Garo Paylan Calls for Investigation on Ottoman-Armenian Parliamentarians Killed in 1915

ANKARA — HDP Istanbul MP Garo Paylan suggested forming a parliamentary commission for carrying out an investigation on 7 Armenian members of Chamber of Deputies of Ottoman Parliament who served in 1908-1915 and killed after being arrested on April-May 2015.

In his address to Parliament, Paylan read the names and displayed the photographs of several Armenian politicians killed, arrested, or exiled in the Armenian Genocide, including Krikor Zohrab (Istanbul), Bedros Haladjian (Istanbul), Nazaret Daghavarian (Sivas), Garabed Pashaian (Sivas), Ohannes Seringiulian (Erzurum), Onnik Tersekian (Van), Hampartsum Boyadjian (Kozan), Vahan Papazian, Hagop Babikian (Tekirdag), Karekin Pastermadjian (Erzurum), Kegham Der Garabedian (Mush), Hagop Boyadjian (Tekirdag), and Artin Boshgezenian (Aleppo). Paylan also detailed the fate of each Armenian politician during the Armenian Genocide. He also demanded proper burials for them.

During his address, which he began with the Armenian greeting “Barev dzez,” Paylan condemned the murder of the politicians and said that the Turkish state should come to terms with its history. He also ended his address with the Armenian phrase “Astvats irents hogin lusavori” (“May God illuminate their souls”).

Here is Agos daily’s English translation of Paylan’s speech at the parliament:

“After the beginning of the second constitutional period in 1908, many Armenians served in Chamber of Deputies.

Bedros Hallaçyan (Istanbul), Krikor Zohrab (Istanbul), Ohannes Vartkes Serengülyan (Erzurum), Karekin Pastirmaciyan (Erzurum), Istepan Ispartaliyan (Izmir), Nazaret Dagavaryan (Sivas), Hampartsum Boyaciyan (Kozan, Adana), Kegam Der Garabedyan (Mus), Hagop Babikyan (Tekirdag) and Vahan Papazyan (Sivas) were elected to the Chamber from various cities in 1908. And in 1909, Artin Bosgezenyan was elected from Aleppo.

In 1912, Agop Boyaciyan (Tekirdag), Artin Bosgezenyan (Halep), Bedros Hallaçyan, Karekin Pastirmaciyan (Erzurum), Kegam Der Garabedyan, Krikor Zohrab, Ohannes Vartkes Serengülyan, Garabet Pasayan (Sivas), Vahan Bardizbanyan (Izmir), Onnik Tertsakyan [Arsak Vramyan] (Van) and Hampartsum Boyaciyan were elected to the Chamber.

In 1914 election, which was the last election in which Armenians were elected, Isdepan Çiraciyan (Ergani, Diyarbekir), Osep [Hovsep] Medetyan (Erzurum), Ohannes Vartkes Serengülyan, Artin Bosgezenyan, Bedros Hallaçyan, Krikor Zohrab, Onnik Ihsan Efendi (Izmir), Karabet Tomayan (Kayseri), Matteos Nalbantyan (Kozan, Adana), Agop Hirlakyan (Maras), Kegam Der Garabedyan, Onnik Tertsakyan [Arsak Vramyan] and Dikran Barsamyan (Sivas) were elected to the Chamber for the last time.

Krikor Zohrab was arrested in Istanbul on May 21, 1915 and put on a train along with Erzurum Deputy Ohannes Vartkes Serengülyan for standing trial in the martial court in Diyarbakir. First, they were sent to Konya, then to Adana and finally to Aleppo. Ultimately being exiled to Urfa, Zohrab and Serengülyan were killed in Karaköprü province of Urfa by partisans.

Nazaret Dagavaryan was arrested in Istanbul on April 24, 1915 and sent to Ayas Prison. Then, on the road to Diyarbakir where he was to stand trial in the martial court, he was killed near Siverek.

Garabed Pasayan was arrested in Beyoglu on April 24, 1915 and sent to Ayas Prison. He was killed in a valley near Elmadag district of Ankara.

Isdepan Çiraciyan was arrested in Diyarbakir on April 21, 1915. It is known that he was killed near Çalikhan Village in Diyarbakir on June 9, 1915.

It is known that Onnik Tertsakyan [Arsak Vramyan] was arrested on April 27, 1915 and killed in Arapu Tsor near Bitlis.

Hampartsum Boyaciyan was taken from his home in Beyoglu on April 24, 1915 and arrested. First, he was sent to Sincanköy in Ankara and then to Ayas Prison. Transferred to Kayseri, Boyaciyan was executed there on August 6 or 7.

After the multicultural period between 1908 and 1912 when all peoples lived together and were represented, the junta regime damaged the ideal of democratic politics, which was shared by Armenian politicians as well.

In the period that started with the arresting and killing of Armenian politicians and opinion leaders and its aftermath, Armenians, Syriacs, Greeks and Jews were turned into “minorities” by mass killings, exiles and pogroms.

Spotting the graves of these 7 Armenian politicians who served in the Chamber and restoring their honor by holding proper burials is a matter of honor for the current assembly.

Thus, we demand a parliamentary investigation for investigating the killing of Krikor Zohrab, Ohannes Vartkes Serengülyan, Nazaret Dagavaryan, Garabed Pasayan, Isdepan Çiraciyan, Onnik Tertsakyan [Arsak Vramyan] and Hampartsum Boyaciyan, spotting their graves and restoring the honor of those who served for the Chamber by holding proper burials for them.