The Nagorno-Karabakh war has caused the Armenian minority in Turkey to fear an escalation of harassment by harsh Turkish nationalists. Turkey has unconditionally sided with Azerbaijan in the war, and in the already pressured Armenian minority, many are now fearing for their security.
Cars with the flag of Azerbaijan honk, passengers throw themselves out of car windows and pay tribute to the Azeri side of the war and shout nidrams about Armenia and Armenians. This outside the residence of the Armenian patriarch in Istanbul.
In the war that erupted violently, the Azeri side is closely followed in the Turkish media.
The Armenian journalist and publisher Rober Koptaş believes that the repression of Armenians in Turkey even before the war was great but that it is now in danger of worsening.
– It escalates the fear. Turkey is on Azerbaijan’s side with the slogan “one people, two countries”. I can understand their position, but they do not think that the Armenian minority in Turkey has more in common with the country than Azerbaijan has, says Koptaş.
Propaganda in Turkey for the war is extensive, he says and the tone changed in one fell swoop last weekend when the fighting broke out.
– The rhetoric changed. It has become hard and warlike, says Koptas adds:
– It feels like it is Turkey that is at war. Turkey is not a third country but is, according to rhetoric, at war with Armenia. That is why the climate has hardened and people are gathering and driving their cars in convoys in support of Azerbaijan, especially in areas where many Armenians live.
He says it exists a historical oppression of minorities in the country, especially non-Muslims. The whipped up mood and rhetoric make him fear for his own safety.
– I’m not safe and secure, not even in my own home. It is one of the worst things you can experience, not feeling safe in your home. That’s how I feel now, says Rober Koptaş.
Source: ICELAND NEWS