The Board of Presidency of the Bethnarin National Council issued a condemnation on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, signed on 24 July 1923, which established the borders of racist nation states in the Middle East, including Kurdistan, defining the treaty as a decisive step in the denial and annihilation of the Syriacs.

The Treaty of Lausanne has long been criticised, not only because it cemented the partition of Kurdistan, but also because it is seen as a continuation of the Armenian genocides and the Sayfo genocide - the Ottoman mass murder of the Syriacs in 1915. The Bethnarin National Council stressed that since it was signed a century ago, not one of the guarantor states has seriously addressed the situation of the Syriac community or prevented the numerous attacks to which it has been subjected.

The statement on Tuesday pointed out that during the past 100 years, the Republic of Turkey has pursued a policy of expulsion, uprooting and condemnation to the diaspora, preventing the Syriacs’ return to their country, and implementing a brutal policy of assimilation and self-alienation towards the Syriacs still living there.

The statement noted that atrocities culminated in massacres and mass murders, accompanied by the systematic suppression of cultural and linguistic identity. Syriac schools were closed, and all forms of activities and national work were banned. For the sake of their own interests, the signatory states to the Treaty of Lausanne have turned a blind eye to the repression of the Syriac people and other ethnic identities in Turkey.

The Board of Presidency of the Bethnarin National Council appealed to the states involved, especially Great Britain and France, to assume the responsibility resulting from the agreement and to intervene against the continuing violations of rights and injustices against the Syriacs.

The statement pointed out that the Republic of Turkey has so far not applied Articles 37-45 in paragraph 3 of the Treaty of Lausanne, which deals with 'non-Muslim' minorities, to the Syriacs. These articles granted protection to religious buildings and schools of non-Muslim populations, as well as the right to use languages other than Turkish, including in the press, in primary education and in dealings with the authorities.

“We reject the Treaty of Lausanne due to this historical injustice and inhuman repression it has brought about, and we condemn the racist, fascist, monist and denialist policies. The Treaty of Lausanne should no longer be allowed to continue with this denialist mindset. Our people should focus on continuing their struggle with the utmost vigour to win their status with collective will in the international arena and all platforms, which will determine their future,” said the statement.

“As the Bethnahrin National Council, our freedom struggle against historical injustices and the policies of annihilation and denial will continue in all areas. We condemn and reject the powers that have ignored our people with the Treaty of Lausanne and the mentality of the governments in the Republic of Turkey,” the statement concluded.