Apr 8, 2014

What a harebrained scheme it was. You will provide logistical support to al-Qaeda and its allies who captured the Syrian Armenian town of Kassab. When their [Armenian] diaspora rose up, letters were sent to the US Congress and Kim Kardashian, whose family hails from our Kars-Karakale, launched a Twitter campaign with hashtag #SaveKessab, why are we dumbfounded? Then we realized something was not right and started scheming to find a way out. I had earlier written on Kassab when it was captured. People fearing massacres fled to Latakia, leaving behind only the elderly, the infirm and those who say, "If I am going to die, I will die here.” On the eve of the April 24 genocide observance, the Armenian diaspora was thus provided with a current issue to raise. And what did our ambitious official news service Anatolian Agency [AA] do? It started to run stories on how humane the Syrian opposition was by protecting Armenian churches and said that they had actually transported two elderly Armenians to Turkey.

First, I want to say, "Wake up." The bill for Kassab was made out to Turkey long ago. We will find out later how we will have to pay. The people of Kassab abandoned their homes because of fighters supported by Turkey. They didn’t go to Latakia on vacation. If this temporary exile becomes permanent and God forbid there are other tragedies, make no mistake, it will be Turkey that will pay no matter who the wrongdoer may be.

Now let's discuss siblings Sirpuhi, 82, and Satenik Tititzyan, 84, taken to Vakifli, the only Armenian village in Turkey. A reporter for Armenian weekly Agos, Lora Baytar, spoke with this duo who, according to our AA, had asked to be taken to Turkey. According to Sirpuhi Titizyan, first Turkish-speaking militants came and searched their home. Next, Arabic-speaking ones came and said, "We will take you to Latakia.” But the next morning, instead of Latakia, they were brought to Turkey. They were tricked. Simply put, Turkey needed a story of “We opened our arms to the Armenians," and the militants need a Kassab without Armenians. The Titizyan siblings now want to go to Latakia, where the other people of Kassab are, or to Beirut.

As for protecting Kassab, Titizyan said he gave the key to his house to militants so that they could enter without breaking the door and then loot. But they broke the door and his windows anyway and confiscated his tractor. This was very much in the spirit of “Operation Anfal,” which means "prize, trophy or booty"!

AA quoted Izzet Zohta, a member of the Syrian Turkmen Assembly, as saying: “There are three to four churches in the villages of Karaduran and Samra. The Free Syrian Army is doing its best to protect the churches.” But Shant Kerbabian, who lives in Beirut, after speaking with his relatives [in Syria], told Al-Monitor there were no massacres but many other incidents. He said: “Crosses were taken down. This was confirmed." Kerbabian also noted that Jabhat al-Nusra was looting the houses and carrying their belongings to Turkey, and that "Jabhat al-Nusra fighters were saying that they want to bring their 'brothers' [residing] in tents and refugee camps and put them in Kassab."