Minorities In The Ottoman State And Armenian Question According To Archives

2-3 ARMENIAN REVOLTS

European States with the aim of founding an independent Armenia in Eastern Anatolia' abused religious and national feelings of Armenians and provided their organization in committees, associations, aid institutions and churches and their armament and then started to put Ottoman State into difficulty by inciting the Armenians to revolts. On the other hand, Ottoman state had acted tolerantly at the end of each revolt and preferred to end the events rather than imposing heavy penalties. Armenakan established in Van in 1885, Dashnak established in Tbiisi in 1890 and Marxist Hincak Committee established in Switzerland in 1897 played a significant role in the organization and occurrence of Armenian revolts. When the dates of establishment of the committees and the dates of revolts are taken into account, it is obvious that the revolts did not emerge as a coincidence.

The following are the significant Armenian revolts resulting in great difficulties for the State in the history:

June 20, 180 Erzurum Revolt

August 1894 First Sasun Revolt

September 16, 1895 Zeytun Revolt

September 29, 1895 Sivas- Divrigi Revolt

October 2, 1895 Trabzon Revolt

October 6, 1895 Egin Revolt

October 7, 1895 Kayseri- Develi Revolt

October 9, 1895 Akhisar Revolt

October 21, 1895 Erzincan Revolt

October 25, 1895 Giimushane and Bitlis Revolts

October 26, 1895 Bayburt Revolt

October 27, 1895 Mara§ Revolt

October 29, 1895 Urfa Revolt

October 30, 1895 Erzurum Revolt

November 2, 1895 Diyarbakir and Siverek Revolts

November 4, 1895 Malatya Revolt

November?, 1895 Harput Revolt

November 9, 1895 Arapkir Revolt

November 15, 1895 Sivas and Merzifon Revolts

November 15, 1895 Mara§ Revolt

November 22, 1895 Kayseri and Yozgat Revolts

1895-1896 Zeytun Revolt

June 2, 1896 1st Van Revolt

July 1897 Second Sasun Revolt

April 14, 1909 Adana Revolt.

Armenians, daring to organize an assassination to Sultan Abdulhamid II in 1905 as well as the aforementioned revolts showed that they were in the position to be able to kill the Ottoman Sultan.

Leon Trotsky who played a significant role in the foundation of Soviet Union and who is also the founder of the Red Army defines the policies of Russians on benefiting from Armenians with the following words, "During Russian- Turkish War, i.e. by the end of 1870s, the idea of revolting against Turkish and Kurdish dominance was very widespread in Turkey Armenia. In the view of revolutionists, such a revolt would result in interference by major States- namely Russia. The authorities of Tsardom diplomacy were trying to take Armenian revolutionists to their side and place them under the service of Tsarity." Moreover, Leon Trotsky described a squadron of Armenian volunteers who were forming a part of the Macedonian Legion established to fight against Turks and who were taking place in the rows of the enemy army against the army of the country of which they were citizens with the following expressions: "I was with the squadron of Armenian volunteers forming a part of the Macedonian Legion while they departed from Sofia and traveled to the front by the mid October. The concerned legion would be having a bad reputation due to their tortures in a short period of time. The Volunteer Armenians left the high school for girls in which they were placed and underwent weapon training. They were 230 dark tanned men of ages between nineteen and forty five with beards and moustaches."

The commander of the squadron of Volunteer Armenians described by Trotsky was an Armenian named Adranik Pasha who attacked and organized collective massacres against Turks and Muslims in various regions of Eastern Anatolia with the gangs he established and the Armenians under his command.

2-4 FORCED IMMIGRATION PRACTICE

In the final period of Ottoman State, Armenians cooperated particularly with Russians occupying a significant portion of the Eastern Anatolia during Wars of Trablusgarp, Balkans and World War I and initiated a big attack against the Turkish and Muslim people of the region. Armenians who made an unforgivable mistake by cooperating with the army of the enemy against the state of which they were citizens and by stabbing their own army from the back made use of the lack of authority due to the fact that Ottoman Army had to fight in many fronts, and started to murder and exile everyone from their own homelands and did not hesitate from eliminating Turkish and Muslim population in masses without making any discrimination between young- elder, women- men with the wildest methods.

Armenians, who had the tradition of betraying by taking place among the rows of Russian Army both in 1828 and during 1878 Russian - Turkish Wars, continued their tradition of betrayal during Word War I by massacring the civil people. Ottoman State who had endured the genocide actions carried out by the Armenian gangs against Turks and Muslims with the assistance of Russian army for nearly one year finally interfered in this case and had to decide upon settlement of the Armenians of the region to the lands of the Empire in south, i.e. forced immigration ("tehcir") had been initiated.

"Tehcir", a word originating from Arabic language, means to force to immigration from one location to another. This word in no case includes the meaning of exile. As the efforts of Armenians to attack, murder and to force to immigrate by burning down and destructing in 6 eastern provinces with the support of Russian, English and French armies had reached an unbearable status and as the threats and losses arising from the Armenians in the back route's of Ottoman army in the state of war, the Law on Dispatch and Settlement known as "Law of Tehcir" had been enacted on May 27, 1915. This law covers the issues on settlement of those conducting the acts of spying and who had been unfaithful with cooperating with the enemy, to locations which are not under state of war and transfer thereof to distant locations and regulations had been enacted on the procedure of the transfers. Issues such as protection of those who had been forced to immigrate against attacks of revenge or robbery, taking measurements to meet all kinds of requirements, food and beverage supply, provision thereof from the depots of Ottoman army if such shall be in insufficient quantities, determination and registry of their properties and real estates and protection thereof, allowing them to take their animals, assisting them in their settlement in their destination locations, provision of home, land, employments etc. had been underlined and the execution of necessary procedures by the authorities had been required in these regulations.

Armenians who had tried to use the Law of Tehcir in order to support the claims of genocide by identifying this law as an exile and the western circles that supported them did not pay any effort to understand the facts in Armenian history.

Nevertheless, history includes various exile cases to which Armenians had been subjected to other than the Ottoman State. For instance, Arabians who had conquered Sassanid Empire in 640 arrived in Nakhichevan and exiled 35.000 Armenians. Baybars the Mamelukian Sultan who had conquered Cukurova in 1275 had sent 10.000 Armenians to Egypt. During the Ottoman- Persia war in 1746, Persians had forced 24.000 Armenians to immigrate to Persia. 75.000 Armenians had been exiled from Crimea to Middle Asia steppes in 1778.

Since Armenians who had spread all over the world turned into a significant economical and political power in their countries of residence and established effective lobbies, they are being supported with various interest issues by the statesmen 'and politicians of those countries and the claims regarding Armenians are sometimes being defended by means of media in a more radical exaggerated manner than Armenians. In numerous countries, namely in United States of America and France, presence of rulers with Armenian origin who could find the opportunity to be Governor, Mayor, Deputy or Senator increases the impact of Armenian lobby on international platforms and makes it difficult for Turkey to explain the truths and have its own thesis accepted.

On the other hand, the Jewish genocide by Nazis and the fact that Germans had gathered not only the Jews living in their country but also those in the countries they have invaded and had sent them to death camps to kill them is forgotten and the fact that there exists no death camp on the territory of Ottomans and that no method had been imposed to kill has always been ignored. It is known that the deaths among the convoys from the provinces of Eastern Anatolia to the Ottoman lands in the south had occurred due to road conditions and various epidemic diseases as well as the attacks by the bandit gangs with a majority of deserters hiding in mountainous lands along the immigration routes for robbery purposes or revenge attacks by those who had lost their relatives in the massacres of Armenians. The encouragement of the bandit and raider gangs were increased by the facts that the best troops of Ottoman army were in the state of war in various fronts, the quality and quantity of the soldiers were insufficient to ensure the security of the convoys on the immigration route and many soldiers, officers and security guards had been martyred in these attacks. Those defending the Armenian thesis, despite being aware of these facts, are unable to explain why Turks preferred to force Armenians to immigration rather than eliminating them in their own locations of residence.

While some Armenian sources and the sources in favor of Armenians attempt to describe the events experienced during compulsory immigration as a genocide, the number of deaths is stated to be approximately two millions. They do riot abstain from imposing all kinds of pressures and threats against the historians, scientists and diplomats who are objecting to these claims in which they actually do not believe in themselves. Famous historian Bernard Lewis is a recent example for this case. Numerous threats and insults had been imposed and cases have been filed by the Armenian associations, lobbies all over the world and their supporters in their countries against this famous historian who could find the courage and honesty to state that "these are the interpretation of the history by the Armenians. However, there are conflicts and mutual killings between the two people. This case should also be taken into account in the view of Turks" with regards to the genocide claims and figures of Armenians.

In the Bernard Lewis case, a message was sent to everyone who was involved in, studying on this issue, interested in Armenian question that pressure would be imposed on those who do not take the cases into account in the view of Armenians.

One of the most striking comments on the tragedic events experienced in 1915 was made by American Professor with Armenian origin named Hovannisian. In his statement in "Congress on Problems of Armenian" organized in Munich, Germany in 1982, he stated that "Armenian Genocide has not been proved. Genocide is invalid legally and also has been subject to lapse of time." Following the publication of these views in Le Monde, one of the leading newspapers of France, Armenian circles and supporters were astonished by the unusual statements of an Armenian professor and reacted to his statements.

Inconsistent and exaggerated figures have been uttered by the Armenian favoring circles and Armenians on the Armenian population living within the territory of Ottoman Empire. However, the Director of Ottoman Statistics Public Administration was an Armenian named Migirdac Sinabyan between 1897- 1903 and the Armenian population was calculated to be 1.042.374 in the census of 1897 and 1.050.513 in the census started in 1903 and completed 'in 1906. The Armenian population has increased to 1.299.007 in the last census in 1914.

An unrealistic portrait was revealed with the ab6ve figures that 2 million people claimed to be killed in the forced immigration was more than the total of the Armenian population. The number of those who had been subject to forced immigration is estimated to be 700 000 while the number of deaths is estimated to be 200 000. The number of the Turks and Muslims killed by the Armenians with the most inhumane methods is more than the number of Armenian deaths. It has been identified that the number of Muslims massacred merely in Kars and Ardahan population has reached 30 000 whereas more than one million Muslims died in 6 provinces with Armenian inhabitants.

2-5 ARMENIAN QUESTION IN DOCUMENTS OF OTTOMAN ARCHIVE

State of Republic of Turkey proposed those exerting efforts to have the Armenian claims accepted and called them to examine the Ottoman archives to prove their ungrounded claims, these documents were published in English and Turkish in original and the document originals were made available for all kinds of studies. Many concerned countries, namely Armenia did not make their archives available and did not even send a researcher for the examination of the documents in the Ottoman archive.

However, the documents in the Ottoman archive are of qualifications that can surprise those who have been believing in the false claims for years. These documents are the complete oral or written testimonies of the people who had been subjected to Armenian atrocity and of the witnesses. Testimonies given by Turks and Muslims who suffered great pains, at the rulers of province, district, sub-districts to which the event locations are affiliated, reports by Village Council of Elders, correspondences to Army and Commandership of Army Crop include various details such as the events experienced, names of the Armenian gang leaders and members involved in the massacre, names and number of the people killed, goods and animals robbed, confiscated, the mosques, homes and stables burned down and destructed. One copy of concerned statements had been presented to French and Russian Military Authorities, namely the English Military Representatives who had been in the concerned region then, and attention had been called for the experiences of the Turkish and Muslim people whereas prevention of Armenian gangs and protection of civil people were requested. One sample of the concerned documents can be definitely found among the archives of these countries.

This study aims at presenting the documents which had been selected among the numerous documents in Ottoman Archives with great care and which include the comments of foreign observers and representatives.

For instance, it is stated in the report prepared by English representative Lieutenant Colonel Ravlinson upon his examinations on both sides of the frontier that; "Armenians are conducting massacre on the front from Oitu to Eastern Beyazid frontier and allies should immediately send forces to this region for the punishment thereof."

Armenians who had returned after evacuation of Igdir by Turkish soldiers started to impose a genocide on Muslim people. The events experienced were explained to the English General lyes who was a member of Peace Commission. And General lyes stated that he shall inform the competent authorities.

Tatyana Karameli who was one of the Russian Red Cross nurses and student in Moscow Faculty of Medicine and who arrived in Bayburt with the Russian Army in August 8, 1917 described what she saw and experienced in her statement as; "Armenian gang leader called Arshak and the gangster called Atranik managed the cruelties in the region in a coordinated manner. The children in the orphanage were daggered and murdered, girls and women were raped and all men arrested in Bayburt were murdered. Moreover, Armenians murdered some of approximately 150 Turkish children whom they have taken with them by using force when leaving Bayburt. Ungrateful Armenians who were guarded and hidden by the helpful Turks during the compulsory immigration with those who escaped to Russia due to their unfaithfulness' against Turks in the first years of the are now showing themselves and are leading all actions against Turks and participating in the massacres rather than preventing the massacres and guarding the unprotected people."

It is expressed in another document that "Armenians provoked by English who said; "we will provide arms and ammunition, shoot the Muslims" continued their attacks against Muslims in Nakhichevan and Kamarli and having massacring the people of three villages threw their corpses to the Aras River. Armenians state that they had been provoked by English."

Massacres by Armenians in Erzincan and its environs have been published under the headline "Burning Down and Destructions by Armenians and Massacres by Armenian Troops" in "Stockholmes Dagbladct" and "Aftanbladet" newspapers of the Sweden press. This document including the information given by Ottoman State Stockholm Ambassador regarding the concerned news show that the massacres by Armenians had been published in the European Press.

Leaders of Turkish and Muslim people in Eastern Analolia region referring to a commander assigned to the region by General Kert, Eastern State Commander of French Army explained what Armenians did to people and requested such to be stopped and the protection of people. It has been underlined that the blood shed shall be under the responsibility of French and it has been stated that the whole world shall be informed of this case.

Brutality, which can not be comprehended by human mentality, had been experienced during the Armenian atrocity between 1906- 1922 in Anatolia and Caucasian. Armenian brutality had been observed and reported in provinces and districts of Anatolia and their villages, namely as Kars, Kagizman, Sankamis, Oitu, Ardahan, Karakurt, Igdir, tspir, Trabzon, Bayburt, Erzurum, Tercan, Askale, Hims, Pasinler, Van, Adana, Dortyol, Kilis, Antep, Maras, Bitlis and in various locations in Caucasians namely as Nakhichevan, Gumrii, Yerevan and Batum.

In the document with the explanations of those surviving from the genocide by the Armenian gangs and Russian in Van and its environs, presented to Ministry of Internal Affairs, General Directorate of Security and bearing the signatures of significant local administrators such Mayor of Van, Van Commandership of Gendarmerie Troops, it is stated that " "human butcher" Armenians uniting with Russian forces left where they had invaded as " full of corpses like a slaughterhouse"; completely plundered and pillaged rich and valuable things, fired mosques and medreses with swearing at and insulting Islamism, enjoyed massacring Muslims, collected the weapons of the inhabitants and cut their noses and ears, legs and heads, cut through their abdomens, put them to sword, set alive children to fire, enjoyed in raising and pulling down their swords on the children who were not even old enough to talk and those too old to be able to walk, peeled some their skin, attached te cut heads to the ends of the bayonets and chopped some on the logs, threw some to the Mermid Stream, filled up the wells with people, filled up the earth ovens with children and women and set them on fire, those who were left under the ruins moaned for days and then died, raped women with unbelievable methods, brutally massacred those who resisted while some cut through their thighs and filled tern with their filth, completely undressed women whose breasts, noses were cut and who were somehow able to survive, left children to die on snow and that people died of hunger."

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