Tweet
IN TURKEY'S LAST ARMENIAN VILLAGE, A PLACE TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL
By Matthew Brunwasser
http://www.theworld.org/2011/12/in-turkeys-last-armenian-village-a-place-to-get-away-from-it-all/
December 28, 2011
Sunday afternoon, after services at the St. Astvatzatzin Armenian
Apostolic Church. (Photo: Matthew Brunwasser) For the Geo Quiz we are
looking for a province in southern Turkey about the size of Delaware.
The province used to be part of Syria once, but was ceded to Turkey
in 1939.
It is an ethically diverse province and even includes a village with
a 100 percent ethnic Armenian population.
The capital of the province is the city of Antakya.
Hatay is the answer to the Geo Quiz.
Hatay is home to the only village in Turkey that is populated solely by
ethnic Armenians considering that most ethnic Armenians, in what was
then the Ottoman empire, fled or were killed or ethnically cleansed
in 1915.
Reporter Matthew Brunwasser paid the village a visit.
Bitterness over the 1915 Armenian massacres and ethnic cleansing in
Turkey by then Ottoman forces is still unresolved. But Turkey's last
remaining village inhabited solely by ethnic Armenians is a seriously
peaceful place. Vafikli Koyu today attracts visitors with its pretty
views, excellent climate and tasty organic produce.
It's a balmy Sunday in Vakifli Koyu, a sleepy village on a lush
mountaintop overlooking the Mediterranean. The air smells like orange
blossoms and the townsfolk, all 135 of them, never seem to hurry.
It feels like it could be any Sunday from over the centuries, as
services start at the St. Astvatzatzin Armenian Apostolic Church. But
today there is big news. The village has a new resident priest for
the first time in 11 years. And today is his first service.
Father Avedis Tabashyan was born and raised nearby. He is 31 and
excited about his new job.
"I think more worshipers will come to church because there will be
regular services," says Tabashyan. "The spiritual life of the people
will improve because they have a priest now with whom they can share
their problems."
The village looks and feels more prosperous than its neighbors -
largely due to the money sent by family members working abroad. There
is also innovation here. The village was one of the first in Turkey
to start growing organic oranges in 2004. Tabashyan says most of the
young people have left and the remaining villagers have realistic
expectations.
"Agriculture doesn't bring us much money so the population will
continue to shrink," he says. But even if there are only 50 people
left in the village, there will still be Armenians here. And whenever
there is a holiday those who have left will always remember the
village and many will come back.
A historical Ottoman-era building, crumbling and neglected. (Photo:
Matthew Brunwasser) The village has a special history. In 1915,
locals say, Armenians from the area held off Ottoman Turkish forces
for 53 days. They signalled a passing French warship by hanging a
banner on the mountaintop and were rescued. When the province became
part of Turkey in 1939, only the residents of Vakifli Koyu decided
to return. Today, villager Stepanos Chaparyan says they've mixed in
nicely with their Muslim Turkish neighbors.
"There's a little difference, but our traditions are very similar,"
Chaparyan says. "We go to each others villages for weddings and
religious festivals and there's no problems at all."
The village is tranquil. The runoff from village farms flows down steep
stone steps, carved into the mountainside along the village's streets.
It's also a small village. Taking a short walk, I run into Chaparyan
again, sitting on a bench and playing a wooden folk flute.
The song he's playing is emblematic of the painful relations between
Turks and Armenians, sari gelin or "blond bride" in Turkish.
"Sari gelin, sari" says Chaparyan. "It's a song both Turks and
Armenians share. The real meaning in Armenian is 'mountain bride.'"
A documentary film using the name of the song, produced by Turks,
promotes the Turkish nationalist perspective that Armenians were in
fact the aggressors in the bloody events of 1915. But the people of
Vakifli Koyu can't be bothered. They're more concerned about business.
Gohar Kartun is selling jars of locally grown and prepared food
products to the crowds of Sunday tourists who like to shop here.
1187 Gohar Kartun selling locally-produced preserved fruit and
vegetables, oils, sauces and juices on behalf of the Vakifli Koyu's
women's collective. (Photo: Matthew Brunwasser) Kartun says that
visitors come with a wide range of expectations. She says many Turks
have never met an Armenian before and their curiosity can make her
feel like she's in a zoo.
"Sometimes, sometimes," Kartun says. "It depends on the questions they
are asking. Not everyone looks through the same window. Some of them
say, 'we are so happy to see Armenians in our Turkey.' They want to
come and see what kind of creatures we are."
Kartun says that tourism is one economic bright spot for Vakifli Koyu.
The main attraction in the Hatay region is the nearby ancient city of
Antakya, Antioch in the bible. The province also has one of Turkey's
most multi-cultural populations, including Turks, Arabs, Christians
of various denominations, Alevi and Sunni Muslims.
"Hatay is a rainbow and we are one of the colors. And I'm trying to
show it to the world, " Kartun says.
As Turkey matures politically and moves away from the ethnic
nationalism of its founders, minorities like Armenians hope that Turks
learn to appreciate diversity. Locals want people to think of Vakifli
Koyu as nothing more than a place for a relaxing weekend stroll.
From: A. Papazian
By Matthew Brunwasser
http://www.theworld.org/2011/12/in-turkeys-last-armenian-village-a-place-to-get-away-from-it-all/
December 28, 2011
Sunday afternoon, after services at the St. Astvatzatzin Armenian
Apostolic Church. (Photo: Matthew Brunwasser) For the Geo Quiz we are
looking for a province in southern Turkey about the size of Delaware.
The province used to be part of Syria once, but was ceded to Turkey
in 1939.
It is an ethically diverse province and even includes a village with
a 100 percent ethnic Armenian population.
The capital of the province is the city of Antakya.
Hatay is the answer to the Geo Quiz.
Hatay is home to the only village in Turkey that is populated solely by
ethnic Armenians considering that most ethnic Armenians, in what was
then the Ottoman empire, fled or were killed or ethnically cleansed
in 1915.
Reporter Matthew Brunwasser paid the village a visit.
Bitterness over the 1915 Armenian massacres and ethnic cleansing in
Turkey by then Ottoman forces is still unresolved. But Turkey's last
remaining village inhabited solely by ethnic Armenians is a seriously
peaceful place. Vafikli Koyu today attracts visitors with its pretty
views, excellent climate and tasty organic produce.
It's a balmy Sunday in Vakifli Koyu, a sleepy village on a lush
mountaintop overlooking the Mediterranean. The air smells like orange
blossoms and the townsfolk, all 135 of them, never seem to hurry.
It feels like it could be any Sunday from over the centuries, as
services start at the St. Astvatzatzin Armenian Apostolic Church. But
today there is big news. The village has a new resident priest for
the first time in 11 years. And today is his first service.
Father Avedis Tabashyan was born and raised nearby. He is 31 and
excited about his new job.
"I think more worshipers will come to church because there will be
regular services," says Tabashyan. "The spiritual life of the people
will improve because they have a priest now with whom they can share
their problems."
The village looks and feels more prosperous than its neighbors -
largely due to the money sent by family members working abroad. There
is also innovation here. The village was one of the first in Turkey
to start growing organic oranges in 2004. Tabashyan says most of the
young people have left and the remaining villagers have realistic
expectations.
"Agriculture doesn't bring us much money so the population will
continue to shrink," he says. But even if there are only 50 people
left in the village, there will still be Armenians here. And whenever
there is a holiday those who have left will always remember the
village and many will come back.
A historical Ottoman-era building, crumbling and neglected. (Photo:
Matthew Brunwasser) The village has a special history. In 1915,
locals say, Armenians from the area held off Ottoman Turkish forces
for 53 days. They signalled a passing French warship by hanging a
banner on the mountaintop and were rescued. When the province became
part of Turkey in 1939, only the residents of Vakifli Koyu decided
to return. Today, villager Stepanos Chaparyan says they've mixed in
nicely with their Muslim Turkish neighbors.
"There's a little difference, but our traditions are very similar,"
Chaparyan says. "We go to each others villages for weddings and
religious festivals and there's no problems at all."
The village is tranquil. The runoff from village farms flows down steep
stone steps, carved into the mountainside along the village's streets.
It's also a small village. Taking a short walk, I run into Chaparyan
again, sitting on a bench and playing a wooden folk flute.
The song he's playing is emblematic of the painful relations between
Turks and Armenians, sari gelin or "blond bride" in Turkish.
"Sari gelin, sari" says Chaparyan. "It's a song both Turks and
Armenians share. The real meaning in Armenian is 'mountain bride.'"
A documentary film using the name of the song, produced by Turks,
promotes the Turkish nationalist perspective that Armenians were in
fact the aggressors in the bloody events of 1915. But the people of
Vakifli Koyu can't be bothered. They're more concerned about business.
Gohar Kartun is selling jars of locally grown and prepared food
products to the crowds of Sunday tourists who like to shop here.
1187 Gohar Kartun selling locally-produced preserved fruit and
vegetables, oils, sauces and juices on behalf of the Vakifli Koyu's
women's collective. (Photo: Matthew Brunwasser) Kartun says that
visitors come with a wide range of expectations. She says many Turks
have never met an Armenian before and their curiosity can make her
feel like she's in a zoo.
"Sometimes, sometimes," Kartun says. "It depends on the questions they
are asking. Not everyone looks through the same window. Some of them
say, 'we are so happy to see Armenians in our Turkey.' They want to
come and see what kind of creatures we are."
Kartun says that tourism is one economic bright spot for Vakifli Koyu.
The main attraction in the Hatay region is the nearby ancient city of
Antakya, Antioch in the bible. The province also has one of Turkey's
most multi-cultural populations, including Turks, Arabs, Christians
of various denominations, Alevi and Sunni Muslims.
"Hatay is a rainbow and we are one of the colors. And I'm trying to
show it to the world, " Kartun says.
As Turkey matures politically and moves away from the ethnic
nationalism of its founders, minorities like Armenians hope that Turks
learn to appreciate diversity. Locals want people to think of Vakifli
Koyu as nothing more than a place for a relaxing weekend stroll.
From: A. Papazian