40,498 signers. Let's reach 50,000. Why this is important? Turkey is once again targeting Armenians by initiating
their death and dislocation in Kessab. On 24th of April in 1915, the first
phase of the Armenian massacres began with the arrest and murder of nearly one
hundred of intellectuals of Armenian origin. Subsequently, Armenians worldwide
commemorate the April 24th as a day that memorializes all the victims of the
Armenian Genocide. There were approximately two million Armenians living in the
Ottoman Empire on the eve of 21st century. More than one and a half million
Armenians perished between 1915 and 1923.
Another half million found shelter
abroad. The Armenians of Kessab suffered greatly from the Armenian Genocide
passing through forced deportations and exile. After surviving the Genocide, in
1918 most of the Armenian population of Kessab returned to their homes to
rebuild and develop their once flourishing homeland. Along this Kessab
continues to remain one of the main Armenian communities in Syria. Yet the same
story, the same hostility from Turkish to Armenians, from Muslim to Christians
lives on, even if in different contexts and circumstances. PLEASE, PREVENT NEW
GENOCIDE!!!!!
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/United_Nations_SecretaryGeneral_Ban_Kimoon_Prevent_Armenian_Genocide_in_Kessab_Syria/?awhfOgb
Fall of Kassab will be costly for Turkey
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has informed the United
Nations that a camp for 2,000 persons is ready at Mardin for Syrian-Armenians
who may wish to take refuge in Turkey.
Summary⎙ Print Allegations have emerged
that Turkey played a role in assisting opposition groups that took control of
the Armenian-Syrian town of Kassab this month.
Author Fehim TastekinPosted March 31, 2014
Translator(s)Timur Goksel
Original Article ORİJİNAL YAZIYI TÜRKÇE OKUYABİLİRSİNİZ
I was delighted. Then a Christian friend called and
asked: “April 24 is approaching and it is the Armenians again, just as 1915
will be observed.” I was angry because I couldn’t make the connection. Then
came a statement by our Foreign Ministry: “All claims that Turkey supported
opposition forces involved in the Kassab clashes by allowing them to use
Turkish territory or in any other manner are entirely baseless.”
Mehmet Ali Edipoglu, a member of the parliamentary
Foreign Affairs Committee was in Hatay for a while to find out what was
happening. He sent me an email: “We went to the villages of Gozlekciler and
Candir as well as the Teknecik outpost. We were stopped by soldiers. We were
upset by their warnings that our lives could be in danger. But in the areas
they didn’t let us enter and even in the areas used by the soldiers,
Syrian-plated cars were roaming about. According to information from villagers,
thousands of fighters coming from Turkey crossed the border at at least five
different points to launch the attack on Kassab. We ourselves observed dozens
of Syrian- plated cars nonstop transporting terrorists and firing into the
Syrian outpost from the military road between Gozlekciler village and our
military base at Kayapinar.”
Among the allegations we heard was one that two tanks and
about 30 semis had crossed the border, in addition to pickup trucks mounted
with DShK heavy machine guns. According to a hard-to-believe report by a
reporter for Al-Alam news channel, “The Turkish army shelled the Syrian
military base near Kassab. … At Kassab, Jabhat al-Nusra hoisted its own flags
on Turkish tanks.” The prevailing conviction is that the Turkish military shot
down the Syrian jet to impede Syrian air operations against armed groups that
captured Kassab.
Just as we were focusing on Kassab, the tape recording of
the meeting between Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Undersecretary of Foreign
Affairs Feridun Sinirlioglu, Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Guler and
chief of National Intelligence (MIT) Hakan Fidan surfaced. If the recording was
authentic, they were talking about measures to be taken for the Tomb of
Suleiman Shah threatened by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), Syria
scenarios, weapons and ammunition problems of groups fighting in Syria,
ammunition sent to the area earlier and results achieved. Their discussions
showed how deep Turkey has sunk in Syria. They were scary, beyond logic. How
then can I be surprised by the claims about Kassab?
At a time when opposition groups defeated at the Qalamoun
battles were withdrawing to the north and foreign fighters were beginning to go
back to their countries, their success in Kassab was a gain that reinvigorated
Jabhat al-Nusra and its ally, the Islamic Front. At least, they were able to
stand on the shores of the Mediterranean they dreamed of and posed for photos.
For three years, they couldn’t cut through the Mediterranean front Latakia to
Tartous, because it couldn’t be done without the logistical and military
support of Turkey. The daily As-Safir, published in Beirut, wrote about the
role of foreign intelligence services in the Kassab offensive: "Especially
Turkish intelligence played a key role in preparations and planning of the
attack, and supported its implementation.” Ibrahim Idlibi, the leader of the
Lighting Brigade that took part in the offensive, proudly explained how they
got anti-aircraft weapons and rockets from Turkey.
We don’t know how true these reports are. But when the
critical actor is Turkey and the target is an Armenian town, then Kassab
affairs assume different proportions. Although opposition militants said they
protected the church in Kassab, Egyptian Abu Kathede in his Facebook message
sent out a photograph of the church saying, "We took down the crosses. Our
brothers will turn the church to a mosque.” Of course, the entire Armenian
diaspora is talking about this.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) said
Armenians had been once again forced to flee and asked Congress and the White
House to put pressure on Turkey. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said Turkish
soldiers in 1909 and 1915 had tried to deport Armenians from Kassab and history
was repeating itself.
Kassab is one rare location where Armenians live as a
community. Like the Vakif village of Hatay, it is a symbol. They don’t find
Turkey’s welcoming them to be convincing. To be honest, Turkey doesn’t want the
Armenians to come and the Armenians don’t trust Turkey. We are at a critical
juncture. The country that will pay the bill for a possible disaster in Kassab
is known. As April 24 approaches, Turkey will be confronted with this issue at
every possible opportunity.
These miscalculated, ill-judged moves in the end may
bring Turkey to The Hague. With tape recordings or without, someone must answer
the question posed by Armenian journalist Rober Koptas: "What changed?
Until yesterday, it was Turkey blocking any attack against Kassab. But now, to
say the least, it has turned a blind eye to Islamist groups.”
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2014/03/fall-kassab-syria-costly-turkey.html?utm_source=Al-Monitor+Newsletter+%5BEnglish%5D&utm_campaign=13fffbe8a2-January_9_20141_8_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_28264b27a0-13fffbe8a2-93102825#ixzz2xhbIGtxp
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