The Board of the IRWF- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. held a special session dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
This systematic expulsion and physical annihilation of an estimated 1.5 million ethnic Armenians took place in Turkey and in the neighboring regions within the Ottoman Empire, between 1914 and 1923.
The starting date of the massacre has been conventionally deemed to be April 24, 1915, when the Ottoman authorities apprehended and deported some 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders from Constantinople (Istanbul) to Angora (Ankara), eventually murdering most of them.
The actual genocide was implemented in two phases which consisted of mass killings of the male population followed by the deportation of women, children and elderly on death marches to the Syrian dessert, under harsh torment.
The thriving Armenian diaspora is a direct result of the latter deportation.
In a joint declaration signed by Eduardo Eurnekian and Baruch Tenembaum, Chairman and Founder respectively of the IRWF, they stated:
"The 20th century was the stage of a number of massacres and two of them were the greatest tragedies in history: the Armenian Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust. A few days ago, on April 19th, we commemorated the 77th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and today, on this 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, we pay tribute to the blessed memory of all the victims and praise the courage of all those who tried to reach-out to the persecuted ones.
We strongly believe that it is never too late to build-up bridges of peace and understanding but in order for the wound to start healing, the tragic past needs to be recognized. We call upon all the countries in the world to recognize the Armenian genocide and help the parties to pave the way for a future of mutual respect".
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