RUBEN SAFRASTYAN: TURKEY SHOWS INTEREST IN HAMSHEN PROBLEM

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.07.2008 13:38 GMT+04:00

"Hamshen and Hamshen Armenians. History and Culture" international
conference started in Yerevan today. The goal of the conference is to
encourage further studies, to raise public awareness and to establish
ties with Hamshen Armenians.

"The problem of Hamshen and Hamshen Armenians attracts more and more
attention. I am hopeful that this conference will help us to better
understand the peculiarities of our nation and its manifestations
in various geographical and religious spheres," Ruben Safrastyan,
Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the RA Academy of
Sciences, said in his opening remarks. "The problem is also in focus
in Turkey. Certainly, we can’t agree with some Turkish historians
who rate Hamshen Armenians as Turkic tribes."

Experts from Armenia, Turkey and Russia studying the history and
culture of Hamshen Armenians attended the conference, organizers of
which hope for further collaboration.