On September 21, members of the French branch of the Yerkir Union met with Osman Baydemir, the Kurdish Mayor of Diyarbakir in south-eastern Turkey.

During their conversation, Mayor Baydemir said that the city was ready to welcome the descendants of those Armenians who had left the district and proclaimed that they would enjoy the same rights as the majority Kurds.

“After the 1914 massacres, Armenians left the region and we Kurds remained here in isolation. The more isolated and adrift we became, the poorer we became as well, “noted Mayor Baydemir, adding that he was willing to continue talks with Armenians on the issue.

The Yerkir Union, an organization which seeks to preserve the unique cultural identity of individuals of Armenian extraction in the Armenian Plateau and Black Sea Basin, had travelled to Diyarbakir to participate in the Mesopotamia Social Forum.