Turkey’s largest Kurdish city, Diyarbakir, is at the center of a decades-long conflict between the state and Kurdish rebels fighting for autonomy. The city often sees clashes between young people and security forces. But one man has devoted his life to bringing hope and a way out of violence for the city’s youth through basketball. Dorian Jones has the story.
via Kurdish City in Turkey Heals Wounds with Basketball – YouTube.
Without a doubt, one of the major changes in Turkey in recent years has been the willingness of the state and of a growing segment of Turkish society to confront some of the dark chapters in the country’s modern history. The way this is being done might be flawed (look at this previous post about Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s politically-charged apology for a 1930’s mass killing in eastern Turkey), but the significance of what were once taboo subjects now being discussed openly should not be overlooked.
That said, the subject of how to confront the past remains a very loaded one that frequently feeds — rather than heals — Turkey’s political divisions. A good illustration of this is an excellent Foreign Policy story by Jenna Krajeski about the efforts by activists in Southeast Turkey’s Diyarbakir to turn a notorious local prison into a museum dedicated to chronicling the abuses committed by the Turkish state against Kurds in the 1980’s and 90’s.
Questions about just how to deal with recent dark chapters of Turkish history are also likely to come up now that a prosecutor in Ankara has issued an indictment for the last two surviving members of the military junta responsible for Turkey’s 1980 coup. The two, Kenan Evren, 94, and Tahsin Sahinkaya, could spend the rest of their lives in prison if convicted.
Meanwhile, in an interesting column from a year ago, human rights lawyer Orhan Kemal Cengiz suggests that what Turkey really needs in order to confront and overcome its troubled past — particularly regarding the Kurdish issue — are truth and reconciliation committees, along the lines of what was used in post-Apartheid South Africa. His column can be found here.
via Turkey: The Tricky Business of Confronting a Dark Past | EurasiaNet.org.
ISTANBUL – Just hours before a deadly 7.2 earthquake struck Turkey’s southeast on Oct. 23, well over 3,000 visitors crowded into an ancient Armenian cathedral in nearby Diyarbakir for Sunday mass.
The mass was the first worship service in decades in the ancient St. Giragos Armenian Apostolic Church, which had fallen into serious disrepair in the early 1980s. Built 350 years ago and still the largest Armenian church building in the Middle East, it once served as the metropolitan cathedral of Diyarbakir.
In a private ceremony the following day, 10 ethnic Armenians who had been raised as Sunni Muslims were baptized as Christians in the restored sanctuary. All from one extended family, the Armenians returning to their faith said that their ancestors had converted to Islam during the Ottoman era (1299-1923).
“We have been ostracized by both Sunni Muslims and Armenians,” one of them told Hurriyet Daily News. “It is a very emotional moment for me, and I’m a bit upset, because unfortunately we do not belong to either side.”
For security reasons, the baptisms were closed to the press and outside visitors.
According to one source at Istanbul’s Armenian Patriarchate, it is estimated that at least 300,000 Armenian and Syriac Christians converted to either Sunni or Alawite Islam after 1915 to avoid forced deportation.
“This means there could be as many as a half million ethnic-background Christians in Turkey today who carry ID cards stating they are Muslims,” the cleric observed.
Over the past decade, both Armenian and Syrian Orthodox church centers in Turkey have quietly baptized individuals and families from the eastern regions of the country who had Muslim IDs but wished to return to their Christian roots.
“I wish this church had always been open,” one of the newly baptized Armenians told the online Massis Post website. “It is unbelievable to be together here with people from all around the world with whom I share the same origins.”
Although political dignitaries representing a number of foreign embassies attended the Oct. 23 mass, along with Armenian spiritual leaders from around the world, most of the congregation consisted of Armenian pilgrims from Armenia, the Netherlands, Germany, Syria, Lebanon and the United States.
“It was like they were returning from exile!” one Diyarbakir resident who attended the Sunday mass told Compass. “Here were these elderly Armenians who used to live here, walking through the streets of Diyarbakir, weeping and looking for their old homes and places they remembered. They all still spoke Turkish and Kurdish, as well as Armenian.”
Anatolia’s ‘Jerusalem’
Located in the city’s Gavur (Turkish for “infidel”) district, the newly restored St. Giragos cathedral is just a few minutes’ walk from St. Peter’s Chaldean Catholic church (also undergoing restoration), a mosque, the Diyarbakir Protestant Church and a synagogue, with construction plans for places of worship along the same street for Alawite and Yezidi (blending local Kurdish and Sufi Muslim beliefs) adherents.
“This is an historic enterprise,” declared Abdullah Demirtas, Diyarbakir Sur’s district mayor. “Diyarbakir will become Anatolia’s Jerusalem!”
Complete with seven altars and multiple arched columns in the sanctuary, St. Giragos was virtually abandoned after the massacre and deportation of its congregants in 1915. The building was confiscated during World War I as a headquarters for German army officers, used for a time as a stable, and later turned into a cotton warehouse in the 1960s.
According to Taraf newspaper columnist Markar Esayan, the church building was still intact until 1980, after which “because of hate … in modern times” it was attacked, looted and fell into disrepair, with just the walls and arched columns remaining.
“When I saw the condition of the church at that time, I thought it would never return to its former state,” Esayan wrote on Oct. 24.
Costing US$3.5 million, the church’s two-year restoration project was funded largely by Armenian donations from Istanbul and abroad, although a third of the costs were donated by the Diyarbakir municipality.
At the conclusion of the Sunday mass, Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir addressed the congregation, declaring first in Armenian, and then Kurdish, Turkish, English and Arabic: “Welcome to your home. You are not guests here; this is your home.”
“We all know about past events,” he said, pointedly referring to 1915, “and our wish is that our children will celebrate together the coming achievements.”
By raising private funding, the Armenian church has regained this ancient building for its own use as a consecrated sanctuary, rather than a Turkish government-controlled museum like the 10th century Akdamar Church in Van, where only one religious ceremony is permitted annually.
Although no Armenian community still exists in Diyarbakir, a priest has been named by the Armenian Patriarchate to conduct occasional worship services for visiting clergy and Christian groups within Turkey and from abroad.
According to Vartkes Ergun Ayik, a businessman of Armenian origin who spearheaded the project funding, the restored church property will also be used for classical music concerts and exhibitions in the city.
“Our expectations are good,” the new priest told Compass. “Even though Armenians are not living in the city today, we are praying that God will use our church to bless Diyarbakir in a very positive way.”
October 24, 2011 — Last week Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), led a group of Diocesan leaders on a pilgrimage to the city of Diarbekir (Dikranakert), in Turkey, where they took part in the October 22 re-consecration of the historic St. Giragos Armenian Church.
The group which included the Diocese’s Ecumenical Director, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, was scheduled to travel to the historic Armenian region of Van as well, but the earthquake in that region on Sunday afternoon caused a cancellation of those plans.
As reported shortly after news of the disaster broke, the pilgrims from the Eastern Diocese are safe and were unaffected by the earthquake. But in a telephone interview Sunday, Archbishop Barsamian said, “After such a splendid [re-consecration] ceremony, our hearts were heavy when we learned of the earthquake, and our prayers go out to the victims and their families.”
The restoration and re-consecration of the St. Giragos Armenian Church was a major event in the region, with dignitaries and pilgrims from around the world participating. Constructed in the 16th century, St. Giragos is arguably one of the great sanctuaries of the worldwide Armenian Church. After years of abuse, the recent renovation project—to which a number of diaspora Armenians contributed—has restored it to its former glory.
The group of pilgrims from the Eastern Diocese arrived in Istanbul on Friday, October 21, and had dinner that evening with Archbishop Aram Ateshian, Patriarchal Vicar of the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, who warmly welcomed the group. Archbishop Barsamian extended his thanks to Archbishop Ateshian.
On Saturday morning, the pilgrims travelled to Diarbekir (Dikranakert), and on their arrival at the local airport they were welcomed by members of the St. Giragos Armenian Church parish council. They proceeded to tour the Old City of Dikranakert—including the ancient St. Sarkis Armenian Church, located in the historic district.
Streets throughout Diarbekir were festooned with flags in Armenian, Turkish, and Kurdish reading “Welcome home.” The sentiment throughout the city was festive, warm, and welcoming.
The consecration of St. Giragos Armenian Church began at 5 p.m. Archbishop Ateshian, Archbishop Barsamian, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Bishop Shahan Sarkisian (Primate of Aleppo), and Bishop Sahag Mashalian (from Istanbul) consecrated the five altars. Also present was the Very Rev. Fr. Haigazoun Najarian, formerly of the Eastern Diocese and currently the Pontifical Legate for Central Europe.
The number of participants in the service exceeded 2,000, with groups of Armenian pilgrims from Istanbul, the U.S., Armenia, Holland, Germany, Aleppo, and Lebanon present.
Among the dignitaries attending were the United States Consul General of Istanbul, Scott Kilner; the U.S. Consul of Adana, Daria Darnell; the mayor of greater Diarbekir Osman Baydemir; Abdullah Demirbas, mayor of the city’s Sur Ici section (the area “inside the walls” of the old fortified city); and Mayor Scott Avedisian of Warwick, Rhode Island (U.S.A.)—all of whom were very interested in the service and supportive of the historic event.
At the conclusion of the service, the mayor of greater Diarbekir, Osman Baydemir, offered his warm welcome to the visitors—speaking first in Armenian, then in Kurdish, Turkish, English, and Arabic. To the Armenian pilgrims he said, “Welcome to your home. You are not guests here; this is your home. Anytime you come here, you are coming to your home.”
“This is a happy and special day not only for you but also for us,” Mayor Baydemir continued. “We all know about past events, and our wish is that our children will celebrate together the coming achievements.” Mayor Baydemir’s remarks were frequently interrupted by applause, as those gathered were gratified to hear acknowledgement that the city is indeed an historic Armenian center.
“A day of hope”
Mayor Baydemir hosted a diner for the clergy and guests, where the U.S. Consul General and the U.S. Consul of Adana were also present.
Vartkes Ergun Ayik, chairman of the St. Giragos Church parish council, welcomed the visitors, thanked all those who had participated in the restoration project, and invited Archbishop Barsamian to offer some remarks.
The day’s achievement, said Archbishop Barsamian, “represents many things to all of us. But most of all, perhaps, it is the result of the mutual recognition and respect of everyone involved, which has animated this project from the very beginning. That is a great reason to be hopeful, and it makes today, above all, a day of hope—a day to look to the future with optimism.”
“As pilgrims from America who have been blessed to be a part of this day, we share in that sense of optimism and hope,” he added. He closed by making presentations of the “St. Vartan Award” to Mayor Osman Baydemir and Mayor Abdullah Demirbas.
Archbishop Aram Ateshian likewise expressed thanks to everyone, and presented silver awards to both mayors, and to the architect of the restoration project.
Greater Diarbekir Mayor Baydemir concluded the evening by characterizing the occasion as one not only for celebration, “but a day of expressing our apologies for the tragic events of the past. We want to see you come back here not only as tourists, but also as people coming back home.”
Sunday morning witnessed the celebration of the Armenian Divine Liturgy in the newly re-consecrated St. Giragos Church. Archbishop Ateshian was the celebrant and homilist, and members of the Sts. Vartanantz Church choir from Ferikoy, Istanbul, sang the Komitas setting of the badarak.
The service took place before another remarkably large gathering of the faithful, which included guest Armenian clergy, as well as the Syrian Orthodox bishop of Adiaben; the representative of His Holiness Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople; mayors Baydemir and Demirbas, and the two American consuls.
To conclude the liturgy, the Armenian hokehankisd (requiem) service was performed for the deceased primates, pastors, altar servers, and faithful of Dikranakert.
With the next day’s planned trip to Van (where the group of pilgrims was scheduled to visit the Holy Cross Church on Aghtamar Island) cancelled due to the earthquake, the Eastern Diocese group drove instead to visit the 17th-century St. Kevork Church in Derek, near Mardin. There they met the caretakers who faithfully care for the 300-year-old Bible and hymnal housed within the church. The pilgrims were welcomed by Eyyup Guven, author of a biography titled “Kohar”—the memoir of an Armenian Genocide survivor from the area. During their visit the pilgrims were trailed by a sizeable group of local residents, eager to say that they were of Armenian origin.
The group is scheduled to fly to Istanbul on October 25, and will return to the United States later this week.
PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
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VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
The Surp Giragos Church was blessed on Oct. 22 in accordance with the traditions of the Apostolic Armenian Church. DHA photo
A group of Armenians, raised as Sunni Muslims, will be baptized today as Armenian Orthodox christians at the historic St. Giragos (Surp Giragos) Armenian Church in Turkey’s southeastern province of Diyarbakır.
The church, which was reopened on Oct. 22 following two years of restoration work, will host the baptism ceremony for dozens of Sunni Muslims of Armenian origin, whose ancestors converted to Islam after the 1915 killings in the Ottoman era.
Among those to be baptized is Gaffur Türkay, who also contributed to the restoration of the church. Türkay was going through emotional fluctuations, he told the Hürriyet Daily News.
“I wish this church had always been open,” he said. “It is unbelievable to be together here with people from all around the world with whom I share the same origins.”
“We have been ostracized by both Sunni Muslims and Armenians,” said Behçet Avcı, also known as Garod Sasunyan, who will also be baptized. “It is a very emotional moment for me and I’m a bit upset, because unfortunately we do not belong to either side.”
The baptism ceremony, which will be closed to the press and outside visitors, will be held today at the St. Giragos Armenian Church and will be led by Deputy Patriarch Archbishop Aram Ateşyan. The names of those to be baptized will not be revealed for security reasons.
A religious service was held yesterday at the church, one day after it was re-opened following the completion of the restoration work.
Among the participants in yesterday’s service were guests from Armenia and the United States, including former foreign minister of Armenia and the leader of Armenia’s Heritage Party, Raffi Hovhannesian, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardione and Archbishop Vicken Ayvazian, diocese of the Armenian Orthodox Church of America.
Other participants at the ceremony included Dositheos Anagnostopulos, spokesperson for the Istanbul-based Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Yusuf Çetin, patriarchal vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Istanbul, Diyarbakır Mayor Osman Baydemir and Sur Mayor Abdullah Delibaş.
The St. Giragos Church was blessed on Oct. 22 in accordance with the traditions of the Apostolic Armenian Church.
The restoration work was funded by donations from Armenians in Istanbul and abroad through an initiative spearheaded by Vartkes Ergün Ayık, a businessman of Armenian origin whose roots lie in Diyarbakır, and Raffi Bedrosyan, an ex-resident of Istanbul who now lives in Canada.
The Sur District Governor’s Office in Diyarbakır lent its support to the project as well.
“We used to have over 2,600 churches and monasteries across Anatolia in the past. Unfortunately, only a handful of sanctuaries remain. My request from Turkey as a spiritual leader is for churches to be returned to the [Armenian] community, rather than reopening them for religious service as museums,” Archbishop Ayvazian told the Hürriyet Daily News.
Ayvazian said he was born in Turkey’s southeastern Şırnak province and speaks very fluent Turkish. “As with many Armenian-Americans, we also spoke Turkish at home,” he said, adding that his parents could not speak Armenian.
Responding to a question about why Armenian-Americans keep Turkey at an arm’s length, he said: “The reason is blatantly obvious. There was a genocide. An apology, a heart-felt step forward, could entirely banish this dispute.”
“It is exceedingly important for the two peoples to engage in dialogue, but without forgetting that great, dark disaster of history, like genocide,” Raffi Hovhannesiyan, leader of Armenia’s Heritage (Jarankutyun) Party, told the Hürriyet Daily News.
“I feel utterly alone among thousands of people now. Why were my people dispersed to all corners of the world?” said Yervant, a virtuoso who plays the “ud,” a traditional stringed musical instrument, speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News.
Used as a command center for German officers during the First World War, the church was then used as an apparel depot by the state-owned Sümerbank until 1950. The church was then handed back to the Armenian community, following a long legal battle.
via Armenians claim roots in Diyarbakır – Hurriyet Daily News.
April 12, 2011 12:17 pm by Delphine Strauss
Turkish women look at gold earringsEvery evening, Ahmet Akamak or one of his extended family boards a flight to Istanbul, keeping a careful grip on a bag loaded with solid gold.
The former banker runs a network of shops in Turkey’s south-eastern city of Diyarbakir, buying second-hand jewellery from people in need of ready cash, and selling it as scrap to the dealers clustered in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. His trade has boomed in recent years, as high gold prices turned Turkey – the world’s fourth biggest market for gold jewellery – into a net exporter of the metal.
“We need at least 2 kg a day to be worth the journey. A couple of months ago, we were taking 20kg every day,” Akamak says, as a man enters the shop to sell a worn gold ring for 298TL ($198).
For each kilo of gold, he makes around 300TL. Oguzhan Aloglu, vice president of the Istanbul Gold Exchange (IAB), says: “High prices have affected the physical and jewellery sector. Turkey used to be only a gold-importing country. Now, because of high prices, Turkey is a big supplier of scrap.”
The value of scrap exports to Switzerland – the global centre for smelting gold – reached $4.5bn in 2008, rose to $5bn in 2009 as Turkey’s economy suffered a deep recession, before easing to $2.5bn in 2010, Aloglu says.
At the same time, demand for new jewellery has fallen, hitting trading volumes on the IAB, which slumped from 337 tonnes in 2008 to 115 tonnes last year. Alaoglu says consumers are starting to buy 14 carat gold, because high prices make the traditional 24 carat unaffordable. Yet he estimates that people in Turkey still own some 5,000 tonnes of gold – some of it dating back as far as Ottoman times.
Gold’s popularity – as an investment and as a traditional gift at weddings or births – is understandable, given Turkey’s history of bank collapses and hyperinflation. Owning property is more common than owning shares – seen as the preserve of speculators. Even after nearly a decade of stability, with Turkey’s banks emerging unscathed from the global crisis, customers tend to opt for deposit accounts with short maturities.
This is a problem for policymakers struggling to boost Turkey’s chronically low savings rate and reliance on external capital to finance growth.
Several banks, in particular Turkey’s Islamic-style participation banks, have begun offering gold deposit accounts, exchange traded funds and even gold-dispensing cashpoints in an attempt to bring under-the-mattress savings into the financial system.
Yet the gold dealers are still at the centre of financial dealings in many rural and traditional areas. Akamak says people also come to him and his colleagues to borrow cash – bought with credit cards so they can repay the debt at better rates than they used to pay money lenders. Even when he worked in Diyarbakir’s banks, he says, many customers simply rented safe deposit boxes in which to leave their gold.
“This place is well protected – we have security, guns,” he says of his own shop. The couriers have a special ID for flying to Istanbul, and are met at the airport. Even so, “we’ve been robbed many times,” he admits. “Recently, my brother was seeing a girl in Istanbul. Sometimes she carried the gold for us. One night, she collected it and ran.”
via Turkey: melting Ottoman gold | beyondbrics | News and views on emerging markets from the Financial Times – FT.com.
