The Armenian Genocide initiated in the Ottoman Empire during the World War I in the beginning of the previous century is one of the biggest crimes against humanity. Advancing the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide the new project introduced by "Armenpress" news agency is dedicated to the story of the eyewitnesses and survivors of the calamity to prove the world one more time that our demand for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is fair and justified. This time the project is dedicated to the story of 100-year old Arevaluys Amalyan from Arabkir. In her memories the Armenian Genocide and loss of her mother are directly linked with each other.  

YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. 100-year old Arevaluys Amalyan is not fond of recalling 1915 and her birthplace Arabkir. The eyewitness has her reasons not to respond questions regarding the Armenian Genocide and the Turks. "The Turks murdered Arevaluys's father in 1915 and took her mother with them on one condition – that thus they would spare her family. She survived along with her brothers, grandfather, aunts and uncles, but her mother, who was a very beautiful woman, had to marry a Turk," Arevaluys Amalyan's daughter in law – Varduhi Grigoryan stated.

The kidnapping of the Mother enabled the family a chance to stay in Arabkir until 1926. After they moved to Batumi and then reached Yerevan on train. Here they received arable land and settled in Armenia permanently. Few years later Arevaluys married a blacksmith called Sargis, who was also from Arabkir. Sargis was 6 years old during the Genocide. Arevaluys's elder son Levik Amalyan told us: "My father also was a person remarkable for longevity. He passed away at the age of 99. He used to tell us about the atrocities of the Turks. He told us how the Turks lined up 300 Armenian on the bank of the Euphrates River and in order to save bullets killed them by hitting them with canes, thus throwing them into the water."

Years passed, and Arevaluys's mother – Vergine, who was but 25 years old, when the Turks kidnapped her, managed to find her sons, who were in Syria in 1980s, notwithstanding Arevaluys refused to see her mother…

Among other things Varduhi stated: "Vergine said that she did not want to remain a Turk for life, she mentioned that she wanted to die as an Armenian. Vergine met her sons in Aleppo, but Arevaluys had no wish to see her mother, as she did not forgive her marriage with a Turk even at the expanse of their lives."

In addition she said that even the media referred to the fatal meeting of the mother with her sons. The 117-year old woman, who was forced to marry a Turk and give birth to four children, managed to preserve her Armenian identity to some extent.

Today Arevaluys Amalyan is surrounded with four children. She has two sons and two daughters. Her elder daughter is 82-years old. The 100-old woman from Arabkir has 67 grandsons, great grandsons, and great great grandsons. (THE FULL VERSION OF THE ARTICLE IS AVAILABLE IN ARMENIAN)

Article by Tatevik Grigoryan

Photos by Samvel Berkibekyan