Azerbaijani and Kurdish artists convey peace messages after Nevruz
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Azerbaijan’s kemancha virtuoso İmamyar Hasanov and the well-known Kurdish tambour artist from Iran, Ali Akbar Moradi, visit Istanbul and call for peace and friendship. ‘Azerbaijani people know that conflicts with Armenia are political, and they are fed up with it,’ says Hasanov. Mentioning the Kurdish problem, Moradi says, ‘War is of no use for anyone’
İmamyar Hasanov (R) and Ali Akbar Moradi
İmamyar Hasanov, an Azerbaijani kemancha virtuoso, and Ali Akbar Moradi, the most famous tambour artist of the Kurdish diaspora from Iran, were in Istanbul last week for the first International Istanbul Nevruz Celebrations.
Hasanov and Moradi’s often play sold-out concerts around the world. However, because approval for the festival, which was sponsored by the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency and the Kağıthane Municipality, was announced only a few weeks before the event and some debate occurred over the use of a Kurdish word on the show’s poster, there was not efficient promotion for the concerts.
Hasanov and Moradi, who expressed pleasure for coming to Turkey and attending the Nevruz celebrations against all odds, spoke to Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review before leaving Turkey. Even though Hasanov, 34, said he wanted to be away from politics, he spoke about the political discussions that sometimes occur between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “We used to live in peace at the time of the Soviet Socialist Republics Union. What happened, happened after it dissolved. All events are political. Azerbaijani people are fed up with these discussions.”
As for the Kurdish problem in Turkey, Moradi said, “War is of no use for anyone.”
Music has nothing to do with people’s fights
Hasanov is a member of a family of musicians and began to play kemancha at the age of 6. Kemancha, which is known as a traditional three-stringed instrument, is played by people in Turkey, the Caucasus and the Middle East.
“Kemancha is the common culture of this geography. It is played by Armenians, Iranians and Uzbeks,” said Hasanov, adding that there are debates over the origin of instruments and music. “I find these debates to be nonsense. The language of music is universal and only expresses friendship and origin. It has nothing to do with discrimination and people’s conflicts.”
Hasanov also spoke about the origin of the folk song “Sarı Gelin” (Yellow Bride), which has caused debate within Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan from time to time. “I performed this anonymous song, too, and never thought of its origin. If a melody penetrates my soul, it is enough for me to perform it.”
Concert with Armenian artists
Hasanov’s biggest dream is to take the stage with the world’s most famous duduk player, Djivan Gasparyan. A duduk is an Armenian double reed woodwind instrument. Gasparyan holds four gold medals from UNESCO due to his contributions to world culture, has made music for 39 Hollywood films and won the World Music Expo, or WOMEX, which is regarded as the biggest prize of the music world, in 2002 for his contributions to music.
Hasanov said he might take the stage not only with Gasparyan, but also with Armenian and Azerbaijani artists to make calls for friendship and peace. “I believe in friendship and peace. I am sure the universal language of music will bring us together on a common ground. If I get an invitation and support for this project, I am always ready.”
Humanity is the most important thing
Moradi, who carefully listened to Hasanov’s explanations, said he agreed with his calls for friendship and peace. When asked what he thought about the Kurdish problem in Turkey, the tambour (a stringed instrument) virtuoso answered, “The most important thing in the world is humanity. Identities and belongings do not make any sense. I long for a borderless, problem- and conflict-free world. I have nothing to do with politics.”
Moradi said he had dedicated his life to music and the friendship of people. “Tambour is my life. It is my first and last friend, and it understands me in this world.”
31 Mart 2010 Çarşamba
26 Mart 2010 Cuma
Armenians shoulder Laleli’s dwindling suitcase
Armenians shoulder Laleli’s dwindling suitcase
Thursday, March 25, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News
The Emniyet Bus Station in Istanbul’s Aksaray neighborhood is the nexus for the suitcase trade between Turkey and Armenia. Every Wednesday, 15 buses go to Armenia one after another. Many Armenians make their living relying on the trade, but those who can’t afford the $50-$70 return journey risk overstaying their visas and becoming an ‘undocumented worker’
In the back alleys of Istanbul’s Aksaray district, the Emniyet Bus Station looks as if it has long been abandoned. A more careful glance, however, uncovers notices in Armenian and Georgian plastered on windows of bus company offices.
The station was mainly used by Russian and Romanian passengers in the early 1990s for shuttle trade, but lately it has been serving those from Armenia and Georgia who pack their suitcases with items to sell at street markets back home.
Every week, scores of buses depart for Turkey’s eastern neighbors, charging passengers between $50 and $70 depending on the final destination. Wednesdays are especially brisk with the majority of buses heading to Armenia via Georgia departing that day.
The Istanbul-Yerevan journey would take 22 hours, but because the Turkish-Armenian border remains closed, the actual travel time is 36 hours. For those who can afford the luxury of air travel, there are constraints; flights depart from Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport bound for Yerevan twice a week.
Traders in Laleli, a neighborhood in Aksaray famous as a shuttle trade hub, insisted on speaking on the condition of anonymity out of a growing anxiety that the trade is coming to a halt.
On one of the ordinary days at the terminal last week, passengers reached the bus station early in the morning, followed by porters carrying heavy luggage. Suitcases and cardboard boxes were weighed; bargains were made and the cargo was loaded up. Passengers making the journey have a luggage allowance of 200 kilograms.
Falling into the ‘undocumented’ gap
One passenger, speaking to Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on condition of anonymity, said Armenians generally come to the city with between $2,000 and $5,000. Those who come with less money typically cannot find enough money to return to Armenia when their visas expire and consequently become one of the “undocumented workers” who were threatened with deportation by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during comments made last week.
A.H., a 44-year-old nurse identified only by her initials, worked in hospitals for many years in Armenia. "I have worked in Turkey doing domestic work for others and have saved money,” she said. “Now it’s time take off.”
H.B. is from Gyumri, an Armenian city not far from the eastern Turkish province of Kars, and said he makes his living off suitcase trade.
“Why are the politicians plaguing poor people like us? Why are the borders closed? Why are we not allowed to pass freely? It sometimes feels like I have all the weight of the world on my shoulders.”
Kohar Gasparian, 50, said he runs a luxurious boutique in Yerevan. “I come because textiles are cheap and of good quality here,” he told the Daily News.
Almost all spoke fluent Turkish and many of the passengers, bus company employees and drivers know each another.
Bus driver Mehmet Kapıcıoğlu said he has been driving passengers to Armenia for 14 years. “The journey takes 36 hours, sometimes 38 hours. Some passengers cover the distance without food and water because they have no money. Seeing that is really painful.”
Ali, declining to give his surname, said he had been working at the bus station for 12 years and is fluent in Armenian. “I’ve learned it by talking with passengers as the years go by,” he said, adding that Armenians have been crucial in reviving Laleli’s otherwise-fading shuttle trade.
“From the mid-1990s until last year, there used to be 30 bus trips per day from Turkey to Armenia. This year, the number decreased by half,” he said.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News
The Emniyet Bus Station in Istanbul’s Aksaray neighborhood is the nexus for the suitcase trade between Turkey and Armenia. Every Wednesday, 15 buses go to Armenia one after another. Many Armenians make their living relying on the trade, but those who can’t afford the $50-$70 return journey risk overstaying their visas and becoming an ‘undocumented worker’
In the back alleys of Istanbul’s Aksaray district, the Emniyet Bus Station looks as if it has long been abandoned. A more careful glance, however, uncovers notices in Armenian and Georgian plastered on windows of bus company offices.
The station was mainly used by Russian and Romanian passengers in the early 1990s for shuttle trade, but lately it has been serving those from Armenia and Georgia who pack their suitcases with items to sell at street markets back home.
Every week, scores of buses depart for Turkey’s eastern neighbors, charging passengers between $50 and $70 depending on the final destination. Wednesdays are especially brisk with the majority of buses heading to Armenia via Georgia departing that day.
The Istanbul-Yerevan journey would take 22 hours, but because the Turkish-Armenian border remains closed, the actual travel time is 36 hours. For those who can afford the luxury of air travel, there are constraints; flights depart from Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport bound for Yerevan twice a week.
Traders in Laleli, a neighborhood in Aksaray famous as a shuttle trade hub, insisted on speaking on the condition of anonymity out of a growing anxiety that the trade is coming to a halt.
On one of the ordinary days at the terminal last week, passengers reached the bus station early in the morning, followed by porters carrying heavy luggage. Suitcases and cardboard boxes were weighed; bargains were made and the cargo was loaded up. Passengers making the journey have a luggage allowance of 200 kilograms.
Falling into the ‘undocumented’ gap
One passenger, speaking to Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on condition of anonymity, said Armenians generally come to the city with between $2,000 and $5,000. Those who come with less money typically cannot find enough money to return to Armenia when their visas expire and consequently become one of the “undocumented workers” who were threatened with deportation by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during comments made last week.
A.H., a 44-year-old nurse identified only by her initials, worked in hospitals for many years in Armenia. "I have worked in Turkey doing domestic work for others and have saved money,” she said. “Now it’s time take off.”
H.B. is from Gyumri, an Armenian city not far from the eastern Turkish province of Kars, and said he makes his living off suitcase trade.
“Why are the politicians plaguing poor people like us? Why are the borders closed? Why are we not allowed to pass freely? It sometimes feels like I have all the weight of the world on my shoulders.”
Kohar Gasparian, 50, said he runs a luxurious boutique in Yerevan. “I come because textiles are cheap and of good quality here,” he told the Daily News.
Almost all spoke fluent Turkish and many of the passengers, bus company employees and drivers know each another.
Bus driver Mehmet Kapıcıoğlu said he has been driving passengers to Armenia for 14 years. “The journey takes 36 hours, sometimes 38 hours. Some passengers cover the distance without food and water because they have no money. Seeing that is really painful.”
Ali, declining to give his surname, said he had been working at the bus station for 12 years and is fluent in Armenian. “I’ve learned it by talking with passengers as the years go by,” he said, adding that Armenians have been crucial in reviving Laleli’s otherwise-fading shuttle trade.
“From the mid-1990s until last year, there used to be 30 bus trips per day from Turkey to Armenia. This year, the number decreased by half,” he said.
Children of undocumented Armenians may be educated in Turkey
Children of undocumented Armenians may be educated in Turkey
Thursday, March 25, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Children of undocumented Armenian workers, often educated in illegal underground schools, may soon have hope for better days and better classrooms. Two top leaders, one from the ruling party and one from the Armenian patriarchate, say there are plans in the works to make it easier for these children to enroll as students in legitimate schools
In a seeming dramatic reversal, a top official has hinted at providing education for children of undocumented Armenians, just days after Turkey’s prime minister talked of “sending them back to their own country.”
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç’s comments about education hit the headlines of daily Hürriyet on Thursday, leaving some Armenians saying they feel like they are being used as “political tools,” while others praised the move.
“This is a political maneuver,” said an Armenian who has been working in Turkey for 14 years as an undocumented household servant and declined to give her name. “The mentality that raised the possibility of sending us back [to Armenia] now talks about our children’s right to have an education here.”
Another undocumented Armenian working at the marketplace in Istanbul’s Kumkapı neighborhood praised the move, with reservations. “This is a much-delayed decision. My child is 15 years old now,” she said, noting that none of her children have been able to attend school. “But better late than never.”
The conflicting statements coming from top Turkish officials are confusing, to say the least, say many undocumented Armenians living in the country. “I felt like a political tool last week,” another said, referring to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statements about sending undocumented workers back to Armenia.
“A week later and they are now talking about [education]. Let’s see what will happen next week,” she said, also speaking on condition of anonymity.
Promises from top official
Hürriyet reported Thursday that Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, the head of the spiritual council of the Patriarchate of Armenians in Turkey, had met with Deputy Prime Minister Arınç. Ateşyan said Arınç promised to act on the education issue.
Arınç told the newspaper that providing education would not only be good for the children of undocumented Armenians in Turkey, but for Armenians who are “in Turkey for a reason.”
“Turkey would not be harmed if those children studied in schools too,” he said. “Personally, I believe that children [of undocumented Armenians] should be able to go to school, if we look at the issue from a humanitarian perspective.”
According to Arınç, the prime minister had also expressed some support for the idea that children of non-Muslims who are living in Turkey “for a reason” should be able to study at existing schools for minorities. Arınç said Erdoğan had entrusted the issue to Education Minister Nimet Çubukçu.
In December, the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review featured a story on Armenian children receiving education at illegal schools in Istanbul and asked for a response from Ateşyan, who refused to comment. Meetings similar to the one between Arınç and Ateşyan have subsequently been held behind closed doors, the Daily News has learned.
Leading names from the Armenian community in Istanbul have reportedly met recently with government officials, but issued no statement. A similar meeting will be held between an Armenian businessman from Istanbul and Prime Minister Erdoğan on Monday, the Daily News has learned.
No reply from Education Ministry
The manager of an Armenian school in Istanbul, however, told Daily News that the school had applied to the Education Ministry in November – along with the managers of 18 Armenian minority schools – but could not get a reply on the issue.
Even the sibling of an individual who worked for some time for the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization’s Armenian office was in the same situation when he was in Istanbul, the manager said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “[He] applied for two years [continuously],” the manger said. “He was considered a tourist in Turkey. The permission [for his child] was given only when his duty was almost over.”
Another school manager, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, characterized Arınç’s statements as the acknowledgement of a right.
“It is not a gift,” she said. “Children have been deprived of their right to an education. This is a human rights problem.”
Thursday, March 25, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Children of undocumented Armenian workers, often educated in illegal underground schools, may soon have hope for better days and better classrooms. Two top leaders, one from the ruling party and one from the Armenian patriarchate, say there are plans in the works to make it easier for these children to enroll as students in legitimate schools
In a seeming dramatic reversal, a top official has hinted at providing education for children of undocumented Armenians, just days after Turkey’s prime minister talked of “sending them back to their own country.”
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç’s comments about education hit the headlines of daily Hürriyet on Thursday, leaving some Armenians saying they feel like they are being used as “political tools,” while others praised the move.
“This is a political maneuver,” said an Armenian who has been working in Turkey for 14 years as an undocumented household servant and declined to give her name. “The mentality that raised the possibility of sending us back [to Armenia] now talks about our children’s right to have an education here.”
Another undocumented Armenian working at the marketplace in Istanbul’s Kumkapı neighborhood praised the move, with reservations. “This is a much-delayed decision. My child is 15 years old now,” she said, noting that none of her children have been able to attend school. “But better late than never.”
The conflicting statements coming from top Turkish officials are confusing, to say the least, say many undocumented Armenians living in the country. “I felt like a political tool last week,” another said, referring to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statements about sending undocumented workers back to Armenia.
“A week later and they are now talking about [education]. Let’s see what will happen next week,” she said, also speaking on condition of anonymity.
Promises from top official
Hürriyet reported Thursday that Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, the head of the spiritual council of the Patriarchate of Armenians in Turkey, had met with Deputy Prime Minister Arınç. Ateşyan said Arınç promised to act on the education issue.
Arınç told the newspaper that providing education would not only be good for the children of undocumented Armenians in Turkey, but for Armenians who are “in Turkey for a reason.”
“Turkey would not be harmed if those children studied in schools too,” he said. “Personally, I believe that children [of undocumented Armenians] should be able to go to school, if we look at the issue from a humanitarian perspective.”
According to Arınç, the prime minister had also expressed some support for the idea that children of non-Muslims who are living in Turkey “for a reason” should be able to study at existing schools for minorities. Arınç said Erdoğan had entrusted the issue to Education Minister Nimet Çubukçu.
In December, the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review featured a story on Armenian children receiving education at illegal schools in Istanbul and asked for a response from Ateşyan, who refused to comment. Meetings similar to the one between Arınç and Ateşyan have subsequently been held behind closed doors, the Daily News has learned.
Leading names from the Armenian community in Istanbul have reportedly met recently with government officials, but issued no statement. A similar meeting will be held between an Armenian businessman from Istanbul and Prime Minister Erdoğan on Monday, the Daily News has learned.
No reply from Education Ministry
The manager of an Armenian school in Istanbul, however, told Daily News that the school had applied to the Education Ministry in November – along with the managers of 18 Armenian minority schools – but could not get a reply on the issue.
Even the sibling of an individual who worked for some time for the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization’s Armenian office was in the same situation when he was in Istanbul, the manager said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “[He] applied for two years [continuously],” the manger said. “He was considered a tourist in Turkey. The permission [for his child] was given only when his duty was almost over.”
Another school manager, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, characterized Arınç’s statements as the acknowledgement of a right.
“It is not a gift,” she said. “Children have been deprived of their right to an education. This is a human rights problem.”
22 Mart 2010 Pazartesi
Turkish, Armenian scholars examine 'common grief' in memories
Turkish, Armenian scholars examine 'common grief' in memories
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Vercihan ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Associate Professor Leyla Neyzi from Sabancı University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Emrah Gürel photo
Scholars from Turkey and Armenia have launched a joint project to record the countries’ perceptions of each other and examine how the events of 1915 are remembered in the collective mind of each society.
While a Turkish scholar said the grief that Armenians suffered throughout the deportation period during the last days of Ottoman Empire was still a topic of discussion in Anatolia, an Armenian counterpart said her colleagues do not have slightest doubt that what occurred in 1915 was “genocide.”
“There is still a nostalgic and warm point of view [in Anatolia] toward the lives of the Turkish and Armenian peoples before 1915,” Associate Professor Leyla Neyzi from Sabancı University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in Istanbul told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review earlier this week. “Stories of being neighbors are still alive and the local memory is extremely strong.”
The perception project was launched at the “Adult Education and Oral History Contributing to Armenian-Turkish Reconciliation” forum in Yereven last year. Turkish and Armenian scholars met in Yerevan without any governmental support and discussed the historical facts concerning Turkish-Armenian relations, especially the events of 1915.
The positions of the Armenian scholars do not differ from the Armenian state’s official view on the controversial period. “Many of the Armenian interviewees have roots in Anatolia and they have listened to a lot of stories about Turks from their elders and many of them are sad stories about the genocide,” said Professor Hranush Kharatian-Araqelian from the Archaeology and Ethnology Department of the National Academy of Sciences in Armenia told the Daily News in an e-mail interview.
Book to be published
The work of Kharatian-Araqelian and Neyzi will be released in an upcoming book, “Speaking to One Another: Personal Memories of the Past in Armenia and Turkey.” The book will be printed in Turkish, Armenian and English with the support of the German-based Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association, or DVV.
The work will feature memories, stories and photographs of interviewees. The people’s faces will be blurred and their names and addresses kept secret for security reasons.
Although Neyzi said the project was well coordinated and successful, Kharatian-Araqelian disagreed, saying: “The works were sufficient but not perfect. Leyla is an extremely successful academic and a good researcher, but it is my impression that she also shares the dominant point of view of Turkish public opinion. Let her forgive me if I am wrong.”
Kharatian-Araqelian also said she would like to extend her part of the research throughout Anatolia, saying she would like to speak with Circassians and Kurds in addition to Turks.
“Works focusing on historical memories, which form societies’ identities and function as their backbones, do not exist. Besides national history, there are also memories both peoples pass on from generation to generation and they must be recorded,” Neyzi said.
Although history has been silenced in the Turkish public sphere, according to Neyzi, she said personal history in Turkey remains very much alive. “The Kurds also feel shame because of the grief experienced during the deportation as much as the Turks.”
Ordinary citizens in Turkey want to speak out on what has happened in history, Neyzi said. “The precondition of achieving peace is facing the grief.”
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Vercihan ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Associate Professor Leyla Neyzi from Sabancı University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Emrah Gürel photo
Scholars from Turkey and Armenia have launched a joint project to record the countries’ perceptions of each other and examine how the events of 1915 are remembered in the collective mind of each society.
While a Turkish scholar said the grief that Armenians suffered throughout the deportation period during the last days of Ottoman Empire was still a topic of discussion in Anatolia, an Armenian counterpart said her colleagues do not have slightest doubt that what occurred in 1915 was “genocide.”
“There is still a nostalgic and warm point of view [in Anatolia] toward the lives of the Turkish and Armenian peoples before 1915,” Associate Professor Leyla Neyzi from Sabancı University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in Istanbul told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review earlier this week. “Stories of being neighbors are still alive and the local memory is extremely strong.”
The perception project was launched at the “Adult Education and Oral History Contributing to Armenian-Turkish Reconciliation” forum in Yereven last year. Turkish and Armenian scholars met in Yerevan without any governmental support and discussed the historical facts concerning Turkish-Armenian relations, especially the events of 1915.
The positions of the Armenian scholars do not differ from the Armenian state’s official view on the controversial period. “Many of the Armenian interviewees have roots in Anatolia and they have listened to a lot of stories about Turks from their elders and many of them are sad stories about the genocide,” said Professor Hranush Kharatian-Araqelian from the Archaeology and Ethnology Department of the National Academy of Sciences in Armenia told the Daily News in an e-mail interview.
Book to be published
The work of Kharatian-Araqelian and Neyzi will be released in an upcoming book, “Speaking to One Another: Personal Memories of the Past in Armenia and Turkey.” The book will be printed in Turkish, Armenian and English with the support of the German-based Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association, or DVV.
The work will feature memories, stories and photographs of interviewees. The people’s faces will be blurred and their names and addresses kept secret for security reasons.
Although Neyzi said the project was well coordinated and successful, Kharatian-Araqelian disagreed, saying: “The works were sufficient but not perfect. Leyla is an extremely successful academic and a good researcher, but it is my impression that she also shares the dominant point of view of Turkish public opinion. Let her forgive me if I am wrong.”
Kharatian-Araqelian also said she would like to extend her part of the research throughout Anatolia, saying she would like to speak with Circassians and Kurds in addition to Turks.
“Works focusing on historical memories, which form societies’ identities and function as their backbones, do not exist. Besides national history, there are also memories both peoples pass on from generation to generation and they must be recorded,” Neyzi said.
Although history has been silenced in the Turkish public sphere, according to Neyzi, she said personal history in Turkey remains very much alive. “The Kurds also feel shame because of the grief experienced during the deportation as much as the Turks.”
Ordinary citizens in Turkey want to speak out on what has happened in history, Neyzi said. “The precondition of achieving peace is facing the grief.”
19 Mart 2010 Cuma
PM’s remarks worry Armenian migrants in Turkey
Thursday, March 18, 2010
ISTANBUL - Daily News with wires / Vercihan Ziflioğlu contributed to this report from Istanbul.
The Turkish prime minister’s recent suggestion that undocumented citizens of Armenia may have to be deported has raised fears among Armenian workers living in Turkey.
Many migrants send the money they earn in Turkey to their families in Armenia, supporting that country’s economy.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s comments to journalists in London on Tuesday came after a U.S. Congressional committee and the Swedish parliament accepted claims of “genocide” regarding the incidents of 1915. The prime minister claimed that there are 100,000 undocumented Armenians working in Turkey and that Ankara has so far tolerated them.
“So what will I do tomorrow? If necessary, I will tell them ‘come on, back to your country’... I’m not obliged to keep them in my country. Those actions [on genocide resolutions] unfortunately have a negative impact on our sincere attitudes,” Agence France-Presse quoted him as saying.
According to a study by the Eurasia Partnership Foundation, there are anywhere between 6,000 and 70,000 people from Armenia residing in Turkey. A journalist from the weekly Agos estimated the number of Armenians working in Turkey at between 12,000 and 14,000, based on Ministry of Labor statistics.
Speaking to daily Radikal, Karina, an Armenian citizen working in Istanbul’s Kumkapı district, said she is worried about the statement. Karina, who declined to give her surname, has been living with a tourist visa in Turkey for the past five years. “Deportation will be bad for me economically and socially,” she said.
Making a living
Others speaking to daily Radikal also said they had to work in Turkey to make a living.
Armen, who also refrained from giving his surname, said he has a life in Turkey and does not want to leave that behind. “Even if the police come to me with a knife in their hands, I will not leave here,” he said. “I am married. My children are with me and we are all right here.”
According to recent research, there are around 800 children who were born in Turkey to Armenian parents who live undocumented in the country. These children are in a legal limbo, citizens of neither nation.
“If I am deported, I will find a way to return to Turkey,” said Giyma Harutunyan, who has been living in Turkey for the past five years.
Yura Sarkisyan, 70, who is involved in the “shuttle trade,” told Radikal: “It is the politicians who make this thing complicated. There is no good in bringing up events that happened a long time ago. We do not want to leave. We are thankful to all the Turkish people.”
Some undocumented Armenians, however, said they would leave if they were no longer wanted in Turkey. A.N., 37, identified only by her initials, said she loved Turkey and has lived here for four years now, daily Hürriyet reported Thursday. “But if they want, we will leave. We are here because the chance to find a job in Armenia is small. This is our country’s fault,” said A.N., who works as a salesperson in Istanbul’s Aksaray district.
M.H., 43, also identified only by her initials, has worked as babysitter for four years in Turkey. She said plans to go back to Armenia within one or two years. “People should not suffer due to politics. We have a life here,” she said.
The other side of the coin
T.Z., 28, identified only by her initials, told Hürriyet she was a student of Russian literature before she came to Turkey. “I work in a textile firm here,” she said. “My husband lives in Armenia. I want him to come here, too.”
T.Z. said the prime minister’s statements irked her. “Hundreds of thousands of Turks are working in Europe illegally,” she said. “Turkey should not forget that.”
Haygazun Alvrstyan, an academic from Yerevan State University, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Thursday that Erdoğan’s statements are a disturbing reminder of history. “[They again want] Armenians to be deported. It is a shame that this statement is made by a prime minister,” he said.
The academic added that there are only about 10,000 Armenian citizens in Turkey, saying Erdoğan is exaggerating the figure in order to “coerce the European Union and the U.S. not to approve resolutions on genocide claims.”
Siranuys Dvyoan, a professor in Armenia, said undocumented workers are not just Armenia’s problem, noting that Turks work in various countries in a similar fashion. “Turkey is trying to display Armenia as a poor country in the world,” she said.
Tevan Poghosyan, from the Yerevan-based International Center of Human Development, said Erdoğan is trying to distract attention from the genocide issue.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
ISTANBUL - Daily News with wires / Vercihan Ziflioğlu contributed to this report from Istanbul.
The Turkish prime minister’s recent suggestion that undocumented citizens of Armenia may have to be deported has raised fears among Armenian workers living in Turkey.
Many migrants send the money they earn in Turkey to their families in Armenia, supporting that country’s economy.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s comments to journalists in London on Tuesday came after a U.S. Congressional committee and the Swedish parliament accepted claims of “genocide” regarding the incidents of 1915. The prime minister claimed that there are 100,000 undocumented Armenians working in Turkey and that Ankara has so far tolerated them.
“So what will I do tomorrow? If necessary, I will tell them ‘come on, back to your country’... I’m not obliged to keep them in my country. Those actions [on genocide resolutions] unfortunately have a negative impact on our sincere attitudes,” Agence France-Presse quoted him as saying.
According to a study by the Eurasia Partnership Foundation, there are anywhere between 6,000 and 70,000 people from Armenia residing in Turkey. A journalist from the weekly Agos estimated the number of Armenians working in Turkey at between 12,000 and 14,000, based on Ministry of Labor statistics.
Speaking to daily Radikal, Karina, an Armenian citizen working in Istanbul’s Kumkapı district, said she is worried about the statement. Karina, who declined to give her surname, has been living with a tourist visa in Turkey for the past five years. “Deportation will be bad for me economically and socially,” she said.
Making a living
Others speaking to daily Radikal also said they had to work in Turkey to make a living.
Armen, who also refrained from giving his surname, said he has a life in Turkey and does not want to leave that behind. “Even if the police come to me with a knife in their hands, I will not leave here,” he said. “I am married. My children are with me and we are all right here.”
According to recent research, there are around 800 children who were born in Turkey to Armenian parents who live undocumented in the country. These children are in a legal limbo, citizens of neither nation.
“If I am deported, I will find a way to return to Turkey,” said Giyma Harutunyan, who has been living in Turkey for the past five years.
Yura Sarkisyan, 70, who is involved in the “shuttle trade,” told Radikal: “It is the politicians who make this thing complicated. There is no good in bringing up events that happened a long time ago. We do not want to leave. We are thankful to all the Turkish people.”
Some undocumented Armenians, however, said they would leave if they were no longer wanted in Turkey. A.N., 37, identified only by her initials, said she loved Turkey and has lived here for four years now, daily Hürriyet reported Thursday. “But if they want, we will leave. We are here because the chance to find a job in Armenia is small. This is our country’s fault,” said A.N., who works as a salesperson in Istanbul’s Aksaray district.
M.H., 43, also identified only by her initials, has worked as babysitter for four years in Turkey. She said plans to go back to Armenia within one or two years. “People should not suffer due to politics. We have a life here,” she said.
The other side of the coin
T.Z., 28, identified only by her initials, told Hürriyet she was a student of Russian literature before she came to Turkey. “I work in a textile firm here,” she said. “My husband lives in Armenia. I want him to come here, too.”
T.Z. said the prime minister’s statements irked her. “Hundreds of thousands of Turks are working in Europe illegally,” she said. “Turkey should not forget that.”
Haygazun Alvrstyan, an academic from Yerevan State University, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Thursday that Erdoğan’s statements are a disturbing reminder of history. “[They again want] Armenians to be deported. It is a shame that this statement is made by a prime minister,” he said.
The academic added that there are only about 10,000 Armenian citizens in Turkey, saying Erdoğan is exaggerating the figure in order to “coerce the European Union and the U.S. not to approve resolutions on genocide claims.”
Siranuys Dvyoan, a professor in Armenia, said undocumented workers are not just Armenia’s problem, noting that Turks work in various countries in a similar fashion. “Turkey is trying to display Armenia as a poor country in the world,” she said.
Tevan Poghosyan, from the Yerevan-based International Center of Human Development, said Erdoğan is trying to distract attention from the genocide issue.
15 Mart 2010 Pazartesi
Setting the clock forward in Turkish-Armenia relations
Setting the clock forward in Turkish-Armenia relations
Friday, March 12, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
A new watch inspired by an old sundial will be dedicated to peace between Turkey and Armenia, says Bedros Tanışman, a Turkish-Armenian master watchmaker who has designed timepieces for the biggest names in the international luxury-watch industry. While not forgetting the past, he says, it is important to look forward
Award-winning watchmaker Bedros Tanışman.
A Swiss-based watchmaker is crafting a new timepiece with an ancient name as a testimony to peace in his two homelands, Turkey and Armenia.
Award-winning watchmaker Bedros Tanışman, the owner of renowned watch brand Peter Tanisman, visited Istanbul earlier this week on a business trip and spoke to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, describing the city as his “indispensable breath.”
“It is not possible for Turks and Armenians to be pulled apart from each other,” said Tanışman, 52. “I do not have a political stance, but I’d like to give a message to the world: Do not cast a shadow [over Turkish-Armenian relations].”
Recently, Tanışman has been working on a special watch called “Gnomon,” after the ancient Greek word meaning “indicator,” “one who discerns” or “that which reveals.” The word was used to describe a crucial part of ancient sundials.
“During one of my visits to Armenia, I came upon a sundial on the wall of a monastery that was thousands of years old,” the watchmaker said. “That impressed me tremendously. I will combine a modern technique with my own style and make Gnomon live again.”
Tanışman said he is giving a symbolic value to the soon-to-be-unveiled design. “I will dedicate it to the peaceful future of Turkish and Armenian peoples,” he said. “I cannot discern between the two and both are very important for me. Let us put our clocks forward, not backward, without denying the pain of the past. Let every tick remind us of peace, friendship and the beautiful days of our future.”
The watchmaker’s awards
The well-known timepiece designer has also created “24 Hours,” a special watch for Turkey. “I tried to merge the Ottomans and Turkey with my imagination,” he said. “I used turquoise, while the numbers are different than what is common.”
Tanışman’s mother’s roots go back to the northern Anatolian province of Amasya while his father’s ancestors came from the central province of Sivas. He told the Daily News that he started working with jewelry as an apprentice in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, like many Anatolian Armenians, and dreamed of becoming the best jeweler in Turkey.
But in 1982, when he was only 24, he accepted a once-in-a-lifetime offer from luxury watchmaker Cartier to move to Europe and work in Switzerland. Since then, Tanışman’s exclusive designs have made their mark throughout the world. He has produced designs for Piaget, Chopard and Audemars Piguet, in addition to Cartier.
Tanışman founded his own brand, called Peter Tanışman, in 2008. The same year, his “Carousel” design, an 83,000-euro watch studded with 552 diamonds, all placed by hand, ranked in the global top 10 at the “Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Beneve” contest. Another one of his designs for Piaget was selected as number one in the contest.
Future plans
Tanışman has traditionally made his watchbands with leather produced from alligators and stingrays, a practice he says he is increasingly regretting. “Until today, I used leather from animals, but my conscience tells me to stop,” he said. “Most probably, I will not use animal leather in my new designs.”
Although he declined to reveal names, Tanışman has made expensive watches for a long list of the rich and powerful. “My customers include royal families, Arab sheiks, Hollywood stars and members of global high society,” he said. “[But] our craft has a principle of confidentiality.”
Tanışman’s brand is now preparing to enter the Turkish market.
“There is an abundant demand here for luxury goods,” he said. “I was born in this land and I will be back with a brand that bears my name.”
Friday, March 12, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
A new watch inspired by an old sundial will be dedicated to peace between Turkey and Armenia, says Bedros Tanışman, a Turkish-Armenian master watchmaker who has designed timepieces for the biggest names in the international luxury-watch industry. While not forgetting the past, he says, it is important to look forward
Award-winning watchmaker Bedros Tanışman.
A Swiss-based watchmaker is crafting a new timepiece with an ancient name as a testimony to peace in his two homelands, Turkey and Armenia.
Award-winning watchmaker Bedros Tanışman, the owner of renowned watch brand Peter Tanisman, visited Istanbul earlier this week on a business trip and spoke to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, describing the city as his “indispensable breath.”
“It is not possible for Turks and Armenians to be pulled apart from each other,” said Tanışman, 52. “I do not have a political stance, but I’d like to give a message to the world: Do not cast a shadow [over Turkish-Armenian relations].”
Recently, Tanışman has been working on a special watch called “Gnomon,” after the ancient Greek word meaning “indicator,” “one who discerns” or “that which reveals.” The word was used to describe a crucial part of ancient sundials.
“During one of my visits to Armenia, I came upon a sundial on the wall of a monastery that was thousands of years old,” the watchmaker said. “That impressed me tremendously. I will combine a modern technique with my own style and make Gnomon live again.”
Tanışman said he is giving a symbolic value to the soon-to-be-unveiled design. “I will dedicate it to the peaceful future of Turkish and Armenian peoples,” he said. “I cannot discern between the two and both are very important for me. Let us put our clocks forward, not backward, without denying the pain of the past. Let every tick remind us of peace, friendship and the beautiful days of our future.”
The watchmaker’s awards
The well-known timepiece designer has also created “24 Hours,” a special watch for Turkey. “I tried to merge the Ottomans and Turkey with my imagination,” he said. “I used turquoise, while the numbers are different than what is common.”
Tanışman’s mother’s roots go back to the northern Anatolian province of Amasya while his father’s ancestors came from the central province of Sivas. He told the Daily News that he started working with jewelry as an apprentice in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, like many Anatolian Armenians, and dreamed of becoming the best jeweler in Turkey.
But in 1982, when he was only 24, he accepted a once-in-a-lifetime offer from luxury watchmaker Cartier to move to Europe and work in Switzerland. Since then, Tanışman’s exclusive designs have made their mark throughout the world. He has produced designs for Piaget, Chopard and Audemars Piguet, in addition to Cartier.
Tanışman founded his own brand, called Peter Tanışman, in 2008. The same year, his “Carousel” design, an 83,000-euro watch studded with 552 diamonds, all placed by hand, ranked in the global top 10 at the “Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Beneve” contest. Another one of his designs for Piaget was selected as number one in the contest.
Future plans
Tanışman has traditionally made his watchbands with leather produced from alligators and stingrays, a practice he says he is increasingly regretting. “Until today, I used leather from animals, but my conscience tells me to stop,” he said. “Most probably, I will not use animal leather in my new designs.”
Although he declined to reveal names, Tanışman has made expensive watches for a long list of the rich and powerful. “My customers include royal families, Arab sheiks, Hollywood stars and members of global high society,” he said. “[But] our craft has a principle of confidentiality.”
Tanışman’s brand is now preparing to enter the Turkish market.
“There is an abundant demand here for luxury goods,” he said. “I was born in this land and I will be back with a brand that bears my name.”
5 Mart 2010 Cuma
ESCAPE FROM THE CITY: The historical and cultural richness of Armenia
ESCAPE FROM THE CITY: The historical and cultural richness of Armenia
Thursday, March 4, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News
Although the border between Turkey and Armenia is not open, one can travel to Armenia through Georgia or by buses taking off from Istanbul to see museums and historical temples that are on UNESCO’s world heritage list
A small country on the world map, Armenia is a historically and culturally rich place in the Caucasus.
The country of the legendary Hayk, known as a patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation, was declared independent 19 years ago after the Soviet Union’s break up. The Turkish and Azerbaijani borders of Armenia were closed in 1993 due to the Karabakh war. As the doors opening Armenia to the world have been the borders with Iran and Georgia for the last 17 years, Armenia has been on the world agenda because of political issues for the last few years.
If you want to witness history and experience adventure before the borders between Turkey and Armenia open, this is the right time. Of course, Armenia is not only about the borders, politics and history. It has its traditions and culture. However, one must put up with some difficulties on the way to visiting Yerevan.
Be careful with the taxis at the airport
One can take an AFP bus from Aksaray, Istanbul to Yerevan. The tickets cost $60, and the bus leaves on Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. On the way it is possible to see Armenian suitcase traders and hear about their tough lives. The buses travel through Georgia on a route that is a long way from Istanbul to Yerevan.
In case one prefers the plane to the bus, there are flights from Istanbul directly to Yerevan. There are two flights per week from Atatürk Airport, and the journey takes an hour and a half. Once getting off the plane at Zvartnots Airport, which is only a few kilometers from the city center, one should pay attention to two things before approaching the passport control booths. One should exchange money to the Armenian currency, Trams, and fill out the visa form carefully.
If one gets into line for the passport check without exchanging money or filling out the form, one gets a warning from the officials and needs to get out of the line. If it is one’s first visit to the country and there is nobody to pick one up at the airport, get a taxi, but do not forget to bargain with the driver. Otherwise, the distance, which normally costs $2, will turn into $50.
Magical view of Mount Ararat
The first day one should get to know Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. The city is like an open-air museum. From a bird’s eye view, it is designed in the shape of a sun with rays of light by the legendary architect Alexander Tamanyan. In the center of the city one should visit Azadutyun Hrabarag, known as the independence square. One can also see the magical view of Ararat and its peak touching the clouds.
The city is home to a newly constructed avenue, named North Avenue. Following this one can reach the Opera Square, which fills the eyes with its charming architecture. The huge posters decorating the wall on the side of the opera building display the program for the week. Try not to leave before watching a performance.
Surprise at Cascade stairs
There are various museums to visit in Yerevan, but one should first spare time for the Madenataran Museum, which displays thousands of years of calligraphy artworks and miniatures. After visiting the museum, try to head to Cascade Square, where a huge cat monument will welcome you. There are also stars where one can sit down for a rest and watch the amazing view of Mount Ararat. To have a nice meal after a beautiful and calm day in Yerevan, one can go to Sirelineru Ayki, or Lover's Park. There one can find various choices of cafés and restaurants.
A monastery formed of rocks
Although Yerevan is a small city, one needs at least three days to visit all the important areas. Gyumri is a smaller city than Yerevan, although it is known as the second biggest city of Armenia, and it is within walking distance from the Turkish border. After it was demolished by an earthquake in 1988, it took a long time for the city to recover. One can still see traces of the earthquake, yet the historical parts are still standing. The architectural structure of the city is similar to Turkey’s northeastern city Kars.
Getting to know the locals is possible by listening to the music, learning about the literature and visiting religious constructions. On the hills and mountains and inside the caves there are lots of monasteries and churches, and one of the most interesting among these constructions is located in the Lori region. Built inside high rock surfaces, Kobayr Monastery is worth a visit. One can also see a similar construction in the Dilijan region at Keghart Monastery.
UNESCO’s list
Within the borders of the country there are many monasteries, churches and temples belonging to the era before Christianity. Some of them are listed on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites. One of the most important is the Kotayk Region’s Garni Temple, which dates back to the polytheistic era before Christianity. The others are Hagbat and Sanahin monasteries. Try to visit the Armenian Apostolik Church and the hand carved stones at Xhackarlar (Cross-stone). Veteran artisans’ works on historic Xhackarlar should be seen.
On the way back to Turkey try to buy souvenirs, such as pomegranates, the symbol of Armenia, coffee and delicious apricots and cheeses.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News
Although the border between Turkey and Armenia is not open, one can travel to Armenia through Georgia or by buses taking off from Istanbul to see museums and historical temples that are on UNESCO’s world heritage list
A small country on the world map, Armenia is a historically and culturally rich place in the Caucasus.
The country of the legendary Hayk, known as a patriarch and founder of the Armenian nation, was declared independent 19 years ago after the Soviet Union’s break up. The Turkish and Azerbaijani borders of Armenia were closed in 1993 due to the Karabakh war. As the doors opening Armenia to the world have been the borders with Iran and Georgia for the last 17 years, Armenia has been on the world agenda because of political issues for the last few years.
If you want to witness history and experience adventure before the borders between Turkey and Armenia open, this is the right time. Of course, Armenia is not only about the borders, politics and history. It has its traditions and culture. However, one must put up with some difficulties on the way to visiting Yerevan.
Be careful with the taxis at the airport
One can take an AFP bus from Aksaray, Istanbul to Yerevan. The tickets cost $60, and the bus leaves on Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. On the way it is possible to see Armenian suitcase traders and hear about their tough lives. The buses travel through Georgia on a route that is a long way from Istanbul to Yerevan.
In case one prefers the plane to the bus, there are flights from Istanbul directly to Yerevan. There are two flights per week from Atatürk Airport, and the journey takes an hour and a half. Once getting off the plane at Zvartnots Airport, which is only a few kilometers from the city center, one should pay attention to two things before approaching the passport control booths. One should exchange money to the Armenian currency, Trams, and fill out the visa form carefully.
If one gets into line for the passport check without exchanging money or filling out the form, one gets a warning from the officials and needs to get out of the line. If it is one’s first visit to the country and there is nobody to pick one up at the airport, get a taxi, but do not forget to bargain with the driver. Otherwise, the distance, which normally costs $2, will turn into $50.
Magical view of Mount Ararat
The first day one should get to know Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. The city is like an open-air museum. From a bird’s eye view, it is designed in the shape of a sun with rays of light by the legendary architect Alexander Tamanyan. In the center of the city one should visit Azadutyun Hrabarag, known as the independence square. One can also see the magical view of Ararat and its peak touching the clouds.
The city is home to a newly constructed avenue, named North Avenue. Following this one can reach the Opera Square, which fills the eyes with its charming architecture. The huge posters decorating the wall on the side of the opera building display the program for the week. Try not to leave before watching a performance.
Surprise at Cascade stairs
There are various museums to visit in Yerevan, but one should first spare time for the Madenataran Museum, which displays thousands of years of calligraphy artworks and miniatures. After visiting the museum, try to head to Cascade Square, where a huge cat monument will welcome you. There are also stars where one can sit down for a rest and watch the amazing view of Mount Ararat. To have a nice meal after a beautiful and calm day in Yerevan, one can go to Sirelineru Ayki, or Lover's Park. There one can find various choices of cafés and restaurants.
A monastery formed of rocks
Although Yerevan is a small city, one needs at least three days to visit all the important areas. Gyumri is a smaller city than Yerevan, although it is known as the second biggest city of Armenia, and it is within walking distance from the Turkish border. After it was demolished by an earthquake in 1988, it took a long time for the city to recover. One can still see traces of the earthquake, yet the historical parts are still standing. The architectural structure of the city is similar to Turkey’s northeastern city Kars.
Getting to know the locals is possible by listening to the music, learning about the literature and visiting religious constructions. On the hills and mountains and inside the caves there are lots of monasteries and churches, and one of the most interesting among these constructions is located in the Lori region. Built inside high rock surfaces, Kobayr Monastery is worth a visit. One can also see a similar construction in the Dilijan region at Keghart Monastery.
UNESCO’s list
Within the borders of the country there are many monasteries, churches and temples belonging to the era before Christianity. Some of them are listed on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites. One of the most important is the Kotayk Region’s Garni Temple, which dates back to the polytheistic era before Christianity. The others are Hagbat and Sanahin monasteries. Try to visit the Armenian Apostolik Church and the hand carved stones at Xhackarlar (Cross-stone). Veteran artisans’ works on historic Xhackarlar should be seen.
On the way back to Turkey try to buy souvenirs, such as pomegranates, the symbol of Armenia, coffee and delicious apricots and cheeses.
1 Mart 2010 Pazartesi
Sad and timid songs of Anatolian people
Sad and timid songs of Anatolian people
Sunday, February 28, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
The movie, ‘Lost Songs of Anatolia,’ brings in something new to the Turkish history of cinema. Armenian folk songs are performed by Anatolian people for the first time in this movie. The movie will be released this month
Inspired by Peter Gabriel’s “Passion” album, which includes Anatolian folk songs, composer, producer and arranger Nezih Ünen produced a work dedicated to Anatolian.
Ünen packed his bag and hit the road exactly eight years ago. He had only one purpose: wandering from village to village or from town to town and compiling the folk songs of Anatolia. He researched incessantly for eight years.
The Anatolian people have sung almost forgotten folk songs without any need for instrumental accompaniment in many languages such as Turkish, Persian, Armenian, Greek, Kurdish and Syriac.
While compiling the songs, he also video recorded Anatolia and reminded many of the lively and colorful cultural make up of Turkey. Ünen told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review that this work was focused on a period of 100 years in Anatolia and he added, “A hundred years ago, cinema and the music industry started to grow up and circulate freely. While the world was developing quickly in culture and arts, Anatolia was left to solitude despite all its riches.”
Anatolia wrote its own poetry
The folk songs compiled by Ünen in eight years were released as an album titled “Lost Songs of Anatolia” by Kalan Music holding the archives of Anatolian ethnic music and owned by Hasan Saltuk. The movie, filmed by Ünen under the same name, will also be released March 12. Stating that “Lost Songs of Anatolia” was meant to be a movie not a documentary, Ünen continued: “Anatolia would reveal the truth about itself on its own. If it was a documentary, it would be too didactic. So I wanted it to be a movie composing its own poetry.”
Ünen said he took recordings for 350 hours and compiled hundreds of folk songs during his research. Stating he had difficulty in assembling the parts and creating the movie, Ünen also added: “There were many things to talk about. I was unwilling to cut or remove any information or scene but the time was limited.”
Armenian for the first time in Turkish cinema
In the movie, the folk songs were sung by local people without any interruption. The CD’s music and the movie’s music are different from each other. Armenian and Greek songs in the movie were not included in the CD. ”Armenian songs would be performed for the first time in a movie. This is a beginning in Turkish cinema history. I hope this will continue,” Ünen said. Describing Anatolia as a cultural treasure, Ünen said: “We should dote on Anatolia, protect all its riches and hand down this heritage to the next generations. This is our primary responsibility.”
Stuck between East and West
Remarking that Turkey turned its face toward the West since the foundation of the Turkish Republic and thus, lost its own values, Ünen said: “West lovers started to assume themselves as the lords of Istanbul. They look down upon the East and treat Anatolia as the ‘other.’ ‘The gentlemen of Istanbul’ who try to become Western without internalizing their own culture got stuck between East and West.” Ünen said Turkey should make a claim to its own culture and riches and added, “Turkey should not be a country fearing the diversity of its people and their languages.”
Stating that he is also a part of this country and grew up with the notion of official history, Ünen continued as follows: “In fact, when I realize that I do not know Anatolian people, I understood that I did not know myself either. After I became aware of this, I decided to do something about it and started from the point I knew best.”
Materials would not be wasted
Ünen said the movie was expensive and the Culture Ministry covered only 10 percent of the budget. “Financial difficulties did not deter us from our way,” said Ünen, adding that the eight years of work would not be limited to just a movie and a CD. Although he said he found documentaries somehow didactic, Ünen stated that he would prepare a documentary using the leftover parts of his research.
“I insist that the movie is poetry. I do not want to waste the materials at hand. So I would prepare a documentary. Viewing the documentary, the audience would feel that they traveled Anatolia from one end to the other,” Ünen said.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
The movie, ‘Lost Songs of Anatolia,’ brings in something new to the Turkish history of cinema. Armenian folk songs are performed by Anatolian people for the first time in this movie. The movie will be released this month
Inspired by Peter Gabriel’s “Passion” album, which includes Anatolian folk songs, composer, producer and arranger Nezih Ünen produced a work dedicated to Anatolian.
Ünen packed his bag and hit the road exactly eight years ago. He had only one purpose: wandering from village to village or from town to town and compiling the folk songs of Anatolia. He researched incessantly for eight years.
The Anatolian people have sung almost forgotten folk songs without any need for instrumental accompaniment in many languages such as Turkish, Persian, Armenian, Greek, Kurdish and Syriac.
While compiling the songs, he also video recorded Anatolia and reminded many of the lively and colorful cultural make up of Turkey. Ünen told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review that this work was focused on a period of 100 years in Anatolia and he added, “A hundred years ago, cinema and the music industry started to grow up and circulate freely. While the world was developing quickly in culture and arts, Anatolia was left to solitude despite all its riches.”
Anatolia wrote its own poetry
The folk songs compiled by Ünen in eight years were released as an album titled “Lost Songs of Anatolia” by Kalan Music holding the archives of Anatolian ethnic music and owned by Hasan Saltuk. The movie, filmed by Ünen under the same name, will also be released March 12. Stating that “Lost Songs of Anatolia” was meant to be a movie not a documentary, Ünen continued: “Anatolia would reveal the truth about itself on its own. If it was a documentary, it would be too didactic. So I wanted it to be a movie composing its own poetry.”
Ünen said he took recordings for 350 hours and compiled hundreds of folk songs during his research. Stating he had difficulty in assembling the parts and creating the movie, Ünen also added: “There were many things to talk about. I was unwilling to cut or remove any information or scene but the time was limited.”
Armenian for the first time in Turkish cinema
In the movie, the folk songs were sung by local people without any interruption. The CD’s music and the movie’s music are different from each other. Armenian and Greek songs in the movie were not included in the CD. ”Armenian songs would be performed for the first time in a movie. This is a beginning in Turkish cinema history. I hope this will continue,” Ünen said. Describing Anatolia as a cultural treasure, Ünen said: “We should dote on Anatolia, protect all its riches and hand down this heritage to the next generations. This is our primary responsibility.”
Stuck between East and West
Remarking that Turkey turned its face toward the West since the foundation of the Turkish Republic and thus, lost its own values, Ünen said: “West lovers started to assume themselves as the lords of Istanbul. They look down upon the East and treat Anatolia as the ‘other.’ ‘The gentlemen of Istanbul’ who try to become Western without internalizing their own culture got stuck between East and West.” Ünen said Turkey should make a claim to its own culture and riches and added, “Turkey should not be a country fearing the diversity of its people and their languages.”
Stating that he is also a part of this country and grew up with the notion of official history, Ünen continued as follows: “In fact, when I realize that I do not know Anatolian people, I understood that I did not know myself either. After I became aware of this, I decided to do something about it and started from the point I knew best.”
Materials would not be wasted
Ünen said the movie was expensive and the Culture Ministry covered only 10 percent of the budget. “Financial difficulties did not deter us from our way,” said Ünen, adding that the eight years of work would not be limited to just a movie and a CD. Although he said he found documentaries somehow didactic, Ünen stated that he would prepare a documentary using the leftover parts of his research.
“I insist that the movie is poetry. I do not want to waste the materials at hand. So I would prepare a documentary. Viewing the documentary, the audience would feel that they traveled Anatolia from one end to the other,” Ünen said.
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