100 years later, we would have loved to think that certain things have changed in these lands; however, we can’t. It is not easy to tolerate seeing what people will do for power, and how the smile on a face can, in a flash, change into an evil grin; but we will.

The Greek Parliament has passed a law that will pave the way for the construction of a mosque in Athens. This was among the conditions required by Ankara for the opening of the Theological School of Halki in the framework of reciprocity. Ankara is now expected to take a step regarding the seminary.

HDP co-leader Selahattin Demirtaş spoke at a rally in Mersin that went ahead in defiance of the synchronized bomb attacks on his party’s bureaus in Mersin and Adana: ‘We will approach other political parties with feelings of fraternity in order to render this provocation void’

The People’s Democratic Party (HDP) had condemned the bomb attacks on its party bureaus in Adana and Mersin with a written statement: “Dark forces supported by the government want to prevent the progress and election work of our party”

20 people detained during the May 1 demonstrations were arrested this morning following the completion of investigations.

The Lawyers for Justice group has prepared a preliminary report on the rights violations that took place on May 1, Workers’ Day. The report states that 452 people were detained, that the duration of arbitrary detention had been extended, and that lawyers were prevented from receiving information regarding detentions. Rights’ violations continued in May 4 as the lawyers that gathered at the Çağlayan Court House to make a statement on May 1 along with unions, associations and mass organizations were met with brutal police intervention.

Surp Badarak mass in memory of April 24 has been held at the Turkey Armenian Patriarchal Church. Led by Deputy Patriarch Aram Ateşyan, the ceremony was also attended by EU Minister Volkan Bozkır. President Erdoğan’s message was also read at the ceremony where white doves symbolizing peace were released and bells were rung 100 times.

In his speech on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, President Obama used the expression “Medz Yeghern”, meaning “great disaster”. Describing 1915 as a “massacre”, Obama underlined the importance of “reckoning with the past”.

MTP (the Nationalist Turkey Party) and Turan Ocakları lay black wreath in front of Agos this morning.

Today’s issues of the daily Cumhuriyet and Özgür Gündem newspapers have been published with Armenian headlines .

100 Istanbul Bilgi University academicians have released a statement upon the administrative blocking of the conference titled ‘Armenian Genocide: Concepts and Comparative Perspectives’, declaring that they considered the blocking of the conference unacceptable in terms of academic and democratic freedoms.

President Erdoğan has made a joint statement with Iraq President Fuad Masum: “Armenia speaks as if our 100th anniversary Gallipoli commemorations are in retaliation. We have no such qualms.”

The list of participants has been announced for the Gallipoli ceremony, which have this year been made to overlap with April 24, the beginning of the Armenian Genocide. The ceremony in Turkey will be attended by a total of 79 officials including 21 heads of state and 5 prime ministers.

Group leaders of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the two parties that form the coalition government in Germany, have reportedly agreed to use the expressions ‘the fate of the Armenians constitutes an example of the history of deportation an genocide’ in the ‘Armenian Resolution’ to be presented on April 24, 2015, Friday, at the German Federal Assembly. The government is also expected to back the resolution.

The Prime Minister’s Office of the Republic of Turkey has published an official statement on the eve of 24 April. The statement concludes with the words “…we once more commemorate with deep respect the Ottoman Armenians who lost their lives during the relocation in 1915 and we share in the grief of their children and grandchildren.”

As Hrant Dink said, “Every Armenian is a document”. However, we need to remind those who keep insisting, “Show us the documents” of two recent developments.

Öcalan’s written message was read out at the Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakır. Öcalan made call of farewell to arms on the basis of principles.

HDP Istanbul Member of Parliament Sırrı Süreyya Önder announced that Abdullah Öcalan has made a call to the PKK to hold congress in the spring for disarmament.

Following the evacuation on the night of 21 February Saturday by military operation of the Suleyman Shah Tomb and the affiliated Commemoration Station, the only piece of land that belongs to Turkey that lies outside of its borders, attention is now focused on the Eşme region in Syria, officially announced as the new location for the tomb. However, the region Ankara has declared as the new destination of the “heritage of forefathers” was along the deportation route of the Armenian Genocide a century ago.

People continue their struggle to survive in Kessab, a town on the border of Syria with Turkey in the Hatay province area. Following the occupation of the town by Al-Nusra forces last year, the Armenians in the town had been dispersed, with most of them coming to Vakıflı Village in Hatay, and had returned after the Syrian army had retaken the town. However, the people of Kessab now face the threat of ISIS.