Commemoration of Armenian Genocide

The Armenian community in Tal Tamr, located in the Jazira Canton, marked the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917. The commemoration was organized by the Martyr Nubar Ozanyan Armenian Battalion at the Martyrs' Families Council Hall in the city.

During the event, banners were raised denouncing genocidal policies and affirming continued resistance. Among them were slogans like: "We will protect our revolution against occupation and genocide attacks," "With our struggle, we raise the banner of freedom," and "No to a new genocide against Armenians." Photos of Armenian martyrs who martyred during the massacres were also hung on the walls of the hall.

The ceremony, attended by dozens of locals, began with a moment of silence in honor of the martyrs. This was followed by speeches affirming that the current Turkish state represents the historical and political continuation of the Ottoman Empire, which carried out systematic genocide against Armenians, Assyrian-Chaldean Syriacs, Kurds, and all the peoples of the region under a policy of “one color and one culture.”

In his speech, Manuel Denier Gian, a commander in the Nubar Ozanyan Battalion, said: "Today, we gather to commemorate a painful memory in our Armenian people's history, during which they endured the worst kinds of killing, displacement, and ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Ottomans. The current Turkish occupying state is nothing but a continuation of those policies of genocide and denial."

He emphasized that Tal Tamr, which resisted attacks by ISIS mercenaries and Ankara-backed militants, stands as a living model of coexistence and resistance thanks to the unity and sacrifices of its diverse components.

For his part, Kevorkis, a leader in the Khabour Assyrian Guard Council, noted that April 24 of every year is a "historic and painful day for Armenians, Assyrian-Chaldean Syriacs, and all peoples of the region." It is a day to remember the massacres that targeted lives and sacred sites, including the destruction of churches and monasteries, and the replacement of Christian geographical names with Turkish ones.

Kevorkis, speaking on behalf of the Khabour Guard Forces, the families of Assyrian martyrs, and the Assyrian Democratic Party, called on the international community to fully recognize the Armenian Genocide and to hold the Turkish occupying state accountable for both its historical and ongoing crimes against the indigenous components of the region.

The ceremony concluded with the screening of a documentary film (“Sanfizyon”) depicting the events of the Armenian Genocide and the tragedies endured by Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

This event coincides with the annual commemoration on April 24 by Armenians worldwide of the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against Armenians and Assyrian-Chaldean Syriacs during World War I. It also comes at a time when there are renewed fears of similar genocidal models being repeated against other communities, amid ongoing policies of denial and the absence of international justice regarding the crimes committed against various peoples. This strengthens the Armenian people's and other communities’ commitment to resistance and self-organization to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated.

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ANHA