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Turkey: The Last Armenian Woman in a Once-Christian Town
PJ Media ^ | February 14, 2017 | Uzay Bulut

Posted on 02/19/2017 2:16:18 PM PST by george76

Prior to the Armenian genocide of 1915, the Turkish southeastern town of Derik used to be an important center for Armenian and Assyrian/Syriac Christians. Today, only one Armenian woman remains: Yursalin Demirci.

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The Armenians of Derik were first subject to massacres and deportations in 1915. The remnant Armenians emigrated from Derik in later years due to various pressures. Because of these reasons, there is no longer an Armenian community in the town. The doors of the Surp (Saint) Kevrok Armenian Church were not opened at Christmas this year. And the church bell no longer rings.

“I miss the old days,” said Yursalin. “But I have got used to the fact that there is no one left. We were born here, we grew up here and we do not want to leave our lands. Fifty years ago, when the church bell rang, the church became filled with people. I hope these days will return.”

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The city of Mardin, where Derik is also located, was for centuries a part of the Kingdom of Assyria. In the Roman period, the city itself was known as Marida (Merida), from a Syriac/Neo-Aramaic name meaning "fortress". Marida, the center for Episcopal Sees of several Armenian, Assyrian, Syriac and Chaldean churches, fell to the Seljuk Turks led by Alp Arslan after the Battle of Manzikert in the 11th century.

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The process of annihilation of indigenous Christian civilization in the region took centuries. Today, some Turkish authorities proudly declare that Turkey is 99 % Muslim. Before the 1915 genocide, however, Ottoman Turkey still had sizable Christian communities.

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Mass murders were followed by the plunder of the Armenians’ property

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Just like the Islamic State (ISIS) is doing today in Iraq and Syria, trafficking and raping women were also commonplace

(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Syria
KEYWORDS: 1915genocide; armenia; armenian; armeniangenocide; armenianwoman; christians; christiantown; genocide; iraq; isis; islamicstate; lastarmenian; ottoman; ottomanturkey; syria; turkey

1 posted on 02/19/2017 2:16:18 PM PST by george76
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To: george76

The TURKS ARE NOT OUR FRIENDS!


2 posted on 02/19/2017 2:24:21 PM PST by House Atreides (Send BOTH Hillary & Bill to prison.)
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To: george76

Allah=MoonGod=Satan

3 posted on 02/19/2017 2:50:06 PM PST by SanchoP
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To: House Atreides

MUSLIMS ARE NOT OUR FRIENDS.


4 posted on 02/19/2017 3:13:35 PM PST by 353FMG (AMERICA FIRST.)
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