An Armenian from Turkey in Los Angeles…

Markar ESAYAN
Markar ESAYAN


Date posted: May 22, 2013

Markar Esayan

Last week I visited Los Angeles to attend the fourth Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival, held between May 16 and 19. I wanted to write about my impressions before the effects of jet lag took hold and while my memories were still fresh. I was enthusiastic as this was my first visit to Los Angeles. I wasn’t enthusiastic just because I was making my first visit to a place or because I would see all the major historic or religious landmarks of Anatolia within a 60,000-square-meter area in Orange County. I also have many relatives and friends living in this city and across the state, most of whom I hadn’t seen for years.

Perhaps it would be possible to catch up with some of them on everything during my tight schedule. When I accepted the invitation from the Pacifica Institute, I didn’t know that Deputy Patriarch Archbishop Aram Ateşyan and Bishop Maşalyan from Turkey were to be in attendance, and it was a nice surprise. Esteemed Ateşyan is a close relative and is my father’s namesake. I also have had a very long friendship with Bishop Maşalyan. I hadn’t seen them for a long time due to my busy schedule. In addition, I was happy as I would see many journalist friends of mine thanks to this opportunity.

As a result, there were many Armenians in attendance, and I contributed to the political and daily debates in my own way. I must note that the group was very cheerful during the trip. With Turkish, Armenian and Kurdish songs and jokes made by Mr. Cemal Uşşak in his unique Laz accent, we once again had a sense of living together and brotherly feelings, albeit while being far from home.

From the first moment of the trip to the last minute, everything went smoothly particularly with respect to the organization of the festival. I was very impressed to see the discipline and sincerity with which people worked to make this festival happen. When I arrived at the festival area, I was glad to witness that many Americans had come to see a giant replica of Turkey and taste 99 varieties of Anatolian cuisine.

The organizing committee had worked day and night to come up with a spectacular event. As I entered the festival area and went through the Hittite, Urartian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Turkish gates, I realized that visual elements play an important role in human memory. It was a really interesting experience for me to understand once again miles from home that we come from a very rich historic background and that this is a very precious asset.

The giant replicas of Ephesus Theater, Sümela Monastery, Mardin, Cappadocia, the House of the Virgin Mary, Zeugma, the Double Minarets Madrasa, Topkapı Palace and the Fountain of Ahmet III — located at the very center of the festival area and offering different drinks from its faucets — all took people through a time tunnel. What impressed me the most was Akhtamar Church. After years of neglect, this church had been renovated and reopened to visitors, and I had attended the opening ceremony in Van, feeling happy for the ongoing change in Turkey. We Armenians have a painful past. We were not only dispersed around the world as the diaspora, but those who remained in Turkey are also treated like foreigners in their home country. Those who have long carried their identity, religion, race and language as a dangerous burden can really appreciate the beginning of this change in the state’s mentality.

Now, we have the opportunity to exhibit our rich culture in the biggest state of the world’s mightiest country. I believe that we have a right to understand that it is an asset to live together, stand together, cherish our differences and enjoy this awareness. Not long ago, we would have to whisper to each other in Armenian and we would have concealed our true names. This festival was a good testimony of the big change in Turkey. Thank you to everyone who contributed to make this happen. I will pen my other observations later.

Source: Today’s Zaman May 22, 2013


Related News

Statement on Erdogan Government’s shameful action against Fethullah Gulen

Mr. Fethullah Gulen for his decades of selfless service in peacefully promoting democracy, education and dialogue, Erdogan government is using false charges to oppress and harass its own people.

Former US envoys to Ankara say Erdoğan doing great harm to democracy

“Whatever his achievements over the past decade, Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is destroying his country’s parlous democracy. That is a profound problem for Turks and Turkey’s Western allies. Staying silent, out of fear that speaking out would harm some short-term interests, risks Turkey’s longer-term stability.”

Michael Rubin: I realize I may have misread the Gülen movement

I have often been suspicious of the Gülen movement, although as I reflect, I realize I may have been misread the movement. While this post will be lengthy, the topic remains relevant and intellectually interesting to those interested in Islam and reform, and so I hope to address why I was suspicious, and why I have slowly been changing my mind.

It is not fair to tar 1.8 billion for actions of a few

We, the undersigned members of the Auburn Ministerial Association, wish to disassociate ourselves from the remarks made by the Rev. Rudy Tidwell about Islam and Muslims in the Sept. 20 edition of The Auburn-Opelika News for these reasons: Any religion that demands its members to pray five times a day and to fast for an […]

Turkish American ‘balance alignment’

Ali H. Aslan, Washington D.C. If, when I began working in Washington 16 years ago, someone had come up to me and said, “The day will come when nearly 50 senators and representatives from the US Congress will participate in a Turkish gathering,” I would have said he was dreaming. And if someone had also […]

U.S., Turkey at impasse over extraditing Muslim cleric living in Poconos

Turkey says the United States is legally bound by a treaty to immediately hand over Fethullah Gulen, the Poconos-based Muslim cleric it accuses of plotting to overthrow Turkey’s government.

Latest News

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Inmates claim torture in Turkish prison

Kimse Yok Mu to establish two schools in quake-stricken Haiti

Jailed journalist Ayşenur Parıldak given courage award by Norwegian rights group

Government drags military into politics

Turkish NGOs provide iftar meals at al-Aqsa

BBC report: Women with younger-than 6-months-old babies in jail in Turkey

ALDE’s Watson says illiberal state leads to unjust action against Gülen followers

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News