ANC of Europe sends letter to Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the EU
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ANC of Europe sends letter to Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the EU –
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To: Catherine Ashton
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High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
Vice President of the European Commission
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Brussels, 6 June, 2014
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Dear Baroness Ashton,
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From the very beginning of the civil war in Syria, the Armenian Community in Aleppo has suffered, big losses in lives, injuries and properties, being in the center of the battleground between the Army and the opposition forces. The situation has been deteriorated in the last period, from the moment that in the area the main forces fighting against the army are the Al Qaeda affiliated forces.
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There is no doubt that those extremist opposition forces, are armed by Turkey and entering from there, do not fight against the armed forces, but basically their attacks are aimed against the population in the cities and villages. Recently, they attacked the Armenian populated town of Kessab, entering from Turkey, forcing the entire population to evacuate the town and find shelter in the city of Latakia. During the last days those forces entering again from Turkey are attacking Aleppo, targeting basically the Armenian populated neighborhoods and especially Nor Kyough.
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As reported by news agencies as well, incessant rocket fire against the Nor Kyough neighborhood, from the Al Qaeda affiliated forces, are endangering the lives of the population and are causing massive destruction. Armenian churches, schools, institutions, houses and stores are in complete or partial destruction, making life unbearable for the citizens of the town, thus causing a new wave of evacuation towards Latakia, which is already overflowing with displaced Armenians from the insurgence of the terrorist groups in Kessab early this spring.
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In view of this terribly inhuman situation the Emergency Relief Body of Syrian Armenians (ERBSA) has declared the Armenian Nor Kyough neighborhood in Aleppo a DISASTER ZONE.
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Your Excellency,
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Recently, on the 21st of March 2014, the Al Qaeda affiliated groups attacked the town of Kessab on the borders of the Turkey and Syria, thus forcing the entire population to evacuate it and find shelter in the city of Latakia. Today they are attacking the Armenian populated neighborhoods of Aleppo and especially Nor Kyough. If Turkey would not encourage and even provoke those attacks, it would be very easy to secure the borders and forbid the free circulation of these extremist groups.
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On behalf also of our compatriots, citizens of the European Union, we urge you, as the Head of the exterior relations of the European Union, to take the necessary steps in pressuring those countries that are encouraging those Al Qaeda affiliated groups to stop providing them with arms and money. Especially Turkey, which arms and allows if not even provoke the free circulation of those groups, despite its fake assurances about the contrary. The evidences are more than obvious.
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Yours sincerely,
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Kaspar Karampetian
President,
European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy
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