ANDOVER, Mass. (A.W.)—Chake Boloian got more than the warm Caribbean sun when she boarded the ACAA Heritage Cruise on Jan. 21.
The Andover resident met three of her former school chums from Aleppo, Syria, where she was raised over 60 years ago.
It all began at the dinner table when talk hovered around their childhood days in Syria. An introduction was made by another guest—Sona Aslanian—in what turned into a rather emotional reunion for the quartet.
With 1,250 Armenians aboard, finding each other after so many decades was akin to a pearl in an oyster.
The group included Dr. Raffy Hovanessian, 72, an internist from New Jersey; Dr. Missak Abdulian, 75, a Los Angeles urologist; and Barkev Bablouzian, 73, of Boston, who spent 41 years as an engineer at Brandeis University.
“These were the boys in my life,” Boloian smiled coyly. “We were all very close. As I recall back then, I had feelings for one of them.”
Not that she ever had any regrets wedding her husband Michael Boloian, a Raytheon engineer, back 48 years ago. Out of it came three active AYF children and six grandchildren, all of them Armenian Church-oriented. Her employment days included a stint with Nazarian Jewelers in Merrimack Valley.
Chake hadn’t seen Missak for 55 years until they were aboard the Costa Atlantica. For the Boloians, this was their fifth junket with church friends.
“It makes any trip that much more worthwhile,” Boloian admitted. “We talked about the good old days in Aleppo and it was like going back home again. You leave the ship with fond memories.”
The two physicians left Syria bound for the new world and served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam before parting ways. Hovanessian wound up with three children and seven grandchildren. Abdulian has two children and one grandchild, with another on the way. Some 3,000 miles connected the two specialists on this trip. For Raffy, this was his fifth ACAA junket.
All eyes invariably turned toward Boloian, the lone female in the crowd, who seemed the focal point in their discussion.
“When I heard the first name and saw the face, I was startled,” said Bablouzian, who has two children and five grandchildren of his own. “I knew Chake by her maiden name (Minassian) and not her married name. Had we not gone on this cruise, none of this would have occurred.”
“Being a single child, it’s like finding two adopted brothers and a sister.”
Tom Vartabedian
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Was there anybody from Armenia on this ship?
So what’s the point of your question, Ahmet ?
Why don’t you spell it out ?
Let’s see what is your real agenda out in the open: I can guess, but would rather hear it from a Turk’s own mouth.
Ahmet, All the Armenians on this trip were from Armenia. For your information historic Armenia is currently occupied by Turks. These are people from the eastern Asia who came west and destroyed several civilized countries and stayed. This resulted in displacement of Greeks and Armenians around the world. Not to mention their attempt to kill off the local people and engage in ethnic cleansing. By the way in an attempt to clean up their race they stole intelligent boys and girls from these civilized nations and married them with the hope that they can add some intelligence and quality to their nation. But unfortunately it did not work it just contaminated the civilized nations.
Most probably.Why curious about that?
Does presence of some from Armenia or say Moscow bother you?
We can also welcome turks on board if passed from security successfully.
Wasn’t it Saroyan who said if two Armenians meet anywhere in the world, they create a new Armenia? With 1,200 Armenians aboard this cruise ship, that means our country was multiplied 600 times, whether in spirit. unity or actual land. Ahmet asked a very sensitive question and probably didn’t mean any malace by it. I don’t have the actual number of those from Armenia — I doubt if there were any — but certainly those who may have immigrated from our homeland and other places like Aleppo, Beirut and the entire Diaspora. Suffice it to say that Armenia came to us all on this cruise.
while people in Yerevan or rural Armenia tremble in cold, diaspora Armenians enjoy beautiful waters of the Caribbean Sea. that was my point. Irony has it that, those who complain that the Turks expelled them from their motherland do so on board of a Cruise ship, enjoying what Mr. Vertabetian puts it “the warm Caribbean sun”.
I am asking again; was there anybody on that ship from rural Armenia where people live in hunger?
“Irony has it that, those who complain that the Turks expelled them from their motherland do so on board of a Cruise ship, enjoying what Mr. Vertabetian puts it “the warm Caribbean sun”.”
Oh, so if they are enjoying the beautiful Caribbean it means Turks never expelled them. You really hit the nail in the head. Are you upset that some people not only survived the horrors of the Genocide but were able to get educated and do well? I find it hard to believe that you care so much about Armenians in Armenia. What exactly is your problem?
Ahmet,
Actually, I have an idea. If you care so much about the hungry Armenians in rural Armenia, why don’t you condemn your government for its illegal blockade of their country? Do you also feel bad that Turks enjoy what they stole from Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians? It is really ironic that people who benefit from stolen assets and enjoy the fruits of other peoples’ hard work feel free to criticize those who enjoy the fruits of their own hard work.
Gina,
Perhaps if you’d read Armenia’s first President’s Manifesto (Vienna, 1923), you’d understand things a little better and see things in their proper perspective. I’m just saying.
Ahmet, you are being coy: you still refuse to come out and say what’s the real purpose of your question.
Allow me to help you, if I may:
What you are trying to say is this (my words): “ …if only Armenians forgot about the ‘so called ‘Genocide’’ (double-double disbelief) …learned to live with us peaceful Turks in peace and harmony…. if only Armenia signed the Protocols, and opened up the border with Turkey, … then Turkish investments would pour into Armenia … and even rural Armenians would be able to afford to go on a cruise on our Mediterranean sea….” “…and Armenia would be as prosperous as Turkey….”
Right ?
Some statistics: only about 20% of Americans making over $40,000 @ year have gone on a cruise.
Fact is very few people can afford to go on a cruise, in Armenia or anywhere else in the world.
And I am sure that 100% of Turks, including rural Turks, have been on a cruise – right Ahmet ?
And I am sure everybody in Turkey can afford to go on a cruise, right Ahmet ?
Before you go into the stratosphere with your Turkish conceit and self-congratulation, please consider the following facts:
Outside of the Western Turkish regions – Istanbul, Marmara…near Europe – the poverty rate in occupied Western Armenia (aka Eastern Turkey) is about 35%-40%.
Question: why is it that the part closest to Europe has the least poverty ? (3%-10%)
Before you get too far ahead with your delusions of Turkish grandeur, please consider:
Every factory in Turkey that produces consumer or industrial goods was built by European (German in particular) or American technology.
Every piece of military hardware Turks use is supplied by Europe, USA, Russia or is based on European/American technology.
Turkish economy would collapse if it weren’t for the European and American markets and consumers.
Fact is any prosperity that Turkey has, such as it is, she owes to the Christian West: Europe and USA.
Your ancestors stole our and Greek lands, stole access to the sea, stole the most productive agricultural lands in the region, stole billions of accumulated wealth of Armenians (chiefly), and Greeks, and Assyrians – and Turks still had to ship millions of your jobless young men to Europe for jobs, where they are hated and despised today. (don’t believe me ? look up what Angela Merkel said. Look up what the Austrian MP said about you Turks)
How would you fare if USA and Europe didn’t pump US$ 100s of Billions into your economy over decades ?
How would you proud Moslem Turks fare without generous help from Christian Europe and (nominally) Christian USA ?
How would you proud Turks fare if you had stayed in your original homeland ?
We have an idea: check the statistics on Turkmenistan, Mongolia and countries in the region.
And to answer your question: I was NOT on the cruise, but given that it was in the Caribbean, very few, if any, residents of RoA would be expected to be on it.
So, what does that have to do with the price of eggs in China ?
I have an idea Gina. After you condemn your government’s illegal occupation of the Azeri territories, I will condemn my government’s legal blocade.
Tom writes a heart-warming story of reunion between old school friends and the simple beauty of the event quickly becomes politicized because any time Armenians reunite it evokes the memory of lost loved ones and the massacres that drove their families to foreign lands in the first place.
Ahmet completely misses this not so subtle point and succumbs to his disdain for diasporan Armenians by pointing out the irony between those who go on cruises and those who are cold and hungry in the highlands. He conveniently forgets his nation’s role in creating the diaspora and the poverty of the citizens of RA. A form of denial and deflection that we have become very familiar with. One wonders if he really cares about ‘starving Armenians’ and has the stomach to take action as Gina suggests.
Avery,
I’m confused here by your statements. You’re saying that “Turks stole Armenian and Greek lands”. Why aren’t you saying the same things about the Hittites, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines and the Soviets? Why aren’t you complaining to the Iranians, the Italians, the Greeks or the Russians about them “stealing your lands”? You see Avery, what you’re crying about is known as Empire building! Even the Armenian Kingdom of King Tigan, short lived that it was, stole lands from the indigenous population at that time (93-63 BCE). Are we hearing from the descendents of those peoples today, yelling that Armenians stole their lands? Of course not. You seem like an intelligent individual, so I’ll asume that you can understand the point(s) made here on this post.
Ahmet,
First, no blockade is legal.
Second, there are no Azeri territories occupied by anyone. If you mean Artsakh, it was gifted to Azerbaijan by Stalin and was liberated from its loathed discriminating Azeri rulers in a war of independence. Violence started with Azeris attacking innocent Armenian civilians in Sumgait, Baku, and everywhere else in Azerbaijan, with the intent of finishing the job by hanging “the last Armenian in the town square.” Well, they got the lesson they deserved. Did you expect people of Artsakh just to succumb to your brothers? I know, it is hard for you to see Turks get disciplined for their wrong-doings. You guys are not used to such treatment. You expect everyone to bend their heads and knees to you.
And look who is talking about illegal occupation!
Maybe you folks should look up a dictionary once in a while and see what blockade means. Armenia is free to deal and trade and use all of its borders with anyone, except Turkey. A blockade would have meant a forced isolation on all sides.
“A blockade is an effort to cut off food, supplies or communications from a particular area by force, either in part or totally. A blockade should not be confused with an embargo or sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade, and is distinct from a siege in that a blockade is usually directed at an entire country or region, rather than a fortress or city.”
There is certainly nothing illegal about what Turkey does with its borders and how it regulates various traffic through it. It is also not a great mystery why and how this embargo came about and what it would take to make it go away.
Ahmet,
You show your true double standard Turkish political face ..you wrote,
“I will condemn my government’s legal blockade”. you forgot add ” il” beside legal….
but does not matter what you say…after few years people like you will write like this:
“I will condemn my government legal recognition of “Armenian Genocide” or
I will condemn my government legal occupation of “Western Armenian”
Artsakh (NKR) never belong to a place called Azerbaijan….Azerbaijan is a historical land of Aran and it is belong to Iran not Turkey…Ottomans occupied the land of Aran and Turkfied them just like our Western Armenia… after Islamization of Armenians and Greeks, Turks today call their ancient name of Anatolia, in order to “fool people of the world”
Anatolia is Western Armenia occupied by Mongolian tribes called “Turks” only few hundred years ago!! the civilization of the place that you call home is belong to another great Christian civilization called Byzantine, and Armenia was the East side of Byzantine… see all the maps and history of Byzantine and Armenian Highlands, this will give people like you more information and knowledge about historical facts…the only countries that still remain from the past civilization is Iran, Armenia and Georgia… the rest melted away and Turkified by tribal invaders from Central Asia..
Maybe you Murat should look up a dictionary once in a while and see what blockade means and then extrapolate this meaning on the illegal actions of your government? Here’s a definition from Oxford Dictionary. Blockade is: (1)the action of surrounding or closing a place, especially a port, in order to stop people or goods from coming in or out; (2)a barrier that stops people or vehicles from entering or leaving a place. As you can see, a blockade is not a forced isolation on all sides. Even one side’s closing of a place or stopping people or goods from entering or leaving a place is considered a blockade.
Had Turkey been located in uninhabited steppes of Mongolia, where Turks historically belong, or in the sands of Karakum desert, with no common borders with any other countries, then you might have said that there is nothing illegal about what Turkey does with its borders and how it regulates traffic through it. But since sine Turks forcibly positioned themselves among more ancient and sedentary countries of Asia Minor, Turkey’s borders in the region are not “its” because they are shared with many surrounding states and tare thus considered common borders.
I’d love to observe the lucidity of your Turkish mind in that what is it that you think is not “a great mystery” as to why and how this blockade came about and what it would take to make it go away? Would be highly interested in knowing as to what hostile actions the Republic of Armenia undertook against the Republic of Turkey so that they affected the strictly bilateral Armenian-Turkish relations resulting in Turkish illegal blockade of Armenia? Do please enlighten us…
Robert,
Other empires, however brutal and oppressing, never eliminated whole races—more ancient and more civilized—thus committing the crime of genocide. Ottoman Turks did. Other empires tended to incorporate local inhabitants, not annihilate them. Ottoman Turks did. King Tigran the Great had an empire for only 40 years, but guess what, he used to spare local kings and make use of the talents of local populations (artisans, farmers, engineers, etc.), not exterminate them and desecrate their cultural achievements. Ottoman Turks did.
Whether or not you consider yourself an intelligent individual, do your best to understand the points made in this post.
Robert:
I may answer you questions in a later post, but I have a question for you:
[1] Are you the same ‘Robert’ that has commented previously on Armenian websites and used the expression “…so called ‘Armenian Genocide’ …”, or
words to that effect ?
[2] If you are the same person, will you please re-affirm on this thread, unequivocally, that you Deny the Armenian Genocide.
[3] If you are not the same person, will you please affirm, unequivocally:
(a) Either, you accept the Fact that Ottoman Turks committed the Armenian Genocide.
(b) Or, you Deny the Armenian Genocide.
Armenians came to the Southern Caucasus from the Balkans. http://www.armenian.com/history1.html
Why dont you go back there? :-)
Ahmet, you need to re-read the link you provided. And thanks for showing your true colors.
Ahmet,
The link that you provided (among many others on the origin of the Armenian nation) discusses one of the tribes (the Armens) that together with other tribes (Hayasa, etc.) might have formed the Armenian nation. The article touches upon many theories (hypotheses) that until the present day attempt to explain the origins of Armenians. One such hypothesis is that Armenians are the amalgamation of both proto-Armenian state of Urartu, genuinely Indo-European tribes inhabiting the Armenian Plateau, and possibly some tribes that came with the Phrygians from the Balkan peninsula. Out of these many hypotheses you chose the one that discusses one such tribe that may (or may not) have come from the Balkan Peninsula because you’re obsessed with attempting to put an equation mark between one of the most ancient nations inhabiting the Earth and a newly-cooked nation of Turks. It won’t work, Ahmet. Whatever the origins of the Armenians are, they didn’t place themselves with sword, fire, and barbarity among other nations, as Seljuk and Ottoman Turks did. No historical evidence suggests that Armenians ever exterminated whole nations in order to create their own state and proclaim other nations’ cultural accomplishments as their own. Armenians have been in the area for so many millennia that any civilized nation would know it. They would also know that it is a practical knowledge that Turks appeared in the Armenian Plateau and Asia Minor from the Altay mountains and Mongolian steppes. Noone here suggests that the whole nation of Turks go back to where it belongs, but that doesn’t mean that one nation can physically and culturally annihilate other nations in order to get a place under the sun. Those other nations will always fight for the restoration of historical truth.
Ahmet:
In the link you provided, you very conveniently chose the theory that claims Armenians came from Europe, and chose to ignore the other theories listed there. All are theories, mind you.
However, there is a precise date when Seljuk Turks appeared in Western Armenia: 1071, battle with Manzikert near Armenian Lake Van.
Since you guys came anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 years AFTER we did – assuming I accept the theory that we came from the Balkans, which I don’t – why don’t you guys go back to the Mongolian steppes and Altai Mountain regions – then Armenians can discuss going back to Balkans with the ‘Balkanians’, with out the involvement of Turks.
Karo: couldn’t have said it better myself: excellent.
Murat –
On a separate note, can you offer any explanation, just like you obsessively do in justifying any Turkish action (genocide, blockade, invasion of Cyprus, occupation of lands of ancient peoples in Asia Minor, etc.), as to why would Turkey interfere in a U.S. lawsuit by the heirs of now-deceased Armenian policyholders against German insurance companies operating in the Ottoman empire? Here’s the link to the article: http://armenianweekly.com/2011/02/01/sassounian-turks-and-germans-partners-in-crime-and-allies-in-court/.
If Turks, as you portray them, as so in-and-out “compassionate”, “highly-civilized”, “tolerant” and “xenophilic” people, why would they try to damage German (not Turkish!) insurance companies’ compensations to the heirs of Armenian policyholders in the Ottoman empire?
Curiously,
A
Akhmet,
Are you a joker?? Joker was responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman’s life!!
Not only that Armenians came from the Balkan and refuse to go back, Armenians who live America refuse to go back to Armenia. WHY?
After all, Europeans came to America and annihilated the native population. Why do Armenians still insist to live in America while they allegedly claim the Turks invaded so called armenian homeland?
THIS IS HYPOCRISY…
To the editorial board,
I notice that the piece which I had just written has not been posted. Will it be posted later on in the day, or has it already been censored and then deleted? I would certainly appreciate a response. Thank you.
Ahmet,
Are you an anthropologist? An archeologist? A historian? Are you capable of reading comments at all? You were given an explanation that many hypotheses (including the one you prefer focusing on, i.e. Phrygia in the Balkans) are just theories. There are other, too, that suggest that Armenians were a mixture of sedentary Urartian and Indo-European peoples. As with any ancient people—Greeks, Egyptians, Assyrians, Jews, etc., it is hard to determine 100% what their origins are. But you seem to having determined it for yourself already? How nice… One thing IS clear: the first mentioning of Armenia in Asia Minor region goes back to the 2nd millennium BC.
As for origins of Armenians who live in America, that is sheer idiocy to raise by a Turk, because Ottoman Turks (their barbarian slaughter and forced deportations of Western Armenians, to be exact) were the primary reason for the Armenian diaspora in the U.S. to form. Why do they insist to live in America? Because their homeland in Western Armenia, which is now Tukified in the best distortionist Turkish traditions to “Eastern Anatolia,” is occupied by a new-comer nation called “Turks”. And THIS IS HISTORICAL FACT…
Robert, why don’t you want to get a girlfriend instead of a puppy? Get a girlfriend, get a life, leave the forum alone… There is an old saying that human beings are the smartest animals in the Earth. Are you smarter than your animal?
Ahmet, yes, everybody came from somewhere, probably you came from your mother, while Armenians came from the Mount Ararat/ Noah’s arc.It is not your business where Armenians want to live, it can be that we want to take our lands back. Why not? We can give it Americans for free of charge, they can have their military base, just like Russians have theirs with free of charge, or may be we want to build a parking lot.
When Soviet Union was established, Azerbaijan became a member of it without karabagh and then one year later karabagh entered as an autonomous region, second when the union collapsed the confederation said that the states can gain independence without preserving their used boarders, meaning that the boarders can be moved some can be extended while others can be reduced. So de facto speaking the boarder between these countries can be reduced .
Dear Armenian co-posters.Do please ,now and then write/post in same fashion as Robert,Ahmet and Murat do,As follows:-
You certainly are right(in your style) Armenia is not blockaded,it is being ¨sanctioned´etc.,since to your chagrin and our GOOD LUCK, we have IRAN,that will never close their borders with RA.Fact is soon a new railway link will connect Khorramshahr -Persian gulf very important sea port ,all the way to Yerevan…
Also Georgia is a neighbour-unlike your people that will serve as another link to North West via RRRRRussia(your old foe).So be it.Hope that Toikish border remains closed for GOOD. We don´t need you ,unless you know the rest…
Karo, is Yerevan controlled by the Turks today? Why dont you move to Yerevan, leaving your luxury SUVs and cruise trips to the Caribbean? This is how the diaspora armenians see the armenians in armenia.
shantagizoum, you trust georgia and iran too much. we saw what happened to your georgian supplies when russia attacked georgia. armenia has been crippled further by that war. as for iran, in a civil unrest, it is highly possible that 20 million azeris in iran will unite with azerbaijan, leaving no iranian-armenia border.
you economy is already collapsed. armenians escape from armenia due to high employment and economic hardships. and you still rely on georgia and iran.
GOOD. CONTINUE LIKE THIS…
AKHmet,
Nations came to our world and gone with the wind …you don’t have to worry about Armenians…from your note I understood that you are short brain Azeri Turk, where your tribal people don’t know their even last “sure” name is Tutkish or Russian or Persian, where your “smart” leader forcing people to change their last names to Turkish now.. they had enough of “OFF” surnames… like Obama said “time to change for last names” …WOW.. your AzerBYjan is a temporary Sheikdom in Transcaucasia….World superpowers needs a country like Armenia in that area or region where every minute can blown up with extremism, especially from AzerBYjanis side, where all kinds of Muslim adventurers are on pay lists of your beloved AliOFF…Iran’s Azerbaijan are real Persians and if they get a chance or power your Sheikdom will disappears from world’s map…so far AzerBYjan is a lucky sheikdom …as you said if Iran regime change tomorrow …and you know what will happen to your Baku and the rest ..just go pray that Iran’s regime won’t change and stay the way it is today!!for Georgia don’t worry they will follow the rule of master!!and meanwhile I am driving my jeep Cherokee 2011, because Armenia needs me to be here!!
Ahmet:
When every one of the 150,000 or so Turks in the USA returns to ‘prosperous’ Turkey, you are welcome to advise Armenians to return to RoA.
When every one of the several million Turks in Europe – where they are hated and despised (don’t believe me ? look up what Angela Merkel said. Look up what the Austrian MP said about you Turks), returns to ‘prosperous’ Turkey, you are welcome to advise Armenians to return to RoA.
As to ‘Azerbaijan’ and ‘Azeri’ in Iran: fake ‘Azerbaijan’ was created in 1918 by (British) Imperialists to have a launching pad under the belly of Russia.
Real Azerbaijan (Antrapatacan) is Northern Iran. The amalgamation of Tatars, Dagestani, Tats, Talishes, Udins, Lezgins, Zakhors, Luitsis, Avars, …. Whom Azerbaijan’s government lumps under the name ‘Azeri’ have nothing in common with Northern Iranians, except the Turkic language. Iranians in Iran’s original Azerbaijan region have no genetic link to the Tatar/Turk tribes that invaded from Mongolian steppes and Altai mountain regions.
The situation is somewhat similar to the newly created country of Republic of Macedonia (…admitted under the provisional reference of ‘the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’, under protest from Greece): they have absolutely no genetic or any other connection to the original Macedonians, e.g. Greeks.
I agree with you though on Georgia: not very neighborly neighbor, although certainly not in the league of Turkey or Azerbaijan, who have one and only one thought regarding Armenia and Armenians: successful completion of the AG.
Grish Begian, Avery
so you dont want to return to armenia because you can not sacrifice your 2011 Grand Cherokee. because armenia is not prosperous. you will have to burn animal dunk to heat your room in armenia. that is why you dont want to go back. dont give me that shoot that armenia needs you in usa.
if you refuse to go to armenia, how can you advise Turks to go to Central Asia? Anatolia is sealed as TURK.
Ah! tell me who likes armenians? you are hated in Glendale. everyone knows armenians undertake all the illegal stuff like money laundering in their innocent bakeries! you have been refused to be taxi drivers in L.A . You were whining about being discriminated against couple of months back. why? because you create trouble.
i have friends in russia. in Samara and Chelyabinsk. they tell me they would never trust armenians.
who loves armenians in the caucasus? you create so much headache for Azeris, Georgians and Turks. you will never live in peace and always be hated in the caucasus if you continue to behave obsessed and paranoid.
AFTER SOMETIME, ARMENIA WILL CEASE TO CREATE HEADACHE IN THE REGION BECAUSE ARMENIANS ARE RUNNING FROM THE COUNTRY AND THE POPULATION IS ALREADY UNDER 3 MILLION. AFTER ALL, ARMENIANS IN ARMENIA ALSO WANT TO DRIVE 2011 CHEROKEE, LIKE YOU GUYS DO IN USA!!!!
Again you short brained AKHmet,
I have been forced by your beloved ancestor to get out of my beloved hometown …I was not born in Armenia…but I kept my “Armenianess’ in order to teach people like you, that what your Jihdists ancestors did to my people!!Armenians …yes because you are so dumb and do not get the message like rest of you…I have to repeat again ….I am here because Armenia needs me to be here …if you don’t get the message ask another Turk who has better IQ…. remember I do not live in USA that is another mistake that you people always miscalculate about Armenians….we are in 4 corners of the world because of ARMENIAN GENOCIDE. …according to latest news Armenian population now reached to 3.2 and believe me we are working very hard to improve their quality not the quantity, where most Islamic nations suffering and coming to West as refugees…like Turkey like azerBYjan……
Ahmet:
re: “…who loves armenians in the caucasus? you create so much headache for Azeris, Georgians and Turks…”
You have it backwards, friend: You guys, Turks and ‘Azeris’ are the ones creating all the headaches for Armenians, the original, peaceful, creative, productive, indigenous population of the area for 4,000-5,000 years, before Seljuk Turks invaded about a 1,000 years ago from the Mongolian Steppes and Altai Mountains region. Nobody invited you.
The only ‘headache’ we created for the so-called Azeris, is that this time Artsakh’s Armenians decided not to allow themselves to be massacred like their brothers and sisters were in Sumgait and Baku, where Azeri mobs attacked and killed completely unarmed, defenseless civilians hiding in their own apartments.
Ahmet,
Why won’t some 5 mln Turks return from Germany to a “piece of paradise” called “Turkey”, might you know? I bet many of them are driving “Mercedes” and “Audi.” Armenia, as a former Soviet Republic and a small portion remaining from the barbarity of the Ottoman Turks committed in 1915-1923, is for obvious reasons, less prosperous than Turkey. Can you then explain as to why German Turks wouldn’t return to the more prosperous country of Turkey? Would be interested to know… Also, do you know that geographic placenames such as “Armenia” or their inhabitants, such as “Armenians”, are normally capitalized in the English language? Or they don’t teach you this trivial rule in your “prosperous” country? We are still needed in the four corners of the world to advance our just cause against Ottoman Turkish barbarians and denialist Turkish governments. Whenever your government apologizes and returns the lands you’ve stolen, we’ll return to the lands of our ancestors in Western Armenia, Turkified by the Turks as “Eastern Anatolia” which, by the way, never belonged to the Turks until Seljuks invaded the area from the steppes of Central Asia in the 11-12 centuries AD.
In any nation, Ahmet, there are indecent people, but to generalize Armenians as a nation of crooks is incorrect for a person who I bet considers himself civilized and his nation prosperous and tolerant. We would never say that all Turks are butchers and barbarians. I’d specifically mention “Ottoman Turks” or “Ottoman governments”. Armenians have given a lot to the world civilization: in arts, sciences, architecture, business, trade and commerce. And whoever got to know us-, came to appreciate this. Ask around who were the Directors of the Imperial Mint, Chief Imperial Architects, Superintendents of the Gunpowder Mills, and Managers of industrial factories in the Ottoman empire? Don’t know? Armenians! Next time you go to Dolmabahçe Palace, keep in mind that the most sacred relic for the Turks was designed and built under the guidance of Armenian architects. Next time you visit the marvel of Christian Byzantine civilization of Hagya Sophia transformed by Turks to a mosque and then to “museum”, keep in mind that an Armenian architect was called in, in order to save the dome from collapsing. I could give you the whole list of our cultural accomplishments in the Ottoman Empire alone, but the problem is with your blind Armenophobic attitude, and nothing seems to persuade you that you, Turks, are newcomers who possess those lands illegally.
If our nation didn’t cease to exist in the course of its 4000+ year-old history, and especially when it was on the verge of complete annihilation by Ottoman Turks in 1915, it will NEVER cease to exist. We’ll always be in the region to remind Turks where and when they came from and what they did to the indigenous Christian peoples of Asia Minor. Until then, continue daydreaming…
Karo: another excellent response to our good friend Ahmet.
One minor correction: the barbarity started in 1894 with the Hamidian massacres.
The terror and degradation that peaceful Armenians endured at the hands of Seljuk Turks, later Ottoman Turks, went on for centuries more prior to the Hell unleashed in 1915.
As somebody who was on this particular cruise, let me just say attempt to end this by proclaiming that YES, there actually were quite a few Armenians from Armenia (putting aside those such as myself who are originally from Armenia). We danced and partied and had a great time together.
There were actually Armenians from all over the world. Obviously, such a luxury requires a considerable amount of money and not everybody can afford it. Armenians should not voluntarily give up their right to go on cruises in the Caribbean just for the sake of winning this ridiculous argument the Turks on this forum have started (and the Armenians have been foolish enough to continue).
Great article Mr. Vartabedian; I hope you enjoyed Yeraz’s dance shows–if you attended, you saw me on stage ;)