Resolution on the genocide of the Syriac people

June 15 marks the 106th anniversary of the genocide of the Syriacs¹, Armenians and Pontos Greeks committed by the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

The then acting Minister of Interior ordered a "mass resettlement" of all Syriacs, Armenians and Pontos Greeks living in the Ottoman Empire. The Syriacs refer to this dark chapter of their past as Sayfo, Aramaic: sword. Turkey continues to deny the crimes committed against the Christian peoples in the Ottoman Empire. However, the recognition of the Sayfo of 1915 is of paramount importance for the Syriacs and the collective memory of this people.

Mass resettlement turned into death marches, hundreds of thousands of Syriacs wandered aimlessly into the Mesopotamian desert and died there. A total of 500,000 Syriacs, 1.5 million Armenians and 300,000 Pontos Greeks, i.e. more than 2.3 million people, fell victim to the genocide. The historical facts on this subject are still denied in Turkey, the history books remain falsified and anyone who only just mentions the genocide as a journalist, for example, is subject to severe reprisals.

The property and lands of Syriacs and other Christian minorities were confiscated by the Ottoman and Turkish governments. The confiscated property of the non-Muslim minority formed the economic basis of the Turkish Republic.

Now the oppression, persecution and murder against the Syriac people by the fascist Turkish state continues. From 1987 to 1998, more than 45 Syriacs were abducted, tortured and murdered in the town of Midyat. The Syriacs are not recognised in Turkey as an independent people with their own language, history and culture. Thus, the acquisition of property, the construction or maintenance of church buildings is associated with difficulties, the training of the next generation of priests and the official teaching of the Aramaic language are forbidden. The Syriacs are denigrated in Turkish school textbooks as traitors to the country. The fields of the Syriacs are regularly set on fire by the Turkish army under the pretext of fighting the Kurdish guerrillas. With Turkey's illegal occupation of northern Syria and its support for fascist jihadist terrorist militias, the fascist state of Turkey is committing a new genocide against the Syriac people in Syria and Iraq.

German imperialism also continues its interests policy with and for the fascist Turkish state government, criminalising and persecuting Syriac revolutionary activists in Germany.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1915 Syriac genocide in Turkey, Syriac intellectuals from Tur Abdin joined forces and founded the Revolutionary Syriac People's Movement (Aramaic: Suryoye Qauwonye) in Midyat in 2015.

The struggle for the recognition of the genocide of the Syriacs is part of the anti-imperialist struggle worldwide. In order to win, revolutionary parties have to be built and the union and coordination in the ICOR have to be promoted. The building of the anti-imperialist anti-fascist united front is also the order of the day!

On the occasion of the 106th commemoration day on June 15th, 2021, we as ICOR demand immediately, without condition and with all consequences:

- Recognition of the genocide against the Syriacs by the Turkish state!

- The recognition of the Syriacs as an indigenous people in Turkey and constitutional protection for their rights and freedoms!

- Equality before the law with other citizens living in Turkey without any discrimination according to their religion, language, ethnicity and geographical region!

- The right to spread the Aramaic language!

- The right to the Aramaic culture and traditions!

- The right to full practice of religion and restitution of expropriated property!

- The right to return!

- Human rights & justice for the murdered Syriacs!

Signatories (as of 15 June 2021, further signatories possible):

1. БКП Българска Комунистическа Партия (Bulgarian Communist Party)

2. БРП(к) Българска Работническа Партия (комунисти) (Bulgarian Workers Party (Communist))

3. PR-ByH Partija Rada - ByH (Party of Labor - Bosnia and Herzegovina)

4. UPML Union Prolétarienne Marxiste-Léniniste (Marxist-Leninist Proletarian Union), France

5. BP (NK-T) Bolşevik Parti (Kuzey Kürdistan-Türkiye) (Bolshevik Party (North Kurdistan-Turkey))

6. KOL Kommunistische Organisation Luxemburg (Communist Organization of Luxemburg)

7. MIKSZ Magyar Ifjúság Közösségi Szervezete (Organisation of Hungarian Youth Community)

8. RM Rode Morgen (Red Dawn), Netherlands

9. UMLP União Marxista-Leninista Portuguesa (Portuguese Marxist-Leninist Union)

10. RMP Российская маоистская партия (Rossijskaya maoistskaya partiya) (Russian Maoist Party)

11. MLGS Marxistisch-Leninistische Gruppe Schweiz (Marxist-Leninist Group of Switzerland)

12. SGB Suryoye Gawonoye d´Bethnahrin (SGB Communist Syriacs of Mesopotamia), Turkey

13. MLKP Marksist Leninist Komünist Parti Türkiye / Kürdistan (Marxist Leninist Communist Party Turkey / Kurdistan)

14. KSRD Koordinazionnyj Sowjet Rabotschewo Dvizhenija (Coordination Council of the Workers Class Movement), Ukraine

15. UoC Union of Cypriots, Cyprus

Additional Signatories (Non-ICOR):

1. International Solidarity United Front of Syriacs (ISUF-S)

2. National Council of the Syriacs of Mesopotamia (MUSB)

3. Popular Front of Syriacs (Turkey)

4. Popular Front of Syriacs in Europe

5. People's Council of Syriacs (Turkey)

6. People's Council of the Aramean Syriacs

7. People's Council of the Assyrian Syriacs

8. People's Council of the Chaldeans Syriacs

9. People's Council of the Syriacs in Syria

10. People's Council of the Syriacs in Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands)

11. People's Movement Revolutionary Syriacs

12. Suryoyutho TV