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On 27 April 2017, a symposium titled “Yol Ayrımının 100. Yılında Türk-Ermeni İlişkileri” (En. “Turkish-Armenian Relations at the 100. Year of the Junction”) was held in Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University. At the symposium, presentations were delivered by AVİM Analyst Mehmet Oğuzhan Tulun and AVİM Scholar in Residence Maxime Gauin alongside academics who are experts in the history and current dimensions of the Turkish-Armenian controversy. Tulun, delivering a presentation titled “Ermenilerin Türkiye’den Talepleri” (En. “Demands by Armenians against Turkey”) on behalf of AVİM Honorary President Ömer Engin Lütem, touched upon the following points: the important social place enjoyed by Armenians during the Ottoman State era, Armenians’ relationship with the State that began to deteriorate during the 19th century, the processes that led to the 1915 events and the general contours of these events, and the allegations put forth today by Armenians concerning these events and the claims they put forth against Turkey. In his presentation titled “The Occupation of Maraş by the French and Armenian Forces in Its Historical Context (1919-1920)”, Maxime Gauin explained how the French occupation of Maraş and its environs proceeded, what incidences occurred in Maraş during this occupation, what the relationship was between France and the Armenian volunteer units during France’s occupation, and what measures France began to take against these Armenian volunteer units once they began to exhibit excessive behavior and began to persecute the Muslim people.  

After the conclusion of the symposium, a trip was organized on 28 April to the Süleymanlı (Zeytun) region of Kahramanmaraş with the participation of the academics and AVİM staff who took part in the symposium. Within the context of this trip, a visit was made to the martyrs’ cemetery in Zeytun built in the name of the Ottoman soldiers who were martyred during the 1895 and 1915 Armenian insurrections. You can view the photographs of the martyrs’ cemetery below: