21.04.2014
YAYLADAG-KESAB
THE OBSERVATION REPORT ON ARMENIAN REFUGEES WHO WERE FORCED TO MIGRATE
After the information gathered about the Armenian refugees who were living in Kesab and about the citizens living in Syrian border villages of Yayladagi-Hatay, which is also a border gate to Syria, this report is prepared as a result of the interviews of the committee formed with the participation of Lawyer Hatice Can (IHD Central Board Member), Mithat Can (IHD Hatay Branch, President) and David Cagan (IHD Hatay Branch, Board Member) on 06.04.2014.
In the days local elections were approaching, we monitored the war policies of AKP Government towards Syria in concern.
The military mobility we witnessed in Syrian border gate in Hatay-Yayladag, the military shipments to this region and getting news about conflicts very often, had led our attention to increase. These military operations were frightening and worrying us personally and as human rights activists, as people in favour of peace and human rights and as people against war.
Every humanist and pacifist should take it as duty to learn the meaning and reasons of this military operations and mobility, and to inform public opinion.
As HRA Hatay Branch Office, our report reflects what we saw, what we heard and what we learned from elderly Armenians, objectively and literally.
You can find the expressions of the villagers of Yayladag border villages below who declined to be named;
“10-11 days before the local election, military shipment and ammunition stack was started to be made in Yayladag-Syria Border. The ammunition stack was mostly made near the villages Gozlekciler, Candır, Egerci and Kiyigören. Entrances and exits were taken under military control. In fact evacuation of our villages was added to agenda. We all worried but subsequently the evacuation idea was dropped.
The first conflict started on 21.03.2014 at 05.45 in the morning. The conflicts took place at border outpost on Point 45 hill which is 3 km. away from Yayladag-Candır Village. This strategic hill is a place which can control İdlib, Latakia and Kesab. After the conflicts Al-Qaeda flag flew over there.
Conflicting radical Islamic teams went towards the Syrian Border from Candır Village-Yayladag by 13 vehicles around 01.00 am after midnight. The villagers clearly identified that this was the team who first opened fire to attack at 05.45 am.
The border guard troops stopped the group of 5 vehicles in a convoy that left to help the first team around 08.00 am. But after a 10 minutes telephone interview the troops let through the armed group with radio transmitters and phones. After the armed group entered Syria the conflicts became more violent. Weapons, artillery and missile sounds lasted about 5 hours. Within this period we clearly heard some people shouting “Allah-u Akbar” and some others yelling and screaming and sounds of screeching animals.”
“Now there is no Kesab any longer and its historic past, beautiful nature, geographical features and Armenians and Alewis living there. Now occupying forces are there. And bearded, armed fighters. Kesab is under occupation. People can not sleep because of artillery and missile sounds in the villages of Yayladag and Samandagi. Fears and worries dominate people. In fact, one of the artillery shots fell into a mosque in Yayladag and another one to the village square of Meydan Village in Samandagi. However it did not draw reaction and cause a stir because they were fired by the opponents.”
“Now there is smell of blood, bullet and gunpowder everywhere in Kesab. And dead human bodies and violence. And often, sounds of ‘Allah-u Akbar’, prayer calls and murderers’ shouts of joy.”
“The slaughterers, entered Kesab freely from Turkey with their weapons and tanks in front of the eyes of our border guard soldiers.”
“Kosem Restaurant in Yayladag, serves free food for 1500 people everyday for this killer gangs. The wounded people are carried to hospitals and health centres by “JVE-86” Syrian-plated or by Turkish-plated ambulances. At the moment all the houses in Kesab are empty and under control of the occupants. The occupants launch Grand Missiles given by USA, to the neighbouring settlements. These missiles are very dangerous and have a range of 50 km.”
“These attacks on Kesab and Point 45 are extremely strategic. The main objective of these attacks is to make the military forces located in Jordan, Aleppo and other places come towards here and to reassure the opposing forces in those places. Another objective is to raze (around 10) Alewi settlements after seizing these strategic positions.”
In order to meet the 2 elderly Armenians -reported in the media that they were brought to Samandag-Vakifli Village- we arrived to Vakifli Village. When we arrived there, we learned in the church garden that 19 more elderly Armenian refugees were brought on the same day (06.04.2014).
In our interviews with 19 elderly Armenians, they told us that their houses are destroyed barbarously and loutishly. They explained that they were forced to migrate and they were brought here from the camp where they stayed for 15 days.
“They said they would take us to Latakia where our children are. But suddenly we realized that we are in Samandag.”
One of the Armenian refugees, an older man, said;
“On 21 or 22 March, we were grazing our sheep in the mountains. We were unaware of the events. When we came home we saw that the doors were open. My wife, my daughter and my sister were not at home. I shouted and the bearded men came. They spoke to me in Arabic and Turkish. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ they said. ‘We gave them to a safe place. You stay here.’ They brought food and gave coke. Me and the other elders were afraid of gunshots and could not sleep. Bearded men came and took us away that night. They took us to a place they called HARA where there were many people. The people who forced us out of our homes and plundered them were men of every colour, Chechen, Dagestani, Libyan, Somali, Sudanese, bearded and were dressed loose robes over trousers. They were speaking Arabic, Turkish and English. They didn’t misbehave us. They gave us blankets to cover at night. But the Alewis living in the area were not as lucky as we were. They cut and kill them.”
Turkish-speaking Anahit Aholanyan said they were living 6 months in Aleppo and 6 months in Kesab in a year. Aholanyan conveyed their experiences as follows;
“However, this year when we were in Aleppo, the opponents invaded our house and used it as a conflict area. We had come to Kesab to spend the winter months because Aleppo was not safe .Our homes were invaded 15 days ago. We told them to kill us instead of taking us to somewhere else but they said they would not kill us and take us to Latakia.
When we asked, “How can we help and support you?” they answered;
“Send us back to our country, homes and mountains as soon as possible. Let us at meet our relatives, animals, gardens and land again. And die there if we must. We are happy just in our own land.”
President of Armenian Church Congregation Cem Capar and Headman of Vakifli Village, thanked us and wanted us to announce this message to the world public;
“These 21 people are all elderly. We are putting them up in Vakifli Village. We wish them to meet their homes, gardens, relatives, land and children as soon as possible. They are not hungry and homeless here. We are looking after them. But they are forced to leave their homes and land. How they can be happy, comfortable and peaceful during the war in their country.”
We observed that Armenian refugees are still under the influence of the traumatic experiences they lived. They were still in a panic, fear and concern. They were extremely sad and almost confused. Some didn’t speak, some didn’t want to eat, some didn’t want to have their photos taken, and some didn’t want to shave.
Vakifli people were extremely anxious but they were in a hurry to help them. They wanted this problem to be resolved as soon as possible and want peace conditions are provided in Kesab for the Armenians to continue their lives.
Lawyer Hatice Can IHD Central Board Member
Mithat Can IHD Hatay Branch, President
David Cagan IHD Hatay Branch, Board Member