Armenians Living in Turkey Facing Pressure

The agency 'Eurasianet' has spoken with Armenians living in Turkey, who report that they are experiencing heightened nationalistic pressures like never before. The source indicates that Turkey's military-political support for Azerbaijan and the media's portrayal of the conflict are concerning for the country's more than 50,000 ethnic Armenians.

Representative of the Armenian community, Norair Olgar, told Eurasianet that life for members of the Armenian community in Istanbul has turned into an 'unpleasant experience' during the war. Turkish media coverage of Azerbaijan's gains seems surreal to Olgar, resembling a computer game where human casualties are overlooked. 'They describe how they strike and destroy objects, as if there are no people, but only objects moving in a game. They incite the conflict,' said Olgar.

'Eurasianet' also discusses an Armenian member of Turkey's parliament, who stated that Turkey has always supported Azerbaijan, but now its military support is equivalent to entering into war. 'This policy raises deep concerns in a country where both ethnic Azerbaijanis and Armenians live. The government is feeding a wave of nationalism, scaring the small number of Armenians who are still here. This is playing with fire. I have become a target for my Armenian identity, but also for calling for peace. To convince society that this war is necessary, they are trying to silence those who say it is not,' said Karo Paylan. He added that ignoring the conflict and remaining silent does not guarantee his safety, and that the Armenian collective memory serves as a reminder of this.

Another member of the Armenian community in Turkey, writer Murad Mıcın, has also received numerous threats since the resurgence of the conflict. He stated that he fears nationalist groups might instigate open violence against them if the war escalates.