Paylan's call for investigation on Armenian politicians killed in 1915
HDP Istanbul MP Garo Paylan suggested forming a parliamentary commission for carrying out an investigation on 7 Armenian members of Chamber of Deputies of Ottoman Parliament who served in 1908-1915 and killed after being arrested on April-May 2015.
Paylan, in his investigation proposal, demanded an investigation on how and by whose order Krikor Zohrab, Ohannes Vartkes Serengülyan, Nazaret Dağavaryan, Garabed Paşayan, Onnik Tertsakyan [Arşak Vramyan], Isdepan Çıracıyan and Hampartsum Boyacıyan were killed and where their bodies are buried. He also demanded proper burials for them.
Here is Paylan's speech at the parliament:
“After the beginning of the second constitutional period in 1908, many Armenians served in Chamber of Deputies.
Bedros Hallaçyan (İstanbul), Krikor Zohrab (İstanbul), Ohannes Vartkes Serengülyan (Erzurum), Karekin Pastırmacıyan (Erzurum), Istepan Ispartalıyan (İzmir), Nazaret Dağavaryan (Sivas), Hampartsum Boyacıyan (Kozan, Adana), Keğam Der Garabedyan (Muş), Hagop Babikyan (Tekirdağ) and Vahan Papazyan (Sivas) were elected to the Chamber from various cities in 1908. And in 1909, Artin Boşgezenyan was elected from Aleppo.
In 1912, Agop Boyacıyan (Tekirdağ), Artin Boşgezenyan (Halep), Bedros Hallaçyan, Karekin Pastırmacıyan (Erzurum), Keğam Der Garabedyan, Krikor Zohrab, Ohannes Vartkes Serengülyan, Garabet Paşayan (Sivas), Vahan Bardizbanyan (İzmir), Onnik Tertsakyan [Arşak Vramyan] (Van) and Hampartsum Boyacıyan were elected to the Chamber.
In 1914 election, which was the last election in which Armenians were elected, Isdepan Çıracıyan (Ergani, Diyarbekir), Osep [Hovsep] Medetyan (Erzurum), Ohannes Vartkes Serengülyan, Artin Boşgezenyan, Bedros Hallaçyan, Krikor Zohrab, Onnik İhsan Efendi (İzmir), Karabet Tomayan (Kayseri), Matteos Nalbantyan (Kozan, Adana), Agop Hırlakyan (Maraş), Keğam Der Garabedyan, Onnik Tertsakyan [Arşak Vramyan] and Dikran Barsamyan (Sivas) were elected to the Chamber for the last time.
Krikor Zohrab was arrested in Istanbul on May 21, 1915 and put on a train along with Erzurum Deputy Ohannes Vartkes Serengülyan for standing trial in the martial court in Diyarbakir. First, they were sent to Konya, then to Adana and finally to Aleppo. Ultimately being exiled to Urfa, Zohrab and Serengülyan were killed in Karaköprü province of Urfa by partisans.
Nazaret Dağavaryan was arrested in Istanbul on April 24, 1915 and sent to Ayaş Prison. Then, on the road to Diyarbakir where he was to stand trial in the martial court, he was killed near Siverek.
Garabed Paşayan was arrested in Beyoğlu on April 24, 1915 and sent to Ayaş Prison. He was killed in a valley near Elmadağ district of Ankara.
Isdepan Çıracıyan was arrested in Diyarbakir on April 21, 1915. It is known that he was killed near Çalıkhan Village in Diyarbakir on June 9, 1915.
It is known that Onnik Tertsakyan [Arşak Vramyan] was arrested on April 27, 1915 and killed in Arapu Tsor near Bitlis.
Hampartsum Boyacıyan was taken from his home in Beyoğlu on April 24, 1915 and arrested. First, he was sent to Sincanköy in Ankara and then to Ayaş Prison. Transferred to Kayseri, Boyacıyan was executed there on August 6 or 7.
After the multicultural period between 1908 and 1912 when all peoples lived together and were represented, the junta regime damaged the ideal of democratic politics, which was shared by Armenian politicians as well.
In the period that started with the arresting and killing of Armenian politicians and opinion leaders and its aftermath, Armenians, Syriacs, Greeks and Jews were turned into “minorities” by mass killings, exiles and pogroms.
Spotting the graves of these 7 Armenian politicians who served in the Chamber and restoring their honor by holding proper burials is a matter of honor for the current assembly.
Thus, we demand a parliamentary investigation for investigating the killing of Krikor Zohrab, Ohannes Vartkes Serengülyan, Nazaret Dağavaryan, Garabed Paşayan, Isdepan Çıracıyan, Onnik Tertsakyan [Arşak Vramyan] and Hampartsum Boyacıyan, spotting their graves and restoring the honor of those who served for the Chamber by holding proper burials for them.
