Armenians Kessab after fleeing attacks by extremist militants in Turkey and refugees currently living in Latakia, launched an appeal to all Armenians worldwide. The full text of the letter is below.
“The March 21, 2014 our beautiful city was brutally attacked by extremists linked to al-Qaeda, with the blessing and logistical support of the Turkish government and its military.
“Before sunrise, we woke up to the horror of a rain of missiles and rockets falling on our city. Thousands of extremists have crossed borders to our city. Missiles were fired from Turkey to destroy the beautiful Kessab and to celebrate the approach of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Kessabtsis heroes defended the city with their simple hunting weapons until Syrian government forces are fighting in our city. If Kessabtsis have not been informed to leave their homes by these heroes, the world would have seen in silence yet another genocide would have understood by all the media lies another version.
“Kessab has always been home to thousands of Armenians for centuries. The first Kessab heartbreaking tragedy happened in April 1909, when a crowd of thousands of Turks attacked Kessab flying and burning houses. 161 Armenians were killed in this brutal attack. In 1915, during the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish troops entered Kessab and began to deport the Armenians killed nearly 5,000 Armenians Kessab. The Armenian genocide by the Turks in 1915 claimed the lives of a million and a half Armenians. More Armenians were killed in Syria if nothing had been done. Arabs in Syria have protected us, took care of us, helped us back on our feet and helped us survive through this horrible memories of death and destruction and we will be eternally grateful. Since we lived in peace and harmony with other religion, like a big family in a house called Syria.
“Today, we need help again, because, unfortunately, the Turkish government has dared to attack the Armenians once again ignoring the Armenian case. With this act Turkey refused, once again, to recognize the Armenian genocide carried out by the Turks and assist in the killing of more Armenians in Syria. We have nothing against the Turkish people. We lived as neighbors with them and you want to continue to live as neighbors with them. This is the Turkish government, which supports and facilitates the murder of Kessabtsis by terrorists that we criticize. We just want to find our city or what remains of it. We are heartbroken by the numerous videos and pictures that show how these extremists are destroying our beautiful city and burn heart. All Syrians know where these extremists come, death and destruction left behind them.
“Our houses we were taken centuries of heritage were destroyed.
“This is a call to all Armenians. This is a call to humanity. The world needs to hear the truth. Erdogan and his government are war criminals. We need your help. We need to take action. Our lives depend on the actions that you will do to ensure that we do not die. We were forced to leave our homes and our city with nothing but the clothes we wear. If we had taken even the bare necessities, we would certainly be dead. Most of us can not even escape it, because we do not have our passports or identification documents. Please call for the intervention of your governments, the UN, any other authority which you think could help us. All we want to do is live. If you ignore this, we will all die a horrible death at the hands of these terrorists massacred in cold blood like many other Armenians in Aleppo, Yacoubiyeh, Ghenemiyeh and around Syria.
“Those who you call rebels are extremists who came to Syria for jihad with many nationalities among them as Afghans, Chechens and Saudis. The Kessabtsis and throughout Syria have seen and have been attacked and killed by them. The media can not hide the truth forever. Those you call rebels target attacks against civilians and.
“We all live in peace and happy, there is only three years. This is not a revolution, this is war. And the Syrian army is now Kessab, fights to ensure that the Armenians will return home safely. ”
Stéphane © armenews.com