A correspondent for Karabakh-life.am had an interview with member of the executive body of the emergency and restoration unit of Latakia for Kessab Garo Manjigian on Mar. 31.

Manjigian said the emergency unit isn’t able to contact Kessab directly due to lack of communication.

“But we’re aware that our homes have been robbed, the Turks are taking the items belonging to the Kessab-Armenians in trucks and are already selling them at the markets located near the Turkish border,” said Manjigian.

Manjigian also informed that the Syrian army has suspended the terrorists’ advancement. Based on the emergency unit’s information, there are no victims. Nearly 800 families have been moved from Kessab, of which 600 are Armenian families.

After the first couple of days of taking shelter at the Armenian Church in Latakia, they have currently moved in with their relatives. There are fewer Armenians settling at the Armenian Church in Latakia. The government and individuals are providing them with assistance.

The Catholicosate of Cilicia has provided them with a great amount of assistance thanks to Catholicos Aram I.

AGBU Lebanon, as well as the Armenian communities of the United States of America, Canada, France and other countries have also extended a helping hand.

As for the Armenian elders who didn’t leave Kessab, Manjigian reports that there is still no information about them.

“There aren’t many elders, but we’re concerned because we don’t know whether they have been captured or killed, or are safe and sound.”

Talking about the situation facing the deportees, Manjigian says they are tense, but not afraid. “We know that when we return to Kessab, we have to start from scratch. But the only thing we’re thinking about is our return. Kessab and the surrounding villages are our historic lands. When we ask little Armenians of Kessab whether they would like to go to Lebanon or Kessab, they say they would definitely want to go to Kessab.

We’re connected to the land. We have a history spanning millennia here. How can we forget our history and move somewhere else? How can we move toward uncertainty? For us, Kessab is of moral significance. Kessab is like little Armenia,” says Garo Manjigian.

Nor Harach