YEREVAN. – Another Turkish group visited Armenia in the framework of USAID ‘Convergence between Armenian and Turkey’ program. Seihmus Diken, the advisor of the Diyarbakir mayor, gave an interview to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Mr. Diken, the Mayor of Diyarbakir Osman Baydemir, often makes friendly remarks about the Armenians and their history. Why do the Kurds remember those events?

Because Armenians are one of the nations, living in the region along with the Kurds. For centuries the bell and azan rang together in Diyarbakir. Like we – the Kurds and Muslims – have our rights, so do the Armenians, because we have lived together, our voices and breaths were mixed. We shared everything on the streets. The mayor, elected by the people, knows this truth. That is why he treats the Armenians in such way. And the Armenians, who had come to Diyarbakir, saw that treatment for themselves.

Who are those words addressed to, given that there are almost no Armenians left in Diyarbakir?

Those addresses are not only for the scarce Armenian families living in Diyarbakir but also for the Armenians throughout the world, in America, Canada and Armenia. If an Armenian is living somewhere we treat him like a compatriot.

How do the Diyarbakir Kurds stand towards the songs of Aram Tigran?

If you want to know how the Kurds stand towards his songs, I will tell you that during a festival in Diyarbakir a year before the singer’s death fife hundred thousand people came to listen to him. The Kurdish nation will never forget two Armenians – one is Aram Tigran, the other is Karapet Khacho, who was living in Yerevan and died a few years ago. Those two people have done a lot for the Kurdish Music. Why did they dedicate their lives to it? Because their fathers told them before they died ‘you know the Kurds saved us from the Genocide. Express our gratitude through music until the end of your live’.