Zaman, Turkey
May 11 2005
Turks Exiled from Yerevan Live in Igdir
By Anadolu News Agency (aa)
Published: Wednesday 11, 2005
zaman.com
39 Turks who were exiled from the Armenian capital of Yerevan after
World War I and who have identification cards that say they were born
in “Yerevan,” now live in the Tasburun town of Igdir, a city in the
northeast Anatolian region of Turkey.
Tasburun Mayor Riza Kumtepe said that they have discovered that the
Turks have revealed that both the genocide and the exile were
actually committed by Armenians. Kumtepe said there are 39 Turks who
were born in Yerevan living in their town and that their families
make up a group of over 500 people. Kumtepe noted: “The majority of
the town is made up of the grandsons of Turks who were exiled from
Yerevan to Igdir and whose homes and land were seized after World War
I. We, as the Turkish nation, have not conveyed this fact before now
because we wanted to forget about the painful events that happened in
the past. We wanted to be faithful to the words of Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey who said: “Peace at
home, peace in the world.” However, we cannot tolerate Armenians
allegations that Turks carried out a so-called genocide any longer.
We want to show them that the real exile was committed by them and
that’s why we have identified the Turks who were exiled from
Yerevan.”