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ARMENIAN COMMUNITY SLAMS TURKISH, LOCAL ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES IN KESSAB FAILURE
Cihan News Agency, Turkey
June 9 2014
ISTANBUL - 09.06.2014 18:27:39
Turkey's Armenian community has criticized Ankara's indifference
towards Armenians from Syria's Kessab region fleeing from the war-torn
country and seeking shelter in Turkey, also bringing attention to the
inadequacy of Turkish-Armenian associations, including the Armenian
Patriarchate, in helping Kessab Armenians settle in Turkey.
The Turkish-Armenian community came together on Saturday in a
conference to discuss the problems of Kessab Armenians, whose
predicament appeared in the Turkish media earlier in April when two
Armenian sisters from Kessab, Satenik (82) and Surpuhi (80) Titizyan,
arrived in Yayladagı after being escorted by Syrian rebels to the
Turkish-Syrian border. They were offered refuge in Vakıflı village,
the only Armenian village in Turkey.
Kessab is located on the Mediterranean coast of northern Syria,
close to the border with Turkey. Having been populated by Armenians
for centuries, Kessab is a town with a Christian population in a
country with a majority Islamic population. As the Syrian civil war
continues, some areas of the country have been taken over by extremist
and Islamist militants.
"The Titizyan sisters were not brought to Turkey, they were kidnapped,"
said Aris Nalcı, a Turkish-Armenian journalist from IMC TV during
an event held about the life of Kessab Armenians in Vakıflı village
on Saturday.
Before the Titizyan sisters came to Turkey, there were reportedly
30 people living in Kessab, mostly elderly individuals. On May 5,
19 more ethnic Armenians from Syria, most of them elderly and on
wheelchairs, joined the Titizyan sisters in Vakıflı. After most
moved on to Lebanon, there are now only six Kessab Armenians left in
Vakıflı. An old man who was also planning to leave for Lebanon died
of a heart attack in Vakıflı and was buried there.
"They were people in the depths of despair," said an old Armenian
resident from Vakıflı, sharing his experiences and impressions. He
welcomed the arrival of ethnic Armenians fleeing Syria to Turkey to
their village, which is within view of the Syrian-Turkish border in
Hatay province.
"It was a very emotional moment for me when I heard them murmuring
to each other that they were among Armenians after they noticed we
were all speaking Armenian," the old man said.
Ankara had said in April that Turkey's doors are "wide open" to the
largely Armenian residents of the Kessab region of Syria, which is
under the threat of clashes between Syrian rebel forces.
Turkey has been criticized by Armenians worldwide for providing
assistance to al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups who are killing
Armenians in Syria. Dismissing the criticisms, Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu has argued against what he called the "wrong image of
Turkey," adding that the country's doors are wide open for Armenians
living in Kessab.
He also said Turkey has made official statements about the case of
Kessab Armenians since the beginning of the clashes near Kessab and
has informed the acting Armenian patriarch and other minority leaders
in Turkey about the incidents.
"The tragedy of Kessab Armenians was covered in the Turkish media
with the headline that Turkey was embracing Armenians, although this
is not true," said Nalcı, adding that Armenia was also unable to
assist Kessab Armenians.
"Armenia could not accommodate the Syrian Armenians. 'Housing
Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ)-style buildings will be
given to you,' Armenia said, just as Turkey is doing. Although none
of the Syrian families would be able to stay in those conditions,
some decided to remain in Armenia. Even we [Turkish-Armenians] were
not able to offer assistance," Nalci said.
Another commentator, Alin Ozinian, who is a press secretary at the
Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council and a news editor
at the Yerevan-based CivilNet, challenged the Turkish government,
asking Ankara why there are no longer any Armenians in Kessab.
"Why was Kessab emptied? Why couldn't Turkey protect and preserve
Kessab?" were the main questions given in response to a question by
Today's Zaman asking what the main expectations of Turkish-Armenians
were during the attack of Kessab.
Echoing Nalci's comment, Harut Ozer, a representative from the
Platform for Thought, said in his comment however that it was not
only Ankara but also the heads of the Armenian community who are
also responsible for the problems experienced by ethnic Armenians,
including those from Kessab, in Turkey.
"Why are we blaming the Turkish government when Turkish-Armenians
did not do much to provide help? What solutions are we producing
among ourselves that we are instead extending our demands to the
state? What did our hospitals and foundations do?" Ozer asked, adding
that Turkish-Armenians needed to demonstrate real unity and community
spirit to embrace those Armenians from Syria "instead of turning to
the Armenian Patriarchate for every little piece of help."
Ozer claims the Armenian Patriarchate in Turkey follows the line of the
Turkish state instead of supporting its community. "We need to justify
our existence and stop the decline of our population. In order to do
so, the Turkish-Armenian authorities should change their mindset."
Lamiya Adilgızı (Cihan/Today's Zaman)
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Armenian-community-slams-Turkish-local-Armenian-authorities-in-Kessab-failure_5217-CHMTQ2NTIxNy8kbmV3c01hcFZhbHVlLntjYXRlZ29yeS5pZH0=
From: A. Papazian
Cihan News Agency, Turkey
June 9 2014
ISTANBUL - 09.06.2014 18:27:39
Turkey's Armenian community has criticized Ankara's indifference
towards Armenians from Syria's Kessab region fleeing from the war-torn
country and seeking shelter in Turkey, also bringing attention to the
inadequacy of Turkish-Armenian associations, including the Armenian
Patriarchate, in helping Kessab Armenians settle in Turkey.
The Turkish-Armenian community came together on Saturday in a
conference to discuss the problems of Kessab Armenians, whose
predicament appeared in the Turkish media earlier in April when two
Armenian sisters from Kessab, Satenik (82) and Surpuhi (80) Titizyan,
arrived in Yayladagı after being escorted by Syrian rebels to the
Turkish-Syrian border. They were offered refuge in Vakıflı village,
the only Armenian village in Turkey.
Kessab is located on the Mediterranean coast of northern Syria,
close to the border with Turkey. Having been populated by Armenians
for centuries, Kessab is a town with a Christian population in a
country with a majority Islamic population. As the Syrian civil war
continues, some areas of the country have been taken over by extremist
and Islamist militants.
"The Titizyan sisters were not brought to Turkey, they were kidnapped,"
said Aris Nalcı, a Turkish-Armenian journalist from IMC TV during
an event held about the life of Kessab Armenians in Vakıflı village
on Saturday.
Before the Titizyan sisters came to Turkey, there were reportedly
30 people living in Kessab, mostly elderly individuals. On May 5,
19 more ethnic Armenians from Syria, most of them elderly and on
wheelchairs, joined the Titizyan sisters in Vakıflı. After most
moved on to Lebanon, there are now only six Kessab Armenians left in
Vakıflı. An old man who was also planning to leave for Lebanon died
of a heart attack in Vakıflı and was buried there.
"They were people in the depths of despair," said an old Armenian
resident from Vakıflı, sharing his experiences and impressions. He
welcomed the arrival of ethnic Armenians fleeing Syria to Turkey to
their village, which is within view of the Syrian-Turkish border in
Hatay province.
"It was a very emotional moment for me when I heard them murmuring
to each other that they were among Armenians after they noticed we
were all speaking Armenian," the old man said.
Ankara had said in April that Turkey's doors are "wide open" to the
largely Armenian residents of the Kessab region of Syria, which is
under the threat of clashes between Syrian rebel forces.
Turkey has been criticized by Armenians worldwide for providing
assistance to al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups who are killing
Armenians in Syria. Dismissing the criticisms, Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu has argued against what he called the "wrong image of
Turkey," adding that the country's doors are wide open for Armenians
living in Kessab.
He also said Turkey has made official statements about the case of
Kessab Armenians since the beginning of the clashes near Kessab and
has informed the acting Armenian patriarch and other minority leaders
in Turkey about the incidents.
"The tragedy of Kessab Armenians was covered in the Turkish media
with the headline that Turkey was embracing Armenians, although this
is not true," said Nalcı, adding that Armenia was also unable to
assist Kessab Armenians.
"Armenia could not accommodate the Syrian Armenians. 'Housing
Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ)-style buildings will be
given to you,' Armenia said, just as Turkey is doing. Although none
of the Syrian families would be able to stay in those conditions,
some decided to remain in Armenia. Even we [Turkish-Armenians] were
not able to offer assistance," Nalci said.
Another commentator, Alin Ozinian, who is a press secretary at the
Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council and a news editor
at the Yerevan-based CivilNet, challenged the Turkish government,
asking Ankara why there are no longer any Armenians in Kessab.
"Why was Kessab emptied? Why couldn't Turkey protect and preserve
Kessab?" were the main questions given in response to a question by
Today's Zaman asking what the main expectations of Turkish-Armenians
were during the attack of Kessab.
Echoing Nalci's comment, Harut Ozer, a representative from the
Platform for Thought, said in his comment however that it was not
only Ankara but also the heads of the Armenian community who are
also responsible for the problems experienced by ethnic Armenians,
including those from Kessab, in Turkey.
"Why are we blaming the Turkish government when Turkish-Armenians
did not do much to provide help? What solutions are we producing
among ourselves that we are instead extending our demands to the
state? What did our hospitals and foundations do?" Ozer asked, adding
that Turkish-Armenians needed to demonstrate real unity and community
spirit to embrace those Armenians from Syria "instead of turning to
the Armenian Patriarchate for every little piece of help."
Ozer claims the Armenian Patriarchate in Turkey follows the line of the
Turkish state instead of supporting its community. "We need to justify
our existence and stop the decline of our population. In order to do
so, the Turkish-Armenian authorities should change their mindset."
Lamiya Adilgızı (Cihan/Today's Zaman)
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Armenian-community-slams-Turkish-local-Armenian-authorities-in-Kessab-failure_5217-CHMTQ2NTIxNy8kbmV3c01hcFZhbHVlLntjYXRlZ29yeS5pZH0=
From: A. Papazian