SWEDISH EXPERT WANTS TO EXAMINE MASS GRAVE IN TURKEY FROM APRIL 23 TO 25

ASBAREZ
2/15/2007

YEREVAN (Yerkir Media)–Swedish historian David Gaunt, who is set
to lead an international expedition to a mass grave discovered in
October in Turkey, indicated that the excavation should take place
between April 23 and 25.

Gaunt has said that the remains in the grave in Nusaybin, Turkey
belong to 270 Armenians or Assyrians who resided in the village and
were killed under orders from the Young Turk government during the
Armenian Genocide.

Upon the discovery of the grave, which the Turkish government attempted
to suppress, Swedish member of parliament Hans Dinden urged the
legislature to further explore this discovery. In response chairman
of Turkey’s scientific and historical association Yusuf Haladjoghly
proposed a joint Turkish-Swedish expedition, to which Gaunt agreed
but demanded complete freedom. Gaunt also asked for the opportunity
to speak with anyone who might have further information about the
mass grave.

Villagers from Xirabebaba were digging a grave for one of their
relatives when they came across a cave full of skulls and bones. The
Xirabebaba residents assumed they had uncovered a mass grave of
300 Armenian villagers massacred during the Genocide of 1915. They
informed local military unit in Akarsu about the discovered remains.

Turkish army officers instructed the villagers to block the cave
entrance and make no mention of the remains buried in it. The officers
said an investigation would take place.

Journalists, who had arrived to obtain more information, were denied
access to the cave. As the mass grave became news, local military
made another visit to the villagers, who were pressed to report the
name of the person who leaked the mass grave discovery to the press.

The villagers were warned not to show anyone directions to the cave.

According to Gaunt, who is a history professor at Sodertorn University,
the remains most likely are of the 150 Armenian and 120 Assyrian
males from the nearby town of Dara (now Oguz) killed on June 14, 1915.