November 20, 2010
Pnaorama.am
Armenians of Tundjeli state of Turkey founded “Union of faith and aid for Dersimi Armenians”. After 8 months of preparatory activities, the organization was officially recorded a week ago, “Ermenihaber.am” news website reported.
The president of the union is a former journalist, 50-year-old Armenian Selhattin Gyulteqi, who changed his name 8 months ago taking Mihran Prgich Armenian name and adopted Christianity rejecting his name and Islam.
The president of the union says they will manage to save their identity due to the organization. The mission of the union is to christen 600 Armenian families living in Turkey to save their language, religion and culture. Special Armenian language studies will be organized for those Armenians who don’t speak Armenian.
The organization will also discover lost Armenian cemeteries, cultural monuments, mines of gold, find financial support and recover them.
“I’ve founded this organization with my seven friends. I don’t want Dersimi Armenians to have Kurdish or Turkish names. We should not live hiding our identities. For 50 years I was living with others’ religion, now I’m happy I found myself,” Mihran Prgich said.