European Syriac Union issues final statement for Lausanne Agreement Conference

ZURICH — The European Syriac Union (ESU) recently organized a conference in Zurich, Switzerland, centered around the repercussions of the Lausanne Agreement on the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community and ways forward in advocating for their rights.

The conference, which took place on 27 October, gathered academics, researchers, clerics, and politicians to discuss the historical Lausanne Agreement of 1923 and its far-reaching effects on various communities in Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel.

Key topics at the conference revolved around the disparate application of the agreement concerning the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people, the infringement of their rights, and the forced displacement of indigenous populations through violent massacres. The event also delved into the grievous massacres endured by the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldea) people under the rule of the Ottoman Empire in Iraq, alongside the systematic violation of their historical and religious values, aimed at erasing their identity, heritage, and future.

The European Syriac Union emphasized the existential threat faced by the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community in the Middle East.

It also emphasized the importance of a two-state solution to the conflict in Israel-Palestine and questioned why the cause of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people was not on equal footing with the Palestinian cause in terms of international support. They called upon the European Union to adhere to international laws and humanitarian values and to advocate for the recognition of the rights of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people through the establishment of an autonomous region in Nineveh Plains in Iraq.

Furthermore, the ESU urged the European Union to foster strong relations with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) where the local Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community plays a key role in the local governance and is granted full rights in expressing their culture and faith.