The Commemorative Events for Genocide in Istanbul
On April 24, 1915, about 250 Armenian intellectuals were exiled from Istanbul to death. That three of them were composer, musicologist Gomidas, physician and poet Rupen Sevag, and physician Nakkaşyan.
Leading by the Thought Platform, the Armenian think tank, a memorial stone was erected in front of the houses of these three intellectuals in Elmadag symbolically.
Tatyos Bebek, the spokesman of Thought Platform, mentioned that Şişli Municipality will place another fixed memorial stone, for now they just put the copies of them.
Detained in Istanbul at 1915, the Armenians have commemorated in front of the prison (now Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum) to which they took from their homes. A march was held from Sultanahmet to Eminönü, on the journey route which they were forced to go 100 years ago.
In the commemoration, the banner "100th Year of the Genocide. Recognize. Apologize. Indemnify" in English, Turkish and Armenian was unfurled.
Started from Sultanahmet, the Genocide March was ended in Haydarpaşa, the start point of the journey that most of the Armenian prisoners couldn't return.
Hosting by the Armenian Patriarchate, Sunday Mass (Surp Badarak) was held in the Church of St. Mary of Blachernae in Kumkapı in order to commemorate 100th of April 24, 1915.
Representing the state for the first time, Volkan Bozkır, State Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU, attended to the ceremony. Last night (April 23) at 19.15, at the end of the ceremony after releasing white doves, the bell was ringed for 100 times same as the other Armenian churches all around the world. Also, the message of the President Erdogan was read out.
“Hereby, I remember with respect all Ottoman Armenians who lost their lives within the conjuncture of the First World War, and give condolence to their children and grandchildren,” said President Erdogan in his message regarding the 100th anniversary of Armenian Genocide.
On the day of the 100th anniversary, the newspapers Özgür Gündem, Azadiya Welat and Cumhuriyet were published with the headlines in Armenian. While Cumhuriyet Newspaper wrote down “Այլեւս երբէք” (Never Again), Özgür Gündem captioned “Տես, իմացիր, առերեսուիր” (See, Hear, Face). Also, Azadiya Welat newspaper was published with the headline "ՀԱՐԻԻՐԱՄՅԱ վեՐքԸ" (One Hundred Years of Wound). Using the headline “Never ending denial the longest genocide” in Turkish, Agos was released with the headline “ՊԻտԻ Չմոռնանք Եւ Միասին Պիտի Քալենք Դէպի Յառաջ” (We Never Forget and Walk Together to the Future).
In addition, the Ministry of Education accepted the demand of Armenian Patriarchate to settle the day of April 24 as bank holiday for Armenian community schools. (NV-BK/HK)
* Click here to read this article in Turkish.