AYF participates in IUSY Congress in Istanbul
ISTANBUL — From March 26–29, 2026, the Congress of the International Union of Socialist Youth took place in Istanbul, Turkey. The congress is the highest decision-making body of the organization, responsible for electing new leadership and determining its policies, directions and positions for the upcoming mandate by adopting resolutions and policy papers. The meeting was hosted by the youth organization of Turkey’s Republican People’s Party.
The Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) participated in the congress with a delegation consisting of Syune Gevorgyan (Armenia), Tatev Der Mardirosian (Armenia) and Christ Proudian (France). At the congress, the delegation raised several key issues, including the right of return of the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh, the immediate and unconditional release of Armenian hostages held in Baku and the regression of democracy in Armenia, as well as the persecution of opposition forces, including members of the AYF and its mother party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF).
In addition, the delegation held bilateral meetings with representatives of various youth organizations from Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
However, due to pressure from the Turkish government, particularly targeting CHP, the largest opposition force in the Turkish parliament, and under the pretext of security measures, police entered the congress venue and prevented any political discussion or debate. As a result, the congress was interrupted and the adoption of all resolutions was postponed. Only the elections were conducted before the congress was formally closed, without any resolutions or substantive political debates taking place.
The International Union of Socialist Youth is a global umbrella organization bringing together more than 150 socialist, social democratic and labor youth organizations from more than 110 countries.
The Armenian Youth Federation was absolutely wrong to send a delegation to Turkey – adding insult to injury – especially one organized by the Republican People’s Party, the party founded and led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who was not only the founder of the Republic of Turkey and its first president, but also a major Armenian Genocide perpetrator who destroyed Western Armenia. Under his and his successor Ismet Inonu’s leadership, the CHP persecuted the 95% decimated Armenian community – now concenteated in Istanbul, for the first three decades of the Turkish republic while it was in power. The mantle of the ongoing persecution of Armenians (as well as the equally decimated Greeks, Jews, Assyrians, etc.) was taken over from the CHP, by other ruling parties, the latest being Erdogan’s AKP party. Armenians need to actively boycott that country, especially events organized by the Turkish state and organizations such as the CHP, which have Armenian blood on their hands.