Zeynep Tozduman
Yerevan.
It has been about 100 years since the town of Kessab, neighboring Latakia, is
populated with the Armenians. There are Greeks, Assyrians, and Alawites living
side by side with the Armenian population. But the year of 1915 has not ended
for the people, who faced with Genocide. 1915 continues. Turkish activist,
author, and human rights advocate Zeynep Tozduman stated this in a conversation
with “Armenpress”.
Among
other things Zeynep Tozduman underscored: “The Islamist groups, which have been
nourished by the culture of destroying, burning, and destructing, opened fire
to gain control over the territory. This attack also targeted the destruction
of all the values created by the Armenian people. It’s so sad that any war in
the Near East and Mesopotamia harms the Armenians.”
In
addition, Zeynep Tozduman emphasized: “About 6 thousand Syrian women have been
subjected to violence during the war in Syria. There are Armenians and Alawites
among them. We have information that women are forced to engage in prostitution
to save their lives on the migration road through Turkey. As a woman, I
announce that the practice of subjecting women to violence during the wartime
must be stopped!”
Previously
it was reported that the armed incursion began on Friday, March 21, with rebels
associated with Al-Qaeda’s al-Nusra Front, Sham al-Islam and Ansar al-Sham
crossing the Turkish border and attacking the Armenian civilian population of
Kessab. The attackers immediately seized two guard posts overlooking Kessab,
including a strategic hill known as Observatory 45 and later took over the
border crossing point with Turkey. Snipers targeted the civilian population and
launched mortar attacks on the town and the surrounding villages.
According
to eyewitness accounts, the attackers crossed the Turkish border with Syria
openly passing through Turkish military barracks. According to Turkish media
reports, the attackers carried their injured back to Turkey for treatment in
the town of Yayladagi.
Some
670 Armenian families, the majority of the population of Kessab, were evacuated
by the local Armenian community leadership to safer areas in neighboring Basit
and Latakia. Ten to fifteen families with relations too elderly to move were
either unable to leave or chose to stay in their homes.
On
Saturday, March 22, Syrian troops launched a counteroffensive in an attempt to
regain the border crossing point, eye-witnesses and state media reported.
However, on Sunday, March 23, the extremist groups once again entered the town
of Kessab, took the remaining Armenian families hostage, desecrated the town’s
three Armenian churches, pillaging local residences and occupying the town and
surrounding villages.
Located
in the northwestern corner of Syria, near the border with Turkey, Kessab had,
until very recently, evaded major battles in the Syrian conflict. The local
Armenian population had increased in recent years with the city serving as
safe-haven for those fleeing from the war-torn cities of Yacubiye, Rakka and
Aleppo.
Article
by Araks Kasyan
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/755751/cexaspanutyun-tesats-zhoxovurdneri-hamar-1915-tvakany-der.html
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