The Turkish involvement in the recent attack on Kassab reminded Syrian Armenians of a dark chapter in their history: the Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman empire in 1915, says The Wall Street Journal.
"The people of Kassab are kicked out of their houses and living in the Armenian church of Latakia where they receive food from the Armenians living there," said one student from Kassab, who now lives in the U.A.E. but is in touch with family members who recently fled the town.
"The place we used to spend our summer memories has turned into a war zone. The Free Syrian Army is bombing the place while the Syrian Army is doing all they can do to save Kassab…The only positive thing is that the people in Kassab, including my friends and family, escaped just in time. They will surely going to be homeless after the battle," the student said.
The attack on Kassab took place on Mar 21. As a result, 700 Armenian families were evacuated. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan reacted with a statement in The Hague, with most of the Armenian parties having urged the world community to condemn Turkey's actions. An Armenian parliamentary delegation was sent to Kassab and Latakia so as to meet with the local Armenians. A group of Armenian MPs met with Syrian President Bashar al- Assad.