“Islam-converted Armenians living in Turkey can be divided into 2 groups. The people of one group have coped with their fate and do not want to talk, nor others to talk. They are Islam-converted Armenians and their number reached one million in 1970-80s,” said the Director of the Study Center for Western Armenian Issues, a political scientist Haykazun Alvrtsyan, during the discussion on the problems of Armenians living in Turkey held at the Writers’ Union of Armenia.
According to the political scientist, the second group includes the hidden Armenians. “These are the Armenians, who in their everyday lives as Armenians, preserve their traditions, recognize each other and marry each other. While, in the outer world, they introduce themselves as Turks.” Haykazun Alvrtsyan noted that the findings of estimates in recent years showed that more than 3 million Armenians living in Turkey. “The number of genocide survivors amounted to 500-600 thousand. Turkey’s population today, as compared to 1915, has increased by 8 times, and the number of Armenians has increased by the same ratio. All these estimates led and drew us to conclude that 3 million Armenians are living in Turkey.” These estimates, according to Mr. Alvrtsyan, are published by different sources, in a separate work, by various television programs and articles. “Of course, this number is not final, unequivocal truth. There are always corrections made, new facts are emerging, and studies are ongoing.”
The political scientist noted that the Islam-converted Armenians living in Turkey have obtained the chance to speak freely recently. “This chance was given by today’s ruling Justice and Development Party, which naturally did not give it at its own desire. To be enrolled to the EU, a 150-point list was placed before them, which they had to implement.”
Ashot ISRAELYAN
