Protest against attack on Kessab held in front of Turkish Embassy

On Mar. 31, nearly 1,000 Armenians of Paris attended a protest organized by the ARF-D Nor Serount organization in front of the Turkish Embassy with signs reading “Kessab is Ours”, “Nationalist Turks Get Out of Kessab!” and other signs, and the youth screamed “Criminal Turkey, Get Out of Our Lands!” and “Erdogan Criminal, Holland Accomplice”.

The first to speak was co-chair of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France Mourad Papazian, who compared Erdogan to Taleat and said Turkey must be punished and that the struggle must continue until the end, even if it takes months. Papazian also demanded that the French government condemn the attack on Kessab.

Gegham Gevonian spoke on behalf of the Land and Culture Organization and informed that French-Armenians have been linked to Kessab for more than 30 years. The speaker recalled that in 1914, 8,000 Armenians were deported from Kessab, and only 3,000 returned…”Today, we are all Armenians of Kessab, and Turkey is an accomplice to the Jihads, but if all Armenians unite as one, they can resist and counterattack Turkey,” said Gevonian. In the end, Gevonian voiced hope that “Armenians would come out victorious and we will all see each other in Kessab”.

Loris Tufanian spoke on behalf of the ARF-D Nor Serount Organization, urged Armenians to unite and promised to continue the struggle. Tufanian’s speech was followed by Gevorg Emin’s poem “We Are Half” recited by Marina Hovhannisyan.

Hrach Varjabedian delivered his speech in Armenian on behalf of the Armenian National Committee of Paris and condemned France’s position on backing Turkey, calling on all Armenians to continue the struggle until the end.

In the end, speaker Harout Mardirossian spoke on behalf of the Armenian National Committee and condemned France for being an accomplice, adding that France is responsible and must protect Kessab. Mardirossian considered the statement by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this issue “nonsensical” and “nothing”.

The demonstrators promised to meet again and continue the struggle.

HRAIR HRACHIAN

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