Writer, journalist and researcher Muslum Uzulmez has released his book “Secret Page in the History of Ergani: ARMENIANS” in Turkey.

As reported Turkey’s Cumhuriyet newspaper, the book has been published by the publishing house of Ismayil Beshikchi Foundation and is devoted to the Armenians of the formerly Armenian-populated Ergani province in the Turkish state of Diyarbakir. The residence is in a devastated situation during and after the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

When compiling the book, the author used foreign sources and the memories of Armenian Genocide survivors, had meetings with representatives of the Foundation in Ergani province and made notes about their memories.

“In 1915, the leaders of the Young Turkish Unity and Progress Party, violating all types of laws and legislation, gave the freedom to kill the Armenians. Anyone could kill any Armenian or as many Armenians as they wanted and rob them. The top bureaucrats and servicemen of the colony and the traitors organized the massacres. The Armenians, who were one of the ancient nations of Ergani, were subject to genocide in the most brutal way, and they were fully extirpated by the law on deportation,” the author writes, according to ermenihaber.am.

Uzulmez states that after the massacres, the Turks had knowingly and intentionally told people that the Armenians were wealthy. Thanks to that, all the material, cultural heritage (churches, monasteries, cemeteries, historic structures, etc.) became the target for thieves and treasure hunters. The government also shut an eye on all that and contributed to the destruction and elimination of Armenian heritage.

The release of the book “Secret Page in the History of Ergani: ARMENIANS” on the 101^st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide needs to be viewed as a symbolic step to come to grips with the past.

It is time for us to come to grips with the 100-year-old pain and examine our conscience,” writes Cumhuriyet, citing page 184 of the book.

“The first step that needs to be taken is to adopt a just approach and speak out about the pain and shame without fear, and that is first and foremost the duty and responsibility of the Turkish parliament, on behalf of all citizens.”