Review - Our Pilgrimage to Western Armenia - October 2013

1.

Pilgrimage to our Homelands [Ancient Armenia] by Seta Tokatlian 

There was an element of danger, how dangerous was left to be seen along the way. Those in the know were looking out for those of us treating this trip as a light hearted journey into the interior of a country, so harsh and rugged that only our Forefathers would know at the hands of Young Turks. They drove them like cattle through one mountain range, to another and another!

Our ordeal was not so torturous, our suffering, if one could call it that was to endure the coach drive, at most six or seven hours at a time for ten days. The most damage it would do, is to give us swollen ankles!

Our Guide and Historian Armen Aroyan gave implicit information on all manner of historic importance and took us to villages where Armenian families were known to be inhabiting less than a hundred years ago, when the mighty wrath of the Young Turks rose to slaughter the Armenian Nation under the guise of the first world war, todays Turkish government call it mobilization and resettlement. Already suffering years of murders, intimidation for our Christian belief – Armenians were made to pay higher tax’s and lived under brutal Turkish rule for many years until 1915 when Armenian’s were driven out of their homes and lands through so called deportations. One wonders why? Armenians worked and lived on their own lands, for millennia.

The only Nation to become Christians literally overnight, giving up idol worship in 301 AD.

Pardon me, but all the time the coach drove deeper into the interior I was feeling more and more detached as a European – As if I had something in common with these people and places, with the exception of yet another Hotel and to semi civilization – in as much as the loo was European and the showers flowed hot and cold which could be regulated!

One could not help but notice new built high rise flats in nearly all the towns we drove through, they reminded me of the concrete jungles of the sixties built in areas of high unemployment in England. Social housing for the socio and economically challenged, which caused more unsocial, violent and ghetto style territorial and hostile feelings between groups. One wondered if this was a ploy in preparation to join the EU? Surly this could not happen before the recognition of their past atrocities against the first Christians, ‘The Armenian’s.’

The Turkish governments underhanded violations and abuse goes on by their reckless destruction of Christian Churches, the encroaching Jamie’s and mosques surround lands where Armenian churches stood for millennia. 

The violation of Church buildings with minarets attached to them abutted or just simply built on existing structures, within consecrated and hallowed grounds. In some instances all four sides at right angles were mosques, built in such a way as to hem-in the church.

All the way through our journey emotions were high, a roller-coaster of feelings were aroused, when viewing dilapidated church after church – especially when those taken over by third or fourth parties claimed them for their selves, yet the word Armenian was not mentioned in any of the placards or the explanation of how Armenian script had happened to appear in strategic areas. I do not wish to elaborate as to where! 

I began writing about the journey by stating the danger aspect, this is because Armenian’s are still suffering just by the virtue of being Armenian and Christians. We are called Gyavour, Infidels! Why then are we welcomed and shown respect, even revered by some?

The Turkish Denial - There is more than one, I do not speak of The Egyptian Neil - Enough, I say of this political football about the Genocide - There is no need to prove anything further, if it were not true the Turkish Government would not be so eager to erase, obliterate and diminish our Churches or surround them with mosques and raise the Turkish flag to remind themselves they have coveted that area, place or spot!

Every time I saw the Turkish flag on Armenian soil; it stood as a reminder of the one and a half million, who’s lives were taken from them by what ever means the Turkish Government wish to call it, e.g. ‘deportations, etc...’ “THEY DIED SO WE CAN LIVE.” And, in doing so, we will be living reminder to the Turkish Government, we are, we will and have pursued the ‘Question’, until we get the recognition our families’ deserve!

ARMENIANS WILL NOT JUST GO AWAY BY TURK’S DENIAL!

The Denial is just conformation of; successive Turkish Government’s hand in hiding the truth, by the destruction of proof and distortion of BOTH our histories, which has served to keep the Turkish population ignorant of the facts.

I can say I have been there, seen the people they have nothing to speak of and education is far from villages which have little or no infrastructure. I for one would share my knowledge by way of education but I think that is exactly what the Turkish Government would be afraid of!

3.

I want to talk about Taksim Square, only a short time before our arrival Taksim Square, saw the recent march clashes with police. Just a stones throw from our hotel, was peaceful, quiet without the bloody Sunday massacres of 1969. 

Their sculpture of military force is all too apparent in the main thoroughfare situated in the dual carriageway capturing the brutal force of the occupying military! One wonders why such harsh attitudes are shown to the visiting tourist, their people are welcoming hosts to tourists be they Turk or Kurd, mostly, if tourist’s utter a few words of Turkish. Of course, the deeper into the interior the more Kurds we met with, new hotels.

It was at Van that the group experienced a mutual spiritual feeling, it was palpable at the end of our prayer’s which was led by our Bishop. He too had immense pressure upon him, not only for his life but as leader of our group of pilgrims.

This is an untrustworthy country and so vast anything is possible yet its people are bound to a ridiculous edict, “Not to disrespect Turkishness.” Though the dictionary insist on translating it to Puckishness! [Playful, no!    Mischievous, Most Certainly, intending to cause harm Turkish Rule 301] Yes, it is the second time these figures appear, I prefer the positive, the year Armenian’s became Christians’ in 301 AD. The mere fact that a rule exists, possesses a questionable premise to an argument that is so dubious in its statement. But the hoi-polloi  [A word I reacquainted with en route] abide by it, as they know only too well if they rebel the consequences would be dyer! 

This country [Turkey] has a controlling factor within its regime; though secular, Islam has a strong hold, not only by its religious beliefs, twisted over time by misinterpretation, also keeping the thinking individual, and independent thought punishable by imprisonment or extermination!

My own thought on this subject is simple, like children we rebel when told not to do something be it a good thing or bad, we humans have inquisitive minds and sometime to our detriment we do the contrary! Some rules are made to be broken, Rule 301 is that! 

The feeling of oppression was indeed present when one thought of the million and a half [A conservative figure] so called deportee deaths! Driven like cattle they fell, without graves with eyes wide open towards the sky disrespected bodies strewn for many, square miles - left to rot or eaten by mountain  LEOPARDS... Feasting on Armenian flesh.

4.

Our emotional feelings do not do justice to our ancestral plight for which Armenians hang their heads and carry the burden of the sadness that consumes and cripples their own lives, specially the elderly who’s lives are touched directly by the 1915 Genocide. Alas, there are now fewer to have survived, with the passing of time! We owe much to our progenitors; we live to hold them in our memories to live on in our children and their children, time immemorial.

Is it a churlish thought? We should not just scurry round Turkey going from one place to another where our ancestral homes are, but to let people know of our origin and why we have ventured to those villages from such far away places. But then there are no guarantees for the safety of our lives – After all, how can we forget the assassination of Hrant Dink!

It was the one solid reason: http://setasarmenian.blogspot.co.uk/

was created!

I wish to elaborate on the excellent Historical and factual running commentary by Mr Armen Aroyan, a gentile man, who is empathetic. He enlightened, amaze and amused us at all times. His extensive knowledge base stands him in good stead to write a book, not yet published. You can be assured as soon as it is published, I shall be posting the ISBN.

Recording proof: Aroyan’s efforts in recording pictorial evidence went on through out our journey, at every opportunity!

I write my memoirs of this trip through heightened feeling of Historic events by Mr Aroyan’s commentaries, which always brings me to the Armenian question! When will the million and a half have recognition? How bad can it be to recognise the Armenian Genocide – To give back lands that once had Armenians walking among dusty trails.