Armenian Brigade in Northeast Syria commemorates the genocide

Armenians in North and East Syria commemorate their ancestors who lost their lives in the genocide. The Armenian Genocide, which took place 108 years ago, has been officially recognized by many countries. However, it is still denied by the Turkish state. Mexico’s Senate was the last among more than thirty countries to recognize the Armenian Genocide, in which more than one and a half million Armenians and Assyrians were systematically murdered.

During the genocide, more than a million Armenians were sent on forced death marches to the Syrian dessert. Armenians, who survived the genocide, have settled in various cities in Northern and Eastern Syria such as Qamishlo, Heseke, and Deir ez-Zor. While still bearing the marks of the genocide, they have also been heavily exposed to the attacks and massacres of ISIS and the Turkish state. This led the Armenian people to form their own organizations to protect their history, culture, and language from threatening attacks. Thus, on April 24, 2019, the Martyr Nubar Ozanyan Armenian Brigade, a self-defense force in Northern and Eastern Syria, was established. Last year, Oskan Bagiryan, a fighter of the Martyr Nubar Ozanyan Battalion, which is a part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was killed in an armed conflict with Syrian soldiers in Til Temir.

The reason for the formation of the brigade was stated in its founding declaration as follows: “Today on the 104th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, we proudly announce the founding of the Martyr Nubar Ozanyan Armenian Brigade. The children of the genocide began to defend themselves. As children of the Armenian people, who were massacred and exiled in the genocide, we came together to defend Rojava against fascist attacks by ISIS and the Turkish state and to strengthen the revolution in Rojava.”

Since its inception, the Armenian brigade has commemorated the genocide with a military ceremony every year on the 24th of April. The brigade, named after the Armenian fighter Nubar Ozanyan, who lost his life fighting against ISIS in Raqqa in 2017, held the memorial ceremony this year in the area of Mount Abdulaziz in Heseke. After the military ceremony of the brigade consisting of men and women, Narek gave a speech in Arabic on behalf of the brigade. The genocide will be commemorated by the Armenian community in Heseke on April 25.