Tweet
SAINT CROSS CHURCH ON AKHTAMAR AND THE ISSUES OF THE ARMENIAN IDENTITY
Ruben Melkonyan
http://noravank.am/eng/articles/detail.php?ELEMENT_ID=5111
09.11.2010
Existing facts allow us to consider that various circumstances may
serve as a stimulus for reclaiming Armenians living on the territory
of Turkey and being on different stages of assimilation. In this
aspect the Armenian-Turkish contacts observed in recent years, visits
of Armenian tourists to Western Armenia, books on Armenian topics
published in Turkey and other factors contribute to strengthening
of significance of a true identity of the Islamized Armenians. Let
us consider this interesting phenomenon in the context of the recent
liturgy offered in the church of St. Cross on the island of Akhtamar
at the lake of Van, which occupied considerable place on the Armenian
public and political agenda, and some attendant and following events.
Even today it is obvious that Turkish propaganda machine tried to take
advantage the fact that it was allowed to offer liturgy in St. Cross
Church, but, on a large scale, it has broken down. Alongside with
the negative show arranged by Turkey, rather remarkable process
was initiated: the liturgy in St. Cross Church became an important
incentive to expose a true identity of crypto-Armenians and their
generations living in different districts of Western Armenia.
Here we find it necessary to explain: as it is known, during the
Armenian Genocide and over the years to follow it in Turkey cultural
genocide was perpetrated which victims were more than two thousand
Armenian churches, monasteries and sacred places. Destruction of the
churches and monasteries had a direct impact on the identity of the
Islamized Armenians, because in case when in fact neither Armenian
language nor culture existed there, even nonworking churches could
be the keepers of their identity and silent witnesses of the former
Armenian presence. That means that under such conditions church turns
from an architectural structure into the component of the Armenian
identity and in some cases into its only component.
In this aspect it should be mentioned that Islamized or
crypto-Armenians till now organize pilgrimages to the ruins of the
Armenian churches. One of such examples is the annual pilgrimage
to the monastery of Most Holy Mother of God at Maruta mount in
Sasun, which has been in fact ~Sexposed~T and become a center of
the attention of Turkish media for recent couple of years. Besides
there are many other examples about which we have learned during our
personal meetings with the descendants of the converted Armenians who
live in different parts of Western Armenia. E.g. on definite days
a secret pilgrimage to the monastery of Msho Arakelots and ruins
of churches in Dersim is arranged. Another example about which we
learnt in 2008 in Mush may speak about the importance of the Armenian
churches even though demolished for the generations of the Islamized
and crypto-Armenians. Thus, in 1980 the state demolished one of the
Armenian churches in Mush and built a school on its place. During
the building the stones from the church were used, and as one of the
residents of Mush, Armenian by his descent, told us, crypto-Armenians
living in the city arranged for not sending their children to that
school.
Going back to St. Cross Church on Akhtamar, it should be mentioned that
the fuss made by the authorities around the church had rather opposite
effect on the Islamized Armenians; in fact, Turkish state restored
the Armenian church on its own, opened it, allowed offering liturgy,
called Armenian tourists to visit Akhtamar and etc. It means that
state attitude was formed in regard to St. Cross Church and this,
is quite unique phenomenon too, because in the eastern districts
of Turkey St. Cross is the only church which is recognized though
indirectly by the Turkish state as the Armenian. This circumstance
instills confidence in the generations of the Islamized Armenians
who can now visit the ruined Armenians sacred places not secretly
but can go pilgrimage to St. Cross Church which, however, does not
have a status of a church but is considered a museum.
This phenomenon glared on the day of liturgy and that news was spread
at once. To our joy this did not escape the attention of the Armenian
journalists who were present in Van during the liturgy and they
passed rather interesting details. E.g. the correspondent of news.am
information site Andranik Ispiryan mentioned in his article: ~SJoy and
tears of the crypto-Armenians who arrived to Akhtamar from Van, Mush,
Sasun, Dersim, Hamshen and other districts of Turkey spoke about the
patience and courage of those people. People who arrived from Mush by
20 cars and minibuses to participate in liturgy were putting candles,
kissing the unplaced cross and crying. ... Seeing Armenians around many
tried to tell, to express what they had been concealing for decades~T,
The remarkable story is also presented by the journalist of ~SAravot~T
newspaper Gohar Hakobyan: the grandson of an Islamized Armenian, 38
years-old Sinan Demirbas told Armenian journalist that his grandfather
Cafer who had died five years before that, had told to his family
before the death that he had been Armenian and he had even shown his
family photos which he had hidden for decades. According to Sinan there
are thousands of Islamized Armenians and their generations in Van.
Some Islamized Armenians who were on the island after the liturgy,
tried to find their relatives in Armenia; they told their old
Armenian surnames, Armenian names of their parents, grandfathers and
grandmothers and asked those who came from Armenia to help them.
On those days the theme of conversion (reconversion to the
Christianity) of the Islamized Armenians was widely debated in media,
and there was an attempt to connect it with the liturgy in St. Cross
Church. The issue was presented on the example of the relatives of
the locum tenens of the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul Archbishop
Aram Ateshian. Thus, sister and brother-in-law of the Archbishop Aram
Ateshian were obliged to convert to Islam in the 1950s. It has been
mentioned in media for several times that the high-ranking priest
has Muslim relatives and this was not denied by him either. And so,
not long ago, information was spread that in May 2010 the relatives of
Aram Ateshian living in Dyarbakir ~V 33 years-old Mesure Kaplan and 28
years-old Cihan Beskinsiz converted to Christianity. They also changed
their national identity, wrote down as Armenians and took Armenian
names: Mesure became Sirun, and Cihan ~V Paret. After reconverting
to Christianity they told that their family had concealed its true
identity for decades: at home and in the Armenian environment they were
Armenians and outside or at work they behaved liked Muslims and even
their inner circle did not know that they were not Kurds but Armenians.
Intra-communal marriages are also spread among the Armenians in
Dyarbakir. E.g. husband of Mesure-Sirun, Kudbettin Kaplan is a
crypto-Armenian who has also converted to Christianity. Those who
have reclaimed their roots also mentioned that they were going to be
baptized in St. Kirakos church in Dyarbakir which has been restored
recently.
The locum tenens of the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul Aram Ateshian
has also turned to the process of reconversion which emerged among
the crypto-Armenians: ~SMany Armenians in Anatolia never dare to say
that they are Armenians. The more democratic our country is the more
people will reclaim their religion. Even today the youth from all
over the Turkey ~V Tunceli, Trebizond, Kostamonu ~V turns to us in
order to find out the roots of their families~T.
It should also be mentioned that the liturgy which was offered in St.
Cross Church on Akhtamar and the information about the reconversion
of the Islamized Armenians led to the negative reaction of the
chauvinist Turkish press and figures; they repeated their previous
similar theses. The falsifier of history Yusuf Alacoglu also touched
upon this topic, mentioning that there are at least 500 thousand
crypto-Armenians.
Summing up, let us mention that all the aforementioned processes come
to prove once more that the issues of the ethnic identity in Turkey
are widening and being manifested in new ways.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another materials of author
ON HISTORY AND ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF ARMENIANS OF DERSIM [30.09.2010] ON
CURRENT CONDITION OF THE ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE IN ISTANBUL[15.07.2010]
ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN ISTANBUL IN THE CONTEXT OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH
RELATIONS[27.05.2010] THE GENERATIONS OF THE CONVERTED ARMENIANS
IN EUROPE[17.05.2010] ON PERCEPTION OF THE ISSUE OF THE ISLAMIZED
ARMENIANS [06.04.2010]
From: A. Papazian
Ruben Melkonyan
http://noravank.am/eng/articles/detail.php?ELEMENT_ID=5111
09.11.2010
Existing facts allow us to consider that various circumstances may
serve as a stimulus for reclaiming Armenians living on the territory
of Turkey and being on different stages of assimilation. In this
aspect the Armenian-Turkish contacts observed in recent years, visits
of Armenian tourists to Western Armenia, books on Armenian topics
published in Turkey and other factors contribute to strengthening
of significance of a true identity of the Islamized Armenians. Let
us consider this interesting phenomenon in the context of the recent
liturgy offered in the church of St. Cross on the island of Akhtamar
at the lake of Van, which occupied considerable place on the Armenian
public and political agenda, and some attendant and following events.
Even today it is obvious that Turkish propaganda machine tried to take
advantage the fact that it was allowed to offer liturgy in St. Cross
Church, but, on a large scale, it has broken down. Alongside with
the negative show arranged by Turkey, rather remarkable process
was initiated: the liturgy in St. Cross Church became an important
incentive to expose a true identity of crypto-Armenians and their
generations living in different districts of Western Armenia.
Here we find it necessary to explain: as it is known, during the
Armenian Genocide and over the years to follow it in Turkey cultural
genocide was perpetrated which victims were more than two thousand
Armenian churches, monasteries and sacred places. Destruction of the
churches and monasteries had a direct impact on the identity of the
Islamized Armenians, because in case when in fact neither Armenian
language nor culture existed there, even nonworking churches could
be the keepers of their identity and silent witnesses of the former
Armenian presence. That means that under such conditions church turns
from an architectural structure into the component of the Armenian
identity and in some cases into its only component.
In this aspect it should be mentioned that Islamized or
crypto-Armenians till now organize pilgrimages to the ruins of the
Armenian churches. One of such examples is the annual pilgrimage
to the monastery of Most Holy Mother of God at Maruta mount in
Sasun, which has been in fact ~Sexposed~T and become a center of
the attention of Turkish media for recent couple of years. Besides
there are many other examples about which we have learned during our
personal meetings with the descendants of the converted Armenians who
live in different parts of Western Armenia. E.g. on definite days
a secret pilgrimage to the monastery of Msho Arakelots and ruins
of churches in Dersim is arranged. Another example about which we
learnt in 2008 in Mush may speak about the importance of the Armenian
churches even though demolished for the generations of the Islamized
and crypto-Armenians. Thus, in 1980 the state demolished one of the
Armenian churches in Mush and built a school on its place. During
the building the stones from the church were used, and as one of the
residents of Mush, Armenian by his descent, told us, crypto-Armenians
living in the city arranged for not sending their children to that
school.
Going back to St. Cross Church on Akhtamar, it should be mentioned that
the fuss made by the authorities around the church had rather opposite
effect on the Islamized Armenians; in fact, Turkish state restored
the Armenian church on its own, opened it, allowed offering liturgy,
called Armenian tourists to visit Akhtamar and etc. It means that
state attitude was formed in regard to St. Cross Church and this,
is quite unique phenomenon too, because in the eastern districts
of Turkey St. Cross is the only church which is recognized though
indirectly by the Turkish state as the Armenian. This circumstance
instills confidence in the generations of the Islamized Armenians
who can now visit the ruined Armenians sacred places not secretly
but can go pilgrimage to St. Cross Church which, however, does not
have a status of a church but is considered a museum.
This phenomenon glared on the day of liturgy and that news was spread
at once. To our joy this did not escape the attention of the Armenian
journalists who were present in Van during the liturgy and they
passed rather interesting details. E.g. the correspondent of news.am
information site Andranik Ispiryan mentioned in his article: ~SJoy and
tears of the crypto-Armenians who arrived to Akhtamar from Van, Mush,
Sasun, Dersim, Hamshen and other districts of Turkey spoke about the
patience and courage of those people. People who arrived from Mush by
20 cars and minibuses to participate in liturgy were putting candles,
kissing the unplaced cross and crying. ... Seeing Armenians around many
tried to tell, to express what they had been concealing for decades~T,
The remarkable story is also presented by the journalist of ~SAravot~T
newspaper Gohar Hakobyan: the grandson of an Islamized Armenian, 38
years-old Sinan Demirbas told Armenian journalist that his grandfather
Cafer who had died five years before that, had told to his family
before the death that he had been Armenian and he had even shown his
family photos which he had hidden for decades. According to Sinan there
are thousands of Islamized Armenians and their generations in Van.
Some Islamized Armenians who were on the island after the liturgy,
tried to find their relatives in Armenia; they told their old
Armenian surnames, Armenian names of their parents, grandfathers and
grandmothers and asked those who came from Armenia to help them.
On those days the theme of conversion (reconversion to the
Christianity) of the Islamized Armenians was widely debated in media,
and there was an attempt to connect it with the liturgy in St. Cross
Church. The issue was presented on the example of the relatives of
the locum tenens of the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul Archbishop
Aram Ateshian. Thus, sister and brother-in-law of the Archbishop Aram
Ateshian were obliged to convert to Islam in the 1950s. It has been
mentioned in media for several times that the high-ranking priest
has Muslim relatives and this was not denied by him either. And so,
not long ago, information was spread that in May 2010 the relatives of
Aram Ateshian living in Dyarbakir ~V 33 years-old Mesure Kaplan and 28
years-old Cihan Beskinsiz converted to Christianity. They also changed
their national identity, wrote down as Armenians and took Armenian
names: Mesure became Sirun, and Cihan ~V Paret. After reconverting
to Christianity they told that their family had concealed its true
identity for decades: at home and in the Armenian environment they were
Armenians and outside or at work they behaved liked Muslims and even
their inner circle did not know that they were not Kurds but Armenians.
Intra-communal marriages are also spread among the Armenians in
Dyarbakir. E.g. husband of Mesure-Sirun, Kudbettin Kaplan is a
crypto-Armenian who has also converted to Christianity. Those who
have reclaimed their roots also mentioned that they were going to be
baptized in St. Kirakos church in Dyarbakir which has been restored
recently.
The locum tenens of the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul Aram Ateshian
has also turned to the process of reconversion which emerged among
the crypto-Armenians: ~SMany Armenians in Anatolia never dare to say
that they are Armenians. The more democratic our country is the more
people will reclaim their religion. Even today the youth from all
over the Turkey ~V Tunceli, Trebizond, Kostamonu ~V turns to us in
order to find out the roots of their families~T.
It should also be mentioned that the liturgy which was offered in St.
Cross Church on Akhtamar and the information about the reconversion
of the Islamized Armenians led to the negative reaction of the
chauvinist Turkish press and figures; they repeated their previous
similar theses. The falsifier of history Yusuf Alacoglu also touched
upon this topic, mentioning that there are at least 500 thousand
crypto-Armenians.
Summing up, let us mention that all the aforementioned processes come
to prove once more that the issues of the ethnic identity in Turkey
are widening and being manifested in new ways.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another materials of author
ON HISTORY AND ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF ARMENIANS OF DERSIM [30.09.2010] ON
CURRENT CONDITION OF THE ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE IN ISTANBUL[15.07.2010]
ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN ISTANBUL IN THE CONTEXT OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH
RELATIONS[27.05.2010] THE GENERATIONS OF THE CONVERTED ARMENIANS
IN EUROPE[17.05.2010] ON PERCEPTION OF THE ISSUE OF THE ISLAMIZED
ARMENIANS [06.04.2010]
From: A. Papazian