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DEVELOPMENTS AMONG THE ASSIMILATED ARMENIANS IN TURKEY: DYARBAKIR
Ruben Melkonyan
http://noravank.am/eng/articles/detail.php?ELEMENT_ID=5957
28.07.2011
The city of Dyarbakir, where many Armenians used to live, today
also plays rather remarkable role in Turkey in the context of the
development of the ethnic identity. Today, according to various
sources, in the city, which is mostly populated by the Kurds, the
generations of forcedly Islamized Armenians live. Back in 1894-95
during the Hamidian massacres about 25 thousand Armenians were forcedly
Islamized in Dyarbakir. Though a part of them reclaimed Christianity
later, but some of them continued to live under the veil of the
Muslim. In 1915 during the Armenian Genocide forcible conversion of
a number of the Armenians, which later resulted in Kurdization, also
took place in Dyarbakir. We can meet in different sources that even
today Muslim society in Dyarbakir distinguish between the generations
of the Islamized Armenians and call them "fila" (Armenian).
The recent processes connected with the ethnic identity in Turkey
have rather eagerly been manifested in Dyarbakir either. Let us
remember that after re-opening of Surb Khach (St. Cross) church on the
island of Akhtamar on Lake Van several families from Dyarbakir stated
that they were Armenians and expressed a wish to be baptized as the
Armenian Christians. At present reconditioning works of Surb Kirakos
(St. Kirakos) church - the biggest Armenian Church in the Middle East,
which is situated in Dyarbakir - are proceeding and those works are
supported by the Kurdish mayor of Dyarbakir who is well known for
his positive statements about the Armenians. This all is a kind of
impulse for the generations of converted Armenians living in the city
populated by the Kurds to reclaim their identity.
Several years ago a Kurdish woman from Dyarbakir who arrived to
Yerevan to participate in the conference, confessed in a personal
conversation that she had Armenian roots. Her story, as she told it,
was very typical for many converted Armenians from Dyarbakir which
was later proved by our studies. That Kurdish woman of the Armenian
descent told: "I always knew my grandfather by my father's side was
an Armenian. We all knew but we never talked about it. Of course
he could not live as an Armenian and he feigned Kurd. He had never
spoke Armenian to anyone, but when we asked him something sometimes
he answered in Armenian". It is remarkable that grandfather told his
family about the Genocide in details and entrusted them: "This is
pain that cannot be cured even in 100 years".
Over the recent period converted Armenians from Dyarbakir also agreed
to state about themselves through mass media and the discussions round
the ethnic identity has been stirred up by new aspects. Recently an
article about crypto-Armenian from Dyarbakir has been published in
Turkish "Radikal" newspaper. Marie Eskici who now lives in Istanbul
told some episodes from their life in Dyarbakir: "Very often we
were obliged to live like Muslims. There were hundreds of Armenian
families which pretended to be Muslims, just like we did. We went
to the basement of the house to pray and to cross". Her story also
proves that converted Armenians sometimes preserved their Armenian
language and spoke to each other in their mother tongue. Today we can
meet numerous facts and evidences which come to prove that after the
Armenian Genocide, the splinters of Armeniancy which survived in the
Republican Turkey were forcedly Islamized in the mid 20th century.
It is interesting that the Armenians who had converted even later,
at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, had
problems with those who adopted Islam in 1950s and an atmosphere of
mutual distrust existed. Here an important part was assigned to the
atmosphere of extensive fear in Turkey, but as Marie Eskicin mentioned,
over different periods the motive for mutual distrust among the
converted Armenians was the following: "And what if he has really
became a Muslim?". According to Eskicin many converted Armenians
from Dyarbakir also had problems with the Armenian community in
Istanbul; in particular, moving to Istanbul they were taken by the
local Armenians as Kurds and could not even send their children to
the Armenians schools.
An interesting article by the journalist of the Armenian origin
Vercihan Ziflioglu was published in the authoritative Turkish
"Hurriyet Daily News" newspaper these days. The central character
of the article was another converted Armenian from Dyarbakir. Gyafur
Turkal who lives in Dyarbakir openly stated: "I am Sunnite Muslim but
I'm Armenian". Gyafur's father was a committed Muslim and even made
a pilgrimage to Mecca and he educated his children as Sunnite Muslims.
However, when Gyafur was 15, he was told that in reality they were
Armenians and their real surname was Ohanyan. The dual identity as it
always happens caused many psychological problems and questions and
today he came to the following resolution: "I live as a Muslim but I
do not disclaim my roots and my culture. The religion is not the point
and I would like to know and to speak my mother tongue". According to
Gyafur Armenian identity should be build round the ethnic identity
and not the religion. Gyafur also added that the generations of
the converted Armenians living in Dyarbakir knew each other and mix
with each other. But while speaking about the Christian Armenians he
said that there was a problem of mutual understanding and even more:
"Christian Armenians scorn us as if we have chosen this situation
voluntarily".
Let us mention that the Armenians in Dyarbakir are under unique
situation, being surrounded by extensive distrust - for Kurds they
are still Armenians, for Turkish state - unreliable converts and for
the Christian Armenians - alien Kurds.
The ongoing developments reveal new facts and problems which, however,
at the same time, demonstrate numerous commonalities in the issue
of the converted Armenians and differences conditioned by definite
environment which are crucial for correct directing of the studies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another materials of author
~UTHE MODERN ISSUES OF THE CIRCASSIANS IN TURKEY [07.07.2011] ~UON
THE MODERN TENDENCIES IN THE "ARMENIAN POLICY" OF TURKEY [20.06.2011]
~UON TURKISH POLICY OF NEO-OTTOMANISM AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ARAB
WORLD[18.04.2011] ~UARMENIAN VARTO CLAN IN EUROPE [28.02.2011]
~UTURKEY: ROUND THE ISSUE OF ETHNIC IDENTITY[31.01.2011]
Ruben Melkonyan
http://noravank.am/eng/articles/detail.php?ELEMENT_ID=5957
28.07.2011
The city of Dyarbakir, where many Armenians used to live, today
also plays rather remarkable role in Turkey in the context of the
development of the ethnic identity. Today, according to various
sources, in the city, which is mostly populated by the Kurds, the
generations of forcedly Islamized Armenians live. Back in 1894-95
during the Hamidian massacres about 25 thousand Armenians were forcedly
Islamized in Dyarbakir. Though a part of them reclaimed Christianity
later, but some of them continued to live under the veil of the
Muslim. In 1915 during the Armenian Genocide forcible conversion of
a number of the Armenians, which later resulted in Kurdization, also
took place in Dyarbakir. We can meet in different sources that even
today Muslim society in Dyarbakir distinguish between the generations
of the Islamized Armenians and call them "fila" (Armenian).
The recent processes connected with the ethnic identity in Turkey
have rather eagerly been manifested in Dyarbakir either. Let us
remember that after re-opening of Surb Khach (St. Cross) church on the
island of Akhtamar on Lake Van several families from Dyarbakir stated
that they were Armenians and expressed a wish to be baptized as the
Armenian Christians. At present reconditioning works of Surb Kirakos
(St. Kirakos) church - the biggest Armenian Church in the Middle East,
which is situated in Dyarbakir - are proceeding and those works are
supported by the Kurdish mayor of Dyarbakir who is well known for
his positive statements about the Armenians. This all is a kind of
impulse for the generations of converted Armenians living in the city
populated by the Kurds to reclaim their identity.
Several years ago a Kurdish woman from Dyarbakir who arrived to
Yerevan to participate in the conference, confessed in a personal
conversation that she had Armenian roots. Her story, as she told it,
was very typical for many converted Armenians from Dyarbakir which
was later proved by our studies. That Kurdish woman of the Armenian
descent told: "I always knew my grandfather by my father's side was
an Armenian. We all knew but we never talked about it. Of course
he could not live as an Armenian and he feigned Kurd. He had never
spoke Armenian to anyone, but when we asked him something sometimes
he answered in Armenian". It is remarkable that grandfather told his
family about the Genocide in details and entrusted them: "This is
pain that cannot be cured even in 100 years".
Over the recent period converted Armenians from Dyarbakir also agreed
to state about themselves through mass media and the discussions round
the ethnic identity has been stirred up by new aspects. Recently an
article about crypto-Armenian from Dyarbakir has been published in
Turkish "Radikal" newspaper. Marie Eskici who now lives in Istanbul
told some episodes from their life in Dyarbakir: "Very often we
were obliged to live like Muslims. There were hundreds of Armenian
families which pretended to be Muslims, just like we did. We went
to the basement of the house to pray and to cross". Her story also
proves that converted Armenians sometimes preserved their Armenian
language and spoke to each other in their mother tongue. Today we can
meet numerous facts and evidences which come to prove that after the
Armenian Genocide, the splinters of Armeniancy which survived in the
Republican Turkey were forcedly Islamized in the mid 20th century.
It is interesting that the Armenians who had converted even later,
at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, had
problems with those who adopted Islam in 1950s and an atmosphere of
mutual distrust existed. Here an important part was assigned to the
atmosphere of extensive fear in Turkey, but as Marie Eskicin mentioned,
over different periods the motive for mutual distrust among the
converted Armenians was the following: "And what if he has really
became a Muslim?". According to Eskicin many converted Armenians
from Dyarbakir also had problems with the Armenian community in
Istanbul; in particular, moving to Istanbul they were taken by the
local Armenians as Kurds and could not even send their children to
the Armenians schools.
An interesting article by the journalist of the Armenian origin
Vercihan Ziflioglu was published in the authoritative Turkish
"Hurriyet Daily News" newspaper these days. The central character
of the article was another converted Armenian from Dyarbakir. Gyafur
Turkal who lives in Dyarbakir openly stated: "I am Sunnite Muslim but
I'm Armenian". Gyafur's father was a committed Muslim and even made
a pilgrimage to Mecca and he educated his children as Sunnite Muslims.
However, when Gyafur was 15, he was told that in reality they were
Armenians and their real surname was Ohanyan. The dual identity as it
always happens caused many psychological problems and questions and
today he came to the following resolution: "I live as a Muslim but I
do not disclaim my roots and my culture. The religion is not the point
and I would like to know and to speak my mother tongue". According to
Gyafur Armenian identity should be build round the ethnic identity
and not the religion. Gyafur also added that the generations of
the converted Armenians living in Dyarbakir knew each other and mix
with each other. But while speaking about the Christian Armenians he
said that there was a problem of mutual understanding and even more:
"Christian Armenians scorn us as if we have chosen this situation
voluntarily".
Let us mention that the Armenians in Dyarbakir are under unique
situation, being surrounded by extensive distrust - for Kurds they
are still Armenians, for Turkish state - unreliable converts and for
the Christian Armenians - alien Kurds.
The ongoing developments reveal new facts and problems which, however,
at the same time, demonstrate numerous commonalities in the issue
of the converted Armenians and differences conditioned by definite
environment which are crucial for correct directing of the studies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another materials of author
~UTHE MODERN ISSUES OF THE CIRCASSIANS IN TURKEY [07.07.2011] ~UON
THE MODERN TENDENCIES IN THE "ARMENIAN POLICY" OF TURKEY [20.06.2011]
~UON TURKISH POLICY OF NEO-OTTOMANISM AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ARAB
WORLD[18.04.2011] ~UARMENIAN VARTO CLAN IN EUROPE [28.02.2011]
~UTURKEY: ROUND THE ISSUE OF ETHNIC IDENTITY[31.01.2011]