Armenian Genocide Commemoration Event in Sisli, Istanbul

On April 23, a candlelight vigil took place in the Şişli district of Istanbul to commemorate and honor the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The silent vigil was organized by the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). The participants sat in a circle near the entrance of the Osman Bey Metro station holding red carnations and placards with the pictures of the victims of the Genocide. As Armenian music played from loudspeakers, the organizers passed out booklets to passersby. Following the silent vigil, the participants walked through the neighborhood, where ethnic minorities, including Greeks, Armenians, and Jews had lived, changing the names of the streets. Several participants spray painted the names of Armenian intellectuals -- Krikor Zohrab, Zabel Yesayan and Hrant Dink -- on walls of buildings, leaving behind burning candles and flowers.