June 2021

In our struggle for existence as an ethnic identity and a people in its own right, we, the Presidency of the Bethnahrin National Council, have resolved since the outset to make our Syriac people rise and let the world know about the SAYFO Genocide of 1915. Since 1994, we have worked hard to introduce the systematic commemoration of SAYFO, and our efforts have led to the acceptance and internalization of commemoration within all segments of our people. These commemorations continue in an organized manner today by the various organizations within our people to inform the general public and international institutions.

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In the 1914-15 period, the Christian peoples living under the Ottoman-Turkish rule were subjected to genocide and destruction in their historical lands, their centuries-old cultural, social and economic richness, assets and savings were destroyed and forcibly changed hands. Armenians, Greeks and Syriacs, as Christian peoples, were driven from their lands as a result of the violence and genocide they suffered.

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During World War I the Ottoman Turks carried out one of the largest genocides in the world’s history, killing over 1.5 million Armenians, 500 000 Chaldeans-Syrian-Assyrians and 350 000 Greek Pontiacs. His Holiness Pope Francis declared it “the first genocide of the 20th century” and Syriac Christians commemorate this day on June 15, Armenians on April 24 and Greek Pontics on May 19.

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1914-15 döneminde, Osmanlı-Türk yönetimi altında yaşayan Hristiyan halklar soykırıma uğrayarak tarihsel topraklarında imha edildi, yüzyıllık kültürel, sosyal ve ekonomik zenginlikleri, varlıkları ve birikimleri yok edildi ve zorla el değiştirildi. Hristiyan halklar olan Ermeniler, Rumlar ve Süryaniler uğradıkları şiddet ve soykırım sonucu topraklarından sürüldü.

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