BERLIN — The Sayfo Genocide of 1915 that targeted the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean), Armenian, and Greek peoples, long overshadowed in historical scholarship, is gaining renewed attention thanks to the completion of a groundbreaking doctoral dissertation by Dr. Sabro Bengaro. Titled Germany’s Islamic Strategy During the World War I and the Impact of the Jihad Declaration on the Sayfo Genocide of 1915, the study examines the ideological and geopolitical forces that facilitated the mass extermination of Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean), Armenian, and Greek communities during World War I.
For over a century, the systematic targeting of Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people, along with Armenians and Greeks, has often been marginalized in mainstream histories of the Ottoman Turks. Dr. Bengaro’s work situates the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) experience within the broader framework of German-Ottoman cooperation and the empire’s mobilization of jihad as a tool of war. His research relies on extensive archival material, including German diplomatic correspondence, Ottoman military communications, missionary reports, and Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) ecclesiastical testimonies.
A central finding of the dissertation is the role of the 1914 Ottoman jihad proclamation, which Germany strategically supported. The study argues that the jihad was not merely a rhetorical or political maneuver against Allied powers, but a direct ideological justification for violence against Christian minorities, including Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people in Hakkari, Tur Abdin, and the Mosul Vilayet. According to Dr. Bengaro, local and imperial policies were explicitly shaped by this rhetoric, facilitating widespread massacres and deportations.
Beyond its historical insights, the research carries significant implications for ongoing efforts to secure formal recognition of the genocides of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean), Armenian, and Greek peoples, collectively referred to as the Sayfo (Sword, in Syriac) by Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people. Turkey has repeatedly dismissed the events as collateral damage of wartime chaos, but Dr. Bengaro’s evidence demonstrates clear patterns of intent and coordination consistent with international definitions of genocide. Scholars, advocacy groups, and legal experts say the work strengthens the factual basis for diplomatic and legislative engagement on the issue.
The Seyfo Center and Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean), Greek, and Armenian organizations worldwide have hailed the dissertation as a critical resource for education, preservation, and advocacy. Its meticulous archival research and analytical rigor offer material for museum exhibits, educational programs, policy briefs, and academic collaborations, while reinforcing the interconnected nature of Ottoman Turk era genocides against the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean), Armenian, and Greek peoples.
“This dissertation is both an academic breakthrough and a symbolic victory for the Assyrian nation,” Dr. Bengaro said in a recent interview. “By reclaiming our historical narrative, we provide a foundation for recognition and accountability that can no longer be ignored.”
Dr. John Kaninya, a Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian from Iraq and Assistant Professor at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, contributed to the reporting. An expert in Arabic linguistics and cultural intelligence, Dr. Kaninya holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Arizona.
