EUROPEAN DELEGATION TO CONVENE IN ISTANBUL 100 YEARS AFTER THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
14:06, 06 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
On the occasion of the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide, AGBU
Europe and the European Grassroots Anti-Racist Movement (EGAM) will
lead a delegation to Istanbul, composed mainly of young people from
around Europe. They will be joined in the metropolis by numerous
other international visitors from around Europe who have chosen
to commemorate this event in the city where it all started. The
organization Armenian Project 2015 in particular has also called
on Armenians from around the world to join commemorations in the
Turkish metropolis.
The commemorations themselves will take place in Istanbul throughout
the day on April 24 and will culminate on the central Taksim square
at the symbolic time of 19.15. Commemorative events will also be held
at Haydarpasha train station, where community leaders were deported
from and at Sultanahmet, a former prison, where they were held prior
to their deportations. April 24 will also be an occasion to visit the
tomb of Sevag Balikci, a young Armenian conscript who was assassinated
by a fellow conscript on April 24, 2011 on account of his ethnicity.
The commemorations are organized by Turkish organizations, including
local EGAM member organization DurDe and the Turkish Human rights
Association IHD.
Numerous other events will be held throughout the week, including
a major concert on April 22 hosted by the foundation Anadolu Kultur
and featuring numerous international artistss. The AGBU Europe-EGAM
delegation will take the opportunity to engage with numerous audiences
at universities, non-governmental organizations and other location.
In advance of the commemorations, an appeal has been published
in a series of newspapers around Europe, calling on Europeans to
commemorate the Centenary in Istanbul in the name of “Justice,
Solidarity and Democracy”.
The Armenian genocide of 1915, which caused an estimated 1.5 million
dead, uprooted the entire Armenian civilization. Commemorations
have been held in many places over the years; but they have only
been allowed in Turkey since 2010. AGBU Europe and EGAM have led
international delegations to the former Ottoman capital city since
2013. Their approach has aimed to engage with Turkish society, and
particularly with those organizations who work for the awareness of
the genocide in Turkey, in the believe that their joint efforts can
help promote tolerance, democracy and justice.