THOUSANDS OF TURKIFIED ARMENIANS REVERT TO THEIR ROOTS

PanARMENIAN.Net - Forcibly turkified and kurdified Armenians, who lived in Western Armenia in the beginning of the 20-th century, are experiencing the period of awaking of national consciousness today, Hamo Moskofian writes in Azg daily. Thousands of Armenians, who were forcibly turned to Muslims in the Sasun and Taron regions, are reverting to their Armenian roots. "About 1000 Armenian are living in Mush at the moment. Over the Kurdish issue the Turkish government left them in peace", Armen from Mush, who is a frequent visitor to Armenia, tells. Such people are often met in Germany and Armenia, where they renounce their Turkish names and family names and take Armenian ones. Simon Kostanian (Sardet Kostun in past), who was born in the village of Karmir Khach in Ttaron, resides in Germany at present and keeps in touch with the Armenian community. "Our relatives live in Western Armenia", he says. "They have undergone many tortures." Razmik Hakobian (Nureddin Yakub), native of Kilikia, is going to shoot a film about people, who are reverting to their Armenian identity. "My parents were hiding their origin since being an Armenian in Kilikia was an unpardonable crime", he says.