13/03/2015 21:01
Special Project. Survivors of Armenian Genocide. Lusik Aspaturian about massacres in Van-Tospi Chobanoghli
Aysor.am is launching the third series of project “Armenian Genocide: Breaking the Silence.” Under the headline “Survivors” we will regularly present the testimonies of survivors of the 1915 Armenian massacres in the Ottoman Turkey.
Testimony of survivor Lusik Aspaturian about massacres of Armenians of the village of Van-Tospi Chobanoghli, Van province.
“Battles of Van began in April. Voices of cannon were heard from Van. Thousands of Kurds, mob-like, with horses and on foot came for slaughtering. When we heard them, we left everything, our sheep and cattle. We ran to the Mount Chomaqlu, where Armenians of twelve villages were gathered. Armenian soldier’s bullets were done during the battle in Kharakonis, therefore only ten soldiers were fighting against the enemy.
That day enemy managed to kill one of our warriors, but our people killed more than 10, at the same time 15 villagers were killed. Nakho’s family of five members (Lusik does not know his surname), who lived in a house belonged to a Kurd, were killed. The rest of the people came to Van. I forgot to add that saviors of the Armenians were Shrin and two other men (Lusik does not know their names), who had organised resistance.
Five residents of the village returned, the rest moved to Yerevan, Nakhijevan, Igdir and other regions. There is no information about our 3 village houses. We have seen our relatives on the way to Berkir. Surely, they may have been killed or taken hostage. 15 villagers are buried in Ejmiatsin, 8 of them in Margara village and 9 in Igdir”.
Lusik Aspaturian is an uneducated woman, nearly 40 yeras old.
The project was prepared with the assistance of the Information and Analytical Center of the Armenian Government Staff.