Ambassador Mkrtchyan Participates in International Conference in Greece Marking the 110th Anniversary of the Assyrian Genocide

14 June, 2025

At the invitation of the Hellenic Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports, Tigran Mkrtchyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to Greece, participated in the international conference titled “1915–2025: 110 Years After the Assyrian Genocide” and delivered a welcoming speech.

The conference opening took place at the historic old building of the Hellenic Parliament, where welcoming remarks were delivered on behalf of the Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament by Angelos Syrigos, representative of the "New Democracy" party and professor at Panteion University; on behalf of the Greek Orthodox Church by Father Konstantinos Papathanasiou; Christina Kefalogianni, Deputy Regional Governor of Attica; Kyriakos Batsaras, President of the Assyrian Community of Greece; Kyriakos Chatzikirikidis, Head of the Department of Pontic Studies at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; and Giorgos Kalatzis, Secretary General for Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports of Greece.

The keynote address at the conference was delivered by Greek MP and professor Angelos Syrigos.

In his opening speech, Ambassador Tigran Mkrtchyan said:

"Members of the Government of Greece, Members of the Parliaments of Greece and Armenia, Distinguished members of the Assyrian and other communities, Respected scholars, Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to express my gratitude to the Hellenic Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports—specifically its Secretariat for Religious Affairs—the Greek Orthodox Church, the Assyrian Union of Greece, and the Department of Pontic Studies at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki for organizing this important international conference and for the opportunity to speak at its opening.

The annihilation of the Assyrian population of Asia Minor and northwestern Persia by Ottoman authorities between 1915–1923 occurred alongside the Armenian and Greek genocides. Many genocide scholars consider these to be the “Ottoman Genocides.” However, it should be noted that Assyrians—like Armenians and Greeks—had also been subjected to continuous persecution and massacres by Ottoman authorities and local Kurdish tribes for decades prior, although the “final solution” was implemented in 1915 through organized mass killings.

Sultan Abdul Hamid’s 1895 decision to starve and subjugate the Nestorian population constitutes a genocidal act.

At the beginning of World War I, under the pretext of military conscription, thousands of young Assyrians were placed in labor camps and later massacred. At the same time, Assyrian villages were destroyed, and women, the elderly, and children were forcibly deported into the deserts of Mesopotamia. Many were forcibly converted to Islam. The Assyro-Chaldean delegation at the Paris Peace Conference estimated the number of victims at approximately 250,000, a figure later revised to 275,000 at the Lausanne Conference. However, the number of victims from 1895 to 1923 is likely double that, if not higher.

The Assyrian Genocide has been extensively covered by the international press, and documented in the reports and archives of Western diplomats, missionaries, and humanitarian organizations.

Recently, the renowned Armenian researcher Ara Ketibian published a comprehensive multi-volume work of American media reports on the Armenian Genocide. He also included dedicated volumes on the genocides of Greeks and Assyrians. In 2024, the Embassy of Armenia in Greece, in cooperation with the Academy of Athens, organized a special event dedicated to the Armenian Genocide, during which Mr. Ketibian presented his works, including the volume on the Assyrian Genocide. I have had the opportunity to distribute this volume to various libraries across Greece.

In 2007, the International Association of Genocide Scholars—the leading global authority on genocide studies—officially recognized the Assyrian Genocide. On March 24, 2015, just before the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, the National Assembly of Armenia adopted a resolution recognizing the genocides of the Assyrians and Greeks committed by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923.

As a member of the organizing committee of the First Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide, held in Yerevan in 2015, I was pleased to welcome Assyrian participants to that historic event.

Today, Assyrians around the world—many of whom are present here—refer to Sayfo as a national catastrophe, which has impacted every generation of Assyrians since 1915 and continues to affect their collective psychological and moral state.

Such academic conferences are undoubtedly key to raising awareness about genocide and contribute to the global movement for genocide prevention. Even though the world may not currently be in its most promising state, we must not lose hope. The fight for justice and the prevention of genocide remains on the agenda of the civilized world.

Once again, I thank you for organizing this important event and bringing us all together. I wish you success throughout the duration of the conference."

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