A Turkish civic group composed of journalists, lawyers and human rights activists is going to hold a conference devoted to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The event, entitled “One Minute to 2015”, is set to take place on March 16 in Istanbil. The organizers invite all interested sides to join their initiative.

Mehmet Gojekli, the editor of the Turkish website Demokrat Haber, has called on the Turkish nation to look into its past ahead of the tragic anniversary.

The group says that the state has already started preparing for the Genocide centennial. “If they are preparing [for the anniversary], we too are preparing to speak the truth and confront our past,” Gokceli said, adding that the topic is too important to be trusted to the government.

He said it is the duty of any person residing in Turkey’s territory ask himself or herself, what happened in 1915?.

“One hundred years ago, half of Hakkari’s population was Assyrian, with half of those residing in Van being Armenians. Where did those people go and why? Is it of no interest to you?” he said, calling for efforts to prevent tragedies in future.