TURKISH SPEAKING ARMENIANS WITH NO OTHER INDICATION OF ARMENIANHOOD BUT
ORIGIN
Azg/arm
4 Dec 04
Armenians in Ankara
“If you want to find Armenians in Ankara you should go to the French
Catholic church of the city. Armenians gather there every
Sunday. There are around 1 thousand Armenians in Ankara, most of them
are Catholics and Turkish speaking” Arsen Avagian, Armenian
representative to the Organization of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC) in Istanbul, said.
So, if anyone wants to find Armenians of Ankara he should find the
French church first of all. Though the French embassy is in Ankara’s
downtown, the French and other Christians have to go to the trade
district of Ulus to reach the only church. After circling through all
ins and outs of the city we finely found the so-called French
church. What they called a church was a large room with arched windows
on the first flour of a many-storeyed building. It was early in the
morning when the first members of the flock appeared.
A dark-haired, black-eyed gentleman together with many others entered
and took his seat in front of us. At first sight, he seemed to be
Armenian. He was apparently plunged in his thoughts and didn’t notice
people around him.
People gradually filled the church. No one else seemed to ever have
had Armenian ancestors.
The service began. It was hard to believe that a French church
conducts service in Turkish.
People began leaving the church in an hour. Getting out of the church
we stopped the gentleman that drew our attention. It turned out that
Henry Osterzi is Armenian indeed but knows no word in Armenia. Henry
was 51, Catholic and used to attend the French church since his
childhood “to study the Bible”.
An old man came up to us apparently upon hearing our conversation and
uttered, “Martiros Arat, I am Armenian too”, he said displaying all
his knowledge of Armenian. Then Martiros told that he spent 76 years
in Ankara and that he is not a Catholic at all but an adherent of
Armenian Apostolic Church.
While Martiros was warming up, Henry was silently listening speaking
only when asked. Martiros Arat told that years ago his father moved to
Ankara from the neighboring village of Nallhanl.
“My father spoke Armenian, he had finished an Armenian school. But I
know only few words”, he said. He has 2 children and 4
grandchildren. His son, Daniel, is in Moscow engaged in supplying
food. His children married at the French church and grandchildren were
also baptized there.
Henry also has two children. Armenian tongue has not sounded at their
home for a long time, they have nothing Armenian, they don’t cook
Armenian dishes either.
Martiros’ family still observes the tradition of cooking Armenian
dishes. “Though I don’t speak Armenian I do want my children to learn
it. Armenians don’ t speak Armenian in Ankara but they may need it in
Istanbul. If we had a school here children would attend it. My younger
brother speaks Armenian well enough but he learnt it in Istanbul”,
Martiros explained.
But it was all the same for Henry whether his children speak Armenian
or not. “Nowhere here can we use Armenian, there is even no school
here. Armenian would give my children nothing”, he said.
The two Turkish citizens had no ties with Armenia. They don’t even
relate to the Armenian community in Istanbul. Only occasionally an
Armenian priest is sent from Istanbul to serve a liturgy during
holidays. Speaking of the Turks’ attitude towards Armenians in Ankara
they both assured that they have no problems because of their origin
and said that live a good life.
Henry’s and Martiros’ knowledge of Armenia and Karabakh didnot reach
further than hardly recollected name of Stepanakert.
They both were indifferent as to what is happening in their
neighboring fatherland and in the Diaspora all over the world.
So they live in Ankara, Turkish citizens of Armenian origin, and they
recall their roots only when they are reminded. And Armenian language
is measured by market’s yardstick where national identity may easily
be thrown away if it’s an obstacle in your daily life.
By Aghavni Harutyunian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress