S.D. Hunchakian Party Demands Remains of 20 Armenian Martyrs from Turkey

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Martyrdom of the 20 Social Democrat Huchakian party leaders who were hanged by the Young Turk dictatorship on June, 15, 1915 in Ottoman Turkey.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary, on June 18, 2015, the Central Committee of Social Democrat Hunchakian Party, has conveyed the following demand to the Mayor of Istanbul.

“Mr. Mayor,

On June 15, 1915, 20 Armenian revolutionaries, leaders and members of the Social Democrat Hunchakian party, were hanged at the Sultan Bayazid Square in Istanbul.

They were; Matteos Sarkissian, Hagop Basmajian, Smpat Kelejian, Roupen Garabedian, Bedros Torosian, Armenag Hampartsoumian, Apraham Mouradian, Aram Achekbashian, Hrand Yegavian, Karekin Boghosian, Boghos Boghosian, Mourad Zakarian, Tovmas Tovmasian, Yeremia Manoukian, Mgrdich Yeretsian, Kegham Vanigian, Yervant Topuzian, Hovhannes Der-Ghazarian, Karnig Boyajian, and Kapriel Keshishian, and were buried collectively at the Edirne Gabui Armenian cemetery.

The Social Democratic Hunchaking Party Central Committee, desires to transport the remains of our comrades out of Turkey. Therefore, we demand that you facilitate the lawful ways of accomplishing this undertaking.”

During his speech marking the 100th anniversary in Los Angeles on June 14, 2015, the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party Central Committee Chairman Mr. Hagop Dikranian stated that the Party will formally demand from Turkey the return the remains of 20 Hunchakian Martyrs.

Mr. Dikranian stated, “Today on this stage, on behalf of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party, I announce that we will soon be submitting an official demand to the relevant authorities in Turkey, to first identify and then surrender the Hunchakian twenty martyrs’ remains to us.”

Stressing that the party is committed and determined to accomplish this undertaking Mr. Dikranian further stated that, “The return of the Twenty Hunchakian Martyrs and their burial in Yerablur national cemetery in Armenia is a moral issue and a matter of principle for the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party.”