Ara Yeretsian
By Ara Yeretsian
Some people think that tourism of pilgrimage in Turkey is bad. They say it contributes to the economy of Turkey. They say the government will "use" the events to advertise make-believe openness and tolerance. They discredit the Eastern Diocese's upcoming pilgrimage across Turkey into Armenia.
Here is why you should not listen to these prophets of doom and gloom.
1) Eastern Anatolia is Historic Armenia. The region of Vaspouragan, Mush and Ararat is were our nation started. Our ancestors breathed the air and drank the water there for over 2,500 years. We don’t own much of the land anymore, but we own our history, culture and memories.
2) Ani, Aghtamar, Varagavank and St. Garabed represent some of the highest points in our faith. They are intrinsic to our ethos. Seeing them is a defining experience for anyone.
3) 60,000 Armenians still live in Turkey – mostly in Istanbul. Their number is dwindling. Only they can take care of our historical and spiritual wealth in the land. They are caught between two fires: a diaspora anxious to bring closure to the genocide by mobilizing international attention, and a government that uses Armenian citizens for scapegoat every time it is frustrated. They need our support with our presence.
4) Tourism helps Turkey’s economy, but we benefit from tourism too! Europeans who travel great distances to see Ani or Aghtamar are not likely to swallow official distortions of history. They are likely to challenge mistruths and perhaps contribute to a more reasonable attitude in Official Turkey.
5) Tourism to Christian sites helps improve Turkey’s anti-Christian image. That’s good, because Turkey will have to live up to that image. Travelers can see what is going on. The more there are travelers, the less it is possible for Turkey to be underhanded. Tourism helps the Armenian community of Turkey because it allows them to be more under international public eye. Very definitely, tourism provides an incentive for Turkey to take good care of historical and spiritual Armenian sites.
6) Turkey is far more westernized than we think, but her economy is in shambles. The country is overextended in Cyprus, the Balkans and Azerbaijan. She is caught in the Kurdish quagmire. Turkey desperately wants to join the European Union and make things better economically. Joining the EU means opening up Turkish society and bringing it out of bigoted nationalism. It means changing attitudes. If Armenians maintain a firm, hands-on touch with the realities of Turkey, they are in a better position to contribute to the upcoming changes.
7) Citizens of Turkey live on a version of history so absurd that they use their imagination to fill the holes. In the Kavar (hinterland), many people act as if Armenians are extraterrestrials from a higher civilization who once lived there and suddenly took off in their flying saucers – probably because they committed some major sin against Turks. They think Armenians simply left everything behind: churches, homes, belongings, and even jars of gold buried in their yards. When Turkish citizens encounter live Armenian pilgrims who find significance in ruins and stones, they become curious. They talks to each other, ask questions and dig for answers. In the age of the internet, it is not possible to entirely and permanently smother the truth. Government-sponsored book-burning, censorship and kangaroo academics will not prevent the curious from finding the truth. Ultimately, the weight of reality will hit home and common consciousness will rise. There are already signs that it's happening. >The concern that tourism by Armenian pilgrims will consecrate historical revisionism as the gospel truth is without merit.
8) Avoiding all or any contact with Turkey or her citizens does not make sense. Everybody we met related to us at a human level and were very respectful of our feelings and our spiritual claims. Thinking that you can hurt Turkey’s economy by not taking a pilgrimage to Akhtamar and Ani is similar to trying to stop rain by blowing clouds away with your breath. It does not make sense. For sure, our group contributed to the economy of Turkey in a minor way, but we got much more in return.
9) Pilgrimage is an effective way to establish rapport and stimulate thought-provoking dialogue. Rapport and dialogue are necessary for the resolution of the Armeno-Turkish problem. Obviously, they are not sufficient – but they are two cards among many other cards.
DON'T MISS THE PILGRIMAGE SPONSORED BY THE DIOCESE!
We encourage visiting the sites and churches of our ancestors.
We encourage having a strong act of Armenian presence in Turkey.
We encourage focusing on positive aspects and relating to the goodness in people.
That’s not naiveté. Besides, it is the essence of St. Gregory’s gift of Christianity seventeen centuries ago.
Sign up for the Diocese’s upcoming trip across Turkey to Armenia. If the successful pilgrimage to Jerusalem last year is any measure, this is likely to be a class act. Don't miss the opportunity.
If you don’t go with the Diocese, and if you want to discover more like we did, form a small group of 10-15 people, contact Armen Aroyan and you are in business. His phone is (626) 359-9510, his e-mail is Aroyan@earthlink.net
Either way, you’ll be enriched.
Ara K. Yeretsian, M.D.
Munster, In.