Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the murder of ethnic Armenian newspaper editor and journalist Hrant Dink in Istanbul, Turkey. Dink was shot outside the office of the Agos newspaper on 19 January 2007. A prolific advocate for civil, human and minority rights in Turkey, Dink was killed by 17-year-old Ogun Samast. His murder shocked the world and marked one of few times when Armenian, Turkish and other bloggers spoke about an event making headline news across the world with one voice.

A year on and the conversation in the blogosphere might be less, but many people the world over — and not least in Armenia and Turkey — remember Dink. A rare voice calling for reconciliation between Armenians and Turks, Dink’s message and legacy is still remembered today. A week ago, Blogian posted information on Hrant Dink memorial events to be held the world over.

Internations Musings makes a short but to the point post consisting of just two photographs taken in Istanbul with the title “I believe darkness will one day reunite with light.” Rastî simply posts various quotes and photographs, including one from the Armenian Foreign Minister, Vartan Oskanian.

The brutality, the impunity, the violence of Hrant’s murder serves several political ends. First, it makes Turkey less interesting for Europe, which is exactly what some in the Turkish establishment want. Second, it scares away Armenians and other minorities in Turkey, from pursuing their civil and human rights. Third, it scares those bold Turks who are beginning to explore these complicated, sensitive subjects in earnest.

The full post is available on Global Voices Online.

Riya Taza, Aragatsotn Region, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2007

It’s a bit late in coming, but last weekend Garo (aka Christian Garbis) from Notes from Hairenik and I visited the Yezidi village of Alagyaz in the Aragatsotn region of the Republic as I’m currently writing an article on Armenia’s largest minority for the U.K.’s Geographical magazine. Moreover, I’ve been covering Yezidis in Armenia since June 1998 and it’s always nice to return.

Anyway, time is pressing, but thankfully Garo has posted an account of the visit and in particular, our meeting with a family I first encountered last year.

[…] On the north-bound highway to Vanadzor along the stretch between Aparan and Spitak there are three Yezidi villages that I know of at least—Ria Taza, Alagyaz, and Jamshlu. Each village’s name has a story behind it—Ria Taza is not only the name of the oldest newspaper in the Yezidi community but it also means “new path” or something like that. Alagyaz is the old Turkish/Kurdish/Armenian name for Aragats, close to the foot of which these villages are situated. Jamshlu I am sure means something but I have no idea what. Onnik wanted to get to Aragats to catch up with some people he knew. We met one family of five with three small children. The patriarch of the family, whose name is Vazir Avdashian, is the village’s schoolteacher. I asked him several questions about the history of the community, the school and so forth, and he was more than eager to explain things to me.

[…]

Vazir’s relatives moved from Aintab situated in modern-day eastern Turkey to Alagyaz in 1828 when there was virtually no one there; it was just a barren space (and it actually still is for the most part). He told me that supposedly migrant dwellers would come to the area then leave before the winter came, although those were just stories that could not be substantiated. The house he and his family lives in was built by his father in 1968—the old house was situated where the highway exists today. It’s a good-sized home—the right side of it seems to be a stable while the left side is where the family lives. The house seems to be very roomy and is very clean, practically spotless, which obliterates claims of Yezidis being dirty people. The home is heated by a centrally located stove burning dried dung, which seemed to have no odor of any kind.

In Alagyaz out of a population of 2,500 up through the late 80s only 500 remain. Many undoubtedly have gone to Russia to work. The same holds true for the other villages as well. Vazir has five brothers and one sister. Although at least one of them remains, the other siblings have gone to Russia and even France. People in the village survive mainly by herding animals and cultivating the land. Indeed in the area there are perhaps thousands of sheep and cattle grazing across the plains. There is also a cheese factory in the village. Yezidis are known for their excellent diary products anyway as I have sampled them in the past since you can sometimes find them being sold door-to-door or in markets.

Many of the homes—but according to Vazir all of them—have satellite connections to the outside world. He showed us at least three stations that were Kurdish—one from Iran, another from Iraq, and one he said was broadcasting from Europe somewhere by Kurds from Eastern Turkey who could not get away with what they were doing back home, mainly broadcasting PKK propaganda and revolutionary songs that have a striking similarity to Armenian ones. In fact there are several PKK supporters living in the village. Satellite hook-ups including the dish supposedly cost only $120, and there are no monthly service fees which doesn’t sound too bad.

[…]

Vazir told me there are no clinics in the area although there were during Soviet times. Those who fall ill and are in need of vital medical care must either go to Yerevan or Spitak, which has very good hospital facilities there since the earthquake.

The Yezidis were basically compelled to live in Armenia having no where else to go when facing persecution by the Ottoman Turks. Vazir explained to me that there was a huge influx of Yezidis from 1915 onwards as they were also persecuted severely and massacred by the Turks, something that isn’t discussed. Although there is discrimination against Yezidis by Armenians (who are prejudice in general anyway), there is no real animosity towards them from what I know. There was an incident not too long ago where one was murdered in Yerevan, the particulars of which remain unclear.

[…]

In any case, I came away feeling pretty inspired and certainly pleased that I finally had an opportunity to speak with them. […]

(more…)

While looking for new blogs about Armenia using Google’s excellent Blog search engine I stumbled upon a new one about Yezidis and Kurds in Armenia. Given that I’ve covered Armenia’s largest national minority extensively since 1998 it was certainly interesting to find and nice to see some of my past work on the Yezidis in Armenia being used on the site.

It was also interesting because the blog’s author is of Armenian and Kurdish descent. Fascinating.

My great grandfather was the general Ihsan Nuri Pasha and other kurdish nationalists relatives from my fathers side led the Ararat rebellions until the turkish airforce crushed the republic of Ararat hung them all in open streets and beheaded them in public. They also participated in the Republic of Mahabad during 1946. My mothers relatives suffered from the armenian genocide my grandfather and grandmother was forced to change names and became hidden armenians in turkey my great grandfather was Barzum Aga a well known armenian landlord driven by humanity to both the christians and the kurds. Many of my relatives lost their lives during the genocide. …this is why i am interested in the kurdish-armenian issues and the relations.

The blog, Kurdistan and Hayastan, is here.