FORCED ISLAMIZATION OF THE ARMENIANS WAS A MANIFESTATION OF GENOCIDE

Interview with Head of the Department of Armenian-Ottoman relations, YSU Institute of Armenian studies Research, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Turkologist Lusineh Sahakyan.

– The Ottoman Empire, conquering new lands, always sought to establish an Islamic-Ottoman system. And one way to achieve this was forcible Islamization of Christians. This policy was also carried out on the territory of historical Armenia, because of which suffered greatly Armenian province of Hamshen. Turks-forgers purposefully distort even anthropological type of Hamshenis, describing them as “Oguz-Turkic anthropological type.” Until now, they are actively preaching among Hamshenis that they are descended from Turkic tribes, which is none other than a kind of genocide.

In response to the Turkish initiative, Head of the Department of Anthropology of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the RA National Academy of Sciences, Senior Researcher Nvard Kochar (unfortunately now expired) conducted anthropological research among the residing in the territory of Armenia Hamshenis. As a result, we can state with confidence that the Hamshen Armenians in their racial characteristics reflect the genetic integrity of our ancestors and are descended from the Armenian ethnos.

Note that the Turks are also conducting policy of changing place-names. In 2010 and 2011 Lusineh Sahakyan in Montreal published a book “Turkized place-names in the Ottoman Empire and Republican Turkey.”

– 100 years after the Armenian Genocide, Turkey continues its policy. We are facing the same challenges as this country has not changed its approach to Armenia and continues the same policy of denial of the Armenian Genocide, – continues L.Sahakyan. – And that poses new challenges not only to Hamshen Armenians, but also the Armenian community of Constantinople, which is in a status of a hostage.

We all our forces should focus not on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, but should move the problem on the legal level. And for this we have to be strong from inside – always highly maintain the spirit of the Armenian army, to stop the emigration and to promote immigration. Our main task should also be training of specialists of international law.

Hasmik Poghosyan