ARMENIAN WOMAN SENDING GRANDCHILD TO TURKISH SCHOOL LOOKS TO THE FUTURE
By Selcuk Gultasli, Brussels

Zaman Online, Turkey
April 24 2006

Some Armenians oppose the Armenian Diaspora builds the identity on
Turkish hatred and they try to maintain friendship with Turkey.

Maria Rosa Ayoriyan, an Armenian from Gaziantep registered her
grandchild at Herkul College established by Turkish entrepreneurs in
Buenos Aires last month.

She sent a touching message to both Armenians and Turks, saying:
“What has happened is in the past. We should look ahead and leave the
past in the past. It is not possible to separate Turks from Armenians
and vice versa. We have lived together with Turks for years. We took
brides from Turks and also bestowed our daughters to them. Our cuisine,
conventional proprieties and customs are very similar. We speak the
same language.”

Ayorian says she took her grandchild to the Turkish school despite
the disapproval of some Armenians.

She believes a group of people are trying to separate the two nations
by force, adding that what happened during a time of war should
be forgotten.

In asked why she chose a Turkish school, Ayorian says, “I believe my
grandchild will learn good manners and universal values there.”

Armenians and Turks are two nations of the same land and culture;
only the religion is different.

Her grandfather, Kirkor Nazaryan, was a lawyer in Gaziantep, a
southeastern Turkish city, and she still speaks a little Turkish.

A kindergarten and a primary school are currently operating at Herkul
College founded by the Turkey-Argentina Friendship Foundation.

The school has 95 students and offers education in both English and
Spanish languages.

Mrs. Ayorian is referred to as “Aunt Maria” by school officials. She
calls Turks the “men of honor” and says her father and grandfather
spoke positively about Turks.

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