DEM Party commemorates Armenian Genocide anniversary / BIANET

« We must face this history, we must confront this murderous mentality,” said DEM MP Kezban Konukçu.

Bianet English, April 24, 2024

The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party has held an event to mark the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in Şişli, İstanbul.

DEM members, including MPs, and civil society representatives gathered outside the entrance of the Pangaltı subway station to make statements for the press. The selection of this location carried symbolic significance, as it is near the Tatavla quarter, known today as Kurtuluş, where the mass arrest of Armenian intellectuals occurred on April 24, 1915, marking the onset of the genocide.

MP Kezban Konukçu addressed the crowd first, emphasizing the necessity of confronting the past to achieve peace and brotherhood on these lands. « We must face this history, we must confront this murderous mentality. The Armenian people were driven out in an attempt to homogenize these lands, leading to the massacre of thousands. Without confronting these singular ideologies and the dominant exploitative system, we cannot build peace and brotherhood here.”

Ani Kalk, who lost relatives during the genocide, spoke of the systematic destruction of a people 109 years ago. « On April 23, 1915, the decision was made by the Committee of Union and Progress government. The subsequent naming of the district as ‘Kurtuluş’ (Turkish for liberation) was far from coincidental. Immediately, the arrest of approximately 250 Armenian intellectuals, business people, journalists, artists, opinion leaders, and writers in Istanbul was ordered, » Kalk recounted.

“The arrests that began in Tatavla continued over the following days, with over 2,000 prominent Armenians from İstanbul being sent into exile within 24 hours. Simultaneously, a forced deportation policy was initiated across Anatolia, displacing the ancient Armenian people who had inhabited these lands for thousands of years.

Kalk also highlighted that the genocide was not limited to Armenians, affecting Assyrian communities such as Syriacs and Chaldeans, as well as Pontic Greeks and Rum people. Armenians were deported in convoys from İstanbul and various points in Anatolia to the deserts of Syria. Many perished or were killed along the way due to harsh natural conditions, attacks, hunger, thirst, and diseases.

In a written statement released separately, the DEM Party further expressed their remembrance: « As the ancient peoples of Anatolia and Mesopotamia, we once again share the pain and mourning of 109 years; we feel the Great Calamity, this human tragedy, in the depths of our hearts, and once again remember those who lost their lives during that process with sorrow and respect. »