Armenians of Kessab having settled in Vakef village share stories about the events
The Armenians who were moved to Turkey from Syria’s Armenian-populated city of Kessab were moved involuntarily in spite of the claims of Turkish officials. This is what the Armenians of Kessab having settled in Turkey’s Armenian village of Vakef told correspondent for the Turkish Sol, reports “ArmenPress”.
Head of Vakef village Berc Kartun took the Turk journalist to the local Armenian church where there were 8-10 old Armenians of Kessab, after which he presented their situation. “When they came here, they were in pain. The elderly had been kept in the cold and had slept on concrete for days,” says the village head, mentioning that the people of Vakef are doing everything possible to take care of the Armenians’ needs. A local doctor has checked their health conditions, and new medicine will be sent for those who don’t have any more medicine. Kartun also informed that all the Armenians of Kessab aren’t comfortable and miss their homes, friends and the country.
An Armenian of Kessab in Vakef said he hadn’t shaved since he was in mourning.
Aspet Julian, 68, was brought to Vakef with his 92-year old mother and 95-year old mother-in-law and said the only Armenians remaining in his village are people like them or people who didn’t have cars to escape. Talking about their arrival in Turkey, he said they were simply told that they were going to a safer place.
Another Armenian of Kessab in Vakef, 91-year old Nesis Tangoukian shared his story and mentioned that armed individuals demanded that he show them the homes of Armenians and the Alevis in Kessab. “They demanded that I show them the Armenians’ and the Alevis’ homes, and I did. Then, they told me to go with them. We traveled nearly 100 meters. There was a house on the road. They asked me to call the landlord. I did, but there was no answer.
I wanted to go back, but they told me to wait a little. They shot toward the house a couple of times, but there was no reply. Then, they ordered me to go home and wait for them there,” says Tangoukian. Later, someone came and told them that they were going to be taken to a storage room. They took Tangoukian’s brother with them. Since the people on the road were elderly and weren’t able to walk too long, they were sat down in a car. They were joined by other Armenians of Kessab on the way. “It was evening. Most of us were scared. They brought several people, and we were nearly 20 people. We lied on the concrete. The air was cold. We were shivering. They brought us a blanket. I only had a shirt and pants and wore socks,” said Tangoukian.
Tangoukian also shared interesting details of the time that they were kept separately. According to him, the armed men kept asking them about their religion and the ways of performing rituals. Among them was an Alevi, who had been taken away and interrogated. The interrogation was recorded. Tangoukian says nearly 200-250 Sunni Muslims were taken away to Kessab and then moved to Turkey.
The youngest of the Armenians taken to Vakef is 50-year old Nvard Jurian, who painfully spoke about the events that took place in Kessab. “There is nobody left in Kessab now. The trees have dried, and one can’t even hear the chirps of birds.
If you go to Kessab, you’ll feel like you’re at a cemetery. That’s what they say…” said Nvard.