Charles Aznavour will not be able to take part in concert for support of Kessab Armenians in Paris

YEREVAN, APRIL 11, 2014, ARMENPRESS. Charles Aznavour regrets that he will not be able to take part in the concert on April 11 for the support of the Armenians from Kessab, initiated by the Armenian community of France. As Armenpress reports, the legendary singer has written about this in his Facebook page. “Dear friends, my responsibilities are taking me far away, I find myself unable to be here. I write this to congratulate you on your readiness and assure you about my deep solidarity for what you do to help our Syrian compatriots” – he wrote.

He also calls on people to take part in the benevolent concert organized by “Medz Bazar” ensemble which is to be held on April 11 in the Alek Manoukyan Paris cultural centre of theArmenian General Benevolent Union, the whole receipt of which will be delivered to Kessab Armenians. Musical and dance performances will be included in the evening program.

The armed incursion began on Friday, March 21, with rebels associated with Al-Qaeda’s al-Nusra Front, Sham al-Islam and Ansar al-Sham crossing the Turkish border and attacking the Armenian civilian population of Kessab. The attackers immediately seized two guard posts overlooking Kessab, including a strategic hill known as Observatory 45 and later took over the border crossing point with Turkey. Snipers targeted the civilian population and launched mortar attacks on the town and the surrounding villages.

According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers crossed the Turkish border with Syria openly passing through Turkish military barracks. According to Turkish media reports, the attackers carried their injured back to Turkey for treatment in the town of Yayladagi.

Some 670 Armenian families, the majority of the population of Kessab, were evacuated by the local Armenian community leadership to safer areas in neighboring Basit and Latakia. Ten to fifteen families with relations too elderly to move were either unable to leave or chose to stay in their homes.

On Saturday, March 22, Syrian troops launched a counteroffensive in an attempt to regain the border crossing point, eye-witnesses and state media reported. However, on Sunday, March 23, the extremist groups once again entered the town of Kessab, took the remaining Armenian families hostage, desecrated the town’s three Armenian churches, pillaging local residences and occupying the town and surrounding villages.

Located in the northwestern corner of Syria, near the border with Turkey, Kessab had, until very recently, evaded major battles in the Syrian conflict. The local Armenian population had increased in recent years with the city serving as safe-haven for those fleeing from the war-torn cities of Yacubiye, Rakka and Aleppo.