YEREVAN. – Armenians should establish ties with the Turks and Kurds living in Turkey, and inform them about who Armenians really are.  

Canadian-Armenian businessman Vazken Kaljian stated the above-said during a press conference on Thursday.   

“I have always wanted to learn about our historic homeland, and that interest increases every time when I am in Western Armenia [i.e., today’s eastern Turkey],” Kaljian noted.

Speaking about the hidden Armenians in Turkey, he stated that, not knowing his national belonging at first, they did not trust him. But then they gradually came and started to remember and speak about their Armenian forebears.

As per Kaljian, the Armenians in Turkey should not be blamed for being born and living in a Muslim environment.

“We likewise did not have faith 3,000 years ago, but we were Armenian. One cannot say that if a person is a Muslim, he is not Armenian, since religion is a choice each person,” Kaljian argued.    

He also stressed that the objective of his activities is to find those Armenians that wish to learn about Armenian culture and ideology.    

As per Kaljian, more than four million Armenians live in the western regions of Turkey, and they were able to maintain their existence on the account of denying their faith.

“The Turks and Kurds living in Turkey do not know much about Armenians. I always tell them that the Armenians are good people, that we are peace-loving people,” the Canadian-Armenian noted.  

Vazken Kaljian also assured that the Turks and Kurds are very respectful toward the Armenians living in Turkey.