Armenians of Dersim (Eastern Turkey) are gradually going back to their roots, according to the chairman of the Union of Dersim Armenians.

“80 people joined the Union over the past 3 months,” Mihran Gultekin told journalists in Yerevan.

“The goal of our Union is to help Armenians to convert to Christianity again and preserve Armenian historical monuments in Dersim and nearby territories,” he said.

However, Gultekin noted, although Turkish authorities do not hamper the Union’s activity, the horror of Genocide is still alive in the hearts of Armenians.

“Besides, Prime Minister Erdogan’s statements and Islamist moods prevent Armenians from openly speaking about their ethnicity,” he said.