106 years have passed since the Ottoman Empire's deportation against Armenians. Armenian intellectuals who gathered in Istanbul during the First World War were arrested, killed or exiled on April 24, 1915, by the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Talat Pasha. Again, hundreds of thousands of Armenians were displaced from their homes and their properties were confiscated. According to some sources, between 800 thousand and 1 million 800 thousand people who were exiled, were killed. The Armenians define what happened to then as Medz Yeghern (great murder) or Aghet (disaster). While many countries recognize what happened as 'genocide', some use this as a leverage in their relationship with Turkey. While there has been no real confrontation until today, Armenians continue to demand truth and confrontation.

 

'WE STILL FEEL THE GENOCIDE IN OUR BONES'

 

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Şişli District Co-Chair Ani Kalk evaluated the genocide that took place 106 years ago. Reminding that millions were exiled overnight, stressed that millions lost their lives during this exile. Kalk said: "The genocide took place especially in Kurdistan. Our grandparents told these to us like stories. Even though we didn't know enough we felt the pain of our mothers in our bones. The rulers commemorate these kinds of days with a few words on their anniversaries, but we live through this history every day. The genocide experienced by the Armenians appears before us here today in different policies."

 

Kalk stated that these traumas have never ended for the Armenian community and that the fear they experienced still prevails. Underlining that Turkey does not define what happen as 'genocide' and keeps avoiding the subject, Kalk said that they will persistantly remind the genocide and fight to hold Turkey to account.

 

WOMEN WERE THE ONES MOST EFFECTED 

 

Stating that women were the ones most effected by the genocide, added that most women had to leave their babies in places they did not know or had to kill their babies and migrated. Kalk pointed out that the purpose of the attacks against the body, identity and gains of women is directed towards the model of women that the government wanted to create, and emphasized that women have been subjected to this exploitation throughout history. Kalk said that in history, Armenian women were married to Muslim men and that this was the real genocide. Kalk said, "Just like the perpetrators of today count on the government, it was the same back then. But women haven't submitted to these pressures and continue to fight for their people for hundreds of years."

 

'THEY ARE LOOKING AT US THROUGH HISTORY'

 

Kalk explained, "There were a lot of child marriages back then. Girls were left to the care of Turkish families. Those girls suffered through psychological and physical abuse for years before they were accepted as 'wives'. My grandfather left my mother to the care of my father and they got married. My father didn't tell about these things a lot because he lost his family members during the genocide. He has been suffering for a life time. Our grandmothers always said: "This should not happen ever again". Our family members didn't tell us a lot but when we read history, we see those slaugthered and raped women and their babies looking at us through those pages."

 

Stating that they will continue to exit with their identity and keep on fighting, and underlining that what was done to Armenians are not being done to Kurds, Kalk said everyone needs to resist with the Kurds. Underlining that she is proud to continue her struggle in HDP lines, Kalk said: "Peace will come to this country one day and those who put us through all these will lose."

 

MA / Berfin Karaman