HAMSHEN ARMENIANS TO RESETTLE IN KARABAKH

Armenian Weekly
Thu, May 12 2011

YEREVAN (Yerkir)-Around 200 Hamshen-Armenian families living in
Kyrgyzstan are opting to resettle in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

The leader of the Hamshen-Armenian community, Ruslan Karabadjakov
has traveled to Yerevan, from where he will go to Artsakh to look
into logistics for the relocation of 200 families there.

“Our place is here, in Armenia,” said Karabadjakov. “For 250 years
fate has forced us to move from place to palce-Adzharia, Central Asia.

Finally we’ve decided to seek refuge on our own soil.”

It is anticipated that the Hamshen Armenians will establish residency
in the Mardakert region of Artsakh. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
authorities will provide land and opportunities for economic
developments and will subsidize this effort until the families are
self-sufficient.

Armenians of Hamshen in Western Armenia were conquered by the Ottomans
in the 15th century. The majority of them were forced to convert to
Islam. A resurgence of Hamshen Armenians has begun in recent years,
with a group in Armenia forming community organizations and publishing
a newspaper.

The Hamshen Armenians settled in Adjaria, from where they were driven
out and a large majority settled in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.