An Ancestor of Turkish Descent: A New Story of a Crypto-Armenian

Ali Yalchinkayan, a Turkish citizen, married an Armenian woman named Izabella yesterday at the ancient Armenian church in Rostov-on-Don. This was reported by Vadim Harutyunov, an orientalist, journalist, traveler, and founder of the 'Antitopor Info' platform on his Facebook page.

“Today, we have a joyous event. Saniks – Ali Yalchinkayan, married an Armenian woman. Just a few moments ago, the wedding ceremony of Ali and Izabella took place at the ancient Holy Cross Church in Rostov-on-Don. In the evening, we will gather to celebrate the wedding,” Harutyunov announced.

He also recalled Ali's story, noting that his grandmother is an Armenian woman who survived the Genocide of 1915. “A few years ago, a young man from Turkey contacted me. He said that his ancestors were Armenians who had been Turkified. His grandmother, Anik, is still alive and has hidden her origin for many years. But she did not conceal her past from her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Anik dreamed that her grandchildren would become Armenian again. She mentioned that there are still many crypto-Armenians in Turkey,” wrote the journalist.

Harutyunov shared that he had baptized Ali in an Armenian church: “I invited Ali to come to me, and he came. He enrolled in a university in Russia and soon we baptized him in the Armenian Apostolic Church, where he received the name Gaspar.”

A couple of years later, Ali, now Gaspar, married an Armenian woman, following his grandmother's wishes. “She couldn't come, she is already old. But on August 10, the wedding will continue in Turkey, at Ali-Gaspar's house. And Ali and Izabella are planning to spend their honeymoon in Armenia,” Harutyunov wrote.

He added, “Next up are Altan and Aylan. They are siblings, and their ancestors were also Armenian. This means that I will have more Turkish citizen grandchildren. And that is good. Atatürk once said to the Turks when giving them surnames, 'Ne mutlu türküm diyene' ('What joy to be a Turk'). And I would say differently: 'Ne mutlu ermeniyim diyene' ('What joy to be an Armenian').

Crypto-Armenians are descendants of Western Armenians living in modern Turkey who, for various reasons, hide their origins.