Armenians fight to save language and land in North East Syria

Armenian activists in North-East Syria are teaching their ancient tongue to reinforce their place in contested areas around Hassaka. This comes as Turkey is supporting the resettlement of displaced persons from other parts of the war-torn country in the area – an alarming development for Armenians. The Armenian Social Council runs the course to raise awareness of the community’s language, culture, and history. Educator Lucien Erdemya told A24 News Agency that her course increase will increase the number of Armenian speakers in North-East Syria by training teachers to use the language across the curriculum. Erdemyan wants the Armenian language to be part of the school curriculum in areas controlled by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). Syria’s Armenian community was mainly formed between 1915 and 1920 with the arrival of survivors of the 1915 genocide carried out by Turkish nationalists. The Office of the Armenian High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs says about 60,000 community members fled the country during the current war, and nearly 30,000 are thought to remain in Syria.