News Center - HDP Peoples and Beliefs Commission co-chair, Tülay Hatimoğulları has released a written statement on the 107th anniversary of the Sayfo massacre, also known as the Assyrian genocide.
“Assyrians are one of the ancient peoples of Mesopotamia. The period when two-thirds of the Assyrian population were killed is called "Sayfo", which means sword. On June 15, known as the commemoration day of the mass slaughter and deportation of Assyrian, we express once again that the Assyrian people’s demands for apology and confrontation are also our demands,” Tüay Hatimoğulları said in the statement that they share the pain of the Syriac people.
The statement read as follows:
“The Assyrian-Syriac- Aramean-Chaldean people and other Christians, who have lived on these territories, become the cultures and beliefs enriching these territories. The forced displacement and the policies of 'Turkification and Islamization' after the genocide were aimed at the assimilation of the Syriac identity. Syriac, the mother tongue of the Assyrians, faced the danger of extinction under pressure. Hundreds of settlement names were changed from Syriac into Turkish, their press outlets were shut down and their properties were confiscated.
Today, the rights of Syriac people are being violated, for instance, they are not allowed to open schools and places of worship, their properties and the properties of their foundations are systematically confiscated. The Syriac people expect an apology and confrontation. Meeting their expectations will be an important step to live together as equal citizens.”