Article - Kurds Of Armenia Against Turkey

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Waving the Kurdish and Armenian flags to and fro and with the pictures
of Ocalan on the flags, groups of Kurds organized a protest today
near the Shahumyan square to demand the release of head of the PKK
Abdullah Ocalan.

"We demand Turkey to release Ocalan. We condemn the Turks for that
act of terrorism and for torturing our Ocalan. As long as we live,
we are going to fight for our freedom," said Sevil Amoyan.

Kurdish leader Ocalan has been in the Imali prison for 10 years for a
conspiracy and has been treated violently. Recently, there are more
threats that the Turks are ready to exterminate him. As a state,
Turkey is no different from the prison. This time the violence is
aimed not only at one person, but also the Kurds, who have found
themselves as hostages and have rose to defend their leader from
possible encroachments," said protester Emij Elyan.

The protesters moved towards the UN office where they handed the
statement made by the "Kurdistan" committee of Armenia stating the
following:

"We call on all humanity, states and international organizations
to combine efforts and establish democracy in Turkey, eliminate the
threat of extermination of the Kurds and secure peace and justice in
the world."

We Stand For The Brotherhood Of The Peoples Of The World

Parliament of Kurdistan in Exile
129a Avenue Louise
1050 Brussels, Belgium

Tel: +322-539-3033
Fax: +322-539-3887

Press Release #1
April 23, 1995

We Stand For The Brotherhood Of The Peoples Of The World

In addition to the Kurds, there are Armenians and Assyrians living in Kurdistan. The invasion and occupation of their lands have adversely affected all three constituent peoples. The implementation of divide and rule policies have resulted in internal feuding. The natives of millenniums have fought one another and forced each other to migrate.

A most telling example of this policy was put into action in 1915. For a few years, we were provoked to kill one another in order to benefit our self-appointed leaders.

On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman administrators began a policy of annihilating the Armenians and the Assyrians. This was a plan long in the making, meticulously carried out with the aid of some tribal Kurds who were organized into an auxiliary force, the 'Hamidiye Alaylari' or Hamidiye Brigades, of the Istanbul government.

Today, a similar force has been established, the 'Koy Koruculari' or village guards. In that singular act of brutality at the turn of the century, millions of Armenians, Assyrians, and
Kurds were murdered and many more were forced to embrace the coldness of diaspora.

The policy of divide and rule has been inherited by the new Turkish government in Ankara. The same hideous crimes are now inflicted on the Kurds.
At times, the Kurdish religious communities are provoked into fighting one another, as the Alevis and Sunnis do from time to time. A more sinister plan is the empowerment of an
auxiliary force of mercenary Kurds to fight against their fellow Kurds who are on the side of freedom and liberty. New chapters of blood and pain, suffering and migration are written daily in the history of Turkey.

A cursory look at the history of the Ottomans reveals more about the nature of the Turkish state's practices. In Asia Minor, historians tell us, there were once vibrant societies, different
languages, and various cultures. Today, there are no vestiges left of these communities. A similar policy is now in the works for Kurdistan: Some Kurds are killed, many are legally and forcibly made to become Turks, and more are forced to flee in an attempt to end the way of life which is known as Kurdistan.


As the Chair of the Executive Council of the Parliament of Kurdistan in Exile, a representative body of the Kurds in diaspora, I am urging the world public opinion not to let history repeat itself and not to remain silent to the annihilation of the Kurds.


Tomorrow is the 80th anniversary of the massacres of the Armenians and the Assyrians. Let history note that we at the Parliament of Kurdistan in Exile share the pain of the survivors
and their relations. We unequivocally denounce the act and condemn the perpetrators of this inhumanity, the Ottomans and their collaborators of the Kurdish auxiliary forces. We urge you all to do the same.

Zubeyir Aydar,
Chair of the Executive Council

Armenians of Mosul - Southern Kurdistan

(Armenian flag in Mosul)

Most of the Armenians originally came from Iran and first settled in the southern part of Iraq. While they have been moving into Iraq for several centuries, the largest movement of Armenian people came during the early twentieth century as they fled the persecution of the Armenian Genocide.

It is estimated that there are about 20,000 Armenians living in the entire country with communities in Baghdad, Mosul, Basra, Kirkuk and Dohuk.

Around 15.000 Assyrians have left Mosul the last month because of attacks from fundementalists and terrorists (the city is in the middle of iraqi Kurdistan and Iraq).

This was published in Panorama last week about the Armenians in Mosul during this attacks:

The situation in Mosul city, Iraq is calmed down and 40 Armenian families living in the city and the Armenian Church are not under threat, said Tigran Balayan, the head of public relations department of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia. “We are in contact with the church and we know that the Government sent military forces to defend local people,” said T. Balayan.

Remind that on Sunday Armenian businessman Farkes Batul was murdered in the aftermath of extremists’ attack.

On Dec. 7, 2004, an armed group of commandos stormed an Armenian Catholic church in Mosul, ushered everyone out of the building, then detonated two bombs, reducing the church to rubble. Some two hours later, a group of armed men attacked the Chaldean bishop's residence in another part of the city.

During the Persian Gulf War, of the 1,500 Armenians living with the predominant Kurd population in the northern town of Zakho, three soldiers serving in Saddam Hussein's military were killed in coalition air strikes in Kuwait, Basra, and Mosul, respectively.

Many Armenian fled to southern Kurdistan, Mosul during the Armenian genocide in 1915. Here is one story from a surviver that fled to Mosul:

An Armenian woman Mariam Sepan Sarkismeherian said that her family was originally from Dehe in Armenia, and had fled to Mosul after the 1915 genocide.Only her father survived from his whole family. They all said that they were too afraid to go back to Mosul. Even if things improve, the terrorists will always come back, because they want the “Christian infidels” to leave. Many of the people said that they would be willing to go to Europe if they were accepted.

Avzrok - Armenian village in southern Kurdistan

(Text: "Orthodox Armenian Church of Avzrok" built in 2000-2001)

Avzarok in Kurdish) is a village in the Iraqi province of Dohuk. The village is split into two areas: one populated by Armenians and the other by Assyrians. The name of the village comes from the Kurdish language; av - water and zrog - yellow.


It was built for the first time in 1932 when the Armenians of Zakho and its suburbs decided to establish the village and settle in it. The village was subject of destruction in 1975. The Armenian inhabitants of Avzrog don't speak Armenian. They use Arabic and Kurdish languages instead. Despite this, Armenians in Avzrog maintain their Armenian social identity like folklore and names. Avzrog has a total population of about 300 people.
The village of Avzrog is located in the Sulaivany area in the western part of Dohuk. The Sulaivany area is situated between Sumail and the mountains south of Zakho. Avzrog is 30 km from Zakho.
It was built for the first time in 1932 when the Armenians of Zakho and its suburbs decided to establish the village and settle in it.

The village was destroyed in 1975 and the people were forced to flee. They were replaced by Arab tribes as a part of the arabization policy of Saddam Hussein’s regime. The arabisation policy was concentrated in the region of Sulaivany.

Following 1991, with northern Iraq out of control of the central regime protected by the UN and administered by a local government, the Arab tribes fled the region and went back to their original homes, mainly south of Mosul.

The Armenian inhabitants of Avzrog don't speak Armenian. They use the Kurdish language. Despite this, Armenians in Avzrog maintain their Armenian social identity like folklore and names.

Avzrog has a total population of about 300 people.

Azad sings about an Armenian

Azad Khanaqini sings "Ermenî" (Armenian)
(not the same song/lyrics as the song by Masoud Mohamadi)

The song "Ermenî" is from Azad's album "Newaî Bêston".
Azad Khanaqini was from southern Kurdistan (iraqi Kurdistan) and died from cancer.

Kurdish song by Azad Khanaqini

Masoud sings about an Armenian

Masoud Mohemmadi - "Ermenî" (Armenian)

Masoud Mohammadi was born into a Kurdish patriotic family in 1964. His place of birth was the ancient city of Qesre Shirin in Eastern Kurdistan (Iranian Kurdistan). Masoud was introduced to Kurdish music in his adolescence. He has developed a special relationship to Kurdish music since then. Masoud’s artistic carrier began by playing tambour and later on he also began signing in Kurdish. Masoud holds degrees in engineering and computer science, respectively. He is currently living in Denmark, Where is active role in these cultural associations. Masoud’s active role in these cultural associations has enriched his musical and artistic life, and it has also enabled him to acquire professional skills with regard to his artistic performances.

Information from: masoudmohammadi.com

Armenian Kurdish Iranian Ensemble concert in Stockholm

Valeh Music Ensemble [Iran/Kurdistan/Armenia] is a international music esemble with musicians from Armenia, Kurdistan and Iran. They will perform in Södra Teatern in Stockholm (26th October 2008).

>Order tickets here<

Valeh means "Madly In Love" and the musicians is:

• Hassan Moghaddam: Tar, Setar

• Hayk Hakobyan: Duduk, Chvi, Zurna, Clarinet, Bagpipe
  

• Moshtagh Feizyabi: Daf, Tonbak, Dayere, Dehol

• Amin Mir Shahi: Daf

Guests:

• Nadjmedin Gholami: Singer

• Aref Ebrahimpour: Kamanche

• Moa Danielson: Tabla

• Aram Martirosyan: Armenisk Duhol

Visit the official homepage of "Valeh" - Valeh.org

Armenian Genocide recognitions from the Kurdish Institute of Paris

The following articles is from the year 2006's "Institut Kurde De Paris" magazines.
Click the images to enlarger them.

Book about the Yezidi Kurds tribes and clans of south Caucasus

>> The Yezidi Kurds' tribes & clans of south Caucasus.<<
DOWLOAD IT NOW

...

"Yezidi Kurds have been in the southern Caucasus under Russia for some 150 years now. The majority fled Ottoman oppression and discrimination in 1916-1918 to settle in Armenia and Georgia."

...

"Yezidi communities in Armenia and Georgia are divided into many tribes and clans: the tribes of Zuquriyan, Sipkan, Xaltan, Mehemdan, Rojkan-Rojkani, Hesiniyan and the clan of Axleran."

...

"In this book, as far as we know, we bring to public view the names of tribes and clans and the villages from which they originate. Over time the uninformed among us are forgetting their ancestral homeland in Kurdistan and feelings of patriotism are abating as well. There have been many frustrations and difficulties over the course of collecting and documenting the names of tribes and clans."

...

"

150 years ago in the Axbaran area of Armenia there were already 11 Kurdish villages and all are still there. The Yezidis living in Georgia and Armenia before the collapse of the Soviet Union numbered about 250,000. But official statistics, for political reasons, always tried to minimize their true number. Currently, their number is much smaller because of migration to Russia. The Yezidis are moving away from Armenia and Georgia to all four corners of the former Soviet Union from Siberia and Kaliningrad to the Baltic countries of Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova as well as to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and elsewhere."

...

"

The Yezidi Kurds in Georgia and Armenia can be divided into two main groups: The Zuquri Yezidis from the province of Wan and the Yezidis from the province of Qers and Axbaran. Among the Yezidi communities of Armenia and Georgia there are big tribes and unions of tribes such as the "el" of the Zuquriyan, of Sipkan, of Mehemdan, of Rojkan and of Hesiniyan."

"Infidel quarter"

Mıgırdiç Margosyan is a Armenian author from Amêd, northern Kurdistan (Diyarbakir).
He's most famous book “Gâvur Mahallesi” (Infidel Quarter) is a book about the Armenians in Amêd. His book Gavur Mahallesi was translated into Kurdish and published in 1999 with the title Li ba me, Li wan deran by Avesta Publishing in Istanbul.

Margosyan was born in 1938 in the Hançepek district of Diyarbakır (Amêd).
He received his primary education at the Suleyman Nazif İlkokulu and Ziya Gökalp Ortaokulu in Diyarbakır, and continued his secondary education at the Armenian community schools in Istanbul, attending Bezciyan Ortaokulu and Getronagan Lisesi. Margosyan received his college degree from the Philosophy Department of the Faculty of Letters at the Istanbul University.Between 1966-1972, Margosyan worked as the school director of the Surp Haç Tıbrevank Armenian High School and also taught philosophy, psychology, Armenian language and literature. Later he left teaching and started commercial activities.


Here is what the journalist Müjgan Arpat said about the Armenian quarter of Amêd (
Diyarbakir ) [SOURCE]:

...

“The Gavur neighborhood still carries the traces of the Armenian culture, despite all past plundering and destruction,” said Arpat. Explaining what the title refers to, she said, “In mansions and churches reflecting the thousands of years old Armenian culture, there live today many Kurdish families who migrated to Diyarbakır from other southeastern provinces.”

...

She said the novels of Mıgırdiç Margosyan, a Turkish writer of Armenian descent who was born in the Gavur neighborhood, inspired her and prompted her to conduct research in the historic Armenian neighborhood of Diyarbakır. In Giaor neighborhood, many of the historic buildings that belonged to the Armenians are called “gavur buildings,” and have been damaged for that reason, she said. “All cultures existing in this country are assets for us. We have to protect these cultures,” she added.

...

“This building is where Armenians used to have commercial transactions with Assyrians and Arabs a century ago. You can grasp the architectural value of it only by looking its façade, but when you enter the inner yard, you encounter almost an outdoor museum despite all damage to the structure so far,” she said.

Armenian church in Amêd, Kurdistan

"The trip to Armenia"

The book was found in the Kurdish Library, Sweden.
(Worlds first Kurdish library)

"Resan till Armenien" - Osip Mandelstam