105 years genocide against the Syriac people

On the 105 commemoration of Sayfo 1915 genocide against Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian-Aramean people, European Syriac Union, ESU would like to draw your attention to the atrocities and traumas experienced by our people and try to find solution and recognition.

Syriac-Assyrian-Chaldean-Aramean people are ancient and native people of Mesopotamia and during the history they contributed to the civilisation immensely. However, in 1915 Ottoman-Turkish rule of Committee of Union and Progress with their allies carried out an organised genocide against our people, Armenians and Greek Pontics. During the genocide of 1915 more than two and half million of innocent people have been killed, hundreds of thousand forced to the deportation, death marches and forced to convert to Islam. Historical richness, properties, and assets have been seized. Moreover, Sayfo 1915 genocide trauma continue on our people. While several states around the world recognised 1915 genocide, there are still enormous work to realise and enlarge the spectrum of the genocide recognition to other countries. Because with the systematic annihilation and destruction of Christian entities in the 1915, Turkey continue its line of ethnic cleansing in the country and in the Middle East region. Successive a Turkish governments denied genocide of 1915 and tried to block justice with their economic efforts and malign attitudes.

Today in Turkey, Syriac, Armenian and Greek population does not exceed one hundred thousand of the total population. The reason for this is the 1915 genocide and subsequent ethnic cleansing policies. Our request from the leaders, governments and nations is the immediate recognition of the 1915 If the genocide of 1915 was accepted in early period, today, in Turkey and Middle East region democratic values, human rights, ethnic identities, religious, historical and cultural values would not be trampled. Journalists, human rights defenders, politicians, social opinion leaders, intellectuals, academics, women and children would not be in prisons if dictators' practices were prevented. Tens of thousands of people would not have been victim of unknown killings. Moreover, chauvinism, racism, fundamentalism, hate and anti-democratic practices would not be so widespread.

While we thank the governments and peoples of the states that accepted the 1915 genocide, we expect from the rest of countries to fulfil the requirements of democracy and universal law. The approach to the Syriac people in the Middle East is the measure of democratisation and democratic values, living together in peace, accepting the beliefs of the peoples, and building the modern free life. We want to get rid of the danger of extinction, oppression and all kinds of violence, just like every other people. We consider sincere steps should be taken by everyone in order to eliminate injustices done in history against our people and this will contribute positively our future. The humanistic
attitude toward our people on the 105th anniversary of the 1915 is the official recognition, acceptance of Sayfo and the prevention of the genocide mentality. We demand the leaders of the state and government to recognise the 15th June as Syriac people's Genocide Day. It is of great importance that our people act together against the policy of destruction on the 105th anniversary of Sayfo. On this basis, we call on our people to share their case to the world public, to have a symbol in all institutions in memory of Sayfo, to erect signs, monuments, to collect documents and to light candles in houses on June 15.

As ESU we call at first United Nations, European Union, Arab Union and other international platforms to recognise Sayfo and especially US and Russian Presidents and urgent action by European Union to prevent pressure and the policy of destruction on the Syriac people. Moreover, organisation of international justice conference by European Union to urge Turkey to recognise Sayfo 1915 and call on UN to determine a status for Syriac people to stop ethnic cleansing of Syriac people and Christians in the Middle East region.