule loses stability in the region, the seeds of unrest are bound to spread and grow.

Richard Giragosian is the founding director of the Regional Studies Center, an independent think-tank in Yerevan, Armenia. 

Source: aljazeera.

Filed Under: Events, News Tagged With: Armenia, elwctric, faith, lost, Russia, Yerevan

Turkey How some Armenians are reclaiming their Christian faith

June 2, 2015 By administrator

By Sibel Hurtas,

Nezahat Eleftos (R) chats with her daughter Leyla at her home in Diyarbakir, Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/contents/authors/sibel-hurtas.html#ixzz3bur3KURz REUTERS/Sertac Kayar)

Nezahat Eleftos (R) chats with her daughter Leyla at her home in Diyarbakir,
REUTERS/Sertac Kayar)

Armenians in Turkey who opted to live as Muslims to avoid mistreatment are recovering their true identities in collective baptisms. The latest such baptism came in May when 12 Armenians from Dersim (Tunceli) recovered their identities.

The saga of Armenians who were compelled to live as Muslims goes back to 1915 massacres. Armenian children were adopted by Muslim families, women married Muslim men and some families converted to Islam to save their lives.

These Armenians, who for a century were forced to conceal their identities, are trying to return to their roots. This activity is more prevalent among Anatolian Armenians, particularly those from Dersim. It hasn’t caught on among Istanbul Armenians.

Miran Pirgic Gultekin is one of them. Gultekin explained to Al-Monitor how his family members saved themselves from the 1915 genocide by adopting Alevi identities. But not long after, they were caught up in the government’s 1937 Dersim massacres to put down the uprising of Dersim tribes. Some of his family members were killed; others were exiled. Those who returned after 10 years came back with Muslim names. Abraham had become Ibrahim. Since no records could be found, they were issued IDs with the new names they chose .

As they lived in predominantly Alevi Dersim, they, too, were recognized as Alevis. But the family tried to keep its Christian culture alive inside the house.

“When I was going to elementary school, I knew I was an Armenian but I didn’t know what it meant, that we have our distinct culture and religion,” Gultekin said. “At Easter time, my mother used to give us painted eggs but wouldn’t tell us this was a Christian ritual. All of us had Muslim names. My family used to listen to Radio Yerevan. But some in the village heard about all this and complained. I began to think of myself as Armenian when I was 18 years old. I had Armenian friends but nothing to read about my people. I didn’t know about 1915. The murder of journalist Hrant Dink affected me and when I was 48, I decided to return to my to my origins. I couldn’t do it before. There was pressure and fear. With my 70-year old father-in-law, my son and another relative we went to be baptized. Then I changed my name from Selahattin to Miran Pirgic.”

There have been many Anatolian Armenians who have resumed their authentic identities in group baptisms. The last such baptism occurred May 9 at Surp Istenapos Church of Yesilkoy-Istanbul. A dozen Armenians from Dersim were first given religious guidance and then baptized.

Miran Manukyan, a reporter for the Armenian newspaper Agos, covered the event and told Al-Monitor that this was a ceremony different than the usual rites. Generally, of course, children are baptized, but this time the baptisms were for adults who had not practiced their religion until adulthood.

 ‘‘I asked them one by one and they all gave the same answer: We are now free,” Manukyan said.

One of the participants was 30-year-old Yonca Gultekin of Dersim, who took the name of Lia. “Because my father was a civil servant, my parents concealed their Christian religion,” she told Al-Monitor. “When they declared they were from Dersim, they were automatically accepted to be Alevis. We went to church without letting neighbors and friends notice. My father was usually teaching in villages. We tried to hide my father’s Christianity, especially from his civil servant colleagues. We ended that secrecy once we came to Istanbul, where we went to church comfortably. After I finished university, I gathered my cousins to discuss the idea of baptism.”

They then went to the church and discussed it with a senior cleric. “We attended six-month religious course and then were baptized,” she said. “I will now change my identity and write Christian in the column for religion. My 63-year-old mother will also alter her identity and inscribe Christian on her ID card.”

Islamized Armenians was a taboo subject in Turkey until recently. People simply didn’t want to talk about it. But symposiums organized by the Hrant Dink Foundation (established in memory of the slain Armenian journalist) and other civil society organizations and frequent references to the matter by intellectuals were instrumental in easing the taboo.

The children of the Islamized Armenians also played a major role in overcoming the taboo.

Ayse Nevin Yildiz Tahincioglu, an instructor at Hacettepe University, spoke in a lecture about how a man branded his Armenian wife with a hot iron, marking her cross signs to ensure that she will remain a Muslim. Tahincioglu surprised the audience, saying: “These people who inflicted that brutality on a woman were [in] my family.”

Another notable is journalist Ahmet Abakay. In his book “Last Words of Hoshana,” he writes about his mother, who, until she was 82, had not revealed that she was an Armenian. His mother called him a day before her death and revealed that she was an Armenian. Abakay’s relatives were furious at him for giving away their secret after the book was published.

What’s apparent is that the Anatolian Armenians are getting organized, and many more are likely to emerge to recover their authentic identities.

Leading the effort is the Association of Dersim Armenians, which Gultekin set up.

Armenians of Malatya, Mus, Batman (Sason), Sivas and Hatay have also formed associations. Adiyaman and Diyarbakir will follow and help Anatolian Armenians known as Alevis, Kurds, Arabs and Muslim until now to assume their old identities. These associations are not only concerned with baptisms. Through their contacts with Armenia and Armenian NGOs in other provinces of Turkey, they are aiming to integrate Armenian youths and teach them their culture.

Sibel Hurtas is an award-winning Turkish journalist who focuses on human rights and judicial and legal affairs. Her career includes 15 years as a reporter for the national newspapers Evrensel, Taraf, Sabah and HaberTurk and the ANKA news agency. She won the Metin Goktepe Journalism Award and the Musa Anter Journalism Award in 2004, and the Turkish Journalists Association’s Merit Award in 2005. In 2013, she published a book on the murders of Christians in Turkey. Her articles on minorities and unresolved killings appear on the

Filed Under: Genocide, News Tagged With: Armenian, Christian, faith, reclaiming, Turkey

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