Turkey: View from Within Turkey: View from Within Contents Turkey: View from Within 7 True Stories Selina Dogan 13 Sedat Uluguna 16 Ismail Cem Halavurt 19 Muslum Tufan 22 Baykar Demir 26 Hakan Balaban 28 Devrim Demir 31 Nshan Kivreh 34 Perihan Polat 36 Ara Kochunyan 39 Ismail Adanur 42 Armen Galstyan 44 Baris Akengin 46 Arev Berkin Elvan 50 Fatmagul Soylu 54 Nimetullah Erdogmus 57 Erol Daron Kalk 59 Mustafa Balaban 63 Karnik Olgar 66 Hasan Celanin Erzincan 71 Fatmanur Cete 73 Onur Uzun 76 Zubeyde Isik 79 Arsen Demircian 82 Eyyup Altun Van Ercis 84 Naira Yıldız 87 Turkey: View from Within | 3 Mustafa Celebi 90 Isa Paylan 93 Sayat Didoyan 97 Sayat Tekir 101 Interviews Gegham Petrosyan 107 Huseyin Nesimi 109 Gohar Melik-Bakhshyan 112 Ayse Gokce 115 Naira Poghosyan 118 Hasan Okat 122 Hrant Karamyan 124 Mert Akdamar 127 Lena Kalvuryan 130 Huseyin Akce 133 4 | Turkey: View from Within Turkey: View from Within | 5 Turkey: View from Within Among the survivors of Mets Yeghern, there are people whose lives were saved by a Turkish neighbor, friend or stranger. In this book, 15 stories of the descendants of the Turks/Kurds who saved Armenians, 15 stories of Armenians currently living in Turkey, and 10 interviews with the descendants of those saved (Armenians saved by Turks/Kurds) and of Turks/Kurds who saved Armenians are presented. These are true stories, transcribed exactly as they were related to our team, with- out any editing of the content. The stories have been narrated by the descendants, relatives, and close friends of the survivors of Mets Yeghern and the descendants of those who saved Armenians. Each narrator shared what witnesses had told them about the events of that time. The stories of the Armenians currently living in Turkey, the presented interviews also include the heroes’ views on the transformations in Turkey and the current situation of Turkish-Armenian relations. The stories have been collected through the efforts of the “European Integration” Non-Governmental Organization with the support of the U.S. Department of State within the project “Turkey: View from Within.” Our partners in Turkey are the “Arme- nian Culture and Solidarity Association” (coordinator Aris Nalci), as well as Aline Oz- inian-Voskanian. The aim of the project “Turkey: View from Within” is to have a contribution in the development of the dialogue between the Armenian and Turkish nations, as well as in building mutual trust. This project builds on a 2014 project, conducted by us with the support of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, and which resulted in the book “100 Years…True stories.” The electronic version can be found here. The electronic version of the book “Turkey: View from Within” is published in Ar-menian, Turkish and English and is available for free. It is intended for a wide circle of readers. “European Integration” NGO expresses deep gratitude to the U.S. Department of State, “Armenian Culture and Solidarity Association” (coordinator Aris Nalci), Aline Ozinian-Voskanian, as well as to the narrators who shared their stories. Turkey: View from Within | 7 The materials, opinions and conclusions presented in the book introduce the views of the participants of the events and the people narrating the stories, and do not reflect the position of the U.S. Government. © "European Integration" Non-Governmental Organization, 2017 8 | Turkey: View from Within True Stories - Of the descendants of the Turks/Kurds, who saved Armenians in 1915 - Of Armenians now living in Turkey Turkey: View from Within | 11 In Conservative Cities of Turkey You Cannot Even Say a Word of Your Being an Armenian Tells Member of the Turkish Parliament from the CHP Party, Selina Dogan, an Armenian Living in Turkey I was born in Istanbul. I went to an Armenian school, then a French one. I am a lawyer by my first profession and I have done my MA in human rights. Before becom- ing a member of the Turkish Parliament in 2015 from the Republican People's Party (CHP) I was working as a lawyer. Several years ago (about 15 years ago) the Armenian question was a taboo in Tur- key. It was a kind of a “silent” issue that no one raised explicitly. Armenians were living as a closed community, they did not demand, they did not raise their problems with courage. The EU process, however, helped to improve the minority rights in Turkey. The international community started to exert more pressure on Turkey for basic hu- man rights and freedoms. This EU process also helped the AKP to enlarge its power, but they were not really very willing to solve the problems, they were just trying to get the votes of the minorities, but not to solve their problems. After Hrant Dink’s assassination, thousands of people together were defending the Armenian question (during those times there was a legal restriction – article 301, Turkey: View from Within | 13 against intellectuals, academicians, who were interested in the Armenian question). think that cultural and social relations are very important. In the near future I do not It was after Hrant Dink’s assassination that the Turkish society found out that there is see that there will be any significant step in this term. Unfortunately, the word Arme- an Armenian question that they are suffering, they have problems. In this regard the nian is a “joker” in Turkey, which is used everywhere. I hope that we will be able to “Football Diplomacy” initiated by Armenia was quite important, but unfortunately change this destiny, but as I said, the government now does not allow the deputies the AKP did not continue it and everything changed. to fulfill their job. Today not only Armenians, but all the opposition has no right to speak. There is no freedom of press or independent judges in the country. Whoever is not an AKP supporter is targeted somehow. Of course, if you are a Christian and moreover, an Ar- menian, you are the easiest target, unfortunately. The political rhetoric, nationalism, as thay always work, polarize the society and this is the main policy of AKP. I do not think that originally the Turkish society had this hostile attitude, but it is a question that is always provoked by the government. All the media are under the AKP control. It is so easy to change people’s minds. Here the education system also plays a role. The government wants people to be more uneducated, so that they do not question anything. In such circumstances it is so easy to make enemies. After June 7, 2015, when the AKP saw that it was losing power and would have to form coalitions, the government became more authoritarian, more dictatorial. They provoked a conflict in the eastern part of Turkey with Kurds. Ethnic difference is be- ing used in Turkey as a tool in their rhetoric and they are doing this every single day - the hate speech. Our party had hopes last year, but unfortunately after November 1 (edt. – snap parliamentary elections), everything changed. The opposition has no right, we can- not question the government, and we cannot do our job, fixed by the Constitution, as the law is not respected here. As for the everyday life of the Armenians in Turkey, then, of course, they try to arrange their lives according to the reality. It depends much on where you live. If you live in very conservative cities you cannot even say a word of your being an Arme- nian and to find a job you have to hide your nationality. In Istanbul, it is much easier. In Shishli neighborhood we have a Church, an Armenian school and you can easily say that you are an Armenian. Referring to the reconciliation of the Armenian and Turkish societies, I should mention that Turkey’s foreign policy today is horrible. We are in conflict almost with all our neighbors – Iraq, Syria, and the EU and in this regard the Armenian-Turkish relations are the last concern of the government, unfortunately. Actually, I think that in regard with the reconciliation of Turks and Armenians, NGOs are doing a very important job. I always try to encourage them. Personally, I 14 | Turkey: View from Within Turkey: View from Within | 15 sacring Armenians very violently, but my family did not kill Armenians and did not even hand them to the state. But one night soldiers came and said that it was enough to keep them. They told my family to hand Armenians over and beat one of the chil- dren. I do not remember whether it was Tumo or Alaki. Later my family helped 7-8 other Armenian families as well, took them at night to the border with Iran, where a camp was and left them there. Until 1915, a number of other cases also happened, but in 1915 Ibrahim Agha (Mr. Ibrahim) was no longer able to save Armenians, and the only way out was to take them to the other side of the border. They helped people with horses; shared bread, lived together. Sirin was my grandmother’s best friend. I would like to meet the survivors. In 1916, Russians came. Peto’s boys joined Andranik’s (Armenian military com- mander) army and killed Ibrahim’s son Yusuf. Ibrahim was angry and went to the Cossacks. 18 people died. When the body was sent to the village, the Armenians were there. They recognized Ibrahim’s corpse and told the Cossacks not to touch the mem- bers of his family. Armenians even asked to give Ibrahim’s stuff to his family.