Tweet
TURKISH STUDENT: FOR FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I FELT GUILTY TOWARDS ARMENIANS
15:02 25/04/2013 » SOCIETY
Ermenihaber.am news website presents the story of a Turkish student
which was also published on several Turkish websites. In the story,
Baris Mumakmaz told how much things changed in his worldview after
he learnt Armenian.
Below we present the main part of the article.
"People decide to learn a foreign language for different reasons. Some
do it for business, others for fun or for getting acquainted with
girls. I did it for "feeling." I was working on my Master's thesis
on conflict resolutions in Boston in 2009 when I decided to study
the Armenian cause. I was informed about the Armenian cause but I
felt as if it was insufficient and I decided to learn Armenian. I
decided to attend Armenian language classes.
"Hello, Baris," a woman told me in native Turkish on the first day when
I came to classes. "My name is Anahit. You are welcome to Armenian
classes." For a moment I thought I was dreaming, but I understood
everything later, when I knew that Anahit was a descendant of an
Armenian who fled the Armenian massacres for America in 1915.
I was doing well in classes. At one of the final lessons, Anahit told
us to make up sentences with the Armenian names we knew. I mentioned
all Armenian names I could recall - Hrant, Rachel, Nora, Sevan, Sayat.
Anahit got surprised and asked how I can know those old-style Armenian
names. Then I told them about Constantinople. I told them what happened
on January 19 and that HRANT is not an old-style name in Turkey. I
told them how a great number of people who felt pangs of conscience
took to the streets chanting: "We all are Hrant Dink."
Everybody was looking at me thinking "he will speak out this time."
But I was not able to tell them that I acknowledge the events of
1915 as genocide, that I share their pain, though as a student who
studied conflicts I knew what to say to the aggrieved party. But I
could say nothing just because for a moment I felt so guilty that
my tongue failed to move. For the first time in my life, as a Turk,
I felt guilty towards the Armenians.
The classes finished and for a long time I could not work on the
Armenian cause. I was shocked. I understand it now that I had to feel
the shock to be able to understand many things."
Source: Panorama.am
From: Baghdasarian
15:02 25/04/2013 » SOCIETY
Ermenihaber.am news website presents the story of a Turkish student
which was also published on several Turkish websites. In the story,
Baris Mumakmaz told how much things changed in his worldview after
he learnt Armenian.
Below we present the main part of the article.
"People decide to learn a foreign language for different reasons. Some
do it for business, others for fun or for getting acquainted with
girls. I did it for "feeling." I was working on my Master's thesis
on conflict resolutions in Boston in 2009 when I decided to study
the Armenian cause. I was informed about the Armenian cause but I
felt as if it was insufficient and I decided to learn Armenian. I
decided to attend Armenian language classes.
"Hello, Baris," a woman told me in native Turkish on the first day when
I came to classes. "My name is Anahit. You are welcome to Armenian
classes." For a moment I thought I was dreaming, but I understood
everything later, when I knew that Anahit was a descendant of an
Armenian who fled the Armenian massacres for America in 1915.
I was doing well in classes. At one of the final lessons, Anahit told
us to make up sentences with the Armenian names we knew. I mentioned
all Armenian names I could recall - Hrant, Rachel, Nora, Sevan, Sayat.
Anahit got surprised and asked how I can know those old-style Armenian
names. Then I told them about Constantinople. I told them what happened
on January 19 and that HRANT is not an old-style name in Turkey. I
told them how a great number of people who felt pangs of conscience
took to the streets chanting: "We all are Hrant Dink."
Everybody was looking at me thinking "he will speak out this time."
But I was not able to tell them that I acknowledge the events of
1915 as genocide, that I share their pain, though as a student who
studied conflicts I knew what to say to the aggrieved party. But I
could say nothing just because for a moment I felt so guilty that
my tongue failed to move. For the first time in my life, as a Turk,
I felt guilty towards the Armenians.
The classes finished and for a long time I could not work on the
Armenian cause. I was shocked. I understand it now that I had to feel
the shock to be able to understand many things."
Source: Panorama.am
From: Baghdasarian