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The exhibition "99" for 24th April 2014 presented to the press at Diyarbakir

 
 
 

Exhibition at Diyarbakir 

24th April 2014

 

 The exhibition "99" for 24th April 2014 presented to the press at Diyarbakir 

 

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014 at 10 am, at the Journalists Association’s center of Diyarbakir, the French-Armenian NGO Yerkir Europe, the association ARAM from Marseille and the Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality, held a press conference to present the exhibition "99 Portraits of exile - 99 pictures of survivors of the Armenian Genocide"

Were present, the representative of the NGO Yerkir Europe, Armen Ghazarian; Varoujan Artin, from the association ARAM from Marseille and Muharrem Cebe, Director of Cultural Affairs of the Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality.

After reminding the various actions of the NGO Yerkir Europe, Armen Ghazarian said: "Organizing this exhibition on April 24th, — day of the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide — in Diyarbakir, is a double symbol because Armenians have their roots on this land and it is one of the crime scene of 1915."

He added: "The message we want to deliver is that beyond memory and history, there is now an opportunity for us Armenians to revive Armenian identity where its roots come from. Whether it is through culture, tourism or other."

Muharrem Cebe, Director of Cultural Affairs of the Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality, said: “99 years ago, a great tragedy has been lived on these lands. The Kurds have suffered the same fate. Looting, genocides, massacres were perpetrated.

He added: "Among the victims there was also people from Diyarbakir. They were forced to leave their lands. We are very pleased to see our compatriots back, — even symbolically — to the land where their grandparents were born and lived." 

Varoujan Artin, main organizer of the ARAM association, explained the content of the exhibition "99 - Portraits of exile - 99 pictures of survivors of the Armenian Genocide": " This is reproductions of passport photos of survivors of the Armenian Genocide accompanying between 1923 and 1926 certificates of baptism of the Armenian Patriarchate of southern France of which Aram has a large part of the archives. "

He then said: "For the first time in its history, Aram exposes a part of its records outside of France and especially in Turkey, in Diyarbakir. It is a physical homecoming, symbolically strong, on the lands of Western Armenia”.

Varoujan Artin concluded the press conference by saying: "I invite you to look at these faces that will look familiar to you, as your faces look familiar to me today. "

Muharrem Cebe, Armen Ghazarian, Burçin Gercek, Varoujan Artin