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HAMSHEN POLITICIAN SAYS HE WILL FORM NEW PARTY IN TURKEY
Armenian Weekly
Tue, May 17 2011
Hamshen Armenians of northeastern Turkey are gearing up to create their
own political party, reported Hurrieyet Daily news. The move came after
all seven Turkish-Armenians who ran for seats in parliament were left
behind on the ballots by the main political parties, including the
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Republican People's
Party (CHP), and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP).
Ismet Å~^ahin, a Hamshenite and a former deputy candidate from
Istanbul's second region who ran as a member of BDP was one of the
seven left behind. Now he has voiced his intention to form a new party
whose name will be announced after the general elections on June 12.
"We will become a party that produces global solutions for societal
problems and protects the general interests of all oppressed people.
Our party will remain completely outside the left-right paradigm,"
Å~^ahin told Hurriyet Daily News.
"It would have been naive to expect positive results. The AKP still
uses the Armenian identity as a form of curse in tete a tete debates,"
said Å~^ahin. "The presence of even a single Armenian deputy in
parliament would remind Turkey of its history; it would force Turkey
to face up to its own history. Turkey does not have the courage to
face up to its history."
According to Hurriyet, Å~^ahin also accused the AKP and CHP of
nationalism, and noted that Armenians in Istanbul are marginalized.
"The BDP presents the Kurds and Turks as brothers in arms that
fought against common enemies to protect the Republic, with the aim
of gaining recognition from the state. The BDP is getting corrupt.
Instead of aligning itself with other oppressed peoples, the BDP chose
to go for an exclusively Kurdish constituency. In the past they had
announced their support for me because I was from within the party
and because I am a Hamshenite," said Å~^ahin.
"In recent years, more and more people have begun claiming they are
discovering their Armenian identity, and I do not find this sincere.
Hamshenites have always identified themselves as Hamshenites. If you
ask whether they are Turks, you would elicit a negative response. If
you ask whether they are Armenians, again you would elicit a negative
response. They would only tell you they are Hamshenites," said Å~^ahin.
From: A. Papazian
Armenian Weekly
Tue, May 17 2011
Hamshen Armenians of northeastern Turkey are gearing up to create their
own political party, reported Hurrieyet Daily news. The move came after
all seven Turkish-Armenians who ran for seats in parliament were left
behind on the ballots by the main political parties, including the
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Republican People's
Party (CHP), and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP).
Ismet Å~^ahin, a Hamshenite and a former deputy candidate from
Istanbul's second region who ran as a member of BDP was one of the
seven left behind. Now he has voiced his intention to form a new party
whose name will be announced after the general elections on June 12.
"We will become a party that produces global solutions for societal
problems and protects the general interests of all oppressed people.
Our party will remain completely outside the left-right paradigm,"
Å~^ahin told Hurriyet Daily News.
"It would have been naive to expect positive results. The AKP still
uses the Armenian identity as a form of curse in tete a tete debates,"
said Å~^ahin. "The presence of even a single Armenian deputy in
parliament would remind Turkey of its history; it would force Turkey
to face up to its own history. Turkey does not have the courage to
face up to its history."
According to Hurriyet, Å~^ahin also accused the AKP and CHP of
nationalism, and noted that Armenians in Istanbul are marginalized.
"The BDP presents the Kurds and Turks as brothers in arms that
fought against common enemies to protect the Republic, with the aim
of gaining recognition from the state. The BDP is getting corrupt.
Instead of aligning itself with other oppressed peoples, the BDP chose
to go for an exclusively Kurdish constituency. In the past they had
announced their support for me because I was from within the party
and because I am a Hamshenite," said Å~^ahin.
"In recent years, more and more people have begun claiming they are
discovering their Armenian identity, and I do not find this sincere.
Hamshenites have always identified themselves as Hamshenites. If you
ask whether they are Turks, you would elicit a negative response. If
you ask whether they are Armenians, again you would elicit a negative
response. They would only tell you they are Hamshenites," said Å~^ahin.
From: A. Papazian