Bethnahrin National Council denounces 101 years of Lausanne Treaty, calls for recognition of national rights

BETH NAHRIN — On the 101st anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, the Bethnahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo D’Bethnahrin, MUB) issued a statement highlighting the genocide and marginalization of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people post-1924.

The statement asserted that the Turkish government, following the Lausanne Agreement, continued the extermination of Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people who had survived the 1915 Sayfo massacres. These oppressive policies forced many from the historic region of Tur Abdin in southeastern Turkey to immigrate to Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and other Middle Eastern countries, as well as to nations such as the United States, Australia, Canada, and across Europe.

The MUB emphasized that after the Sayfo and the Lausanne Agreement, there were concerted efforts to eradicate the culture, economy, social life, and national identity of their people. Schools were closed, and the use of the mother language along with national and cultural activities were banned. Turkey aimed to create a homogenous state with one language and one Turkish-Islamic identity, driven by the Committee of Union and Progress, which opposed the diverse national identities and democratic values.

In concluding its statement, the MUB called on major powers and the international community to acknowledge the national rights of their people. The Council urged for global recognition of their struggle and sacrifices made under its leadership, aiming to bring truth and justice to light.