ANKARA—Turkish-Armenian parliament member Garo Paylan, who represents the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), resurrected the memories of the 13 Armenian members of the Ottoman General Assembly who were massacred on April 24, 1915 as he commemorated the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Thursday at the Turkish Parliament.
In his address to Parliament, Paylan read the names and displayed the photographs of several Armenian politicians killed, arrested, or exiled in the Armenian Genocide, including Krikor Zohrab (Istanbul), Bedros Haladjian (Istanbul), Nazaret Daghavarian (Sivas), Garabed Pashaian (Sivas), Ohannes Seringiulian (Erzurum), Onnik Tersekian (Van), Hampartsum Boyadjian (Kozan), Vahan Papazian (Van), Hagop Babikian (Tekirdağ), Karekin Pastermadjian (Erzurum), Kegham Der Garabedian (Mush), Hagop Boyadjian (Tekirdağ), and Artin Boshgezenian (Aleppo). Paylan also detailed the fate of each Armenian politician during the Armenian Genocide.
During his address, which he began with the Armenian greeting “Parev tsez,” Paylan condemned the murder of the politicians and said that the Turkish state should come to terms with its history. Paylan also condemned the fact that several places in Turkey are named after the organizers and perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide. “Can you imagine going to Germany and walking on avenues named after Hitler?” Paylan asked.
Paylan held up the photographs of each massacred Ottoman lawmaker of Armenian descent and read aloud their names and places of birth, and in Armenian proclaimed Աստուած հոգին լուսաւորէ—May God Bless Their Souls
He later tweeted a similar message with photographs of the martyred Ottoman Armenian Deputies.
Let the cowards in DC today grovel in shame under the giant spotlight of truth that brave Garo Paylan shone today.
Wow, what a brave man!!!
The truth about the fate of 13 Armenian members of the Ottoman General Assembly was delivered so far for some parliament members, but mostly for empty chairs, furniture and air. I hope the speech had saturated the air of Turkish parliament sufficiently enough to help to transform the spirit of absentees to face the realities of 1915 when they came back. Empty chairs are the witnesses of denial. The speech of Garo Paylan is very courageous test of Democracy in Turkey. It can be a signal of a turning point in Turkish and Armenian history.
V.Pilossyan M.D.
Let’s see now if Erdogan will have him jailed, or expelled, or oppressed in any other way. After all, it is the Turkish way..
GARO PALYAN… DEAR BRAVE PALYAN LOST FEARS
Palyan … Putting the photos of genocided Armenian MPs of 1915
on the chairs in the Turkish Parliament …
Those famous literates, dedicated people slayed by Ottomans …
Lawyers, writers, poets…were tortured, slayed,
Some says, the butchers crushed their skulls…
to see in side them …why they were so talented …???
Some says… they mutilated their hidden organs!!!???
They took them on April 24, 2015 to a slaughtering place ….
Collected from many provinces… 600 of them …
Not one or two … I repeat 600 talented, honest Armenians …
Including “Gomidas~Komitas, My Musical Saint*”
Palyan is showing only few photos of them.
This honest MP can be killed easily …
The criminals are ready to slay his neck.
Palyan lost fears …He no longer cares …
He gave his speech from his firing debt of his cardiocytes,
His brain rage-filled cells: astrocytes …dendrites …
He could no longer hide his feelings …
Kept praising his talented peers …
In the Turkish non-democratic parliament …
in this Year April 2016 …
For those martyrs…who gave their lives …
For serving Ottoman, faithless government.
My grandfather Mihran Dabbaghian was slayed…as well…
Head of customs Department in Dikranagerd, so-called Diyarbakir town…
And his well-known uncle, famous Lawyer/ Judge in town
given name by the Turks, Mr. Natick Effendi
They went to work … never seen again …
and all their families were slaughtered then…!!!
I prey for Garo Palyan, not to be slayed like our dear Hrant Dink …
Who was asking only for Peace … and only Peace…
Sharing his kindness with those godless populace…
Although I lost my trust in al mighty God
But I must pray … I have no other choice…
I can’t cut my tongue … and brake my red pen …
My bleeding scares are never healed …
And will never heal … even after my death …
My grandchildren will inherit that gene from me
So they will never forget …what our artful, creative nation felt …
Dr. Sylva Portoian
April 24, 2016
___________________
* Palyan, MP in Turkish Parliament, representing his land,
Western Armenian, now in so- called, Turkish land.
The only way we can heal and move on, is for both nations to accept and forgive what happened in the past.
In this way we can have prosperous, uplifting and harmonies relationship, not only for now but for generations to come.
I am humbled by his bravery. Thank you!