ishtartv.com - bianet.org
05
March 2019, Tuesday
With
the initiative of the European Syriac Union (ESU), 46 Syriac civil society
organizations around the world have sent a letter to President of France
Emmanuel Macron, demanding him to declare April 24 as a day for the
commemoration of the Syriac genocide, along with the Armenian Genocide.
Federation
of the Syriac Associations (SÜDEF) from Turkey has also signed the joint
letter.
Macron
declared April 24 as the "day for the commemoration of the Armenian
genocide" on February 23.
Speaking
to bianet on the issue, SÜDEF Chair Evgil Türker said, "Armenians and
Syriacs were subjected to genocide together."
"Today,
the population of the Syriac society in Turkey decreased to 20 or 25 thousand.
The reason for that is clear: The 1915 genocide and the migration policies.
"As
you know, April 24 has been declared as a day for the commemoration of the
Armenian Genocide in France. This has been done only for Armenians. The
European Syriac Union has launched a petition for the Syriac genocide to be
commemorated on this day as well.
"We,
as the Federation of the Syriac Associations from Turkey, have signed the
letter too."
100-hour
hunger strike on the 100th anniversary
Regarding
the awareness of the Syriac genocide in Turkey and in the world, Türker said,
"In
Turkey, the Syriac Genocide, the Sayfo, was only talked between our
grandmothers, grandfathers, fathers. For a period, only the Armenian Genocide
was spoken about.
"After
the activities of the diaspora, it began to be talked as a topic in the 1990s.
Sabro newspaper began to be published. The HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) and
the elements within the HDP began to put it into their agendas.
"In
2015, we did a 100-hour hunger strike in Midyat, on the occasion of the 100th
anniversary of the Sayfo. This was influential for the genocide to be
heard."
"Not
all the immovable properties were returned"
When
asked about the works of the General Directorate of the Foundations regarding
the returning of the immovable properties to the Syriacs, Türker replied,
"The
General Directorate of the Foundations generally eliminated some injustices but
did not totally eliminated them.
"When
the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality was handed over to a trustee (in 2016, by
the Ministry of Interior), many monasteries and cemeteries were handed over to
the Directorate of Religious Affairs. After backlash, they returned them. But
54 pieces are returned, 56 still aren't. The injustice continues."
"No
gains for Syriacs without democracy"
"There
is a democracy problem in Turkey. As long as this has not been overcome, there
are no gains for us or the other parts of the society.
"Our
priorities are the democracy of Turkey, human rights, freedom of thought, as
all other peoples. If these are not present, then there are no gained rights
for the Syriacs. If the rights, law, democracy, freedom of thought is
established, all the societies in Turkey will take a relief."
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