On 110th anniversary of 1915 Sayfo Genocide, Bethnahrin National Council calls for international recognition inter-communal solidarity

BETH NAHRIN — Marking the 110th anniversary of the 1915 Sayfo Genocide, the Bethnahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo d’Bethnahrin, MUB) issued a powerful statement emphasizing the necessity of solidarity among peoples to achieve official recognition of the atrocities. The Council warned that denial, suppression, and cultural erasure continue to endanger the survival and identity of the affected communities.

In a statement titled Recognition Achieved Through the Joint Struggle of Peoples, the MUB commemorated the 1915 genocidal massacres committed by the Ottoman Empire and allied tribal forces that targeted Christian communities — Syriacs (Arameans–Assyrians–Chaldeans), Armenians, and Greeks — in Anatolia and Beth Nahrin (Mesopotamia). The MUB described the Sayfo as a deeply ingrained trauma in the collective memory of these communities, more than a century after the events.

The statement condemned Turkey’s ongoing refusal to acknowledge responsibility for these crimes, accusing successive regimes of fostering a nationalist ideology that deprives citizens of historical truths. The MUB highlighted Turkey’s deliberate destruction of Christian cultural heritage, including churches, monasteries, and schools, as part of a broader effort to erase ancient civilizations. This systematic oppression has forced many minorities to abandon their homelands, leaving those who remain to face significant risks in preserving their cultural identity.

The Council called for a transformative approach in the region, advocating for a democratic society that acknowledges historical truths and addresses the shared trauma of genocide and displacement. The MUB linked the genocidal policies of 1915 to contemporary violence and human rights violations in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran, asserting that these are continuations of the same destructive legacy. It also criticized regional and international powers for exploiting sectarian divisions and hatred to advance their agendas.

Additionally, the MUB expressed alarm over Turkey’s neo-Ottoman ambitions, which it said aim to dominate the region through sectarian, Islamist, and nationalist policies. Such actions, the council warned, pose existential threats to minority groups, including Christians, Yezidis, Alevis, and Druze, who already face systemic discrimination.

Concluding its statement, the MUB reaffirmed the need to honor the millions of lives lost in 1915, emphasizing that denial of these atrocities remains a significant obstacle to peace and reconciliation. The Council called for comprehensive reforms to protect the identities, histories, and political rights of all peoples, asserting that recognition is essential for building a future rooted in equality, justice, and democracy.