The efforts of forcibly islamized Armenians to ‘return to their identity’ have accelerated in Turkey during recent years, Agos reports.

Armenians of Dersim in the Eastern Anatolia region have thus organized collective baptism ceremonies at Armenian churches to officially return to their religion. Following a six-month course of church doctrine and basic knowledge of Christian belief, 12 more Dersim Armenians took their first step back to Christianity with a collective baptism ceremony. Two married couples also held religious engagement ceremonies following the baptism ceremony held at the Yeşilköy Surp Istepanos Church, according to Agos.

Led by Father Dırtad Uzunyan, the baptism ceremony was presided over by Archbishop Aram Ateşyan. The Dersimians, who adopted Christianity, took the names Karin, Derev, Naira, Lia, Arev, Arşaluys, Kristin, Hovnan, Rupen, Hovannes Minas, Lusin Mane and Minas. The couples Boğos-Sırpuhi Çolak and Hovannes-Lusin Çolak consolidated their marriage ties by repeating their vows in the presence of the Church.

“I am now experiencing the freedom of being able to defend myself against those who insult us. Today, I am the happiest person in the world. For years, Armenians suffered the greatest insults at my workplace, and I could not speak back, fearing I would lose my job. From now on, I will wear my cross around my neck. We dreamed of this day since our childhood. We are returning to our roots,” said of the baptized, named Arev.

“This is a very happy day for me. I have been both baptized, and we held our religious marriage ceremony. It is an inexpressible happiness. We never forgot our religion. We can live freely now. I had made a promise to my mother and father to bury them in an Armenian cemetery, I was able to keep that promise as well. We were 3 of us when we decided to become baptized, and we achieved our purpose as 12,” another baptized, Hovannes Minas, added.