La Turchia continua nella Politica di aggressione contro gli armeni in Siria. FERMIAMOLA!

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Con il pretesto della guerra civile in Siria il governo turco (peraltro alle prese con gli scandali ed una crisi politica senza precedenti) prosegue, ora come cento anni fa, la politica di aggressione contro le locali comunità armene.

E’ notizia di questi giorni attacchi e bombardamenti turchi nei confronti della cittadina armena di Kessab (Siria nord orientale) che si trova prossima al confine con la Turchia stessa nella zona del Mussa Dagh, il massiccio reso celebre dal capolavoro letterario di Franz Werfel. Gruppi paramilitari turchi hanno attaccato la zona popolata quasi esclusivamente dai discendenti di quegli armeni che sfuggirono all’orrore del genocidio del 1915.

Un sacerdote armeno, parroco in Kessab, attraverso la sua pagina Facebook ha postato oggi la notizia che due giorni fa, alle 6 del mattino, la città è stata bombardata da parte di gruppi paramilitari turchi e la popolazione del paese (1500 anime) è fuggita verso Latakia (a circa 60 km da Kessab). Mentre scriviamo Kessab è nelle mani delle milizie turche.

A quasi un secolo di distanza i turchi non perdono il vizio di considerare gli armeni il loro nemico principale e non hanno alcuna remora ad attaccare i pacifici residenti di questi villaggi di confine.

Le comunità armene di tutto il mondo si stanno muovendo per denunciare questa ennesima aggressione che risulta essere oltretutto alquanto pericolosa alla luce della grave situazione siriana.

L’abbattimento dell’aereo siriano avvenuto oggi  può essere collegato a queste azioni turche di aggressione dal momento che, stando a fonti ufficiali, il velivolo dell’aviazione siriana si sarebbe spinto fino alla zona prossima al confine con la Turchia proprio per cercare di contrastare le attività paramilitari turche di infiltrazione nel territorio della Siria.

Il Consiglio per la comunità armena di Roma nell’esprimere la sua enorme preoccupazione per l’accaduto, vuole unirsi agli armeni di altri paesi denunciando con fermezza la politica turca di aggressione e chiedendo anche alla stampa italiana di dare risalto a quanto sta accadendo nella regione, al fine di scongiurare lo sterminio dell’inerme popolazione armena della zona

Si allega a riguardo anche l’appello della “Kessab Educational Association of Los Angeles” rivolta al Segretario Generale dell’ONU.

Consiglio per la comunità armena di Roma

ALLEGATI:

APPELLO AL SEGRETARIO GENERALE DELL’ONU, BAN KI-MON

March 22, 2014

Mr. Ban Ki-Moon,

Secretary General of the United Nations

UN Headquarters

New York, NY 10017

Dear Mr. Secretary General:

The Kessab Educational Association of Los Angeles is seeking United Nations immediate intervention in Syria to protect the Christian Armenian minority living in their ancestral homeland in Kessab, Syria.

At the present time, there is a battle in northwestern Syria, at the border of Turkey. The ancient Christian-Armenian town of Kessab and its surrounding villages (population of 3,500) came under attack on Friday, March 21, as sniper gunfire and bombs from the hilltops surrounding Kessab hailed down on Kessab and its environs, damaging buildings, destroying streets and shattering windows. The Kessab Armenians were forced to flee from their ancestral homes and lands in the morning hours of March 21 and sought refuge in the nearby port city of Lattakia.

We are told from eyewitnesses in northern Syria that Turkey gave right of passage through their mountainous border with Syria to rebel forces that are battling the Syrian government troops. We also were told by eyewitnesses that external Turkish border troops have joined in the attack against the Syrian army.

Christian Armenians have lived peacefully in the northern Syrian region of Kessab for over four centuries, creating a beautiful agricultural eden in the foothills of the mountains that divide Syria and Turkey. During and after the Genocide of Armenians by the Turks in 1915, Syria took in tens of thousands of Armenian refugees, and Armenians have been law-abiding and productive citizens in Syria with no incident until today. It is a tragedy to see Armenians victimized yet again because of the indiscriminate violence and humanitarian calamity in Syria.

Various relief organizations in Lattakia are assisting the Armenians of Kessab, providing those with no family or friends in Lattakia with shelter and food at the Armenian Church and school facilities and Greek Orthodox Church. Many of the refugees were forced to flee with nothing more than their night clothes, unable to take with them official identification papers such as passports.

The principles of international humanitarian law require that all parties to the conflict, including opposition forces, promote conditions that would allow civilian populations to remain in their homes. All parties to an armed conflict must refrain from deliberate and indiscriminate attacks or strikes against civilians, should protect all civilians living in areas under their authority, including members of religious minorities, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to them.

International humanitarian law also prescribes that all sides to an armed conflict have a responsibility not to intentionally attack, seize or cause damage to religious buildings, institutions or cultural property that are not being used for military purposes.

In the spirit of peace, international humanitarian law and respect for human rights, including those of religious minorities, we respectfully request:

  • That the United Nations call for the immediate cessation of the bombardment of the Kessab region and the indiscriminate attack on its peaceful civilian population by rebels and Turkish border troops, which is in blatant violation of international human rights and humanitarian law;
  • That the United Nations and its affiliated agencies intervene or otherwise ensure the physical safety and legal protection of the Kessab Armenians and of all Armenians and other religious minorities in Syria caught in the crossfire of this humanitarian calamity;
  • That the United Nations provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced persons of Kessab and its surrounding villages (Karadouran, Sev Aghpiur, Baghjaghas, Eckez-Oloukh, Eskiuran, Dooz Aghach, and Chinarjek) who have been forcibly displaced from their ancestral homes, lands and livelihoods as a result of these bombardments and armed attacks;
  • That the United Nations assist in the peaceful return and resettlement of Kessab Armenians to their ancestral homes, lands and livelihoods.

Respectfully,

Board of Directors

Kessab Educational Association of Los Angeles

Esther Tognozzi, chairperson

Vartan Poladian

Haig Chelebian

Anahit Yaralian

Hrach Marjanian

Soghomon Poladian

Krikor Terterian