DAA commemorates Sayfo Massacre martyrs
On the anniversary of the Sayfo Massacre, the Autonomous Administration of NE Syria honored the martyrs of this tragic event and called on "pro-democracy and justice forces to take necessary measures against oppressive entities like Turkey that undermine law, justice, and ethical values."
The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Sayfo Massacre, perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Assyrian-Syriac people. The statement reads:
“The defunct Ottoman Empire was founded on a project of exterminating and melting peoples as part of its policy to erase identity and belonging. This same approach has been continued by the Turkish state from the fall of the Ottoman Empire to the formation of the Turkish Republic and persists to this day.”
Among the massacres committed throughout history, which our Assyrian-Syriac people commemorate annually, is the Sayfo Massacre of 1915. There are also many other massacres in Tur Abdin, Lebanon, and Syria. Today, the same policy is being repeated in Afrin, our other occupied regions, and across Syria in general.
These policies of denial and exclusion, practiced by the modern Turkish state following the legacy of the defunct Ottoman Empire, will never succeed in achieving their goals of erasing the deep-rooted identity and heritage of the peoples in history and geography.
On the anniversary of the Sayfo Massacre, we remember all the martyrs of these genocides and strongly condemn all systematic exclusion and denial policies by forces aiming to eradicate peoples from their lands and eliminate their identity. We affirm that Turkey's actions today constitute a complete war crime and an actual policy of genocide for which it must be held accountable. We call on all pro-democracy and justice forces to take necessary measures to curtail such tyrannical entities like Turkey from their aggressive policies against our people and all peoples striving to build their dignity and democratic decision. It's essential that these massacres are recognized globally as genocides, warranting accountability and prosecution.
ANHA
