Armenians in Turkey who opted to live as Muslims to avoid mistreatment are recovering their true identities in collective baptisms. The latest such baptism came in May when 12 Armenians from Dersim (Tunceli) recovered their identities.

The saga of Armenians who were compelled to live as Muslims goes back to 1915 massacres. Armenian children were adopted by Muslim families, women married Muslim men and some families converted to Islam to save their lives.

These Armenians, who for a century were forced to conceal their identities, are trying to return to their roots. This activity is more prevalent among Anatolian Armenians, particularly those from Dersim. It hasn’t caught on among Istanbul Armenians.

Miran Pirgic Gultekin is one of them. Gultekin explained to Al-Monitor how his family members saved themselves from the 1915 genocide by adopting Alevi identities. But not long after, they were caught up in the government’s 1937 Dersim massacres to put down the uprising of Dersim tribes. Some of his family members were killed; others were exiled. Those who returned after 10 years came back with Muslim names. Abraham had become Ibrahim. Since no records could be found, they were issued IDs with the new names they chose .