Armenian-Kurdish Dispute in Bourj Hammoud: Political or Criminal Reasons?
A Kurdish official has said that the Armenian Tashnag party asked Syrian Kurds to leave several areas that have Armenian populations within Monday, warning them that they would pay LL3 million if they fail to abide by its orders.
The deputy head of the Kurdish Charity Mahmoud Siyala told al-Mustaqbal newspaper on Sunday that the Tashnag officials have given the Kurds the ultimatum to leave their houses in Bourj Hammoud, Dora and Nabaa by Monday for allegedly “drug use and acts that undermine public order.”
Al-Mustaqbal said there are around 8,000 Syrian Kurds in the three areas, hinting that the decision of the Armenian party came after they staged rallies against Syrian President Bashar Assad in Beirut.
But Tashnag MP Hagop Pakradounian told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that the party’s decision has no political goal.
“All there is into it that these youths who have rented houses without contracts are bothering the residents and doing immoral things,” he said.
“The residents requested the party’s help after they signed a petition asking them (the Kurds) to leave the area,” Pakradounian said, stressing that “the Armenians have a history of struggle with the Kurds” against Turkey.
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