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Turkish journalist group chair reveals his mother was Armenian
http://www.armradio.am/en/2013/10/12/turkish-journalist-group-chair-reveals-his-mother-was-armenian/
15:18 12.10.2013
Armenian, Turkey
The head of a journalists' association in Turkey, has revealed that
his mother was an Armenian, who was left `in front of an Alevi
family's door' by Armenians during the 1915 incidents in his recently
published book, adding that his relatives had reacted strongly to this
revelation, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.
Ahmet Abakay, a journalist and the head of the Contemporary
Journalists' Association, told his mother HoĆ?ana's story in his book
entitled `HoĆ?ana's last words,' in which he said that he was told by
his mother that she was an Armenian only weeks before she died.
Abakay said his mother HoĆ?ana told him her story, which she kept
secret for her entire 82-year-long life, with one condition; that he
should not tell it to anyone as long as she was alive.`My mother told
me about her story 13 years ago and soon after, she died. I could
write this only 10 years later, because I hesitated. I hardly wrote
it, bursting into tears when writing all of the chapters and I was
stuck. I did not imagine that it could get that sentimental for me to
write it. My mother was left at some people's door like an innocent
kitten and that idea filled me with grief,' Abakay told the Hürriyet
Daily News, adding that his mother was one of the Armenian babies left
to the Turkish families, with fears for their lives due to the
saddening 1915 incidents.
`My mother made me promise not to tell her story to my wife, daughter
or her sisters, as long as she was alive. I told this issue to my
inner circle after I lost my mother, to learn whether there are other
secrets that we are not told. But my sister told me not to reveal this
on the grounds that I am a journalist and she recalled what happened
to Hrant Dink [Armenian-Turkish journalist murdered by a gunman in
broad daylight in 2007 in Istanbul]. A majority of my relatives could
not accept their [new] identity,' Abakay said. Some relatives denied
the story, while others claimed that his mother was too old to be
aware of what she was saying. Abakay said he received fierce reactions
from some of his family members over his revelation in his book.
`My uncle's children told me `how dare you call our aunt Armenian and
insult our family's honor. You will remove the Armenian part from your
book, otherwise we will pull it off the shelves,'' said Abakay.
Abakay said his mother used to talk about one of her sisters left with
Armenians in the past, but she had never talked about it in detail.
Later on he learnt that she was from the southeastern province of
Erzurum's AĆ?kale district. `I want to research my identity but I doubt
whether I can go any further. Now, I am content that I have received
my identity back.'
From: Baghdasarian
http://www.armradio.am/en/2013/10/12/turkish-journalist-group-chair-reveals-his-mother-was-armenian/
15:18 12.10.2013
Armenian, Turkey
The head of a journalists' association in Turkey, has revealed that
his mother was an Armenian, who was left `in front of an Alevi
family's door' by Armenians during the 1915 incidents in his recently
published book, adding that his relatives had reacted strongly to this
revelation, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.
Ahmet Abakay, a journalist and the head of the Contemporary
Journalists' Association, told his mother HoĆ?ana's story in his book
entitled `HoĆ?ana's last words,' in which he said that he was told by
his mother that she was an Armenian only weeks before she died.
Abakay said his mother HoĆ?ana told him her story, which she kept
secret for her entire 82-year-long life, with one condition; that he
should not tell it to anyone as long as she was alive.`My mother told
me about her story 13 years ago and soon after, she died. I could
write this only 10 years later, because I hesitated. I hardly wrote
it, bursting into tears when writing all of the chapters and I was
stuck. I did not imagine that it could get that sentimental for me to
write it. My mother was left at some people's door like an innocent
kitten and that idea filled me with grief,' Abakay told the Hürriyet
Daily News, adding that his mother was one of the Armenian babies left
to the Turkish families, with fears for their lives due to the
saddening 1915 incidents.
`My mother made me promise not to tell her story to my wife, daughter
or her sisters, as long as she was alive. I told this issue to my
inner circle after I lost my mother, to learn whether there are other
secrets that we are not told. But my sister told me not to reveal this
on the grounds that I am a journalist and she recalled what happened
to Hrant Dink [Armenian-Turkish journalist murdered by a gunman in
broad daylight in 2007 in Istanbul]. A majority of my relatives could
not accept their [new] identity,' Abakay said. Some relatives denied
the story, while others claimed that his mother was too old to be
aware of what she was saying. Abakay said he received fierce reactions
from some of his family members over his revelation in his book.
`My uncle's children told me `how dare you call our aunt Armenian and
insult our family's honor. You will remove the Armenian part from your
book, otherwise we will pull it off the shelves,'' said Abakay.
Abakay said his mother used to talk about one of her sisters left with
Armenians in the past, but she had never talked about it in detail.
Later on he learnt that she was from the southeastern province of
Erzurum's AĆ?kale district. `I want to research my identity but I doubt
whether I can go any further. Now, I am content that I have received
my identity back.'
From: Baghdasarian