109 years since Armenian Genocide: Kurdish groups call on Turkey to end denial, recognize atrocities

On the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, pro-Kurdish political parties and organisations in Turkey reiterate a call for past atrocities to be acknowledged and all citizens to be treated with equality going forward.

On 24 April, marking 109 years since the 1915 Armenian Genocide, statements from various pro-Kurdish parties and organisations in Turkey called for an honest confrontation with history. An estimated 800,000 – 1.8 million Armenians lost their lives during the genocidal campaign led by the Committee of Union and Progress. The Turkish state has yet to acknowledge the atrocities, let alone the genocide, and continues to punish those advocating for recognition and reconciliation.

“Confrontation with the past is necessary,” stated the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) on the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, calling for recognition and reconciliation.

“We share the pain of the Armenian people and respectfully remember those who perished,” declared the DBP Central Executive Committee. Their statement highlighted past policies of assimilation and nationalism that have perpetuated division and suffering across various communities and ethnicities.

In a broader appeal, the statement urged for the preservation of Armenian churches, gravesites, free use of religious sites, and legal reforms based on equal citizenship. “Moving away from denial and acknowledging each Armenian as a testament to history is crucial,” they added, echoing the words of the late Armenian intellectual Hrant Dink.

Additionally, the Diyarbakır (Amed) Bar Association spoke of “restorative justice” as essential for truth and reconciliation. “Every 24 April, the state and its apparatus engage in a struggle with the truth about how to define the past events,” they noted, emphasising the ongoing legal challenges they face for speaking out.

The People’s Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party also voiced solidarity with the Armenian community. “We share the grief of the Armenian genocide which began with the deportation of over 200 intellectuals on 24 April 1915, leading to mass exile and slaughter,” the party stated. They stressed that past crimes must be acknowledged to pave the way for peace and a cohesive society.

Meanwhile, the Istanbul Governor’s Office has imposed a ban on the Armenian Genocide remembrance event scheduled for 24 April in Kadıköy, Istanbul. This decision follows a pattern, as applications to hold memorials on the anniversary in the past two years were also denied. The 24 April Memorial Platform, which organises the event annually, is expected to issue a press statement regarding the prohibition.