Istanbul: 12 ‘Hidden’ Armenians Baptized on Path to Regain Identities

May 16, 2015 By administrator

12 members of the ‘hidden’ Armenian community from Dersim, Turkey, are baptized into the Armenian Church.

ISTANBUL (Agos)—Following a six-month course of church doctrine and basic knowledge of Christian belief, 12 more Dersim Armenians took their first step back to Christianity with a collective baptism ceremony. Two married couples also held religious engagement ceremonies following the baptism ceremony held on May 9 at the Yeşilköy Surp Stepanos Church in Istanbul.

The efforts of forcibly Islamised Armenians to “return to their identity” have accelerated in recent years. Such individuals display a desire to live and express their identity openly, which they are forced to conceal in their neighborhoods, at school and at their workplaces, and to bring an end to the division of identities sometimes even experienced within the same family.

Dersim Armenians have thus organized collective baptism ceremonies at Armenian churches to officially return to their religion and identity.

A new life
Led by Father Dirtad Uzunean, the baptism ceremony was presided over by Archbishop Aram Ateshian. Nazar Binatli, Pakrat Estukian, Boghos Cholak, Kamer Karatayli, and Hagop Altınkaya were the godfathers of the Dersimians who returned to Christianity and took the names Karin, Derev, Naira, Lia, Arev, Arshaluys, Kristin, Hovnan, Rupen, Hovannes Minas, Lusin Mane, and Minas. The couples Boghos and Sirpuhi Cholak and Hovannes and Lusin Cholak consolidated their marriage ties by repeating their vows in the presence of the Church. Yervant Dink and Kamer Karatayli acted as groomsmen for the couple.

Agos spoke to some of the Dersim Armenians who were baptized on Saturday at the Surp Stepanos Church, and asked them about their feelings.

“We are returning to our roots,” Arev said.

“I am now experiencing the freedom of being able to defend myself against those who insult us. Today, I am the happiest person in the world. For years, Armenians suffered the greatest insults at my workplace, and I could not speak back, fearing I would lose my job. From now on, I will wear my cross around my neck. We dreamed of this day since our childhood. We are returning to our roots.”

Hovannes Minas said, “We began as three, we ended up as twelve.”

“This is a very happy day for me. I have been both baptized, and we held our religious marriage ceremony. It is an inexpressible happiness. We never forgot our religion. We can live freely now. I had made a promise to my mother and father to bury them in an Armenian cemetery, I was able to keep that promise as well. We were three of us when we decided to become baptized, and we achieved our purpose as 12. We are very happy.”

Kristin said: “I feel amazing. I have been waiting for this day for a long time. I no longer have to conceal my identity. I can now freely say I am a Christian. I felt, from time to time, both in the Armenian community and my circle of friends, that I was being excluded because I had not been baptized, but this emancipation will serve as a remedy.”

FRANCE 24 Hidden Armenians in Turkey

April 16, 2015 By administrator

The Report “Hidden Armenians in Turkey: Quest for Identity” will be broadcast on FRANCE 24, the French channels, English and Arabic, from 18th to 24th April inclusive, and on www.france24.com

Days and broadcast schedules

18/04: 10:10 p.m.

19/04: 4:10, 24:10, 6:10 p.m.

20/04: 2:40, 12:40

21/04: 4:45 p.m.

23/04: 2:15, 10:10

24/04: 11:15

25/04: 2:10 p.m.

Thursday, April 16, 2015,
Ara © armenews.com

Hidden by the day of the summer of 1915

January 20, 2015 By administrator

Between leaving the Publishing, ‘Return Loss: A Father’s Diary and memory of the Armenian Genocide of girls’ book titled, 14-year-old Vahram Altounian conveys the diary penned after surviving the summer of 1915. Report Agos

The journal Altounian the death of Bursa trip with his family to the Syrian desert, after being stored in a drawer for years, were published in a book by the author and translator of Altounian daughter Janine Altouni that. Renan in his book turned Akman from French to Turkish, linguistics and psychoanalysis experts Krikor City Municipal, the Régine Waintrat and René Kaeser’s journal linguistic, are featured in the five articles that they deal with in terms of historical and psychoanalytic.

Vahram from Altounian a section of the journal: “We have 6 sahat after baths. Bite Look, we are eating locusts were starving, dying and dead is dead. Product we have established a tent, but I hayride (my father) was very bad, there was immobility. Again ‘in sefkiyat No,’ they said. And my Mother: ‘The patient is very seriously ill, I was asked on this one oh, stop, next time we go, “he said. The Onna is: ‘Oh you answer Giving the’ mutual aid saying they started hitting my head. And my Mother: ‘Oh shoot him hit me, “he said. What happens if you hit a seriously ill stick. After 6 days, mutual aid test Maxima prototypes of my death sefkiyat gun again. Again mayrii my (mother) began beating the two kardaş but what we ahliy something that does not necessarily benefit from our hands, onna dog version gad. Mayrii to say: ‘Here the patient died.’ Mayra was answered: “Let the dead bury it. ‘ ‘If no everyone what you doing in her building, “they said. Everyone’s yaptıh is that they leave the next night, the jackals are tearing … “

Janine Altounanian Click to read the interview he told his father.

Serious Efforts Needed’ to Reveal Turkey’s Hidden Armenians

November 17, 2014 By administrator

DIKRANAGERT, Turkey—Most of Turkey’s hidden Armenians know about their ethnic origins, but those who are descendants of Genocide survivors have assimilated into the Kurdish population in the past 100 years, says the head of Dikranagert’s St. Kirakos Armenian Church.

“I think serious work needs to be carried out to bring those people to light,” Turkai Abdulgufur told Tert.am.

He said that an increasing number of Armenians in Dikranagert (Diyarbakir) admit their ethnic origins (compared to just a couple of people three or four years ago) and, thanks to the past years’ considerable efforts, they now often gather for joint events, such as dinners at the St. Kirakos church.

“There were 82 people at the latest dinner event. There are now about 140-150 Armenians most of whom have a Muslim identity, but they also take their Armenian identity under care,” he said, noting that the town is now in a state of relative calm compared to the tensions observed 3-4 years ago.

As for his Armenian roots, Abdulgufur said he has known about it since birth. “We [our ancestors] had a big family in Sasun, of which only three people survived — my grandfather, my grandfather’s brother and his nephew. We, who stay in Turkey, know that we are Armenians, and we spoke the little Armenian we knew in our family, but outside of our family, we lived with the identity of Muslims,” he added.

Abdulgufur admitted that he was registered as a Muslim in his previous ID document, adding that he later changed his identity as a Christian after being baptized.

“[The process] began with me; 25 people were baptized in Diyarbekir in the past three to four years and had their religious affiliation changed,” he noted.

Abdulgufur added that Armenians now set up associations of compatriots in different cities and towns to unite their efforts for future progress.

Asked whether he is aware of Turkey’s countermeasures ahead of the Genocide’s centennial, the church leader said he knows that the country is seriously preparing for the anniversary. “There are serious preparations of which we aren’t aware. But we can state that steps are being taken,” he replied.