April 24, 2014: Gyumri mayor Samvel Balasanyan visited the Herheri canyon (The canyon massacre) on April 24, the commemoration day of victims of the Armenian genocide, where he paid respect to the memory of the victims. The mayor underlined that Turkey is obliged to recognize the crime committed at the beginning of the century as an organized genocide against the Armenian people and must apologize from our people otherwise all of the statements and assurances from the Turkish government aimed at reconciliation between Turkish and Armenian societies are false. Samvel Balasanyan also participated in tree planting near the genocide memorial area.