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Turkish journalist shares her impressions of Armenia
tert.am
20:01 - 12.05.12
A group of Turkish reporters, sponsored by the `Hrant Dink' Foundation
arrived in Armenia to cover the May 6 parliamentary elections. Among
them was reporter from Yeni Safak newspaper Hilal Kaplan who shared
her impressions of the visit in her column of the newspaper.
`There is a country far away, but when you reach it, you feel it is
not so far as it seems. The biggest market there is called Malatia,
the famous restaurant is named Ayntap, the names of districts are
Arabkir and Marash, a famous radio station is called Van. This country
is Armenia,' Kaplan wrote, saying that at least one of the ancestors
of 70% of the population came to Armenia from Anatolia.
Kaplan recollected her last evening in Armenia, the last supper she
enjoyed with Salbi Ghazaryan, the roots of who are in Kayseri and
Sivas. `Recollections are strange things; they do not belong to you
only but pass from generations to generations. Unfortunately, my
grandmother's recollections were not so good, but I am convinced she
would have enjoyed sitting here with you. I wish she was here,' Salbi
Ghazaryan said at the supper.
`While Mrs Sarbi's eyes were filling with tears, I was thinking of the
importance of 1915 for the two nations. For Armenians the main factor
was the trauma they got, and we have lived in the country built on
that trauma and our ancestors knew it. The majority of them preferred
to be silent, a small part of them whispered about it in our ear. Many
of my friends who have arrived here with me knew about the Armenian
houses in their villages, some of them guessed their grandmothers knew
Armenian,' Kaplan wrote.
During the same dinner, the Turkish reporters listened to Stepan
Galoshyan who arrived in Armenia from Turkey in 1980.
He was born in Malatya in 1932. He lost his father in the early age.
Galoshyan served in Turkish army, afterwards moved to Istanbul with
his mother and family. His father's grave is in Malatya, mother's in
Istanbul but he feels good in Armenia.
`Throughout my whole visit I felt that here everyone realizes that
`good things' happen in Turkey too. One person was present at the
opening of St. Cross church on Akhtamar Island in Van, the other heard
about the reconstruction of St. Kirakos Church in Diyarbakir, the
third one was inspired with hope after the April 24 rally in Taksim
square in Turkey, the other person is glad with the return of
properties to ethnic minorities...,' she wrote.
`We are returning from Armenia with positive memories. I think with
the growth of such memories, our unbearable pain will ease...' Kaplan
concluded.
From: A. Papazian
tert.am
20:01 - 12.05.12
A group of Turkish reporters, sponsored by the `Hrant Dink' Foundation
arrived in Armenia to cover the May 6 parliamentary elections. Among
them was reporter from Yeni Safak newspaper Hilal Kaplan who shared
her impressions of the visit in her column of the newspaper.
`There is a country far away, but when you reach it, you feel it is
not so far as it seems. The biggest market there is called Malatia,
the famous restaurant is named Ayntap, the names of districts are
Arabkir and Marash, a famous radio station is called Van. This country
is Armenia,' Kaplan wrote, saying that at least one of the ancestors
of 70% of the population came to Armenia from Anatolia.
Kaplan recollected her last evening in Armenia, the last supper she
enjoyed with Salbi Ghazaryan, the roots of who are in Kayseri and
Sivas. `Recollections are strange things; they do not belong to you
only but pass from generations to generations. Unfortunately, my
grandmother's recollections were not so good, but I am convinced she
would have enjoyed sitting here with you. I wish she was here,' Salbi
Ghazaryan said at the supper.
`While Mrs Sarbi's eyes were filling with tears, I was thinking of the
importance of 1915 for the two nations. For Armenians the main factor
was the trauma they got, and we have lived in the country built on
that trauma and our ancestors knew it. The majority of them preferred
to be silent, a small part of them whispered about it in our ear. Many
of my friends who have arrived here with me knew about the Armenian
houses in their villages, some of them guessed their grandmothers knew
Armenian,' Kaplan wrote.
During the same dinner, the Turkish reporters listened to Stepan
Galoshyan who arrived in Armenia from Turkey in 1980.
He was born in Malatya in 1932. He lost his father in the early age.
Galoshyan served in Turkish army, afterwards moved to Istanbul with
his mother and family. His father's grave is in Malatya, mother's in
Istanbul but he feels good in Armenia.
`Throughout my whole visit I felt that here everyone realizes that
`good things' happen in Turkey too. One person was present at the
opening of St. Cross church on Akhtamar Island in Van, the other heard
about the reconstruction of St. Kirakos Church in Diyarbakir, the
third one was inspired with hope after the April 24 rally in Taksim
square in Turkey, the other person is glad with the return of
properties to ethnic minorities...,' she wrote.
`We are returning from Armenia with positive memories. I think with
the growth of such memories, our unbearable pain will ease...' Kaplan
concluded.
From: A. Papazian