"The Man from the Polis" - Interview with Robert HADDEDJIAN
The article, published in the journal Ashkhar.org, is devoted to an interview with Robert Haddejian, editor-in-chief of the Istanbul newspaper "Marmara," which reveals a picture of the life of the Armenian community of Polis (Istanbul) little known to Armenians of the former USSR — its history, institutions, problems, and prospects.
Introduction and Methodology
The material is structured as an extended conversation in which Haddejian consistently characterizes the unique status of Istanbul Armenians, who belong neither to the diaspora nor to the Armenians of the metropolis, since the community was formed not by resettlers but by native inhabitants of the city over the course of centuries.
Key Premise
The central thesis of the interview is the principle of dual loyalty: to be a conscientious citizen of the Turkish Republic while simultaneously preserving national identity. It is on this basis, according to the interviewee, that the community's self-governance has been built for decades through the Patriarchate and a network of elected national institutions.
Institutional Structure of the Community
Haddejian describes in detail:
• the Constantinople Patriarchate as the spiritual and administrative center, uniting religious and secular functions after the Turkish authorities liquidated the Central National Authority;
• a system of 15 Armenian and 3 Armenian Catholic schools, financed through annual charitable collections called "Altar of Love";
• 33 active churches, suffering from a shortage of clergy;
• the Surb Prkich Hospital — the largest national institution with a history of nearly 175 years, supported by donations from the community and the Gulbenkian Foundation;
• the Armenian press, represented by the newspapers "Marmara," "Jamanak," and "Agos."
Cultural Life and Notable Events
Special attention is given to the community's rich cultural agenda: tours by Armenian artistic ensembles (the Chekijian Choir, the State Song and Dance Ensemble, the ballet "Gayane"), figures of literature, music, and theater, as well as significant social and political events of recent years — the 90th anniversary of the events of 1915, discussions of the law on national minorities, the opening of a museum at the Surb Prkich Hospital, and the anniversary of Armenian writing.
Current Challenges
Haddejian highlights a number of pressing problems facing the community:
• the loss of the Armenian language among young people and a decline in the readership of the Armenian press;
• an increase in the number of mixed marriages;
• legal restrictions on the ownership and management of national institutions' real estate;
• a crisis in the training of clergy following the reorganization of the Dprevank seminary;
• the impossibility of obtaining a pedagogical education in the Armenian language at state universities.
Personal and Professional Biography
A significant part of the interview is devoted to Haddejian's own life story — a descendant of a family that suffered in 1915, a graduate of the Faculty of Philosophy of Istanbul University, who since 1967 has headed the newspaper "Marmara" and made a significant contribution to the development of Armenian journalism in Turkey.
Conclusion
The main conclusion of the interview is that the Armenians of Polis represent a distinctive historical and cultural phenomenon, preserved thanks to the tradition of self-organization and charity, but today faced with the threat of linguistic and demographic assimilation amid persisting legal restrictions imposed by the state.
An interview with Robert Haddeciyan, editor of the newspaper Marmara, reveals the structure and present-day struggles of Istanbul's Armenian community — a city where Armenians live not as migrants, but as native inhabitants.
Indigenous Armenians Under Foreign Rule