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VILLAGERS IN CENTRAL ANATOLIA LOOK AFTER ARMENIAN CEMETERY
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Dec 24 2014
YOZGAT - Anadolu Agency
The BurunkıÅ~_la village in the Sarıkaya district of Yozgat sets an
example for tolerance and shows the peaceful attitudes of Turks and
Armenians living together for centuries by voluntarily maintaining
a cemetery left behind by Armenians who used to live in the village.
BurunkıÅ~_la's Village Headman Necati Yalcın said his ancestors
emigrated to Yozgat in 1924 from Greece's Thessaloniki following the
barter between Turkey and Greece and started living together peacefully
with Armenians in the region, until they began leaving after 1966.
"Our Armenian friends come here every year in groups of 60 to 70
people and visit both our village and the cemeteries. Our connection
[with them] continues; we visit each other. Thanks to our former
district governor, the cemetery left behind by our Armenian siblings
was fenced. As a village unit, residents of the village care for small
issues, including cleaning, maintenance and reparation. Ultimately,
our friendship is enduring," said Yalcın.
Sembiya Arıkan, a 78-year-old villager, said she had Armenian
neighbors and friends at school, adding that they were all friends.
"Our life was really good. There would be weddings and we would go
together. We were friends with all of them," said Arıkan, adding
that their Armenian friends came to visit them every summer and they
cherished their old memories together.
December/24/2014
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/villagers-in-central-anatolia-look-after-armenian-cemetery.aspx?pageID=238&nID=76052&NewsCatID=341
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Dec 24 2014
YOZGAT - Anadolu Agency
The BurunkıÅ~_la village in the Sarıkaya district of Yozgat sets an
example for tolerance and shows the peaceful attitudes of Turks and
Armenians living together for centuries by voluntarily maintaining
a cemetery left behind by Armenians who used to live in the village.
BurunkıÅ~_la's Village Headman Necati Yalcın said his ancestors
emigrated to Yozgat in 1924 from Greece's Thessaloniki following the
barter between Turkey and Greece and started living together peacefully
with Armenians in the region, until they began leaving after 1966.
"Our Armenian friends come here every year in groups of 60 to 70
people and visit both our village and the cemeteries. Our connection
[with them] continues; we visit each other. Thanks to our former
district governor, the cemetery left behind by our Armenian siblings
was fenced. As a village unit, residents of the village care for small
issues, including cleaning, maintenance and reparation. Ultimately,
our friendship is enduring," said Yalcın.
Sembiya Arıkan, a 78-year-old villager, said she had Armenian
neighbors and friends at school, adding that they were all friends.
"Our life was really good. There would be weddings and we would go
together. We were friends with all of them," said Arıkan, adding
that their Armenian friends came to visit them every summer and they
cherished their old memories together.
December/24/2014
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/villagers-in-central-anatolia-look-after-armenian-cemetery.aspx?pageID=238&nID=76052&NewsCatID=341