Two Thousand Kessab Armenians Find Safety in Latakia (Update)

Editor's Note: Below, please find an important message and article we received today from Lucine Kasbarian, an Armenian, living in the United States. It is yet another story of Syrian people being attacked by al-Nusra and other terrorist groups who themselves are being protected and used by Turkey's Erdogan regime to continue their attempt to overthrow the Bashar Al-Assad government. Turkey also shot down a Syrian jet this week. It is a deception when the Western Media calls this war waged by foreigners, a "civil war."

The maps below show two Syrian towns on the Syrian-Turkey border: the town of Kessab, where Armenian Syrians have been attacked and Latakia where about 2,000 Armenians have found refuge with international and local assistance. The fate of those who were not able to leave is unknown. You can contact Lucine by e-mail also visit her website.

- Les Blough, Editor
Axis of Logic

Left- Kessab in Syria on the border with Turkey. Right- The town of Kessab (Kasab)

Kessab and Latkia in Syria near the border with Turkey

Dear Friends,

Please help draw attention to the plight of the Armenian (civilian) enclave of Kessab, Syria, currently under attack by Turkish mercenaries and their hired hands. History is repeating itself.

Thank you,
Lucine Kasbarian

Cartoon by Lucine Kasbarian

International and Local organizations providing support

Badarak in Latakia on Sunday

Terrorists entering Syria from Turkey

LATAKIA, Syria (A.W.)—A delegation of priest from the Catholicosate of Cilicia who had visited Latakia to assess the needs of Kessab Armenians and express solidarity returned to Antelias after the Sunday Badarak.

According to the delegation, the local Armenian community, the International Red Cross, and the Red Crescent are providing assistance to those who have sought refuge in the city. An estimated 2,000 Kessab Armenians are currently in Latakia.

“Many Armenian families are staying with relatives and friends, while others have sought refuge in the Armenian Church and the church’s hall,” said Syrian Armenian community activist Nerses Sarkissian during a phone interview with Weekly editor Khatchig Mouradian.

“The Aleppo Armenian Prelacy as well as the Red Crescent are providing relief and assistance to these families in Latakia,” Sarkissian added.

Extremist fighters engage in robbery and desecration

The fighters, mostly from the extremist Nusra Front, who have entered Kessab are desecrating churches, pillaging houses, and destroying government buildings, Sarkissian told the Weekly. A few Syrian Armenians have been unable to leave Kessab, and their fate is unclear, he added.

Sarkissian underlined that the fighters came from the Turkish side of the border and are receiving support from the Turkish military. He noted that the injured among them are being transported back to Turkey to receive medical attention.

Assad ‘reassures’ Aram Catholicos

Syria’s ambassador to Lebanon visited Catholicos Aram I in Antelias on March 22, conveying to him Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s assurances that peace will be restored in Kessab.

A delegation of priests left Antelias for Latakia on March 23 to assess needs and express the Catholicosate’s solidarity with the displaced population of Kessab.

Turkey downs Syrian fighter jet

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed reports that the Turkish military had shot down Syrian fighter jet. The fighter jet crashed in Kessab. According to Ankara, it came under fire after crossing the Turkish border.

Meanwhile, clashes continued. “According to a military source, units of the armed forces have since morning been directing fatal strikes to the terrorist groups which infiltrated the border from Turkey in Kassab area, inflicting heavy losses upon them,” reported the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on March 23.

Perched in the northwestern corner of Syria, near the border with Turkey, Kessab had, until very recently, evaded major battles between the army and rebels. Many Syrians had taken refuge there because of the relative calm in the area over the past three years.

(Maps and Images added by Axis of Logic)

Source: The Armenian Weekly

We recommend this related news article on Axis of Logic:
Al-Jaafari: Turkish army covered and facilitated terrorists’ attack on Syrian-Turkish borders, by H. Sabbagh, SANA

Lucine Kasbarian is an artist and writer who served as president of the NYU Armenian Club in college and as a graduation gift from her parents, worked in Kessab, Syria, with the Land & Culture Organization (LCO) to rebuild Armenian monuments. The experience reinforced her desire to preserve the lands and culture of her ancestors and draw attention to the plight of her people.

In the 1980s, Lucine volunteered with Organization Terre et Culture (www.terreetculture.org/) in Kessab, rebuilding an ancient Armenian chapel. By nature of living and working in this beautiful place and with such beautiful people, Kessab felt like the homeland she'd been denied as a result of being a descendant of uprooted genocide survivors.

She writes, "Knowing that the Kessab churches have been attacked and in many cases destroyed (and for all I know, this may include our renovated St. Stepanos Chapel) is both heartbreaking and outrageous. Today's misfortunes sadly prove that history does indeed repeat itself when perpetrators are not brought to justice the first time."

After studying art and journalism in university, Lucine worked for book publishers, promoting books and publicizing authors, and as a writer and editor for a number of magazines in New York City. You can read more about her work on her website. Contact Lucine Kasbarian