Epress.am News from Armenia
For the second year in a row, events will be held through Turkey to commemorate Armenians who lost their lives in 1915, during the final days of the Ottoman Empire, reports Today’s Zaman.
This year’s commemoration ceremonies will be held in İstanbul’s Taksim Square, Ankara, İzmir, Diyarbakır and Bodrum. Victims of the displacement will be remembered in silence with carnations and candles. During the ceremonies the duduk, an Armenian musical instrument, will be played during a reading of the names of victims.
The ceremonies are being organized by the Say Stop to Racism and Nationalism! (Dur De!) initiative. Spokesperson Cengiz Algan said what took place in 1915 is “a hurt we all share.”
“We need to confront the realities that have been hidden by the official ideology for 100 years,” he said.
A statement with the headline, “This pain is ours,” has been opened up for signatures. More than 100 people including intellectuals, writers and journalists such as Ahmet İnsel, Ali Bayramoğlu, Alper Görmüş, Bekir Berat Özipek, Cafer Solgun, Ferhat Kentel, Gülten Kaya, Leyla İpekçi, Mehmet Bekaroğlu, Oral Çalışlar, Orhan Miroğlu, Oya Baydar, Şebnem Korur Fincancı and Ümit Kardaş have already signed the statement. Deputies from the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and independent candidates supported by the party will be supporting the commemoration ceremony to be held in Diyarbakır.