Midyat, Turkey (AINA) -- On the centennial anniversary the Turkish genocide of Assyrians, Armenians and Greeks, Assyrians in Midyat have begun a 100 hour hunger strike commemorating the victims of the genocide. The strike was organized by the Assyrian Genocide committee and is being held in the building of the Federation of Assyrian Associations.

Committee representative Simon Poli, Assyrian Women Center representative Aynur Ozgun and the President of Federation of Assyrian Associations Evgil Turker opened the strike, saying:

In 1915, Ottoman Empire carried out a genocide against the Assyrians. The trauma of this inhuman treatment still continue. Today, Sayfo has been discussed in a lot of European parliaments and we have great expectations for positive approach [for recognition]. Sayfo has been accepted by Holland and Armenia. The Pope said there was a genocide against the Armenians and Assyrians on 1915 and this made tremendous impact around the world. This progress is the result of 20-year-old struggle.

"We will keep our struggle until all over the world and especially Turkey recognize 1915 Sayfo as a genocide. Today we are on hunger strike in Midyat and this is very crucial for all Assyrians because the genocide was carried out in this region and more than 500.000 Assyrians were massacred. We claim that Republic of Turkey must face the truth and recognize the genocide. Only then, all people living in Turkey will be in peace and harmony.

During the genocide of 1915 hundreds of Assyrian villages were attacked, their Christian inhabitants killed or forced to flee.

Between 1915 and 1918 750,000 Assyrians (75%), 500,000 Greeks and 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks and Kurds in a genocide that aimed at and nearly succeeded in destroying the Christian communities in the Ottoman Empire.