Interview with Ibrahim Deniz, Istanbul.
Tell us about yourself and your family.

I like all my family came from the province Rize. All family have been living there. In 2005 I moved to Istanbul .

Are there many hemshil in the province of Rize, and Istanbul.

Most hemshil just live in the province of Rize, because most of the historic Hamshen located within the boundaries of Rize.V Istanbul began to move en masse the past twenty years, mostly either students or people of middle age.reason ekonom. exact number is very hard to say, cause there is no data on ethnic grupps Data is different, ranging from 150 to 500 thousand.

What kind of relationship with the Turks in the field of cohabitation.

We have many hundreds of years are neighbors, Karadeniz (Black Sea), Turks, Laz, Khemshils, Greeks living on similar traditsiyam.

How are things going with mixed marriages.

Parents give their daughters and sons among hemshil. many cases of mixed marriages with our neighbors lazami, to a lesser extent with othersi.No recent years, saying the picture cheangig. throughout Turkey is a protsess.Young people who move to Istanbul and other major cities no longer adhere to a strict rule inter-communal marriages.

What language is mostly communicate with each other Khemshils.

Khemshils Rize, communicate with each other in Turkish, while there is a sufficiently large number of old Armenian words that people use in everyday life between .older rural population of such words are much more used than young.Hemshily who live further east, say in their own Armenian dialect.

How did you hear about your Armenian origin.

Even as a child I heard from relatives that we armyane.I remember that it often caused great controversy among family members.No within the family it was normal.No so no one spoke openly on the streets.

How did your first encounter with the Armenians.

It was in Stambule.I had never seen other armenian.It was was very interesting to watch and observe them, it was in the Easter near the Armenian church, there was a large group of peuple.Up to this this moment for Armenians I had a semi-mythical beleevs , Officially nothing except the fact that armenians are internal enemies of Turkey, we have served to read.

The turning point of your perception.

Difficult to name any particular moment I always with curiosity and interest belonged to the Armenian people and culture before moving to Stambul.But I like many hemshil were shoked about Hrant Dink kiling, and say that These days I felt that I was among the fiercest armenians. everyone dropped masks.Many people all over Turkey .No a general discontent in Rize probably never was, except for rallies and demonstrations in Istanbul.

What is the future of the Armenians in Turkey.

I think the Armenian factor will always be present in Turkey.There is a big footprint Armenians left in this earth.diferent case that such tensions are not allowed to open up to people and live the Armenian live.Many fear, and they can be opened .not everebody ready to change your life, worldview, and voluntarily put themselves and their families under risk.Every case individually, there is no integrated system that helps people both morally and physically.

What can I do to get closer.

I think the only mutual respect and understanding can bring together hemshil and other Armenians in Turkey with the Armenians.

Big psychological factor many believe religon.Many confident that Armenia will never reseve them for armenians becouse of their account of religion.

What’s more important to you religion or national identity.

For me, the first place is my blood, my roots.before Islam and Christianity, the Armenian people have existed, was a strong and united.No religion created our nation.

In this case, it is purely my opinion .for hemshil very large numbers and for very large numbers of Armenians, Islam and Christianity are an integral part of their consciousness.

In Rize learn Armenian?

There is no sistem.In Rize there are no teachers of Armenian, not people who can organize mass, there is no methodological material.

As the process of return of hemshil to her roots are in Turkey.

Nationalist part is fairly Aggressive .. Much effort has been spent by the authorities for several centuries for promoting and planting Turkish identichnosti mostly themselves hemshil authorities use to combat this with .Many ready to show loyalty to Turkish identichnsoti.

Thanks Ibrahim, we were glad to communicate with a bright person active youth in Istanbul.

Thank you.