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'WE ARE NO DIASPORA,' PROMINENT TURKISH ARMENIANS SAY
Hurriyet
May 8 2011
Turkey
Hranuysh Hagopyan (second from L), Armenia's diaspora minister,
walks with acting Patriarch Aram Ate癬_yan after an award ceremony
in Istanbul on Sunday. DAILY NEWS photo, Hasan ALTINI癬^IK.
Prominent Turkish Armenians who received awards Sunday from Armenia's
diaspora minister said they cannot be seen as members of a diaspora
because they live on the land where their ancestors have lived for
thousands of years.
"I would prefer not to have a diaspora minister in Turkey," author
M覺g覺rd覺c Margosyan told the Hurriyet Daily News before receiving
his gold medal from Armenian minister Hranuysh Hagopyan.
"I've been living on the land that [we have] been living on for
thousands of years. I am not in the diaspora. This is a terrible
irony," Margosyan said. The writer also directed his criticism toward
the Turkish government, saying the lack of a Turkish state official
at the ceremony was disappointing.
After attending the Global Summit of Women in Istanbul, Hagopyan
handed out medals to 15 Turkish Armenians, including Margosyan,
composers Garo Mafyan and Cenk Ta癬_kan and Alis Manukyan, the first
Armenian female vocalist in Turkey's State Opera and Ballet.
"We are living in the lands where we have to live. And we continue to
pay our debt to these lands," Mafyan, who is arguably the best-known
popular music composer, told the Daily News. He added that he is ready
to do everything he can to make sure dialogue continues between Turkey
and Armenia.
"It is [still] very important to receive an award from Armenia for
contributing to Turkish popular music," he said.
Speaking after the award ceremony, acting Patriarch Aram Ate癬_yan
said Hagopyan's being invited to Turkey is a source of hope for
Turkey's Armenians. "All foreign heads of state and ministers visit
the Armenian Patriarchate and the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate,"
Ate癬_yan said. "We are proud to host a minister from Armenia. We
wish for friendship and dialogue between the two peoples."
The Daily News has meanwhile learned that a top-level delegation from
the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, will visit
the Armenian Patriarchate and the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate
on Tuesday. It was unclear as the Daily News went to press Sunday
whether CHP leader Kemal K覺l覺cdaroglu would be joining the visit.
From: A. Papazian
Hurriyet
May 8 2011
Turkey
Hranuysh Hagopyan (second from L), Armenia's diaspora minister,
walks with acting Patriarch Aram Ate癬_yan after an award ceremony
in Istanbul on Sunday. DAILY NEWS photo, Hasan ALTINI癬^IK.
Prominent Turkish Armenians who received awards Sunday from Armenia's
diaspora minister said they cannot be seen as members of a diaspora
because they live on the land where their ancestors have lived for
thousands of years.
"I would prefer not to have a diaspora minister in Turkey," author
M覺g覺rd覺c Margosyan told the Hurriyet Daily News before receiving
his gold medal from Armenian minister Hranuysh Hagopyan.
"I've been living on the land that [we have] been living on for
thousands of years. I am not in the diaspora. This is a terrible
irony," Margosyan said. The writer also directed his criticism toward
the Turkish government, saying the lack of a Turkish state official
at the ceremony was disappointing.
After attending the Global Summit of Women in Istanbul, Hagopyan
handed out medals to 15 Turkish Armenians, including Margosyan,
composers Garo Mafyan and Cenk Ta癬_kan and Alis Manukyan, the first
Armenian female vocalist in Turkey's State Opera and Ballet.
"We are living in the lands where we have to live. And we continue to
pay our debt to these lands," Mafyan, who is arguably the best-known
popular music composer, told the Daily News. He added that he is ready
to do everything he can to make sure dialogue continues between Turkey
and Armenia.
"It is [still] very important to receive an award from Armenia for
contributing to Turkish popular music," he said.
Speaking after the award ceremony, acting Patriarch Aram Ate癬_yan
said Hagopyan's being invited to Turkey is a source of hope for
Turkey's Armenians. "All foreign heads of state and ministers visit
the Armenian Patriarchate and the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate,"
Ate癬_yan said. "We are proud to host a minister from Armenia. We
wish for friendship and dialogue between the two peoples."
The Daily News has meanwhile learned that a top-level delegation from
the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, will visit
the Armenian Patriarchate and the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate
on Tuesday. It was unclear as the Daily News went to press Sunday
whether CHP leader Kemal K覺l覺cdaroglu would be joining the visit.
From: A. Papazian