Armenia’s Foreign Ministry Must Protect Ethnic Armenians of Kessab

YEREVAN – The Social Democrat Hunchakian Party of Armenia issued a statement asserting the Armenia’s Foreign Ministry should act and protect ethnic Armenians living in Syria’s Kessab region that have recently become the target of Turkish and Syrian rebel aggression.

The statement declares:

The Armenian community of Kessab and the surrounding region is in danger of physical annihilation.

For several days now, dreadful events have been transpiring in Syria’s heavily populated Armenian town of Kessab.

Turkey has violated all international laws and commitments having opened fire at Armenian-populated villages in the Kessab region, laying the groundwork for rebels to take over the region.

Kessab is located directly at the border of Syria and Turkey and is the residence to thousands of Armenians, as well as host to community and political institutions, schools and hospitals. For Turkey, Kessab has always been a target, and the current tragic events within Syria have created a basis for driving the majority ethnic Armenians out of the region. Despite the ongoing tragic events in the region, the Armenian Republic has not made statements on an international arena on the issue.

The S.D. Hunchakian Party demands that the Armenian Foreign Ministry immediately bring up, in all possible international levels, the issue of hostilities towards and the displacement of Armenians in the Kessab region and demand Turkey stop another genocidal attempt of displacing Armenians.