Catholicos Aram I Demands Reparations for Adana Massacres

ANTELIAS—His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Holy See of Cilicia demanded on Wednesday reparations for the devastating Adana Massacres committed by the Ottoman Turkish government in 1909 during a symposium to mark the 100th anniversary of the brutal killings.

“In Adana we lost 30.000 lives, the massacres left us with widows, orphans, destroyed churches, homes, schools, farms, mills and everything else that touched the peoples’ livelihood,” Aram I said in his opening remarks “Hence, today on behalf of all Armenians we demand compensation from Turkey for those losses inflicted upon our people”.

“As Armenians we should set aside our differences and unite in our just claims for reparation for the Adana Tragedy,” Aram I said in his opening remarks. “The Demand for justice is not constrained by time. We must ensure that the consequences of the genocides are recognized and remedied.”

Traveling from all parts of the world to attend the symposium were community and political leaders, clergy, historians, researchers, international law experts and the descendants of the victims.

The symposium began with a Requiem Service in memory of the martyrs, presided over by His Holiness Aram I and celebrated by the members of the Brotherhood of the Catholicosate. Following the Service, the participants were led to the Cilicia Museum for the opening of an exhibition of 60 photographs from the archives of the Catholicosate depicting scenes of the massacres. Participants also took part in the unveiling of a cross-stone monument to the victims of the massacre.

“This sad page in the contemporary history of the Armenian nation should be remembered with due importance and seriousness.” Aram I said, speaking at the unveiling. He added that t Catholicosate of Cilicia “will organize a conference, an exhibition, and will oversee the publication of books and documents related to the Adana massacres.”