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TURKEY DENIES ACCUSATIONS OF PROMOTING ETHNIC CLEANSING OF ARMENIANS IN NORTHERN SYRIA
The Irish Times
April 25, 2014 Friday
3,500 people, mainly Armenian Christians, flee north Syrian town
after rebel attack
by Michael Jansen
Direct Turkish military involvement in the invasion by fundamentalist
insurgents of the Armenian village of Kessab in the far north of
Syria has set off alarm bells in Armenian communities in the region
and has prompted charges that Turkey is promoting ethnic cleansing
of Armenians.
Some 3,500 people - mainly Armenian Christians - fled Kessab late
last month after it came under attack from rebel forces.
Turkish media leaks of taped conversations among senior officials,
including foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu, revealed that an act of
provocation which could be a pretext for overt Turkish intervention
in Syria, was being considered, although it is not clear that Kessab
was meant to be involved.
Turkish analysts contend the government wanted a "victory" ahead of
last month's local elections.
On March 26th, the Turkish foreign ministry said claims of Turkish
support for the jihadi offensive were "entirely baseless". Days later,
Turkey's foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu denied charges that Turkey
had facilitated and provided covering fire for the attack by Jabhat
al- Nusra and other jihadi groups on Kessab. He said Turkey's doors
were open to receive Armenians who fled Kessab.
The Armenian primate of Lebanon, Bishop Shahe Panossian - who is from
Kessab and whose brother was among those who fled the town - told The
Irish Times that Turkey had violated a 1952 agreement reached between
Ankara and Damascus to demilitarise the tiny enclave where Kessab is
located by introducing into the area insurgents from al-Qaeda-linked
Jabhat al-Nusra and other extremist groups.
Sought sanctuarySome 60 extended families fled the village but,
contrary to some reports, no one was killed or wounded, Bishop
Panossian said. Some of those who left were from Aleppo and had sought
sanctuary from the conflict in Kessab.
Kessab is the latest problem Armenians had faced since the conflict
began, the bishop said. The Armenian church and school in the old
city of Damascus are frequently targeted by insurgent mortar fire
from the eastern Ghoutta area adjacent to the capital. Last week two
children were killed and 36 wounded at the school in the Bab Touma
(St Thomas's Gate) neighbourhood.
Zarmik, who fled Kessab with his family, said that before the attack,
the Turkish army, which controls three-quarters of the border of the
enclave, had repeatedly prevented infiltration by insurgents seeking
access from Turkish territory.
The Armenians felt confident Turkey would continue to prevent
incursions and relations between villagers on both sides of the
frontier were cordial. "We shared cigarettes and talked, " he said. He
speaks Turkish as well as Armenian, Arabic and English.
On the afternoon of March 20th, Turkish frontier guards began to
leave their posts.
"We observed these movements and understood that things were not
normal and called the Syrian authorities, who said wait to see what
will happen," said Zarmik. Between 3.30am and 4am, the Syrians sent
a group to investigate and a gunfight ensued.
Bombardment began from the Turkish side and insurgents invaded at
5.30am. Afraid they would be killed or taken hostage, the Armenians
fled, some in their pyjamas.
"We did not close our doors or bring my pick-up," Zarmik said. He
squeezed his wife, three children, mother, mother-in-law and aunt
into his car and drove to the edge of the enclave where the people
of Kessab waited, hoping to go home.
The bombing was heavy and they drove on side roads to the Syrian port
city of Latakia, which was also targeted, and where, Zarmik said,
they were hosted by the church for two or three days.
The Armenians of Latakia were already impoverished from providing
shelter for people from Aleppo and elsewhere. This forced many from
Kessab to flee to Lebanon. Zarmik and six family members are now
living in one room at the home of a relative. His mother has gone to
Damascus for an operation.
Trained as an electrical engineer, Zarmik was taking a course in
computer science in California when the conflict erupted. He had
a restaurant and small shop as well as produce from his land -
"our apples are famous all over Syria".
Difficult situationThe situation was difficult in Kessab before
the ousting of the Armenians as the village depended on tourism
and agriculture. Due to the conflict, "we had no tourists for three
years", he said. "Kessab's pine and oak forests are all ashes. We were
blockaded and had no rice, sugar or tea. We depended on our fields."
Kessab "has a long history with Turkey", Zarmik added. Its inhabitants
were driven out in 1909 and 1915 by the Ottomans. When France and
Britain were dividing up the spoils of the empire after the first
World War, Kessab was initially awarded to Turkey along with the Syrian
province of Iskandarun (Hatay) and the city of Antioch (Antakia).
"Kessab spent nine months under the Turks around 1928-30 but we paid
France to change the border so we would be in Syria. The Turks want
to take it back," he said, tears in his eyes. "Kessab is my village,
my place, our roots."
The Irish Times
April 25, 2014 Friday
3,500 people, mainly Armenian Christians, flee north Syrian town
after rebel attack
by Michael Jansen
Direct Turkish military involvement in the invasion by fundamentalist
insurgents of the Armenian village of Kessab in the far north of
Syria has set off alarm bells in Armenian communities in the region
and has prompted charges that Turkey is promoting ethnic cleansing
of Armenians.
Some 3,500 people - mainly Armenian Christians - fled Kessab late
last month after it came under attack from rebel forces.
Turkish media leaks of taped conversations among senior officials,
including foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu, revealed that an act of
provocation which could be a pretext for overt Turkish intervention
in Syria, was being considered, although it is not clear that Kessab
was meant to be involved.
Turkish analysts contend the government wanted a "victory" ahead of
last month's local elections.
On March 26th, the Turkish foreign ministry said claims of Turkish
support for the jihadi offensive were "entirely baseless". Days later,
Turkey's foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu denied charges that Turkey
had facilitated and provided covering fire for the attack by Jabhat
al- Nusra and other jihadi groups on Kessab. He said Turkey's doors
were open to receive Armenians who fled Kessab.
The Armenian primate of Lebanon, Bishop Shahe Panossian - who is from
Kessab and whose brother was among those who fled the town - told The
Irish Times that Turkey had violated a 1952 agreement reached between
Ankara and Damascus to demilitarise the tiny enclave where Kessab is
located by introducing into the area insurgents from al-Qaeda-linked
Jabhat al-Nusra and other extremist groups.
Sought sanctuarySome 60 extended families fled the village but,
contrary to some reports, no one was killed or wounded, Bishop
Panossian said. Some of those who left were from Aleppo and had sought
sanctuary from the conflict in Kessab.
Kessab is the latest problem Armenians had faced since the conflict
began, the bishop said. The Armenian church and school in the old
city of Damascus are frequently targeted by insurgent mortar fire
from the eastern Ghoutta area adjacent to the capital. Last week two
children were killed and 36 wounded at the school in the Bab Touma
(St Thomas's Gate) neighbourhood.
Zarmik, who fled Kessab with his family, said that before the attack,
the Turkish army, which controls three-quarters of the border of the
enclave, had repeatedly prevented infiltration by insurgents seeking
access from Turkish territory.
The Armenians felt confident Turkey would continue to prevent
incursions and relations between villagers on both sides of the
frontier were cordial. "We shared cigarettes and talked, " he said. He
speaks Turkish as well as Armenian, Arabic and English.
On the afternoon of March 20th, Turkish frontier guards began to
leave their posts.
"We observed these movements and understood that things were not
normal and called the Syrian authorities, who said wait to see what
will happen," said Zarmik. Between 3.30am and 4am, the Syrians sent
a group to investigate and a gunfight ensued.
Bombardment began from the Turkish side and insurgents invaded at
5.30am. Afraid they would be killed or taken hostage, the Armenians
fled, some in their pyjamas.
"We did not close our doors or bring my pick-up," Zarmik said. He
squeezed his wife, three children, mother, mother-in-law and aunt
into his car and drove to the edge of the enclave where the people
of Kessab waited, hoping to go home.
The bombing was heavy and they drove on side roads to the Syrian port
city of Latakia, which was also targeted, and where, Zarmik said,
they were hosted by the church for two or three days.
The Armenians of Latakia were already impoverished from providing
shelter for people from Aleppo and elsewhere. This forced many from
Kessab to flee to Lebanon. Zarmik and six family members are now
living in one room at the home of a relative. His mother has gone to
Damascus for an operation.
Trained as an electrical engineer, Zarmik was taking a course in
computer science in California when the conflict erupted. He had
a restaurant and small shop as well as produce from his land -
"our apples are famous all over Syria".
Difficult situationThe situation was difficult in Kessab before
the ousting of the Armenians as the village depended on tourism
and agriculture. Due to the conflict, "we had no tourists for three
years", he said. "Kessab's pine and oak forests are all ashes. We were
blockaded and had no rice, sugar or tea. We depended on our fields."
Kessab "has a long history with Turkey", Zarmik added. Its inhabitants
were driven out in 1909 and 1915 by the Ottomans. When France and
Britain were dividing up the spoils of the empire after the first
World War, Kessab was initially awarded to Turkey along with the Syrian
province of Iskandarun (Hatay) and the city of Antioch (Antakia).
"Kessab spent nine months under the Turks around 1928-30 but we paid
France to change the border so we would be in Syria. The Turks want
to take it back," he said, tears in his eyes. "Kessab is my village,
my place, our roots."