Turkey should seek court rulings against the Supporters of Terrorist Organizations
marykalbright
World Court) against certain countries (shuch as Syria, Belgium,
Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, France, Greece, Armenia and
others) to pay monetary compensations for providing supports and safe
heavens for PKK/KADEK, Armenian and Greek terrorist organizations,
which murdered tens of thousands of innocent and defenseless Turks,
and for the damages (both in human cost, public and private property,
and economic loss) these terrorist organizations have been causing.
+++++++++++++++
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&e=13&u=/nm/20040428/wl_nm/iran_iraq_usa_dc
Iran Court Orders U.S. to Pay $600 Million
2 hours, 16 minutes ago Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!
TEHRAN (Reuters) - An Iranian court has ruled the United States should
pay $600 million in compensation for supplying ousted Iraqi leader
Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) with chemical weapons, the official
IRNA news agency said on Wednesday.
IRNA said the money in the case, brought by Iranian war veterans and
disabled, should be paid to survivors of attacks on the town of
Sardasht which borders Iraq (news - web sites).
Iraqi gas attacks killed thousands of Iranians and Iraqi Kurds in the
1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. Hundreds of thousands died on both sides and
Iran has thousands disabled by chemical arms.
No further details were available and Iranian officials were
unavailable for any immediate comment.
"The court has ordered the American government to pay the money for
furnishing Saddam with chemical weapons to attack Iran," IRNA
reported.
The United States and Iran have been at odds since 1979 when more than
50 Americans were held hostage by Iranian student militants at the
U.S. Embassy in Tehran for 444 days after the Islamic revolution.
The verdict was submitted to the Swiss Embassy which has covered U.S.
interests in Iran since Washington cut ties with Tehran in 1980.
Roman
> Turkey too should seek court rulings (in both Turkish courts and the
> World Court) against certain countries (shuch as Syria, Belgium,
> Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, France, Greece, Armenia and
> others) to pay monetary compensations for providing supports and safe
> heavens for PKK/KADEK, Armenian and Greek terrorist organizations,
> which murdered tens of thousands of innocent and defenseless Turks,
> and for the damages (both in human cost, public and private property,
> and economic loss) these terrorist organizations have been causing.
>
Mary K., turkish retard, when's the next inspection of your brain you got
up your ass?
marykalbright
"No sir, you will not find Armenians who will express disapproval or
distress for the assassination of Turkish governmental officials. It
is unfortunate that the attitude of the Turkish government vis-a-vis
Armenian demands dictates that more people have to die in pursuit of
justice. ... It is not uncommon to find those within the Armenian
diaspora who actually applaud these violent actions. "
David Davidian <d...@urartu.SDPA.org> | The life of a people is a sea,
and
S.D.P.A. Center for Regional Studies | those that look at it from the
shore
P.O. Box 2761, Cambridge, MA 02238 | cannot know its depths.
->> Boston'dan Van'i istiyoruz <<- | -Armenian
proverb
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/chronological_rundown.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
Armenian Terrorism - A Chronological Rundown
January 27, 1973 Santa Barbara, California|
The Armenian Gourgen Yanikian, a U.S. citizen, invites the Turkish
Consul General, Mehmet Baydar, and the Consul, Bahadžr Demir to a
luncheon. The unsuspecting diplomats accept the friendly invitation.
Gourgen Yanikian murders his two guests. He is sentenced to life
imprisonment.
April 4, 1973 Paris
Bombings at the Turkish Consulate General and the offices of Turkish
Airlines (THY). Extensive damage.
October 26, 1973 New York
Attempted bombing of the Turkish Information Office. The bomb is
discovered in time and defused. A group calling itself the "Yanikian
Commandos" claims responsibility. They want the release of the double
murderer of Santa Barbara, Gourgen Yanikian, who insidiously murdered
two Turkish diplomats.
February 7, 1975 Beirut
Attempted bombing of the Turkish Information and Tourism Bureau. The
bomb explodes while being defused. A Lebanese policeman is injured.
The "Prisoner Gourgen Yanikian Group" claims responsibility.
February 20, 1975 Beirut
The "Yanikian" group demanding the release of the double murderer of
Santa Barbara strikes again. Extensive damage is caused by a bomb
explosion at the THY offices. ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for the
Liberation of Armenia) also claims responsibility for the bombing.
October 22, 1975 Vienna
The Turkish Ambassador, Danis Tunalžgil, is assassinated in his study
by three Armenian terrorists. ASALA claims responsibility.
October 24, 1975 Paris
Ambassador Ismail Erez and his driver, Talip Yener, are murdered. The
ASALA and the JCAG (Justice Commandos for the Armenian Genocide)
dispute responsibility.
October 28, 1975 Beirut
Grenade attack on the Turkish Embassy. The ASALA claims
responsibility.
February 16, 1976 Beirut
The First Secretary of the Turkish Embassy, Oktar Cirit, is
assassinated in a restaurant on Hamra Street. The ASALA claims
responsibility.
May 17, 1976 Frankfurt, Essen, Cologne
Consulates General in Frankfurt, Essen and Cologne are the targets of
simultaneous bomb attacks.
May 28, 1976 Zurich
Bomb attacks at the offices of the Turkish Labor Attache and the
Garanti Bank. Extensive damage. A bomb in the Turkish Tourism Bureau
is defused in time. Responsibility is claimed by the JCAG.
May 2, 1977 Beirut
The cars of the Military Attache, Nahit Karakay, and the
Administrative Attache, Ilhan Özbabacan, are destroyed. The two
diplomats are uninjured. Credit is claimed by the ASALA.
May 14, 1977 Paris
Bomb attack at the Turkish Tourism Bureau. Extensive damage. The "New
Armenian Resistance Group" claims responsibility.
June 6, 1977 Zurich
Bomb attack at the store of a Turkish citizen, Hüseyin Bülbül.
June 9, 1977 Rome
Assassination of the Turkish Ambassador to the Holy See, Taha Caržm.
He dies soon after the attack. The JCAG claims responsibility.
October 4, 1977 Los Angeles
Bomb attack at the house of Professor Stanford Shaw, who teaches
Ottoman history at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).
Responsibility is claimed by an "Armenian Group of 28."
January 2, 1978 Brussels
Bomb attack at a building containing Turkish banking services. The
"New Armenian Resistance" claims credit.
June 2, 1978 Madrid
Terrorist attack on the automobile of the Turkish Ambassador, Zeki
Kuneralp. His wife, Necla Kuneralp, the retired Turkish Ambassador
Besir Balcžoglu die immediately in the rain of gunfire. The Spanish
chauffeur, Antonio Torres, dies of his injuries in the hospital. ASALA
and JCAG claim responsibility.
December 6, 1978 Geneva
A bomb explodes in front of the Turkish Consulate General. Extensive
damage. The "New Armenian Resistance Group" claims responsibility.
December 17, 1978 Geneva
A bomb explodes at the THY Bureau. ASALA claims responsibility.
July 8, 1979 Paris
The French capital experiences four bomb attacks in a single day. The
first is at the THY offices; the next at the offices of the Turkish
Labor Attache; the third in the Turkish Information and Tourism
Bureau. A fourth explosive, intended for the Turkish Permanent
Representative to the O.E.C.D., is defused before it explodes. The
JCAG claims responsibility.
August 22, 1979 Geneva
A bomb is thrown at the car of the Turkish Consul General, Niyazi
Adalž. The diplomat escapes unhurt. Two Swiss passers-by are injured.
Two cars are destroyed.
August 27, 1979 Frankfurt
The offices of THY are totally destroyed by an explosion. A pedestrian
is injured. The ASALA claims responsibility.
October 4, 1979 Copenhagen
Two Danes are injured when a bomb explodes near the offices of THY.
ASALA claims credit.
October 12, 1979 The Hague
Ahmet Benler, the son of Turkish Ambassador Özdemir Benler, is
assassinated by Armenian terrorists. The murderers escape. JCAG and
ASALA claim responsibility.
October 30, 1979 Milan
The offices of THY are destroyed by a bomb explosion. ASALA claims
responsibility.
November 8, 1979 Rome
The Turkish Tourism Office is destroyed by a bomb. ASALA claims
responsibility.
November 18, 1979 Paris
Bomb explosions destroy the offices of THY, KLM, and Lufthansa. Two
French policemen are injured. Responsibility is claimed by ASALA.
November 25, 1979 Madrid
Bomb explosions in front of the offices of TWA and British Airways.
ASALA, in claiming responsibility, states that the attacks are meant
as a warning to the Pope to cancel his planned visit to Turkey.
December 9, 1979 Rome
Two bombs explode in downtown Rome, damaging the offices of PAN AM,
British Airways and the Philippine Airways. Nine people are injured in
the terrorist attack. A "New Armenian Resistance Movement" claims
responsibility.
December 17, 1979 London
Extensive damage is caused when a bomb explodes in front of the THY
offices. A "Front for the Liberation of Armenia" claims
responsibility.
December 22, 1979 Paris
Yžlmaz Çolpan, the Tourism Attache at the Turkish Embassy is
assassinated while walking on the Champs Elysées. Several groups,
including ASALA, JCAG and the "Commandos of Armenian Militants Against
Genocide" claim responsibility.
December 22, 1979 Amsterdam
Heavy damage results from a bomb explosion in front of the THY
offices. ASALA claims credit.
December 23, 1979 Rome
A bomb explodes in front of a World Council of Churches Refugee
Center, being used as a transit point for Armenian refugees from
Lebanon. ASALA claims credit for the attack and warns the Italian
authorities to halt "the Armenian diaspora."
December 23, 1979 Rome
Three bomb explosions occur in front of the offices of Air France and
TWA, injuring a dozen passers-by. ASALA claims responsibility, stating
that the bomb was placed "in reprisal against the repressive measures
of French authorities against Armenians in France" (i.e., questioning
suspects, carry out investigations, etc.)
January 10, 1980 Teheran
A bomb which explodes in front of the THY offices causes extensive
damage. ASALA claims responsibility.
January 20, 1980 Madrid
A series of bomb attacks, resulting in numerous injuries, occurs in
front of the offices of TWA, British Airways, Swissair, and Sabena.
The JCAG claims credit for the attacks.
February 2, 1980 Brussels
Two bombs explode within minutes of each other in front of the
downtown offices of THY and Aeroflot. The "New Armenian Resistance
Group" issues a communique in which they claim responsibility for both
attacks.
February 6, 1980 Bern
A terrorist opens fire on Turkish Ambassador Dogan Türkmen, who
escapes with minor wounds. The would-be-assassin, an Armenian named
Max Klindjian, is subsequently arrested in Marseilles and returned to
Switzerland for trial. The JCAG claims credit for the attack.
February 18, 1980 Rome
The offices of Lufthansa, El Al and Swissair are damaged by two bomb
attacks. Telephone messages give three reasons for the attacks: 1. The
Germans support "Turkish fascism"; 2. The Jews are Zionists (ASALA);
3. The Swiss behave "repressively" towards the Armenians.
March 10, 1980 Rome
Bomb attacks on the THY and Turkish Tourism Bureau offices on the
Piazza Della Repubblica. The blasts kill two Italians and injure
fourteen. Credit for the attack is claimed by the "New Armenian
Resistance of the Armenian Secret Army."
April 17, 1980 Rome
The Turkish Ambassador to the Holy See, Vecdi Türel, is shot and
seriously wounded. His chauffeur, Tahsin Güvenç, is also slightly
wounded in the assassination attempt. JCAG claims responsibility for
the attack.
May 19, 1980 Marseilles
A rocket aimed at the Turkish Consulate General in Marseilles is
discovered and defused prior to exploding. ASALA and a group calling
itself "Black April" claim credit for the attack.
July 31, 1980 Athens
Galip Özmen, the Administrative Attache at the Turkish Embassy, and
his family are attacked by Armenian terrorists while sitting in their
car. Galip Özmen and his fourteen-year-old daughter, Neslihan, are
killed in the attack. His wife, Sevil, and his sixteen-year-old son,
Kaan, are wounded. Credit for the double killing is claimed by ASALA.
August 5, 1980 Lyon
Two terrorists storm into the Turkish Consulate General in Lyon and
open fire, killing two and injuring several other bystanders. ASALA
claims credit for the attack.
August 11, 1980 New York
An "Armenian group" hurls paint bombs at the Turkish House across from
the United Nations, home of the Turkish Representations in New York.
September 26, 1980 Paris
Selçuk Bakkalbasž, the Press Counselor at the Turkish Embassy, is shot
as he enters his home. Bakkalbasž survives but is permanently
paralyzed as a result of his injuries. ASALA claims responsibility for
the attack.
October 3, 1980 Geneva
Two Armenian terrorists are injured when a bomb they are preparing
explodes in their Geneva hotel room. The two, Suzy Mahseredjian from
Canoga Park, California, and Alexander Yenikomechian, are arrested.
Their arrest leads to the formation of a new group called "October 3,"
which subsequently strikes at Swiss targets.
October 3, 1980 Milan
Two Italians are injured when a bomb explodes in front of the THY
offices. ASALA claims credit for the attack.
October 5, 1980 Madrid
The offices of Alitalia are rocked by a bomb explosion which injures
twelve individuals. The ASALA claims responsibility for the attack.
October 6, 1980 Los Angeles
Two molotov cocktails are thrown into the home of the Turkish Consul
General, Kemal Aržkan. He survives with injuries.
October 10, 1980 Beirut
Two bombs explode near Swiss offices in West Beirut. A group calling
itself "October 3" claims responsibility for these bombings as well as
others on the same day against Swiss offices in England.
October 12, 1980 New York
A bomb placed in front of the Turkish House explodes. Four passers-by
are injured. JCAG assumes responsibility.
October 12, 1980 Los Angeles
A travel agency in Hollywood, owned by a Turkish-American, is
destroyed. JCAG claims responsibility.
October 12, 1980 London
The Turkish Tourism and Information Bureau's offices are damaged by a
bomb explosion. ASALA claims credit.
October 12, 1980 London
A Swiss shopping complex in central London is damaged by a bomb blast.
Callers claim the explosion was the work of "October 3."
October 13, 1980 Paris
A Swiss tourist office is damaged by a bomb explosion. "October 3"
again claims credit.
October 21, 1980 Interlaken, Switzerland
A bomb is found in a Swiss express train coming from Paris. Luckily,
it does not explode. "October 3" is believed to be behind the action,
which could have caused a catastrophe.
November 4, 1980 Geneva
The Swiss Palace of Justice in Geneva is heavily damaged by a bomb
explosion. Credit is claimed by "October 3."
November 9, 1980 Strasbourg
Heavy damage results from a bomb blast at the Turkish Consulate
General. The attack is claimed by ASALA.
November 10, 1980 Rome
Five people are injured in attacks on the Swissair and Swiss Tourist
offices. ASALA and "October 3" claim credit.
November 19, 1980 Rome
The offices of the Turkish Tourism Bureau and those of THY are damaged
by a bomb explosion. ASALA claims responsibility.
November 25, 1980 Geneva
The offices of the Union of Swiss Banks are hit by a bomb explosion.
Responsibility is claimed by "October 3."
December 5, 1980 Marseilles
A police expert defuses a time bomb left at the Swiss Consulate in
Marseilles. "October 3" claims responsibility.
December 15, 1980 London
Two bombs placed in front of the French Tourism Office in London are
defused by a Scotland Yard bomb squad. "October 3" claims the bombs
are a warning to the French for assistance they have rendered the
Swiss in fighting Armenian terrorism.
December 17, 1980 Sydney
Two terrorists assassinate saržk Aržyak, the Turkish Consul General,
and his bodyguard, Engin Sever. JCAG claims responsibility.
December 25, 1980 Zurich
A bomb explosion destroys a radar monitor at Kloten Airport, and a
second explosive planted on the main runway of the airport is defused.
"October 3" claims credit for these attempted mass-murders.
December 29, 1980 Madrid
A Spanish reporter is seriously injured in a telephone booth while
calling in a story to his paper about the bomb attack on the Swissair
offices. "October 3" claims responsibility.
December 30, 1980 Beirut
Bomb attack on the Credit-Suisse offices. ASALA and "October 3" fight
over who gets the credit.
January 2, 1981 Beirut
In a press communique, ASALA threatens to "attack all Swiss diplomats
throughout the world" in response to the alleged mistreatment of "Suzy
and Alex" in Switzerland. On January 4, ASALA issues a statement
giving the Swiss a few days to think things over.
January 14, 1981 Paris
A bomb explodes in the car of Ahmet Erbeyli, the Economic Counselor of
the Turkish Embassy. Erbeyli is not injured, but the explosion totally
destroys his car. A group calling itself the "Alex Yenikomechian
Commandos" of ASALA claims credit for the explosion.
January 27, 1981 Milan
The Swissair and Swiss Tourist offices in Milan are damaged by bomb
explosions. Two passers-by are injured. "October 3" claims credit for
the bombing in a call to local media representatives.
February 3, 1981 Los Angeles
Bomb-squad officials disarm a bomb left at the Swiss Consulate. The
terrorists threaten in anonymous phone calls that such attacks will
continue until Suzy Mahseredjian is released.
February 5, 1981 Paris
Bombs explode in the TWA and Air France offices. One injured, heavy
material damage. "October 3" claims credit.
March 4, 1981 Paris
Two terrorists open fire on Resat Moralž, Labor Attache at the Turkish
Embassy, Tecelli Arž, Religious Affairs Attache, and Ilkay Karakoç,
the Paris representative of the Anadolu Bank. Moralž and Arž are
assassinated. Karakoç manages to escape. ASALA claims responsibility.
March 12, 1981 Teheran
A group of ASALA terrorists try to occupy the Turkish Embassy, killing
two guards in the process. Two of the perpetrators are captured and
later executed by the Iranians. ASALA claims credit.
April 3, 1981 Copenhagen
Cavit Demir, the Labor Attache at the Turkish Embassy, is shot as he
enters his apartment building late in the evening and is seriously
wounded. Both ASALA and JCAG claim the attack.
June 3, 1981 Los Angeles
Bombs force the cancellation of performances by a Turkish folk-dance
group. Threats of similar bombings force the group's performances in
San Francisco to be canceled as well.
June 9, 1981 Geneva
Mehmet Savas Yergüz, Secretary in the Turkish Consulate, is
assassinated by the Armenian terrorist Mardiros Jamgotchian. The
arrest of the ASALA terrorist leads to the formation of a new ASALA
branch called the "Ninth of June Organization," which will be
responsible for a new series of attacks.
June 11, 1981 Paris
A group of Armenian terrorists, led by one Ara Toranian, occupies the
THY offices. Initially ignored by the French authorities, the
terrorists are only evicted from the premises after vehement protests
from the Turkish Embassy.
June 19, 1981 Teheran
A bomb explodes at the offices of Swissair. The "Ninth of June
Organization" claims responsibility.
June 26, 1981 Los Angeles
A bomb explodes in front of the Swiss Banking Corporation offices.
Again the work of the "Ninth of June Organization."
July 19, 1981 Bern
A bomb explodes at the Swiss Parliament Building. "Ninth of June"
claims responsibility.
July 20, 1981 Zurich
"Ninth of June" strikes again. A bomb explodes in an automatic
photo-booth at Zurich's international airport.
July 21, 1981 Lausanne
Twenty women are injured as a bomb laid by Armenian terrorists
explodes in a department store. "Ninth of June" claims responsibility.
July 22, 1981 Geneva
A bomb explodes in a locker at the train station. Authorities suspect
"Ninth of June."
July 22, 1981 Geneva
An hour later, a second bomb explodes in a locker at the station.
Police cordoned off the area following the first explosion, thereby
preventing injuries from the second.
August 11, 1981 Copenhagen
Two bombs destroy the offices of Swissair. An American tourist is
injured in the explosion. "Ninth of June" claims responsibility.
August 20, 1981 Los Angeles
A bomb explodes outside the offices of Swiss Precision Instruments.
The attack is claimed by "Ninth of June."
August 20, 1981 Paris
Explosion at Alitalia Airlines. "October 3" is back in action.
September 15, 1981 Copenhagen
Two people are injured as a bomb explodes in front of the THY offices.
Police experts manage to defuse a second bomb. Credit is claimed by a
"Sixth Armenian Liberation Army."
September 17, 1981 Teheran
A bomb explosion damages a Swiss Embassy building. ASALA's "Ninth of
June" claims responsibility.
September 24, 1981 Paris
Four Armenian terrorists occupy the Turkish Consulate General. During
their entry into the building, the Consul, Kaya Inal, and a security
guard, Cemal Özen, are seriously wounded. Terrorists take 56 hostages.
Özen dies of his injuries in the hospital. The terrorists are ASALA
members.
October 3, 1981 Geneva
The main post office and the city courthouse are hit by bomb
explosions. An ASALA member is scheduled to go on trial for murder in
the courthouse. "Ninth of June" claims credit for the attacks, which
leave one person injured.
October 25, 1981 Rome
An Armenian terrorist fires at Gökberk Ergenekon, Second Secretary at
the Turkish Embassy. Ergenekon is wounded in the arm. ASALA claims
credit in the name of the "September 24 Suicide Commandos."
October 25, 1981 Paris
Fouquet's, the fashionable French restaurant, is the target of a bomb
attack. A group calling itself "September-France" claims the attack.
October 26, 1981 Paris
The same group is behind the explosion of a booby-trapped automobile
in front of "Le Drugstore."
October 27, 1981 Paris
"September-France" carries out a bomb attack at Roissy Airport.
October 27, 1981 Paris
A second bomb explodes near a busy escalator at Roissy Airport. No one
is injured. "September-France" claims responsibility.
October 28, 1981 Paris
The same group is responsible for a bomb attack in a movie theater.
Three people are injured.
November 3, 1981 Madrid
A bomb explodes in front of the Swissair offices, injuring three
persons. Considerable damage to nearby buildings. ASALA claims
responsibility.
November 5, 1981 Paris
A bomb explodes in the Gare de Lyon, injuring one person. The attack
is claimed by the Armenian "Orly Organization."
November 12, 1981 Beirut
Simultaneous bomb explosions occur in front of three French offices:
the French Cultural Center, the Air France offices and the home of the
French Consul General. The "Orly Organization" claims responsibility.
This organization owes its name to the fact that the French police
arrested an Armenian at Orly Airport in Paris because of forged
papers. The idea now is to "bomb him free."
November 14, 1981 Paris
A bomb explosion damages an automobile near the Eiffel Tower. "Orly"
claims responsibility.
November 14, 1981 Paris
"Orly" launches a grenade attack on a group of tourists disembarking
from a sightseeing boat on the River Seine.
November 15, 1981 Paris
"Orly" threatens to blow up an Air France airplane in flight.
November 15, 1981 Beirut
Simultaneous bomb attacks are carried out against three French
targets: the "Union des Assurances de Paris", the Air France offices
and the "Banque Libano-Française". "Orly" is responsible.
November 15, 1981 Paris
A McDonald's restaurant is destroyed by "September-France."
November 16, 1981 Paris
A bomb injures two innocent bystanders at the Gare de l'Est. "Orly"
claims responsibility.
November 18, 1981 Paris
"Orly" announces that it has planted a bomb at the Gare du Nord.
November 20, 1981 Los Angeles
The Turkish Consulate General in Beverly Hills suffers extensive
damage. The JCAG claims credit.
January 13, 1982 Toronto
An ASALA bomb causes extensive damage to the Turkish Consulate
General.
January 17, 1982 Geneva
Two bombs destroy parked cars. The ASALA "Ninth of June Organization"
claims credit.
January 17, 1982 Paris
A bomb explodes at the Union of Banks and a second is disarmed at the
Credit Lyonnais. "Orly" claims responsibility.
January 19, 1982 Paris
A bomb explodes in the Air France offices in the Palais des Congres.
"Orly" claims responsibility.
January 28, 1982 Los Angeles
Kemal Aržkan, the Turkish Consul General in Los Angeles, is
assassinated by two terrorists while driving to work. Nineteen year
old Hampig Sassounian is arrested and sentenced to life.
March 22, 1982 Cambridge, Massachusetts
A gift shop belonging to Orhan Gündüz, the Turkish Honorary Consul
General in Boston, is blown up. Gündüz receives an ultimatum: Either
he gives up his honorary position or he will be "executed."
Responsibility is claimed by the JCAG.
March 26, 1982 Beirut
Two dead, sixteen injured in an explosion at a movie theater. ASALA
claims credit for the attack.
April 8, 1982 Ottawa
Kani Güngör, the Commercial Attache at the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa,
is seriously wounded in an attack by Armenian terrorists in the garage
of his apartment house. ASALA claims responsibility.
April 24, 1982 Dortmund, West Germany
Several Turkish-owned businesses suffer extensive damage in bomb
attacks. The "New Armenian Resistance Organization" claims
responsibility.
May 4, 1982 Cambridge, Massachusetts
Orhan Gündüz, the Turkish Honorary Consul General in Boston is
assassinated. The murderer is still at large.
May 10, 1982 Geneva
Bombs explode at two banks. The attacks are claimed by an Armenian
"World Punishment Organization."
May 18, 1982 Toronto
Four Armenians are arrested for trying to smuggle money out of the
country. The money was extorted from Armenians, a common practice
throughout the world. In the course of the investigation, it is
discovered that the terrorists fire-bombed the house of an Armenian
who refused to make his contribution to Armenian terrorism.
May 18, 1982 Tampa, Florida
Attack at the office of Nash Karahan, the Turkish Honorary Consul
General.
May 26, 1982 Los Angeles
A bomb damages the office of Swiss Banking Corporation. The suspects:
four Armenians accused of involvement in ASALA.
May 30, 1982 Los Angeles
Three members of ASALA are arrested when planting a bomb in the Air
Canada cargo-office.
June 7, 1982 Lisbon
The Administrative Attache at the Turkish Embassy, Erkut Akbay, and
his wife, Nadide Akbay, are assassinated in front of their home. JCAG
claims responsibility.
July 1, 1982 Rotterdam
Kemalettin Demirer, the Turkish Consul General in Rotterdam, is shot
down by four Armenian terrorists. An "Armenian Red Army" claims
responsibility.
July 21, 1982 Paris
Sixteen injured in a bomb explosion near a cafe in the Place
Saint-Severin. Credit is claimed by the Orly Organization. "Orly"
complains that the French do not treat the arrested Armenian
terrorists as "political prisoners," but rather as ordinary criminals.
July 26, 1982 Paris
"Orly" is responsible for injuring two women in an explosion in Paris'
"Pub Saint-Germain."
August 2, 1982 Paris
Pierre Gulumian, an Armenian terrorist, is killed when a bomb he is
making explodes in his face.
August 7, 1982 Ankara, Esenboga Airport
Two Armenian terrorists open fire in a crowded passenger waiting room.
One of the terrorists takes more than twenty hostages while the second
is apprehended by the police. Nine people are dead and eighty-two
injured&emdash;some seriously. The surviving terrorist, Levon
Ekmekjian is arrested and sentenced.
August 8, 1982 Paris
A bomb is defused in time. "Orly" regrets the discovery.
August 12, 1982 Paris
Terrorists open fire on a policeman assigned to protect the offices of
the Turkish Tourism Attache. Luckily, he escapes without injury.
August 27, 1982 Ottawa
Colonel Atilla Altžkat, the Military Attache at the Turkish Embassy,
is assassinated in his car. JCAG claims responsibility.
September 9, 1982 Burgaz, Bulgaria
Bora Süelkan, the Administrative Attache at the Turkish Consulate
General in Burgaz, is assassinated in front of his home. The assassin
leaves a message "We shot dead the Turkish diplomat: Combat Units of
Justice Against the Armenian Genocide." An anonymous caller claims
that the assassination is the work of a branch of the ASALA.
October 26, 1982 Los Angeles
Five Armenian terrorists are charged with conspiring to blow up the
offices of the Honorary Turkish Consul General in Philadelphia. All
belong to the JCAG.
December 8, 1982 Athens
Two Armenians on a motorbike throw a bomb at the offices of the Saudi
Arabian Airlines. The bomb hits a power pylon, explodes and kills one
of the terrorists. His accomplice, an Armenian from Iran named Vahe
Kontaverdian is arrested. It is later revealed that ASALA ordered the
attack because Saudi Arabia maintains friendly relations with Turkey.
January 21, 1983 Anaheim, California
Nine "sophisticated" pipe bombs are confiscated from an Armenian
bakery after one of the detonators goes off and causes fire.
January 22, 1983 Paris
Two terrorists attack the offices of THY with hand grenades. No one is
injured. ASALA claims credit.
January 22, 1983 Paris
French police defuse a powerful explosive device near the THY counter
at Orly airport.
February 2, 1983 Brussels
The offices of THY are bombed. The "New Armenian Resistance
Organization" claims responsibility.
February 28, 1983 Luxembourg
A bomb placed in front of Turkey's diplomatic mission is defused. The
Armenian Reporter in New York reports that the "New Armenian
Resistance Organization" is responsible.
February 28, 1983 Paris
A bomb explodes at the Marmara Travel Agency. Killed in the explosion
is Renée Morin, a French secretary. Four other Frenchmen are wounded.
A few minutes after the attack, ASALA claims responsibility.
March 9, 1983 Belgrade
Galip Balkar, the Turkish Ambassador to Yugoslavia is assassinated in
central Belgrade. His chauffeur, Necati Kayar is shot in the stomach.
As the two assailants flee from the scene, they are bravely pursued by
Yugoslav citizens. One of the terrorists shoots and wounds a Yugoslav
Colonel, and is in turn apprehended by a policeman. The second
terrorist opens fire on civilians who are chasing him, killing a young
student and wounding a young girl. The two terrorists, Kirkor Levonian
and Raffi Elbekian, are tried and sentenced.
March 31, 1983 Frankfurt
An anonymous caller threatened to bomb the offices and kill the staff
of Tercüman newspaper, a Turkish daily.
May 24, 1983 Brussels
Bombs explode in front of the Turkish Embassy's Culture and
Information offices and in front of a Turkish-owned travel agency. The
Italian director of the travel agency is wounded. ASALA claims credit.
June 16, 1983 Istanbul
Armenian terrorists carry out an attack with hand grenades and
automatic weapons inside the covered bazaar in Istanbul. Two dead,
twenty-one wounded. ASALA claims responsibility.
July 8, 1983 Paris
Armenian terrorists attack the offices of the British Council,
protesting against the trials of Armenians in London.
July 14, 1983 Brussels
Armenian terrorists murder Dursun Aksoy, the Administrative Attache at
the Turkish Embassy. ASALA, ARA and JCAG claim responsibility.
July 15, 1983 Paris
A bomb explodes in front of the THY counter at Orly airport. Eight
dead, more than sixty injured. A 29 years old Syrian-Armenian named
Varadjian Garbidjian confesses to having planted the bomb. He admits
that the bomb was intended to have exploded once the plane was
airborne.
July 15, 1983 London
A bomb, similar to the one that exploded at Orly, is defused in time.
ASALA claims responsibility for both attacks.
July 18, 1983 Lyon
A bomb threat is made by ASALA against the Lyon railroad station.
July 20, 1983 Lyon
Panicky evacuation of Lyon's Gare de Perrache following a bomb threat
from ASALA.
July 22, 1983 Teheran
"Orly" carries out bomb attacks on the French Embassy and Air France.
July 27, 1983 Lisbon
Five Armenian terrorists attempt to storm the Turkish Embassy in
Lisbon. Failing to gain access to the chancery, they occupy the
residence, taking the Deputy Chief of Mission(DCM) and his family
hostage. When explosives being planted by the terrorists go off,
Cahide Mžhçžoglu, wife of the DCM and four of the terrorists are blown
to pieces. The DCM, Yurtsev Mžhçžoglu, and his son Atasay are injured.
The fifth terrorist is killed in the initial assault by Turkish
security forces. One Portuguese policeman is also killed and another
wounded. The ARA claims responsibility.
July 28, 1983 Lyon
Another bomb threat on Lyon-Perrache railroad station. ASALA claims
responsibility.
July 29, 1983 Teheran
A threat to blow up the French Embassy in Teheran with a rocket attack
causes Iranian officials to increase security at the facility.
July 31, 1983 Lyon and Rennes
Bomb threats from Armenian terrorists force the emergency landing of
two domestic French flights carrying 424 passengers.
August 10, 1983 Teheran
A bomb explodes in an automobile at the French Embassy. ASALA claims
credit for the attack.
August 25, 1983 Bonn
A whole series of bomb attacks against offices of the French Consulate
General claim two lives and leave twenty-three injured. ASALA claims
responsibility.
September 9, 1983 Teheran
Two French Embassy cars are bombed. One of the bombs injures two
embassy staff members. ASALA claims credit.
October 1, 1983 Marseilles
A bomb blast destroys the U.S., Soviet and Algerian pavilions at an
international trade fair in Marseilles. One person is killed and
twenty-six injured. ASALA and "Orly" claim credit.
October 6, 1983 Teheran
A French Embassy vehicle is bombed, injuring two passengers. "Orly"
claims responsibility.
October 29, 1983 Beirut
Hand-grenade attack on the French Embassy. One of the ASALA terrorists
is arrested.
October 29, 1983 Beirut
The Turkish Embassy is attacked by three Armenian terrorists. One of
the assailants, Sarkis Denielian, a 19 years old Lebanese-Armenian is
apprehended. ASALA claims responsibility.
February 8, 1984 Paris
Bomb threat on an Air France flight to New York.
March 28, 1984 Teheran
A timed series of attacks is carried out against Turkish diplomats:
Two Armenian terrorists shoot and seriously wound Sergeant Ismail
Pamukçu, employed at the office of the Turkish Military Attache;
Hasan Servet Öktem, First Secretary of the Turkish Embassy, is
slightly wounded as he leaves his home;
Ibrahim Özdemir, the Administrative Attache at the Turkish Embassy,
alerts police to two suspicious looking men. They turn out to be
Armenian terrorists and are arrested;
In the afternoon of the same day, Iranian police arrest three more
Armenian terrorists outside the Turkish Embassy;
An Armenian terrorist is killed when a bomb he is attempting to plant
in the car of the Turkish Assistant Commercial Counselor explodes
prematurely. The dead terrorist is later identified as Sultan
Gregorian Semaperdan (ASALA).
March 29, 1984 Los Angeles
ASALA sends a written threat, saying they will assassinate Turkish
athletes who take part in the Olympics.
April 8, 1984 Beirut
ASALA issues a communique warning that all flights to Turkey will be
considered military targets.
April 26, 1984 Ankara
The Turkish Prime Minister, Turgut Özal, receives a threat warning him
that if he goes ahead with a planned visit to Teheran, ASALA will
schedule a major terrorist operation against his country.
April 28, 1984 Teheran
Two Armenian terrorists riding a motorcycle open fire on Isžk Yönder
as he drives his wife, Sadiye Yönder, to the Turkish Embassy where she
works. Isžk Yönder is killed, and ASALA claims credit for yet another
senseless murder.
June 20, 1984 Vienna
A bomb explodes in a car belonging to Erdogan Özen, Assistant Labor
and Social Affairs Counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Vienna. Özen is
killed and five others seriously wounded, including a policeman. ARA
terrorists claim credit for the crime.
June 25, 1984 Los Angeles
A news agency office in France receives a letter threatening to attack
all governments, organizations and companies which assist, in any way
whatsoever, Turkey's team at the Los Angeles Olympics.
August 13, 1984 Lyon
A bomb explodes in a Lyon train station causing minor damage. ASALA
claims credit.
September 1984 Teheran
Several Turkish owned firms in Iran come under attack after receiving
warning letters informing them that they are to be targeted. The first
victim is the Sezai Türkes Company. A Turkish employee is injured
while fighting the fire caused by the explosion. A chain of smaller
scale acts of intimidation follows.
September 1, 1984 Teheran
Iranian authorities expose a plot to assassinate Ismet Birsel, the
Turkish Ambassador to Teheran.
September 3, 1984 Istanbul
Two Armenian terrorists die as one of their bombs goes off too soon.
The ARA claims credit.
November 19, 1984 Vienna
Evner Ergun, Deputy Director of the Centre for Social Development and
Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations, Vienna is assassinated
while driving to work. The assassins leave a flag with the initials
"ARA" on his body.
December 1984 Brussels
Authorities are able to thwart a bombing attempt at the residence of
Selçuk Incesu, Turkish Consul General.
December 29, 1984 Beirut
Two French buildings in East Beirut are bombed. ASALA claims credit.
December 29, 1984 Paris
Following an ASALA threat to blow up an Air France plane, police
increase security at the Charles de Gaulle Airport.
January 3, 1985 Beirut
The offices of Agence France Presse are extensively damaged when a
bomb explodes.
March 3, 1985 Paris
An anonymous caller to Agence France Presse threatens to attack French
interests throughout the world upon the indictment of the three
terrorists who participated in the Orly attack.
March 12, 1985 Ottawa
Three heavily armed terrorists storm the Turkish Embassy, killing a
Canadian security guard in the process. After blowing up the front
door, the gunmen enter the building. Ambassador Coskun Kžrca manages
to escape but suffers extensive injuries. The wife and daughter of the
Ambassador, who were taken hostage, are later released, and the
terrorists surrender. ARA claims responsibility.
March 26, 1985 Toronto
A threat to blow up the city of Toronto's transit system leads to
chaos during the rush hour. An "Armenian Secret Army for the
Liberation of Our Homeland" claims responsibility for the threat.
November 1985 Brussels
A special anti-terrorist security squad of the Belgian police exposes
and arrests three Armenian terrorists with Portuguese passports. They
were planning an attack on Turkish officers at NATO headquarters.
November 28, 1985 Paris
French police arrest the leader of the terrorist
organization&emdash;the "Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of
Armenia-Revolutionary Movement" (ASALA-RM)&emdash;Mr. Monte Melkonian,
a U.S. citizen. In Melkonian's apartment, police confiscate weapons,
explosive devices, arrival and departure information on Turkish ships
scheduled to visit France and a picture of Turkey's Ambassador to
France, Adnan Bulak.
December 1985 Paris
Forty-one shoppers in two of Paris' leading department stores
(Gallerie Lafayette and Printemps) are injured (twelve seriously) when
nearly simultaneous bomb explosions rip through the stores. In the
ensuing panic, some 10,000 Christmas shoppers flee into the street.
The Armenian Reporter, published in New York, reports in its December
12th issue that French law enforcement authorities are concentrating
on ASALA as the most likely perpetrator. ASALA later takes credit for
the two bombings.
November 23, 1986 Melbourne
At 2:15 a.m. a bomb explodes in front of the Turkish Consulate
General. One dead -presumedly the perpetrator- and one Australian
injured.
Roman
CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX OF THE MAIN CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY COMMITED BY TURKEY
FROM 1878 TO THE PRESENT TIME
1878 March. Berlin Congress.
1878 June 4. Turkey sells Cyprus to England.
1879 Kurdish revolt at Badinan by Obeydalla.
1894 September - 1896 August. Sultan Abdul Hamit applies the policy of
genocide to the Armenians.
In August and September 1894, Armenians are slain in Sassun.
In October 1895 takes place the first organized genocide in Constantinople
and Trebizond and in November and December 1895 the authorities organized
a great massacre throughout the country.
In June 1896, the massacre of Van takes place.
After the capture by the Armenians in 26 - 8 - 1896 of the Ottoman Bank,
another massacre takes place in Constantinople. Total number of victims is
300000.
1896 May 12. Murders of Greeks and conflicts between Greeks and Turks in
the island of Crete.
1909 end of March. New massacres of the Armenians organized by the New -
Turks at Adana, Tarsus and other towns of Cilicia. Victims are 30000
Armenians and some American missionaries.
1909 Revolution of the Arabs in Yemen is suppressed in bloodshed by the
New - Turks.
1911 October 1. Assassination of Emilianos, Bishop of Grevena by the
Turks.
1912 Kurdish uprising in Mardin under Bedirhan and H. Remo, and in Bitlis
under Seyh Selim.
1912. The Turkish army in retreat from East Thrace loots the villages of
Didymotichon and Adrianopoli districts. Villages of the Malgara district
are burnt. The same happens in Kessani. Assassinations and massacres
accompany the destruction and looting in this predominantly Greek region.
1913 February. The Turkish authorities compel the Greek inhabitants of the
district of village Crithea to leave their village in East Thrace. A
brutal looting follows.
1913. The reoccupation of Eastern Thrace by the Turkish army leads to
atrocities and massacres o f Greeks. 15690 are the victims of these
massacres. In the regions of Malgara and Charioupoli many villages are
also destroyed. Massacres were followed by looting.
1914 February 8. The Dutch Westerneck and the Norwegian Hoft are appointed
as General Inspectors of the Armenian provinces.
1914 May 25 .The Greek Orthodox (Ecumenical) Patriarcate protests for the
persecution of Christians and commands all churches and schools to be
closed.
1914 May 27. The Turkish authorities at Pergamum command all Christian
population to leave the town within two hours. The terrorized inhabitants
take refuge in the Greek island of Mytilini.
1914 May - June. The Turkish authorities enforce all kinds of persecutions
in the Greek regions of West Asia Minor. The coast of Asia Minor is
devastated. In Erythrea and Phocaia the massacres of Greeks are merciless.
1914 July. The General Inspectors of the Armenian provinces arrive in
Constantinople. Mr. Hoft arrives at Van.
1914 July - August. The Turkish government creates «the forced labor
battalions». It is a new scheme for extermination of the Greeks - Ottoman
citizens - drafted in the Turkish army. By this method of the "forced
labor battalions» 400000 Greeks were exterminated by hunger, hardship,
maltreatment and deprivation.
1914 September. The Turks declare persecution against the Greek
inhabitants of the Makri region of the South - West Asia Minor. Many are
killed. Persecution is followed by plunders, violations and robberies.
1914 November. By order of the Turkish government many villages of Eastern
Thrace where there was a great majority of Greek population are forcibly
evacuated (Neochorio, Galatas, Callipoli etc..) Plunder of houses and
shops follows. Thousands fled from their ancestral homes to Greece.
1914 November - December. By order of the Turkish government, the region
of Visii and part of the Saranda Eklisiae is evacuated. 19000 Greeks are
exiled in Anatolia and their properties looted. According to the
Ecumenical Patriarchate records, 119,940 Greeks were expelled from East
Thrace.
1914 January - December. More than 250000 Greeks are exiled from East
Thrace and Smyrna's region. The properties of the exiled are detained.
1914. During this year Turkish persecutions against the Greeks are
hardened. The Ecumenical Patriarchate strongly protests. Talbot bye the
Minister of internal affairs visits the pro-vinces to examine the
complaints, but the persecutions are intensified because the minister in
collaboration with the local authorities renders them more systematic.
1915 April. Arrests in great numbers of Armenian intellectuals and
prominent national Armenian leaders in Constantinople and the provinces.
They are deported in Anatolia and are slain on the road. The Armenian
soldiers of the Turkish army are disarmed and massacred by thousands. The
Armenian population is exiled to the Syrian desert and massacred by tens
of thousands, slain by the Turkish army, the irregulars and the civilians
or left to die of hunger and maltreatment 1,500,000. Armenians are the
victims of Turkish ferocity.
1915 June 13. "The formal declaration" of the Armenian extermination is
published by the Ottoman government.
1915 September 16. A secret telegram to the Allepo District Command
orders: "You have knowledge that the government has decided the thorough
extermination of the Armenian population living in Turkey. Everyone who
has a contrary opinion cannot continue to be a member of the State
administration. There must be an end to their existence without any mercy
for the women, children and invalid persons regardless of the awful means
of extermination. Minister of Internal Affairs Talaat bey». You are not
wrong. It is an order of the Turkish government addressed to Turks who are
supposed to belong to the human race. Every comment is unnecessary.
1915. The Turks begin a fierce persecution against the Syrian Orthodox and
Nestorians living in Hakkari, Mardin and Midyat regions. Though not well
known, this persecution equals that of the Armenians. One of the first
victims was Adai Ser Archbishop of Sert. General massacres and full
destruction were its characteristics. The annihilation was almost
completed till the end of World War I.
1916. Destruction of the region Riseou - Platanou of Pontus. Plunder of
the towns Ofis, Sourmena and Gemoura. The looting organized by the Ottoman
State officials took place under the leadership of Ahmet bey and that of
field marshal Velip pacha.
1916. The Turks compel the inhabitants of different regions of Pontus to
immigrate to Sivas. Only 550 survived out of 16,750 inhabitants of the
Elevi and Tripoli regions. Of the 49,520 inhabitants of Trebizont only
20.300 saved their lives, 1916 December 27. All prominent of Amissos and
4000 Greeks, inhabitants of the town are arrested and deported to
Anatolia.
1917 March 10. Adil Bey, deputy of Lebanon in the Ottoman Parliament
declared officially that only in Lebanon and Syria, 144,000 persons died
of hunger purposely provoked by the Turkish administration.
1917 Spring. The deportation of 23000 Greeks, inhabitants of Cydoniae is
ordered by the Turks
1917 November. 400 Greek families are expelled from the S.W. Asia Minor by
the Turks. Their properties are looted.
1918 January 8. The president of U.S.A. Wilson declares the principle of
self - determination for all the peoples oppressed by Turkey.
1918 April. Another 8000 Greek families are expelled from S.W. Asia Minor.
1918 May 28. After the victory of the Armenians over the Turkish army, the
independence of Armenia is proclaimed.
1918 June 4. After several months of fighting the Armenians have fought
alone against Turkey, the treaty of Batum is signed by which Turkey
recognizes the Independent Armenian Republic.
1919 June 4. After 5 years of exile the inhabitants of Pergamum return
home.
1919 June 25. The French premier Clemenceau says for the Armenian
massacres: «The whole history has not to show another example of such
organized hideous acts».
1920 January 19. The Supreme Allied Council recognizes the independence of
Armenia.
1920. Chryssanthos, Bishop of Trebizond is condemned to death in absentio
by the Court Martial of Ankara. The Bishop of Zilon is condemned and dies
in jail.
1920 August 10. Signature of the treaty of Sevres providing an independent
Armenia, self determination for Kurdistan and liberation of East Thrace
and Smyrna's territory, according to the president Wilson declaration for
self - determination of all peoples of Asia Minor.
1920 September. Kemalist Turkey attacks Armenia. The Armenians fight
desperately against the Turkish army. Finally the Armenians succumbed on 2
- 12 - 1920. The Turkish victory is followed by a general massacre of the
Armenians and the annexation of one half of the independent Armenia to
Turkey..
1920 November 22. The arbitration of President of U.S.A. Wilson on the
turco - Armenian frontiers is submitted.
1921 June 3. Kemalists arrest 1320 Greeks, prominent inhabitants of
Samsus. The next day they kill 701. The dead are buried in common graves
behind the house of Hekir Pacha. The rest are exiled in the interior of
Anatolia.
1922 August 24. The Turkish army seizes Pergamum. The Greek citizens flee
to save their lives.
1922 September 9. The Turks enter Smyrna. The city is set on fire. Wild
massacres of Greeks and Armenians take place. The victims count about
150000 persons.
1922 October. After the evacuation of East Thrace by the Greek army,
300000 Greeks are compelled to leave their country, where their ancestors
have lived for thousands of years.
1914 - l922 October. It is estimated that during these 8 years, the Greek
nation has suffered by the Turks:
Massacres. More than 150.000 Greeks of the Pontus region and more than
1400000 Greeks of Asia Minor have perished by massacres, shooting,
hanging, hunger and inhuman and criminal maltreatment by Turks. Refugees.
It is estimated that more than 1.700.000 Greeks were saved from the
Turkish murderous frenzy as refugees. 1400000 of them came to Greece from
East Thrace, Asia Minor and Pontus. About 200.000 went to Russia from
Pontus and the rest were dispersed all over the world. All these persons
left their fatherland, after more than 3000 years, during which their
ancestors have continuously lived in these regions, chased by the Turks,
newcomers in Asia Minor.
1924 July 10. Kurdish revolt of Nasturi in Hakkari. It was suppressed by
the 7th Turkish Army corps after 79 days 36 villages were destroyed 12
others were leveled down to the earth.
1925 March 3. The great Kurdish revolution bursts out at Elazig under Seyh
- Sait 10.000 Kurds seize Harput and attack Diyarbakir, the Capital of
Kurdistan After the complete destruction of 48 villages, the,revolution
was suppressed at 7/10/1927 drowned in Kurdish blood.
1926 May 16. Mount Agri Kurdish revolt takes place. The rebels caught
prisoner, the 28th Turkish infantry division. The revolt after being
spread to the regions of Hakkari, Siirt and Mardin, was suppressed after
fierce fights with more powerful forces at 17/7/1926.
1927 May 30. A great Kurdish revolution in Diyarbakir and Agri under Seyh
Enver. It was suppressed after violent fights at 7/10/1927. 2000 Kurdish
fighters were killed. For many days the waters of Murat river were turned
red by the blood of the slain Kurdish fighters.
1928. Two Kurdish uprisings took place. The first under Resul Aga at
Siirt, and the second under Ali Can. Accurate information lacking, owing
to Martial Law.
1930 June 2. Kurdish uprising at Agri region. It was suppressed at 18 - 9
- 30.
1930 August 31. Turkish newspaper Milliet publishes a declaration of
Premier Ismet Inonu «Only the Turkish nation has the right to have
national claims in this country. No other element has such a right».
1930 September 30. Turkish paper Milliet publishes a statement of the
Turkish minister of Justice:
«The Turk is the only master in his country. Those who are not pure Turks
have one right in this country: The right to be servants, the right to be
slaves». This is the way Turkey understands the human rights and behaves
to the minorities of Armenians, Greeks, Syrians and Kurds. Even today 12
million Kurds have not a school, their language, their music and dances
are prohibited, their leaders persecuted and the Kurdish people killed.
1935. A Kurdish uprising under Buban in Bitlis and in Siirt under Abdul
Rahman takes place.
1937. A Kurdish revolution under Seyh Risa, bursts at Dersim. Details are
not known because of the severe censorship by turkish authorities.
1937 May 23. The Turkish government forbids the edition of the newspaper
of Constantinople Son Telegraph, because it has referred to the Kurdish
sufferings.
1938 November 10. Death of Kemal Ataturk, the butcher of Kurds, Greeks and
Armenians who saved his country from partition.
1941 May. Mobilization of 20 classes of the Greek and Armenian minorities
living in Turkey and having Turkish citizenship, in order to exterminate
them in the same manner, as they have already done during World War I,
through the forced - labor battalions.
1942 November 11. The law of taxation on property of the non Muslims of
Turkey (Varlik Vergisi) is voted. It is a hideous attempt of economic
extermination of the Greek and Armenian communities, which were exposed
undefended to the excesses and abuse of power by the Turkish economic
authorities.
1955 September 6. The Turkish authorities organize a great pogrom against
the Greeks of Constantinople. 29 Churches were burnt and 46 looted. The
graves of the Ecumenical Patriarchs and Christian cemeteries were
vandalized. Thousands of shops were destroyed. Hundreds of women raped.
Vandalism's at a smaller scale have takes place in Smyrna.
1960 A military Coup takes place showing that the Armed Forces have always
been and will always will be in charge of Turkey where there is no real
Democracy.
1971 12 March. Another military Coup occurs which leaves the fascist
military in power until 1973.
1974 July 20. The Turkish army invades the independent and armless island
of Cyprus, member of U.N.O. and seizes the 40% of it, on pretext that this
is necessary for the Turkish -Cypriot minority which equals 18% of the
whole population.
1974 July - August. Despite the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council
No 353, 357, 358, 359, 360 etc. which urged: «The withdrawal without delay
from the Republic of Cyprus of foreign military personnel». The invading
Turkish forces have turned into a permanent occupation army, which for 25
years does not conform with the above resolutions, despises U.N.O.,
challenges every conscientious man of the World and undermines world
peace.
1975 The Turkish occupation regime in north Cyprus declares it to be a
"Federated Turkish State" in the face of UN condemnation. Out of the
200,000 original Greek Cypriot inhabitants who made up 82% of the
population only 20,000 remain in enclaves, soon to dwindle in number to
less than 600 through the deprivation of basic human rights including
Freedom of Movement, Education and Medical Treatment.
1978 The Turkish fascist state initiates a pogrom against Alevi-muslims
all over Turkey. All over Turkey, Grey Wolves murder hundreds of people.
The place where the most people are killed is Kahramanmaras. The
repression and criminalisation of Alevi-muslims in Turkey, continous also
in the present time
1978 December 25. Turkish fascists massacre hundreds of Kurds in Marash .
1978 December 28. Proclamation of Martial Law in 15 provinces of Turkish
Kurdistan prohibiting for 18 years now any information about the
sufferings of the Kurdish people. The fascist government of Ankara hopes
that they will achieve by force the submission of the enslaved peoples of
Asia Minor. They hope they will continue to occupy the country of Armenia,
Kurdistan, North Cyprus and the Greek fatherland of East Thrace and West
Asia Minor. The future will prove how wrong they are. Every free and
conscientious man of the world must help for that.
1980 September 12. Coup led by General Kenan Evren overthrows the
governing MHP replacing one brand of fascism with yet another lasting
until 1983.
1983 November 15. The illegal Turkish puppet regime declares independence
for the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC") in the occupied
part of Cyprus which has now been systematically Ethnically Cleansed of
over 200,000 indigenous Greek Cypriots. The "illegal" declaration is
immediately "Deplored" by the UN Security Council which declares the
"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" "Legally Invalid" in Resolutions
541(1983) and 550 (1984) which also "Condemns" this and all other
secessionist actions.
1984 Turkey begins a crackdown on Kurds seeking autonomy. In the following
years many Kurdish Villages are razed to the ground and emptied of
inhabitants who are moved to other parts of Turkey or forced to flee as
refugees. Those who speak out against the Turkish regime are summarily
imprisoned or assassinated.
1993 The Turkish brutalities against the Kurdish people continue and are
stepped up. Turkey showing ABSOLUTELY NO RESPECT for international laws
and agreements invades Northern Iraq in its attempt to butcher the Kurdish
people
1995 Turkish soldiers from the Hakkari Mountain Commando Brigade slaughter
and dismember the bodies of Kurdish resistance fighters. They then take
photographs of themselves posing with the victims of their barbaric crime
and sell them as trophies at $2 a piece.
1996 January 27. Turkish naval forces briefly invade and occupy the island
of Imia which was deemed as Greek Territory by the Paris 1947 convention.
Only US intervention prevents a war. This is part of an endless list of
challenges to Greek sovereignty, which include illegal Turkish claims to
almost every Greek island in the Aegean, even the island Crete, and the
daily violation of Greek Air Space and Territorial Waters
1996 August 12/14. Turkish occupation and security forces together with
MHP Grey Wolves terrorists sent by the Turkish Government to occupied
Cyprus brutally beat and murder Cypriot refugees peacefully protesting
against Turkeys illegal occupation and ethnic cleansing of northern
Cyprus, in the UN buffer zone in front of United Nations onlookers and the
worlds media who capture the scenes on video. Tassos Isaak is clubbed to
death on August 12 by Turkish thugs and his cousin Solomos Solomou is shot
dead on August 14 by a so-called "minister" of the puppet occupation
regime.
1996 September 14. A 58-year-old Greek Cypriot Civillian, Petros
Kakoullis, was shot and killed while out collecting Snails, by the Turkish
occupation troops, receiving three bullets, two on the chest and one on
the neck.
1999 Turkey captures Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan and after torturing
him and depriving him of legal representatives subjects him to an inhume
trial in glass cage, demanding the death penalty from a specially set-up
Kangaroo Court.
1999 The death toll of Kurds killed in Turkish military operations rises
to over 40,000 and according to the figures published by Turkeys own
"parliament", 6,000 Kurdish Villages have been systematically emptied of
all inhabitants and 3,000,000 Kurds have been displaced.
marykalbright
and defenceless Turks, Jews, Kurds, Arabs and other non-Armenians in
Ottoman Eastern Anatolia during WWI (with direct and generous support
from their allies, the victors of WWI including Czarist Russia) to
ethnically cleanse the area for an Armenian homeland which never
existed.
The rest of the Ottoman Armenian population either very blindly
followed their terrorist leaders or remained totally complacent. That
is why another thug of Armenian anti-Turkish Hatred Inc says the
following:
"No sir, you will not find Armenians who will express disapproval or
distress for the assassination of Turkish governmental officials. It
is unfortunate that the attitude of the Turkish government vis-a-vis
Armenian demands dictates that more people have to die in pursuit of
justice. ... It is not uncommon to find those within the Armenian
diaspora who actually applaud these violent actions. "
David Davidian <d...@urartu.SDPA.org> | The life of a people is a sea,
and
S.D.P.A. Center for Regional Studies | those that look at it from the
shore
P.O. Box 2761, Cambridge, MA 02238 | cannot know its depths.
->> Boston'dan Van'i istiyoruz <<- | -Armenian
proverb
http://www.ermenisorunu.gen.tr/english/massacres/assesment.html
ARMENIAN TERRORISM
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
AN OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF MASSACRES BY ARMENIANS
The committees such as "Kara Hac / Black Cross", "Armenakan" and
"Vatan Koruyuculari / Land Protectors " in Anatolia, " Hinchak " in
Geneva, "Tasnak" in Tiblisi, were founded by the Armenians. Their
targets were lands in the Eastern Anatolia and the union of the
Ottoman Armenians.
The Armenian committees were provoked for this purpose, first they
rioted in 1890 in Erzurum, afterwards they organized the Kumkapi
demonstration, Kayseri, Yozgat, Corum and Merzifon events, Sasun
revolt, Bab-i Ali / Sublime Porte demonstration, Zeytun and Van
revolts, The raid of Osmanli Bankasi / Ottoman Bank, assassination
trial to Sultan Abdülhamit, and Adana revolt in 1909. Due to the
Armenian oppressions, 100 Turks in Zeytun in 1914, 3.000 Turks in Van
events in 1915, and 20.000 Turks lost their lives 1914 — 1915, in Mus
Events.
Armenians gave the greatest harm to the Turkish people, by the
massacring them during the First World War. In this period, the
Armenians spied for the Russians, they fled from their military
service, by not obeying the mobilisation orders, and those Armenians
who were taken under arms joining onto the Russian Army, with their
arms, and they thus committed collectively the guilt of being "
treacherous to the land ". The Armenian bands that started to attack
the Turkish Army and these bands have given great harm to the civilian
people, as well. For example, the whole population of the Zeve village
of the Van province massacred by the Armenian people without
discriminating if they were women, children, or the old.
++++++++++++++
TURKS MASSACRED IN CAVUSOGLU BARNYARD BY ARMENIANS
Prof. Dr. Metin Ozbek, who was conducting observations in the region,
tells the event as follows:
I brought some human skeletons found coincidentally during the
construction of a house in Cavusoglu Samanligi, and taken to the
laboratuary at Hacettepe University in order to examine it. As it is
known, Anthropology enables the scientists to know the age and causes
of death, sex, ailments, and some other facts by means of skeletons
with the aid of advanced techniques and methods. Above all it is
possible to determine the which race it belongs to through the
examination of a skull. It was impossible to match the skulls with the
bones of the body where, the remains of the skeletons we found. Thus,
we counted the individual skeletons according to the amount of skulls
and we numbered each.
In other words each individual skeleton had a different
anthropological identity. We found out that there were five females
and four males among the remains. The most prominent criterion that
indicates the age of death is "symohysin pubiswhich" is a part of
Pelvis. This part was preserved in seven of the individual skeletons
we worked on. We demonstrated the age range of skeletons found in
Cavusoglu Samanligi as follows.
1. Female (P6)........17-18 age
2. Male (P7)...........17-18 age
3. Female (P4)........18-19 age
4. Female (P3)........27-30 age
5. Male (P2)...........35-40 age
6. Female (P1)........39-44 age
7. Male(P5)............50 age (approximately)
8. Chid (D.1)..........15 age (approximately)
There was a striking common characteristics of the skeletons examined;
there were injuries on the skulls which resulted from crushes with
cutting tools. Accordingly, the common cause of death was subjection
to severe torture.
I. Marks of Cuts on the Skulls:
Nr.1) Female, There are two clefts on the skull caused by sharp-edged
instruments. One of them is on the right parietal and it is 42 mm.
Long. The second one is also on the right parietal and it is 36 mm.
long. Presumably her instant death resulted from the blows directed
towards the head.
Nr.2) Female (Photograph 1) We identified the traces of four cuts on
the skull. The first one is on the first parietal and it is 95 mm.
long. The sharp edged instrument cut through the skull and reached the
brain. The second cleft is on both parietals. The cutting tool-most
probably an axe hit the Pemals on the head and split the skull open.
Such an act is enough to cause instant death. The third stroke left a
mark on the left parietal and is 12 mm. to the back of the first
cleft.
This scar is 48 mm. long and 19 mm wide and looks like a shuttle. The
fourth trace is right at the back of the third and is in the same
direction. Half of it is on the occipital bone.
Nr.3) Male (Photograph 2a) He is one of the group having the greatest
number of clefts on the skull. The sharp edged tool hit its mark on
the left ear and severed to mastoid totally. This blow slightly
abraded the occipital bone as well. The second blow hit the left eye
and left a deep mark on the frontal. The third mark which is 75 mm.
long is on the left parietal. The sharp-edged instrument which entered
the brain caused a long cleft between the left tuber parietal and
sutura lamb doidalis.
The power of the blow formed some other cracks in the same area. The
fourth blow right on top of the head cut the sagittal suture. This
cleft is 48 mm. long. The fifth blow is in horizontal plane and
severed the right parietal in parts close to the sagittal suture. The
instrument hit on the left zygomatic bone. In this area it cut the
bone and some parts of the superior maxillary. This person was also
burned in fires. (Photograph 2b)
Nr 4) Male (Photograph 3) There are marks of three blows directed
towards the brain. The first one is a vertical cleft which is 37 mm
long. The second horizontal one is along the parietal and frontal. It
is 92 mm. long. The third blow was also on the left parietal and
caused a cleft which is 49 mm long and 21 mm wide.
The sharp-edged tool severed the tabule externa. These blows resulted
in an instant death. Like the person, this one was also burned after
death.
Nr.5) Female (Photograph 4). We discovered four cutting marks on the
skull. The first one on the frontal is 28 mm. long and not very deep.
The second one is at the top part, along both sides of the parietal
and it is 77 mm long. This cleft is deep enough to be the sign
demonstrating her instant death. The third blow on the right ear was
also fatal. It severed the mastoid totally and cut the inferior
maxillary partly. The fourth mark is on the front part of the right
upper jaw.
Nr.6) Male (Photograph 5). An adult which has four clefts on the head.
The first one on the left parietal is quite deep. It is 57 mm. long
and 14 mm. wide. The cutting tool entered the brain as well. On the
side of the sagittal suture there is a 23 mm long crevice. The second
one is on the saggittal suture. It is 29 mm. long and 28 mm wide. This
crevice is intersected by other two clefts. The horizontal one ise 43
mm. and the oblique one is 42 mm. The third cleft is also oblique. It
is on the right parietal, a few mm. to the front of the parietal
cavity. The foruth mark is made by a sharp pointed instrument. It is
caused by a blow struck on the head close to the sagittal suture. The
individual was probably tortured severely.
Nr.7) Male: There are signs of five hard blows. The first one is in
the area of the left auditory canal. The sharp-edged instrument
severed the mastoid totally. It even severed the zygomatic partly.
There were two blows stuck on the left ear one after the other. They
probably caused death right at that moment. The second mark is closer
to the lambda suture on the right parietal. This cleft is partly on
the horizontal plane and it is 41 mm long. The third crevice is
between the two lambda suture on the occipital. It is 44 mm. long. The
fourth one is quite deep and 48 mm. long. It is situated on the
procenus occipital externa. The fifth crevice is right on the back of
the skull. It is 53 mm. long.
Nr.8) Female: The skeleton belongs to a girl who died at about the age
of fifteen. There are three cutting marks on the skull. The first
crevice is deep and reaches the brain area. It is on the right
parietal and 50 mm. long. The second one is situated in a vertical
position and 20 mm. long The third one is right at the back part. This
teenager was burnt in fire after being killed.
Nr.9) Female: She died at about the age 17 or 19. There are no signs
of blows on the preserved bones of the skull. The main parts of the
occipital were either broken or lost. It is impossible to state the
reasons of death.
II. Identification of race through skeletons:
It is possible to identify race by measurement, index, and
morphological observation of the skulls. However there are variations
in each group of race. By means of Anthropometric techniques we
examined the skeletons found in Cavusoglu Samanligi. We calculated the
cephalic index which is the most prominent criteria in race studies.
We took the measurement of the eight skulls. The indexes varied
between 76 and 89. This result showed that four are mesocaphalic and
the others are brachycephalic. We never came across with
dolchocephalic group. In Anatolia Alpina race which includes both
mesocephalic and brachycephalic ones, all the skeletons belonged to
Alpine group to which Anatolian Turks belong. The skeleton of the
female whose death age is between 17 and 19 does not belong to this
group. It is in the east variation of the Dinaric race which is called
Armenoid.
While evaluating the heights we used the regression equations of
Trotter and Gleser. Where the three female skeletons are concerned,
the results are 52.9 cm. 159.2 cm and 168.2 cm. The results related
with the three men are 170.1, 172.4 and 173.5 cm.
Along with the skeltons, we also found one (shirt) button, a
sharp-edged iron piece and a part of an upper jaw. According to
Prof.Dr.Ilber Uzel from the Dept. of Dentistry at Gülhane Medicine
Academy, the fragment of the upper total Prothesis belong to the right
posterior. The prosthesis is rubber and the teeth are porcelain.
Prostheses were used by the members of higher classes in 1900 s.
Acatin traces (on the prosthesis) suggest the possibility of a Male
owner.
This type of porcelain was used between the years of 1915-1925 and
produced by an American firm known as SSN. The epoch, there skeletons
belong to is thus proved in this way as well.
III. Marks on the long bones:
Despite a large number of cutting marks on the skulls, there are very
few cuts on the other bones of the skeletons. Virtually, this is
because of the fact that in fatal attempts the most appropriate part
of the body is the head since it is vulnerable.
1.There are three clefts on the diaphysis of the humerus of an adult.
This depicts that signs of the adult was burned.
2.On the front side of the diaphysis of the right tibia of a women
there is a deep cutting mark.
3.There is a deep cutting mark in the lower parts of the right tibia
of a male.
IV. General Conclusion and Evaluation:
The skeletons which were coincidentally found in Cavusoglu Samanligi
(Ercis) were examined thoroughly in terms of antrophological methods.
It is concluded that these skeletons belong to mostly young people who
were deliberately killed and some of them were burned. The skulls
demonstrated that these skeletons belong to people from the Alpin
race-type. Where Anatolia is concerned, they most probably belong to
Turks. The scientific discoveries prove that these people were
subjected to severe torture and killed brutally. These facts confirm
the statements of the witnesses who live in the same area today. Thus
the part of history related to Armenians has to be rewritten because
the people who were massacred violently were not the Armenians but the
Turks.
Prof. Dr. Metin ÖZBEK
Anthropologist
+++++++++
THE REPORT ON EXCAVATION OF THE MASS-GRAVES IN KARS - SUBATAN
One of the excavations of the mass-graves aiming to explore the events
happened in Eastern Anatolia betweeen 1915 and 1918 has been done in
Kars-Subatan (Figure 1.) The opening of the mass-graves in Subatan
village which is situated near Ani Örenyeri, on the boarders of
Turkey-Russia, 28 kilometres in the east of Kars was carried out on
Governor of Kars, S.Filtekin, the Mayor of Kars, Prof.Dr.Hursit
Ertugrul, the president of Atatürk University, Prof.Dr.Ahmet Cakir,
the dean of Science and Literature Faculty of the same university and
Prof.Dr.Enver Konukcu, Prof.Dr.Azmi Süslü from Ankara University,
Prof.Dr.Metin Özbek from Hacettepe University, Prof.Dr.Fahrettin
Kirzioglu From Gazi University, Prof.Dr.Metin Tuncel from Istanbul
University, Assoc.Prof.Dr.Abdüsselam Ulucam from 100.Yil University
and Ali Ercan, the director of Kars museum.
The excavations in Subatan village which has about 20-30 houses of
Moslem population today were carried out in accordance with the oral
statements of 120 year old Fariz Öztürk and 95 year old Duraga Öztürk
who witnessed the events. They were conducted in a 8x10 meter hole
which was opened in the barn in Köseogullari district (Figure 2). The
first works were started in A1 hole within the field divided into four
separate 4-5 meter areas. The excavation which had been realized in a
wide surface first was narrowed down to the inner crosspoint of A1 and
B1 holes After having removed the 40 centimeter earth, the first
skeletons were found. It was observed that most of these skeletons
which were found with some personal belongings belong to children
between the age groups of 0-1.
Another group of skeletons which was found in 80 centimeters depth in
A1 hole displayed quite a shocking scene. These skeletons which were
located in the north-south direction must belong to a mother and her
daughter. The woman fell onto her right side and embraced the child
with her left arm. The two stroke marks found on the head of the woman
prove that they were killed with an axe or some other sharp
instrument. The first stroke mark is not as deep as the second one.
Both the woman and the child were buried in their clothes.
The photograph taken on April 25 th 1918
Another skeleton group was found in the south corner of A1 hole. Only
a few of these could be analyzed. As these analyses show, bodies were
thrown haphazardly. The rest of the findings were after of a belt, a
pair of ear-rings, a number of colored beads of a small necklace;
decayed wooden beams and were given to Kars Museum to be displayed in
the newly opened Genocide Section for exhibition.
According to the oral statements of the witnesses, Fariz Öztürk and
Duraga Öztürk whose statements are supported by the archive documents,
the massacre committed by Armenians happened in the following way: The
Tashnak-Armenian guerrillas who retreated from Kars and Sarikamis
attacked Subatan village where Turkish, Armenian and Greek people
lived together were captured wildly without feeling pity. According to
the photographs in the archives and findings of the excavations, the
women, children and old men who had been killed with axes and bayonets
were left in the streets. The archive documents show that a total of
570 people were murdered in the village. After the withdrawal of
Armenians, Turkish soldiers came to the district. The soldiers with
the help of survivors collected the corpses, which were decayed and
eaten by dogs, to an area and put them in a barn. Due to the hard
conditions of that time and lack of time, the bodies were buried
together. Some other mass-graves were formed by collapsing the roofs
of barns. The archive documents and statements of witnesses show that
in three separate mass-graves in Subatan, there are a numbers of
martyrs buried. In the barn in Köseogullari district , more than 180,
in Tiptip street more than 25 and in the barn which is located in the
south of the village mosque more than 350 bodies are buried.
Prof. Dr. Cevat BASARAN
Archaeologist
+++++++++++++++++++
THE EXCAVATION OF VAN - ZEVE MASS-GRAVE
Armenian Massacres of Turks in Van - Interview with Witnesses
In the excavations that were started on April 4th 1990 in the cemetery
for martyrs near Zeve which is in the vicinity of Citören Village that
is located at 18 km. north-west of Van province, in accordance with
oral statements of the eyewitness "Ibrahim Sargin" who witnessed the
event, after removal of 30-40 cm thick earth, massacred human
skeletons were found. It was observed that some of the skulls were
broken, some were crushed and some were cracked and burnt. The most
important findings of the excavations were poniard (khanjars) and
daggers, a lot of cartridges, pieces of silk clothes, necklaces with
bead of Sultan Reshad's monogram, amulets covered with wax, copper
coins and glass buttons.
When these findings are combined with the statements of the
eyewitness, the following information are obtained: The Armenian
guerrillas who entered the district under Russian support in 1915
started attacking the villages, killing innocent Turkish and Moslem
people. The Armenian guerillas brought into Zeve village about
2000-2500 people who were gathered by force from eight villages in the
district and were put in houses and barns. They first tortured these
people with piercing and cutting tools and then opened fire at them.
Then, they set all houses on fire. Materials found in the excavation
have been exhibited at
" Massacre Section" in Van Museum.
Prof. Dr. Cevat BASARAN
Archaeologist
++++++++++++++
THE EXCAVATION THE MASS-GRAVE IN ERZURUM-DUMLU-YESILYAYLA VILLAGE
The excavation of the mass-grave in Erzurum - Yesilyayla Village, to
which even foreign press was attended, was carried out on October 7th
1988.
Arkeolog Doc. Dr. Cevat Basaran
Anxiety;"They where also human, they have the right to live.
In Yesilyayla massacre which we learned from the memories of "Kazim
Karabekir Pasa", old men, women and children who were gathered by
force were put in a barn and opened fire at them. The tobacco boxes
with crescent and star, pages of Koran, cartridges, pieces of a
half-burned wooden post, some long pigtails of hair, pieces of silk
dress and small dress buttons were found in the field of excavation.
Approximately up to 100 of skeletons were excavated from the
mass-grave. Materials found in the excavation have been exhibited in
Erzurum museum.
Prof. Dr. Cevat BASARAN
++++++++++++++++
THE EXCAVATION OF VAN - ZEVE MASS-GRAVE
Armenian Massacres in Van - Interview with Witnesses
In the excavations that were started on April 4th 1990 in the cemetery
for martyrs near Zeve which is in the vicinity of Citören Village that
is located at 18 km. north-west of Van province, in accordance with
oral statements of the eyewitness "Ibrahim Sargin" who witnessed the
event, after removal of 30-40 cm thick earth, massacred human
skeletons were found. It was observed that some of the skulls were
broken, some were crushed and some were cracked and burnt. The most
important findings of the excavations were poniard (khanjars) and
daggers, a lot of cartridges, pieces of silk clothes, necklaces with
bead of Sultan Reshad's monogram, amulets covered with wax, copper
coins and glass buttons.
When these findings are combined with the statements of the
eyewitness, the following information are obtained: The Armenian
guerrillas who entered the district under Russian support in 1915
started attacking the villages, killing innocent Turkish and Moslem
people. The Armenian guerillas brought into Zeve village about
2000-2500 people who were gathered by force from eight villages in the
district and were put in houses and barns. They first tortured these
people with piercing and cutting tools and then opened fire at them.
Then, they set all houses on fire. Materials found in the excavation
have been exhibited at
" Massacre Section" in Van Museum.
Prof. Dr. Cevat BASARAN
Archaeologist
++++++++++++++
EXCAVATION OF THE MASS-GRAVE IN IGDIR - OBA VILLAGE
Prof. Dr. Enver Konukcu is the first person who discovered that there
were mass-graves which belonged to the Turks massacred by the
Armenians in Oba Village of Igdir. This information was supported by
the documents of archive. On March 1st 1986, in the excavation of the
mass-grave, findings verifying the historical documents were obtained
and the massacre of "Tandir Dami" told by Sakine Aksu who was one of
the living eyewitnesses became even clearer.
At the excavation, the first hole of 6x8 meters was started in the
inner part of the northern door and a closed "iron lock" was found.
The second hole was dug in the central part of the room and
approximately 90 human skeletons were found under an earth layer of
one meter thick.
The stone base (floor) in the south of the Tandir which was situated
in the middle of the room must have belonged to the only wooden post
which had supported the earth-covered roof and the burnt pieces of
that column were also found.
By combining these findings with the statement of the eyewitness, it
is realised that the " Tandir Dami" massacre occured as follows: most
of the unarmed civil people from Oba Village were gathered by force
and subjected to torture and then they had been laid as face down and
locked them in the room, and opened fire at them. And then the
Armenian guerrillas set the "Tandir Dami" on fire by pouring kerosene
into the chimney and the earth roof collapsed after burning of the
wooden column. During the excavation, melted iron pieces, burnt wooden
pieces, pieces of glass, bullets and skeletons and pieces of clothes
were found. Thick burnt layer and ash layer on the wall and floor of
the house showed that other evidences and proofs had been disappeared
with the fire.
Prof. Dr. Cevat BASARAN
Archaeologist
+++++++++++++++
IGDIR GENOCIDE MONUMENT AND MUSEUM
Scientists and politicians from many countries took part in the
International Symposium on Historical realities and Armenians, held in
Igdir from 24 to 26 April 1965. As the project prepared by one the
participants from Azerbaijan, Architect Professor Dr. Cafer Gayisi,
for commemorating the Turks massacred by Armenians, a need was
expressed for the erection of this monument and this opinion was
stated as follows in the final declaration of the symposium:
"Resolved, that a monument of martyrs should be erected in Igdir and a
cemetery for martyrs should be established in Oba Village in order to
eternalise the memories of more than one million Turks that fell in
Eastern Anatolia and to give a similar answer to those declaring the
24th April as the genocide day and to the monuments erected in many
places of the world for the genocide alleged to have been perpetrated
against the Armenians. The monument to be erected in Igdir will enable
us to remember to the eternity the unpleasant days of the past and the
colonialist Powers seeding enmity among us, and shed light for our
future on the basis of friendship, good neighbourhood and
co-operation."
The location selected for the genocide monument is at the eastern
entrance of the City of Igdir, that is, at the junction of roads from
Azerbaijan, Iran and Armenia. The selected triangular area has a
surface of 1,3 hectares and the monument will rise on a diminutive
Agri Mountain. Its foundation was laid on 1 August 1997.
The monument is erected at the focal point of the triangle, on a mound
rising 7,20 metres above the ground in form of a mound. The tradition
had it that the mounds erected for the rulers and army commanders who
once lived in the Eurasian steppes, these immense stretches inhabited
by the Turks, had the sarcophagus in the centre. The circular hall
constructed underneath the mound has the symbolic grave of the Turks
massacred by the Armenians and constitutes the main section of the
genocide museum. The Armenian bloodthirstiness is shown with the
pictures of the mass graves of massacred Turks. Photographs of the
massacres perpetrated by Armenians are posted in the room at the
right-hand side of the corridor extending from this circular hall
while the opposite room contains the library for the genocide studies.
The main entrance of the museum is designed in form of a crown door
after the Selchuk-Turkish architectural traditions. A compositional
similarity is also noticed with the Ottoman mosque pulpits in the
spatial design, suggesting an entry into a holy location. The claret
and black granite slabs used at the entrance door and frames of
small-size windows which are relatively few connote the grievous and
mournful nature of the genocide.
A 36-metre high sheaf of swords rise from the centre of the mound to
commemorate the Turkish Army that saved the innocent Moslem people
from the genocide and its martyrs and warriors. The swords, five in
number, are placed in a pentagonal plan. Viewed from above, the swords
represent the star in the Turkish flag constituting the symbol of the
Turkish State.
Soldiers of the ancient Turkish armies had the tradition of honing
their swords under wind, rain and lightning before entering the
battlefield. Thus, the swords pointed against the sky within sight of
the Mount Ararat will depict the might of the Turkish armies before
any would-be intruder and the Armenians, whose national goal is to get
hold of the Mount Ararat and its vicinity, now see the Turkish swords
raising against them.
The curved tips of the five huge swords unite above and take the shape
of a dome, reminiscent of the Selchuk shrines. The Turkish-Oghuz
funeral architecture tradition was to erect dome-like shrines on the
tombs of rulers, heroes, commanders and other dignitaries. The Selchuk
shrines consist traditionally of an underground tomb and a surface
tower section and so has the Igdir monument two stories. The
underground stratum is the museum part while the five swords depict
the tower-like structure.
The Igdir monument is thence designed to embody the three major
features of the Turkish memorial architecture dating back to Ions in
the past: The mound, the Selchuk shrine and the epitaphs and created a
composition conformant to the demands of contemporary architectural
construction demands.
The sword in a man's hand is fearsome and those stacked together
represent the peace, well-being and strength and show also the defence
will of the nation. The sharp edges turned outward suggest readiness
against any intrusions from outside.
The circular museum hall (the underground structure representing the
tomb) and the tent-like pentagonal glass light shaft is between the
swords. The shaft, made of gold-plated frames and coloured glass,
epitomises the golden tent, a masterpiece of the Turkish architecture.
Flag of the State used to wave on the golden tent, the symbol of the
sovereignty. The golden tent, pitched on the centre of the bivouacs of
the armies on the go, used to be protected with extraordinary measures
of defence. Thus, five swords protect the Turkish flag rising atop the
golden tent in the monument.
The sword's sanctity is reflected also in its aesthetic design. The
butt of the Turkish sword, quite an efficient instrument, used to be
inlaid with precious stones and metals. So are the butts of the Igdir
monument's swords, embellished with bronze relieves and ornaments
within granite frames. The grey wolf, horse and twin-headed eagle
patterns are repeated on all the five swords.
The grey wolf is the main totem of ancient Turkish tribes and became
the national symbol from Hun to Ottoman Empire. Before the adoption of
Islam by the Turks, a grey wolf's head was used to be put on the tips
of flagpoles, replaced later by the crescent and star.
The admiration for the grey wolf as a strong, freedom-loving and
intelligent animal exists among all Turks from the Altai Mountains to
Anatolia. During the presidency of Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the
grey wolf was depicted on the banknotes, postage stamps and many other
official documents. The existence of the grey wolf relief on the
sword's butt is an indication of the respect for national set of
values and obedience to the Atatürk's ideals.
The sword era in the history was at the same time the horse era.
According to the Turkish historians, the great conquests of the Turks
were due to their great mastery of two arts: Horse training and
mining, and especially the smith-craft. The latter was important for
manufacturing and shaping swords while the horse training was
essential for covering great distances in the wars that never ended.
The Turkish soldier always departed with his sword, horse and tent for
military expeditions.
The horse another one of the main totems of the Turks and inseparable
friend and helper of the soldier. You may not imagine the sword
without horse and the Turk without a horse and a sword. For this
reason, all sword butts have a rearing horse figure in relief. It was
the symbol of heroism, happiness and sun. The are at both sides of the
butt.
The inner sides have twin-headed eagle figures. The Altaic figures
carved into rocks suggest that the eagle also was totemised as a sign
of grandeur and magnificence among the Turks. The double-headed eagle
symbolised first the Hittite Empire and the Byzance Emperors had later
adopted it for themselves. Used finally by the Selchuk Empire as its
coat-of-arms, it stands at the apogee of this centuries-long tradition
as the Byzance Empire finally crumbled before the Turkish might.
The outer sides of the butts have soldier reliefs together with grey
wolves, horses and eagles as the products of the ancient Turkish
symbology. The soldier figures are different in each of the swords on
the monument and each butt depicts a soldier of Hun, Göktürk, Selchuk,
Ottoman and modern Turkish soldier.
Having created magnificent empires in various periods of the history,
the Turkish soldier deserves the greatest of all monuments. Epitomised
in bronze in the sword butts of the monument, symbolise all the
soldierlike generations throughout the history as the staunch
defenders of the nation, peace and order.
Monument's foundation was laid on 1 August 1997 by Igdir's Governor
Semsettin Uzun. The circumferential walls of the complex were masoned
with stones from Ahlat quarries and their cones were ornamented with
wrought iron grills. Museum door, windows and drawers are of chestnut
wood, the swords were coated with grey Bianco Maris granite imported
from Italy use was made of African red granite for some architectural
details. Marbles from various parts of Turkey, including the Taurus
black from Kayseri, Theos green and Ægean grey from Izmir, Hazar pink
from Diyarbakir, Ægean claret from Mugla, travertines from Denizli and
Kütahya, Kayran slabs from Bodrum, Bergama granite cobblestones and
Imyra stone from Antalya, went into the monument's construction. Great
care was exercised for ensuring the harmony of all these materials
with each other and with the details in which they were applied.
The monument and museum was sponsored by the Foundation for Developing
Igdir and its counties. It constitutes as such a magnificent shrine of
all who were mass-murdered and whose graves are unknown. Those
visiting this shrine will remember our martyrs whom we sometimes
forget and strive to understand the true authors of the scourge that
attained the proportions of a genocide.
REFERENCE
GIYASI, Prof. Dr. Cafer A., The Igdir Genocide Monument and Museum,
Atatürk Research Centre Publication, Ankara 2000, pp.5-
++++++++++++++++++++
THE LIST OF MASSACRES BY ARMENIANS OF TURKS IN ANATOLIA AND CAUCASIA,
1906-1922
Volume and Doc. No Date Place Deaths
1/2 1914-2-21 Kars, Ardahan 30.000
1/3 1916-5-8 Pasinler 2.000
1/3 1916-5-8 Tercan 563
1/3 1916-5-8 Van, Tatvan 1.600
1/3 1915-5-9 Bitlis 40.000
1/3 1916-5-8 Bitlis 10.000
1/3 1915-5-9 Bitlis 123
1/4 1915 Van 44
1/4 1916-5-22 Van 1.000
1/4 1916-5-22 Köprüköy / Van 200
1/4 1916-5-22 Van 15.000
1/4 1916-5-22 Van 8
1/4 1916-5-22 Van 8.000
1/4 1916-5-22 Van 80.000
1/4 1916-5-22 Van 15.000
1/5 1916-5-23 Of 5
1/6 1916-5-23 Trabzon 2086
1/6 1916-5-23 Van 300
1/6 1916-5-11 Van 44.233
1/6 1916-5-11 Malazgirt 20.000
1/7 1916-6-11 Bitlis 12
1/8 1916-4-1 Van, Resadiye 15
1/9 1916-6 Van Abbasaga 14
1/9 1916-6 Edremid, Vastan 15.000
1/10 1915-4 Bitlis 29
1/10 1915-4 Muradiye 10.000
1/11 1915-5 Van 20.000
1/11 1915-2 Haskay 200
1/11 1915-2 Dutak 3
1/12 1915-4 Van 120
1/12 1915 Van 150
1/11 1915-5 Bitlis 16.000
1/11 1916-5 Mus 500
1/12 1916-5-25 Bayezid 14.000
1/13 l 915 Mus 800
1/13 l 915-8 Müküs 126
1/13 l 915-6-7 Müküs Sehan 121
1/13 l 915-7 Mus Akçan 19
1/13 329 Mus 10
1/14 l 915 Bitlis Hizan 113
1/15 l 915 Van 5200
1/16 1916-8-14 Bitlis 311
1/19 1916-6-6 Satak Serir 45
1/19 1916-6-6 Satak 1150
1/23 1916-1-15 Terme 9
2/2 1919-1-25 Kars 9
2/3 1919-1-21 Kilis 2
2/4 1919-2-26 Adana, Pozanti 4
2/5 1919-5-18 Osmaniye 1
2/7 1919-6-13 Pasinler 3
2/10 1919-6-3 Igdir 8
2/11 1919-7-7 Kars, Göle 9
2/12 1919-7-9 Kagizman 6
2/13 1919-7-9 Kurudere 8
2/16 1919-7-8 Mescidli 4
2/16 1919-7-8 Gülyantepe 10
2/22 1919-7-11 Mescidli 20
2/26 1919-7-19 Bulakli 2
2/31 1919-7-24 Kars, Kagizman 9
2/36 1919-7 Sarikamis 803
2/37 1919-7 Sarikamis 695
2/38 1919/8 Muhtelif Köyler 2502
3/1 1919-7-5 Kagizman 4
3/1 1919 Tiknis, Agadeve 5
3/1 1919-7-19 Pasinler 2
3/1 1919 Nahçivan 4000
3/6 1919-7 Kurudere 8
3/6 1919-7-4 Akçakale 180
3/6 1919 Sarikamis 9
3/7 1919-8-15 Erzurum 153
3/7 1919-8-15 Erzurum 426
3/14 1919-9 Allahüekber 3
3/16 1919-9-14 Sarikamis 2
3/18 1919-11-11 Maras 2
3/19 1919-11 Adana 4
3/19 1919-11-16 Ulukisla 7
3/22 1919-12-7 Adana 4
3/26 1920-1-22 Antep 1
3/27 1919-9 Ünye 12
3/28 1920-2-28 Pozanti 40
3/29 1920-2-10 Çildir 100
3/32 1920-3-9 Zarusat 400
3/33 1920-2-2 Suregel 1350
3/35 1338-3 Maras 4
3/36 1920-3-22 Suregel, Zarusat 2000
3/37 1920-3-9 Zarusat 120
3/37 1920-3-16 Kagizman 720
3/39 1920-4-6 Gümrü 500
3/40 1920-4-28 Kars 2
3/41 1920-5-5 Kars 1774
3/46 1920-5-22 Kars 10
3/47 1920-7-2 Kars, Erzurum 408
3/47 1920-7-2 Zengibasar 1500
3/49 1920-7-27 Erzurum 69
3/50 1920-2-1 Zarusat 2150
3/50 1920-5 Kars, Erzurum 27
3/50 1920-8 Oltu 650
3/50 1920-8 Kars, Erzurum 18
3/51 1920-10-15 Bayburt 1387
3/52 1920-10-20 Göle 100
3/53 1920-10-17 Pasinler 9287
3/54 1920-10-18 Tortum 3700
3/55 1920-10-19 Erzurum 8439
4/2 1920-10-26 Kars civari 10693
4/3 1920-10-?8 Askale 889
4/4 1919-1-6 Zarusat 86
4/5 1920-12-1 Kosor 69
4/6 1920-12-3 Göle 508
4/7 1920-12-4 Kosor 122
4/9 1920-12-4 Kars, Zeytun
28
4/10 1920-12-4 Sarikamis
1975
4/12 1920-12-6 Göle
194
4/14 1920-12-7 Kars, Digor
14620
4/16 1920-12-14 Sarikamis 5337
4/17 1920 Göle 600
4/17 1920 Kars 3945
4/18 1920
Haramivartan 138
4/19 1920
Nahçivan 64408
4/20 1920-11-29
Zarcisat 1026
4/21 1921-2
Zenibasar 18
4/23 1920
Nahçivan 5307
4/24 1920-2
Kars civari 561
4/26 1920-12
Erivan 192
4/27 1921
Karakilise 6000
4/29 1921-11-21
Pasinler 53
4/29 1921-11-21
Erzurum 1215
4/30 1918
Hinis 870
4/31 1918
Tercan 580
4/32 1921 Nahçivan 12
4/33 1921 Bayburt 580
4/34 1921 Arpaçay 148
Sources: GOVERNMENT ARCHIVES
++++++++++++++++
MASSACRES BY ARMENIANS IN AZERBAIJAN
The massacres committed by the Armenians towards the Turkish people
were not limited to Anatolia, but continued in the Caucasius and in
the Azerbaijan, as well. The following, information is from the
documents from Prof. Fahrettin M. Kirzioglu.
" In August 1919, Armenians attacked the 45 villages around Nahcivan
and Serür with their military troops; and opened fire from armoured
wagons to the villages along the railroad.
Towards the end of May 1920, the Armenians expelled by force the
people of the Islam village named Karadagli, near Uluhanli in Erivan,
pillaged their goods and obliged them to emigrate.
On the night of May 23 — 24, 1920 more than 300 Armenian cavalrymen
surrounded the Cebecali village, 5 km to the north of Uluhanli,
gathered all the men, and bayoneted all of them.
On the night of June 27, 1920, the Armenians who raided the Hacibayram
and Haberbegli Villages in Erivan, pillaged the goods and belongings
of the people, and killed a lot of them. A small minority who could
survive from the raid, were drowned in the Aras River while they were
passing the river towards the south, upon the attacking of Armenians.
500 Moslems carrying the passsports issued by the Azerbaijan
Ambassador in Erivan and going to Gence, by train, to reach Azerbaijan
and other places were forced to get off the train near Gümrü and all
of them were murdered.
On April 6, 1920, the Armenians attacked with regular troops
comprising several military branches, the Islam villages in the
Zengezor, Ordubad, Vedi regions, and they performed all kinds of
atrocities and conducted all kinds of violence to the most disgusting
limits.
The Armenians attacked the Islam people of the Hacaparak village,
which is 15 minutes away from the city of Erivan, on the night of
April 16, 1920 and attempted to murder all the people. 6 men, who
could not flee from this atrocity, were killed by strokes of daggers.
The chastity and then women and girls were spoiled or they were killed
or burned. All of the homes were pillaged. "
The atrocities of the Armenians towards the Azerbaijani people were
not limited to those committed in Azerbaijan, but also continued in
the USSR / CCCP era and also during the period of the Armenian
Republic period, which was founded after the scattering of the USSR.
Assoc. Prof. Yasin Aslan, exhibits important documents on this
subject, in his book named " Ermenistan Tarihi Yol Ayiriminda /
Armenia in Historical Cross — Road ".
Armenians had demonstrations on February 13, 1988 in Hankendin
(Stepanakert), the Administrative center of Nagorno Karabakh. The
demonstrators demanded that Nagorno Karabakh be taken from Azerbaijan
and given to Armenia. After this, the chain of demands started to
extending beyond this. On February 18, 1988 the first Azerbaijani
began to come to Baku. They were packed in buses and they were sent
back. But, they started to come back again after a short while. This
time the emigrants took shelter in Sumgayit, instead of Baku, but some
events took place there, followed by others. 180.000 — 200.000
Azerbaijani people were forced to get out of Armenia. Approximately,
same number of Armenians were also made to leave Azerbaijan. In short,
more than one million Azerbaijani people were made to fall into
position of emigrants.
In fact, the events that started in 1988 in fact, form the last link
in the chain of exile. The Azerbaijanis living in Armenia, were exiled
from their historical lands several times, some of which were in the
USSR / CCCP era in 1945. Arutunyan, the President of the Armenian
Communist Party, wrote a letter, to Stalin for the giving of Nagorno
Karabakh to Armenia. Stalin, in turn, sent a letter to Mir Cefer
Bagirov, the President of Azerbaijan Communist Party Bagirov, in his
reply to Stalin stated that Susa, whose population is composed of
Azerbaijani people, should stay with Azerbaijan, and that Azerbaijani
people also land demands from Armenians. Such an approach helped the
closing of this artificial problem at that time.
However, the Council of Ministers of the former Soviet Union with the
decision no 4088 dated December 23, 1947 decided to exile the Turks
living in Armenia, to the Kura — Aras Plain, under the name of "
Azerbaijani ". Two and a half months later, the very same Council of
Ministers, provided the application of the previous decision by their
new decision No. 754, dated March 10, 1948 with the signature of
Stalin. After the decision, the Azerbaijanis; living in Armenia were
sent out of those places, and this process continued until Stalin's
death. In this period, more than 150.000 Azerbaijanis were expelled
from their lands where their ancestors had lived for many years.
At the beginning of the century, the exile of the Azerbaijanis living
in Armenia was realised in various ways. In 1927, Azerbaijanis formed
the 70 % of the population living in Erivan. In those years, 130.000
Azerbaijanis were expelled and close to 100.000 Armenians were brought
in their places from Middle Eastern countries. This process also
continued in later years. According to the Armenian historians, out of
the 2.000 of the 2.300 villages in Armenia, were Azerbaijani villages.
After 1936, the Armenian authorities started to change and cancel the
Azerbaijani place names and also in 1991, Armenian names were given to
90 Azerbaijani villages, in accordance with the order of Levon Ter —
Petrosyan, the President of Armenia. The changing of place names
started in 1960s and 1970s under the presidency of Hovannes
Bagdarasyan, the Deputy President of Armenian Supreme Soviet.
At the end of expelling and immigration acts conducted, which
continued for two centuries, 1.500.000 Azerbaijani Turks were expelled
from their historical homelands in Armenia and were forced to
immigrate by several pretexts. In 1988, the expulsion process was
completed.
At present, there is not even one single Azerbaijani in Armenia. In
1988, the Armenians made up 88.6 % of the population. The Armenian
land was 9.000 km2 at the beginning of the century. Now it has reached
29.8 km2, due to the adoption of Azerbaijani lands. This figure does
not include the lands invaded by the Armenians in the recent times.
It has to be accepted that the pressure of the Russian — Armenian pair
over Azerbaijan has been increased / intensified. Azerbaijan is almost
about to turn into Lebanon soon. The danger of the land being broken
up has not yet been avoided. The Armenians are still keeping control
over the Lacin Corridor, which connect the Nagorno Karabakh and
Armenia. 20 % of the Azerbaijani lands are under invasion of Armenia.
On the other hand, Armenia has declared / announced in May 1992, that
it has founded a "Kurdish Republic" in, in Lacin — Kelbecer Region.
Azatamart Newspaper and Azadlig (Freedom) Radio, which are the
publication organs of the opposition in Armenia, published the
sensational declaration of Eduart Oganisyan, the Ex — President of The
Armenian Service, The President of Russian — Armenian Relations
Organization, and one of the leaders of the Tashnaksutyun Party. In
his declaration, Oganisyan, stated that Armenian Government had signed
a secret agreement with Russia, for unification with Russia. However,
this fact is being kept as secret.
Armenia wants to play a specific role in the region for herself. Alode
at the articles published in the Russian and Armenian press is
sufficient to find out the kind of role what Armenia wants to play.
The article named " Turan, in Lieu Of Soviet Union? " in Issue No.
1993 / 4 of the Nas Sovremennik (Muasirimiz) Magazine, written by 1963
born Artur Gevarkyan, one of the staff of Armenian Pedagogy Institute,
Philosophy and Politology Department, attracts attention from many
respects. Gevarkyan, who defends the revival of the "Third Rome" even
more forcefully than a Russian, summarised his views related with the
subject in the following way:
"Armenia is the supporter of Russia in the Caucasia, and is her
natural and historical ally. The Armenians obstruct the (Turan) road
of the Panturkists who is a member of the horrible trio composed also
of Anglo-Saxons and Zionists. The only salvation of Russia, Armenia,
Georgia, Serbia, and other Christian nations is to revive the "Third
Rome".
Some Russian authorities defend that the Caucasia must be taken into a
circle of fire, in order to prevent it from the effect of other
countries. In such a situation, those states that are closely
interested in the region, like Turkey and Iran, will not be able to
penetrate into the region, by cutting through the circle of fire. A
good example to this is the article of Vadim Simbursky in one of the
April 1994 issues of Segodnaya newspaper. Simbursky's views are as
follows:
"The only region that forms a direct threat to the interests of
Russia, is Caucasia. The existence of small empires in Caucasia like "
Azerbaijan " and " Georgia " that would like to stay as national
states is suitable to the interests of Russia. There are reformist
powers that would work to protect the interests of Russia in the
region. For this reason, the "Stabilised Instability" in the region
must be preserved. As a matter of fact, such a situation is being
realized in the region for years, and this prevents the free movement
of Turkey and Iran. The continuing of conflicts in the region at low
level is suitable for the interests of Russia. Because; such a
situation would contribute the formation of the circle of fire that
would hinder the penetration of Turkey to the region.
While Russia is behaving in such a way in the west of the Caspian Sea,
it should protect stability in the east of the Caspian Sea, because;
the Kazakhstan is semi-Russian region, it should be transformed into a
security belt that protects the southern borders of Russia.
Odenburg, will be open to the expansion of the Central Asia. For this
reason, Russia should do her best to transform Kazakhistan and other
Central Eastern countries into an internal security belt. "
Vazgen Manukyan, who was the Armenian Minister of Defence in between
the years 1992 — 1993, and is now one of the unofficial leaders of the
opposition, stated, in his interview with the Nezavisimaya newspaper
in April 1994 that the time had come for Nagorno Karabakh to form a
federal state in Azerbaijan.
The proposal of the Armenian Andronik Migranyan, the political
consultant of Russian President Yeltsin and Member of Presidential
Congress, is interesting from many aspects. Migranyan proposed the
transformation of Azerbaijan and Georgia into a Federal State, in an
article in one of the January 1994 issues of Nezavisimaya newspaper.
He claimed that Azerbaijan and Georgia, when transformed into a
federal state would not be able to live without Moscow. Migranyan also
stated that Armenia should also be transformed into a peace and
stability element in the southern border of Russia.
Levon ªirinyan had also put forth before the same proposal in his
comment in the Azatamart newspaper. In another article ªirinyan
mentioned that Nahcivan should also be given back to Armenia. It is
possible to extend the chain of examples. These examples clearly
indicate from which centers the events are being directed.
Those who prevent Turkish — Armenian rapprochement are those who
clearly make propaganda against Turkey, Tashnaksutyun Party and some
secret organisations that gathered under its roof, pro — Moscow ones,
consultants like Ambatsumov (Ambartsumyan), Migranyan and Kurginyan,
who gathered previously around Gorbachev, then around Yeltsin and
Armenian people who have duties at several levels of the Russian
Government and especially the Armenian Diaspora.
The news published on December 7, 1993 by the Tashnaksutyun Party to
provoke the people and to create panic among them is a good example to
this. Basing news on foreign sources and especially on the French
Intelligence Organization, Tashnaksutyun Party News Center informed
that the Turkish Army would make a rocket attack on many targets in
Armenia, inclusive of the Medzamor Nuclear Electric Power Plant.
According to the news, Turkey would use the excuse of the existence of
PKK terrorists in Armenia, make its attacks legitimate. According to
Bagrat Sadoyiyan, the President of the News Center, Turkey would make
such attacks from the lands of Nahcivan.
There are numerous articles against Turkey published in the Russian
and the Armenian press. In these articles the aim is to frighten the
public opinion, by the Turkish Factor". Expressions such as "The
Awakening Giant ", " The Awakening Lion ", " The Death Angel Of The
Soviet Empire ", " The Ottoman Soul is Being Revived " and " One Of
The Two Pillars Of The Empire of the Future" are being frequently
used. Andronik, the Armenian politiologist expressed the following
about such articles:
"Armenia, Russia and Iran may prevent the unification of Turkey with
Azerbaijan and Central Asia. Armenia and Iran should transform into a
factor that hinder the unification of the Turks."
Armenia has plays an important role in the foreign policy of Russia
for the last few centuries. Armenia has taken up the role of an
outpost in the forefront of Russia in the Turkish — Moslem World.
However, for the last few years Russian Nationalists have been
mentioning that the friendly relations with the Turkish World are
necessary, and they have been condemning the aggressions of Armenia
against Azerbaijan. Some Russian Nationalists now see Armenia as a
burden on the shoulders of Russia.
According to Moscow newspapers, Russia pays the 57 % of the Armenian
budget. It is not possible for Armenia to continue a wide front war
without foreign aid. Resul Guliyev, The President Of The Azerbaijan
National Assembly, expressed in his interview with the Russian TV that
Armenia would not be able to continue the war for another five years
without foreign aid. According to Guliyev, Armenia is in such a
position that it cannot buy even a single tank. The supporters of
Armenia are the Armenians who live in emigration, some western states
and some countries that are the members of CIS / Commonwealth of
Independent States.
Moskovskiya Novosti newspaper mentioned in its issue no. 1992 / 13,
that "with the withdrawal of Russia from the region, the stability in
the Caucasia will be broken up and the influence of Turkey will
accelerate."
The report of the Gorbachov Fund on Nagorno Karabakh, sheds lighten
does not the subject from another point of view, and putforth that a
large state as Russia does not need Armenia from many aspects. Armenia
is nothing more than a voluntarily ally to Russia. The following
statements in the report attract the attention: " The historical past
of the Russian — Armenian relations, obliges Russia to support
Armenia. "
Armenians are aware of this and they are searching for ways of making
maximum use of the existing medium. Levon ªirinyan expressed his views
in his article published in Azatamart newspaper in Armenia as follows:
"With no doubt, Russia will be the most powerful state in the
Caucasus, in the future. Until now, many states, including USA, did
not attempt to defy the interests of Russia in the region. Russia's
losing of the Eastern Europe and the strategic interests of Russia in
the south make Russia get closer to Armenia. The mission of Armenia is
to observe carefully the political manoeuvres of Russia in Caucasus,
and to seek the ways of making maximum use of them. It is a necessity
to accept co-operation within the framework of CIS / Commonwealth of
Independent States and in the form of bilateral relations. Otherwise,
another country or another partner will take the place of weak and
parasitic Armenia. "
For more than 70 years, the policy of Armenia on Turkey, depended on
the campaign to make the Western World believe that the Turks have
killed 1.5 million Armenians and to take back the lands that were left
to Turkey by the 1921 Treaty in the north-west part of Turkey. Apart
from this, the programs of all political parties in Armenia, include
the principles of taking back the lands left to Turkey and obliging
Turkey to apologize for the Armenians killed during the Ottoman State
era. As it is known, the "Armenian Secret Army", shortly known as
ASALA founded for the Salvation of Armenia, have killed 45 Turkish
diplomats and the members of their families between the years 1974 —
1985, for future purposes.
With the coming into power of the Armenian General National Movement
under the leadership of Ter — Petrosyan, in 1990, important changes
started to happen in the policy of Armenia about Turkey. Within the
framework of the attempts at separating from the Soviet Union, Armenia
entered into the process of developing economic and commercial
relations with Turkey and Iran. This new approach also found its
expression in the Independence Declaration that was announced in
August 1990. Although in the Independence Declaration, it was repeated
that genocide be recognised by the international public opinion, no
claims of land were made.
The scattering of the Soviet Union has jeopardised the sensitive
Turkey — Armenia rapprochement. Turkey's being the first country to
recognising of the independence of Azerbaijan, also affected the
developing relations in the negative manner.
An Armenian Government delegation came to Turkey in November 1992.
Turkey put forward four conditions for enabling the development of the
relations between the two countries:
1. Armenia should recognise the existing borders between Turkey and
Armenia,
2. Armenia should stop its campaign towards the recognition of the
genocide in 1915 in the international public opinion,
3. Armenia should refrain from intervening in the internal affairs of
Turkey (Here especially the and provided to PKK have been considered),
4. Armenia should accept the cease-fire in Nagorno Karabakh with the
conditions demanded by Azerbaijan.
The parties have reached an agreement on the first three items; and
the Ministers of Energy of Turkey and Armenia signed a protocol on
giving electricity to Armenia. The infringement of the Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Turkey at that time, to explain the contents of the
protocol and its importance, could not convince the leaders in
Azerbaijan and the opposition in Turkey. Therefore, Turkey gave up the
application of the agreement. This development was a great blow onto
the Government of Armenia who suffered an energy shortage. As it is
known, Armenia obtains 96% of her energy needs from abroad. Armenia
obtained 80% of her natural gas needs from Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
stopped supplying natural gas to Armenia in fall of 1991. Due to this
reason Armenia started to procure natural gas from Turkmenistan. The
natural gas pipeline passes through the region in Georgia with its old
name Borcali, now called Marneuli, where Azerbaijanis lived. At least
10 sabotages were done in 1995 to this pipeline.
Turkey's permission to the aeroplanes going to Armenia to pass through
her air corridors has been evaluated as an attempt to balance the aid
given to Azerbaijan in order not to take the world public opinion
against her.
While the world public opinion was busy with the attack of Russia on
Chechen States, Levon Ter Petrosyan, the Armenian President, who led
the Armenian General National Movement, and who left Nagorno Karabakh
Committee, started a large scale political cleansing campaign in the
country for the first time after the large operation that was realised
by Gorbachov in 1988 against the Nagorno Karabakh Commitee. As it is
known, Gorbachov had ordered the capture of the 11 members of the
Nagorno Karabakh Committee, including Ter — Petrosyan.
Ter-Petrosyan had temporarily forbid with a single order the
activities of Dasnaksütyün Party, known as Armenia Revolutionary
Federation on December 28, 1994 with a single order. Apart from this,
he closed down several organisations and newspapers connected to the
Tashnaksutyun Party.
Ter-Petrosyan, in this TV speech that he made after the political
cleansing infringement, expressed that the Tashnaksutyun Party
smuggled heroine, committed political murders, and housed the
terrorist organisation called DRO. He also added that DRO formed a
threat to the security of the Armenian State and that it conducted
spying in the field of armed forces.
These attempts of Ter-Petrosyan had not been a surprise, because; he
was fighting against Tashnaksutyun Party for long time. For example,
in June 1992 he exiled Hrair Marukyanagain to Greece where he was back
from emigration.
Babken Ararktsiyan, the speaker of the Parliament, while evaluating
the political cleansing infringements of Ter-Petrosyan stated that the
recent events and the demonstrations realised under the leadership of
Tashnaksutyun Party were aimed at spoiling the political stability in
the country.
The Constitution Court, declaring that no political party is entitled
to open branches abroad and told that foreigners could not be placed
in their leader teams has temporarily banned the activities of
Tashnaksutyun Party. Even though the party leaders were Armenian, many
of them are citizens of other countries. Double citizenship is not
allowed in Armenia until now. Tashnaksutyun Party has members that
live in many countries of the world, and it has branches in countries
where Armenians live collectively. The center of the party is in
Athens.
Tashnaksutyun Party is not the only party that returned to Armenia
after the scattering / disintegration of Soviet Union. " Rankavar
Azatakan " (Liberal Democrats) also returned to the country. This
party follows a more moderate line. Tashnaksutyun is nationalistic and
opposes the government in many aspects.
Tashnaksutyun Party, whose activities are banned, was previously
thought of participating in the elections as a part of a block formed
of left wing parties. This subject block had unified organisations and
institutions like the Nagorno Karabakh the Armenia Group, Intellectual
Union, Constitution Rights Union and Heritage Movement under its roof.
But, The Central Election Committee did not allow the left union to
participate in the elections. On the other hand, the participation of
the Monarchist Party and Armenian Women Party in the election also was
hindered.
Ter-Petrosyan participated in the elections together with "Republican
Block" that he formed by taking 5 political parties with him. Even
though the ratio of participation in the elections was around 55 %,
The Republican Block had 114 parliamentarians and hence formed the
majority. While the ªamiram Women's Organisation was taking the second
rank, the Armenian Communist Party could not achieve the success that
was expected from it. While Gagik Hartunyan was explaining the defeat
of the extreme nationalistic block and the communists, he expressed
that they lacked a good program and their egoist behaviour affected
the election results. However, the public opinion researches that were
conducted before the elections showed that the communists would take
at least the 20 % of the votes.
Armenia is now living one of the most difficult periods of her
history. It is in the effort of passing through a very dangerous
narrow bottleneck. The people live in poverty. The minimum retirement
pension is less than one dollar. According to the State Statistics
Department data, the average salary is equal to 2.5 dollars. On the
other hand, the data of the Central Election Department, about to 1991
and 1994 elections, indicate that the population has decreased by 30 %
within the last three years. In other words, approximately 1 million
Armenians have left the country since 1993. The Armenians in Nagorno
Karabakh are fleeing from there. The number of Armenians who going to
Russia and the west increased in a fast way. According to the words of
Georg Pogosyan, the President of the Sociology Research Center of
Armenian Sciences Academy, the 70 % of the population of Armenia are
potential emigrants. The research show that the Armenians do not leave
their countries just because of cold and hunger. There are specific
social and political reasons for this. The Armenian newspapers
published the results of a sociological research made among the
Armenians who recently left the country in the years 1993 — 1994.
Armenians, who were consulted, said that 45 % left their country due
to the arbitrary behaviour of the police and similar organisations, 24
% left due to socio — economic reasons and 12 % left due to no
possibility for making free trade.
The war Armenia conduct in some regions of Nagorno Karabakh and
Azerbaijan and the embargo related to this imposed by Turkey and
Azerbaijan upon Armenia influenced the life in Armenia in the negative
way.
Armenia is in the effort of developing her relations with her
neighbours, especially with Russia and Iran, including the idea of
open to the sea over Georgia. The Russian — Armenian co-operation is
being exhibited in almost all fields. From these points of view, The
Russian — Armenian rapprochement is rather attracting attentions.
In spite of the termination of the " Cold War " era, the geopolitical
war is still continuing. Parallel to the weakening of Russia, and
together with the coming of the western petroleum companies to the
region and with the strengthening of the regional nationalist
feelings, a special international system is being formed especially in
the Caspian region.
It is not a coincidence that Grachov, the Russian Minister of Defence,
visited Armenia and Georgia, instead of the front line, when the
Russian Army attacked the strategic Argun, ªali and Gudarmes regions
of Chechenya. Grachov both visited the Russian Army units in the these
republics and also negotiated the matters of military co-operation
with the leaders of the countries. We have to remember that Russia
also made use of her bases in Armenia and Georgia for her attacks on
to Chechenya. The agreement for the use of the bases in Armenia by
Russia was signed in March 1995.
In spite of the fact that the antipathy in Russia against Caucasian
people has increased, the Russian Government and even some extreme
racist organizations and nationalistic Russian organizations still see
Armenia as a very important ally. The extreme rightist Russian
Organizations, are evaluating Armenia as an anti-Turkish and anti —
Moslem trench. For Russia, Armenia is a tool to keep Turkey far away
from Caucasia and sustain the pressure on Azerbaijan.
Armenia should take the first step to solve the problems that irritate
its neighbours, beginning with Turkey and Azerbaijan. The armed
Armenian gangs should leave the Azerbaijan lands, which are under
invasion and the Nagorno Karabakh problem, should be solved within the
framework of integrity of Azerbaijan lands. The existing situation,
has exceeded the boundaries of " Self — Determination " right of
Nagorno Karabakh. Armenians consider at the Nagorno Karabakh as their
own lands, and they have even started to mention "Third Armenia". The
article of Levon ªirinyan, in Azatamart newspaper is a good example to
this. ªirinyan, who seems quite confident in himself, states that the
Armenian Plain and in the neighbouring region, he adds that twenty
million Kurds are sticking to the "National State" proceeding in this
direction, from now on nobody can disregard their rights and the
future is pregnant to more fearful / violent events. It is not
difficult to understand from which source ªirinyan is fed. It is not
possible to reach a result by confusing minds with such articles. Now,
is the time to wake up and act sensibly in order to save the nation
from the severe situation that it is now in. The historical
experiences show that policies based on grudge and hatred have
collapsed and will also collapse in future. For this reason, the
latest developments in the region and the general situation in
Armenia, show that the time has come for Erivan to act with common
sense and to take courageous steps in order to maintain stability in
the region.
Turkey, who is located at the focus point of the world, is an element
of stability in the region. This is not an empty claim. While the
mentioning the contributions of the countries especially Iran that
have a close interest in Caucasus and the Central Asia, Pravda
stresses specifically the reality of Turkey. According to Pravda,
Turkey is the most suitable model for the republics of Caucasus and
Central Asian countries, with her serious investment possibilities
modern technology and secular system. The advancing of Turkey towards
these targets, will contribute to peace and stability not only in the
country but also outside the boundaries of the country. Especially
after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, several western
countries are accepting that Turkey plays an important role in the
region, within the new geo-political medium that has been formed.
According to the Financial Times newspaper, the Western European
contries see Turkey as a trade and political center, in the East
Mediterranean, and a stability factor in the Caucasus and Middle Asia.
All European countries and the United States of America are evaluating
Turkey, as the "Regional Power" and "Secular Democratic Model".
According to Financial Times newspaper, Turkey is a great element of
stability in the region which extends from the Middle East to the
Central Asia and from the Balkans to Caucassia.
REFERENCES
1. Kirzioglu, Prof. Dr. M. Fahrettin, Kars Ili ve Cevresinde Ermeni
Mezalimi (1918 — 1920) / Armenian Oppressions in the Kars Province and
its Environs (1918 — 1920), KÖKSAV Yayinlari / KÖKSAV Publications,
Ankara, 1999.
2. Aslan, Doc. Dr. / Assoc. Prof. Yasin, Ermenistan Tarihi Yol
Ayiriminda / Armenian History at the Cross Road., Ankara, 1997.
3. Ermeni Alimleri ve Feryat Koparan Taslar / Armenian Scholars and
the Stones That Create Screams (Russian) 1902, p. 80 — 123.
4. AFP, 6. 5. 1994.
5. Azerbeycan Sovyet Ansiklopedisi IV / Azerbaijan Soviet
Encyclopaedia IV, page 81 — 82, Azerbeycan Gazetesi / Azerbaijan
Newspaper, 11. 3. 1994.
6. Moscow News, 11. 12. 1993, Nu. 46, ITAR — TASS, 31. 8. 1993.
7. Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 8. 4. 1994; Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 18. 1. 1994.
8. Moscow News, 15. 1. 1993.
9. Nas Sovremennik (Muasirimiz) Magazine 1993 / 4 issue.
10. Segodnaya (Bu Gün / Today) Newspaper, 9. 4. 1994.
11. Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 8. 4. 1994.
12. Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 18. 1. 1994.
13. Azatamart Newspaper, November 2 — 8, 1993.
14. Snark News Agency, December 7, 1993.
15. Moskovskaya Pravda, 24. 9. 1992.
16. Turan Ajansi / Turan Agency, December 4, 1993.
17. Moskovskiya Novosti Newspaper, 1992 / 13.
18. Azadlig, 12. 5. 1992.
19. Azatamart, 2 — 8. 11. 1993.
20. Soviet Analyst, May 15, 1991 nu. : 10.
21. Neue Zeurcher Zeitung, February 9, 1993.
22. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, February 15, 1993.
23. Wall Street Journal, January 25, 1995.
24. Segodniya, June 28, 1995.
25. Segodniya, July 13, 1995.
26. ITAR — TASS, November 27, 1994.
27. Snark News Agency, December 1, 1993.
28. New Times, November 1994.
29. Country Report, 3 rd Quarter / 1994.
30. Segoniya, June 30, 1995.
31. Salam (Iran Newspaper), October 7, 1995.
32. Moscow News, December 8 — 14, 1995.
33. Komersant — Daily, October 17, 1995.
34. Nezavisimaya Gazeta, January 4, 1996.
35. Azatamart Newspaper, September 7 — 13, 1993.
36. Republik Ermenistan, August 3, 1993.
37. Pravda, March 3, 1993.
38. Financial Times, January 21, 1994.
39. Vremya, May 5, 1993.
40. Los Angeles Times, October 5, 1980.
41. Armenian Weekly, May 7, 1994.
+++++++++++++++++++++
ARMENIAN ATROCITIES AGAINST THEIR OWN NATIONALS
Armenian committeemen not only conducted massacres on Turks, but also
made various oppressions on the Armenians whom they suspected were on
the side of the Turks.
After the Kumkapi demonstration, which took place in July 1890, the
Hinchak Committee, started arranging assassinations to the suspected
Armenians presumed to be the supporters of the government.
Advocate Hachik was killed by a 15-year-old Armenian named Armenak.
Dacad Varabet, the preacher of Gedikpasa Church was cut into pieces.
Mampre Karabet, who was elected to the Spiritual Assembly, was wounded
assassination and because of spying for the government.
It was suspected that Patriarch Ashikyangave the plans of the
committee to the government, and due to this reason an assassination
was arranged by an Armenian named Diyarbakirli Agop / Agop From
Diyarbakir, elected by drawing lots by the committee in the patriarch
ate church on March 24, 1804. Since the Karadag branded pistol the
assassin used was defective, the young man was arrested.
The Hinchak Committee carried out an assassination on March 10, 1894
to Simon Maksut, when they considered being the friend of Ashikyan,
through two committeemen, in front of the Havyar Han in Galata.
The French Ambassador Monsieur Cambon gave the following information
to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 27, 1894 about
these assassinations:
"From Cambon to Casimir Perier,
Beyoglu: March 27, 1894
Last Sunday, while Patriarch Ashikyan was leaving the Kumkapi Church
after the ritual service in order to go back to the patriarchate, an
eighteen-year-old Armenian youngster aimed on him by his pistol and
fired a few shots. Since the weapon was defective, no bullet hit the
patriarch. The patriarch was fainted and he was treated in his home.
The young Armenian was taken to the police station, and when he was
interrogated on the reason of the murdering, he told that Ashikyan is
the enemy of Armenians, and that he frequently informed the
government, therefore, the Armenians had sworn to get rid of this man
to save the nation. He also emphasised that he and his colleagues from
the same sect were faithful to the Sultan.
Cambon. "
Monsieur Cambon states in his telegram which he sent on June 3, 1894
that :
" From Cambon to the Minister of Foreign Affairs :
Beyoglu : June 3, 1894
In the last days, an assassination has been made to a leader of
Armenian Society in Istanbul. This person who survived the attack, is
Simon Maksud, the gate attendant or the chief translator, a wealthy
banker, and one of the contractors of the Ministry of Defence. Mr.
Maksut, one of the members of the Patriarchate People's Assembly, were
known by the members of the same sect as a treacherous person who was
sold to the Turks. Mr. Maksut, last year, when the celebration of the
constitution granted by Sultan Mecit to the Armenians was banned by
the Sultan, he refused to make conspiracies for the lifting of this
ban. He attracted the hatred of the conspiracies and provocateurs
violently.
The porters from Van, who tried to kill him, are the people who
suffered a lot of from Kurds, and Turkish officials in Van.
There is no doubt that that we are facing a political murder. The
murderers were carrying documents and letters written by the Armenian
committees. These people admitted that they were hired by an Armenian
person named Levona and who had paid them for the crime. After the
assassination attempt, the committees wished to warn the members from
the higher Armenian classes whom they considered to be treacherous and
who did not serve to their national cause and were considered to be
the friends of Turks. The committees wanted to strike their blows in
the center of the government / in the capital, and not in the
provinces from then on, and to provide a larger area for their
activities, and to make a strong effect on the Sultan.
The Sultan was very annoyed by this assassination. A lot of arrests
that were made by the police in Istanbul prove this.
P. Cambon "
The leader of the Hinchak Committee in Istanbul, after the Kumkapi
demonstration, is Murad (Hamparsum Boyaciyan). Vart Badrikyan, came
from Caucasia as the Hinchak representative. Badrikyan was arrested
after one or two months later but since he was a Russian citizen, he
was taken; by the Russian Embassy. Ardavazt Ohancanyan, was sent from
Caucasia in lieu of him. The assassinations occured at a time when
these representatives were in Istanbul. (1)
The oppressions of Armenians on Armenians do not only comprise of
assassinations. The Armenian committeemen, who tried to obtain money
for the rebellions, robbed a great number of Armenian citizens. As a
matter of fact, the following information given to M. Sifir, whose
actual name is Rezi Yalkin, by the famous Pantikyan, who played a
great role in the armistice, is very shocking :
" I would like to stress especially that, in the raids made by the
Kurds and the Turks, as a reaction to the rebellion movements in the
several regions of Anatolia at those times, the amount of material
losses were extremely small compared to the wealth pillaged by the
Hinchaks in the robberies in Istanbul. The percentage would not total
even to one percent. The committeemen robbed the Istanbul Armenians in
such a pitilessly. They put several wealthy persons into a penniless
situation.
I find it useful to list the amount of money stolen at that time, to
give a lesson to the new Armenian generation, to expose these robbers
by giving figures, and the names of the owners of the money as far as
I remember:
A committee of bandits conducting robberies under the leadership of
the priest Murat Irakliyan, from Van, one of the famous wicked men
operated in Bakirköy, Yedikule and Samatya. The collected twenty two
thousand gold coins only from poor Armenian shoppers and craftsmen.
They apart from these they collected six thousand gold coils from
carpets trader Karnik Sümbülyan, five thousand gold coins from draper
Nisan ªahpazyan, and ten thousand gold coins from mobile grains
traders.
The robberies made in Yenikapi, Kumkapi districts were not less than
these were at all. The all existences of all-small traders, shoppers
and craftsmen were taken away from their hands and the safes of the
outstanding wealthy men were all seized. In case my memories do not
mislead myself, the totals of the robberies made in this district also
reached thirty thousand golden coins.
Those who collected tributes in Galata and Beyoglu brole all the
records of robbery. Thirty thousand gold coins were seized only from
one of the outstanding jewellers of that time named Istepan, who was a
wealthy Armenian, and a total of the robberies in this district
hundred thousand gold coins was the sum total. Izmirliyan, who gained
control of even the patriarchate Migir, together with the five secret
detectives of the committee; priest Murat Irakliyan; Musdic Kesisyan,
from Aleppo and his friends became extremely wealthy.
The committeemen of that time claimed that an important part of that
money was given to the men of the palace. But these words are absolute
lies, because, ten years after the event, Murat Irakliyan escaped to
Sofia, and settled there. He personally told the event to my father in
detail, and he emphasized that the thirty thousand gold coins which
was his share, was taken by force from him by Izmirliyan. " (2)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasan Oktay, ation from the University of Yüzüncü
Yil, Department of History, has found out a very shocking example
regarding the oppressions of Armenians on Armenians :
"Following the atmosphere which prevailed after the announcement of
the Second Constitutional Regime, the post of Mayor in Van, was given
to Bedros Kapamaciyan, an Armenian member of Van Administrative
Assembly, in the midst of the year 1909. In spite of the fact that the
Moslem people constituted the majority of population in the city;
Kapamaciyan Efendi was elected as a member without any considerations
of discrimination by earning the respect of all the people, therefore,
he also received votes the Moslem people. As a matter of fact, at the
end of the elections, two out of ten members in the Administrative
Assembly were Armenians.
Kapamaciyan Efendi, who pleased the people of the province during his
administration and who always sided with the Ottoman State in spite of
the Tashnak and Hinchak committees, served for the peace and the
welfare of both the Turkish and the Armenian committees in Van. While
Kapamaciyan, the Mayor, was working hard for the peace and the future
of the city, the Armenian Patriarch was conspiring for plots and
provocation in Van and its environs. He collaborated with the Tashnak
committee in order to keep the Armenian matter alive for the European
states.
As a result of these plots, a series of fires broke out in Van, and
the houses of some of the Armenians were also burned up in these
fires. The Patriarch wanted the Major to send a report to the
Ambassadors of the European States stating that the fires and
provocation were caused by the Moslem people, and that they are
getting ready to destroy the lives and the property of the Armenians
at any moment.
However, Kapamaciyan Efendi, the Mayor, sent a report telling that the
matter was not so and the fires were started by the Armenian Tashnak
committees.
The existence of Kapamaciyan Efendi, who spoiled the efforts of the
revolutionary Armenians still working with great efforts in the center
of Van, was an unbearable situation, so the committees took the
decision to execute the major. The revolutionary gangs, who based
their theories on an Armenian-Turkish conflict, had arranged
assassinations before the outstanding Armenian people who supported
the Ottoman State and who weakened their domination over the people.
Thus, with this assassination they were going to frighten the
community and avoid further opposition.
Kapamaciyan Efendi, who was frequently threatened on December 10, 1912
in the evening, w,th all his family got onto the sledges that was
waiting in front of the door of his home, to go to Marcidciyan Efendi,
who was one of his relatives, for the celebration of "name giving". He
did not know that he was on the black list. A Tashnak group was
waiting near his home the group started a volley of shots onto the
crowd. The Mayor, who was caught unaware and without any protection at
all, was shot with two bullets in his head and fell dead on the
ground.
Since the home of the Mayor was in the Baglar quarter, the closest
patrol station was ten minutes away. So, the murderers fled in the
darkness before the gendarmerie arrived. The Baglar quarter was a
place with gardens and vineyards. In this is quarter Armenians were
the majority and it was easy for the murderers to hide and run away.
The witnesses who saw the incident started to be questioned. The
facial features and other information about the murderers were slowly
being revealed. Especially from the evidence given by the Mayor's son,
it was understood that Karakin and his friend were probably the
murderers. Thus, the disclosure of the murderers prevented probable
clashes between the Moslem and the Armenians. Karakin was caught after
rapid operations, and his friend whose name we could not find out,
escaped. The assassins who were among the group who committed the
crime and was wanted for smuggling arms into Van whose names were
Potur, the carriage man, Sarac, Osep, jeweller Karakin, and somebody
named Sahaf who fled to Karagündüz village after the event and who was
one of the leading members of Tashnak committee, and who planned the
murder of Kapamaciyan Efendi, were caught after a difficult search.
The friend of the murderer Karakin, who got lost just after the event,
was later on captured and put in prison.
Viramyan Efendi, one of the writers of the Azadamart newspaper as
published in Van by the members of Tashnak committee in Van; Aram
Manukyan Efendi, the inspector of Armenian schools and the Van
delagate of Tashnak committee; and some of the Armenian leaders of the
Tashnak committee were arrested for plotting Mayor Kapamaciyan's
murder.
Because the Ottoman officials were successful in finding the murderer
of Kapamaciyan, who was very popular among the Armenians, the
capturing of the murderers, even though they were not punished
severely, still met with pleasure by the people. But the Armenian
people felt deep sorrow because the murderers were Armenians.
Necessary measures were taken in the funeral and thus special care was
taken to avoid any disturbances. The English, Russian, and the French
Consuls were among the foreign missions who also participated in the
funeral. However, the fact that nobody from the military and also from
the Tashnak committee was at the ceremony, which was rather
meaningful. With this attitude, the Tashnak committee made it clear to
their supporters and enemies that they killed the mayor and thus this
was a warning to their enemies.
The revolutionist Tashnak committees could kill their own people
without any their hesitation to reach their goals. The committeemen
were capable doing all kinds of actions for the formation of a
suitable medium for a revolution. They conducted their actions
systematically with the help of Russia; they were able to occupy Van,
temporarily. When the Russians retreated because of the Bolshevik
Revolution in 1917, Van again passed to the hands of Turks. " (3)
Oktay, reports the following from Altan Deliorman concerning to the
oppressions of Armenians on Armenians:
"While the Armenians were conducting their activities in Anatolia, in
Istanbul they were also, killing those Armenians who did not
sympathise with them. Advocate Hachik; Dacad Vartabet, the Chief
priest of Gedikpasa Church; Trader Karagözyan, Candle man Onnik; Apik
Uncuyan; Policeman Markar, Mampre Vartabet, the member of the
Spiritual Assembly; Hajji Dikran Migirdic Tütüncüyan are only a few of
the Armenians who were murdered by the Armenian gangs. " (4)
REFERENCES
(1) Uras, Esat, Tarihte Ermeniler ve Ermeni Meselesi / The Armenians
and the Armenian Matter In History, Belge Publications, Istanbul,
1987, p. 469 — 471.
(2) Banoglu, Niyazi Ahmet, Gündüz Printing House, Ankara, 1976, p. 24
— 25.
(3) Oktay, Assoc. Prof. Dr., Hazan, "www.ermenisorunu.gen.tr/articles"
(4) Altan Deliorman, Türklere Karsi Ermeni Komitecileri, Istanbul,
1975, p. 31.
Jason K. Lambrou
therefore 1/4 Armenian
> trial to Sultan Abdόlhamit, and Adana revolt in 1909. Due to the
> Prof.Dr.Ilber Uzel from the Dept. of Dentistry at Gόlhane Medicine
> Prof. Dr. Metin ΦZBEK
> Anthropologist
>
>
> +++++++++
>
>
>
>
>
> THE REPORT ON EXCAVATION OF THE MASS-GRAVES IN KARS - SUBATAN
>
> One of the excavations of the mass-graves aiming to explore the events
> happened in Eastern Anatolia betweeen 1915 and 1918 has been done in
> Kars-Subatan (Figure 1.) The opening of the mass-graves in Subatan
> village which is situated near Ani Φrenyeri, on the boarders of
> Turkey-Russia, 28 kilometres in the east of Kars was carried out on
> Governor of Kars, S.Filtekin, the Mayor of Kars, Prof.Dr.Hursit
> Ertugrul, the president of Atatόrk University, Prof.Dr.Ahmet Cakir,
> the dean of Science and Literature Faculty of the same university and
> Prof.Dr.Enver Konukcu, Prof.Dr.Azmi Sόslό from Ankara University,
> Prof.Dr.Metin Φzbek from Hacettepe University, Prof.Dr.Fahrettin
> Kirzioglu From Gazi University, Prof.Dr.Metin Tuncel from Istanbul
> University, Assoc.Prof.Dr.Abdόsselam Ulucam from 100.Yil University
> and Ali Ercan, the director of Kars museum.
>
> The excavations in Subatan village which has about 20-30 houses of
> Moslem population today were carried out in accordance with the oral
> statements of 120 year old Fariz Φztόrk and 95 year old Duraga Φztόrk
> who witnessed the events. They were conducted in a 8x10 meter hole
> which was opened in the barn in Kφseogullari district (Figure 2). The
> first works were started in A1 hole within the field divided into four
> separate 4-5 meter areas. The excavation which had been realized in a
> wide surface first was narrowed down to the inner crosspoint of A1 and
> B1 holes After having removed the 40 centimeter earth, the first
> skeletons were found. It was observed that most of these skeletons
> which were found with some personal belongings belong to children
> between the age groups of 0-1.
>
> Another group of skeletons which was found in 80 centimeters depth in
> A1 hole displayed quite a shocking scene. These skeletons which were
> located in the north-south direction must belong to a mother and her
> daughter. The woman fell onto her right side and embraced the child
> with her left arm. The two stroke marks found on the head of the woman
> prove that they were killed with an axe or some other sharp
> instrument. The first stroke mark is not as deep as the second one.
> Both the woman and the child were buried in their clothes.
>
> The photograph taken on April 25 th 1918
>
> Another skeleton group was found in the south corner of A1 hole. Only
> a few of these could be analyzed. As these analyses show, bodies were
> thrown haphazardly. The rest of the findings were after of a belt, a
> pair of ear-rings, a number of colored beads of a small necklace;
> decayed wooden beams and were given to Kars Museum to be displayed in
> the newly opened Genocide Section for exhibition.
>
> According to the oral statements of the witnesses, Fariz Φztόrk and
> Duraga Φztόrk whose statements are supported by the archive documents,
> the massacre committed by Armenians happened in the following way: The
> Tashnak-Armenian guerrillas who retreated from Kars and Sarikamis
> attacked Subatan village where Turkish, Armenian and Greek people
> lived together were captured wildly without feeling pity. According to
> the photographs in the archives and findings of the excavations, the
> women, children and old men who had been killed with axes and bayonets
> were left in the streets. The archive documents show that a total of
> 570 people were murdered in the village. After the withdrawal of
> Armenians, Turkish soldiers came to the district. The soldiers with
> the help of survivors collected the corpses, which were decayed and
> eaten by dogs, to an area and put them in a barn. Due to the hard
> conditions of that time and lack of time, the bodies were buried
> together. Some other mass-graves were formed by collapsing the roofs
> of barns. The archive documents and statements of witnesses show that
> in three separate mass-graves in Subatan, there are a numbers of
> martyrs buried. In the barn in Kφseogullari district , more than 180,
> in Tiptip street more than 25 and in the barn which is located in the
> south of the village mosque more than 350 bodies are buried.
>
> Prof. Dr. Cevat BASARAN
> Archaeologist
>
>
> +++++++++++++++++++
>
> THE EXCAVATION OF VAN - ZEVE MASS-GRAVE
>
> Armenian Massacres of Turks in Van - Interview with Witnesses
>
> In the excavations that were started on April 4th 1990 in the cemetery
> for martyrs near Zeve which is in the vicinity of Citφren Village that
> for martyrs near Zeve which is in the vicinity of Citφren Village that
> Anatolia. During the presidency of Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatόrk, the
> grey wolf was depicted on the banknotes, postage stamps and many other
> official documents. The existence of the grey wolf relief on the
> sword's butt is an indication of the respect for national set of
> values and obedience to the Atatόrk's ideals.
>
> The sword era in the history was at the same time the horse era.
> According to the Turkish historians, the great conquests of the Turks
> were due to their great mastery of two arts: Horse training and
> mining, and especially the smith-craft. The latter was important for
> manufacturing and shaping swords while the horse training was
> essential for covering great distances in the wars that never ended.
> The Turkish soldier always departed with his sword, horse and tent for
> military expeditions.
>
> The horse another one of the main totems of the Turks and inseparable
> friend and helper of the soldier. You may not imagine the sword
> without horse and the Turk without a horse and a sword. For this
> reason, all sword butts have a rearing horse figure in relief. It was
> the symbol of heroism, happiness and sun. The are at both sides of the
> butt.
>
> The inner sides have twin-headed eagle figures. The Altaic figures
> carved into rocks suggest that the eagle also was totemised as a sign
> of grandeur and magnificence among the Turks. The double-headed eagle
> symbolised first the Hittite Empire and the Byzance Emperors had later
> adopted it for themselves. Used finally by the Selchuk Empire as its
> coat-of-arms, it stands at the apogee of this centuries-long tradition
> as the Byzance Empire finally crumbled before the Turkish might.
>
> The outer sides of the butts have soldier reliefs together with grey
> wolves, horses and eagles as the products of the ancient Turkish
> symbology. The soldier figures are different in each of the swords on
> the monument and each butt depicts a soldier of Hun, Gφktόrk, Selchuk,
> Ottoman and modern Turkish soldier.
>
> Having created magnificent empires in various periods of the history,
> the Turkish soldier deserves the greatest of all monuments. Epitomised
> in bronze in the sword butts of the monument, symbolise all the
> soldierlike generations throughout the history as the staunch
> defenders of the nation, peace and order.
>
> Monument's foundation was laid on 1 August 1997 by Igdir's Governor
> Semsettin Uzun. The circumferential walls of the complex were masoned
> with stones from Ahlat quarries and their cones were ornamented with
> wrought iron grills. Museum door, windows and drawers are of chestnut
> wood, the swords were coated with grey Bianco Maris granite imported
> from Italy use was made of African red granite for some architectural
> details. Marbles from various parts of Turkey, including the Taurus
> black from Kayseri, Theos green and Ζgean grey from Izmir, Hazar pink
> from Diyarbakir, Ζgean claret from Mugla, travertines from Denizli and
> Kόtahya, Kayran slabs from Bodrum, Bergama granite cobblestones and
> Imyra stone from Antalya, went into the monument's construction. Great
> care was exercised for ensuring the harmony of all these materials
> with each other and with the details in which they were applied.
>
> The monument and museum was sponsored by the Foundation for Developing
> Igdir and its counties. It constitutes as such a magnificent shrine of
> all who were mass-murdered and whose graves are unknown. Those
> visiting this shrine will remember our martyrs whom we sometimes
> forget and strive to understand the true authors of the scourge that
> attained the proportions of a genocide.
>
> REFERENCE
> GIYASI, Prof. Dr. Cafer A., The Igdir Genocide Monument and Museum,
> Atatόrk Research Centre Publication, Ankara 2000, pp.5-
>
>
> ++++++++++++++++++++
>
> THE LIST OF MASSACRES BY ARMENIANS OF TURKS IN ANATOLIA AND CAUCASIA,
> 1906-1922
>
> Volume and Doc. No Date Place Deaths
>
> 1/2 1914-2-21 Kars, Ardahan 30.000
> 1/3 1916-5-8 Pasinler 2.000
> 1/3 1916-5-8 Tercan 563
> 1/3 1916-5-8 Van, Tatvan 1.600
> 1/3 1915-5-9 Bitlis 40.000
> 1/3 1916-5-8 Bitlis 10.000
> 1/3 1915-5-9 Bitlis 123
> 1/4 1915 Van 44
> 1/4 1916-5-22 Van 1.000
> 1/4 1916-5-22 Kφprόkφy / Van 200
> 1/13 l 915-8 Mόkόs 126
> 1/13 l 915-6-7 Mόkόs Sehan 121
> 1/13 l 915-7 Mus Akηan 19
> 1/13 329 Mus 10
> 1/14 l 915 Bitlis Hizan 113
> 1/15 l 915 Van 5200
> 1/16 1916-8-14 Bitlis 311
> 1/19 1916-6-6 Satak Serir 45
> 1/19 1916-6-6 Satak 1150
> 1/23 1916-1-15 Terme 9
> 2/2 1919-1-25 Kars 9
> 2/3 1919-1-21 Kilis 2
> 2/4 1919-2-26 Adana, Pozanti 4
> 2/5 1919-5-18 Osmaniye 1
> 2/7 1919-6-13 Pasinler 3
> 2/10 1919-6-3 Igdir 8
> 2/11 1919-7-7 Kars, Gφle 9
> 2/12 1919-7-9 Kagizman 6
> 2/13 1919-7-9 Kurudere 8
> 2/16 1919-7-8 Mescidli 4
> 2/16 1919-7-8 Gόlyantepe 10
> 2/22 1919-7-11 Mescidli 20
> 2/26 1919-7-19 Bulakli 2
> 2/31 1919-7-24 Kars, Kagizman 9
> 2/36 1919-7 Sarikamis 803
> 2/37 1919-7 Sarikamis 695
> 2/38 1919/8 Muhtelif Kφyler 2502
> 3/1 1919-7-5 Kagizman 4
> 3/1 1919 Tiknis, Agadeve 5
> 3/1 1919-7-19 Pasinler 2
> 3/1 1919 Nahηivan 4000
> 3/6 1919-7 Kurudere 8
> 3/6 1919-7-4 Akηakale 180
> 3/6 1919 Sarikamis 9
> 3/7 1919-8-15 Erzurum 153
> 3/7 1919-8-15 Erzurum 426
> 3/14 1919-9 Allahόekber 3
> 3/16 1919-9-14 Sarikamis 2
> 3/18 1919-11-11 Maras 2
> 3/19 1919-11 Adana 4
> 3/19 1919-11-16 Ulukisla 7
> 3/22 1919-12-7 Adana 4
> 3/26 1920-1-22 Antep 1
> 3/27 1919-9 άnye 12
> 3/28 1920-2-28 Pozanti 40
> 3/29 1920-2-10 Ηildir 100
> 3/32 1920-3-9 Zarusat 400
> 3/33 1920-2-2 Suregel 1350
> 3/35 1338-3 Maras 4
> 3/36 1920-3-22 Suregel, Zarusat 2000
> 3/37 1920-3-9 Zarusat 120
> 3/37 1920-3-16 Kagizman 720
> 3/39 1920-4-6 Gόmrό 500
> 3/40 1920-4-28 Kars 2
> 3/41 1920-5-5 Kars 1774
> 3/46 1920-5-22 Kars 10
> 3/47 1920-7-2 Kars, Erzurum 408
> 3/47 1920-7-2 Zengibasar 1500
> 3/49 1920-7-27 Erzurum 69
> 3/50 1920-2-1 Zarusat 2150
> 3/50 1920-5 Kars, Erzurum 27
> 3/50 1920-8 Oltu 650
> 3/50 1920-8 Kars, Erzurum 18
> 3/51 1920-10-15 Bayburt 1387
> 3/52 1920-10-20 Gφle 100
> 3/53 1920-10-17 Pasinler 9287
> 3/54 1920-10-18 Tortum 3700
> 3/55 1920-10-19 Erzurum 8439
> 4/2 1920-10-26 Kars civari 10693
> 4/3 1920-10-?8 Askale 889
> 4/4 1919-1-6 Zarusat 86
> 4/5 1920-12-1 Kosor 69
> 4/6 1920-12-3 Gφle 508
> 4/7 1920-12-4 Kosor 122
> 4/9 1920-12-4 Kars, Zeytun
> 28
> 4/10 1920-12-4 Sarikamis
> 1975
> 4/12 1920-12-6 Gφle
> 194
> 4/14 1920-12-7 Kars, Digor
> 14620
> 4/16 1920-12-14 Sarikamis 5337
> 4/17 1920 Gφle 600
> 4/17 1920 Kars 3945
> 4/18 1920
> Haramivartan 138
> 4/19 1920
> Nahηivan 64408
> 4/20 1920-11-29
> Zarcisat 1026
> 4/21 1921-2
> Zenibasar 18
> 4/23 1920
> Nahηivan 5307
> 4/24 1920-2
> Kars civari 561
> 4/26 1920-12
> Erivan 192
> 4/27 1921
> Karakilise 6000
> 4/29 1921-11-21
> Pasinler 53
> 4/29 1921-11-21
> Erzurum 1215
> 4/30 1918
> Hinis 870
> 4/31 1918
> Tercan 580
> 4/32 1921 Nahηivan 12
> 4/33 1921 Bayburt 580
> 4/34 1921 Arpaηay 148
>
> Sources: GOVERNMENT ARCHIVES
>
>
>
> ++++++++++++++++
>
> MASSACRES BY ARMENIANS IN AZERBAIJAN
>
> The massacres committed by the Armenians towards the Turkish people
> were not limited to Anatolia, but continued in the Caucasius and in
> the Azerbaijan, as well. The following, information is from the
> documents from Prof. Fahrettin M. Kirzioglu.
>
> " In August 1919, Armenians attacked the 45 villages around Nahcivan
> and Serόr with their military troops; and opened fire from armoured
> wagons to the villages along the railroad.
>
> Towards the end of May 1920, the Armenians expelled by force the
> people of the Islam village named Karadagli, near Uluhanli in Erivan,
> pillaged their goods and obliged them to emigrate.
>
> On the night of May 23 24, 1920 more than 300 Armenian cavalrymen
> surrounded the Cebecali village, 5 km to the north of Uluhanli,
> gathered all the men, and bayoneted all of them.
>
> On the night of June 27, 1920, the Armenians who raided the Hacibayram
> and Haberbegli Villages in Erivan, pillaged the goods and belongings
> of the people, and killed a lot of them. A small minority who could
> survive from the raid, were drowned in the Aras River while they were
> passing the river towards the south, upon the attacking of Armenians.
>
> 500 Moslems carrying the passsports issued by the Azerbaijan
> Ambassador in Erivan and going to Gence, by train, to reach Azerbaijan
> and other places were forced to get off the train near Gόmrό and all
> Levon ͺirinyan had also put forth before the same proposal in his
> comment in the Azatamart newspaper. In another article ͺirinyan
> maximum use of the existing medium. Levon ͺirinyan expressed his views
> activities of Dasnaksόtyόn Party, known as Armenia Revolutionary
> majority. While the ͺamiram Women's Organisation was taking the second
> Russian Army attacked the strategic Argun, ͺali and Gudarmes regions
> of Chechenya. Grachov both visited the Russian Army units in the these
> republics and also negotiated the matters of military co-operation
> with the leaders of the countries. We have to remember that Russia
> also made use of her bases in Armenia and Georgia for her attacks on
> to Chechenya. The agreement for the use of the bases in Armenia by
> Russia was signed in March 1995.
>
> In spite of the fact that the antipathy in Russia against Caucasian
> people has increased, the Russian Government and even some extreme
> racist organizations and nationalistic Russian organizations still see
> Armenia as a very important ally. The extreme rightist Russian
> Organizations, are evaluating Armenia as an anti-Turkish and anti
> Moslem trench. For Russia, Armenia is a tool to keep Turkey far away
> from Caucasia and sustain the pressure on Azerbaijan.
>
> Armenia should take the first step to solve the problems that irritate
> its neighbours, beginning with Turkey and Azerbaijan. The armed
> Armenian gangs should leave the Azerbaijan lands, which are under
> invasion and the Nagorno Karabakh problem, should be solved within the
> framework of integrity of Azerbaijan lands. The existing situation,
> has exceeded the boundaries of " Self Determination " right of
> Nagorno Karabakh. Armenians consider at the Nagorno Karabakh as their
> own lands, and they have even started to mention "Third Armenia". The
> article of Levon ͺirinyan, in Azatamart newspaper is a good example to
> this. ͺirinyan, who seems quite confident in himself, states that the
> Armenian Plain and in the neighbouring region, he adds that twenty
> million Kurds are sticking to the "National State" proceeding in this
> direction, from now on nobody can disregard their rights and the
> future is pregnant to more fearful / violent events. It is not
> difficult to understand from which source ͺirinyan is fed. It is not
> its Environs (1918 1920), KΦKSAV Yayinlari / KΦKSAV Publications,
> Ankara, 1999.
> 2. Aslan, Doc. Dr. / Assoc. Prof. Yasin, Ermenistan Tarihi Yol
> Ayiriminda / Armenian History at the Cross Road., Ankara, 1997.
> 3. Ermeni Alimleri ve Feryat Koparan Taslar / Armenian Scholars and
> the Stones That Create Screams (Russian) 1902, p. 80 123.
> 4. AFP, 6. 5. 1994.
> 5. Azerbeycan Sovyet Ansiklopedisi IV / Azerbaijan Soviet
> Encyclopaedia IV, page 81 82, Azerbeycan Gazetesi / Azerbaijan
> Newspaper, 11. 3. 1994.
> 6. Moscow News, 11. 12. 1993, Nu. 46, ITAR TASS, 31. 8. 1993.
> 7. Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 8. 4. 1994; Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 18. 1. 1994.
> 8. Moscow News, 15. 1. 1993.
> 9. Nas Sovremennik (Muasirimiz) Magazine 1993 / 4 issue.
> 10. Segodnaya (Bu Gόn / Today) Newspaper, 9. 4. 1994.
> operated in Bakirkφy, Yedikule and Samatya. The collected twenty two
> thousand gold coins only from poor Armenian shoppers and craftsmen.
> They apart from these they collected six thousand gold coils from
> carpets trader Karnik Sόmbόlyan, five thousand gold coins from draper
> Nisan ͺahpazyan, and ten thousand gold coins from mobile grains
> traders.
>
> The robberies made in Yenikapi, Kumkapi districts were not less than
> these were at all. The all existences of all-small traders, shoppers
> and craftsmen were taken away from their hands and the safes of the
> outstanding wealthy men were all seized. In case my memories do not
> mislead myself, the totals of the robberies made in this district also
> reached thirty thousand golden coins.
>
> Those who collected tributes in Galata and Beyoglu brole all the
> records of robbery. Thirty thousand gold coins were seized only from
> one of the outstanding jewellers of that time named Istepan, who was a
> wealthy Armenian, and a total of the robberies in this district
> hundred thousand gold coins was the sum total. Izmirliyan, who gained
> control of even the patriarchate Migir, together with the five secret
> detectives of the committee; priest Murat Irakliyan; Musdic Kesisyan,
> from Aleppo and his friends became extremely wealthy.
>
> The committeemen of that time claimed that an important part of that
> money was given to the men of the palace. But these words are absolute
> lies, because, ten years after the event, Murat Irakliyan escaped to
> Sofia, and settled there. He personally told the event to my father in
> detail, and he emphasized that the thirty thousand gold coins which
> was his share, was taken by force from him by Izmirliyan. " (2)
>
> Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasan Oktay, ation from the University of Yόzόncό
> named Sahaf who fled to Karagόndόz village after the event and who was
> priest of Gedikpasa Church; Trader Karagφzyan, Candle man Onnik; Apik
> Uncuyan; Policeman Markar, Mampre Vartabet, the member of the
> Spiritual Assembly; Hajji Dikran Migirdic Tόtόncόyan are only a few of
> the Armenians who were murdered by the Armenian gangs. " (4)
>
> REFERENCES
> (1) Uras, Esat, Tarihte Ermeniler ve Ermeni Meselesi / The Armenians
> and the Armenian Matter In History, Belge Publications, Istanbul,
> 1987, p. 469 471.
> (2) Banoglu, Niyazi Ahmet, Gόndόz Printing House, Ankara, 1976, p. 24
> 25.
> (3) Oktay, Assoc. Prof. Dr., Hazan, "www.ermenisorunu.gen.tr/articles"
> (4) Altan Deliorman, Tόrklere Karsi Ermeni Komitecileri, Istanbul,
> 1975, p. 31.
sutten
"Jason K. Lambrou" <jjs...@jjdummy.com> wrote in message news:<40A29F0B...@jjdummy.com>...
> > trial to Sultan Abdülhamit, and Adana revolt in 1909. Due to the
> > Armenian oppressions, 100 Turks in Zeytun in 1914, 3.000 Turks in Van
> > events in 1915, and 20.000 Turks lost their lives 1914 ? 1915, in Mus
> > Prof.Dr.Ilber Uzel from the Dept. of Dentistry at Gülhane Medicine
> > Prof. Dr. Metin ÖZBEK
> > Anthropologist
> >
> >
> > +++++++++
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > THE REPORT ON EXCAVATION OF THE MASS-GRAVES IN KARS - SUBATAN
> >
> > One of the excavations of the mass-graves aiming to explore the events
> > happened in Eastern Anatolia betweeen 1915 and 1918 has been done in
> > Kars-Subatan (Figure 1.) The opening of the mass-graves in Subatan
> > village which is situated near Ani Örenyeri, on the boarders of
> > Turkey-Russia, 28 kilometres in the east of Kars was carried out on
> > Governor of Kars, S.Filtekin, the Mayor of Kars, Prof.Dr.Hursit
> > Ertugrul, the president of Atatürk University, Prof.Dr.Ahmet Cakir,
> > the dean of Science and Literature Faculty of the same university and
> > Prof.Dr.Enver Konukcu, Prof.Dr.Azmi Süslü from Ankara University,
> > Prof.Dr.Metin Özbek from Hacettepe University, Prof.Dr.Fahrettin
> > Kirzioglu From Gazi University, Prof.Dr.Metin Tuncel from Istanbul
> > University, Assoc.Prof.Dr.Abdüsselam Ulucam from 100.Yil University
> > and Ali Ercan, the director of Kars museum.
> >
> > The excavations in Subatan village which has about 20-30 houses of
> > Moslem population today were carried out in accordance with the oral
> > statements of 120 year old Fariz Öztürk and 95 year old Duraga Öztürk
> > who witnessed the events. They were conducted in a 8x10 meter hole
> > which was opened in the barn in Köseogullari district (Figure 2). The
> > first works were started in A1 hole within the field divided into four
> > separate 4-5 meter areas. The excavation which had been realized in a
> > wide surface first was narrowed down to the inner crosspoint of A1 and
> > B1 holes After having removed the 40 centimeter earth, the first
> > skeletons were found. It was observed that most of these skeletons
> > which were found with some personal belongings belong to children
> > between the age groups of 0-1.
> >
> > Another group of skeletons which was found in 80 centimeters depth in
> > A1 hole displayed quite a shocking scene. These skeletons which were
> > located in the north-south direction must belong to a mother and her
> > daughter. The woman fell onto her right side and embraced the child
> > with her left arm. The two stroke marks found on the head of the woman
> > prove that they were killed with an axe or some other sharp
> > instrument. The first stroke mark is not as deep as the second one.
> > Both the woman and the child were buried in their clothes.
> >
> > The photograph taken on April 25 th 1918
> >
> > Another skeleton group was found in the south corner of A1 hole. Only
> > a few of these could be analyzed. As these analyses show, bodies were
> > thrown haphazardly. The rest of the findings were after of a belt, a
> > pair of ear-rings, a number of colored beads of a small necklace;
> > decayed wooden beams and were given to Kars Museum to be displayed in
> > the newly opened Genocide Section for exhibition.
> >
> > According to the oral statements of the witnesses, Fariz Öztürk and
> > Duraga Öztürk whose statements are supported by the archive documents,
> > the massacre committed by Armenians happened in the following way: The
> > Tashnak-Armenian guerrillas who retreated from Kars and Sarikamis
> > attacked Subatan village where Turkish, Armenian and Greek people
> > lived together were captured wildly without feeling pity. According to
> > the photographs in the archives and findings of the excavations, the
> > women, children and old men who had been killed with axes and bayonets
> > were left in the streets. The archive documents show that a total of
> > 570 people were murdered in the village. After the withdrawal of
> > Armenians, Turkish soldiers came to the district. The soldiers with
> > the help of survivors collected the corpses, which were decayed and
> > eaten by dogs, to an area and put them in a barn. Due to the hard
> > conditions of that time and lack of time, the bodies were buried
> > together. Some other mass-graves were formed by collapsing the roofs
> > of barns. The archive documents and statements of witnesses show that
> > in three separate mass-graves in Subatan, there are a numbers of
> > martyrs buried. In the barn in Köseogullari district , more than 180,
> > in Tiptip street more than 25 and in the barn which is located in the
> > south of the village mosque more than 350 bodies are buried.
> >
> > Prof. Dr. Cevat BASARAN
> > Archaeologist
> >
> >
> > +++++++++++++++++++
> >
> > THE EXCAVATION OF VAN - ZEVE MASS-GRAVE
> >
> > Armenian Massacres of Turks in Van - Interview with Witnesses
> >
> > In the excavations that were started on April 4th 1990 in the cemetery
> > for martyrs near Zeve which is in the vicinity of Citören Village that
> > for martyrs near Zeve which is in the vicinity of Citören Village that
> > Anatolia. During the presidency of Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the
> > grey wolf was depicted on the banknotes, postage stamps and many other
> > official documents. The existence of the grey wolf relief on the
> > sword's butt is an indication of the respect for national set of
> > values and obedience to the Atatürk's ideals.
> >
> > The sword era in the history was at the same time the horse era.
> > According to the Turkish historians, the great conquests of the Turks
> > were due to their great mastery of two arts: Horse training and
> > mining, and especially the smith-craft. The latter was important for
> > manufacturing and shaping swords while the horse training was
> > essential for covering great distances in the wars that never ended.
> > The Turkish soldier always departed with his sword, horse and tent for
> > military expeditions.
> >
> > The horse another one of the main totems of the Turks and inseparable
> > friend and helper of the soldier. You may not imagine the sword
> > without horse and the Turk without a horse and a sword. For this
> > reason, all sword butts have a rearing horse figure in relief. It was
> > the symbol of heroism, happiness and sun. The are at both sides of the
> > butt.
> >
> > The inner sides have twin-headed eagle figures. The Altaic figures
> > carved into rocks suggest that the eagle also was totemised as a sign
> > of grandeur and magnificence among the Turks. The double-headed eagle
> > symbolised first the Hittite Empire and the Byzance Emperors had later
> > adopted it for themselves. Used finally by the Selchuk Empire as its
> > coat-of-arms, it stands at the apogee of this centuries-long tradition
> > as the Byzance Empire finally crumbled before the Turkish might.
> >
> > The outer sides of the butts have soldier reliefs together with grey
> > wolves, horses and eagles as the products of the ancient Turkish
> > symbology. The soldier figures are different in each of the swords on
> > the monument and each butt depicts a soldier of Hun, Göktürk, Selchuk,
> > Ottoman and modern Turkish soldier.
> >
> > Having created magnificent empires in various periods of the history,
> > the Turkish soldier deserves the greatest of all monuments. Epitomised
> > in bronze in the sword butts of the monument, symbolise all the
> > soldierlike generations throughout the history as the staunch
> > defenders of the nation, peace and order.
> >
> > Monument's foundation was laid on 1 August 1997 by Igdir's Governor
> > Semsettin Uzun. The circumferential walls of the complex were masoned
> > with stones from Ahlat quarries and their cones were ornamented with
> > wrought iron grills. Museum door, windows and drawers are of chestnut
> > wood, the swords were coated with grey Bianco Maris granite imported
> > from Italy use was made of African red granite for some architectural
> > details. Marbles from various parts of Turkey, including the Taurus
> > black from Kayseri, Theos green and Ægean grey from Izmir, Hazar pink
> > from Diyarbakir, Ægean claret from Mugla, travertines from Denizli and
> > Kütahya, Kayran slabs from Bodrum, Bergama granite cobblestones and
> > Imyra stone from Antalya, went into the monument's construction. Great
> > care was exercised for ensuring the harmony of all these materials
> > with each other and with the details in which they were applied.
> >
> > The monument and museum was sponsored by the Foundation for Developing
> > Igdir and its counties. It constitutes as such a magnificent shrine of
> > all who were mass-murdered and whose graves are unknown. Those
> > visiting this shrine will remember our martyrs whom we sometimes
> > forget and strive to understand the true authors of the scourge that
> > attained the proportions of a genocide.
> >
> > REFERENCE
> > GIYASI, Prof. Dr. Cafer A., The Igdir Genocide Monument and Museum,
> > Atatürk Research Centre Publication, Ankara 2000, pp.5-
> >
> >
> > ++++++++++++++++++++
> >
> > THE LIST OF MASSACRES BY ARMENIANS OF TURKS IN ANATOLIA AND CAUCASIA,
> > 1906-1922
> >
> > Volume and Doc. No Date Place Deaths
> >
> > 1/2 1914-2-21 Kars, Ardahan 30.000
> > 1/3 1916-5-8 Pasinler 2.000
> > 1/3 1916-5-8 Tercan 563
> > 1/3 1916-5-8 Van, Tatvan 1.600
> > 1/3 1915-5-9 Bitlis 40.000
> > 1/3 1916-5-8 Bitlis 10.000
> > 1/3 1915-5-9 Bitlis 123
> > 1/4 1915 Van 44
> > 1/4 1916-5-22 Van 1.000
> > 1/4 1916-5-22 Köprüköy / Van 200
> > 1/13 l 915-8 Müküs 126
> > 1/13 l 915-6-7 Müküs Sehan 121
> > 1/13 l 915-7 Mus Akçan 19
> > 1/13 329 Mus 10
> > 1/14 l 915 Bitlis Hizan 113
> > 1/15 l 915 Van 5200
> > 1/16 1916-8-14 Bitlis 311
> > 1/19 1916-6-6 Satak Serir 45
> > 1/19 1916-6-6 Satak 1150
> > 1/23 1916-1-15 Terme 9
> > 2/2 1919-1-25 Kars 9
> > 2/3 1919-1-21 Kilis 2
> > 2/4 1919-2-26 Adana, Pozanti 4
> > 2/5 1919-5-18 Osmaniye 1
> > 2/7 1919-6-13 Pasinler 3
> > 2/10 1919-6-3 Igdir 8
> > 2/11 1919-7-7 Kars, Göle 9
> > 2/12 1919-7-9 Kagizman 6
> > 2/13 1919-7-9 Kurudere 8
> > 2/16 1919-7-8 Mescidli 4
> > 2/16 1919-7-8 Gülyantepe 10
> > 2/22 1919-7-11 Mescidli 20
> > 2/26 1919-7-19 Bulakli 2
> > 2/31 1919-7-24 Kars, Kagizman 9
> > 2/36 1919-7 Sarikamis 803
> > 2/37 1919-7 Sarikamis 695
> > 2/38 1919/8 Muhtelif Köyler 2502
> > 3/1 1919-7-5 Kagizman 4
> > 3/1 1919 Tiknis, Agadeve 5
> > 3/1 1919-7-19 Pasinler 2
> > 3/1 1919 Nahçivan 4000
> > 3/6 1919-7 Kurudere 8
> > 3/6 1919-7-4 Akçakale 180
> > 3/6 1919 Sarikamis 9
> > 3/7 1919-8-15 Erzurum 153
> > 3/7 1919-8-15 Erzurum 426
> > 3/14 1919-9 Allahüekber 3
> > 3/16 1919-9-14 Sarikamis 2
> > 3/18 1919-11-11 Maras 2
> > 3/19 1919-11 Adana 4
> > 3/19 1919-11-16 Ulukisla 7
> > 3/22 1919-12-7 Adana 4
> > 3/26 1920-1-22 Antep 1
> > 3/27 1919-9 Ünye 12
> > 3/28 1920-2-28 Pozanti 40
> > 3/29 1920-2-10 Çildir 100
> > 3/32 1920-3-9 Zarusat 400
> > 3/33 1920-2-2 Suregel 1350
> > 3/35 1338-3 Maras 4
> > 3/36 1920-3-22 Suregel, Zarusat 2000
> > 3/37 1920-3-9 Zarusat 120
> > 3/37 1920-3-16 Kagizman 720
> > 3/39 1920-4-6 Gümrü 500
> > 3/40 1920-4-28 Kars 2
> > 3/41 1920-5-5 Kars 1774
> > 3/46 1920-5-22 Kars 10
> > 3/47 1920-7-2 Kars, Erzurum 408
> > 3/47 1920-7-2 Zengibasar 1500
> > 3/49 1920-7-27 Erzurum 69
> > 3/50 1920-2-1 Zarusat 2150
> > 3/50 1920-5 Kars, Erzurum 27
> > 3/50 1920-8 Oltu 650
> > 3/50 1920-8 Kars, Erzurum 18
> > 3/51 1920-10-15 Bayburt 1387
> > 3/52 1920-10-20 Göle 100
> > 3/53 1920-10-17 Pasinler 9287
> > 3/54 1920-10-18 Tortum 3700
> > 3/55 1920-10-19 Erzurum 8439
> > 4/2 1920-10-26 Kars civari 10693
> > 4/3 1920-10-?8 Askale 889
> > 4/4 1919-1-6 Zarusat 86
> > 4/5 1920-12-1 Kosor 69
> > 4/6 1920-12-3 Göle 508
> > 4/7 1920-12-4 Kosor 122
> > 4/9 1920-12-4 Kars, Zeytun
> > 28
> > 4/10 1920-12-4 Sarikamis
> > 1975
> > 4/12 1920-12-6 Göle
> > 194
> > 4/14 1920-12-7 Kars, Digor
> > 14620
> > 4/16 1920-12-14 Sarikamis 5337
> > 4/17 1920 Göle 600
> > 4/17 1920 Kars 3945
> > 4/18 1920
> > Haramivartan 138
> > 4/19 1920
> > Nahçivan 64408
> > 4/20 1920-11-29
> > Zarcisat 1026
> > 4/21 1921-2
> > Zenibasar 18
> > 4/23 1920
> > Nahçivan 5307
> > 4/24 1920-2
> > Kars civari 561
> > 4/26 1920-12
> > Erivan 192
> > 4/27 1921
> > Karakilise 6000
> > 4/29 1921-11-21
> > Pasinler 53
> > 4/29 1921-11-21
> > Erzurum 1215
> > 4/30 1918
> > Hinis 870
> > 4/31 1918
> > Tercan 580
> > 4/32 1921 Nahçivan 12
> > 4/33 1921 Bayburt 580
> > 4/34 1921 Arpaçay 148
> >
> > Sources: GOVERNMENT ARCHIVES
> >
> >
> >
> > ++++++++++++++++
> >
> > MASSACRES BY ARMENIANS IN AZERBAIJAN
> >
> > The massacres committed by the Armenians towards the Turkish people
> > were not limited to Anatolia, but continued in the Caucasius and in
> > the Azerbaijan, as well. The following, information is from the
> > documents from Prof. Fahrettin M. Kirzioglu.
> >
> > " In August 1919, Armenians attacked the 45 villages around Nahcivan
> > and Serür with their military troops; and opened fire from armoured
> > wagons to the villages along the railroad.
> >
> > Towards the end of May 1920, the Armenians expelled by force the
> > people of the Islam village named Karadagli, near Uluhanli in Erivan,
> > pillaged their goods and obliged them to emigrate.
> >
> > On the night of May 23 ? 24, 1920 more than 300 Armenian cavalrymen
> > surrounded the Cebecali village, 5 km to the north of Uluhanli,
> > gathered all the men, and bayoneted all of them.
> >
> > On the night of June 27, 1920, the Armenians who raided the Hacibayram
> > and Haberbegli Villages in Erivan, pillaged the goods and belongings
> > of the people, and killed a lot of them. A small minority who could
> > survive from the raid, were drowned in the Aras River while they were
> > passing the river towards the south, upon the attacking of Armenians.
> >
> > 500 Moslems carrying the passsports issued by the Azerbaijan
> > Ambassador in Erivan and going to Gence, by train, to reach Azerbaijan
> > and other places were forced to get off the train near Gümrü and all
> > of them were murdered.
> >
> > On April 6, 1920, the Armenians attacked with regular troops
> > comprising several military branches, the Islam villages in the
> > Zengezor, Ordubad, Vedi regions, and they performed all kinds of
> > atrocities and conducted all kinds of violence to the most disgusting
> > limits.
> >
> > The Armenians attacked the Islam people of the Hacaparak village,
> > which is 15 minutes away from the city of Erivan, on the night of
> > April 16, 1920 and attempted to murder all the people. 6 men, who
> > could not flee from this atrocity, were killed by strokes of daggers.
> > The chastity and then women and girls were spoiled or they were killed
> > or burned. All of the homes were pillaged. "
> >
> > The atrocities of the Armenians towards the Azerbaijani people were
> > not limited to those committed in Azerbaijan, but also continued in
> > the USSR / CCCP era and also during the period of the Armenian
> > Republic period, which was founded after the scattering of the USSR.
> > Assoc. Prof. Yasin Aslan, exhibits important documents on this
> > subject, in his book named " Ermenistan Tarihi Yol Ayiriminda /
> > Armenia in Historical Cross ? Road ".
> >
> > Armenians had demonstrations on February 13, 1988 in Hankendin
> > (Stepanakert), the Administrative center of Nagorno Karabakh. The
> > demonstrators demanded that Nagorno Karabakh be taken from Azerbaijan
> > and given to Armenia. After this, the chain of demands started to
> > extending beyond this. On February 18, 1988 the first Azerbaijani
> > began to come to Baku. They were packed in buses and they were sent
> > back. But, they started to come back again after a short while. This
> > time the emigrants took shelter in Sumgayit, instead of Baku, but some
> > events took place there, followed by others. 180.000 ? 200.000
> > Azerbaijani people were forced to get out of Armenia. Approximately,
> > same number of Armenians were also made to leave Azerbaijan. In short,
> > more than one million Azerbaijani people were made to fall into
> > position of emigrants.
> >
> > In fact, the events that started in 1988 in fact, form the last link
> > in the chain of exile. The Azerbaijanis living in Armenia, were exiled
> > from their historical lands several times, some of which were in the
> > USSR / CCCP era in 1945. Arutunyan, the President of the Armenian
> > Communist Party, wrote a letter, to Stalin for the giving of Nagorno
> > Karabakh to Armenia. Stalin, in turn, sent a letter to Mir Cefer
> > Bagirov, the President of Azerbaijan Communist Party Bagirov, in his
> > reply to Stalin stated that Susa, whose population is composed of
> > Azerbaijani people, should stay with Azerbaijan, and that Azerbaijani
> > people also land demands from Armenians. Such an approach helped the
> > closing of this artificial problem at that time.
> >
> > However, the Council of Ministers of the former Soviet Union with the
> > decision no 4088 dated December 23, 1947 decided to exile the Turks
> > living in Armenia, to the Kura ? Aras Plain, under the name of "
> > Azerbaijani ". Two and a half months later, the very same Council of
> > Ministers, provided the application of the previous decision by their
> > new decision No. 754, dated March 10, 1948 with the signature of
> > Stalin. After the decision, the Azerbaijanis; living in Armenia were
> > sent out of those places, and this process continued until Stalin's
> > death. In this period, more than 150.000 Azerbaijanis were expelled
> > from their lands where their ancestors had lived for many years.
> >
> > At the beginning of the century, the exile of the Azerbaijanis living
> > in Armenia was realised in various ways. In 1927, Azerbaijanis formed
> > the 70 % of the population living in Erivan. In those years, 130.000
> > Azerbaijanis were expelled and close to 100.000 Armenians were brought
> > in their places from Middle Eastern countries. This process also
> > continued in later years. According to the Armenian historians, out of
> > the 2.000 of the 2.300 villages in Armenia, were Azerbaijani villages.
> > After 1936, the Armenian authorities started to change and cancel the
> > Azerbaijani place names and also in 1991, Armenian names were given to
> > 90 Azerbaijani villages, in accordance with the order of Levon Ter ?
> > Petrosyan, the President of Armenia. The changing of place names
> > started in 1960s and 1970s under the presidency of Hovannes
> > Bagdarasyan, the Deputy President of Armenian Supreme Soviet.
> >
> > At the end of expelling and immigration acts conducted, which
> > continued for two centuries, 1.500.000 Azerbaijani Turks were expelled
> > from their historical homelands in Armenia and were forced to
> > immigrate by several pretexts. In 1988, the expulsion process was
> > completed.
> >
> > At present, there is not even one single Azerbaijani in Armenia. In
> > 1988, the Armenians made up 88.6 % of the population. The Armenian
> > land was 9.000 km2 at the beginning of the century. Now it has reached
> > 29.8 km2, due to the adoption of Azerbaijani lands. This figure does
> > not include the lands invaded by the Armenians in the recent times.
> >
> > It has to be accepted that the pressure of the Russian ? Armenian pair
> > over Azerbaijan has been increased / intensified. Azerbaijan is almost
> > about to turn into Lebanon soon. The danger of the land being broken
> > up has not yet been avoided. The Armenians are still keeping control
> > over the Lacin Corridor, which connect the Nagorno Karabakh and
> > Armenia. 20 % of the Azerbaijani lands are under invasion of Armenia.
> > On the other hand, Armenia has declared / announced in May 1992, that
> > it has founded a "Kurdish Republic" in, in Lacin ? Kelbecer Region.
> >
> > Azatamart Newspaper and Azadlig (Freedom) Radio, which are the
> > publication organs of the opposition in Armenia, published the
> > sensational declaration of Eduart Oganisyan, the Ex ? President of The
> > Armenian Service, The President of Russian ? Armenian Relations
> > the years 1992 ? 1993, and is now one of the unofficial leaders of the
> > opposition, stated, in his interview with the Nezavisimaya newspaper
> > in April 1994 that the time had come for Nagorno Karabakh to form a
> > federal state in Azerbaijan.
> >
> > The proposal of the Armenian Andronik Migranyan, the political
> > consultant of Russian President Yeltsin and Member of Presidential
> > Congress, is interesting from many aspects. Migranyan proposed the
> > transformation of Azerbaijan and Georgia into a Federal State, in an
> > article in one of the January 1994 issues of Nezavisimaya newspaper.
> > He claimed that Azerbaijan and Georgia, when transformed into a
> > federal state would not be able to live without Moscow. Migranyan also
> > stated that Armenia should also be transformed into a peace and
> > stability element in the southern border of Russia.
> >
> > Levon ªirinyan had also put forth before the same proposal in his
> > comment in the Azatamart newspaper. In another article ªirinyan
> > mentioned that Nahcivan should also be given back to Armenia. It is
> > possible to extend the chain of examples. These examples clearly
> > indicate from which centers the events are being directed.
> >
> > Those who prevent Turkish ? Armenian rapprochement are those who
> > clearly make propaganda against Turkey, Tashnaksutyun Party and some
> > secret organisations that gathered under its roof, pro ? Moscow ones,
> > outpost in the forefront of Russia in the Turkish ? Moslem World.
> > However, for the last few years Russian Nationalists have been
> > mentioning that the friendly relations with the Turkish World are
> > necessary, and they have been condemning the aggressions of Armenia
> > against Azerbaijan. Some Russian Nationalists now see Armenia as a
> > burden on the shoulders of Russia.
> >
> > According to Moscow newspapers, Russia pays the 57 % of the Armenian
> > budget. It is not possible for Armenia to continue a wide front war
> > without foreign aid. Resul Guliyev, The President Of The Azerbaijan
> > National Assembly, expressed in his interview with the Russian TV that
> > Armenia would not be able to continue the war for another five years
> > without foreign aid. According to Guliyev, Armenia is in such a
> > position that it cannot buy even a single tank. The supporters of
> > Armenia are the Armenians who live in emigration, some western states
> > and some countries that are the members of CIS / Commonwealth of
> > Independent States.
> >
> > Moskovskiya Novosti newspaper mentioned in its issue no. 1992 / 13,
> > that "with the withdrawal of Russia from the region, the stability in
> > the Caucasia will be broken up and the influence of Turkey will
> > accelerate."
> >
> > The report of the Gorbachov Fund on Nagorno Karabakh, sheds lighten
> > does not the subject from another point of view, and putforth that a
> > large state as Russia does not need Armenia from many aspects. Armenia
> > is nothing more than a voluntarily ally to Russia. The following
> > statements in the report attract the attention: " The historical past
> > of the Russian ? Armenian relations, obliges Russia to support
> > Armenia. "
> >
> > Armenians are aware of this and they are searching for ways of making
> > maximum use of the existing medium. Levon ªirinyan expressed his views
> > in his article published in Azatamart newspaper in Armenia as follows:
> >
> > "With no doubt, Russia will be the most powerful state in the
> > Caucasus, in the future. Until now, many states, including USA, did
> > not attempt to defy the interests of Russia in the region. Russia's
> > losing of the Eastern Europe and the strategic interests of Russia in
> > the south make Russia get closer to Armenia. The mission of Armenia is
> > to observe carefully the political manoeuvres of Russia in Caucasus,
> > and to seek the ways of making maximum use of them. It is a necessity
> > to accept co-operation within the framework of CIS / Commonwealth of
> > Independent States and in the form of bilateral relations. Otherwise,
> > another country or another partner will take the place of weak and
> > parasitic Armenia. "
> >
> > For more than 70 years, the policy of Armenia on Turkey, depended on
> > the campaign to make the Western World believe that the Turks have
> > killed 1.5 million Armenians and to take back the lands that were left
> > to Turkey by the 1921 Treaty in the north-west part of Turkey. Apart
> > from this, the programs of all political parties in Armenia, include
> > the principles of taking back the lands left to Turkey and obliging
> > Turkey to apologize for the Armenians killed during the Ottoman State
> > era. As it is known, the "Armenian Secret Army", shortly known as
> > ASALA founded for the Salvation of Armenia, have killed 45 Turkish
> > diplomats and the members of their families between the years 1974 ?
> > 1985, for future purposes.
> >
> > With the coming into power of the Armenian General National Movement
> > under the leadership of Ter ? Petrosyan, in 1990, important changes
> > started to happen in the policy of Armenia about Turkey. Within the
> > framework of the attempts at separating from the Soviet Union, Armenia
> > entered into the process of developing economic and commercial
> > relations with Turkey and Iran. This new approach also found its
> > expression in the Independence Declaration that was announced in
> > August 1990. Although in the Independence Declaration, it was repeated
> > that genocide be recognised by the international public opinion, no
> > claims of land were made.
> >
> > The scattering of the Soviet Union has jeopardised the sensitive
> > Turkey ? Armenia rapprochement. Turkey's being the first country to
> > Nagorno Karabakh Committee, including Ter ? Petrosyan.
> >
> > Ter-Petrosyan had temporarily forbid with a single order the
> > activities of Dasnaksütyün Party, known as Armenia Revolutionary
> > majority. While the ªamiram Women's Organisation was taking the second
> > rank, the Armenian Communist Party could not achieve the success that
> > was expected from it. While Gagik Hartunyan was explaining the defeat
> > of the extreme nationalistic block and the communists, he expressed
> > that they lacked a good program and their egoist behaviour affected
> > the election results. However, the public opinion researches that were
> > conducted before the elections showed that the communists would take
> > at least the 20 % of the votes.
> >
> > Armenia is now living one of the most difficult periods of her
> > history. It is in the effort of passing through a very dangerous
> > narrow bottleneck. The people live in poverty. The minimum retirement
> > pension is less than one dollar. According to the State Statistics
> > Department data, the average salary is equal to 2.5 dollars. On the
> > other hand, the data of the Central Election Department, about to 1991
> > and 1994 elections, indicate that the population has decreased by 30 %
> > within the last three years. In other words, approximately 1 million
> > Armenians have left the country since 1993. The Armenians in Nagorno
> > Karabakh are fleeing from there. The number of Armenians who going to
> > Russia and the west increased in a fast way. According to the words of
> > Georg Pogosyan, the President of the Sociology Research Center of
> > Armenian Sciences Academy, the 70 % of the population of Armenia are
> > potential emigrants. The research show that the Armenians do not leave
> > their countries just because of cold and hunger. There are specific
> > social and political reasons for this. The Armenian newspapers
> > published the results of a sociological research made among the
> > Armenians who recently left the country in the years 1993 ? 1994.
> > Armenians, who were consulted, said that 45 % left their country due
> > to the arbitrary behaviour of the police and similar organisations, 24
> > % left due to socio ? economic reasons and 12 % left due to no
> > possibility for making free trade.
> >
> > The war Armenia conduct in some regions of Nagorno Karabakh and
> > Azerbaijan and the embargo related to this imposed by Turkey and
> > Azerbaijan upon Armenia influenced the life in Armenia in the negative
> > way.
> >
> > Armenia is in the effort of developing her relations with her
> > neighbours, especially with Russia and Iran, including the idea of
> > open to the sea over Georgia. The Russian ? Armenian co-operation is
> > being exhibited in almost all fields. From these points of view, The
> > Russian ? Armenian rapprochement is rather attracting attentions.
> >
> > In spite of the termination of the " Cold War " era, the geopolitical
> > war is still continuing. Parallel to the weakening of Russia, and
> > together with the coming of the western petroleum companies to the
> > region and with the strengthening of the regional nationalist
> > feelings, a special international system is being formed especially in
> > the Caspian region.
> >
> > It is not a coincidence that Grachov, the Russian Minister of Defence,
> > visited Armenia and Georgia, instead of the front line, when the
> > Russian Army attacked the strategic Argun, ªali and Gudarmes regions
> > of Chechenya. Grachov both visited the Russian Army units in the these
> > republics and also negotiated the matters of military co-operation
> > with the leaders of the countries. We have to remember that Russia
> > also made use of her bases in Armenia and Georgia for her attacks on
> > to Chechenya. The agreement for the use of the bases in Armenia by
> > Russia was signed in March 1995.
> >
> > In spite of the fact that the antipathy in Russia against Caucasian
> > people has increased, the Russian Government and even some extreme
> > racist organizations and nationalistic Russian organizations still see
> > Armenia as a very important ally. The extreme rightist Russian
> > Organizations, are evaluating Armenia as an anti-Turkish and anti ?
> > Moslem trench. For Russia, Armenia is a tool to keep Turkey far away
> > from Caucasia and sustain the pressure on Azerbaijan.
> >
> > Armenia should take the first step to solve the problems that irritate
> > its neighbours, beginning with Turkey and Azerbaijan. The armed
> > Armenian gangs should leave the Azerbaijan lands, which are under
> > invasion and the Nagorno Karabakh problem, should be solved within the
> > framework of integrity of Azerbaijan lands. The existing situation,
> > has exceeded the boundaries of " Self ? Determination " right of
> > Nagorno Karabakh. Armenians consider at the Nagorno Karabakh as their
> > own lands, and they have even started to mention "Third Armenia". The
> > article of Levon ªirinyan, in Azatamart newspaper is a good example to
> > this. ªirinyan, who seems quite confident in himself, states that the
> > Armenian Plain and in the neighbouring region, he adds that twenty
> > million Kurds are sticking to the "National State" proceeding in this
> > direction, from now on nobody can disregard their rights and the
> > future is pregnant to more fearful / violent events. It is not
> > difficult to understand from which source ªirinyan is fed. It is not
> > Mezalimi (1918 ? 1920) / Armenian Oppressions in the Kars Province and
> > its Environs (1918 ? 1920), KÖKSAV Yayinlari / KÖKSAV Publications,
> > Ankara, 1999.
> > 2. Aslan, Doc. Dr. / Assoc. Prof. Yasin, Ermenistan Tarihi Yol
> > Ayiriminda / Armenian History at the Cross Road., Ankara, 1997.
> > 3. Ermeni Alimleri ve Feryat Koparan Taslar / Armenian Scholars and
> > the Stones That Create Screams (Russian) 1902, p. 80 ? 123.
> > 4. AFP, 6. 5. 1994.
> > 5. Azerbeycan Sovyet Ansiklopedisi IV / Azerbaijan Soviet
> > Encyclopaedia IV, page 81 ? 82, Azerbeycan Gazetesi / Azerbaijan
> > Newspaper, 11. 3. 1994.
> > 6. Moscow News, 11. 12. 1993, Nu. 46, ITAR ? TASS, 31. 8. 1993.
> > 7. Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 8. 4. 1994; Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 18. 1. 1994.
> > 8. Moscow News, 15. 1. 1993.
> > 9. Nas Sovremennik (Muasirimiz) Magazine 1993 / 4 issue.
> > 10. Segodnaya (Bu Gün / Today) Newspaper, 9. 4. 1994.
> > 11. Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 8. 4. 1994.
> > 12. Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 18. 1. 1994.
> > 13. Azatamart Newspaper, November 2 ? 8, 1993.
> > 14. Snark News Agency, December 7, 1993.
> > 15. Moskovskaya Pravda, 24. 9. 1992.
> > 16. Turan Ajansi / Turan Agency, December 4, 1993.
> > 17. Moskovskiya Novosti Newspaper, 1992 / 13.
> > 18. Azadlig, 12. 5. 1992.
> > 19. Azatamart, 2 ? 8. 11. 1993.
> > 20. Soviet Analyst, May 15, 1991 nu. : 10.
> > 21. Neue Zeurcher Zeitung, February 9, 1993.
> > 22. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, February 15, 1993.
> > 23. Wall Street Journal, January 25, 1995.
> > 24. Segodniya, June 28, 1995.
> > 25. Segodniya, July 13, 1995.
> > 26. ITAR ? TASS, November 27, 1994.
> > 27. Snark News Agency, December 1, 1993.
> > 28. New Times, November 1994.
> > 29. Country Report, 3 rd Quarter / 1994.
> > 30. Segoniya, June 30, 1995.
> > 31. Salam (Iran Newspaper), October 7, 1995.
> > 32. Moscow News, December 8 ? 14, 1995.
> > 33. Komersant ? Daily, October 17, 1995.
> > 34. Nezavisimaya Gazeta, January 4, 1996.
> > 35. Azatamart Newspaper, September 7 ? 13, 1993.
> > operated in Bakirköy, Yedikule and Samatya. The collected twenty two
> > thousand gold coins only from poor Armenian shoppers and craftsmen.
> > They apart from these they collected six thousand gold coils from
> > carpets trader Karnik Sümbülyan, five thousand gold coins from draper
> > Nisan ªahpazyan, and ten thousand gold coins from mobile grains
> > traders.
> >
> > The robberies made in Yenikapi, Kumkapi districts were not less than
> > these were at all. The all existences of all-small traders, shoppers
> > and craftsmen were taken away from their hands and the safes of the
> > outstanding wealthy men were all seized. In case my memories do not
> > mislead myself, the totals of the robberies made in this district also
> > reached thirty thousand golden coins.
> >
> > Those who collected tributes in Galata and Beyoglu brole all the
> > records of robbery. Thirty thousand gold coins were seized only from
> > one of the outstanding jewellers of that time named Istepan, who was a
> > wealthy Armenian, and a total of the robberies in this district
> > hundred thousand gold coins was the sum total. Izmirliyan, who gained
> > control of even the patriarchate Migir, together with the five secret
> > detectives of the committee; priest Murat Irakliyan; Musdic Kesisyan,
> > from Aleppo and his friends became extremely wealthy.
> >
> > The committeemen of that time claimed that an important part of that
> > money was given to the men of the palace. But these words are absolute
> > lies, because, ten years after the event, Murat Irakliyan escaped to
> > Sofia, and settled there. He personally told the event to my father in
> > detail, and he emphasized that the thirty thousand gold coins which
> > was his share, was taken by force from him by Izmirliyan. " (2)
> >
> > Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasan Oktay, ation from the University of Yüzüncü
> > named Sahaf who fled to Karagündüz village after the event and who was
> > priest of Gedikpasa Church; Trader Karagözyan, Candle man Onnik; Apik
> > Uncuyan; Policeman Markar, Mampre Vartabet, the member of the
> > Spiritual Assembly; Hajji Dikran Migirdic Tütüncüyan are only a few of
> > the Armenians who were murdered by the Armenian gangs. " (4)
> >
> > REFERENCES
> > (1) Uras, Esat, Tarihte Ermeniler ve Ermeni Meselesi / The Armenians
> > and the Armenian Matter In History, Belge Publications, Istanbul,
> > 1987, p. 469 ? 471.
> > (2) Banoglu, Niyazi Ahmet, Gündüz Printing House, Ankara, 1976, p. 24
> > ? 25.
> > (3) Oktay, Assoc. Prof. Dr., Hazan, "www.ermenisorunu.gen.tr/articles"
> > (4) Altan Deliorman, Türklere Karsi Ermeni Komitecileri, Istanbul,
> > 1975, p. 31.
Roman
> Fuck you god-damned, racist, Turk killer!!!
>
A RETORT by a RETARD! ;-)
The one original thing this notorious village-idiot and spammer of usenet
ever comes up with are his many screen names. Here is a select choice of
the ones I can remember:
defaultnot, sutten, marykalbright, mcdowell, antiservitude, Robert T Carr,
david coors, bigmacnfries, adorman...
If you see one of these names: it's always the same retard, either with
copied and pasted turkish propaganda articles, or some loony, fascist
Kemalist, turkish comment! ;-)
Ja...@webtv.net
And my granpa says you're fulla shit. He says your granma was so fucking
ugly that, when she was captured by the cannibals, they threw her away
and cooked her clothes for snack..........................ROFLOL
Who would've wanted to butt bang your ugly granma,Bitch?
Jay-K
Ja...@webtv.net
Ja...@webtv.net
Ja...@webtv.net
Scroll down and view the horrible photographs too.
Jay-K
Ja...@webtv.net
Ja...@webtv.net
Ja...@webtv.net
bestial in his consideration of woman, so unthinkably vile and filthy in
his personal habits, and so hopelessly degraded in his relations with
his fellow man that the depth of his infamy is past all human credence.
The turk is not a human being. I do not call him a beast, because not
one of God's creatures could sink so low. The turk is devil without a
tail. And the educated polished turk--the official who affects kowledge
of the French language and a veneering Parisian manners--is the most
unspeakable flend of all. In proof that this assertion is based on
incontestable truth, I challenge denial from any unprejudiced man who
has known the turk thoroughly well for a quarter of a century,"_ William
Howard, An American eyewitness to turk savagery of Armenian and Greek
attrocities
Jay-K
Ja...@webtv.net
Ja...@webtv.net
Paul
<Ja...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:19105-40A...@storefull-3277.bay.webtv.net...
Paul
<Ja...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:19105-40A...@storefull-3277.bay.webtv.net...
HayEmYes
<Ja...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:19105-40A...@storefull-3277.bay.webtv.net...
Roman
TURKISH MASSACRES, 1822-1909
MOHAMMEDANISM has been propagated by the sword and by violence ever since
it first appeared as the great enemy of Christianity, as I shall show in a
later chapter of this book.
It has been left to the Turk, however, in more recent years, to carry on
the ferocious traditions of his creed, and to distinguish himself by
excesses which have never been equaled by any of the tribes enrolled under
the banner of the Prophet, either in ancient or in modern times.
The following is a partial list of Turkish massacres from 1822 up till
1904:
1822 Chios, Greeks 50,000
1823 Missolongi, Greeks 8,750
1826 Constantinople, Jannisaries 25,000
1850 Mosul, Assyrians 10,000
1860 Lebanon, Maronites 12,000
1876 Bulgaria, Bulgarians 14,700
1877 Bayazid, Armenians 1,400
1879 Alashguerd, Armenians 1,250
1881 Alexandria, Christians 2,000
1892 Mosul, Yezidies 3,500
1894 Sassun, Armenians 12,000
1895-96 Armenia, Armenians 150,000
1896 Constantinople, Armenians 9,570
1896 Van, Armenians 8,000
1903-04 Macedonia, Macedonians 14,667
1904 Sassun, Armenians 5,640
Total 328,477
To this must be added the massacre in the province of Adana in 1909, of
thirty thousand Armenians.
So imminent and ever-present was the peril, and so fresh the memory of
these dire events in the minds of the non-Mussulman subjects of the sultan,
that illiterate Christian mothers had fallen into the habit of dating
events as so many years before or after “such and such a massacre.”
[The Blight of Asia, by George Horton]
Roman
--
In the German language the old word to "türken" (to turkify) means "to
falsify".
sutten
your granpa, granma, mother and father and everybody who brain-washed
you with anti-Turkish hatred.
Ja...@webtv.net wrote in message news:<19105-40A...@storefull-3277.bay.webtv.net>...
sutten
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
ABDURREZZAK AYAZ
Father's Name: Ömer Çavus
Mother's Name: Emine
Place of Birth: Van-Gevas
(Recounting the experiences of his father who died at 75 years old.)
Q: Can you tell us about the Armenian revolt and massacre which took
place before your father died?
A: My father was an artillery man who defended Van when the Russians
were advancing. In fact, they were able to keep the Russians back for
some time with cannon fire. Yet later, the Russian military again went
on the attack. As a result, the inhabitants of Van fled, and those
from Gevas later also became refugees. When the Russians entered, they
burned and destroyed the place as they had done to Van, including
crops and trees. Those on the road were starting to die because of
hunger and disease. Neither the army nor the refugees had anything to
eat. My father had told me about their situation with great sorrow. He
said he was very strong, so he returned to Gevas with his weapon and a
sack with the hopes of finding food to carry back. He found a dark
cloud over the city, with everything burned. He couldn't find anything
to eat. When he went to the creek, he saw a Russian horse which had
died. Their horses were very large. It was infested with worms because
it had laid there for a while, but undamaged parts remained. He cut
off those parts, put it in the sack, and brought it to his group. They
ate off of that for a while.
Q: Did he ever mention the massacre when he returned to Gevas?
A: Of course he did. He saw many corpses. All those who stayed behind
were killed. They even burned the animals and trees.
Q: Did the Russian military come that far?
A: They came as far as Bitlis. Their army and cannons passed through
these hills. The Russians attacked the population from one side, and
the Armenian brigands from the other. He said they went as far as
Siirt, and returned when the Russian army retreated. Everything was
damaged or destroyed. They harvested what the Armenians had sowed.
Slowly but surely they reestablished themselves, but came across many
human bones when digging up covered pits. He would always cry when
telling stories of suffering, but cut it off by saying "I hope God
keeps us from those experiences again."
+++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/abbasgunes.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
ABBAS GÜNES
Place of Birth: Kars-Hakmehmet
Date of Birth: 1897
The Armenians came to our village of Hakmehmet. They called out to
the leaders of the village, promising peace. They gathered us in a
mosque, inviting all men, women, and children. After searching us,
they took the jewelry from the women. At night they led us like a pack
of animals out of the village. They again searched us, saying that
they would kill anyone who hid money. Some villagers turned in their
money, others did not. They ordered us to split into two groups and
advance toward the villages ahead. We started walking when an Armenian
approached on horseback, and recommended that we hurry, because the
other Armenians would kill us. We continued on the road. Women unable
to carry their small children left them at the foot of trees or rocks,
or in ditches. The children were crying. We reached the Iranian
villages on foot. We later heard that the remaining villagers were
murdered. Some of them were shot, others killed with swords, and then
all thrown into a well.
++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/aysesevimli.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
AYSE SEVIMLI
Father's Name: Dervis
Mother's Name: Hayriye
Place of Birth: Van-Zeve
Date of Birth: 1897
When the villagers heard that the Armenians were approaching, they
took as many precautions as possible. They dug positions in the hills.
The inhabitants of seven villages filled up our village. There was
little room in the village to maneuver around the people and carts. On
the day that we heard the Armenians had almost reached the village,
the men ran to take their positions and begin fighting. We had no
ammunition or weapons assistance. When the Armenians entered our
village, some of our men died fighting; others were burned in their
homes. I hid with my mother and some others in a barn further away
from the fighting. I got under a large basket. The Armenians killed
everyone they could find and also fired at the barn. A bullet hit my
mother's scarf, but she was not hurt. I know of only two other women
who survived.
The Armenians were in Bardakçž before coming to our village. My God,
when we went out at night, blood, gunfire, moaning, and wailing filled
the air. I witnessed them torture people by cutting "pockets" out of
skin while mockingly telling them they were decorating them with
medals. When we approached the Bardakçž village, I saw that on the
other side of the brook, in the field near Mehmet's house they had
tied the arms of five men together and were shooting at them. When
they fell to the ground, they stabbed them with bayonets. My mother
handed them all of her money and valuables so that we would not be
hurt. They then brought us to Van, and tortured the prisoners in
unmentionable ways. We stayed in the military barracks for four
months. We later became refugees, and remained as such until April
1918.
++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/birikasit.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
BIRIK ASIT
Place of Birth: Bitlis
Date of Birth: 1890
In anticipation of the Russian advance toward Bitlis, a battalion of
200 Armenians in Siirt led by a Turkish commander came to Bitlis. They
were going to defend Bitlis against the Russians. The front of Ulu
Mosque was an open bazaar at the time, and the Armenians rested there.
The commander was the only Turk in the army. The commander staying at
the old Hazro Inn next to the Alemdar bridge. A Turk was guarding the
front of the commander's home. In the morning the guard excitedly
knocked on the commander's door, saying not one soldier remained in
the city. When the battalion commander arrived at the bazaar, he saw
that not one of the Armenian soldiers were there. He later learned
that they went toward Bashan to join the Armenian Russian forces. They
later joined the Russian forces and participated in the massacres in
the city.
I witnessed three events during the Bitlis occupation which I will
never forget. First, the Russian soldiers housed more than 200 women,
children, and elderly in Hamza and sükrü Çelebi's home, and placed an
Armenian soldier to guard the door. At night this soldier notified his
friends, and they at night went to the home, and took the women they
liked. After taking advantage of them, they killed them at the side of
a brook.
A Russian commander made a surprise inspection visit. An older woman
told him that while they numbered 200 when they arrived, 80 were taken
away at night by Armenians, and only 120 remained. The Russian
commander then replaced the Armenian guard at the door with a Russian
one.
Second, there was a pregnant woman who lived in a home in the Dilan
neighborhood with her three children. When the Armenians entered their
home, they made a bet as to whether she was carrying a boy or girl,
and slit her stomach with a bayonet.
Thirdly, before the Russians came to Bitlis, ten Armenian families
came to my home, and said that they wanted to go to the mosque and
convert to Islam. We took them to the mosque, and they converted. We
started to see them more often, and help them. After the Russians came
to Bitlis, they asked us to take them to the Russian soldiers in
exchange for money. When I asked them why they wanted to go there,
they answered that they were Armenian, and were never Muslims.
+++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/bekiryoruk.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
BEKIR YÖRÜK
Father's Name: Yusuf
Mother's Name: Gülnaz
Place of Birth: Van
Date of Birth: 1900
Q: Can you tell us as best as you can remember what the Armenians did
in Van and Gevas?
A: We lived in the same neighborhoods as the Armenians. We too lived
in the Norsin neighborhood and got along well until the Russians
intervened. In those days, Armenian youths established committees with
Russian encouragement, and started causing trouble. They killed the
superintendent of police and threw him in the park. They killed the
postman in Hasbagž. They bombed a building now replaced by a
bathhouse, and twenty people died in the explosion. When the
constitutional monarchy was declared, the mufti and the priest shook
hands and extolled the brotherhood of Muslims and Christians. The
Mufti cried as he shook hands, but events developed against us. The
committee members became increasingly out of control and the rebellion
began. We fought the Armenians for 29 days in Hasbagž. We had no
weapons. When the division went to Erzurum, we remained completely
defenseless.
The Armenians who joined the army after the establishment of the
constitutional monarchy used our weapons to shoot at us, and those who
remained in the army hit our soldiers from behind. They also bombed
the barracks. The young people and the elderly left in the Muslim
neighborhoods would take turns guarding against the Armenians.
Meanwhile, the Russians were sending them gold to finance their
effort.
This struggle lasted 29 days until the arrival of the Russians. The
elderly Armenians didn't want this fight because they were the
wealthiest inhabitants of the area, and feared sacrificing their
standard of living. Armenians owned up to 1,000 stores and sold
European cloth in the old part of the city of Van. When these events
broke out, inhabitants of nearby villages and towns all fled to Van,
and those stores disappeared within two days.
Fifty vessels full of people left Van, three of which carried wounded
soldiers. Cevdet Pasha saw the passengers off at the pier. We went to
Adžr Island, where the Armenians were training underground. We stayed
on the island for nine days. The waves destroyed some of the ships
with wooden sails. The island had wells and two bakeries. No one
brought any supplies from Van. We were hungry and distraught. My elder
brother was an officer and came back wounded from Erzurum. My brother
realized that the Armenians would cut us off. He convinced his
captain, and ten ships left from there, but we couldn't go very far.
Thank God we stayed close to shore. The next day we reached Tatvan,
but under difficult circumstances. The day we left Van the Armenians
had set everything ablaze. There were wounded soldiers from all parts
of Turkey in Van, and the Armenians fired on apartments used as
hospitals where they were staying. That is why Van is sacred ground
with martyrs from 67 provinces [in Turkey].
My uncle, Terren Aga, was very old, and we couldn't take him with us
when we left Van. His wife, daughter, and two grandchildren remained
with him. Armenian hoodlums beat my uncle and the children with an ax
and killed them. His daughter hid in an abandoned American school.
When the Armenians found her, they killed her by throwing her from the
second floor.
We went to Bitlis from Tatvan where we remained for nearly two months.
When the Russians arrived, we again went on the road. We then went to
Hizan and Diyarbakžr. After we left, the Gendarme commander -- who was
crying like a baby -- brought my uncle (who was Deputy Governor Ömer
Bey) a report. A soldier named Mansur was also present. When we asked
him to explain, he said that three days after Van was emptied they
went to pick up the bodies. Hundreds of elderly women were impaled on
stakes. They still had their scarves on and looked as if they were
sitting. When they got closer they saw that they were killed before
being impaled. They saw a woman who was split in two and her unborn
child was placed on her chest.
Muslims who witnessed these thousands of examples of inconceivable
brutality tearfully reported the incidents to Ömer Bey, who then told
Mustafa Kemal. When the Russians finally arrived, they were displeased
with the savageness which resulted in the destruction of four-fifths
of Van. In addition to those massacred by the Armenians, many people
also died as they were fleeing. Many collapsed on the road from hunger
and disease. No one was able to take anything with them when they left
Van.
When we returned to Van from exile three years later we found the
Muslim neighborhoods leveled to the ground, but the areas owned by
Armenians were left undamaged. When we returned there were about 2,000
Armenians living in Van who fled to the islands when the Turks started
returning. Two years later, the government sent them to Revan.
Q: Did you ever participate in the fighting or use a weapon?
A: No, I have never used a weapon. I didn't have a gun, plus they
didn't give me one because I was too young and didn't know how to use
it. Instead, I would bring food and water to the combatants.
Q: What kind of equipment were the Armenians using?
A: They had the latest equipment which was provided by Russia and
England. They gave them weapons and had them fight us. The Armenians
couldn't do anything to us, but when they were armed, the balance was
upset.
Q: Did many people die in these and other clashes?
A: Of course, thousands of people died. After fighting for 29 days,
the then-Governor Cevdet Pasha commanded us to leave Van when he heard
that the Russian forces were approaching. Cevdet Pasha was actually a
very courageous man, but we had neither guns nor ammunition, while the
Russians were armed with top of the line weapons.
Q: Didn't the Ottoman state take any precautions against the
Armenians arming themselves to this extent? Didn't word get around?
A: People knew, and the government knew. Yet the military was on the
fighting front, and only a few gendarmes were left in Van. They
couldn't do anything about it. The Armenians first shot Police
Lieutenant Nuri Efendi, and blew up the Hamitaga barracks. Many
soldiers were killed. Then they placed bombs in the Norsin Mosque and
Hacž Naci Hodja Mosque. They blew up Hafžz Hodja along with his son.
Our women were raped, and our children shot.
Q: How was the evacuation carried out?
A: We left from here on 50 ships. That day the weather was stormy and
rainy, as if all hell broke loose. The ships ran into each other. They
were unable to approach the pier for a long time. The weather hadn't
warmed up yet -- I think it was April. We left before the Russians
arrived. There were about 250 people in our group, and 60 died. Some
died at the hands of the Armenian bandits, others from cholera,
disease, and hunger.
My uncle, his family and children, were all cut into pieces with a
hatchet under the mulberry tree in our neighborhood. They [Armenians]
massacred all those that stayed behind when we left. We lived in the
Norsin neighborhood at the time. They burned all of Van.
All of this was planned by the Armenian committees which treacherously
manipulated the Armenian population.
Q: Do you remember the names of those committees?
A: Dashnak was the most prominent one. There were others as well, but
I don't remember their names now. They received money and gold from
Russia and England.
Q: Did the Armenians kill many women and children?
A: The elderly didn't bother much, but all of their young people were
armed. They killed whoever they could corner. They killed them and
threw them into the lake or into the fire. For example, a woman was
baking bread in a nearby village, and had her young child was at her
side. The Armenians went into her backyard and asked her what she was
doing. When she answered that she was baking bread, they insisted she
needed a kebab as well, and pierced her child and threw him into the
fire and burned him alive.
What else can I tell you? God knows the extent of what went on. During
our escape, we took off on the ships, and stayed around the islands
for four days. We couldn't sleep at night because of the wails,
crying, and screams we heard all night. These were the cries we heard
from surrounding villages: Zeve, Bardakçž, Kalaç, and Molla Kasžm. I
hope God ensures that we don't have to relive those days when these
massacres took place.
Q: Where did you go after the islands?
A: From the islands we went to the Dervis village. It took us all day
to get there. Ten ships were tied together at the edge of the lake. We
were very frightened. In the morning we left toward Tatvan, and
finally reached our destination. We were able to rest there, and later
left toward Bitlis.
Q: Do you remember how many people were with you in your convoy?
A: There were between 10 and 20 thousand people in our convoy.
Q: Did many people from your convoy die in the exodus?
A: Of course.
Q: Could you tell us how they died?
A: The women couldn't take care of the children. Some would leave them
in remote areas. Hunger and disease were rampant. For example, Ömer
Efendi wrapped his child in rags and left him alive under a tree as we
approached the Bitlis creek. There were many other children like this
thrown into the Bitlis creek, or buried when they died. But Ömer
Efendi regretted what he did, and a few days later went to retrieve
the child and brought him back alive.
Q: How long were you a refugee?
A: Three years.
Q: What did you find when you returned to Van? How was Van, was there
much damage?
A: I saw Van; it was completely destroyed and burned. When we were in
Bitlis, the Deputy Governor Ömer Bey was there. He would regularly
receive reports on the situation in Van. We would follow the situation
of the Russians from there. One day a soldier, Mansur, came to Bitlis.
He was from Halep and used to live near the Norsin Mosque. He was in
tears as he told us the story of how they entered Van, and saw that
the women were lined up in a row with their head scarves still on. As
they approached, they saw that they were impaled and killed. They
painfully removed them and buried them. The soldiers left all their
work and buried them. They then went to another location where the
women had been raped and then killed. There was blood everywhere.
A similar incident occurred in the Amik village which is close to
here. The inhabitants took refuge in the castle and pulled up the
ladder when the Armenians arrived. The Armenians approached and
convinced them to let down the ladder because they were now friendly
and there was no reason to be afraid. As soon as they ascended the
stairs, they separated the children and men and threw them down the
hill. Some of the women threw themselves from the castle, while the
others were taken to an unknown location.
Q: Did you hear about similar incidents at the time?
A: Of course I did, but what else can I tell you? Dignity, chastity,
and integrity all went out the window. We suffered so much, some
people even resorted to cannibalism. But we were so compassionate that
when we found Armenians hiding on the island, we didn't do anything to
them.
Q: Were they the Armenians who stayed when you fled?
A: No, they were Armenians remaining on the island. During the exodus
they brought many Turks to this island and killed them. The ship
captains were Armenians. Many of our people were maliciously killed in
this way on the ships. As I told you earlier, we couldn't sleep
because of the wails in those days. When we left, Van was burning, and
it was still burning when the soldier Mansur came.
Q: Will you tell us about your situation in Bitlis?
A: When we arrived in Bitlis as refugees, they were angry with us
because we abandoned Van. Initially the people in Bitlis were not very
kind to us, asking us why we ran away and did not fight the enemy. We
answered that we had no other choice because we did not have guns or
ammunition. Not long after, the population of Bitlis had to flee as
well, and they understood our position. The heat was debilitating.
There was no food or water. Cholera and disease were spreading. Many
people died. One day we saw that vehicles from Elazžg were arriving.
The army corps came with Armenian drivers to bring salt to Harput.
Q: Were the drivers Armenian?
A: Yes, Armenian soldiers who were carrying salt. There was a captain
leading them, and my brother approached him and asked him to stay and
send a telegraph to arrange for a truck to carry us. We obtained
permission from Mustafa Kemal Pasha and they started to transport us
toward Diyarbakir. There was neither food nor water on the way. Many
people died from diseases. At that time, there was a landowner named
Mehmet. He has since died, but he was unique. He had fed the army and
its horses for a year, and had given the military the keys to his
stables. One year later Mustafa Kemal Pasha came, sat across from him,
and asked what they owed him. When he said "for what?", Mustafa Kemal
explained that the army had depended on him for a year. He responded
that they were welcome to the remaining food. Anyway, when he saw us,
he gave the order to set up a feast right away. Bulgur rice, lentils,
and meat were prepared and offered. Everyone ate to their heart's
content.
Let me tell you another story. I saw many of the men who had been
tortured by the Armenians with my own eyes. In some places they had no
meat on their bones. From hunger they ate human flesh. There was a
milkman called Faik whose father was carrying a child when we saw him.
When I asked him what he was doing, he said if he didn't carry the
child away, they would eat him too.
I hope God doesn't make us live through those days again. Hunger and
disease left us with nothing. No dignity, chastity, nothing.
++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/cevahirkokum.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
CEVAHIR KOKUM
Father's Name: Ibrahim
Place of Birth: Bitlis-Hizan-Çökekyazž
Date of Birth: 1899
When the Russian forces entered Bitlis in the beginning of March, we
were forced to become refugees. We abandoned our homes and marched
toward Hizan. We came across hundreds of people who fled like us on
the road. They were so frightened that they crawled under or into any
structure they could find on the road. Meanwhile, we were being
followed by Armenian bandits. When seyh Selahattin heard of this, he
came to us and asked that all men able to fight follow him. On the
way, he asked us to light a fire under a bush so that those who saw it
would think that we were a large group. We later learned that in a
subsequent fight the Armenians lost and that seyh Selahattin lost an
eye to an enemy's bullet.
Meanwhile, hunger had reached a peak level. We sent a convoy of 12 men
and 4 women to Hirit (Cökekyazž) village to get food. They were cut
off by Armenians in the Müskünüs (Düzköy) village. Although the women
were successful in escaping, the men were caught by the Russians.
These 12 men were tied to each other, a "pocket" was cut out of their
skin on their legs, and their hands were placed in these pockets.
Their organs were cut off and placed in their mouths. Unsatisfied by
this brutality, they built a fire in the middle of the rest of them,
and killed them all with a thousand and one torture methods.
My cousin Hüsniye was unable to escape and got stuck in the city. They
killed her six children, and when they were taking her away on
horseback, she jumped from the horse and ran toward the fields.
Unfortunately, she was caught by the Armenians, who raped and killed
her.
Were all the Armenians so barbaric? Weren't there any good ones? I am
sure there were. My deceased grandmother would always talk about an
Armenian named Manik. When talking about him, she would also pray in
thanks for all that he had done.
Manik worked as a servant for Hacž Yusufzade. This Armenian saved my
grandmother and her other relatives from the Armenian massacre. Let's
hear the story from Hanife Boran.
"I, my father Hase, my uncle Süleyman, and my aunt Felek were left
among the enemy, but our Armenian servant Manik saved us from the
Russians and Armenians.
"One day an Armenian general came to our home and asked us for some
milk. Since it was winter, we were feeding our animals a bitter plant,
a taste which naturally was reflected in the milk. When the Armenian
general drank the bitter milk, he ordered to have my uncle Solomon
murdered as punishment. They tied my uncle to two side by side steel
doors, and fiercely tortured him by opening and shutting the door.
Unsatisfied with this, they took him away. Manik went and got my
father.
"A few days later they picked out and took away all of the pregnant
women among us. We later learned that they tied them all to poles, bet
on whether they were carrying boys or girls, and killed them by
cutting them open. Manik was unable to do anything about this, he
simply was not powerful enough.
"They later took us from the Avih neighborhood to the convent of Emin
Efendi in the city. They taped red crosses to our arms. Manik
immediately took them off our arms. When we later asked him the
meaning of that, he said the crosses marked those that would be taken
to Russia. One day, Manik came running to us. He said the home we were
in was going to be hit by Russian cannon fire. When he brought us to
another house, he kept us hidden by following the sewers. Manik would
leave in the day, and return at nightfall with all of the bread,
sugar, and other food supplies he could find. When we asked why he was
doing this, he replied that he could not betray us after eating our
bread for so many years.
"One day, Manik came to us excitedly and said that the Russians had
emptied the city, and that it was not right for him to stay after
everything that the Armenians had done, and that he would emigrate to
Russia with the rest of the Armenians. We sat and cried, since Manik
was the only adult left with us. His leaving would mean that we were
left all alone. Manik left, but we did not forget him or what he did.
"We can only thank Manik and those like him. We have nothing else to
say."
+++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/devazseyhoglu.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
DEVAZ SEYHOGLU
ÖMER MUSTAFAOGLU
TAYYIP ABDÜLHAMITOGLU
Place of Birth: Bitlis
Dates of Birth: 1897-1899-1901
On July 12, 1915, the platoon commander in Kotum warned the village
elders that the Russians and Armenians were approaching the village.
The inhabitants prepared to flee toward Bitlis. A half hour before
reaching the Armenian village of Dog, a few hundred Armenians and
Kazakhs attacked the refugees. Even though they raised their arms to
surrender, men, women and children were brutally murdered. Only 30 of
them survived.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/ebubekir.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
EBUBEKIR AND ABDÜLKERIM
Places of Birth: Bitlis-Kolpiç
Dates of Birth: 1900-1901
We had been out of the village when some of the villagers went to
Bitlis. When they returned, they told us about the fall of the city.
When we learned that the enemy was advancing from the Tatik plains,
some of our men went there with the goal of stopping them. Others went
toward Karcžgan. When it was clear during our fight with the enemy
that we would not last long, we immediately fled to save our families.
At this critical time, the Russians and a large number of Armenians
were charging toward our village from two different directions.
They started to kill people and burn their homes. One hundred and
fifty people were killed with swords. As we escaped, Armenians named
Bidet, Arsak from the Orans village, Sandir from the Herit Armenian
village, and Krizikio from the sube village were chasing us and
cursing our Muslim religion as well as hurling insults at our prophet.
The Russians and Armenians had tortured the population so much that on
our return, no one could hold back the tears. Naked men and women were
tied to each other and hanged from trees. Dead mothers who had their
heads and breasts cut still held their lifeless children in their
arms. They had kidnapped the young and beautiful women. The bandits
also took the furniture they could use with them, and burned the rest.
++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/fevzifeyyat.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
FEVZI FEYYAT
Father's Name: Hacž
Mother's Name: Zekiye
Place of Birth: Van-Gevas
Date of Birth: 1906
Q: Could you tell us about the period of Armenian revolt, and its
causes?
A: The Armenians started to revolt against the Turkish nation and the
Muslim nation. They were getting support from Yerevan, as well as from
Russia and from Armenians in Russia. They were cutting up the Turkish
people without remorse. For example, they hanged and cut up the
inhabitants of the Arkalan village. They skinned them alive, and
killed the gendarmes. Hursit Aga, a community leader, was killed the
first day. The villagers were spared no cruelties. A massacre to this
extent wasn't even witnessed in the first days of history.
Q: Do you remember other incidents like this one?
A: Of course, there are more. For example, we had a village called
Müküs, whose name has changed to Bahçesaray. Bahçesaray is in the
Kžrmžzžköprü region. They used swords to wipe out the entire village.
Families left all of their possessions behind and fled. Those that
couldn't run were killed. The residents of three or four of the
neighboring villages were unable to flee the Armenian massacres.
Q: Wasn't there a national force to protect these villages?
A: No, there was nothing. No weapons. The troops had gone to war. The
Russian war had started, and the youth had joined the army. Then old
men like me, women, and children stayed behind. In fact, during the
exodus, it was women, not men who were carrying what they could from
their homes. Women and children were left to do all of the work. I was
around eight or nine years old at the time, and remember quite well.
We went to Resadiye. My father later caught up with us when he was on
leave from the army, and helped us out for a while.
At that time when the Turkish men were being drafted, there were a lot
of Armenians. In fact, some of the villages were completely occupied
by Armenians. Turks were located closer to the center of town. There
were a few Turkish families left in some of the Armenian villages, but
at the first opportunity they migrated to places where Turks were a
majority.
The Armenians cut off the roads. In Gevas we could not go out and act
comfortably. The country was at war, and the Armenians saw that as
their opportunity and started a civil war. They raided many villages.
In some, there were only three or four homes that survived. In the
village of Dereagzž, they cut up all of the inhabitants by sword.
Q: When you fled the village, who was with you?
A: My mother, my father, and two uncles were with me. Van was
evacuated on the rumor that the Russians were approaching, but of
course, there were some that stayed. We left from there, and joined
the refugees on the road. Many did not have any belongings with them.
Some had one or two donkeys with them loaded with what they could
carry, food and drink.Q: Were there many elderly women and men with
you? Were there many children?
A: There were lots of children. Of course, many died in front of our
eyes, some of which were either thrown in the lake or left behind.
Some were left behind because they could not be carried. I remember
very well. A woman wrapped her daughter in a red dress, kissed her
several times, and threw her in the lake. Some died because of hunger
and disease. Some were successful in carrying their children even
though they were hungry and destitute.Q: Did you come across any
Armenian rebels during your flight?
A: No, disease and weather conditions hurt us more.
Q: How did you acquire food and drink?
A: We had brought some with us when we left. It was spring, however it
was not possible to find water. I remember well, it was May 16th.
Q: Could you tell us about those that left Van on ships?
A: Yes, some came to Tatvan on boats.
Q: Could you tell us about their experiences?
A: They too left Van because the Russians were approaching, but
because the captains of the ships were Armenian, many were killed on
the islands. Only a few were able to get away. Anyway, after Armenians
occupied Van, those that stayed were killed and cut up too.
Q: How long were you refugees?
A: Three years, after which we returned to Van. We reaped the crops
that the Armenians had left. This time they ran away.
Q: Do you remember what Van was like then?
A: The homes belonging to the Muslim Turks were all burned and
destroyed, while some of the Armenian homes were still painted and
furnished. The animals and belongings they were unable to carry were
left to us.
Q: What else can you tell us?
A: I remember that we went to Resadiye and came back to get wheat. We
wanted to get some wheat to take to the mill. A crowd appeared,
declaring that the Russians were coming. When we tried to return, the
Turkish soldiers on the road did not let us. Then Halil Pasha's
division made several gains against the Russian army. After the cannon
ball noise died down, the division commander gave us permission to
continue. We continued our journey with horses laden with food. Our
army, praise God, was later victorious.
Q: Did you ever face death during your journey?
A: No, we were never attacked on the road, but those who fled on boats
were in a terrible situation. Someone called Sait told us about it. He
said he fell asleep, but when he awoke he saw that the ship had
approached an island, and asked the captain why this was so. He told
the captain there were Armenian brigands on the island, which the
captain denied. They didn't believe him. The Armenians on the island
then started to shoot at them. Many people were shot and died, but
Sait and others were able to get away.
There are so many stories, but which one should I tell? I hope God
doesn't make us relive those days.
++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/farissurum.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
FARIS SÜRÜM
Father's Name: Kasim
Place of Birth: Bitlis-Cevizyatagi
Date of Birth: 1904
Around the time that Bitlis was going to be saved from the Russians,
we were continuously fighting. During this time the Russians and
Armenians would cut up anyone they found in the city. There was a two
story house in the Mermutlu neighborhood, next to Sütlü Bulag. The
Muslims hid there out of fear. Those barbarians cut up all of the
defenseless people there. I don't know the exact number, but there
were so many Muslims killed that the blood was flowing from the door.
They carried the bodies to the second floor since there was not enough
room for them on the first floor.
When we later took back Bitlis from the Russians, we started to follow
the Russian forces. The enemy was retreating toward Ahlat. When we
arrived to the Zigag village near Ahlat, we couldn't hold back our
tears in the face of the brutality we witnessed. The Armenians had
planted sharp metal poles, and impaled pregnant women stomach first on
those poles. Some of the poles went into their stomachs and out of
their backs. I will never forget this savageness until I die.
+++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/policeofficer.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
POLICE OFFICER HASAN ÇABUK
Father's Name: Yusuf
Place of Birth: Bitlis
Date of Birth: 1896
The Armenians committed tremendous cruelties in Bitlis. I was in
Bitlis at the time. I had graduated from the Sultan high school there.
When the war broke out, I was drafted. After fighting in Erzurum and
Pasin, I fell into the water in Bitlis on the way to Baghdad, and
stayed in Bitlis because I became ill. That is how I witnessed the
atrocities first-hand.
Most of the population had fled before the occupation, but those that
remained were subject to the massacres. The Armenians killed Mr. Polat
and his family. Women and girls were rounded up by the Armenians and
taken to the Aynel Barut mosque where they were killed after being
raped repeatedly.
+++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/hacicemal.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
HACI CEMAL ÇUVAÇ
Father's Name: Ibrahim
Mother's Name: Fidan
Place of Birth: Van-Köprüköy
Date of Birth: 1905
When the Armenian riots broke out we were living in Köprüköy. Our
relations with the Armenians in surrounding villages weren't bad. In
fact, they were quite good. But before the inhabitants of Van became
refugees, Armenian fighters began shooting at the Muslims. Their
leader was Aram the Blind. Our youth had all joined the army because
of the declared mobilization. In fact, my three brothers were martyred
while serving as soldiers in Erzurum. There were old people like me
and children left in the village. Men older than sixty were serving as
militia.
We hadn't heard that the inhabitants of Van had fled -- we didn't
know, so we stayed. One week we stayed in the sehayne village. When we
learned that the Russians were approaching from this side, we fled to
Van, but heard that Van was being evacuated. We got caught in the
crossfire.
When we were between the villages of Kalecik and Iskele, the Armenians
of Kalecik started to fire on us. We didn't know where to go.
Armenians captured Van, and the Russians were behind us. If we didn't
flee, the Armenians would cut us up. At the end we decided to flee to
Iran, because Hacž Nebi from sžhkara had served as a soldier on the
Iranian border and said he knew the way and we could easily reach
Iran. The inhabitants of the village met at the top of the hill and
divided into two. Half of us joined the Gülsünler villagers and took
the road to Iran, while the others stayed. During this time Halil
Bey's forces were losing and retreating, so we couldn't go to Iran
either. So we took to the Nardis mountains and went to Siirt via Hosap
and Hasir. We spent 32 days traveling in the mountains. We suffered
from hunger and thirst. We slaughtered a few animals we had with us,
and ate grass to survive. But we owe the soldiers for the fact that we
arrived safely in Siirt. They fought during the day, while at night we
would advance in their shadow. We fled without taking anything with
us.
Those whostayed behind went to the village of Zeve along with the
inhabitants of seven villages. All but a few of them were massacred by
the Armenians. I knew Hamza who was among the survivors. He was from
the village of Amik, but now he's dead as well. Only one or two women
and children survived.
They raped and killed the women in their custody. Hamza would tell us
about it. They would throw children into the air and pierce them with
bayonets. They stuffed most of the people into homes and committed
mass massacres before setting the homes on fire.
There were 18 people in our family who became refugees, but only my
father and I survived. The rest died on the road. We went to Siverek
and Urfa via Siirt and Diyarbakžr. We were in Urfa for three years.
When we returned to Van, the Muslim villages were burned down and
destroyed. For example, while Hždžr, and our village Gülsünler were
completely burned down, not one house in the Armenian village of
Muprutepe was destroyed. We stayed a while in that village, then
rebuilt our own village. We were able to return to our village with
Mr. Abdurrahman. But I can't explain in words what the Armenians did
to us. The inhabitants of Van, Bitlis, and Mus all fled, while those
that stayed were massacred.
When we returned around 1,500-2,000 Armenians had remained. When the
Turkish army entered Van they sought refuge on the island of Çarpanak.
The government took care of them for one and a half to two years, and
later sent them to Revan. But we never retaliated for the repression
we suffered. In fact, we fed them for two years.
++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/haydarisaoglu.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
HAYDAR ISAOGLU
Place of Birth: Bitlis
Date of Birth: 1898
In February 1916, I was in a village of Bitlis called Tako. When I saw
a convoy of inhabitants from Bitlis on the road, I asked them why they
were leaving. They told me that the city was unexpectedly invaded by
Russian and Armenian forces, that these forces were composed mainly of
Armenian soldiers, and that they were killing all Muslim men, women
and children that they came across.
When I sent word, Ali, the son of Süleyman, who lived in Bitlis'
Hersan neighborhood, told me the following story. He said his brothers
Ismail and Halil were killed by Armenians in front of their door. The
wife of my brother, daughter of Yakup, was forcibly taken away. His
brother-in-law, Hacž Ali's son Yusuf was also killed, and his cousin
Mercan was taken away by bandits who later committed an outrageous
murder. His neighbor seyh Harzan was ill and was killed in bed, and
his wife semo and one of their servants were also killed. Recep, the
son of Mustafa who had come to visit the seyh, also faced the same
fate. They killed Hasan, the son of Kilincizade near his home, even
after collecting a large ransom. Many people were forced into carrying
heavy objects for long distances barefoot and without any head
coverings despite the snow and brutally cold weather. Among them was
Ahlatlž Nigar, a woman around 80 years old, Tero's sick wife Bezirgan,
Halil, the son of Ismail, Mehmet, the son of Ahmet, his brother
Mithat, and his uncle seyh Hafi, who was around 50 years old. After
this news, I did not have the courage to go to Bitlis, and returned to
my village Tako.
++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/hacihuseyin.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
HACI HÜSEYIN KOCA
Place of Birth: Bitlis-Ahlat
Date of Birth: 1904
I am from Ahlat. I was a child during the mobilization years. The
Armenians formed committees and massacred people. But they did it more
around Van then Bitlis or Ahlat. We were forced to become refugees
because of the Armenian revolt against the Muslim population. We went
to Diyarbakžr where we stayed for one year, and later went to Batman
where we stayed four years. My brother was in Nusaybin. My sister and
I were the only members of my family who survived when we went to
Batman. The rest died on the road during the flight.
++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/hasanmehmetoglu.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
HASAN MEHMETOGLU
Place of Birth: Bitlis
Date of Birth: 1890
I was on duty at night around ten o'clock when the city of Bitlis was
invaded and occupied. My sister came and told us that the city was
invaded by the enemy. When we went out on the street, we saw the
people running. We heard thousands of guns and machine guns. I was
forced to go to Arapköprüsü, a half an hour away from Bitlis to save
my family.
Behind us, the Russian forces and Armenian brigands were killing all
of the Muslims who were trying to save themselves by stopping them
with a forceful bullet. On the other side, the Russian Cossacks were
trampling them with their horses.
The mixture of screams, hopelessness, and the children's wails were
emanating from all sides. It was a miracle that a small group like
ours survived. While we were running away, assistant police chief
Mehmet Vehbi was shot and wounded.
All those that were left behind were the victims of Russian and
Armenian impetuousness. Among the ill-fated victims were the following
people I knew: Van Assistant Chief of Police Mr. Vefik, Police Officer
Ali, Assistant Superintendent of Police Mr. Süleyman, Remzi, and Sait
who were from Van but were serving in Bitlis, Bitlis policemen Mr.
Hamdi and Mr. Resul, Bitlis Courthouse Records Administrator saban
Vehbi, and Hoca Ishak's son, Abdurrezzak.
+++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/hacirasit.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
HACI RASIT BARIS
Father's Name: Basu
Mother's Name: Cevahir
Place of Birth: Van-Ercis-Yukarž Isiklž
Date of Birth: 1901
I am from the Yukarž Isžklž village of Ercis. After the mobilization
was declared, the Russians arrived. Armenians had already rebelled by
then, and we could only defend ourselves from them for a month, after
which we fled. I remember that my father was wounded at that time. The
Armenians shot him, shrapnel split his head, and he was severely hurt,
but did not die. We first went to Bitlis, Mardin, and Diyarbakir. When
we returned to our village it was completely ruined.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/hacisadi.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
HACI SADI ALDANMAZ
Father's Name: Bahri
Place of Birth: Bitlis
Date of Birth: 1902
We left Bitlis before the Russians occupied the city. I was 13 years
old at the time. There were up to 100 children left on the side of the
road on the snow from Arapköprüsü to Duhan. Those that stayed in the
city were subject to a frightful massacre. The Armenian commander
Antranik bayoneted 16 women and children with his own hands. The
Armenians were committing atrocities [in Bitlis] before the Russian
invasion as well, but after the occupation, the crimes accelerated. As
far as I remember, 9 year old Hatice who lived in the Hersan
neighborhood was taken from her mother's arms by the Armenians, and
viciously raped without reference to the fact that she was a child.
Hako was the Armenian who took this child from her mother and raped
her. He was known as cold blooded Hako.
++++++++++++++++++++++=
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/hikmetsaylik.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
HIKMET SAYLIK
Father's Name: Ziver
Mother's Name: söhret
Place of Birth: Van-Gülsünler
Date of Birth: 1901
I am from the village of Gülsünler, which used to be called sžhkara.
We left the village when the Armenians raided the villages and started
massacring the Muslim population. We were going toward Van, but the
Armenians stopped us before we arrived. We had no choice but to
return. About 300 people from the village gathered in Zeve, while an
equal number returned to the village. We fled toward Hosap as a group.
Turkish soldiers were in Hosap, and they told us to leave as soon as
possible and get out of the line of fire. In spite of the difficulties
we faced, we went as far as Siirt. Many of the refugees suffered and
died due to widespread hunger and disease. From there, we arrived in
Diyarbakžr, Mardin, and finally in Adana. We then went to Konya,
because the French had occupied Adana. The government then sent us to
Mersin, but when the Turkish military took back Van we returned. But
Van and its villages were completely ruined: quiet, burned, and
destroyed. Three hundred people were martyred in our village. They
gathered the people in houses and burned them alive. The inhabitants
of Van fled, and those that remained were cut up by the Armenians.
When we returned, not all of the Armenians had left. Some of the
villages, such as Alaköy remained as they were, and the Muslims did
not hurt anyone there. The government later sent the Armenians to
Russia. Many members of my family were martyred in this village
including my mother, father, brother Mustafa, and other relatives.
Around 30-40 families fled with us, but only ten families returned.
Those that stayed and those that went to Zeve were all massacred. I
found the skeletons of nearly 200 Muslims killed by Armenians. I
buried them here, but could not afford to provide headstones. This
includes the graves of my mother and father as well as many relatives.
The Armenians had burned them alive.
++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/hacizekeriya.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
HACI ZEKERIYA KOÇ
Father's Name: Yakup
Mother's Name: Nadide
Place of Birth: Van-Ayanžs
Date of Birth: 1908
When the Armenian incidents broke out we were in our village, Ayanžs.
Zeve, Mollakasžm and Ayanžs were the villages in the region inhabited
entirely by Muslims. There were five or ten Armenian homes in the
other villages. Before these problems broke out, we had excellent
relations with the Armenians. We got along particularly well with
Armenian-inhabited Alaköy. We would invite each other to banquets, and
there were no hostilities between us.
Then when everything started and the residents of Van fled, we decided
to migrate as well. We got together, filled four carts as much as
possible, and got on the road. As we were leaving the village, a man
came from Van, and asked us where we were going. When we told him, he
urged us to stay, saying he had cannons, guns, and military supplies.
On his encouragement, everyone returned home. Three days passed. On
the fourth day, we were at my grandmother's. I was standing and eating
a piece of buttered bread my grandmother prepared for me. Three
villagers were there helping us out. We heard one gunshot, and the men
said "This noise is from Armenian guns, it buzzes like tin. Our
weapons clatter. Something is going on."
Meanwhile someone came from Mollakasžm, stood on the hilltop of our
village, and yelled "Why are you still around? Kurds raided and
plundered Alaköy, and the Armenians are attacking villages." Right
after this my cousin Dursun showed up. An elderly woman asked him why
he came. He had a bullet through his thumb and said, "They destroyed
the village and I ran away. Before the villagers had a chance to
organize, the Armenians surrounded the village. The Armenians captured
our livestock near the cemetery and took them to Alaköy. The Armenians
went into the village and separated the men and stuffed them into a
room. Their leader was Hamados Pasha, who had paid Iranian Kurds to
fight with him. He told his fighters to separate all males over the
age of seven, and add them to the men to be burned.
They spoke Turkish almost as well as we did. At that time I was seven
years old. My mother immediately wrapped a scarf around my head, put a
loose dress on me, and pulled me toward her. I survived, but they
picked out four or five people from among us and took them away near
the men. As soon as they added them to the men they poured gasoline on
the crowd and lit a fire. The screams emanating from there reached the
skies. They rounded up the women and took them outside. They would
mock us by saying "ladies why don't you sit here and rest. Look how
nicely the dogs are at each other's throats." The "dogs" they referred
to were someone's son, husband, father or uncle, crying "oh my God" in
agonizing pain. They made us sit there for up to an hour. When we
walked by the cemetery, one of the Armenians began singing a ballad
mocking us.
At that moment we saw that the Armenians had shot my mother's cousin
with her child still nursing on her breast. Then an Armenian came and
killed the child with a bayonet. They killed a lot of people in that
area. Those that could run away escaped, those that couldn't had gas
poured over them and were burned. We were forced to sit there for
quite a while.
Hamza, Hacž Ümmet's uncle lived in our village. He always carried a
dagger. The Armenians were going to carry him away and kill him, but
he ran toward them. He was either going to kill them or be killed. He
could not overcome them. Before they killed him they carved out
"pockets" in his thighs and placed his hands inside. Excuse my
language, but they cut his organ and placed it in his mouth, and cut
his nose and placed it in his behind.
They then took us to a hilltop in Alaköy before taking us into the
village. There they packed us into a barn. The children in the group
were starving and began to wail from hunger. The Armenians cut off the
hands, feet, and other appendages of the dead men, cooked, them, and
brought them as food. The children could not understand, but the women
said that it was preferable to starve, and had to explain this to the
children. When nightfall came, they flooded the barn with water. The
women had placed the children on their shoulders and were shouting.
After some time they emptied the water out of the barn by opening a
trench. The next day the women were escorted out, and dried their
clothes on rocks outside the village. The women of Mollakasžm lived a
little further down than us. The Armenians had killed the men in the
village there and imprisoned the women.
In other words they were raiding Muslim villages, killing the men, and
imprisoning the women. In Alaköy they led us onto the road toward Van.
When we arrived at the Mermit stream, some of the women threw
themselves into the water rather than die in the hands of their
captors. The infidels shot them from behind and killed some of them.
They broke the arms and bashed the heads of some that wanted to jump
into the water. I was with my mother, aunt, and grandmother. My mother
was still nursing my sister. When my mother wanted to throw herself
into the water and kill herself, my grandmother held onto her and
would not let her go. The Armenians put blockades by the stream to
prevent people from jumping. The next thing we knew, an Armenian came
to us and asked my grandmother who we were, and from which village we
came. My grandmother was rude at first, but told him when he insisted.
When she responded that we were from the village of Ayanžs, and that
my grandfather's name was Muhittin, her sons Yakup and Niyazi, he
grabbed her and said he would never want or permit harm to come to us.
We were stunned. He then told us a story of when they were coming from
Bahçesaray to Van in eight wagons. My father stopped some men who
wanted to kill the Armenians from doing so. Instead, he escorted them
all of the way to Van, then he turned around and came back to the
village.
That man gave us some bread, old cheese, and yogurt. Well into the
morning they took us from there and brought us to Bardakçž. At night
we slept in the plains of the village with armed guards at our sides.
What harm could women inflict anyway? There were about 700-800 of us.
Then in the morning they woke us, and took us to the foot of the
castle in Van. There the governor of Van, Cevdet Pasha, had a
three-story detention center. They brought a lot of people there
before us. One of the women who was there gave birth to a baby. The
Armenians threw the child off the roof of the building, and the child
was lost. We stayed there for five days. In the afternoon they let us
go out in the fields, and people gathered whatever they could find to
eat.
After five days, they brought two more groups of people. In the
afternoon they moved us to Hacž Bekir's detention center near the old
Governor's home. They had also brought the inhabitants of the Muslim
village Pürüt there. Before they passed out bread, they added sulphur
and other things to it. Up to 70 people a day died as a result. The
Armenians dug ditches along the wall across from the barracks and
brought in the dead on stretchers and threw them there. Here too, we
ran across one of the Armenians which my father had saved. That
Armenian fed us for a few days. People were attacking the food.
One week went by, and they told us the Russians had arrived. One day a
major, a captain, and two soldiers came into the barracks and counted
and recorded the prisoners. The next day we were fed rice with meat,
and taken outside where there were Russian guards. The Russians asked
about our villages, and told us they would take us there. When we all
wanted to go to Mollakasžm, they accepted. In the morning they loaded
us onto 70 to 80 wagons and took us to Mollakasžm. After arriving, we
stuck together out of fear of the Armenians. We picked a leader from
among us, and lived that way until the Turkish army came to Van. After
some time, we rehabilitated the villages which the Armenians had
burned and plundered.
+++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/izzetcengiz.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
IZZET CENGIZ
Father's Name: Mehmet
Mother's Name: Ifakat
Place of Birth: Bitlis-Ahlat-Adabag
Date of Birth: 1906
I am from the Adaba g village of Ahlat. We used to have Armenian
villages nearby: Karnuç, and on this side of Ahlat, Agag, Kžzva , Zi
ga g, Sivot, and Tevot (on the outskirts of Nemrut mountain).
I was about six or seven years old, and remember the Armenians
rebelling. From what I heard, I remember that the Armenians set up
committees, brought in fighters, and massacred Muslims who boarded
Armenian-run ships on the Van lake. From time to time they robbed and
plundered our village too. When events started to take place where we
lived, they kidnaped my grandfather Dervis who was in Kotan. There is
a stone quarry facing Mecca, where three men attacked my grandfather
with the intention of cutting him up. He saw that one of them was
Serop who worked with him for three years. My grandfather asked him if
he was killing him because he took care of him for three years. Serop
let him go, saying he was going to cut him up thinking he was Nadir.
Yet shortly after, my grandfather became very ill with fear and died
soon after.
One evening some young visitors came from Kotan, and were having
dinner with us. My father had recently returned from a trip and was
sitting with them. Soon after, my uncle Osman came in, and asked my
mother for some bread for a caravan which came to the village. When my
mother brought him some, he said it was not enough, and told her to
round up all she had and follow him. Since our village isn't really on
the road to anything, my father became suspicious of the caravan
story. He followed my uncle to see what is going on. At the edge of
the castle he saw a ship with Armenian bandits near the shore. They
were roasting a cow which they caught while it was grazing near the
castle. They had secretly set up an ambush and were waiting.
When my uncle had gone out to look for the animals, they cut him off,
asking for bread, but demanding that he tell no one. They told him
they would return his cow if he did as they said. My father went and
got my cousins Davut and Hursit, so they could all go and keep watch
at the castle. They also sent a messenger to Ahlat to tell the army.
At daybreak they fired at the ship and sunk it. When the Armenian
issue flared up in and around Van, it really became heated around
here.
We left our village once, anticipating the arrival of the Russians who
came to Deliklitas (Bitlis). We went as far as Kurtalan, also known as
Zoh, and stayed about three months. We returned to the village when we
heard that the Russians had retreated. The crops had dried up, and
there was no feed for the animals. The villagers then gathered their
animals and sent them to Diyarbakžr. A shepherd called Ahlatlž Sadžk
came to the village to pick up his herd. The Russians arrived before
he could leave, and we all became refugees again. Since the Rahva
grassy plains were covered with snow, the villagers used the back
roads. My mother's uncle was ill, and could only walk with crutches.
He had three sons, who left with my other uncles and my brother. My
mother sewed her valuable jewelry onto the clothing of my brother. She
never told him, but always worried that he may lose it. I stayed in
the village with my mother and her uncle. My cousins were going to
bring a sled because of the snow, and all the children remaining in
the village were going to leave on it, including my grandmother, my
little cousins, and others.
One day while we were waiting for the sled, Armenians dressed in
Russian military uniforms raided the village. They gathered us all in
front of our house, and surrounded the village. We had no weapons, we
were all women and children. They threatened us, and the Armenian
revolutionary committee leaders placed a guard with us and went to
pillage the other homes. I was standing near my mother at the edge of
the wall. Before I knew it, my mother was slowly creeping around the
wall, and then she ran. I was only a child. I thought for a moment,
and ran after her by following her footsteps. When we had cleared the
village, I started to cry because I was afraid. As I approached the
rocks overlooking the lake, I saw that my mother was standing at the
edge of the rocks and was going to throw herself into the water. I
started to scream as loud as I could, asking her what she was doing.
She told me to go back, saying that they would not hurt me since I was
a child, but that they would soil her innocence. When I told her I
would jump after her, she changed her mind and returned. She carried
me on her back and we went and hid in an area used as a wool storage
center by our neighbors. When I tried to cry once, my mother covered
my mouth. She said I didn't let her kill herself and escape, and we
couldn't let the Armenians discover us.
We stayed there until late the following day. My mother asked me to go
check on the dog quietly. If it was resting, she said, there were no
foreigners in the village. But if it was up and barking, it meant the
Armenians were still there. I went out, saw that the dog was laying
down, and told my mother. She got out, and saw that my grandmother,
who had been wounded by a bullet on the lower right side of her body,
was looking for us. It turns out that an Armenian knew my father, and
wanted to mock her by asking her where he was. She answered that her
son had been martyred, and added that if he were alive he surely would
protect her. With that, the Armenian fired at her. The bullet hit her
right cavity, near her stomach. Even though my grandmother told him to
shoot again because she was still alive, the Armenian answered that
this was enough for her, and walked away. We learned from my
grandmother that my aunt Vahide was injured, a women named Hasret
jumped in the lake and was shot by the Armenians, and another woman
from another neighborhood died when her arm was torn off.
We were miserable in a village burned, destroyed, and pillaged. We
boiled the bones of dead animals and drank the water. We survived for
three days by eating the snow at the edge of the rocks. After four
days, the Russian soldiers arrived, took us captive, and brought us to
Agrž. There were roughly 70-80 military prisoners along with us. They
left my mother's uncle behind with the promise of sending a vehicle to
pick him up later. My mother laid out half of a blanket under him, and
covered him with the other half. She also left a small bundle of money
with him.
Later during the journey, she saw that same bundle of money being
carried on the money belt of a soldier. When she asked what happened
to her uncle, he replied that he wasn't there when they returned -- he
seemed to have disappeared. We never learned what happened to him.
There were many Armenians in the Russian army, and they were hurling
insults at the captives. There was an older prisoner named Mr. Sadžk
among us, who noticed that one of the Russian soldiers was reading the
Koran. Mr. Sadžk, who spoke Russian, asked him why. The soldier said
he was a Turk from Kazan, and a Muslim. He asked us to appeal to the
highest Russian military official in Agrž's Yogurtyemez village for
protection from the Armenian massacres.
They later handed us over to a Tatar guard. Among the prisoners from
my village whose names I remember were my mother, my aunt Mahi (whose
child they took from her arms and we never heard of again), my aunt
Gülsüm, her daughter Hayriye, Mr. Sadžk, his wife Zeliha, their
daughter Selvi, their daughter-in-law Nergis, and my cousin Mikail.
The Russians settled us in the Yekmal village of Agrž, where we stayed
three years. When they retreated during the Russian revolution, they
left all of their belongings to the Armenians. We later settled in the
Sofyan village. An Armenian named Agop from the Kazer village sent us
word that we needed to be prepared against an Armenian group advancing
before the Ottomans. He said he was Muslim, but planned to go with
them because he feared that they would hurt him otherwise. On this
news, we went to the Birikan village. Men who could carry weapons in
the Birikan and Sofyan villages put up a good fight against the
Armenians from Sofyan. But in the Gilasor village, the Armenians
loaded the Muslim population into two homes and burned them. The same
things happened in the village of Lesko.
++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/village.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
ISO FROM THE TIL VILLAGE
OSMAN FROM BITLIS
FERHAT FROM KARSIN
HALIT FROM OSKAVAK
Place of Birth: Bitlis
Dates of Birth: 1896, 1898, 1899, 1902, respectively.
The Armenian bandits, who were supported by the Cossacks during the
Russian assault, were leading the greater Russian army. They were
responsible for attacking the villages and creating confusion. The
inhabitants of the attacked villages were hiding on the trails so that
they would not be followed by the bandits, but they were discovered
and carried away by the Russian soldiers. The stronger men were taken
into Russia as prisoners of war by the Russian army. But the Muslims
taken away by the Armenians and Cossacks were massacred without
exception.
The remaining were led on a march with thirty guards in April, 1916.
The sergeant and some of the guards were Armenians from the Caucasus.
On the first day, they continued to walk, but when they reached the
trail on the second day, the sergeant said to one of the guards in a
low voice in Armenian, "let's kill them." Haydar from Derbo who
understood Armenian, relayed the death command to his friends, and
suggested that it was better to attack the guards than die like
sacrificial lambs.
When they reached sahniyan, the smell of death permeated the air.
Bodies torn into pieces were laying on the side of the rocks. Everyone
felt that death had arrived. Despite this, they attacked the guards.
Six prisoners died, but some guards also lost their lives.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/ibrahimsargin.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
IBRAHIM SARGIN
Father's Name: Halil
Place of Birth: Van-Zeve
Date of Birth: 1903
I am from the well-known Zeve village, site of the most rampant
Armenian massacres.
Q: How old were you when the Armenians rebelled?
A: I had just turned 11 at the time.
Q: Were your parents alive at the time?
A: Yes, they were.
Q: Were they subjected to Armenian atrocities?
A: I will tell you all about that later. I first want to try to
explain the Armenians' position.
We know how untrustworthy the Armenians and Russians were, and about
their efforts to attack the Ottoman State from behind by forming bands
of rebels. At that time, Russians were paying Armenians a stipend.
However, the Armenians were paying the Ottoman State only one gold
coin in taxes, while those unable to pay that much were paying five
silver coins. There were certain changes during the rule of Sultans
Hamit and Resat. They extended equal rights to the Armenians,
declaring that they would be equal to Muslims, like brothers. They
passed a law lifting the tax imposed on them, and made them equal to
us. There was jubilation in the streets. Armenian priests and our
religious leaders hugged and kissed. At this time it was also decided
that Armenians would serve in the military with us and study in our
schools. The Armenians were thrilled with these changes. As soon as
they had the opportunity, they established committees and asked for
money from France and England and arms from Russia. They figured they
could cooperate with the Russians, receive military supplies from
them, and attack the Ottomans from within while the Russians could
advance from the outside.
What did the Russians do? They constructed storage bins out of the
stove pipes and stove metal. These bins were three feet long and one
and a half feet wide, and filled with arms and munitions. Some of our
supplies including kerosene came from Russia at the time. The Russians
delivered these military supplies to the Armenians by hiding them in
the bins and covering them with kerosene containers. Having armed the
Armenians in this way, the Russians sent a member of the secret
revolutionary society from Russia. His name was Aram, and he was blind
in one eye. A Russian Armenian, they named him Aram Pasha. Then they
brought someone named Antranik to the Mus area, and called him
Antranik Pasha. Plus, there was an Armenian revolutionary committee
leader nicknamed sahin in the Karagündüz village of the Erçek region.
They would set up committee organizations and head for the Turkish
borders. They crossed into Turkish villages where they would attack
and kill Turks, and then retreat. They carried weapons and bandits to
Karagündüz on horseback.
Q: Do you remember the revolutionary committees in the region and the
names of their leaders?
A: I named some of them a little earlier. I don't remember any other
names. They armed themselves with the help of the Russians, and came
with their horses. They created storage areas in the sisanus village,
and moved to a lake village which was completely inhabited by
Armenians who had moved into the village earlier. On the lake there
were enormous ships which could carry 500-600 people. These ships
would carry arms and ammunition to Adilcevaz, Ahlat, Ercis, and Gevas.
Some would later be sent to Tatvan, Mus and Bitlis. The Armenians
armed themselves well with these supplies, and started to form
guerilla groups. More specifically, they organized fighters and hid
them on the islands of Akdamar, Çarpanak, and Kadir. These fighters
later scattered throughout the area, insulting and provoking the
public. After a while, they decided to get along with the Russians.
After the Russians declared war on the Ottoman Empire, all of our
soldiers left the area. Some went to the Caucasian front line, while
others went to the Iranian front line. The Armenian soldiers
accompanied our soldiers. After the two sides started fighting, our
soldiers noticed that they were being shot from behind. The doctors
could not understand why soldiers who should be hit from the front
were hit from behind. Then they realized that Armenian soldiers would
kill ours whenever the opportunity arose. We lost perhaps thousands of
our soldiers in this way, but it was too late when it was discovered.
Some of the traitors were found, while some joined the Russian
fighters. This war lasted two and a half years. Our soldiers were in
terrible shape, and were forced to retreat. The Russian military
started to advance. When they arrived at the Çaldžran plains, they
came across the Hamidiye regiment which was formed during the reign of
Sultan Hamit and was composed of tribes. The Russians used the
Hamidiye organization for their own means, telling them to provide
soldiers to defend the area, while they would provide munitions and
arms.
A soldier who heard that the Russians arrived in Çaldžran ran to his
village (Derebey) and told the village headman that it was futile to
work in the fields since the Russians had already arrived in Çaldžran,
which meant they would be in the village either that day or the next.
He told the villagers they would all be killed if they didn't flee.
Hearing this, the villagers gathered together, took some food and
whatever they could carry, and left toward Van. They first reached the
Zorava village, which is Circassian. When the inhabitants asked them
what was going on, they told them that they were headed to Van because
the Russians had entered Çaldžran and were advancing toward Muradiye.
Hearing this, the villagers in Zorava joined the refugees. Later there
were eight villages which joined this caravan to Van; Hakis, Zorava,
Derebey, sžh Ömer, sžhkara, sžhayne, Hždžr, and Göllü. They had no
idea that Van was emptied and that its inhabitants had migrated. When
they arrived at the Everek plains, they saw some Armenians who asked
them in Armenian: "Where are you mindless people going?" to which they
answered, "We're going to Van. We will go wherever the inhabitants of
Van go." To this the Armenians showered them with insults and added
"Turks left Van over six or seven days ago, and are refugees. The era
of Cevdet Pasha has been over for a long time. The Aram Pasha
Administration has been formed. All of the wounded, hospitalized,
women and children in Van were killed. Mosques were torched, barracks
burned. We cut up all of the Muslims in Van. There were only 20-30
women remaining, and we gave them to Aram Pasha." To this, Circassian
Ibo said that they would become prisoners, and proposed that they go
to Zeve, which was very close to the lake. He suggested they could
find a ship there and save the women and children.
By the time this group of refugees reached our village (Zeve), we saw
that there were over 2,000 of them. When we asked them what happened,
they responded, "We were fleeing to Van, but Armenians preempted us
and told us that the inhabitants of Van had migrated, so we came here
to acquire a ship in the hopes of saving our women and children."
It was spring, and it was not easy to settle the refugees in our small
village, but we did our best. We settled them in homes, tents, and
barns. There were more than 2,000 of them, and they stayed with our
villagers, who numbered about 500. In addition, soldiers disbanded
from the army came home to our village. You should have seen them.
They had long beards, their uniforms were torn, they were full of
lice. We settled them, too. One was my brother Necip, my cousin
Mustafa, my brother-in-law Mehmet, my cousin Ilyas, Recep, son of
saban, Mustafa's son Seyyat, and Emrah's son sükrü. They were
emaciated -- just skin and bones. They took off their clothes and
burned them and pulled off the lice. My uncle Yusuf was a good barber.
After scrubbing their heads with hot water, he shaved them with a
razor. Believe me, because of the lice, blood was dripping from their
faces and eyes. They were somewhat more comfortable after that.
Two days had passed. On the third day, the village Hodja began his
morning call to prayer. Those that wanted to pray went, others went to
their jobs. There was a river in the middle of our village. It flows
all the way from the Iranian border, and becomes a lake in the spring
when the snow melts. But we were never sure exactly where this water
came from. One day we heard a woman's voice from the other side of the
river calling for someone to carry her to our side. On hearing this,
my uncle grabbed his horse, followed the sounds, and what did he see,
but Esma, the daughter of Ahmet. He was amazed when he saw Esma, who
had married into the Molla Kasžm village. She promised to tell her
story after my uncle helped her cross the river. He helped her onto
the saddle and brought her to this side of the river. At this time the
villagers had finished their morning prayer and had gathered around
them. She told them to fend for themselves, that Hamit, Molla Kasžm,
and Ayanos had been killed, and that the perpetrators would be in our
village any day now. The Hodja addressed the crowd with "Friends, we
are Muslims. It doesn't fit our religion for us to die needlessly. We
have about 60 weapons, 2 chests full of ammunition, and eight or nine
soldiers with guns and bullets. Let's defend our village. My father's
cousin, Hodja Osman who served with Cevdet Pasha had sent 60 guns and
the ammunition."
There were hills near our village, below the bridge. There were plains
on the top, and grasslands below. The villagers took their positions
on the top part of the hills, and waited for the Armenians to advance.
When the Armenians surrounded the village on three fronts and
attacked, our villagers were prepared. They fought the Armenians until
noon. When our side charged them, the Armenians were startled. Some of
them fled to Mermit village, while others went to Vadar village. After
they fled they started to regroup. There were other Armenian villages
such as the enormous Alay village comprised of 400 homes. They
gathered together all of the Armenians, and again started a battle
which continued until the end of the mid-afternoon prayer. After the
mid-afternoon prayer, there were up to one hundred horses speeding
down Erzurum Street which originated in Van. The villagers thought
that they were Ottoman soldiers who came to their assistance after
hearing gunfire, but soon saw that they were Russian Armenians who
heard the gunfire and came to the village. The fighting started again,
and our villagers started to run out of bullets. The Armenians saw
this as an opportunity and entered the village by killing the Turks
who were guarding it. The village was burning, and herds of people
numbering two or three thousand started to flee. The Armenians were
throwing small children in the air and piercing them with bayonets or
sticking them in the stomach with bayonets. The children let out
shrill cries and fell to the ground like baby birds. In desperation,
some of the women and young girls threw themselves into the river,
while others lit fire to bails of grass and threw themselves into the
bonfire.
They captured Corporal Seyyat alive, laid him on the ground, undressed
him, and skinned him alive. They also carved out his shoulders and
carved into his sides, taunting him by saying that Sultan Resat
promoted him and gave him a medal. The Armenians also set fire to the
grass and threw some of our women and children into the fire and
burned them alive. They sliced the throats of the rest of the
survivors as if they were sacrificial lambs. Not one child survived.
After massacring the entire village, they killed the five most
attractive women; my cousin Seher, Esma, the headman's wife, a distant
relative Hayriye, my aunt Ayse, and Güllü. Then they left. I'll
explain to you how I survived even though the Armenians vowed to
continue the massacres until we were all dead. My father was very well
known, and he had extended much kindness to the Bardakçž village. My
father had once saved the life of Kžrbe, and his son Asvador was among
the Armenians. Although at the time my father was in Iran as a reserve
officer, Asvador came to us during the massacre. Asvador told the
Armenians not to touch me, my mother, and one of my sisters and saved
our lives. After the Armenians left, Asvador took us out of hiding.
The wounded were moaning from pain, begging for someone to wrap their
wounds or give them some water.
Asvador brought us to the Bardakçž village where we stayed for some
time. My cousin Sema in Bardakçž would swear to us that in the evening
the Armenians would come and pick out ten or eleven women out of the
150, and rape them until the morning. The women would be covered with
blood, and after they were dropped off they were unable to even sit.
Meanwhile a Russian government was established in Van and Aram Pasha
became its leader. Aram Pasha's government proclaimed that any
refugees in need of food or water were welcome in Van. My father at
this time was in the Haçik village where he and my uncles were on
Halil Pasha's boat. From there they went to a village in the Hosap
region. When my uncles heard the proclamation they went to Van. They
were shocked to see that the city was burned and completely destroyed.
The city used to be at the foothill of the castle. Everything was
completely destroyed: the buildings, barracks, mosques, bathhouses,
and government buildings.
My father was from the Haçbahan neighborhood where there were Armenian
homes and stores. Coincidentally, Asvador ran into him on the street.
After the customary greeting, my father asked him if he had any news
about our village. Asvador responded that they had slaughtered all of
Zeve, but that his younger wife, child and daughter were safe with
him. He volunteered to hand us over to my father. My father
acknowledged the favor by Asvador, but feared that the Armenians would
kill him if he went to the village, so he suggested that Asvador bring
us to him instead so that he could take us away. When Asvador came to
see us that night, he told us that he ran into my father, and that we
should prepare ourselves so that he could take us to him. In the
morning he loaded us onto an ox cart, took us to Van, and delivered us
to my father. I will never forget that day. My father took us to Hosap
from there. We didn't stay long because the Armenians were raiding a
village a day. Many people were fleeing either toward Iran, Mardin or
Diyarbakžr to save their lives.
Q: Mr. Ibrahim, can you tell us about what happened in Van. Apparently
the first revolt took place there, where the castle was toppled by
cannon fire, the city was completely destroyed, and an Armenian
government was set up. Since you were in Zeve you may have seen the
troubles in Van. Do you have any knowledge of the incidents in Van?
A: They used cannon fire to burn the castle. At that time we were in
the village of Bardakçž, and could see the fire in Van from there.
Mosques, buildings and barracks were burned. After capturing the
castle, they aimed some of the cannon fire downhill. The mosque near
the castle also was burned and destroyed, as well as the Hamitaga
barracks. They butchered almost all of the Muslims there &endash; only
a few women survived. After the Russian government was established,
these women complained to the Russians about the Armenians, and asked
for protection because they trusted the Russians more. The Russians
had the women guarded and did not violate their virtue, but the
Armenians raped our women and massacred the children and elderly.
Q: Mr. Ibrahim, is it possible that one of the reasons that the
Russian soldiers did not touch our women was the possible presence of
Turks in the Russian army?
A: Yes. There were Crimean and Caucasian soldiers and officers. They
protected our women because they too were Muslims. In fact, they even
sent them back to their villages including the Molla Kasžm village.
During the massacres they could only send 30 of the 150 women. They
planned to stay in the Molla Kasžm village until the Ottoman military
arrived. However, they were subject to even further hardships. When
the Russians retreated, the Armenians stayed behind. The Armenians
suggested that the Russians leave their weapons, ammunition, cannons,
and supplies, so they could fight the Ottoman government. When the
Russians left all of their equipment to them, the Armenians became
even more ruthless and continued the massacres. When our army starting
arriving from Bitlis to Gevas and clashing with these Armenians, the
Armenians headed to Van toward Muradiye and Kars. They ultimately went
to Russia and Iran. Only a handful of Armenians remained behind. They
stayed on small islands in Lake Van such as Çarpanak.
Q: Were there any Armenians in your Zeve village?
A: No, none.
Q: Where were you at the time that the Armenians established an
Armenian government with the Russians?
A: We were in Zeve at the time.
Q: How many people from Zeve survived?
A: In addition to myself, six women were saved from Zeve, and that was
only because of a good deed my father had done earlier. Everyone else
was murdered, including many women and children.
Q: They say that a mosque near the Van castle was burned. Was this
mosque in Van or Zeve?
A: It was in Van, but mosques in Zeve were burned down as well. In Van
they burned other mosques such as the Kayaçelebi, Ulu, and Hüsrev
Pasha, as well as many smaller mosques. You can still see all of their
traces.
Q: Were there any people inside the mosques in Van when they were
burned down?
A: Without a doubt.
Q: How about in Zeve?
A: Many had gone into the mosque for protection. Among them were uncle
Hamza, Dervis, and Derebeyli. I don't remember the names of the others
except for a great personality in Zeve whose name you may have heard;
Sultan Hacž Hamza. He built the first dervish lodge in the area.
Q: Isn't it true that during the massacres the Turks sought refuge in
the lodge thinking that they would not be killed?
A: They sought shelter in the tomb, not the lodge.
Q: They say that the Armenians burned down the tomb, is that right?
A: It is true. They set fire to the tomb too, and thought everyone
inside had been killed, but three people survived. Unfortunately,
mosques, tombs made no difference to them. They burned them down with
everyone inside. I hope God will protect us from similar events in the
future.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/imamzeynel.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
IMAM ZEYNELABIDIN
Place of Birth: Kars
Date of Birth: 1908
I am 82 years old, and witnessed the Armenian massacres. The Armenians
raided the refugee tents of Mr. Abdullah, and killed him and many
other people whose names I do not know. Since Mr. Abdullah's second
wife Zeytun was very attractive, they took her away and killed him.
One day, they gathered the Muslims from Digor, and placed the men in
Laz Hasan's house. The women were put in the ditch near Hacž Aziz's
home. They fired into the ditch and killed more than 400 Muslims that
way. As for the men, they would take them out two by two and cut their
heads off with axes. From Mr. Halil's family, they killed him, his
sons and the rest of the family. I know their names because we were
relatives. Yusuf, his son, father of Esen, the mayor, was wounded but
able to save himself. His brothers Asaf, Arslan, and Tahir all died.
They stole a lot of personal property. All the people sought refuge in
the mountains. The elderly and sick that were left behind in the
village were all killed. I can't tell you all of the terrible things
the Armenians did. Thank God for our soldiers who saved Kars.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/kayacelebi.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
KAYA ÇELEBI
Father's Name: Vehbi
Mother's Name: Cemile
Place of Birth: Van
Date of Birth: 1925
Kaya Çelebi retells the stories told by his mother Cemile
(1884-1984).
Q: When did your mother pass away?
A: She passed away a month ago at the age of 100.
Q: Can you tell us, without editorializing, or becoming emotional,
what your mother said about the incidents in Van, the Armenian revolt,
and the reason that it happened?
A: You know the reasons. The Armenians lived under the protection of
the Ottoman State for 600 years, and had every privilege. They took
advantage of this land and of us. They rose to high positions
including ministers in government agencies. There was no pressure on
them. However, this favorable treatment caused a reaction. I predict
that they got the idea of forming their own state.
Q: Do you remember your mother's description of the development of the
revolt in Van and the accompanying incidents?
A: I can tell you about it. Their only goal was to establish an
Armenian state in eastern Anatolia with Van at its center. Revolts and
terrorist incidents started to take place everywhere. These even
started before the First World War, but the war was an opportunity for
them to collaborate with the Russians. The Armenians in Van and
Erzurum ensured the Russian entry into Van by leading them to the city
after the start of the war. Naturally, with the Russian occupation,
many Turks became refugees. In fact, they had previously sent a
division in Van to Erzurum, and Van was left without the presence of
soldiers. Van's leaders at the time went to the governor and asked him
how he permitted the departure of a division with the presence of an
Armenian threat. The governor responded that he could defend the city
with a squadron, since the opposition was not even a state. Despite
all the insistence, the division was sent to the front from Van. The
public became worried and held a meeting. They sent the division off,
crying and screaming, as if they knew what fate was awaiting them.
Armenian brigands took advantage of this situation and positioned
themselves. Van was occupied by Russian forces on May 20, 1915. Their
terror continued for two years, ten months, and eleven days until
April 2, 1918. Given the oppression, the governor decided to evacuate
Van.
Q: Since the revolt started in April, and the occupation was in May,
can you tell us about the beginning of the revolt as described by your
mother?
A: There were rebellions earlier as well, but the initial large revolt
was in April. The then-governor Cevdet Pasha saw that the situation
had deteriorated, and commanded that all women, children, elderly, men
and women board ships docked in Lake Van. Anyone that could carry a
weapon was already in the army &endash; most of them on the Erzurum
front. Those that were in Van could not have defended themselves. The
ships were full when they left, but since the owners were Armenian,
they carried the passengers to the side of the Çarpanak island and
killed many of them. This was later discovered, and the public then
opted for land transportation. My mother was pregnant, and had three
other children, 10, 7, and 5 years old. That day my mother gave birth.
When we learned that the Russians had started to advance from Çatak,
she wrapped up the child without recovering, and hit the road even
though she was ill. She was trying to follow a group to Edremit.
Although she was slowing down the crowd of 60-70 because she did not
feel well, they waited for her. My grandfather was a retired police
officer, and my father was a manager in Gürpžnar. My grandfather was
with my mother and helped her, because many people were too weak to
carry their children. For this reason there were many abandoned
children on the road. In fact, my grandfather thought it was best to
leave the child, but when my mother refused, he had no choice but to
give up.
As the crowd left for Edremit, 7 guards were provided for protection.
However, 20-30 Armenian bandits cut them off around Edremit, and
fought with the guards. When the guards lost, the crowd was taken
hostage. The men were shot on the spot, and my grandfather died on my
mother's lap. Two of the bullets scraped my mother's shoulders, and
the scars remained for the rest of her life. After killing the elderly
men in cold blood, the Armenian bandits gathered the women and
children, and told them that they would be taken back to Van. After
insulting, torturing, and hitting them with the butt of guns, they
took them to an area outside of Van where they asked them to wait
because they would take them to the American Embassy. However, they
explained that they could not take the entire group at one time
because the Russians would kill them if they saw them, so they would
take them in groups of three or five. The bandits started leading
small groups through the trees. Among them was my mother's
mother-in-law and other relatives. Soon shots were heard, and the
group thought there was a skirmish. In fact, when they were out of
sight, Armenians killed them and put them in sacks. Another group was
taken away, and again, shots were heard. When the next group was
taken, my mother was left behind since she had a small child. However,
they took away my siblings and two grandmothers, and killed them as
well. Meanwhile, an Armenian girl approached my mother. My mother said
she was their gardener's daughter. My grandfather was one of the
outstanding citizens of Van.
Q: What was your grandfather's name?
A: It was Mahmut. The Armenian girl asked why my mother was sitting
around. She responded that she would be taken to the American Embassy,
just like her mother, mother-in-law, children, and other relatives
before her. The girl revealed that they were all taken further down
the road to be killed, and offered to take my mother to the Embassy
since she was considered a family friend.
My mother then followed her and fled to the American consulate without
being discovered among the trees. She sought refuge there for some
time, but the Russians claimed the refugees as their prisoners, and
took all of the women, with the understanding that they would be led
to Batum and Tiflis. They hit the road under Russian military
surveillance, and traveled with horses and donkeys.
Q: Was this group massacred as well?
A: Armenian bandits stopped them as well, and tried to take them away
by force. The Russians did not permit them, but there were casualties
in the process.
Q: Was your mother saved?
A: My mother was saved, and went as far as Tiflis where Azeri Turks
lived. They distributed one or two people per home, and my mother was
placed in a Turkish home. She did not know her children were killed,
and told the man of the house that her children were sent to the
consulate in Batum. She asked to be taken there so that she could look
for them. Because the gentleman was well off, he was able to send her
to Batumi shortly, where she visited all of the orphanages. Despite
her endeavors and search, she was unable to locate her children or
relatives, and had to give up. These orphanages were established by
Azeri Turks, and took care of all refugee children. When they
discovered that my mother could read and write, they made her manager
of one of the orphanages. My mother was around thirty years old at the
time, and managed the orphanage for about three years. She cared for
and taught the children. Finally, after three years, Van was liberated
by the Turks on April 2, 1918. A truce was later signed, and prisoners
were exchanged. That is when my mother arrived in Istanbul on a ship
called "Nurcemal". After an exhaustive search, she found some
relatives, and settled down near them. Meanwhile, my father looked for
my mother in Batum. After learning from the prisoners that she had
gone to Istanbul, he travelled there and found her. Five years later,
my father opened a tea house and took a civilian job with the
military. He joined a group in Besiktas which took officers to the
independence struggle in Anatolia. They carried men at night in boats
and ships. He thereby helped Atatürk by supplying him with very
capable commanders.
Q: Do you remember what your mother told you about the atrocities the
Armenians committed in Van?
A: She said this about the massacres: Instead of taking them to the
American consulate, they stuffed many Turks into homes, poured
gasoline on them, and burned the inhabitants alive. The other
massacres took place in the Zeve village near Van. The Armenians
raided this village. Of course, there were no men that were able to
fight in this village, they were all at the front. There were only
women and the elderly, who tried to defend themselves with weapon
scraps. But when they ran out of ammunition, the Armenians entered the
village. Some of the Turks hid, and hoped they would not be hurt, but
the Armenians started to kill women, children, the elderly, and anyone
who crossed their paths. They burned some of them alive, and raped the
women. Some women could not tolerate what was happening, and threw
themselves in the river hoping to preserve their dignity. They took
their lives without surrendering. As a result, more than 2,000 people
died.
We built a monument to the martyrs in Zeve to commemorate these
incidents. We unveiled it in 1973 at the 50th anniversary of the
Republic. We tried to publicize the massacre to the world in this way.
++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/kadriyeduran.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
KADRIYE DURAN
Father's Name: Hamid
Mother's Name: Nigar
Place of Birth: Van-Kavunlu (Çoravanis)
Date of Birth: 1904
I was ten years old when we became refugees. Before we fled, Degirmen
was an Armenian village which included 80 Armenian families and three
Muslim Turkish families. One day the Armenians gathered the three
families, cut them up, and tossed them into a well. They tortured and
killed the young men by cutting "pockets" into their thighs and
crucified them by nailing them to the wall by their foreheads. Roughly
30 young people died this way. A woman whose father-in-law lived in
the Degirmen village came to tell a cleric in our village what was
going on in Degirmen. After this, conflicts arose with the Armenians
living in our village, and a few Armenians were killed. After what
happened in the Degirmen village, a weapon was distributed to every
home in our village as a precaution. My father was the headman of our
village. Since the surrounding villages were Armenian, the Muslim
population feared that our village would be attacked, and gathered in
the mosque. We filled sacks with sand and used them as barriers.
During this time, two young Armenians were locked into a home because
our villagers could not bear to kill them. But they dug a tunnel under
the house, and fled to Degirmen village carrying news. Then the
inhabitants of three villages, Degirmen, Faržh and another Armenian
village raided our village. The fighting lasted for more than an hour.
The Armenians controlled the bridge above the stream, and invaded
Ziyaret as well. The stream overflowed with melted snow, and it was
pure chaos when we tried to cross the stream. When my mother entered
the water, it reached her chest. Naturally, people broke their arms,
legs, or heads, while children were carried away by the water. It was
hell, pure hell. The Armenians were throwing the dead bodies onto
heaps of wheat. The bodies had piled up like hills. My father jumped
on his horse and went to Van from Akköprü. Since Sžhke was an Armenian
village, they didn't give him permission to pass through. My father
explained the situation to the governor of Van, Cevdet Pasha and asked
for his help. One hundred soldiers came to our rescue, and the
Armenians fled. We hid in the village of Dirandaz which was Muslim.
After spending the night there, my father went to Van in the morning
and asked those entering the city if we should return to our village.
They said that we shouldn't, so we were forced to become refugees. My
sisters and I wore men's clothing and hit the road.
We were going towards Edremit when the Armenians raided Van. The city
was burning, and the houses were in flames which reached the sky. We
reached Edremit, but they raided that too. We went from there to
Bitlis, from Bitlis to Siirt, to Diyarbakžr, and then to Siverek. We
stayed there three years. There were eight people in our family who
became refugees. On the way, my brother Ali was captured. The rest
died on the road. Only my mother and I were able to return to Van. We
weren't the only ones affected. The inhabitants of Van, Edremit, and
Van's Muslim villages all became refugees. Those that didn't run were
killed at the hands of the enemy, while most of those that got away
died on the road.
A few years later, my mother and I returned to Van, and what did we
see? There were ruins everywhere, a few people, but they were all
hungry, thirsty, and miserable. Neighborhoods and houses were empty.
There was no bread, wheat, or anything. We were compelled to return to
the village of Çoravanis. The wheat there was starting to mature. We
cracked the bitter seeds, boiled them, and drank the water. The
Armenians took whatever furniture, goods, animals, or whatever they
could find, and destroyed our houses as well. A man on a horse who saw
us alone in the village told us that there was a grain storage area
near the pier. My mother and I went to get 60 kilos of flour there,
but it was later stolen. The Armenians had not yet withdrawn
completely. There were bandits everywhere. One time my mother and I
went to the Erek mountain to gather pieces of metal which we wanted to
trade for bread with the soldiers. We ran into six Armenians who were
going to kill us, but when it suddenly started to rain and hail, we
ran away and hid in a cave. We barely saved our lives.
We suffered considerably. Three years later my brother died in
captivity. We were told that the Armenians were going to kill him, but
the Russians objected. They had made him build roads in Armenian
villages by hand. We rebuilt our homes, planted our fields, and
started anew.
+++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/kamileelibol.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
KAMILE ELIBOL
Father's Name: Ali
Mother's Name: Kisma
Place of Birth: Van-Ercis-Gölagzž
I am from the Gölagzž village of Ercis, which is now a neighborhood of
Ercis. I was ten years old when the Armenians raided our village. We
had no early warning or intelligence that the Armenians and Russians
would invade. One day we were told that Ercis was destroyed, and that
the Russians had invaded. Those that heard the news in time fled, but
we were caught by surprise. We too gathered our belongings and joined
the refugees. When the Armenians invaded, those that were able to get
away did -- those remaining were all killed. Many men were able to get
away, but the women and children were caught. They were collected and
brought to the castle. My God, they raped the children, then they
killed them. They killed so many people that they piled the bodies
onto ships and threw them into the Lake Van. Of course, I had
relatives that died too. The relatives on my father's side whose names
I can remember are Celal, Cemal, Ali, and Nurettin. We first ran away
to Ahlat, and from there to Tatvan, Bitlis, Diyarbakžr, Adana, and
Konya where we stayed about ten years. When we returned, Ercis and
Gölagzž were burned and destroyed. The Armenians left nothing, they
destroyed everything.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/mehmethatunoglu.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
MEHMET HATUNOGLU
Father's Name: Veli Çavus
Some of us young people, and the elderly able to fire a gun went up to
the mountains to defend ourselves against the Armenian massacres. We
learned that the Armenians burned Ercis, along with the old Karayusuf
Pasha Mosque, sükrü's home, and many other buildings with our women
and children inside. We chose the most courageous among us and sent
them down to the city at night to learn what was going on. I can't
tell you what I saw, it was so hideous. They [Armenians] planted a
stake every fifty meters on the Pulur (now Çžnarlž neighborhood), and
Ercis -Egans road, and impaled the elderly taken from the mosques on
these stakes. They all died in a pool of blood. Then we went into the
large Çavusoglu barn, and saw people sliced up and laying in blood,
most of which were relatives or people we knew. They were beaten and
killed with axes, shovels, and cleavers. They placed a basket over the
head of Haydar Imam, and impaled him. We thought that no one was left
alive, but later learned that Kžçe, who worked as a maid with the
Armenians, survived but had lost consciousness.
The Armenian simo had a beautiful daughter who was very helpful to
Muslim Turks. She would bring them water and intelligence. According
to rumor, she was in love with a young man named Emin. She was caught
bringing news to the Turks the day the barn was raided, and she too
was killed. There were about twenty or twenty five people in the barn.
Some of them were taken to the pilgrimage in Haydarbey after we
returned from exile. Other bodies which started to rot were covered by
wicker, dirt, and herbs by a group of women. Until recently this was a
place where people visited martyrs and prayed. After some time, no one
took responsibility for the site, and it fell into disrepair.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/muhammet_resit.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
MUHAMMET RESIT GÜLESER
Father's Name: Abdullah
Mother's Name: Habibe
Place of Birth: Van
Date of Birth: 1900
I was a young student at the Dar'ül-Muallimin school, around 15 or 16
years old during the Armenian massacres, and remember what happened
quite well. Before the First World War, we had good neighborly
relations with the Armenians (whose population was said to be
approximately 17,000).
With the declaration of the constitutional monarchy in 1908, they
started to exploit the principles of independence, equality, and
justice to their benefit. Their leader in Van, Aram Pasha, was in the
delegation that notified Sultan Hamit that he would have to leave his
throne. The Armenians set up an underground organization in Van, and
dug tunnels which extended from near the Great Mosque (Büyük Cami) all
the way to the old section of town. It was even possible to go through
these tunnels on horseback. One day the tunnels were inadvertently
discovered when a section caved near a guard. Even though Aram Pasha
was detained near the Great Mosque based on the intelligence provided
by an Armenian after the discovery, he was released without punishment
due to the political sensitivities of the time.
In short, the Armenians were very well organized. Already well
established in commerce, they were doing very well financially. After
the Armenians and Jews were permitted to join the military, groups of
Armenians joined the military during the retreat of the Van division.
The Armenians entered the military prepared -- with their own weapons.
Our soldiers were carrying German-made primitive weapons that after
firing four shots, would drop the fifth bullet. According to what we
had heard from Mr. Hacž Latif and others who later returned to Van,
the Armenians in the Van division were shooting our soldiers in the
back. There were also several cases of Armenian doctors and nurses
poisoning our wounded soldiers who were hospitalized in Van after
returning from the eastern front.
Regarding the situation in Van, the Russians were approaching from
three fronts, Muradiye, Özalp, and Baskale. The Armenians in the city
were rebelling and continued an aggressive campaign against the Muslim
population for 29 days. We had three barracks, Hacž Bekir, Aziziye,
and Toprakkale. Ten soldiers would guard each one. They raided these
barracks and slaughtered the soldiers like sheep by slicing their
throats. Ali Çavus was also martyred there. While our weak militia
were digging trenches to try to fight, the Armenians made holes in the
walls and were firing shots with machine guns, pouring cans of
kerosene, lighting fires, and escaping through the deep tunnels. This
brutal attack lasted 29 days. The decision to flee was finally made so
that the Muslim population would not suffer any more deaths. Those
with carts used them; those without were under desperate conditions,
but we all joined the exodus. People left their children on the road,
others died from hunger and disease.
It should be remembered that the Armenians not only committed large
massacres in Van, but in the villages as well. The homes in the
villages of Tžmar, Baskale, and Özalp were stuffed with hay and set on
fire. Those that tried to escape were killed with bullets and
bayonets. The inhabitants of a few villages in Zeve organized and
fought the Armenians, but almost all of them -- from seven different
villages -- were killed. Mass graves are still being uncovered in
these villages and a memorial was built.
Of the twelve ships that carried the Muslim refugees from Van, four of
them carried government employees and their families. All of the
sailors aboard the vessels were Armenians. The Armenian bandits, aided
by these sailors, forced the four government employee boats to dock at
the Adžr island, and killed all of the passengers. As for those in the
other eight boats, they were taken to another island near Tatvan where
Armenian bandits were waiting, but were able to escape with few
casualties because they were armed.
When we left Van, we first went to Bitlis, and later to Diyarbakžr. We
witnessed the Armenian savagery along the way. Finally, I will tell
you about what we saw and heard upon returning to Van. The Armenians
applied all types of torture to the inhabitants, God bless their
souls. They paraded Isa Hodja, who was over 100 years old, on a donkey
through the village, raided and looted homes, and gathered women and
girls into Mr. Ziya's home where they repeatedly raped them. They
threw the bodies of the dead into wells, and even filled the well of
our mosque with their victims' bodies.
When General Cevdet entered Van for the first time, he asked the
gendarmes to escort 130 women whose husbands were at the front to
Diyarbakžr. They had been stranded in Van because they did not have
any transportation. About 30 of them stayed in our house. They spun
wool to survive. They were also given military rations. They told us
that there was no end to the torture and cruelties they suffered at
the hands of the Armenian bandits. The Armenians skinned the men,
castrated them, and raped and impaled the women.
We returned to Van four years later. We stayed two years initially,
but were forced to flee again when the Russians arrived. This time we
went as far as Siirt. When we returned 200-250 Armenian families were
seeking refuge on the Çarpanak island. They were hoping that the Turks
would leave, and that they would resettle in Van. Most of them were
artisans. A short time later, a new decree was issued, and they were
sent to Revan under the protection of the government. However, Van,
raided seven times by the enemy, was completely destroyed except for
the Armenian quarters. We had to rebuild the city.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/mehmetsaar.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
MEHMET SAAR
Father's Name: Tevfik
Mother's Name: Rukiye
Place of Birth: Van-Göllü
Date of Birth: 1901
I am from the Göllü village. The Armenians revolted when the army in
Van retreated toward Erzurum. Our mothers and fathers were all slain
by Armenians. My father, a gendarme sergeant, was among those killed.
The villagers in Mollakasžm, Amik, sžhayne, Göllü, Hždžr, Kurtsatan,
and Köprüköy were also murdered. Part of our village hid in Zeve and
were later killed, but we were able to escape. Armenians tortured and
inflicted all types of cruelties on the people they kidnapped. They
cut up pregnant women and removed the unborn children with bayonets.
They raided and burned all of the Muslim villages, murdering men,
women, young and old. The Muslim population which fled the villages I
named tried to escape by crossing the bridge on the Ablengez River.
The Armenians demolished the bridge, and threw the bodies of their
prisoners into the river. In the spring when the snow melted, the
bodies were emptied into the lake. During the day, my mother, my two
sisters, and I would lie low and advance slowly by the crops on the
river, and at night we would stay in the hills. We knew if the
Armenians found us they would kill us. My mother died before we
reached Diyarbakžr. I later lost my two sisters, and was left all
alone. I stayed in Diyarbakžr for three years, and returned to my
village the fourth year. Since Van and the Muslim villages were all
burned and destroyed, we settled down in an Armenian village since
they remained intact. We later returned to our villages which we
rebuilt with our own hands.
Words cannot express the torture we suffered at the hands of the
Armenians. We lost our homes, families, and possessions. After losing
my mother, father, and two sisters, I also lost my cousin and other
relatives who were trying to escape to Tatvan by ship with thousands
of other people. All of the passengers on the ship were brutally
slaughtered and dismembered by the Armenians near the Parkat village
near Adilcevaz.
+++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/mehmettas.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
MEHMET TAS
Place of Birth: Kars-Esenbogaz
Date of Birth: 1902
(Mehmet Tas pointed out the scars on his face). When the Armenians
raided our village, we all sought refuge in the nearby forest. They
fooled us into coming back to the village, stuffed us into a barn, cut
us up, and burned us. An Armenian saw me, swung the sword to my face,
and threw me into the fire. I immediately stood up and fell again
among the dead. The soldiers came that night. I don't remember
anything else because I was very young, but my foot was burned.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/oructurkeli.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
ORUÇ TÜRKELI
Place of Birth: Kars-Hakmehmet
Date of Birth: 1899
There were no Armenian homes in our village at the time. Then
Armenians and Muslims became enemies, and the Armenians arrived in
Kars. They didn't have any possessions or homes then, but they came
and stayed in our village. The Armenians had a wise man named Dikran
who also stayed in our village. The oldest was their leader.
My mother would make bread, and I stayed near her. One day, I went
outside to play with the children and have a good time. I heard that
the Armenians surrounded the village. I asked myself why this was so,
since Armenians lived among us as well. They told us to gather our
belongings so that we could make peace. I went home to tell my mother.
She had baked bread, and two armed Armenians came and told us to
gather the bread and go inside. We did as they said. It was either the
first or second day of our religious holiday. We had meat too, but
they left nothing. They took us away.
There is a home in the village where they put all the women, men and
children from the village. They put the older boys and men in one
room, and the younger ones with the women. I was with my mother. We
had a few gold coins which my mother placed at the baseboards of the
walls, because they would come and search the homes and confiscate any
money. We had nothing else. Nightfall came and it became dark. They
treated us like a heard of sheep. We were women and children. They put
two Armenians on each side of us who led us by poking us with
bayonets. They took us out of the village, and would stop and check us
from time to time for money. My mother threw the coins on the ground
which was made of dirt and stepped on them. They took us to the fields
in the middle of the village, and told us to divide into two and march
toward the next village. Armenians on horses arrived, and they told us
they would take us back because the other Armenians would kill us. We
continued to march, while they returned. They stood and waited for a
while, and then left. There were many small children with their
mothers. Those unable to carry the children left them behind. Mothers
were carrying one child in their arms, one on their backs, and holding
the others by the hand. A few children were left by rocks or ditches.
We went to Iranian villages, and later learned that they massacred
those that stayed behind, including my father, and threw the bodies
into wells. Some were killed by bullets, some by sword, and some were
thrown into the wells alive. Those wells were old and deep, but they
threw them all in there. We stayed in Iran for eight to ten years. Our
villagers later returned, but of course my father was killed by the
Armenians.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/saitaldanmaz.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
SAIT ALDANMAZ
Father's Name: Bahri
Mother's Name: Nigar
Place of Birth: Bitlis
Date of Birth: 1900
I was fourteen years old during the mobilization. Armenians insulted
us in every way. With my own eyes, I saw an Armenian poke a dagger
into a woman's stomach and pull out her child. They killed 15-20
people with bayonets in my neighborhood of Ersan. When the Russians
arrived, the Armenians helped them. The Armenians who arrived with the
Russians attacked our soldiers under the Hormuz police station. We saw
the bodies which were left on the snow. These incidents took place
during the second migration of September,1916. We fled one other time
in July 1915, and stayed in Gorlar for a month. When the Russians were
unable to penetrate Bitlis, we returned. Only 45 families fled. We
left everything behind -- our home, our animals, our barn &endash; and
they were all destroyed. Among the ruins of every home, in the fields,
and in the farms were the bodies of people killed with the Armenians'
bayonets. We applied for permission to bury them. The soldiers dug
ditches and the bodies were buried there. There were thousands, not
hundreds of bodies, because five-ten people were killed in each home
with bayonets.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/seyhcemal.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
SEYH CEMAL TALAY
Father's Name: Cimsid
Mother's Name: Fatma
Place of Birth: Van
Date of Birth: 1901
The Russians were providing weapons to the Armenians. With military
assistance from the Russians and encouragement from England, France,
and the United States, all of which had consulates in Van, Armenians
increased their hostilities in the beginning of 1915. The Russians
were secretly providing them with sophisticated arms hidden in food
supplies sent from Russia to the port of Trabzon, and from there sent
by caravan to Van. The goods on the caravans were distributed in the
center of the old city, and the hidden ammunition was secretly
distributed to the Armenian militants. The leader of the Armenian
rebellion in Van was Aram Pasha, but I don't remember the name of the
leader of the Dashnaks. They all had land claims, especially in Van.
The 11th squadron was assigned to Van, but went to Erzurum to
mobilize. The Armenian bandits were emboldened by this and started
their campaign of terror against the Muslim inhabitants.
The militants were launching raids on the Muslim villages and
neighborhoods. The only thing we had to fight them with was a militia
led by IImam Osman, composed of those either too old or too young to
join the army.
Let me tell you a story which I will never forget. I went to a school
located near the government mansion. Armenians studied at the same
school. Some of the students in the Armenian underground went to get a
Muslim student named Rüstü from his home on the pretext of studying.
They took him to the Isžtma bridge near the industrial park. After
insulting him, they raped and killed him, leaving his body for his
family to find the next day. The family later composed a ballad to
honor his memory.
I can remember the beginning of the skirmishes between the Muslims and
Armenians. Our militia, which would meet in the Mahmut Aga barracks
across the street from the Van State Hospital, was on duty a day
before the war with the Armenians started. The Armenians prepared the
night before and positioned themselves well. They had dug holes in the
State mansion, and when our militia was preparing for morning prayer
at a fountain nearby, the Armenians showered them with bullets. Many
of our soldiers were killed. The fighting between local Muslims and
Armenians had begun. Everyone took to the streets, and mass confusion
ensued. Despite this, we got up and went to school. We had two
teachers, one from Selanik, one from Edirne. They said "Come on kids,
let's all forgive each other, we might not see each other again," and
suggested we use the side streets to avoid Armenian bullets. I left
school with some friends, but decided to take our regular route. We
saw that weapons and munitions were being distributed in front of a
munitions storage area for protection against the Armenians. We then
noticed a few Armenians creeping up from behind, and notified the man
distributing the weapons. He threw down the munitions in his hand and
fired on them, and they ran away.
The wars started on April 2-3, 1915. In 1914, the Russians had not
been able to penetrate the front line, but they surrounded our
soldiers from behind by passing Çaldžran-Bahçesaray, and established a
headquarters in the Molla Hasan village.
It was difficult to provide our soldiers with military supplies since
the young students and elderly people carrying the equipment could not
go further because of the cold weather. Many of them died.
We couldn't go anywhere either. But in the spring the Armenians went
completely crazy. On May 10, 1915, the Russians were moving toward
Van. On Governor Cevdet's orders we evacuated Van, taking with us what
we could carry. During the war, Armenian brutality had reached a stage
that no one, including the old, sick, captive, women, or children,
could escape. The atrocities reached the degree that even the
Armenians' main supporters, the Russians, were trying to prohibit
their actions.
My grandmother Mihri couldn't flee with us because one of my uncles
was paralyzed from the waist down. Unable to speak because of the
shock of what happened in our absence, she later used sign language to
explain what had transpired. They shaved my uncle's mustache along
with his flesh, and then took them to a house which they used as a
detention center and tortured him and the other captives until the
Russians arrived.
When we became refugees there were 23 members of our family. We lost
most of our family on the road to Bitlis and Urfa. Only two of us
returned to Van. Our first stop on the road was Bitlis where we
arrived in 11 days, and then went to Siirt, where we had relatives
with whom we stayed for a few months. When we heard about the Russian
advance, we again fled to Diyarbakžr. Our convoy consisted of 250
people. We suffered from hunger and thirst on the way. We went through
Kurtalan and Diyarbakžr and the village of Kebir, where we didn't stay
long, and again took the road to return to Van. When we reached
Kurtalan, we learned that the Russians had entered Van again and went
to Siirt. In the spring of 1916 we went to Baghdad, but fled to Mardin
when the English advanced. In 1917 we arrived in Urfa. The French who
entered Urfa started tormenting the Muslims by bringing the Aleppo
Armenians to the city. This time we fought for 22 days.
We had left Van in 1915. When we were finally able to return, only two
people remained from the 23-member family. Van was totally destroyed.
The Armenians burned and demolished everything except for the
Armenian-owned homes. In fact, when the Turkish army entered Van,
around 2,000 Armenian artisans, expecting retaliation for their
repression of the Turkish population, sought refuge on the island of
Adžr. The Turkish government instead ensured their safe passage to
Revan.
+++++++++++++++
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/testimonies/yamintosun.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
III. Testimonies of Witnesses
YAMIN TOSUN
Father's Name: Osman
Mother's Name: Hanžm
Place of Birth: Van-Ercis -Haydarbey
I am from the Haydarbey village. We became refugees when the Armenians
revolted and the Russians came. We moved to Urfa, where my mother,
father, and sibling died because of the famine that year. When the
Russians retreated, Armenians took their place, but the Turkish army
pushed them back to Revan. We returned to our homes, and found Ercis,
the Muslim village and our village completely burned down and
demolished.
sutten
ARMENIAN ISSUE
ALLEGATIONS-FACTS
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
Veteran and Eyewitness Accounts
Muhammet Resit Guleser
Father's Name : Abdullah
Mother's Name : Habibe
Place of Birth : Van
Date of Birth: 1900
I was a young student at the (Teachers' training college) school,
around 15 or 16 years old during the Armenian massacres, and remember
what happened quite well. Before the First World War, we had good
neighbourly relations with the Armenians (whose population was said to
be approximately 17,000).
With the declaration of the constitutional monarchy in 1908, they
started to exploit the principles of independence, equality, and
justice to their benefit. Their leader in Van, Aram Pasha, was in the
delegation that notified Sultan Hamit that he would have to leave his
throne. The Armenians set up an underground organization in Van, and
dug tunnels which extended from near the Great Mosque (Büyük Camii)
all the way to the old section of town. It was even possible to go
through these tunnels on horseback. One day some parts of the tunnel
collapsed so was discovered by a guard incidentally. Aram Pasha was
caught near the Great Mosque upon the intelligence of an Armenian but
was released without punishment due to the political sensitivities of
the time.
In short, the Armenians organized themselves very well and became rich
financially in commerce. After the Armenians and Jews were permitted
to join the military, some groups of Armenians, joined the military
with their weapons during the retreat of the Van division. Our
soldiers were carrying German-made primitive weapons which could only
fire four shots and the fifth one would drop to the gound. According
to what we had heard from Mr. Haci Latif and the others who later
returned to Van, the Armenians in the Van division were shooting our
soldiers in the back. There were also several cases of Armenian
doctors and nurses poisoning our wounded soldiers who were treated in
the hospitals in Van after returning from the eastern front.
As to the situation in Van, the Russians were approaching from three
fronts, Muradiye, Özalp, and Baskale. The Armenians in the city were
rebelling and continued an aggressive campaign against the Muslim
population for 29 days. We had three barracks, Haci Bekir, Aziziye,
and Toprakkale. Ten soldiers would guard each one. They attacked to
these barracks and slaughtered the soldiers like sheep by cutting
their throats off. Ali Cavus, our neighbour, was also slained there.
While our weak militia were digging trenches to trying to fight, the
Armenians made holes in the walls and were firing shots with machine
guns, pouring cans of kerosene, lighting fires, and escaping through
the deep tunnels. This brutal attack lasted 29 days. The decision of
retreat was finally made so that the Muslim population would not
suffer any more deaths. Those with carts used them; those without them
were under desperate conditions, but we all joined the exodus. People
left their children on the roads, others died from hunger and disease.
It should be remembered that the Armenians not only committed large
massacres in Van, but in the villages as well. The homes in the
villages of Timar, Bakale, and Özalp were stuffed with hay and set on
fire. Those that tried to escape were killed with bullets and
bayonets. The inhabitants of a few villages in Zeve got organized and
fought against the Armenians, but almost all of them -from seven
different villages- were killed. Mass graves are still being uncovered
in these villages and a memorial was built.
Eight of the twelve ships carried the Muslim refugees from Van, four
ships carried government employees and their families. All the sailors
aboard the vessels were Armenians. The Armenian bandits by the help of
these sailors, forced the four government employee boats to dock at
the Adir Island, and killed all the passengers. As to the remaining
other eight boats they were taken to another island near Tatvan where
Armenian bandits were waiting, but they managed to escape with few
casualties because they were armed.
When we left Van, we first went to Bitlis, and later to Diyarbakir. We
witnessed the Armenian savagery along the way. Finally, I will tell
you about what we saw and heard upon returning to Van. The Armenians
applied all types of torture to the inhabitants, God bless their
souls. They paraded Isa Hodja, who was over 100 years old, on a donkey
through the village, raided and looted homes, and gathered women and
girls into Mr. Ziya's home where they repeatedly raped them. They
threw the bodies of the dead into wells, and even filled the well of
our mosque with the bodies of victims.
When General Cevdet entered Van for the first time, he asked the
gendarmes to escort 130 women, whose husbands were at the front, to
Diyarbakir. They were in bad situation in Van because they did not
have any transportation. About 30 of them stayed in our house. They
spun wool to survive. They were also given military rations. They told
us that there was no end to the torture and cruelties they suffered at
the hands of the Armenian bandits. The Armenians skinned the men,
castrated them, and raped the women.
We returned to Van four years later. In the beginning we stayed two
years, but were forced to flee again when the Russians arrived. This
time we went as far as we could go. Finally we arrived to Siirt. When
we returned, 200-250 Armenian families were seeking refuge on the
Carpanak Island. They were hoping that the Turks would leave, and that
they would resettle in Van. Most of them were artisans. A short time
later, a new decree was issued, and they were sent to Revan under the
protection of the government. However, Van was raided seven times by
the enemy, was completely destroyed except for the Armenian quarters.
We rebuilt the city afterwards.
+++++++++++++++++++
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/portal/default_en.asp?belgeno=3351
ARMENIAN ISSUE
ALLEGATIONS-FACTS
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
Veteran and Eyewitness Accounts
Seyh Cemal Talay
Father's Name: Cimsid
Mother's Name : Fatma
Place of Birth : Van
Date of Birth: 1901
The Russians were providing weapons for the Armenian bandits. With
military assistance of Russia and encouragement of England, France and
the United States -all had consulates in Van- Armenians increased
their hostilities in the beginning of 1915. The Russians were secretly
providing them weapons hidden in food supplies, which they sent to
Russia through the port of Trabzon. Those supplies were transported by
caravans to Van. The goods on the caravans were distributed in the
centre of the old city, and the hidden ammunition was secretly
distributed to the Armenian militants. The leader of the Armenian
revolt in Van was Aram Pasha. But I don't remember the name of the
Dashnaks' leader. They all had land claims, especially in Van. The
11th squadron was assigned to Van, but went to Erzurum to be
mobilised. The Armenian bandits increased their activities and started
their terrorist campaigns against the Muslim inhabitants.
The militants were raiding the Muslim villages and neighbourhoods. The
only thing we had to fight them with was a militia led by Imam Osman,
composed of those either too old or too young to join the army.
Let me tell you a story which I will never forget. I went to a school
located near the government mansion. Armenian children also studied at
the same school. Some of the students in the Armenian underground went
to get a Muslim student named Rustu from his home with an excuse of
studying. They took him to the Isitma bridge near the industrial park.
After insulting him, they raped and killed him, leaving his body for
his family to find the next day. The family later composed a ballad to
honour his memory.
I can remember the beginning of the skirmishes between the Muslims and
Armenians. Our militia, which would meet in the Mahmut Aga barracks
across the street from the Van State Hospital, was on duty, a day
before the war with the Armenians started. The Armenians prepared the
night before and positioned themselves. They dug holes in the State
Mansion, and when our militia was preparing for morning prayer at a
fountain nearby, the Armenians showered them with bullets. Many of our
soldiers were killed. The fighting between local Muslims and Armenians
began. There was a big confusion in the streets from both sides.
Despite this, we got up and went to school. We had two teachers, one
from Salonica, one from Edirne. They said "Come on kids, let's all
forgive each other, we might not see each other again" and suggested
we use the side streets to avoid Armenian bullets. I left school with
some friends, but decided to take our regular route. We saw that
weapons and ammunition were being distributed in front of a storage
area for protection against the Armenians. We then noticed a few
Armenians creeping up from behind, and notified the man distributing
the weapons. He threw them down in his hand and fired on them, and
they ran away.
The war started on April 2 and 3 in 1915. In 1914, the Russians were
not able to penetrate the front line, but they surrounded our soldiers
from behind by passing Caldiran-Bahcesaray, and established
headquarters in the Molla Hasan village.
It was difficult to provide our soldiers with military supplies since
the young students and elderly people carrying the equipment could not
go further because of the cold weather. Many of them died.
We couldn't go anywhere. But in the spring the Armenians went
completely crazy. On May 10, 1915, the Russians were moving towards
Van. With Governor Cevdet's orders we evacuated Van, taking with us
what we could carry. During the war, Armenian brutality reached a
stage that no one, including the old, sick, captive, women or children
could escape. The atrocities reached the degree that even the
Armenians' main supporters, the Russians, were trying to prohibit
their actions.
My grandmother Mihri couldn't flee with us because one of my uncles
was paralysed from the waist down. Unable to speak because of the
shock of what happened in our absence, she later learned to speak by
sign in order to explain what happened. They shaved my uncle's
moustache along with his flesh, and then took them to a house which
they used as a detention centre and tortured him and the other
captives until the Russians arrived.
When we became refugees there were 23 members of our family. We lost
most of our family on the road to Bitlis and Urfa. Only two of us
returned to Van. Our first stop on the road was Bitlis where we
arrived in eleven days, and then went to Siirt, where we had relatives
with whom we stayed for a few months. When we heard about the Russian
advance, we again fled to Diyarbakir. Our convoy consisted of 250
people. We suffered from hunger and thirst on the way. We went through
Kurtalan and Diyarbakir and the village of Kebir, where we did not
stay long, and again took the road to return to Van. When we reached
Kurtalan, we learned that the Russians had entered Van again and went
to Siirt. In the spring of 1916, we went to Baghdad, but fled to
Mardin when the English Army advanced. In 1917, we arrived to Urfa.
The French who entered Urfa started tormenting the Muslims by bringing
the Armenian of Aleppo to the city. This time we fought for twenty-two
days.
We left Van in 1915. When we were finally able to return, only two
people remained from the 23-membered family. Van was totally
destroyed. The Armenians burned and demolished everything except for
the Armenian houses. In fact, when the Turkish army entered Van,
around 2.000 Armenian artisans, expecting retaliation for their
repression of the Turkish population, sought refuge on the island of
Adir. The Turkish government instead ensured their safe passage to
Revan.
+++++++++++++++++++
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/portal/default_en.asp?belgeno=3352
ARMENIAN ISSUE
ALLEGATIONS-FACTS
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
Veteran and Eyewitness Accounts
Salih Tasci
Father's Name: Mirza
Mother's Name: Hane
Place of Birth: Van
Date of Birth: 1883
The Armenians who revolted by the Russian assistance began to fight
against the Muslims though they had lived together for many years.
Their intention was to steal our lands and to establish an Armenian
state. They had dugouts underground and they were easily hiding in
them after they killed the Turks.
They tortured people especially in central Van and in the castle.
Their leader was a man called Aram Pasha. We were defeated by them as
they had rich ammunitions. Then we decided to migrate to safer places
as we did not want to suffer more casualties.
Some people went to Bitlis by way of land and some went by sea. The
ones who stayed were all killed. The refugees of Van were spread
everywhere in country. From Bitlis to Diyarbakir, Elazig, Nazilli,
Burdur... However, the Armenians undertook massacres in the villages
of Van.
In those villages the Armenians and the Russians closed the roads.
They killed all the men and raped all the women there. Later, Armenian
bandits gathered in Van and carried massacres out there too. In short,
it was like the doomsday. In Lake Van there were sailing boats. They
really tortured so much that they got bored from killing people. They
put the people into the boats and threw them in to the lake.
Those Armenians nailed our elders to the walls from their hands and
foreheads. We resisted them as much as we could do and fought. We did
everything necessary. But, we never touched any Armenian child or
women; we just fought against men. Armenians were so cruel. After I
returned from the Iranian Front in 1921, I found Van in a ruin. All
the Turkish districts were burnt by the Armenians and the Russians;
all the Muslim properties were plundered. But, the Armenian houses
were still standing out. Van was empty. Later, the Muslims returned
one by one. Everybody began to rebuild his house; we have rebuilt the
city.
++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/portal/default_en.asp?belgeno=3353
ARMENIAN ISSUE
ALLEGATIONS-FACTS
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
Veteran and Eyewitness Accounts
Bekir Yoruk
Father's Name : Yusuf
Mother's Name : Gülnaz
Place of Birth : Van
Date of Birth: 1900
Q: Can you tell us what you can remember and what the Armenians did in
Van and Gevas?
A: We lived in the same neighbourhoods with the Armenians. We were
living in Norsin neighbourhood and got along well until the Russians
intervention. In those days, the Armenian youth established committees
by Russian encouragement, and started causing trouble. They killed the
police superintendent and threw him in the park. They killed the
postman in Hasbagi. They bombed a building, which is a bath now, and
twenty people died in the explosion. When the constitutional monarchy
was declared, the mufti and the priest shook hands and declared the
brotherhood of Muslims and Christians. The Mufti cried as he shook
hands, but events developed against us. The committee members became
increasingly out of control and the rebellion began. We fought the
Armenians for 29 days in Hasbagi. We had no weapons. When the division
went to Erzurum we remained completely defenceless.
The Armenians who joined the army after the establishment of the
constitutional monarchy used our weapons to shoot at us, and those who
remained in the army shot our soldiers from behind. They also bombed
the barracks. The young people and the elderly left in the Muslim
neighbourhoods took turns guarding against the Armenians. Meanwhile,
the Russians sent gold to Armenians to finance their effort.
This struggle lasted 29 days until the arrival of the Russians. The
elderly Armenians didn't approve this fight because they were the
wealthiest inhabitants of the area, and feared losing their standard
of living. Armenians owned up to 1,000 stores and sold European cloth
in the old part of the city of Van. When these events broke out,
inhabitants of nearby villages and towns all fled to Van, and those
stores disappeared within two days.
Later on, fifty vessels full of people left Van, carried wounded
soldiers. Cevdet Pasha saw the passengers off at the pier. We went to
Adir Island, where the Armenians were training underground. We stayed
on the island for nine days. The waves destroyed some of the ships
with wooden sails. The island had wells and two bakeries. No one
brought any supplies from Van. We were hungry and perplexed. My elder
brother was an officer and came back wounded from Erzurum. My brother
realised that the Armenians would cut us off. He convinced his
captain, and ten ships left the place but we couldn't go very far.
Thank God that we stayed close to the shore. The next day, we reached
Tatvan under difficult circumstances. The day we left Van the
Armenians set everything ablaze. There were wounded soldiers from all
parts of Turkey in Van, and the Armenians set the apartment buildings
on fire used as a hospital where they were teken care of. That is why
Van is a sacred place with martyrs from 67 provinces (in Turkey).
My uncle, Terren Aga, was very old, and we couldn't take him with us
when we left Van. His wife, daughter, and two grandchildren remained
with him. Armenian hoodlums beat my uncle and the children with an ax
and killed them. His daughter was hiding in an abandoned American
school. When the Armenians found her, they killed her by throwing her
from the second floor.
We went to Bitlis from Tatvan where we stayed for nearly two months.
When the Russians arrived, we set off on the roads again. We then went
to Hizan and Diyarbakir. After we left, the Gendarme commander who was
crying like a baby- brought my uncle (who was Deputy Governor Omer
Bey) a report. A soldier named Mansur was also present in the room.
When we asked him to explain what happened, he said that three days
after Van was evacuated they went to pick up the bodies. Hundreds of
elderly women were impaled on stakes. They still had their scarves on
and looked as if they were sitting. When they got closer they saw that
they were killed before being impaled. They saw a woman who was split
into two parts and her unborn child was placed on her chest.
Muslims who witnessed these thousand of examples of inconceivable
brutality tearfully reported the incidents to Omer Bey, who then told
Mustafa Kemal. When the Russians finally arrived, they were displeased
with the savageness which resulted in the destruction of four-fifths
of Van. In addition to those massacred by the Armenians, many people
also died as they were fleeing. Many collapsed on the road from hunger
and disease. No one was able to take anything with them when they left
Van.
When we returned to Van from exile three years later, we found the
Muslim neighbourhoods destructed, but the areas owned by Armenians,
were left undamaged. When we returned there were about 2,000 Armenians
living in Van who fled to the islands when the Turks started
returning. Two years later, the government sent them to Revan.
Q: Did you ever participate in the fighting or use a weapon?
A: No. I have never used a weapon. I didn't have a gum, plus they
didn't give me one because I was too young and didn't know how to use
it. Instead. I would bring food and water to the combatants.
Q: What kind of equipment were the Armenians using?
A: They had the latest equipment which was provided by Russia and
England. They gave them weapons and had them fight against us. The
Armenians couldn't do anything to us, but when the were armed, the
balance was upset.
Q: Did many people die in these and other clashes?
A: Of course, thousands of people died. After fighting for 29 days,
the then Governor Cevdet Pasha commanded us to leave Van when he heard
that the Russian forces were approaching. Cevdet Pasha was actually a
very courageous man, but we had neither guns nor ammunition. while the
Russians were armed with top of the line weapons.
Q: Didn't the Ottoman State take any precautions against the Armenians
arming themselves to this extent? Didn't a word get around?
A: People knew, and the government knew. Yet the military was on the
fighting front, and only a few gendarmes were left in Van. They
couldn't do anything about it.. The Armenians first shot Police
Lieutenant Nuri Efendi, and blew up the Hamitaga barracks. Many
soldiers were killed. Then they placed bombs in the Norsin Mosque and
Haci Naci Hodja Mosque. They blew up Hafiz Hodja with his son using
granedes. Our women were raped, and our children shot.
Q: How was the evacuation carried out?
A: We left this place on 50 ships. That day the weather was stormy and
rainy, as if hell broke loose. The ships ran into each other. They
were unable to approach the pier for a long time. The weather was not
warm enough-I think it was April. We left before the Russians arrived.
There were about 250 people in our group, and 60 died. Some died at
the hands of the Armenians bandits, other from cholera, diseases, and
hunger.
My uncle, his family and children, were all cut into pieces with a
hatchet under a mulberry tree in our neighbourhood. They (Armenians)
massacred all those who stayed behind when we left. We lived in Norsin
neighbourhood at the time. They burned Van entirely. All was planned
by the Armenian committees that treacherously manipulated the Armenian
population.
Q: Do, you remember the names of those committees?
A: Dashnak was the most prominent one. There were others as well, but
I don't remember their names now. They received money and gold from
Russia and Britain.
Q: Did the Armenians kill a lot of women and children?
A: The elderly didn't bother much, but all the young people were
armed. They killed whoever they could catch. They killed them and
threw them into the lake or onto the fire. For example, a woman was
baking bread in a nearby village, and had her young child was at her
side. The Armenians went into her backyard and asked her what she was
doing. When she answered that she was baking bread, they insisted she
needed a kebab as well, and pierced her child and threw him into the
fire and burned him alive.
What else can I tell you? God knows the extent of what went on. During
our escape, we took off on the ships, and stayed around the islands
for four days. We couldn't sleep at nights because of the wails and
screams we heard all night. These were the cries we heard from the
surrounding villages: Zeve, Bardakci, Kalac, and Molla Kasim. I hope
God ensures that we don't have to get back to those days again, ever.
Q: Where did you go after the islands?
A: From the islands we went to the Dervis village. It took us all day
to get there. Ten ships were tied together at the edge of the lake. We
were very frightened. In the morning we left toward Tatvan, and
finally reached our destination. We were able to rest there, and later
left toward Biths.
Q: Do you remember how many people were with you in your convoy?
A: There were between 10 and 20 thousand people in our convoy.
Q: Did many people from your convoy die in the exodus?
A: Of course.
Q: Could you tell us how they died?
A: The women could not take care of their children. Some would leave
them in far areas. Hunger and disease were at its peak. For example,
Omer Efendi wrapped his child in rags and left him alive under a tree
as we approached the Bitlis creek. There were many other children like
this thrown into the Bitlis creek or buried, then they died. But, Omer
Efendi regretted what he did, and a few days later went to save the
child and brought him back alive.
Q: How long were you a refugee?
A: Three years.
Q: What did you find when you returned to Van? How was Van, was there
much damage?
A: I saw Van; it was completely destroyed and burned. When we were in
Bitlis, the Deputy Governor Ömer Bey was there. He would regularly
receive reports on the situation in Van. We would learn about the
situation of the Russians there. One day a soldier, Mansur, came to
Bitlis. He was from Aleppo and used to live near the Norsin Mosque. He
was in tears as he told us the story of how they entered Van, and saw
that the women were lined up in a row with their head scarves still
on. As they approached, they saw that they were impaled and killed.
They removed them and buried them. The soldiers left all their work
and buried them. Later, they went to another location where the women
had been raped and then killed. There was blood everywhere.
A similar incident occurred in the Amik village which is close here.
The inhabitants took refuge in the castle and pulled up the ladder
when the Armenians arrived. The Armenians approached and convinced
them to let down the ladder because they were now friendly and there
was no reason to be afraid of. As soon as they ascended the stairs,
they separated the children and men and threw them down the hill. Some
of the women threw themselves from the castle, while the others were
taken to an unknown location.
Q: Did you hear about similar incidents at the time?
A: Of course I did, but what else can I tell you? Dignity, chastity,
and integrity all was gone. We suffered so much, some people even ate
flesh like cannibals. But we were so merciful that, when we found
Armenians hiding on the island, we didn't do anything to them.
Q: Were they the Armenians who stayed when you fled?
A: No, they were Armenians remaining on the island. During the exodus
they brought, many Turks to this island and killed them. The ship
captains were Armenians. Many of our, people were maliciously killed
in this way on the ships. As I told you earlier, we couldn't sleep
because of the wads in those days. When we left, Van was burning, and
it was still burning when the soldier Mansur came.
Q: Will you tell us about your situation in Bitlis?
A: When we arrived in Bitlis as refugees, they were angry with us
because we abandoned Van. Initially the people of Bitlis were not very
kind to us, asking us why we ran away and did not fight against the
enemy. We answered that we had no other choice because we did not have
guns or ammunition. Not long after, the population of Bitlis had to
flee as well, and they understood our position. The heat was extreme.
There was no food or water. Cholera and diseases were spreading out.
Many people died. One day we saw some vehicles coming from Elazig. The
army corps came with Armenian drivers to bring salt to Harput.
Q: Were the drivers Armenian?
A: Yes. Armenian soldiers who were carrying salt. There was a captain
leading them and my brother approached him and asked him to stay and
send a telegraph to arrange for a truck to carry us. We obtained
permission from Mustafa Kemal Pasha and they started to transport us
to Divarbakir. There was neither food nor water on the way. Many
people died from diseases. At that time, there was a landowner named
Mehmet. He later died, but he was a unique person. He gave food to the
army and fed their horses as well. He also handed the keys of his
stables over to the army. A year later Mustafa Kemal Pasha came,
talked to him, and asked how much the government owed him. When he
said "for what?", Mustafa Kemal explained that the army had depended
on him for a year. He answered that "they are welcomed for the
remaining food, as well". Anyway, when he saw us, he gave the order to
set up a feast table right away. Wheat, rice, lentil, and meat were
prepared. Everyone ate.
Let me tell you another story. I saw many of the men who had been
tortured by the Armenians with my own eyes. In some places they had no
meat on their bones. From hunger they ate human flesh. There was a
milkman called Faik whose father was carrying a child when we saw him.
When I asked him what he was doing, he said if he didn't carry the
child away, they would eat him too.
I hope God doesn't make us live through those days again. Hunger and
disease left us with nothing. No dignity, chastity, no nothing.
++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/portal/default_en.asp?belgeno=3354
ARMENIAN ISSUE
ALLEGATIONS-FACTS
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
Veteran and Eyewitness Accounts
Ibrahim Sargin
Father's Name : Halil
Place of Birth: Van-Zeve
Date of Birth: 1903
I am from the well-known Zeve village, site of the most rampant
Armenian massacres.
Q: How old were you when the Armenians rebelled?
A: I had just turned 11 at the time.
Q: Were your parents alive at the time?
A: Yes, they were.
Q: Were they subjected to Armenian atrocities?
A: I will tell you all about that later. I first want to try to
explain the situation of the Armenians. We know how untrustworthy the
Armenians and Russians were, and about their efforts to stab the
Ottoman State from behind by forming bands of rebels. At that time,
Russians were paying Armenians wages. However, the Armenians were
paying the Ottoman State only one gold coin in taxes while those
unable to pay that much, were paying five silver coins. There were
certain changes during the rule of Sultan Hamid and Sultan Resad. They
extended equal rights to the Armenians, declaring that they would be
equal to Muslims, like brothers. They passed a law abolishing the tax
imposed on them, and made them equal to us. There was jubilation in
the streets. Armenian priests and our religious leaders hugged each
other and kissed. At this time, it was also decided that Armenians
would serve in the army with us and study in our schools. The
Armenians were thrilled with these changes. As soon as they had the
opportunity, they established committees and asked for money from
France and England and arms from Russia. They figured they could
co-operate with the Russians, receive military supplies from them, and
attack the Ottomans while the Russians could advance from the outside.
What did the Russians do? They constructed storage bins out of the
stove pipes and stove metal. These bins were three feet long and one
and a half feet wide, and filled with arms and munitions. Some of our
supplies including kerosene came from Russia at the time. The Russians
delivered these military supplies to the Armenians by hiding them in
the bins and covering them with kerosene containers. Having armed the
Armenians in this way, the Russians sent a member of the secret
revolutionary society from Russia. His name was Aram, and he was blind
in one eye. A Russian Armenian, they named him Aram Pasha. Then they
brought someone named Antranik to Mus, and called him Antranik Pasha.
Plus, there was an Armenian revolutionary committee leader nicknamed
Sahin (Falcon) in the Karagunduz village of the Ercek region. They
would set up committee organisations and head for the Turkish borders.
They crossed into the Turkish villages where they would attack and
kill Turks, and then retreat. They carried weapons and bandits to
Karagunduz on horseback.
Q: Do you remember the revolutionary committees in the region and the
names of their leaders?
I named some of them a little earlier. I don't remember any other
names. They armed themselves with the help of the Russians, and came
on horses. They created storage areas in the Sisanus village, and
moved to a lake village which was completely inhabited by Armenians
who had moved into the village earlier. On the lake there were
enormous ships which could carry 500-600 people. These ships would
carry arms and ammunition to Adilcevaz, Ahlat, Ercis, and Gevas. Some
would later be sent to Tatvan, Mus and Bitlis. The Armenians armed
themselves well with these supplies, and started to form guerrilla
groups. More specifically, they organised fighters and hid them on the
Islands of Akdamar, Carpanak, and Kadin Tbese fighters later scattered
throughout the area, insulting and provoking the public. After a
while, they decided to get along with the Russians. After the Russians
declared war to the Ottoman Empire, all of our soldiers left the area.
Some went to the Caucasian front line, while others went to the
Iranian front line. The Armenian soldiers accompanied our soldiers.
After the two sides started fighting, our soldiers noticed that they
were being shot from behind. The doctors could not understand why
soldiers who should be hit from the front were hit from behind. Then
they realised that Armenian soldiers would kill ours whenever the
opportunity arose. We lost perhaps thousands of our soldiers in this
way, but it was too late when it was discovered. Some of the traitors
were found, while some joined the Russian fighters. This war lasted
two and a half years. Our soldiers were in terrible shape, and were
forced to retreat. The Russian military started to advance. When they
arrived at the Caldiran plains, they came across the Hamidiye regiment
which was formed during the reign of Sultan Hamit and was composed of
tribes. The Russians used the Hamidiye organisation for their own
means, telling them to provide soldiers to defend the area, while they
would provide munitions and arms.
A soldier who heard that the Russians arrived in Caldiran ran to his
village (Derebey) and told the village headman that it was futile to
work in the fields since the Russians had already arrived in Caldiran,
which meant they would be in the village either that day or the next.
He told the villagers they would all be killed if they didn't flee.
Hearing this, the villagers gathered together, took some food and
whatever they could carry, and left toward Van. They first reached the
Zorava village, which is Circassian. When the inhabitants asked them
what was going on, they told them that they were headed to Van because
the Russians had entered Caldrran and were advancing toward Muradiye.
Hearing this, the villagers in Zorava joined the refugees. Later there
were eight villages which joined this caravan to Van; Hakis, Zorava,
Derebey, Sih Omer, Sihkara, Sihayne, Hidir and Göllü. They had no idea
that Van was emptied and that its inhabitants had migrated. When they
arrived at the Everek plains, they saw some Armenians who asked them
in Armenian: "Where are you mindless people going?" to which they
answered, "We're going to Van. We will go wherever the inhabitants of
Van go." To this the Armenians showered them with insults and added
"Turks left Van over six or seven days ago, and are refugees. The
administration of Cevdet Pasha was over long time ago. Aram Pasha's
Administration was formed. All of the wounded, hospitalised, women and
children in Van were killed. Mosques were torched, barracks burned. We
cut up all of the Muslims in Van. There were only 20-30 women
remaining, and we gave them to Aram Pasha." To this, Circissian Ibo
said that they would become prisoners, and proposed that they go to
Zeve, which was very close to the lake. He suggested they could find a
ship there and save the women and children.
By the time this group of refugees reached our village (Zeve), we saw
that there were over 2,000 of them. When we asked them what happened,
they responded, "We were fleeing to Van, but Armenians stopped us and
told as that the inhabitants of Van had already migrated, so we came
here to acquire a ship in the hope of saving our women and children."
It was spring and it was not easy to settle the refugees in our small
village, but we did our best. We settled them in homes, tents, and
barns. There were more than 2,000 of them, and they stayed with our
villagers who numbered about 500. In addition, soldiers disbanded from
the army came home to our village. You should have seen them. They had
long beards, their uniforms were torn, they were full of lice. We
settled them, too. One was my brother Necip, my cousin Mustafa, my
brother-in-law Mehmet, my cousin Ilyas, Recep, son of Saban, Mustafa's
son Seyyat, and Emrah's son Sukru. They were emaciated -just skin and
bones. They took of their clothes and burned them and pulled of the
lice. My uncle Yusuf was a good barber. After scrubbing their heads
with hot water, he shaved them with a razor. Believe me, because of
the lice, blood was dripping from their faces and eyes. They were
somewhat more comfortable after that.
Two days had passed. On the third day, the village Hodja began his
morning call to prayer. Those who wanted to pray and the others went
to work, There was a river in the middle of our village. If flows all
the way from the Iranian border, and becomes a lake in the spring when
the snow melts. But we were never sure exactly where this water came
from. One day we heard a woman's voice from the other side of the
river calling for someone to carry her to our side. On hearing this,
my uncle grabbed his purse, followed the sounds, and was suprised to
see, Esma, the daughter of Ahmet, who married someone in the Molla
Kasim village.
She promised to tell her story after my uncle helped her cross the
river. He helped her onto the saddle and brought her to this side of
the river. At this time the villagers had already finished their
morning prayer and gathered around them. She told them to defend
themselves that Hamit, Molla Kasim, and Ayanos had been killed, and
that the perpetrators would be in our village any day now. The Hodja
addressed the crowd with "Friends, we are Muslims. It doesn't fit our
religion for us to die needlessly. We have about 60 weapons, 2 chests
full of ammunition, and eight or nine soldiers with guns and bullets.
Let's defend our village. My father's cousin, Hodya Osman who served
with Cevdet Pasha had sent 60 guns and the ammunition."
There were hills near our village, below the bridge. There were plains
on the top, and grasslands below. The villagers took their positions
on the top part of the hills, and waited for the Armenians to advance.
When the Armenians surrounded the village on three fronts and
attacked, our villagers were prepared. They fought the Armenians until
noon. When our side charged them, the Armenians were startled. Some of
them fled to Mermit village, while other went to Vadar village.
Afterwards they started to re-grouping. There were other Armenian
villages such as the enormous Alay village comprised of 400 homes.
They gathered together, all of the Armenians, and again started a
battle which continued until the end of the mid-afternoon prayer.
After the mid-afternoon prayer, there were up to one hundred horses
speeding down Erzurum Street which originated in Van. The villagers
thought that they were Ottoman soldiers who came to their assistance
after hearing gunfire, but soon saw that they were Russian Armenians
who heard the gunfire and came to the village. The fighting started
again, and our villagers started to run out of bullets. The Armenians
saw this as an opportunity and entered the village by killing the
Turks who were guarding it. The village was burning, and herds of
people numbering two or three thousand started to flee. The Armenians
were throwing small children in the air and piercing them with
bayonets or sticking them in the stomach with bayonets. The children
let out shrill cries and foil to the ground like baby birds. In
desperation, some of the women and young girls threw themselves into
the river, while others lit fire to bails of grass and threw
themselves into the bonfire.
They captured Corporal Seyat alive, laid him one the ground, undressed
him, and skinned him alive. They also carved out his shoulders and
carved into his sides, taunting him by saying that Sultan Resat
promoted him and gave him a medal. The Armenians also set fire to the
grass and threw some of our women and children into the fire and
burned them alive. They sliced the throats of the rest of the
survivors as if they were sacrificial lambs. Not one child survived.
After massacring the entire village, they killed the five most
attractive women; my cousin Sober, Esma, the headman's wife, a distant
relative Hayriye, my aunt Aye, and Güllü. Then they left. I'll explain
to you how I survived even though the Armenians vowed to continue the
massacres until we were all dead. My father was very well known, and
he had extended much kindness to the Bardakci village. My father had
once saved the life of Kirbe, and his son Asvador was among the
Armenians. Although at the time my father was in Iran as a reserve
officer, Asvador came to us during the massacre. Asvador told the
Armenians not to touch me, my mother, and one of my sisters and saved
our lives. After the Armenians left, Asvador took us out of hiding.
The wounded were moaning from pain, begging for someone to wrap their
wounds or give them some water.
Asvador brought us to the Bardaci village where we stayed for some
time. My cousin Sema in Bardakci would swear to us that in the evening
the Armenians would come and pick out ten or eleven women out of the
150, and rape them until the morning. The women were covered with
blood, and after they dropped them off they were unable to sit.
Meanwhile a Russian government was established in Van and Aram Pasha
became its leader. Aram Pasha's government proclaimed that any refugee
who is in need of food or water is welcome to Van. My father at this
time was in the Hacik village where he and my uncles were on Halil
Pasha's boat. From there they went to a village in the Hosap region.
When my uncles heard the proclamation they went to Van. They were
shocked to see that the city was burned and completely destroyed. The
city used to be at the foothill of the castle. Everything was
completely destroyed: the buildings, barracks, mosques, bathhouses,
and government buildings.
My father was from the Hacbahan neighbourhood where there were
Armenian homes and stores. Coincidentally, Asvador ran into him on the
street. After the customary greeting, my father asked him if he had
any news about our village. Asvador responded that they had
slaughtered all of Zeve, but that his younger wife, child and daughter
were safe with him. He volunteered to hand us over to my father. My
father acknowledged the favour by Asvador, but feared that the
Armenians would kill him if he went to the village, so he suggested
that Asvador bring us to him instead so that he could take us away.
When Asvador came to see us that night, he told us that he ran into my
father, and that we should prepare ourselves so that he could take us
to him. In the morning he loaded us onto an ox cart, took us to Van,
and delivered Lis to my father. We didn't stay long because the
Armenians were raiding a village; many people were fleeing either
towards Iran, Mardin or Diyarbakir to save their lives.
Q: Mr. Ibrahim, can you tell us about what happened in Van. Apparently
the first revolt took place, where the castle was toppled by cannon
fire, the city was completely destroyed, and an Armenian government
was set up. Since you were in Zeve you may have seen the troubles in
Van. Do you have any knowledge of the incidents in Van?
A: They used cannon fire to burn the castle. At that time we were in
the village of Bardakci, and could see the fire in Van from there.
Mosques, buildings and barracks were burned. After capturing the
castle, they aimed some of the cannon fire downhill. The mosque near
the castle also was burned and destroyed, as well as the Hamitaga
barracks. They butchered almost all of the Muslims there -only a few
women survived. After the Russian government was established, these
women complained Armenians to the Russian authorities, and asked for
protection because they trusted the Russians more. The Russians had
the women guarded and did not violate their virtue, but the Armenians
raped our women and massacred the children and the elderly.
Q: Mr. Ibrahim, is it possible that one of the reasons that the
Russian soldiers did not touch your women was the possible presence of
Turks in the Russian army?
A: Yes. There were Crimean and Caucasian soldiers and officers. They
protected our women because they too were Muslims. In fact, they even
sent them back to their villages including the Molla Kasim village.
During the massacres they could only send 30 of the 150 women. They
planned to stay in the Molla Kasim village until the Ottoman military
arrived. However, they were subject to even further hardships. When
the Russians retreated, the Armenians stayed behind. The Armenians
suggested that the Russians leave their weapons, ammunition, cannons,
and supplies, so they could fight the Ottoman government. When the
Russians left all of their equipment to them, the Armenians became
even more ruthless and continued the massacres. When our army starting
arriving from Bitlis to Gevas and clashing with these Armenians, the
Armenians headed to Van toward Muradiye and Kars. They ultimately went
to Russia and Iran. Only a handful of Armenians remained behind. They
stayed on small islands in Lake Van such as Carpanak.
Q: Were there any Armenians in yourk Zeve village?
A: No, none.
Q: Where were you at the time that the Armenians established an
Armenian government with the Russians?
A: We were in Zeve at the time.
Q: How many people from Zeve survived?
A: Including to myself, six women were saved from Zeve, and that was
only because of a good deed my father had done earlier. Everyone else
was murdered, including many women and children.
Q: They say that a mosque near the Van castle was burned. Was this
mosque in Van or Zeve?
A: It was in Van, but mosques in Zeve were burned down as well. In Van
they burned other mosques such as the Kayacelebi, Ulu, and Hüsrev
Pasha, as well as many smaller mosques. You can still see all of their
traces.
Q: Were there any people inside the mosques in Van when they were
burned down?
A: Without a doubt.
Q: How about in Zeve?
A: Many had gone into the mosque for protection. Among them were uncle
Hamza, Dervis, and Derebeyli. I don't remember the names of the others
except for a great personality in Zeve whose name you may have heard;
Sultan Haci Hamza. He built the first dervish lodge in the area.
Q: Isn't it true that during the massacres the Turks sought refuge in
the lodge thinking that they would not be killed?
A: They sought shelter in the tomb, not the lodge.
Q: They say that the Armenians burned down the tomb, is that right?
A: It is true. They set fire to the tomb too, and threw everyone
inside killed, but three people survived. Unfortunately, mosques,
tombs made no difference to them. They burned them down with everyone
inside. I hope God will protect us from similar events in the future.
++++++++++++++++++
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/portal/default_en.asp?belgeno=3355
ARMENIAN ISSUE
ALLEGATIONS-FACTS
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
Veteran and Eyewitness Accounts
Ayse Sevimli
Father's Name : Dervis
Mother's Name : Hayriye
Place of Birth : Van-Zeve
Date of Birth : 1897
When the villagers heard that the Armenians were coming, they took as
many precautions as possible. They dug positions in the hills. The
inhabitants of seven villages filled up our village. There was little
room in the village to manoeuvre around the people and carts. on the
day that we heard the Armenians had almost reached the village, the
men ran to take their positions and began fighting.
We had no ammunition or weapons assistance. When the Armenians entered
our village, some of our men died fighting; others were burned in
their homes. I hid with my mother and some others in a barn further
away from the fighting grounds I got under a large basket. The
Armenians killed everyone they found and also fired at the barns. A
bullet hit my mother's scarf, but she was not hurt. I know of only two
other women who survived.
The Armenians went to Bardakci before they came to our village. My
God, when we went out at night, blood, gunfire, mourning, and wailing
filled the air. I saw them torturing people by cutting "pockets" out
of skin while mockingly telling them they were decorating them with
medals. When we approached the Bardakci village, I saw that on the
other side of the brook, in the field near Mehmet's house they had
tied the arms of five men together and were shooting at them. When
they fell to the ground, they stabbed them with bayonets. My mother
handed them all of her money and valuables so that we would not be
hurt. They then brought us to Van, and tortured the prisoners in
unmentionable ways. We stayed in the military barracks for four
months. We later became refugees and remained as such until April
1918.
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ARMENIAN ISSUE
ALLEGATIONS-FACTS
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
Veteran and Eyewitness Accounts
Haci Zekeriya Koc
Father's Name : Yakup
Mother's Name : Nadide
Place of Birth : Van
When the Armenian incidents broke out we were in our village. Ayanis..
Zeve. Mollakasim and Ayanis were the villages in the region inhabited
entirely by Muslim. There were five or ten Armenian homes in the other
villages. Before these problems broke at, we had excellent relations
with the Armenians. We got along particularly well with
Armenian-inhabited Alaköy. We would invite each other to banquets, and
there were no hostilities between us.
Then when everything started and the residents of Van fled, we decided
to migrate as well. We got together, filled four carts as much as
possible, and got on the road. As we were leaving the village, a man
came from Van, and asked us where we were going. When we told him, he
urged us to stay, saying he, had cannons, guns, and military supplies.
on his encouragement, everyone returned home. Three days passed. On
the fourth day, we were at my grandmother's. I was standing and eating
a piece of buttered bread my grandmother prepared for me. Three
villagers were there helping us out. We heard one gunshot, and the men
said "This noise is from Armenian guns, it buzzes like tin. Our
weapons clatter. Something is going on."
Meanwhile someone came from Mollakasim, stood on tire hilltop of our
village, and yelled Why are you still around? Kurds raided and
plundered Alakoy, and the Armenians are attacking villages." Right
after this my cousing Dursun showed up. An elderly woman asked him why
he came. He had a bullet on his thumb and said, "They destroyed the
village and I ran away. Before the villagers had a chance to organize,
the Armenians surrounded the village. The Armenians captured our
livestock near the cemetery and took them to Alaköy. The Armenians
went into the villages and separated the men and stuffed them into a
room. Their leader was Hamados Pasha, who had paid Iranian Kurds to
fight with him. He told his fighters to separate all males over the
age of seven, and add them to the men to he burned.
They spoke Turkish almost as well as we did. At that time I was seven
years old. My mother immediately wrapped a scarf around my head, put a
loose dress on me, and pulled me by her side. I survived, but they
picked out four or five people from among us and took them away near
the men. As soon as they added them to the men they poured gasoline on
the crowd and lit a fire. The screams emanating from there reached the
skies. They rounded up the women and took them outside. They would
mock them saying "ladies why don't you sit here and rest. Look how
nicely the dogs are at each other's throats. "The "dogs" they referred
to were someone's son, husband, father or uncle. They were crying "oh
my God" in agonizing pain. They made us sit there for up to an hour.
When we walked by the cemetery, one of the Armenians began singing a
ballad mocking us.
At that moment we saw that the Armenians shot my mother's cousin with
her child still nursing on her breast, then an Armenian came and
killed the child with a bayonet. They killed a lot of people in that
area. Those that could run away escaped, those that couldn't had gas
poured over them and were burned. We were forced to sit there for
quite a while.
Hamza, Haci Ummet's uncle lived in our village. He always carried a
dagger. The Armenians were going to carry him away and kill him, but
he ran toward them. He was either going to kill them or be killed.
Unfortunately he was not able to overcome them. Before they killed him
they carved out "pockets" in his thighs and placed his hands inside.
Excuse my language, but they cut his organ and placed it in his
mounth, and cut his nose and placed it in his behind.
They then took us to a hilltop in Alakoy before taking us into the
village. There they packed us into a barn. The children in the group
were starving and began to wail from hunger. The Armenians cut off the
hands, feet and other organs of the dead men, cooked and brought them
as food. The children could not differentiate, but the women said that
it was preferable to starve, and explained the truth to the children.
When nightfall came, they flooded the barn with water. The women had
placed the children on their shoulders and were shouting. After some
time they emptied the water out of the barn by opening a trench. The
next day the women were escorted out, and dried their clothes on rocks
outside the village. The women of Molakasim lived a little further
down our place. The Armenians had killed the men in the village there
and imprisoned the women.
In other words they were raiding Muslim villages, killing the men, and
imprisoning the women in Alakoy then led us onto the road towards Van.
When we arrived at the Mermit stream, some of the women threw
themselves into the water to kill themselves rather than die in the
hands of their captors. The infidels shot them from behind and killed
some of them. They broke the arms and mashed the heads of some that
wanted to jump into the water. I was with my mother, aunt, and
grandmother. My mother was still nursing my sister. When my mother
wanted to throw herself into the water and kill herself, my
grandmother held onto her and would not let her go. The Armenians put
blockades by the stream to prevent people from jumping. The next thing
we knew, an Armenian came to us and asked my grandmother who we were,
and from which village we came from. My grandmother was rude at first,
but told him when he insisted. When she responded that we were from
the village of Ayanis, and that my grandfather's name was Muhittin,
her sons Yakup and Niyazi. He grabbed the sides of her skirt and said
he would never want or permit harm to come to us. We were stunned. He
then told us a story that when they were coming from Bahcesaray to Van
in eight wagons, my father prevented some men who wanted to kill the
Armenians from doing so, instead, he escorted them all the way to Van
then went back to the village.
That man gave us some bread, old cheese, and yogurt. In the morning
they took us from there and brought us to Bardakci. At night we slept
in the plains of the village with armed guards at our sides. What harm
could women do anyway? There were about 700-800 of us. Then in the
morning they woke us up, and took us to the foot of the castle in Van.
There the governor of Van, Cevdet Pasha, had a three-storey detention
center. They brought a lot of people there before us. One of the women
who was there gave birth to a baby. The Armenians threw the child off
the roof of the building; and the child was lost. We stayed there for
five days. In the afternoon they let us go out in the fields, and
people gathered whatever they could find to eat.
After five days, they brought two more groups of people. In the
afternoon they moved us to Haci Bekir's detention center near the old
Governor's home. They also brought the inhabitants of the Muslim
village Pürüt there. Before they passed out bread, they added sulphir
and other things to it. Up to 70 people a day died as a result. The
Armenians dug ditches along the wall across from the barracks and
brought in the dead on stretchers and threw them there. Here too, we
ran across one of the Armenians which my father had saved. That
Armenian fed us for a few days. People were attacking upon the food.
A week went by, and they told us the Russians arrived. One day a
major, a captain, and two soldiers came into the barracks and counted
and recorded the prisoners. The next day we were fed with rice and
meat, and taken outside where there were Russian guards. The Russians
asked about our villages, and told us they would take us there. When
we all wanted to go to Mollakasim, they accepted. In the morning they
loaded us onto 70-80 wagons and took us to Mollakasim. After our
arrival, we stuck together out of fear of the Armenians. We chose a
leader from among us and lived that way until the Turkish army came to
Van. After some time, we rehabilitated the villages which the
Armenians had burned and plundered.
+++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/portal/default_en.asp?belgeno=3357
ARMENIAN ISSUE
ALLEGATIONS-FACTS
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
Veteran and Eyewitness Accounts
Hikmet Saylik
Father's Name: Ziver
Mother's Name: Söhret
Place of Birth: Van Gülsünler
Date of Birth: 1901
I am from the village of Gulsunler, which used to be called Sihkara.
We left the village when the Armenians raided the villages and started
massacring the Muslim population. We were going toward Van, but the
Armenians stopped us before we arrived. We had no choice but to
return. About 300 people from the village gathered in Zeve, while an
equal number returned to the village. We fled toward Hosap as a group.
Turkish soldiers were in Hosap, and they told us to leave as soon as
possible and get out of the line of fire.
In spite of the difficulties we faced, we went as far as Siirt. Many
of the refugees suffered and died due to widespread hunger and
disease. From there, we arrived in Diyarbakir, Mardin, and finally in
Adana. We then went to Konya, because the French had occupied Adana.
The government then sent us to Mersin, but when the Turkish military
took back Van, we returned. But Van and its villages were completely
ruined, burned, and destroyed. There, hundred people were martyred in
our village. They gathered the people in houses and burned them alive.
The inhabitants of Van fled, and those that remained were cut up by
the Armenians. When we returned, not all of the Armenians had left.
Some of the villages, such as Alaköy remained as they were, and the
Muslims did not hurt anyone there. The government later sent the
Armenians to Russia.
Many members of my family were martyred in this village including my
mother, father, brother Mustafa and other relatives. Around 30-40
families fled with us, but only ten families returned. Those that
stayed and those that went to Zeve were all massacred. I found the
skeletons of nearly 200 Muslims killed by Armenians. I buried them
here, but could not afford to provide headstones to be put in the
graveyard. This includes the graves of my mother and father, as the
Armenians had burned them alive.
++++++++++++++++++
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/portal/default_en.asp?belgeno=3358
ARMENIAN ISSUE
ALLEGATIONS-FACTS
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
Veteran and Eyewitness Accounts
Mehmet Saar
Father's Name: Tevfik
Mother's Name: Rukiye
Place of Birth: Van-Göllü
Date of Birth: 1901
I am from the Gollu village. The Armenians revolted when the army in
Van retreated towards Erzurum. The Armenians killed all our parents.
My father was a gendarme sergeant and he was among those who were
killed. The villagers in Mollakasim, Amik, Sihayne, Gollu, Hidir,
Kurtsatan, and Koprukoy were also murdered. Some of our villagers were
hidden in Zeve and were later killed, but we were able to escape.
Armenians tortured and practiced all types of cruelties on the people
they kidnapped. They cut up pregnant women and removed the unborn
children with their bayonets. They raided and burned all of the Muslim
villages, murdering men, women, children and the old. The Muslim
population, which fled from the villages, I mentioned, tried to escape
by crossing the bridge on the Ablengez River. The Armenians demolished
the bridge, and threw the bodies of their prisoners into the river. In
the spring when the snow melted, the bodies were carried away into the
lake. During the day time, my mother, my two sisters, and I stayed in
the hills. We knew that if the Armenians found us they would kill us.
My mother died before we reached Diyarbakir. I later lost my two
sisters, and was left all alone. I stayed in Diyarbakir for three
years, and returned to my village the fourth year. Van and the Muslim
villages were all burned and destroyed, we settled down in an Armenian
village since they remained intact. We later returned to our villages
which we rebuilt with our own hands.
Words cannot express the torture we suffered at the hands of the
Armenians. We lost our homes, families, and possessions. After losing
my mother, father, and two sisters, I also lost my cousin and other
relatives who were trying to escape to Tatvan by ship with thousands
of other people. All of the passengers on the ship were brutally
slaughtered by the Armenians near the Parket village near Adilcevaz.
+++++++++++++++++
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/portal/default_en.asp?belgeno=3359
ARMENIAN ISSUE
ALLEGATIONS-FACTS
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
Veteran and Eyewitness Accounts
Kadriye Duran
Father's Name : Hamid
Mother's Name : Nigar
Place of Birth : Van-Kavunlu
Date of Birth: 1904
I was ten years old when we became refugees. Before we fled, Degirmen
was an Armenian village which included 80 Armenian families and three
Muslim Turkish families. One day the Armenians gathered the three
families, cut them up, and tossed them into a well. They tortured and
killed the young men by cutting "pockets" into their thighs and
crucified them by nailing them to the walls by their foreheads.
Roughly 30 young people died this way.
A woman whose father-in-law lived in the Degirmen village came to tell
a cleric in our village what was going on in Degirmen. After this,
conflicts arose with the Armenians living in our village, and a few
Armenians were killed. After what happened in the Degirmen village, a
weapon was distributed to every home in our village as a precaution.
My father was the headman of our village. Since the surrounding
villages were Armenian, the Muslim population feared that our village
would be attacked, and gathered in the mosque. We filled sacks with
sand and used them as barriers.
During this time, two young Armenians were locked into a home because
our villagers could not stand to kill them. But they dug a tunnel
under the house, and fled to Degirmen village carrying news. Then the
inhabitants of three villages, Degirmen, Farih and another Armenian
village raided our village. The fighting lasted for more than an hour.
The Armenians controlled the bridge above the stream, and invaded
Ziyaret as well. The stream overflowed with melted snow, and it was
pure chaos when we tried to cross the stream. When my mother entered
the water, it reached her chest. Naturally, people broke their arms,
legs, or heads, while children were carried away by the water. It was
hell, pure hell. The Armenians were throwing the dead bodies onto
heaps of wheat. The bodies had piled up like hills. My father jumped
on his horse and went to Van from Akkoprü. Since Sihke was an Armenian
village, they didn't give him permission to pass through. My father
explained the situation to the governor of Van, Cevdet Pasha and asked
for his help. One hundred soldiers came to our rescue, and the
Armenians fled. We hid in the village of Dirandaz which was Muslim.
After spending the night there, my father went to Van in the morning
and asked those entering the city if we should return to our village.
They said that we shouldn't, so we were forced to become refugees. My
sisters and I wore men's clothing and hit the road.
We were going towards Edremit when the Armenians raided Van. The city
was burning, and the houses were in flames, which reached to the sky.
We reached Edremit, but they raided that too. We went from there to
Bitlis, from Bitlis to Siirt, to Diyarbakir, and then to Siverek. We
stayed there three years. There were eight people in our family who
became refugees. On the way, my brother Ali was captured. The rest
died on the road. Only my mother and I were able to return to Van. We
were not the only ones affected. The inhabitants of Van, Edremit, and
Van's Muslim villages all became refugees. Those that didn't run were
killed at the hands of the enemy, while most of those that got away
died on the road.
A few years later, my mother and I returned to Van, and could not
believe our eyes! There were ruins everywhere, a few people, but they
were all hungry, thirsty, and miserable. Neighbourhoods and houses
were empty. There was no bread, wheat, or anything. We were compelled
to return to the village of Coravanis. The wheat there was starting to
mature. We cracked the bitter seeds, boiled them, and drank the water.
The Armenians took furniture, goods, animals and everything they have
found. They destroyed our houses as well. A man on a horse who saw us
alone in the village told us that there was a grain storage area near
the pier. My mother and I went to get 60 kilos of flour there, but it
was later stolen. The Armenians had not yet withdrawn completely.
There were bandits everywhere. One time my mother and I went to the
Erek mountain to gather pieces of metal which we wanted to trade for
bread with the soldiers. We ran into six Armenians who were going to
kill us, but when it suddenly started to rain and hail, we ran away
and hid in a cave. We barely saved our lives.
We suffered considerably. Three years later my brother died in
captivity. We were told that the Armenians were going to kill him, but
the Russians objected. They had made him build roads in Armenian
villages by hand. We rebuilt our homes, planted our fields, and
started a new life.
+++++++++++
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/portal/default_en.asp?belgeno=3360
ARMENIAN ISSUE
ALLEGATIONS-FACTS
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
Veteran and Eyewitness Accounts
Abdülbari Barlas
Father's Name: Mehmet Emin
Mother's Name: Ayse
Place of Birth: Van-Saglamtas
Date of Birth: 1919
As I have heard from my father, the Russians invaded our country, but
there were no phones, no radio so the villagers could not understand
where abouts the enemy come from. My father had a cousin named
Abdulkadir and my father had told to him "I am so sick and my son (my
brother) is a soldier on the Iranian front, he fights against the
Russians. Go and get information". So Abdulkadir goes. There is a
meadow behind those hills, when he climbs up the hill, he sees that
the people of Ercis are running away. Abdulkadir comes to my father
and says "All the people of Talat Aga are running away". Then my
father decides to leave the village. They immediately begin
preparations.
The season is spring, they leave the village with ox carts, but the
animals are not ready for such a journey and they quickly get tired.
They go as far as the hill standing on the southeast border of the
village. But most of the villagers give up. The imam of the village
asks my father "where are the Russians, where are the Armenians? Who
are you running away from?" My father answers "this is not a clan war!
This is the Russian war. We do not have cannons, rifles. We have to
run away." In the morning my father's family and the Sheikh family set
up again. However, people of the other thirty-eight houses stay.
The day after my father leaves the village; the villagers see that the
Russians guided by the Armenians are coming. All the villagers begin
to run through the stream, but the horsemen circle them and they
immediately kill most of them. Later they gather the others in to a
house on the hill. Two armed Armenians watch the door, and two
Armenians kill all people with bayonets. Only a woman and a little
girl are alive by remaining in silent among the dead bodies. As she
told my father later that her name was Azime and the girls was Rusen.
As Ms. Azime told, she waited until the night in silence. She
straightened out she called out if there was anybody who was alive.
Only that little girl answered her. So she takes that girl and goes to
Siirt passing through the mountains, which is a long and painful
story.. Everyone knows the place of those martyrs. But, I don't know
under which ruin they are in. But, there are many other places as
such. As I told you before, the Armenians passed through the hill by
killing everybody they saw on the way.
My father's family and the Sheikh family went to Diyarbakir, Farikin.
When they arrived, they harvested the crops. Later on the government
sent them to Konya because of epidemy where they stayed for three
years. Later, they returned to our village.
* Cousin of Abdulbari Barlas, Abdulhamit Barlas showed the place where
the Turkish villagers were killed by the Armenian bandits. He said
that the villagers who migrated found countless human bones here. As
those bones could not be collected under the circumstances of that
time, they all disappeared. In this village, the Armenians killed
150-200 people.
+++++++++++++
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/portal/default_en.asp?belgeno=3361
ARMENIAN ISSUE
ALLEGATIONS-FACTS
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
Veteran and Eyewitness Accounts
Sait Kaya
Father's Name: Ahmed
Mother's name : Emine
Birth Place: Van Province Ercis District
Birth Date: 1898
I am living in Ercis since I was born. The Armenians revolted a Friday
and planned to kill the Moslems in masses. When this was heard our man
got together and killed the Armenian leaders by swords. I mean the
only leader males, because our religion prohibits the killing of
children, women and innocent and armless people.
Later when the Armenian priest was together with the Armenian Nishan
Subgovernor, he said "It is a pity that you did not allow us, we
should have killed them one week earlier." Then became spring, we
migrated from the Armenian tyranny. We escaped but the majority
stayed. The Armenians captivated them and put them inside the barns
and killed them. Just because we migrated early, no one from my family
was killed by Armenians. However several Moslems were slaughtered and
burned by the Armenians. We first moved to Diyarbakir and then to
Urfa.
We stayed there for three years. From there, we moved to Antalya. As
we were not in peace with Italy, the governor did not allow us to the
city, so went to Denizli and stayed there for eight years. Finally we
returned back to our hometown Ercis. They had already burned and
destroyed most of the houses. We worked for years and rebuilt them.
+++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/portal/default_en.asp?belgeno=3362
ARMENIAN ISSUE
ALLEGATIONS-FACTS
ARMENIAN REBELLIONS AND MASSACRES
Veteran and Eyewitness Accounts
Yamin Tosun
Father's Name : Osman
Mother's Name : Hanim
Place of Birth: Van-Ercis-Haydarbey
I am from Haydarbey village. We became refugees when the Armenians
revolted and the Russians came. We moved to Urfa, where my mother,
father, and brothers died of the famine occurred that year. When the
Russians retreated, Armenians took over the place, but the Turkish
Roman
crossposted to SCT!
Roman
Roman
sutten
Armenian (Roman) so badly bred. I guess Armenians do not raise
children; they breed (reproduce, especially by controlled mating and
selection: breed cattle) them like animals. No wonder the Turk hater,
racist "Roman" cannot behave better than a cattle with mad cow
disease.
From: TA152H (TA1...@xxx.xxx)
Subject: Re: OFFICIAL: Azerbaijan is classified as Artificial State
View this article only
Newsgroups: alt.culture.armenian
Date: 2003-12-21 14:02:08 PST
Roman,
I never met an Armenian so badly bred as you are, and you loudmouth
losers
that try to portray yourselves as real Armenians are doing the rest of
us a
disservice. You are just ignorant slugs that want to denigrate the
rest of
us by association.
I got news for you, Armenians are not perfect. Grow up, twit. You
just
sound ignorant.
+++++++++++++++++
Another fellow Armenian pleas with the thug of Armenian anti-Turkish
hatred industry:
ene...@softhome.net (Enea) wrote in message news:<6b042748.0401182052.212269e@posting google.com>...
>Roman please stop to be a racist ...
sutten
sutten
sutten
Armenian/PKK/KADEK/Greek anti-Turkish Hatred Inc., posts another
anti-Turkish hate propaganda fabricated by his/her masters who
brainwashed him/her with the same anti-Turkish hate propaganda.
It is a well documented fact that Armenians were an essential part of
Ottoman goverment and society in everywhich way. Ottoman sultans had
Armenian Pashas (miltary generals and administrators) at all levels of
his goverment. Even some, if not many, of the Ottoman sultans were
Armenian. Armenian blood was circulating in the veins of almost every
Ottoman sultan. Armenians participated in Ottoman goverment decisions
in every step of the way and benefitted from Ottoman system.
So Armenians should bitch about themselves instead of putting the
blame on Turks for the brutalities they committed themsleves against
innocent subjects of their Ottoman empire.
Roman <nir...@here.de> wrote in message news:<xjdutqqs6ff8$.goiom98i010s$.d...@40tude.net>...
sutten
Armenian/PKK/KADEK/Greek anti-Turkish Hatred Inc., posts another
anti-Turkish hate propaganda fabricated by his/her masters who
brainwashed him/her with the same anti-Turkish hate propaganda.
It is a well documented fact that Armenians were an essential part of
Ottoman goverment and society in everywhich way. Ottoman sultans had
Armenian Pashas (miltary generals and administrators) at all levels of
his goverment. Even some, if not many, of the Ottoman sultans were
Armenian. Armenian blood was circulating in the veins of almost every
Ottoman sultan. Armenians participated in Ottoman goverment decisions
in every step of the way and benefitted from Ottoman system.
So Armenians should bitch about themselves instead of putting the
blame on Turks for the brutalities they committed themsleves against
innocent subjects of their Ottoman empire.
Roman <nir...@here.de> wrote in message news:<1dk1uf5j7symv$.goakh8kz...@40tude.net>...
sutten
Armenian/PKK/KADEK/Greek anti-Turkish Hatred Inc., posts another
anti-Turkish hate propaganda fabricated by his/her masters who
brainwashed him/her with the same anti-Turkish hate propaganda.
It is a well documented fact that Armenians were an essential part of
Ottoman goverment and society in everywhich way. Ottoman sultans had
Armenian Pashas (miltary generals and administrators) at all levels of
his goverment. Even some, if not many, of the Ottoman sultans were
Armenian. Armenian blood was circulating in the veins of almost every
Ottoman sultan. Armenians participated in Ottoman goverment decisions
in every step of the way and benefitted from Ottoman system.
So Armenians should bitch about themselves instead of putting the
blame on Turks for the brutalities they committed themsleves against
innocent subjects of their Ottoman empire.
Roman <nir...@here.de> wrote in message news:<95cc3eg42fz2$.tl6wpm52vizs$.d...@40tude.net>...
sutten
>
> Jay-K
Terrorist Armenians raped, tortured, massacred millions of innocent
and defenceless Turks, Jews, Kurds, Arabs and other non-Armenians in
Ottoman Eastern Anatolia during WWI (with direct and generous support
from their allies, the victors of WWI including Czarist Russia which
also created the mess in the Middle East, including the fake state of
Iraq, millions of people are suffering from now) to ethnically cleanse
the area for an Armenian homeland which never existed.
The rest of the Ottoman Armenian population either very blindly
followed their terrorist leaders or remained totally complacent. That
is why another thug of Armenian anti-Turkish Hatred Inc says the
following:
"No sir, you will not find Armenians who will express disapproval or
distress for the assassination of Turkish governmental officials. It
is unfortunate that the attitude of the Turkish government vis-a-vis
Armenian demands dictates that more people have to die in pursuit of
justice. ... It is not uncommon to find those within the Armenian
diaspora who actually applaud these violent actions. "
David Davidian <d...@urartu.SDPA.org> | The life of a people is a sea,
and
S.D.P.A. Center for Regional Studies | those that look at it from the
shore
P.O. Box 2761, Cambridge, MA 02238 | cannot know its depths.
->> Boston'dan Van'i istiyoruz <<- | -Armenian
proverb
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/chronological_rundown.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
Armenian Terrorism - A Chronological Rundown
January 27, 1973 Santa Barbara, California|
The Armenian Gourgen Yanikian, a U.S. citizen, invites the Turkish
Consul General, Mehmet Baydar, and the Consul, Bahadžr Demir to a
luncheon. The unsuspecting diplomats accept the friendly invitation.
Gourgen Yanikian murders his two guests. He is sentenced to life
imprisonment.
April 4, 1973 Paris
Bombings at the Turkish Consulate General and the offices of Turkish
Airlines (THY). Extensive damage.
October 26, 1973 New York
Attempted bombing of the Turkish Information Office. The bomb is
discovered in time and defused. A group calling itself the "Yanikian
Commandos" claims responsibility. They want the release of the double
murderer of Santa Barbara, Gourgen Yanikian, who insidiously murdered
two Turkish diplomats.
February 7, 1975 Beirut
Attempted bombing of the Turkish Information and Tourism Bureau. The
bomb explodes while being defused. A Lebanese policeman is injured.
The "Prisoner Gourgen Yanikian Group" claims responsibility.
February 20, 1975 Beirut
The "Yanikian" group demanding the release of the double murderer of
Santa Barbara strikes again. Extensive damage is caused by a bomb
explosion at the THY offices. ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for the
Liberation of Armenia) also claims responsibility for the bombing.
October 22, 1975 Vienna
The Turkish Ambassador, Danis Tunalžgil, is assassinated in his study
by three Armenian terrorists. ASALA claims responsibility.
October 24, 1975 Paris
Ambassador Ismail Erez and his driver, Talip Yener, are murdered. The
ASALA and the JCAG (Justice Commandos for the Armenian Genocide)
dispute responsibility.
October 28, 1975 Beirut
Grenade attack on the Turkish Embassy. The ASALA claims
responsibility.
February 16, 1976 Beirut
The First Secretary of the Turkish Embassy, Oktar Cirit, is
assassinated in a restaurant on Hamra Street. The ASALA claims
responsibility.
May 17, 1976 Frankfurt, Essen, Cologne
Consulates General in Frankfurt, Essen and Cologne are the targets of
simultaneous bomb attacks.
May 28, 1976 Zurich
Bomb attacks at the offices of the Turkish Labor Attache and the
Garanti Bank. Extensive damage. A bomb in the Turkish Tourism Bureau
is defused in time. Responsibility is claimed by the JCAG.
May 2, 1977 Beirut
The cars of the Military Attache, Nahit Karakay, and the
Administrative Attache, Ilhan Özbabacan, are destroyed. The two
diplomats are uninjured. Credit is claimed by the ASALA.
May 14, 1977 Paris
Bomb attack at the Turkish Tourism Bureau. Extensive damage. The "New
Armenian Resistance Group" claims responsibility.
June 6, 1977 Zurich
Bomb attack at the store of a Turkish citizen, Hüseyin Bülbül.
June 9, 1977 Rome
Assassination of the Turkish Ambassador to the Holy See, Taha Caržm.
He dies soon after the attack. The JCAG claims responsibility.
October 4, 1977 Los Angeles
Bomb attack at the house of Professor Stanford Shaw, who teaches
Ottoman history at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).
Responsibility is claimed by an "Armenian Group of 28."
January 2, 1978 Brussels
Bomb attack at a building containing Turkish banking services. The
"New Armenian Resistance" claims credit.
June 2, 1978 Madrid
Terrorist attack on the automobile of the Turkish Ambassador, Zeki
Kuneralp. His wife, Necla Kuneralp, the retired Turkish Ambassador
Besir Balcžoglu die immediately in the rain of gunfire. The Spanish
chauffeur, Antonio Torres, dies of his injuries in the hospital. ASALA
and JCAG claim responsibility.
December 6, 1978 Geneva
A bomb explodes in front of the Turkish Consulate General. Extensive
damage. The "New Armenian Resistance Group" claims responsibility.
December 17, 1978 Geneva
A bomb explodes at the THY Bureau. ASALA claims responsibility.
July 8, 1979 Paris
The French capital experiences four bomb attacks in a single day. The
first is at the THY offices; the next at the offices of the Turkish
Labor Attache; the third in the Turkish Information and Tourism
Bureau. A fourth explosive, intended for the Turkish Permanent
Representative to the O.E.C.D., is defused before it explodes. The
JCAG claims responsibility.
August 22, 1979 Geneva
A bomb is thrown at the car of the Turkish Consul General, Niyazi
Adalž. The diplomat escapes unhurt. Two Swiss passers-by are injured.
Two cars are destroyed.
August 27, 1979 Frankfurt
The offices of THY are totally destroyed by an explosion. A pedestrian
is injured. The ASALA claims responsibility.
October 4, 1979 Copenhagen
Two Danes are injured when a bomb explodes near the offices of THY.
ASALA claims credit.
October 12, 1979 The Hague
Ahmet Benler, the son of Turkish Ambassador Özdemir Benler, is
assassinated by Armenian terrorists. The murderers escape. JCAG and
ASALA claim responsibility.
October 30, 1979 Milan
The offices of THY are destroyed by a bomb explosion. ASALA claims
responsibility.
November 8, 1979 Rome
The Turkish Tourism Office is destroyed by a bomb. ASALA claims
responsibility.
November 18, 1979 Paris
Bomb explosions destroy the offices of THY, KLM, and Lufthansa. Two
French policemen are injured. Responsibility is claimed by ASALA.
November 25, 1979 Madrid
Bomb explosions in front of the offices of TWA and British Airways.
ASALA, in claiming responsibility, states that the attacks are meant
as a warning to the Pope to cancel his planned visit to Turkey.
December 9, 1979 Rome
Two bombs explode in downtown Rome, damaging the offices of PAN AM,
British Airways and the Philippine Airways. Nine people are injured in
the terrorist attack. A "New Armenian Resistance Movement" claims
responsibility.
December 17, 1979 London
Extensive damage is caused when a bomb explodes in front of the THY
offices. A "Front for the Liberation of Armenia" claims
responsibility.
December 22, 1979 Paris
Yžlmaz Çolpan, the Tourism Attache at the Turkish Embassy is
assassinated while walking on the Champs Elysées. Several groups,
including ASALA, JCAG and the "Commandos of Armenian Militants Against
Genocide" claim responsibility.
December 22, 1979 Amsterdam
Heavy damage results from a bomb explosion in front of the THY
offices. ASALA claims credit.
December 23, 1979 Rome
A bomb explodes in front of a World Council of Churches Refugee
Center, being used as a transit point for Armenian refugees from
Lebanon. ASALA claims credit for the attack and warns the Italian
authorities to halt "the Armenian diaspora."
December 23, 1979 Rome
Three bomb explosions occur in front of the offices of Air France and
TWA, injuring a dozen passers-by. ASALA claims responsibility, stating
that the bomb was placed "in reprisal against the repressive measures
of French authorities against Armenians in France" (i.e., questioning
suspects, carry out investigations, etc.)
January 10, 1980 Teheran
A bomb which explodes in front of the THY offices causes extensive
damage. ASALA claims responsibility.
January 20, 1980 Madrid
A series of bomb attacks, resulting in numerous injuries, occurs in
front of the offices of TWA, British Airways, Swissair, and Sabena.
The JCAG claims credit for the attacks.
February 2, 1980 Brussels
Two bombs explode within minutes of each other in front of the
downtown offices of THY and Aeroflot. The "New Armenian Resistance
Group" issues a communique in which they claim responsibility for both
attacks.
February 6, 1980 Bern
A terrorist opens fire on Turkish Ambassador Dogan Türkmen, who
escapes with minor wounds. The would-be-assassin, an Armenian named
Max Klindjian, is subsequently arrested in Marseilles and returned to
Switzerland for trial. The JCAG claims credit for the attack.
February 18, 1980 Rome
The offices of Lufthansa, El Al and Swissair are damaged by two bomb
attacks. Telephone messages give three reasons for the attacks: 1. The
Germans support "Turkish fascism"; 2. The Jews are Zionists (ASALA);
3. The Swiss behave "repressively" towards the Armenians.
March 10, 1980 Rome
Bomb attacks on the THY and Turkish Tourism Bureau offices on the
Piazza Della Repubblica. The blasts kill two Italians and injure
fourteen. Credit for the attack is claimed by the "New Armenian
Resistance of the Armenian Secret Army."
April 17, 1980 Rome
The Turkish Ambassador to the Holy See, Vecdi Türel, is shot and
seriously wounded. His chauffeur, Tahsin Güvenç, is also slightly
wounded in the assassination attempt. JCAG claims responsibility for
the attack.
May 19, 1980 Marseilles
A rocket aimed at the Turkish Consulate General in Marseilles is
discovered and defused prior to exploding. ASALA and a group calling
itself "Black April" claim credit for the attack.
July 31, 1980 Athens
Galip Özmen, the Administrative Attache at the Turkish Embassy, and
his family are attacked by Armenian terrorists while sitting in their
car. Galip Özmen and his fourteen-year-old daughter, Neslihan, are
killed in the attack. His wife, Sevil, and his sixteen-year-old son,
Kaan, are wounded. Credit for the double killing is claimed by ASALA.
August 5, 1980 Lyon
Two terrorists storm into the Turkish Consulate General in Lyon and
open fire, killing two and injuring several other bystanders. ASALA
claims credit for the attack.
August 11, 1980 New York
An "Armenian group" hurls paint bombs at the Turkish House across from
the United Nations, home of the Turkish Representations in New York.
September 26, 1980 Paris
Selçuk Bakkalbasž, the Press Counselor at the Turkish Embassy, is shot
as he enters his home. Bakkalbasž survives but is permanently
paralyzed as a result of his injuries. ASALA claims responsibility for
the attack.
October 3, 1980 Geneva
Two Armenian terrorists are injured when a bomb they are preparing
explodes in their Geneva hotel room. The two, Suzy Mahseredjian from
Canoga Park, California, and Alexander Yenikomechian, are arrested.
Their arrest leads to the formation of a new group called "October 3,"
which subsequently strikes at Swiss targets.
October 3, 1980 Milan
Two Italians are injured when a bomb explodes in front of the THY
offices. ASALA claims credit for the attack.
October 5, 1980 Madrid
The offices of Alitalia are rocked by a bomb explosion which injures
twelve individuals. The ASALA claims responsibility for the attack.
October 6, 1980 Los Angeles
Two molotov cocktails are thrown into the home of the Turkish Consul
General, Kemal Aržkan. He survives with injuries.
October 10, 1980 Beirut
Two bombs explode near Swiss offices in West Beirut. A group calling
itself "October 3" claims responsibility for these bombings as well as
others on the same day against Swiss offices in England.
October 12, 1980 New York
A bomb placed in front of the Turkish House explodes. Four passers-by
are injured. JCAG assumes responsibility.
October 12, 1980 Los Angeles
A travel agency in Hollywood, owned by a Turkish-American, is
destroyed. JCAG claims responsibility.
October 12, 1980 London
The Turkish Tourism and Information Bureau's offices are damaged by a
bomb explosion. ASALA claims credit.
October 12, 1980 London
A Swiss shopping complex in central London is damaged by a bomb blast.
Callers claim the explosion was the work of "October 3."
October 13, 1980 Paris
A Swiss tourist office is damaged by a bomb explosion. "October 3"
again claims credit.
October 21, 1980 Interlaken, Switzerland
A bomb is found in a Swiss express train coming from Paris. Luckily,
it does not explode. "October 3" is believed to be behind the action,
which could have caused a catastrophe.
November 4, 1980 Geneva
The Swiss Palace of Justice in Geneva is heavily damaged by a bomb
explosion. Credit is claimed by "October 3."
November 9, 1980 Strasbourg
Heavy damage results from a bomb blast at the Turkish Consulate
General. The attack is claimed by ASALA.
November 10, 1980 Rome
Five people are injured in attacks on the Swissair and Swiss Tourist
offices. ASALA and "October 3" claim credit.
November 19, 1980 Rome
The offices of the Turkish Tourism Bureau and those of THY are damaged
by a bomb explosion. ASALA claims responsibility.
November 25, 1980 Geneva
The offices of the Union of Swiss Banks are hit by a bomb explosion.
Responsibility is claimed by "October 3."
December 5, 1980 Marseilles
A police expert defuses a time bomb left at the Swiss Consulate in
Marseilles. "October 3" claims responsibility.
December 15, 1980 London
Two bombs placed in front of the French Tourism Office in London are
defused by a Scotland Yard bomb squad. "October 3" claims the bombs
are a warning to the French for assistance they have rendered the
Swiss in fighting Armenian terrorism.
December 17, 1980 Sydney
Two terrorists assassinate saržk Aržyak, the Turkish Consul General,
and his bodyguard, Engin Sever. JCAG claims responsibility.
December 25, 1980 Zurich
A bomb explosion destroys a radar monitor at Kloten Airport, and a
second explosive planted on the main runway of the airport is defused.
"October 3" claims credit for these attempted mass-murders.
December 29, 1980 Madrid
A Spanish reporter is seriously injured in a telephone booth while
calling in a story to his paper about the bomb attack on the Swissair
offices. "October 3" claims responsibility.
December 30, 1980 Beirut
Bomb attack on the Credit-Suisse offices. ASALA and "October 3" fight
over who gets the credit.
January 2, 1981 Beirut
In a press communique, ASALA threatens to "attack all Swiss diplomats
throughout the world" in response to the alleged mistreatment of "Suzy
and Alex" in Switzerland. On January 4, ASALA issues a statement
giving the Swiss a few days to think things over.
January 14, 1981 Paris
A bomb explodes in the car of Ahmet Erbeyli, the Economic Counselor of
the Turkish Embassy. Erbeyli is not injured, but the explosion totally
destroys his car. A group calling itself the "Alex Yenikomechian
Commandos" of ASALA claims credit for the explosion.
January 27, 1981 Milan
The Swissair and Swiss Tourist offices in Milan are damaged by bomb
explosions. Two passers-by are injured. "October 3" claims credit for
the bombing in a call to local media representatives.
February 3, 1981 Los Angeles
Bomb-squad officials disarm a bomb left at the Swiss Consulate. The
terrorists threaten in anonymous phone calls that such attacks will
continue until Suzy Mahseredjian is released.
February 5, 1981 Paris
Bombs explode in the TWA and Air France offices. One injured, heavy
material damage. "October 3" claims credit.
March 4, 1981 Paris
Two terrorists open fire on Resat Moralž, Labor Attache at the Turkish
Embassy, Tecelli Arž, Religious Affairs Attache, and Ilkay Karakoç,
the Paris representative of the Anadolu Bank. Moralž and Arž are
assassinated. Karakoç manages to escape. ASALA claims responsibility.
March 12, 1981 Teheran
A group of ASALA terrorists try to occupy the Turkish Embassy, killing
two guards in the process. Two of the perpetrators are captured and
later executed by the Iranians. ASALA claims credit.
April 3, 1981 Copenhagen
Cavit Demir, the Labor Attache at the Turkish Embassy, is shot as he
enters his apartment building late in the evening and is seriously
wounded. Both ASALA and JCAG claim the attack.
June 3, 1981 Los Angeles
Bombs force the cancellation of performances by a Turkish folk-dance
group. Threats of similar bombings force the group's performances in
San Francisco to be canceled as well.
June 9, 1981 Geneva
Mehmet Savas Yergüz, Secretary in the Turkish Consulate, is
assassinated by the Armenian terrorist Mardiros Jamgotchian. The
arrest of the ASALA terrorist leads to the formation of a new ASALA
branch called the "Ninth of June Organization," which will be
responsible for a new series of attacks.
June 11, 1981 Paris
A group of Armenian terrorists, led by one Ara Toranian, occupies the
THY offices. Initially ignored by the French authorities, the
terrorists are only evicted from the premises after vehement protests
from the Turkish Embassy.
June 19, 1981 Teheran
A bomb explodes at the offices of Swissair. The "Ninth of June
Organization" claims responsibility.
June 26, 1981 Los Angeles
A bomb explodes in front of the Swiss Banking Corporation offices.
Again the work of the "Ninth of June Organization."
July 19, 1981 Bern
A bomb explodes at the Swiss Parliament Building. "Ninth of June"
claims responsibility.
July 20, 1981 Zurich
"Ninth of June" strikes again. A bomb explodes in an automatic
photo-booth at Zurich's international airport.
July 21, 1981 Lausanne
Twenty women are injured as a bomb laid by Armenian terrorists
explodes in a department store. "Ninth of June" claims responsibility.
July 22, 1981 Geneva
A bomb explodes in a locker at the train station. Authorities suspect
"Ninth of June."
July 22, 1981 Geneva
An hour later, a second bomb explodes in a locker at the station.
Police cordoned off the area following the first explosion, thereby
preventing injuries from the second.
August 11, 1981 Copenhagen
Two bombs destroy the offices of Swissair. An American tourist is
injured in the explosion. "Ninth of June" claims responsibility.
August 20, 1981 Los Angeles
A bomb explodes outside the offices of Swiss Precision Instruments.
The attack is claimed by "Ninth of June."
August 20, 1981 Paris
Explosion at Alitalia Airlines. "October 3" is back in action.
September 15, 1981 Copenhagen
Two people are injured as a bomb explodes in front of the THY offices.
Police experts manage to defuse a second bomb. Credit is claimed by a
"Sixth Armenian Liberation Army."
September 17, 1981 Teheran
A bomb explosion damages a Swiss Embassy building. ASALA's "Ninth of
June" claims responsibility.
September 24, 1981 Paris
Four Armenian terrorists occupy the Turkish Consulate General. During
their entry into the building, the Consul, Kaya Inal, and a security
guard, Cemal Özen, are seriously wounded. Terrorists take 56 hostages.
Özen dies of his injuries in the hospital. The terrorists are ASALA
members.
October 3, 1981 Geneva
The main post office and the city courthouse are hit by bomb
explosions. An ASALA member is scheduled to go on trial for murder in
the courthouse. "Ninth of June" claims credit for the attacks, which
leave one person injured.
October 25, 1981 Rome
An Armenian terrorist fires at Gökberk Ergenekon, Second Secretary at
the Turkish Embassy. Ergenekon is wounded in the arm. ASALA claims
credit in the name of the "September 24 Suicide Commandos."
October 25, 1981 Paris
Fouquet's, the fashionable French restaurant, is the target of a bomb
attack. A group calling itself "September-France" claims the attack.
October 26, 1981 Paris
The same group is behind the explosion of a booby-trapped automobile
in front of "Le Drugstore."
October 27, 1981 Paris
"September-France" carries out a bomb attack at Roissy Airport.
October 27, 1981 Paris
A second bomb explodes near a busy escalator at Roissy Airport. No one
is injured. "September-France" claims responsibility.
October 28, 1981 Paris
The same group is responsible for a bomb attack in a movie theater.
Three people are injured.
November 3, 1981 Madrid
A bomb explodes in front of the Swissair offices, injuring three
persons. Considerable damage to nearby buildings. ASALA claims
responsibility.
November 5, 1981 Paris
A bomb explodes in the Gare de Lyon, injuring one person. The attack
is claimed by the Armenian "Orly Organization."
November 12, 1981 Beirut
Simultaneous bomb explosions occur in front of three French offices:
the French Cultural Center, the Air France offices and the home of the
French Consul General. The "Orly Organization" claims responsibility.
This organization owes its name to the fact that the French police
arrested an Armenian at Orly Airport in Paris because of forged
papers. The idea now is to "bomb him free."
November 14, 1981 Paris
A bomb explosion damages an automobile near the Eiffel Tower. "Orly"
claims responsibility.
November 14, 1981 Paris
"Orly" launches a grenade attack on a group of tourists disembarking
from a sightseeing boat on the River Seine.
November 15, 1981 Paris
"Orly" threatens to blow up an Air France airplane in flight.
November 15, 1981 Beirut
Simultaneous bomb attacks are carried out against three French
targets: the "Union des Assurances de Paris", the Air France offices
and the "Banque Libano-Française". "Orly" is responsible.
November 15, 1981 Paris
A McDonald's restaurant is destroyed by "September-France."
November 16, 1981 Paris
A bomb injures two innocent bystanders at the Gare de l'Est. "Orly"
claims responsibility.
November 18, 1981 Paris
"Orly" announces that it has planted a bomb at the Gare du Nord.
November 20, 1981 Los Angeles
The Turkish Consulate General in Beverly Hills suffers extensive
damage. The JCAG claims credit.
January 13, 1982 Toronto
An ASALA bomb causes extensive damage to the Turkish Consulate
General.
January 17, 1982 Geneva
Two bombs destroy parked cars. The ASALA "Ninth of June Organization"
claims credit.
January 17, 1982 Paris
A bomb explodes at the Union of Banks and a second is disarmed at the
Credit Lyonnais. "Orly" claims responsibility.
January 19, 1982 Paris
A bomb explodes in the Air France offices in the Palais des Congres.
"Orly" claims responsibility.
January 28, 1982 Los Angeles
Kemal Aržkan, the Turkish Consul General in Los Angeles, is
assassinated by two terrorists while driving to work. Nineteen year
old Hampig Sassounian is arrested and sentenced to life.
March 22, 1982 Cambridge, Massachusetts
A gift shop belonging to Orhan Gündüz, the Turkish Honorary Consul
General in Boston, is blown up. Gündüz receives an ultimatum: Either
he gives up his honorary position or he will be "executed."
Responsibility is claimed by the JCAG.
March 26, 1982 Beirut
Two dead, sixteen injured in an explosion at a movie theater. ASALA
claims credit for the attack.
April 8, 1982 Ottawa
Kani Güngör, the Commercial Attache at the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa,
is seriously wounded in an attack by Armenian terrorists in the garage
of his apartment house. ASALA claims responsibility.
April 24, 1982 Dortmund, West Germany
Several Turkish-owned businesses suffer extensive damage in bomb
attacks. The "New Armenian Resistance Organization" claims
responsibility.
May 4, 1982 Cambridge, Massachusetts
Orhan Gündüz, the Turkish Honorary Consul General in Boston is
assassinated. The murderer is still at large.
May 10, 1982 Geneva
Bombs explode at two banks. The attacks are claimed by an Armenian
"World Punishment Organization."
May 18, 1982 Toronto
Four Armenians are arrested for trying to smuggle money out of the
country. The money was extorted from Armenians, a common practice
throughout the world. In the course of the investigation, it is
discovered that the terrorists fire-bombed the house of an Armenian
who refused to make his contribution to Armenian terrorism.
May 18, 1982 Tampa, Florida
Attack at the office of Nash Karahan, the Turkish Honorary Consul
General.
May 26, 1982 Los Angeles
A bomb damages the office of Swiss Banking Corporation. The suspects:
four Armenians accused of involvement in ASALA.
May 30, 1982 Los Angeles
Three members of ASALA are arrested when planting a bomb in the Air
Canada cargo-office.
June 7, 1982 Lisbon
The Administrative Attache at the Turkish Embassy, Erkut Akbay, and
his wife, Nadide Akbay, are assassinated in front of their home. JCAG
claims responsibility.
July 1, 1982 Rotterdam
Kemalettin Demirer, the Turkish Consul General in Rotterdam, is shot
down by four Armenian terrorists. An "Armenian Red Army" claims
responsibility.
July 21, 1982 Paris
Sixteen injured in a bomb explosion near a cafe in the Place
Saint-Severin. Credit is claimed by the Orly Organization. "Orly"
complains that the French do not treat the arrested Armenian
terrorists as "political prisoners," but rather as ordinary criminals.
July 26, 1982 Paris
"Orly" is responsible for injuring two women in an explosion in Paris'
"Pub Saint-Germain."
August 2, 1982 Paris
Pierre Gulumian, an Armenian terrorist, is killed when a bomb he is
making explodes in his face.
August 7, 1982 Ankara, Esenboga Airport
Two Armenian terrorists open fire in a crowded passenger waiting room.
One of the terrorists takes more than twenty hostages while the second
is apprehended by the police. Nine people are dead and eighty-two
injured&emdash;some seriously. The surviving terrorist, Levon
Ekmekjian is arrested and sentenced.
August 8, 1982 Paris
A bomb is defused in time. "Orly" regrets the discovery.
August 12, 1982 Paris
Terrorists open fire on a policeman assigned to protect the offices of
the Turkish Tourism Attache. Luckily, he escapes without injury.
August 27, 1982 Ottawa
Colonel Atilla Altžkat, the Military Attache at the Turkish Embassy,
is assassinated in his car. JCAG claims responsibility.
September 9, 1982 Burgaz, Bulgaria
Bora Süelkan, the Administrative Attache at the Turkish Consulate
General in Burgaz, is assassinated in front of his home. The assassin
leaves a message "We shot dead the Turkish diplomat: Combat Units of
Justice Against the Armenian Genocide." An anonymous caller claims
that the assassination is the work of a branch of the ASALA.
October 26, 1982 Los Angeles
Five Armenian terrorists are charged with conspiring to blow up the
offices of the Honorary Turkish Consul General in Philadelphia. All
belong to the JCAG.
December 8, 1982 Athens
Two Armenians on a motorbike throw a bomb at the offices of the Saudi
Arabian Airlines. The bomb hits a power pylon, explodes and kills one
of the terrorists. His accomplice, an Armenian from Iran named Vahe
Kontaverdian is arrested. It is later revealed that ASALA ordered the
attack because Saudi Arabia maintains friendly relations with Turkey.
January 21, 1983 Anaheim, California
Nine "sophisticated" pipe bombs are confiscated from an Armenian
bakery after one of the detonators goes off and causes fire.
January 22, 1983 Paris
Two terrorists attack the offices of THY with hand grenades. No one is
injured. ASALA claims credit.
January 22, 1983 Paris
French police defuse a powerful explosive device near the THY counter
at Orly airport.
February 2, 1983 Brussels
The offices of THY are bombed. The "New Armenian Resistance
Organization" claims responsibility.
February 28, 1983 Luxembourg
A bomb placed in front of Turkey's diplomatic mission is defused. The
Armenian Reporter in New York reports that the "New Armenian
Resistance Organization" is responsible.
February 28, 1983 Paris
A bomb explodes at the Marmara Travel Agency. Killed in the explosion
is Renée Morin, a French secretary. Four other Frenchmen are wounded.
A few minutes after the attack, ASALA claims responsibility.
March 9, 1983 Belgrade
Galip Balkar, the Turkish Ambassador to Yugoslavia is assassinated in
central Belgrade. His chauffeur, Necati Kayar is shot in the stomach.
As the two assailants flee from the scene, they are bravely pursued by
Yugoslav citizens. One of the terrorists shoots and wounds a Yugoslav
Colonel, and is in turn apprehended by a policeman. The second
terrorist opens fire on civilians who are chasing him, killing a young
student and wounding a young girl. The two terrorists, Kirkor Levonian
and Raffi Elbekian, are tried and sentenced.
March 31, 1983 Frankfurt
An anonymous caller threatened to bomb the offices and kill the staff
of Tercüman newspaper, a Turkish daily.
May 24, 1983 Brussels
Bombs explode in front of the Turkish Embassy's Culture and
Information offices and in front of a Turkish-owned travel agency. The
Italian director of the travel agency is wounded. ASALA claims credit.
June 16, 1983 Istanbul
Armenian terrorists carry out an attack with hand grenades and
automatic weapons inside the covered bazaar in Istanbul. Two dead,
twenty-one wounded. ASALA claims responsibility.
July 8, 1983 Paris
Armenian terrorists attack the offices of the British Council,
protesting against the trials of Armenians in London.
July 14, 1983 Brussels
Armenian terrorists murder Dursun Aksoy, the Administrative Attache at
the Turkish Embassy. ASALA, ARA and JCAG claim responsibility.
July 15, 1983 Paris
A bomb explodes in front of the THY counter at Orly airport. Eight
dead, more than sixty injured. A 29 years old Syrian-Armenian named
Varadjian Garbidjian confesses to having planted the bomb. He admits
that the bomb was intended to have exploded once the plane was
airborne.
July 15, 1983 London
A bomb, similar to the one that exploded at Orly, is defused in time.
ASALA claims responsibility for both attacks.
July 18, 1983 Lyon
A bomb threat is made by ASALA against the Lyon railroad station.
July 20, 1983 Lyon
Panicky evacuation of Lyon's Gare de Perrache following a bomb threat
from ASALA.
July 22, 1983 Teheran
"Orly" carries out bomb attacks on the French Embassy and Air France.
July 27, 1983 Lisbon
Five Armenian terrorists attempt to storm the Turkish Embassy in
Lisbon. Failing to gain access to the chancery, they occupy the
residence, taking the Deputy Chief of Mission(DCM) and his family
hostage. When explosives being planted by the terrorists go off,
Cahide Mžhçžoglu, wife of the DCM and four of the terrorists are blown
to pieces. The DCM, Yurtsev Mžhçžoglu, and his son Atasay are injured.
The fifth terrorist is killed in the initial assault by Turkish
security forces. One Portuguese policeman is also killed and another
wounded. The ARA claims responsibility.
July 28, 1983 Lyon
Another bomb threat on Lyon-Perrache railroad station. ASALA claims
responsibility.
July 29, 1983 Teheran
A threat to blow up the French Embassy in Teheran with a rocket attack
causes Iranian officials to increase security at the facility.
July 31, 1983 Lyon and Rennes
Bomb threats from Armenian terrorists force the emergency landing of
two domestic French flights carrying 424 passengers.
August 10, 1983 Teheran
A bomb explodes in an automobile at the French Embassy. ASALA claims
credit for the attack.
August 25, 1983 Bonn
A whole series of bomb attacks against offices of the French Consulate
General claim two lives and leave twenty-three injured. ASALA claims
responsibility.
September 9, 1983 Teheran
Two French Embassy cars are bombed. One of the bombs injures two
embassy staff members. ASALA claims credit.
October 1, 1983 Marseilles
A bomb blast destroys the U.S., Soviet and Algerian pavilions at an
international trade fair in Marseilles. One person is killed and
twenty-six injured. ASALA and "Orly" claim credit.
October 6, 1983 Teheran
A French Embassy vehicle is bombed, injuring two passengers. "Orly"
claims responsibility.
October 29, 1983 Beirut
Hand-grenade attack on the French Embassy. One of the ASALA terrorists
is arrested.
October 29, 1983 Beirut
The Turkish Embassy is attacked by three Armenian terrorists. One of
the assailants, Sarkis Denielian, a 19 years old Lebanese-Armenian is
apprehended. ASALA claims responsibility.
February 8, 1984 Paris
Bomb threat on an Air France flight to New York.
March 28, 1984 Teheran
A timed series of attacks is carried out against Turkish diplomats:
Two Armenian terrorists shoot and seriously wound Sergeant Ismail
Pamukçu, employed at the office of the Turkish Military Attache;
Hasan Servet Öktem, First Secretary of the Turkish Embassy, is
slightly wounded as he leaves his home;
Ibrahim Özdemir, the Administrative Attache at the Turkish Embassy,
alerts police to two suspicious looking men. They turn out to be
Armenian terrorists and are arrested;
In the afternoon of the same day, Iranian police arrest three more
Armenian terrorists outside the Turkish Embassy;
An Armenian terrorist is killed when a bomb he is attempting to plant
in the car of the Turkish Assistant Commercial Counselor explodes
prematurely. The dead terrorist is later identified as Sultan
Gregorian Semaperdan (ASALA).
March 29, 1984 Los Angeles
ASALA sends a written threat, saying they will assassinate Turkish
athletes who take part in the Olympics.
April 8, 1984 Beirut
ASALA issues a communique warning that all flights to Turkey will be
considered military targets.
April 26, 1984 Ankara
The Turkish Prime Minister, Turgut Özal, receives a threat warning him
that if he goes ahead with a planned visit to Teheran, ASALA will
schedule a major terrorist operation against his country.
April 28, 1984 Teheran
Two Armenian terrorists riding a motorcycle open fire on Isžk Yönder
as he drives his wife, Sadiye Yönder, to the Turkish Embassy where she
works. Isžk Yönder is killed, and ASALA claims credit for yet another
senseless murder.
June 20, 1984 Vienna
A bomb explodes in a car belonging to Erdogan Özen, Assistant Labor
and Social Affairs Counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Vienna. Özen is
killed and five others seriously wounded, including a policeman. ARA
terrorists claim credit for the crime.
June 25, 1984 Los Angeles
A news agency office in France receives a letter threatening to attack
all governments, organizations and companies which assist, in any way
whatsoever, Turkey's team at the Los Angeles Olympics.
August 13, 1984 Lyon
A bomb explodes in a Lyon train station causing minor damage. ASALA
claims credit.
September 1984 Teheran
Several Turkish owned firms in Iran come under attack after receiving
warning letters informing them that they are to be targeted. The first
victim is the Sezai Türkes Company. A Turkish employee is injured
while fighting the fire caused by the explosion. A chain of smaller
scale acts of intimidation follows.
September 1, 1984 Teheran
Iranian authorities expose a plot to assassinate Ismet Birsel, the
Turkish Ambassador to Teheran.
September 3, 1984 Istanbul
Two Armenian terrorists die as one of their bombs goes off too soon.
The ARA claims credit.
November 19, 1984 Vienna
Evner Ergun, Deputy Director of the Centre for Social Development and
Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations, Vienna is assassinated
while driving to work. The assassins leave a flag with the initials
"ARA" on his body.
December 1984 Brussels
Authorities are able to thwart a bombing attempt at the residence of
Selçuk Incesu, Turkish Consul General.
December 29, 1984 Beirut
Two French buildings in East Beirut are bombed. ASALA claims credit.
December 29, 1984 Paris
Following an ASALA threat to blow up an Air France plane, police
increase security at the Charles de Gaulle Airport.
January 3, 1985 Beirut
The offices of Agence France Presse are extensively damaged when a
bomb explodes.
March 3, 1985 Paris
An anonymous caller to Agence France Presse threatens to attack French
interests throughout the world upon the indictment of the three
terrorists who participated in the Orly attack.
March 12, 1985 Ottawa
Three heavily armed terrorists storm the Turkish Embassy, killing a
Canadian security guard in the process. After blowing up the front
door, the gunmen enter the building. Ambassador Coskun Kžrca manages
to escape but suffers extensive injuries. The wife and daughter of the
Ambassador, who were taken hostage, are later released, and the
terrorists surrender. ARA claims responsibility.
March 26, 1985 Toronto
A threat to blow up the city of Toronto's transit system leads to
chaos during the rush hour. An "Armenian Secret Army for the
Liberation of Our Homeland" claims responsibility for the threat.
November 1985 Brussels
A special anti-terrorist security squad of the Belgian police exposes
and arrests three Armenian terrorists with Portuguese passports. They
were planning an attack on Turkish officers at NATO headquarters.
November 28, 1985 Paris
French police arrest the leader of the terrorist
organization&emdash;the "Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of
Armenia-Revolutionary Movement" (ASALA-RM)&emdash;Mr. Monte Melkonian,
a U.S. citizen. In Melkonian's apartment, police confiscate weapons,
explosive devices, arrival and departure information on Turkish ships
scheduled to visit France and a picture of Turkey's Ambassador to
France, Adnan Bulak.
December 1985 Paris
Forty-one shoppers in two of Paris' leading department stores
(Gallerie Lafayette and Printemps) are injured (twelve seriously) when
nearly simultaneous bomb explosions rip through the stores. In the
ensuing panic, some 10,000 Christmas shoppers flee into the street.
The Armenian Reporter, published in New York, reports in its December
12th issue that French law enforcement authorities are concentrating
on ASALA as the most likely perpetrator. ASALA later takes credit for
the two bombings.
November 23, 1986 Melbourne
At 2:15 a.m. a bomb explodes in front of the Turkish Consulate
General. One dead -presumedly the perpetrator- and one Australian
injured.
Roman
Roman
The turkish retard, spamming "Mary K.", also known as "Robert T Carr",
"faulty nutter", "sutten", "assinservitude", as well as under many other
screen names, is the well-known village idiot on usenet spreading lies
about countries like Greece, Armenia, Kurdistan, Europe. This idiot copies
and pastes his turkish hate propaganda from turkish propaganda websites.
*Don't fall for his lies.*
Roman
TURKISH MASSACRES, 1822-1909
Roman
Roman
The turkish retard, spamming "Mary K.", also known as "Robert T Carr",
"faulty nutter", "sutten", "assinservitude", as well as under many other
screen names, is the well-known village idiot on usenet spreading lies
about countries like Greece, Armenia, Kurdistan, Europe. This idiot copies
and pastes his turkish hate propaganda from turkish propaganda websites.
*Don't fall for his lies.*
--
Roman
Roman
TURKISH MASSACRES, 1822-1909
Roman
Roman
Roman
The turkish retard, spamming "Mary K.", also known as "Robert T Carr",
"faulty nutter", "sutten", "assinservitude", as well as under many other
screen names, is the well-known village idiot on usenet spreading lies
about countries like Greece, Armenia, Kurdistan, Europe. This idiot copies
and pastes his turkish hate propaganda from turkish propaganda websites.
*Don't fall for his lies.*
--
sutten
exel in nothing except drinking." Their behavior shows that well.
"Let me begin with Armenia. The truth is that there are actually
two Armenias, a Greater and a Lesser. The lord of Lesser Armenia
is a king who maintains good and just goverment in his country
under the suzerainty of the Tartars.* It is a land of many villages
and towns, amply stocked with means of life. It also affords good
sport with all sorts of wild game, both beast and fowl. The climate
however, is far from healthy; it is, in fact, extremely enervating.
Hence, the nobility of the country, who used to be men of valor and
stalward soldiers, are now craven and mean-spirited and exel in
nothing except drinking."
"*I adds here, and again in the account of Greater Armenia that the
inhabitants are imperfect Christians, but could easily be brought
back to the true faith if they had proper teachers"
"*The following passage is added in I: These Tartars do not care what
god is worshipped in their territories. So long as all their subjects
are loyal and obedient to the Khan and accordingly pay the tribute
imposed on them and justice is well observed, you may do as you please
about your soul. They object to your speaking ill of their souls or
intermeddling with their practices. But concerning God and your own
soul do what you will, whether you be a Jew or pagan, Saracen (Moslem)
or Christian, who live among the Tartars. They freely confess in
Tartary that Christ is a lord; but they say that he is a proud lord,
because he will not keep company with other gods but wants to be over
all others in the world. So in some places they have a Crist of gold
or silver and keep him ensconced (concealed) within a shire and say
that he is the great lord of the Christians."
Marco Polo
++++++++++++++++++++
"Turks, Tartars, even Persians constituted the infidel powers which
neighboured and threatened European Christiandom. The word "Turk" was
mainly used in two ways, as a generic name for an Islamic State with
its own characteristic institutions of Government and military; and as
a description of behaviour or character — the Turks 'being of nature
cruel and heartless'(...) The idea of cruelty was probably produced by
the Turks' distant foreignness combined with an absence from their
lives of comprehensible Christian ethics, but more importantly by
their military threat."
Simon Shephard, regarding the image of the Turk during the Renaissance
period, in association with negative connotations such as cruelty,
religious fanaticism, espionage, dirtiness, drug addiction etc.;
Marlowe and The Politics Of Elizabethan Theatre, (Sussex, The
Harvester Press, 1986) p.142
"All Turkish children also should be killed as they form a danger to
the Armenian nation"
Hamparsum Boyaciyan, nicknamed "Murad," a former Ottoman
parliamentarian who led Armenian guerilla forces. (Source unconfirmed)
"I killed Muslims by every means possible. Yet it is sometimes a pity
to waste bullets for this. The best way is to gather all of these dogs
and throw them into wells and then fill the wells with big and heavy
stones. as I did. I gathered all of the women, men and children, threw
big stones down on top of them. They must never live on this earth."
A. Lalayan, Revolutsionniy Vostok (Revolutionary East) No: 2-3,
Moscow, 1936.
"In history it happened to the Muslims in Russian Armenia and Eastern
Anatolia 2.5 million Muslims were killed by the Armenians in the worst
possible way imaginable. It is sickening to think that the human race
is capable of such actions, but there is no denying the fact that the
Armenian genocide of 2.5 million Muslims happened. The Armenian
General Dro, the' butcher' was the architect of this Armenian genocide
of Muslims, 1914-1920."
Arto Derounian (as "John Roy Johnson"), quoted by John Roy Carlson in
Armenian Affairs magazine – Winter issue, 1949-50, page 19, footnote.
Roman
calls himself right now "sutten" will be crossposted to sct!
The TURKISH RETARD, spamming "Mary K.", also known as "Robert T Carr",
Roman
himself right now "sutten" will be crossposted to sct!
TURKISH PROPAGANDA AS DETECTED by George Horton, American Consul to the
Near East, from "Plight of Asia":
ONE of the cleverest statements circulated by the Turkish propagandists is
to the effect that the massacred Christians were as bad as their
executioners, that it was “50-50.” This especially appeals strongly to the
Anglo-Saxon sense of justice, relieves one of all further annoyance or
responsibility, and quiets the conscience. But it requires a very
thoughtless person indeed to accept such a statement, and extremely little
thought required to show the fallacy of it.
In the first place, the Christians in the power of the Turk have never had
much opportunity to massacre, even had they been so disposed. If a few
Turks have been killed in the long history of butcheries that have soaked
the empire with blood, the reckoning, mathematically, will not be 50-50,
nor even one to ten thousand. In addition to this, even with the
shortcomings of the Christians of the world, in general, the teachings of
Christ have made it better. In all the former Ottoman provinces that have
succeeded in casting off the Turkish blight —Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia,
Greece— there is very little, if any, record of Turks massacred by
Christians.
jj
> All replies to the turkish propaganda by the TURKISH RETARD who calls
> himself right now "sutten" will be crossposted to sct!
>
> TURKISH PROPAGANDA AS DETECTED by George Horton, American Consul to the
> Near East, from "Plight of Asia":
>
> ONE of the cleverest statements circulated by the Turkish propagandists is
> to the effect that the massacred Christians were as bad as their
> responsibility, and quiets the conscience. But it requires a very
> thoughtless person indeed to accept such a statement, and extremely little
> thought required to show the fallacy of it.
>
> In the first place, the Christians in the power of the Turk have never had
> much opportunity to massacre, even had they been so disposed. If a few
> Turks have been killed in the long history of butcheries that have soaked
> the empire with blood, the reckoning, mathematically, will not be 50-50,
> nor even one to ten thousand. In addition to this, even with the
> shortcomings of the Christians of the world, in general, the teachings of
> Christ have made it better. In all the former Ottoman provinces that have
> Greece� there is very little, if any, record of Turks massacred by
> Christians.Â
Talking to yourself again Bwoy?
They say that old and twisted GAY's like you do tend to start talking
to
themslelves when senility sets in.
Never mind idiot. Soon you will not know that you are doing it any
more.
Hey, what am I saying, you don't know you are doing it already!!!!!!
MWAHARAHRHARHARHARHARHARHARHARHARMWAHARAHRHARHARHARHARHARHARHARHARMWAHARAHRAH
--
mbouhahaha
sutten
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Poverty forces Armenian women to turn to prostitution
Text of report by Armenian news agency Noyan Tapan
Yerevan, 14 August: The following tendencies can be observed regarding
prostitution in Armenia: first, prostitution is on the increase, and
second, those involved are getting younger. These are the conclusions
presented by the (?"Hope and Help") organization in a report entitled "On
the particular features of prostitution in Armenia", which was presented on
14 August at the non-governmental organizations' centre of the Armenian
American Assembly in Yerevan. Financial support for this programme came
from the UN FPA.
Research was carried out among 175 women in Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor and
Kapan. What is more, the lowest layers, i.e. "street prostitutes", were
selected. The main reason forcing them to take up this profession is
poverty, as well as the absence of traditional male support due to the
migration of the male population primarily. The head of the programme and
chairman of the "Hope and Help" non-government organization, (?Yenok
Shatvoryan), said that researchers witnessed prostitutes in districts
offering their services literally for a piece of sausage, or 200-300 drams
(around 50 cents). In Yerevan these services are more expensive, around 30
dollars on average.
Most of those questioned are married, but bear the burden of caring for
their children. There are not many underage prostitutes for the time being,
but their number is growing. Unlike married women, young girls find
themselves on the street purely by accident, after quarrelling with their
parents or getting into bad company.
Many of women are subjected to violence, but they are not in a position to
protect their rights. One of the forms of legalized violence is when
prostitutes are forcibly checked for sexually transmitted diseases.
According to Shatvoryan, (who is a specialist in venereal diseases), such
measures do not serve to prevent the spread of infection. On the contrary,
they put women off receiving treatment. Treatment for most infections of
this kind has to be paid for. Prostitutes also have to pay for medical
examinations if they go to a doctor without the involvement of interior
ministry bodies. Only 5 per cent of those questioned were well-informed
about infections, including AIDS.
According to Shatvoryan, it is necessary to increase the level of awareness
of such women so they can protect their health and their rights. As for the
issue of legalizing prostitution, the "Hope and Help" organization is
categorically against this: "I believe that Armenia is too small for this
and that we should look after our women and not turn them into
prostitutes," Shatvoryan said.
Source: Noyan Tapan news agency, Yerevan, in Russian 1330 gmt 14 Aug 01
BBC Mon TCU 140801 ad/ea
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http://www.agla.info/site/viewtopic.php?forum=2&topic=225
Posted: 2003-02-27 15:21
ARMENIAN PROSTITUTES LIKE MEETING WITH THEIR CLIENTS IN SAUNA
August 2001
Armenian prostitutes' favourite place of meetings with clients is
sauna. To this testifies the survey conducted by the Hope and Help NGO
among Armenian prostitutes. The Armenian Office of the UN Population
Foundation financed the survey.
The survey has shown that Armenian prostitutes prefer meeting clients
in the street. 17% make a date on the phone.
Most of the questioned street-walkers said they are ready to quit
prostitution in case they have stable and well-paid job or good
marriage. It should be noted that 64% of them have been married before
and 14% are still married.
Most of prostitutes gained their first sexual experience during
marriage at 17-18. In the main, prostitutes have one client a day. 77%
prefer traditional sex. 21% practice oral sex, 1.8% anal intercourse
and only 1.1% said they are "universal."
48% of the questioned prostitutes have walked the streets for 1-3
years, 29.1% have 4-7 year experience and almost 15% have been selling
their body for over 10 years.
-----
Arminfo Information Agency
http://www.arminfo.am/news-issue2.htm
sutten
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>
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Armenia
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trafficking
In December 1997, a group of Armenians were caught in Belarus
trafficking children to Brest under false pretenses; their destination
was Poland. ("Criminal Group Trading Children Apprehended in Belarus,"
Noyan Tapan, 10 December 1997)
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Gay and Lesbian Armenians?
/* Baku, February 3, Sahil */
During long years of economic and moral crisis, Armenia is standing in
front of a new problem. Recently Arminfo has given an information on
the criminal case investigated by the Military Prosecutor's Office of
Yerevan garrison about 6 soldiers who pretend to be gays in order to
escape a military service.
Those would-be soldiers gays have not caused a positive reaction from
the part of Armenian society saying that it is contradicting with
national and Christian moral values. Seven homosexuals have been
murdered in Armenia this year, Chairman of the Helsinki Association of
Armenia Mikael Danielyan told journalists today. He said homosexuals
have no rights in Armenia. The police have carried out two raids on
gays this year.
But it seems that this shift of Armenian youth towards gays and
lesbians is not finishing on that point. The number of gays and
lesbians is increasing in the ranks of Armenian youth who is quitting
Armenia for abroad. This tendency has taken a wide scale and even in
several foreign countries and many gay and lesbian organizations have
been founded by Armenian young people.
We present you the Internet web site addresses some of those
organizations:
Worldwide Armenian Gay and Lesbians' common internet web-page:
http://www.gayandlesbianarmenians.com/
Association of Gay and Lesbian Armenians of UK:
http://www.arclondon.org/
GAY & LESBIAN ARMENIANS IN FRANCE: http://www.agla.info/
GAY & LESBIAN ARMENIANS IN SYDNEY:
http://www.geocities.com/haigay_sydney/
GAY & LESBIAN ARMENIANS IN WASHINGTON:
http://gayarmeniansdc.freeservers.com/
GAY & LESBIAN ARMENIANS IN NEW-YORK:
http://gayarmeniansny.freeservers.com/
Apparently, the Armenian people have stepped into new millennium with
a new surprise. Those abnormal tendencies, which are widely developed
in the ranks of Armenian youth, have concerned the Armenian government
and thus, the current Armenian legislation bans at all way such
activity by its Anti-gay law.
The moral state of Armenians in Armenian society is giving serious
signals. The number of Armenian prostitute women's who are quitting
the country for bargains in abroad, is steadily increasing. Thus, the
large part of those women are "choosing" Turkey and United Arab
Emirates. Giving an information about that to Arminfo News Agency,
Nilim Barua, the head of IMO's representation in Armenia, has tried
"to immolate" Armenians: according him the number of Armenian
prostitutes in abroad is less than the number of "female
representatives" of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
According to the information of International Migration Organization,
till summer 2001 approximately 500 Armenian women left Armenia for
Turkey and Dubai to get money from prostitution.
It is very worthwhile to say that Armenia is living its most difficult
days of its history. Throwing apart its current tell-tale on so-called
"genocide", this country should take care about its future and
Armenian youth.
Discuss this topic at the forum: Gay and Lesbian Armenians?
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TRAFFICKING
IN ARMENIA
Team Reporting Project
Human trafficking involves forcing men, women or children into
involuntary labor or prostitution through deception, intimidation or
brute force. While forcing women into prostitution usually attracts
the headlines, what amounts to slave labor--a modern day version of
indentured servitude--can be an even more serious blight. Until
recently, government officials in Armenia have tended to dismiss the
suggestion that trafficking presents much of a problem. The first
legislation to specifically outlaw trafficking and to provide criminal
penalties went into effect in the summer of 2003. Since then the
government prosecutor's office has launched several high profile cases
against traffickers. In one, mentally retarded adolescents were
allegedly being dispatched to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for
sexual exploitation, or possibly to supply body parts for organ
transplants. The police are not sure and are still investigating. The
prosecutors have been in close liaison with police in Dubai, where
some NGOs estimate that as many as 600 Armenian women may have been
seduced, tricked or forced into prostitution. There has been talk of
extraditing ten suspected Armenian traffickers from Dubai to stand
trial in Armenia. But the fact is that there has been no systematic
study of the full extent of the problem. In late 2003, the Caucusus
Media Center in Yerevan and New York University's Center for War,
Peace and the News Media hosted a team reporting project in which
Armenian journalists and editors fanned out across Armenia to try to
report on the problem. The team reporting project followed a seminar
on trafficking attended by journalists and government officials at the
Armenian ski resort at Tsaghkatsor. last November. As Vicken
Cheterian, the Director of the Caucusus Media Institute, notes below,
there are valid questions about how much of the problem is due to
criminal coercion, and how much is due to the extreme poverty that is
prevalent in many rural areas of former Soviet bloc countries. The
project was made possible by funding from the U.S. State
Department'sBureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, and it was
edited by the Center for War, Peace and the News Media's William
Dowell and the Caucusus Media Institute's Seda Muradyan--William
Dowell
Human Trafficking and Trafficking of Ideas
Vicken Cheterian, Director, Caucasus Media Institute
"Why did the Caucasus Media Institute work with NYU on organizing a
seminar in Armenia to train journalists on how to report human
trafficking? And did we learn something from this seminar?....We at
the CMI are working for the development of professional, accurate,
critical, independent media, on the background of a journalism trained
for Soviet-style propaganda. The development of such an independent
media means, among others, that journalists working in countries like
Armenia should be critical not only towards the functioning of their
own government, economic leaders, and the political elite, but also
towards international organizations who have much influence, and
therefore power, over the media. Journalists should be trained to be
critical to the whims and fashions that comes to this edge of the
Caucasus from Washington, Brussels, Paris and London in the form of
"fighting corruption", "conflict-resolution" or why not "reporting on
human trafficking", as some decades ago used to come from Moscow in
the form of Marxism-Leninism..."
To read more, click here...
Two Women Trapped by Desertion and Poverty
Susanna Shahnazaryan
Goris Press Club
Faced with absent husbands, and asked to feed their families in a
jobless economy, many women in rural regions are easy victims of
criminal exploitation. When they try to return to normal society, they
are rejected because of misplaced notions of social propriety.
Two Women Trapped by Desertion and Poverty
Susanna Shahnazaryan
Goris Press Club
Syunik---over the last years, new economic relations in Armenia have
had their impact on the status of women, who have become the most
sensitive targets of social tension; against the background of general
unemployment and mass labor migration of men, women have been left
with the responsibility of taking care of the entire family. Poverty
has made many women seek ways of somehow improving their families'
well-being. In such circumstances, women often answer ads for jobs
abroad. Many women get caught in a net of violence, are deceived,
kidnapped, sold or forced to prostitute themselves.
According to Ashot Ghahramnyan, Head of Syunik Regional Police
Department, no cases of trafficking were recorded in Syunik but there
is information about women going abroad and doing prostitution. "It is
not known whether they were forced or did it of their own will", he
said, adding that over the last months the police have been more aware
of this issue and tried to prevent it by all possible means.
It is hard to evaluate what government officials say concerning the
absense of recorded cases. I was not satisfied with the statement of
the chief of police department to the effect that no cases have been
recorded in Syunik. I decided to try to see whether local women had
been subjected to trafficking.
Trade in human beings, their illegal exploitation and abuse are all
crimes. However, who is really responsible for the ruined futures of
the trafficking victims?
I learned about two cases involving victims of trafficking. Both were
rescued and managed to change their lives.
…. The woman I was talking to was approximately 70. Her voice trembled
as she spoke, and she was constantly worried that someone might
overhear us: in a small community everyone would know what had
happened. While telling her story, she sometimes got angry or
emotional. She did not place all the blame on her daughter for what
had happened. Her daughter got married. The family organized a
traditional Armenian wedding. A year later she already had a
grandchild. Her son in-law was unemployed, so he left for Krasnodar
and … never came back. The young woman had a younger brother and
sister as well as the baby to support, so she applied for all kinds of
jobs. One day she left for Yerevan and came back two and a half months
later. "When my daughter was back, she looked really exhausted and
skinny. She was irritable and depressed. She brought a little money so
that we could buy some flour and two liters of oil. One day she
started crying and told me that she had gone to Dubai and had been
forced into prostitution there. I could not forgive her. She left the
baby with me, and went away. I sent the kid to a boarding school. What
else could I do? I myself have two little kids."
The fact that L. had chosen to abandon her child and to go away
because of social conditions where she lived is obvious, but in order
to understand how it happenned, I had to meet her. At last I tracked
her down to one of the restaurants in outskirts of the capital city.
"…. My daughter was not born yet, when my husband left for Russia to
find a job" L. told me. "When the baby was born, they didn't want to
let me out of the hospital because I did not have money to pay for
their service. I did not hear anything from my husband for two years.
Our condition was getting worse and worse every day. My baby and I
became a burden for my parents and their large family. We did not get
any welfare. They said that my husband was in Russia and could send us
some money, and that my mother had a cow and therefore shouldn't
receive anything as well. For many days my baby, little brother and
sister were had only tea without sugar. One day I found out from M.
that there was a job opportunity in Yerevan, an underwear commercial.
I thought that I should try. Those who offered me the job had a
condition: because I had no work experience at all, I had to be
trained abroad. My papers were ready so soon that I did not even
manage to go back home; they said we were going for two weeks. There
were three other girls. One was only 16 years old. I did not know
anything about Dubai. In the airport a grey car was waiting for us. It
took us to a hotel. We wished to stay in one room, all four of us, but
they refused and said that we needed a good rest so we look well for
the upcoming training. It was the last time I saw the girls. In the
morning a man of medium height came into my room, he said several
words in Russian and I understood that I should follow him. While we
were going downstairs, I saw other girls being accompanied by men.
Several men touched my cheeks and breasts. I was shocked. Soon we
entered a room with a disgusting smell of a sauna. The door closed. I
could not even see who was in the room.
"When I was taken back to my room, I tried to come out into the
corridor in order to find my girlfriends. The door was locked. Two
entire months passed like that. There were some days when I had to
"serve" 20-30 men. No, they did not beat me, I was very scared and had
to accept all the humiliations. An old man who worked at the hotel
helped me to escape by magic. I came back to Armenia, told my mother
what had happened to me; she did not believe that I had been forced to
do this. I had to come back to Yerevan, tried to find a job but didn't
succeed. I began thinking that I was useless and turned back to the
same trade. Sometimes I visit my hometown to see my daughter from a
distance: my mother does not let me see her. I sent them a little
money once but she didn't accept. It's a little bit easier in a big
city; in a small community where everybody knows you, it's hard to
forget about one's past. I don't want my daughter ever to find out
about me. They all blame me but do not blame my husband who left and
never came back".
The second woman I talked to was only 19 years old. The only thing she
remembers from her childhood is her parents arguing all the time. When
she was 15 her father was arrested for rape. They started to avoid her
at school and in the streets, the circle of her friends narrowed. She
graduated from school in Goris. She dreamed of becoming a teacher. She
made the decision on her own and left for Yerevan. She stayed with her
uncle's family. There were still two weeks left till the admission
examinations. Every evening she would go out into the garden. She met
girls who knew nothing about her, and for them she was just a pretty
girl. One of the girls invited her to watch a soap-opera at her place.
When the hostess found out that she wanted to become a teacher she
said: "What's the use, teachers don't make any money nowadays". She
offered her to go abroad together with her daughter, so that they
would get paid really well. She didn't even let her discuss it with
her uncle's wife; she took the girl's passport and prepared the
necessary documents in several days. The day of departure approached
and it turned out that the woman's daughter was ill, but so that she
is not alone, she would be accompanied by other girls. Frankly
speaking, she began to regret having accepted the offer, but she had
already taken her papers from the admissions committee of the
institute and given her passport to the "kind" woman.
"When my father was arrested, I was ashamed to go to school. Although
I didn't know that girl, I was very sorry for her having become my
father's victim. I was thinking that I would kill myself if that
happened to me. How could I know that after a while I would be in the
same situation? When we left for Dubai, myself and two other girls
were hosted in a woman's house. For two days they seemed to have
forgotten about us. Strange men visited us now and then, pointing at
us and saying something. Later we found out that they were negotiating
the price. We were separated from each other. Now I cannot describe
the feeling that I had when I was taken to the first client. He became
very angry when I started shouting, he hit my face several times, and
then started consoling me. I couldn't understand a word of what he was
saying. Somehow he explained to me that in case I obeyed him, he would
help me return home. When it was over, I started to think that he
wouldn't need me any more, and that they would leave me alone. How
could I know that everything was just beginning? I turned into a
robot, silently implementing all the wishes of clients. After
suffering for seven months one day I was suddenly called to the
hostess; they gave me clothes, 200 dollars, my passport and showed me
off to Armenia. Then I found out that my uncle's wife told her
neighbor that she would call the police unless she revealed where I
was. After I was back I realized how much I had changed – my attitude
and even my character.
Fortunately in Goris nobody knew about my travels. Only my closest kin
knew what had happened to me. Later my uncle's wife's helped me to
meet someone and I got married. It's been a year already that I go to
bed with the fear that my husband or his relatives will find something
out. I tried to talk to my husband several times but I am sure that he
wouldn't understand. I also avoid visiting my hometown. How long shall
I have to live with this fear?"
These two stories are about victims of trafficking who managed to
return home. How they managed to survive and how they are treated by
their relatives and society is another issue. Shouldn't the
communities share the blame for what happened to these women? The
victims of trafficking are most often not only those who seek physical
pleasure but also people who have problems with self-esteem in the
society.
As my interest in this topic grew I met the headmaster of the biggest
boarding school in the region. More than 100 pupils graduate from that
school each year, most of them orphans. When I asked whether the
teachers at the school were aware of what awaits their graduates, Ms.
Barseghyan replied that very often teachers care more about the kids
than their parents or trustees do. She also regretted that the
government does not have a program for helping orphans with education,
employment and lodging.
The fact is that the government needs to initiate concrete steps
towards minimizing the number of victims of trafficking through
improving social conditions, there is no doubt that at the same time
the society itself should be ready to accept the "return of victims":
its refusal can only be to the benefit of criminal groups who trade in
human beings .
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The Tragedy of the Women of Armenia
By Avedis Yapujian
March 8 was International Women's Day. In the past, sometimes, that
was a day for rejoicing in Armenia. Fellows would give gifts to their
sweethearts. Independence came, and President Levon Ter-Petrossian
decided to abolish it, as a holiday left from the Soviet era. In
reality, all the civilized countries of the world, including
Australia, observe that day annually, even though they are not Soviet
or Communist. Two years ago, Armenia's National Assembly reestablished
this holiday. However, the rejoicing of the old days is missing, it's
gone. Today, the women of Armenia are buried under a horrible tragedy.
I have said previously that independence created new words in the
Armenian language. One of those new words is "marmnavajarutiun"
(selling of one's body) because we owe the creation of that sad word
to an equally sad phenomenon which, perhaps involuntarily, created
independence, and that word is the artfully made synonym of
"bornugutiun" (prostitution). It's a frightful word, which
characterizes an equally frightful phenomenon, which the free-market
economic policy brought with it. Today, Armenian women in Armenia are
living a horrible tragedy, as government officials look on with
indifference. Some people are of the opinion that it is possible to
prevent it with proper sex education. However, sex education won't
satisfy the irresistible demand of the stomachs of those women, won't
furnish them bread, and won't stop their pangs of hunger. Napoleon
once said that "an army travels on its stomach." A woman, in turn,
keeps her morality by means of her stomach. While a hungry man steals,
or commits a crime, an "easier" means is left to the woman to put an
end to her hunger: selling her body. There was prostitution in Armenia
during the Soviet era as well (is there any place where it doesn't
exist?); however, it had never become a common occurrence, the need
had never been felt to create an artfully made word for it. Today,
this activity has reached frightful proportions. The numbers given in
the press cause bewilderment, and those who were present at a
discussion which took place recently in the Journalists House in
Yerevan agreed that it is impossible to eliminate this phenomenon.
Today, in order to survive, our virgin girls willingly throw
themselves into the arms of debauched Turks for the purpose of
satisfying their bestial passion. Prostitution is supposedly outlawed
in Armenia . . . You don't know whether to laugh at, or cry over, that
law. How can a law satisfy a hungry, unfed woman? Again, by law, how
many individuals can be put in jail for that activity, considering
that they number in the thousands?
A journalist from Armenia, named Anush Babayian, writes: "The oldest
profession in the world is experiencing a revival in Armenia." Is this
the "revival" created by independence, while culture, the arts and
literature have become buried in darkness? Anush Babayian gives
frightening details: "The Armenian women who sell their bodies have a
high ‘professional' reputation in the United Arab Emirates
(particularly Dubai) and Turkey; they have expanded their ‘activity'
in the United States, Germany. . . ."
The numbers released in the press are more dreadful. Accordingly,
thirty thousand Armenian women in Istanbul are providing pleasure and
delight to the offspring of genocidists. Five thousand others "are
working" in Ankara and Adana. Their number in the United Arab Emirates
surpasses twenty thousand. Of the European countries, they prefer
Germany in particular, because there is a large Turkish community
there. These women are wandering along the sidewalks of Marseille,
Athens and Barcelona. As for Armenia, their number in Yerevan alone is
more than a thousand, according to official statistics, but in reality
it is triple that number. Many of these women have children. Fifty-two
percent of them have sexually transmitted diseases, which they pass on
to their male customers who, of course, get other women infected.
Those who are ill and don't have free medical treatment avoid going to
clinics. Only some voluntarily turn themselves in to law-enforcement
agencies so that they can get free medical treatment. As I write these
facts, my heart feels as if it's being crushed. I would have much
preferred not to write about this. However, the problem won't be
solved, nor will the tragedy be stopped, by sticking our heads in the
sand, like the proverbial ostrich. What's more, according to the news
reports, these women are divided into "classes," according to age, and
the "selling" takes place accordingly. They range in age from 15 to
40. A class of pimps has also been created. And what's surprising is
that, while prostitution is illegal, pimps operate legally. They seize
their victims, sometimes demanding to be paid for the "favors" they
do, sometimes by force, sometimes by being dazzled by the wealth which
awaits them abroad. Foreign countries are where they "export" the
prostitutes and "work" through their representatives, who take the
women's passports so the latter will remain "obedient" and, should
they wish to return home, these representatives threaten to burn their
passports. The journalist and film director Edik Bagdasarian has
prepared a film called "Spider's Web," which shows the activity of
"working" female prostitutes in various parts of Yerevan and reveals
the social reasons giving rise to the selling of one's body. And,
given this situation, the Armenian authorities are babbling about a
great future, when the present is so terrible that it leaves no hope
for the future. For whom will that "great future" come, when the
country is being emptied out through emigration, when the country is
subjected to "brain drain" because of the departure of its scientists,
artists and intellectuals, when our sisters and daughters are thrown
into a hellish life, when our children are searching for food in the
trash piles on the streets of Yerevan.
It's as if, on top of all this, we needed this tragedy.
Sydney, Australia
This article, which originally appeared in Miutiun monthly of Sydney,
was reprinted in the April 6, 2002 issue of Nor Or weekly and
translated into English by TAR Int'l managing editor Aris G. Sevag.
Roman
In 1998 a 14 year old turd who received the pseudo "Mehmet" to protect him
was deported to turkeyland because of his
incorrigible criminality. There was a lot of fuss on the German media and
some tried to stop his deportation, but of no avail. The Bavarian Minister
of the Interior wanted to deport his father and mother, too, but didn't
succeed. The criminal "Mehmet" after his deportation made a short career on
turkish TV. He was allowed to return to Germany after several years. Last
week he was praised by a "liberal" paper as a corrected young turdish model
pupil. Some days later he was arrested for dealing with drugs.
Here is the list of his crimes *before* he turned fourteen and before he
got deported to turkey, altogether he committed "officially" 62 criminal
offences:
1994 -He steals money from classmates and blackmails them threatening to
beat them up.
-During a football match he breaks a youngster's nosebone.
1995 -He steals several bicycles.
-He was several times caught shoplifting.
-In a shopping mall he attacks a youngster steals 60 DM from
him and hits him in the face.
-From a collector of donations he steals the
money-box with 20 DM content.
-He shoplifts, on order, 90 CDs from a shop.
-Together with a gang of eleven youngsters he assaults three youngsters in
the subway. A girl, watching the scene, is threatened by him with a knife,
he says he will "kill" her.
1996 -Together with five companions he again assaults two youngsters, beats
them up. He bangs the head of one youngster against the door of the subway.
-He admits to have stolen about 40 bicycles during summer and have
shoplifted more than 70 times.
-With a few companions he beats up two skate boarders.
1997 -He steals a credit card and gets 720 Marks.
-In a weaponry shop he steals two blank pistols and threatens the
assistant, "I'll knife you!"
-He shoplifts several times and gets stuff for about 2000 DM.
-As a fare dodger he gets as far as Italy.
-During sports lessons he hits a classmate with a knuckleduster because he
didn't give him the ball.
-He tries to push a classmate on the rails of the subway.
1998 -During a school treat he beats up in a toilet a classmate who
had to get hospitalized. He gets 10 Marks. Later he admits that he only
went to the party to get some money. He showed no remorse at the police
station.
-Near a subway station he threatens two youngsters. He beats up
one of them who had to get medical treatment afterwards.
-His 62nd and last criminal offence "Mehmet" committed on July, 5th, 1998.
He assaulted a pupil with friends.
His list of crimes is from this link:
http://www.neue-verfassung.de/Buchangebot/Leseprobe%20Dokumente.htm
Just a few days before he had turned *fourteen* and become criminally
liable. A juvenile court judge for the first time issued a warrant for his
arrest. Four months later he was deported to his homeland turkey.
Most people in Germany consider the 62 delinquencies an understatement in
favour of a young "Ausländer" that mostly get some special considerate
treatment in Germany. Alone the 40 stolen bikes and the 70 instances of
shoplifting constitute more than 110 criminal acts.
Well, the guy was allowed back to Germany after some years. He tried
everything to get back to Germany as fast as possible. He doesn't like his
homeland! He's *not* an exception, he's actually the typical turkish
criminal youngster, he just made it into the media because the Bavarians no
longer wanted to stand for his vileness and deported him.
Turks account for the highest criminality rate in Germany ever and are the
ethnic group with the highest percentage of crimes within Germany. They
also account for the bad average IQs in German schools as some tests lately
confirmed.
Roman
The case of young Volkan hit the headlines in the Republik. More than two
years ago the boy was attacked and killed by a fighting dog. The 28 years
old turkish owner of the fighting dog was sentenced to three and a half
years in prison. Now he was released before his time and instantly deported
to turkey. It will never be possible for him to return to the country. He
is considered a great danger for the inner security and the general public.
------------------------------------------------------
Tödliche Kampfhundattacke - Türke wird abgeschoben
Der Fall des jungen Volkan machte bundesweit Schlagzeilen. Der Junge wurde
von einem Kampfhund, vor über zwei Jahren tötlich angegriffen. Der
28-jährige türkische Kampfhundbesitzer wurde zu dreieinhalb Jahren Haft
verurteilt. Jetzt wurde er vorzeitig aus der Haft entlassen und sogleich in
die Türkei abgeschoben. Auch ein erneutes Einreisen sei nicht möglich. Er
stelle eine große Gefahr für die innere Sicherheit und die Allgemeinheit
dar.
http://www.verbrechen-in-deutschland.de/modules.php?name=News&file=article&
sid=39
Roman
Stadthagen: 36 pupils, mainly of turkish descent, to appear before the
judge
A school in Stadthagen experienced gruesome times for a longer period. If
one of the pupils had his birthday, he was hit in the face or kicked in the
back, mainly by turkish classmates. Everyone is trying to hush things up in
Stadthagen, because it's not only about excessive brawls, but something
more fundamental: turds and Germans living together within the city. And
this relationship is rather strained, ever since the events around the
brawls turned out to be not a story of integration but of disintegration.
The reason is that the majority of the hooligans at that school were
actually either turkish pupils, or pupils of turkish descent. Native German
pupils only were the victims, not the culprits. That third group, that were
victims and culprits at the same tame, was also only made up of turks.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Stadthagen: 36 Schüler, meist türkischer Abstammung, vor Gericht
In einer stadthagener Schule herrschten über längere Zeiten hinweg grausame
Verhältnisse. Wenn ein Schüler Geburtstag hatte, wurde er von zumeist
türkischen Mitschülern, vor allem der Hauptschule, ins Gesicht geschlagen
oder in den Rücken getreten. Sie halten sich fast alle bedeckt in
Stadthagen, weil es nicht mehr nur um die Prügelorgien geht, sondern um
Fundamentaleres: um das Zusammenleben von Deutschen und Türken in der
Stadt. Und dieses Verhältnis ist ziemlich belastet, seit sich die
Prügelgeschichte als eine Integrations- oder, zutreffender:
Desintegrationsgeschichte entpuppte. Denn die Mehrzahl der Schläger an der
Schlossparkschule waren Türken oder türkischstämmige Jugendliche.
Einheimische deutsche Schüler spielen nur als Opfer eine Rolle, nicht als
Täter. Auch jene dritte Gruppe derjenigen, die sowohl Opfer als auch Täter
waren, besteht nur aus Türken.
http://www.verbrechen-in-deutschland.de/modules.php?name=News&file=article&
sid=57
Roman
Turkey has marked International Human Rights Day with a series of events
and with political leaders declaring that the protection and strengthening
of human rights is one of the country零 main objectives.
During a demonstration in Izmir for celebrating Human Rights Day, people
were attacked by police with dogs, tearing gas and pressured water.
On this occasion, the Human Rights Association of Turkey (IHD) issued the
following detailed table on 9-month human rights violations in Turkey
RIGHT TO LIFE
Extrajudicial Executions: 3 deaths
Stop Warnings, and violation of authority on arm use by officials,
arbitrary firing: 12 deaths, 24 injured
People killed/injured by village guards: 4 deaths, 15 injured
Deaths and injuries in armed conflicts: 67 deaths, 56 injured
People Murdered and Injured by Illegal Organizations: 1 death, 11 injured
Explosion of Land Mines or Bombs: 9 deaths, 35 injured
Attacks by unidentified assailants: 46 deaths, 24 injured
Doubtful Deaths: 8
Deaths In Police Custody: 2
Official Negligence and Fault
Suicides of police and gendarmerie: 9 deaths, 2 injured
Enforced Disappearances
People who might be disappeared: 4 individuals
People whose corpses were found: 1 individuals
Deaths In Prisons:
People who burned themselves: 2
Deaths because of suicides: 8
People murdered or injured by other prisoners: 3, 11 injured
Deaths because of illness: 2
Deaths because of death fasts or hunger strikes: 2
People attacked
University students: 69
Journalists: 55
NGO members:8
Teachers: 5
Members of Political Parties: 7 (5 members of the DEHAP, a member of the
CHP and 1 member of the municipal assembly )
Others: 26
Violence and Sexual Assault Against Women and Children
Violence against women: 44 deaths, 22 injured
Honor killings: 32 deaths, 4 injured
Violence and assaults against children: 9 deaths, 18 injured
Sexual Assaults and Harassments: 32
Doubtful Women Suicides: 35 deaths, 18 injured
Women attempted to suicides: 12 individuals
Torture and ill-treatment:
Torture or Inhuman and degrading treatment under police custody: 562
individuals
Ill treatment out of the official detention facilities: 175 individuals
Torture and ill treatment by village guards: 12 individuals
Torture in prisons:41 individuals
Violence in schools: 26 individuals
Injuries at social demonstrations: 267 individuals
Threatened and forced to be reporter: 149 individuals
PERSONAL SECURITY, FREEDOM AND RIGHT TO FAIR TRIAL
Arbitrary Detention: 6906 individuals
Asylum seekers and migrants taken under detention: 1589 individuals
Number of individuals who arrested: 820 individuals
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Banned, censored, restricted, confiscated
Banned and Confiscated Publications
Magazins: 42 (total 73 issues)
Newspapers: 18 (total 44 issues)
Books: 18
Other printed matters: 24
Attacks on Journalists: 18 individuals
Arrested and detained Journalists: 24
Closed Newspapers and Magazins: 17 (2 magazins' publication were stopped
and 14 magazins and newspapers were given total 164 days closure
punishment)
Banned Activities: 35 (concerts, theatre/play, showing of movies, poems and
competition on art, panels, etc.)
Raided cultural organizations or publishing houses etc.: 22 (17 newspaper
and journal's offices, 5 centers for cultural and artistic activities)
Trials Launched for political reasons: 38 (against 96 individuals)
Trials Launched under Article 312 of the Turkish Criminal Code: 10 (against
33 individuals)
Trials Launched under Article 169 of the Turkish Criminal Code: 7 (against
26 individuals)
Trials Launched under Article 159 of the Turkish Criminal Code: 10 (against
33 individuals)
Trials launched under Article 8 of the Anti Terror Law: 3 (against 9
individuals)
Others: 9 (against 17 individuals)
Resulted Trials: 70 (780 people acquitted, 66 people were sentenced total
53 years 6 months 7 days imprisonment and 97 billion 518 million 632
thousands Turkish Liras fine)
Decisions of High Council for Radio and Televisions (RTUK)
Warned radio and television channels: 78 (59 television and 18 radio
channels)
Television and Radio channels suspended from broadcasting: 17 (6 television
and 8 radio channels)
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND DEMONSTRATION
Bans and restrictions: 26 (demonstrations, campaigns and press statements)
Investigations Launched: 6
Trials Launched: 17 (against 504 individuals)
Resulted Trials: 17 (188 people acquitted , 74 people were sentenced total
61 years
Raided Organizations: 26 (Province and district Offices of DEHAP and HADEP,
TUHAD-DER, HRA Headquarters and Ankara Branch Office of the HRA )
Investigations Launched: 49 (against 330 members and representatives of
political parties, trade unions, non government organizations)
Trials Launched: 33 (against members and representatives of political
parties, trade unions, non government organizations)
Resulted Trials: 29 (62 people acquitted, 83 people were sentenced total 94
years 9 months 14 days imprisonment and 28 billion 181 million 750
thousands TL fine)
Closure demands for organizations: 8 (1 political party, HADEP, was closed;
trials against 3 political party and 1 association resulted with acquittal
decision: trials against 3 political party and 1 association is still
pending )
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS
Restriction on Right to Work or Dismissal: 13.641 individuals
Exiled People: 425 individuals
Deaths because of industrial injury: 98 individuals
Industrial injuries: 395 individuals
RIGHTS TO EDUCATION and CULTURAL RIGHTS
Students prosecuted by the universities' discipline committee: 355 students
(because of taking part on press releases and meeting and organizing
demonstration)
Students punished by the universities' discipline committee: 111 (7 high
school students and 4 university students suspended their schools.2 student
for 1 term , 14 university students for 1 month, 1 university student for
15 days, 33 university students for 1 week suspension their schools, 44
students were given disapprovals and 6 students were given warnings.)
Investigation Launched: 100 students
Resulted Trials: 122 students acquitted, 13 people were sentenced to 28
year six months imprisonment totally
January-September 2003 Human Rights Violation Balance Sheet was collected
from personal applications and various newspapers, journals, televisions
and Internet sources.
http://www.info-turk.be/304.htm#Droits%20de%20l'Homme%20/%20Human%20Rights
Roman
Please read the whole article by Dr. Martin Niepage here:
http://www.cilicia.com/armo10b_niepage.html
The Turks, the least gifted of all the races living in Turkey, are
themselves only a minority of the population, and are still far behind even
the Arabs in civilisation. Where is there any Turkish trade, Turkish
handicraft, Turkish manufacture, Turkish art, Turkish science? Even their
law, religion and language, so far as it can be given literary form, have
been borrowed from the conquered Arabs.
We teachers who have been teaching Greeks, Armenians, Arabs, Turks and Jews
in German schools in Turkey for years, can only declare that the pure Turks
are the most unwilling and incapable of all our pupils. When, for once in a
way, a Turk achieves something, in nine cases out of ten one can be certain
that one is dealing with a Circassian, an Albanian, or a Turk with
Bulgarian blood in his veins. From my personal experience I can only
prophesy that the Turks proper will never achieve anything in trade,
manufacture or science.
We are told now in German newspapers of the Turks' hunger for education and
of how they are thronging eagerly to learn German. There are even reports
of language courses for adults which have been started in Turkey. They are
certainly started, but with what results? They go on to tell one of a
language course at a Technical School which opened with twelve Turkish
teachers as pupils. The anthor of this story forgets, however, to add that,
after four lessons, only six pupils put in an appearance; after five
lessons, five; after six lessons four, and, after seven lessons. only
three, so that after eight lessons the course came to an end, through the
laziness of the pupils, before it had properly begun. If the pupils had
been Armenians they would have persevered until the end of the school year,
learnt patiently, and come away with a respectable mastery of the German
language.
Roman
THE PRACTICE OF RAPE IN TURKISH POLICE STATIONS:
Amnesty keeps a watch on turkish police stations because of "sexual
violence"
Amnesty International, on the occasion of the publication of it's report
"turkey: stop sexual violence against women in custody", points at the
authorities which show themselves incapable of protecting women against
these aggressions inflicted on them by the police.
"The report shows that despite turkey's efforts to join the European Union,
the reforms brought about are insufficient to eliminate torture. The
methods have changed, they don't leave visible traces anymore, just as with
the practice of raping", deplored Jenny Vanderlinden coordinator of the
turkish section of Amnesty International, while presenting the report on
Wednesday.
"Ever since the new government is there, the practice of torture has been
continued", adds Dogan Ozgüden, editor in chief of the online bulletin
Info-Türk. "To join the EU, turkey has to change its mentality", he said,
specifying that in the country there are 50.000 prisoners, of them 10.000
political prisoners.
Though women of any social or cultural origin are susceptible to such
maltreatment, some are specifically exposed to them, notably Kurds and
women with political views considered inacceptable either to the government
or the army, points out Vanderlinden. Men aren't spared maltreatment. At
police stations they are victims of anal rape or of having their testicles
squashed.
To the aftereffects of the physiological and psychological rape of women
are added threats on their lives, threats of renewed rapes, forced marriage
or the ostracizing by their families or their communities because of the
experiences they have gone through.
Amnesty thinks that the notion of "honour" serves as an excuse for the
authorities to stay inactive. It is very difficult for women living in
communities given to such notions to report such violations because they
are ashamed and they are regarded as guilty simply because they revealed
the sexual aggression they experienced. Others choose not to file a
complaint because they are convinced, and justly so, that in most of the
cases this won't help.
According to the information Amnesty received, women in custody in turkish
police stations are often denuded during their interrogatons. In addition,
the organisation remains concerned because of the practice of the
"virginity test" inflicted on the detained women. To refuse to submit to it
can be interpreted as admitting one's "stained honour" and increase the
risk of renewed violations.
The discriminatory attitude of the representatives of the State contribute
to create a climate where violence against women appears acceptable.
Thus, Amnesty International demands from the turkish authorities to condemn
sexual violence against women, to put an end to the denuding of detained
persons during interrogation, to prohibit the usage of blindfolding women
in costudy, to define sexual violation and assault according to
international norms, to abolish the practice of forced "virginity tests",
to sentence the violators of fundamental rights, to provide measures to
guarantee the equality of men and women, etc. (Agence Belga, February 26th,
2003)
--------------------------------------------------------
Les commissariats turcs dans le collimateur d'Amnesty pour "violences
sexuelles"
A l'occasion de la publication de son rapport "Turquie: halte aux violences
sexuelles envers les femmes en garde à vue ", Amnesty International pointe
du doigt les autorités qui se montrent incapables de protéger les femmes
contre de telles agressions infligées par les forces de l'ordre.
"Le rapport montre que malgré les efforts de la Turquie pour adhérer à
l'Union européenne, les réformes implantées sont insuffisantes pour
éradiquer la torture. Les méthodes ont changé, elles ne laissent pas de
traces visibles, d'où la pratique du viol », a déploré Jenny Vanderlinden,
coordinatrice "Turquie " d'Amnesty International, lors de la présentation
mercredi du rapport.
«Depuis l'arrivée d'un nouveau gouvernement, les pratiques de tortures se
poursuivent », a ajouté Dogan Ozgüden, rédacteur en chef du bulletin
électronique Info-Türk. "Pour entrer dans l'UE, la Turquie doit changer de
mentalité ", a-t-il dit, précisant que le pays compte 50.000 prisonniers
dont 10.000 prisonniers politiques.
Si les femmes de toute origine sociale et culturelle sont susceptibles de
subir de tels sévices, certains catégories sont particulièrement exposées,
notamment les Kurdes et celles qui défendent des opinions politiques jugés
inacceptables par le gouvernement ou l'armée, indique Mme Vanderlinden. Les
hommes ne sont pas épargnés par ces violences puisqu'ils sont victimes en
garde à vue de viol anal ou encore d'écrasement de leurs testicules.
Aux séquelles physiques et psychologiques du viol, s'ajoutent pour les
femmes victimes d'une agression sexuelle la menace du meurtre, de nouveaux
sévices, du mariage forcé ou de l'ostracisme de leur famille ou communauté
en raison de ce qu'elles ont vécu.
Amnesty pense que la notion d' »honneur » sert d'excuse aux autorités pour
rester inactives. Il est très difficile pour des femmes vivant dans des
communautés attachées à cette notion de dénoncer ces violences car elles
sont honteuses et on les regarde comme des coupables pour avoir simplement
dévoilé l'agression sexuelle qu'elles ont subie. D'autres femmes
choisissent de ne pas porter plainte, convaincues, à juste titre dans la
plupart des cas, que ça ne sert à rien.
D'après les renseignements obtenus par Amnesty, les femmes en garde à vue
dans les commissariats turcs sont fréquemment déshabillées au cours de leur
interrogatoire. En outre, l'organisation reste péoccupée par le recours au
"test de virginité " infligé aux femmes détenues. Le refus de s'y soumettre
peut être perçu comme l'aveu d'un "honneur souillé" et accroître le risque
de nouvelles violences.
Les attitudes discriminatoires que manifestent les représentants de l'Etat
contribuent à instaurer un climat dans lequel la violence envers les femmes
apparaît acceptable.
Dès lors, Amnesty International appelle les autorités turques à condamner
la violence sexuelle contre les femmes, à mettre fin au déshabillage des
détenues au cours des interrogatoires, à interdire la pratique consistant à
bander les yeux des femmes placées en garde à vue, à définir le viol et les
atteintes sexuelles conformément aux normes internationales, à abolir la
pratique des "tests de virginité" forcés, à traduire en justice les auteurs
de violations des droits fondamentaux, à mettre en place des mesures
garantissant l'égalité entre les hommes et les femmes, etc. (Agence Belga,
26 février 2003)
http://www.info-turk.be/294.htm#Le%20Terrorisme%20de%20l%27Etat/State%20Ter
rorism
sutten
> THE PRACTICE OF RAPE IN TURKISH POLICE STATIONS:
> 26 février 2003)
>
> http://www.info-turk.be/294.htm#Le%20Terrorisme%20de%20l%27Etat/State%20Ter
> rorism
It is a well documented fact that "info-turk.be" is a mouth-piece of
Armenian/Greek/PKK/KADEK anti-Turkish Hatred Inc. and a fabricator of
anti-Turkish hate p[ropaganda.
I do not need to insult any thugs, haters and murderers of
anti-Turkish Hatred Inc, because one cannot be lower than what they
are.
Roman is a true Armenian. As a typical inbred Armanian, he/she
inherited the genes of Hamparsum Boyaciyan, nicknamed "Murad," a
former Ottoman parliamentarian who led Armenian terrorists during WWI
and ordered them: "All Turkish children also should be killed as they
form a danger to the Armenian nation."
Here is another benchmark of Armenian terrorist culture Armenians like
Roman have to live up to:
"I killed Muslims (Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Jews and other non-Armenian
subjects of Ottoman Empire of Eastern Anatolia during WWI) by every
Roman
From what I can see, demented turkish retard, you are considered an
idiot even by your fellow turks.
There are some sick creeps on usenet, but you outdo them all with your
psychopathic hatred and anti-social agitation.
BTW, what did your psychiatrist tell you is an anally regressed retard,
you anally regressed retard? You didn't understand because you are too
retarded? Too bad, a little self-knowledge would do you good, retard.
sutten
> LEARN SOME TURKISH HISTORY, TURKISH RETARD:
Learn Armenia today:
Roman
--------------------------------------------------------
garantissant l'égalité entre les hommes et les femmes, etc. (Agence Belga,
Roman
K. Ö., a Kurdish woman, has received death threats, including one at
gunpoint, and her house in Adana, southern Turkey, has been raided by
police. K. Ö. was reportedly raped and tortured by police at her home in
1999 and has frequently been threatened and intimidated since then,
apparently in an attempt to prevent her from pursuing her case with the
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). She was previously the subject of UA
186/00 (EUR 44/32/00, 29 June 2000) and follow-up (EUR 44/60/00, 22
November 2000).
On 23 April K.Ö.'s home was reportedly raided by police. The police
officers allegedly threatened her with death if she did not give up her
case against the Turkish authorities with the ECHR. On 28 April, K. Ö.
visited the Adana branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD), Turkey's
largest human rights organization, to make a complaint about the raid. On
her return home the same police officers reportedly forced her into a car
at gunpoint, blindfolded her, and threatened her with death. When she told
them that she would not give up her case, her assailants reportedly threw
her from the car. Her lawyers have made a complaint to the ECHR prosecutor.
Since K.Ö. was allegedly tortured, including being raped, at her home in
1999, she has been assaulted, her house has been raided, and she has
received frequent threats. The harassment did stop for a short period after
UA 186/00 was issued. In November 2000, police visited her house again and
reportedly beat her and tried to get her to sign a document which she was
unable to read. Police reportedly raided her house in April 2001 and June
2001, demanding she withdraw her case. The Turkish courts have, to date,
rejected all of K.Ö.'s attempts to press charges against the police
officers. Her lawyers therefore sent her case to the European Court of
Human Rights.
The Turkish prosecutor and the court who rejected her original complaint
against the policemen refused to consider a psychiatric report submitted in
relation to her original complaint. The report, prepared by the
Psychosocial Trauma Centre at Istanbul University's Çapa Medical Faculty,
stated that K.Ö. was suffering from chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD). The psychiatrists concluded that she had very probably suffered a
trauma. (AI, 15 May 2003)
bigmacnfries
Yeah, it is not "sick" to rape, torture and massacre millions of
totally innocent and defenceless human beings (Turks, Arabs, Jews,
Kurds and other non-Armenians) of Ottoman Eastern Anatolia to carve up
an Armenian homeland which never existed; but it is "sock" to disclose
Armenian savagery.
What sick and twisted logic!!!
Only an Armenian brainwashed brain with unconditional anti-Turksih
hatred can produce this sick and twisted logic.
+++++++++++++
"info-turk.be" is a mouthpiece of Armenian/Greek/PKK/KADEK
anti-Turkish Hatred Inc and a fabricator of anti-Turkish hate
propaganda.
Roman (nir...@here.de), a thug and murderer of
Armenian/PKK/KADEK/Greek anti-Turkish Hatred Inc., posts another
anti-Turkish hate propaganda fabricated by "info-turk.be" which is a
mouthpiece of Armenian/Greek/PKK/KADEK anti-Turkish Hatred Inc and a
fabricator of anti-Turkish hate propaganda.
Terrorist Armenians raped, tortured, massacred millions of innocent
and defenceless Turks, Jews, Kurds, Arabs and other non-Armenians in
Ottoman Eastern Anatolia during WWI (with direct and generous support
from their allies, the victors of WWI including Czarist Russia which
also created the mess in the Middle East, including the fake state of
Iraq, millions of people are suffering from now) to ethnically cleanse
the area for an Armenian homeland which never existed.
The rest of the Ottoman Armenian population either very blindly
followed their terrorist leaders (who were ".. craven and
mean-spirited and exel in nothing except drinking." - Marco Polo), or
remained totally complacent.
Another thug of Armenian anti-Turkish Hatred Inc indicates typical
Armenian behavior correctly:
"No sir, you will not find Armenians who will express disapproval or
distress for the assassination of Turkish governmental officials. It
is unfortunate that the attitude of the Turkish government vis-a-vis
Armenian demands dictates that more people have to die in pursuit of
justice. ... It is not uncommon to find those within the Armenian
diaspora who actually applaud these violent actions. "
David Davidian <d...@urartu.SDPA.org> | The life of a people is a sea,
and
S.D.P.A. Center for Regional Studies | those that look at it from the
shore
P.O. Box 2761, Cambridge, MA 02238 | cannot know its depths.
->> Boston'dan Van'i istiyoruz <<- | -Armenian
proverb
http://www.ataa.org/ataa/ref/atrocities/chronological_rundown.html
Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism
Armenian Terrorism - A Chronological Rundown
January 27, 1973 Santa Barbara, California|
The Armenian Gourgen Yanikian, a U.S. citizen, invites the Turkish
Consul General, Mehmet Baydar, and the Consul, Bahadžr Demir to a
luncheon. The unsuspecting diplomats accept the friendly invitation.
Gourgen Yanikian murders his two guests. He is sentenced to life
imprisonment.
April 4, 1973 Paris
Bombings at the Turkish Consulate General and the offices of Turkish
Airlines (THY). Extensive damage.
October 26, 1973 New York
Attempted bombing of the Turkish Information Office. The bomb is
discovered in time and defused. A group calling itself the "Yanikian
Commandos" claims responsibility. They want the release of the double
murderer of Santa Barbara, Gourgen Yanikian, who insidiously murdered
two Turkish diplomats.
February 7, 1975 Beirut
Attempted bombing of the Turkish Information and Tourism Bureau. The
bomb explodes while being defused. A Lebanese policeman is injured.
The "Prisoner Gourgen Yanikian Group" claims responsibility.
February 20, 1975 Beirut
The "Yanikian" group demanding the release of the double murderer of
Santa Barbara strikes again. Extensive damage is caused by a bomb
explosion at the THY offices. ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for the
Liberation of Armenia) also claims responsibility for the bombing.
October 22, 1975 Vienna
The Turkish Ambassador, Danis Tunalžgil, is assassinated in his study
by three Armenian terrorists. ASALA claims responsibility.
October 24, 1975 Paris
Ambassador Ismail Erez and his driver, Talip Yener, are murdered. The
ASALA and the JCAG (Justice Commandos for the Armenian Genocide)
dispute responsibility.
October 28, 1975 Beirut
Grenade attack on the Turkish Embassy. The ASALA claims
responsibility.
February 16, 1976 Beirut
The First Secretary of the Turkish Embassy, Oktar Cirit, is
assassinated in a restaurant on Hamra Street. The ASALA claims
responsibility.
May 17, 1976 Frankfurt, Essen, Cologne
Consulates General in Frankfurt, Essen and Cologne are the targets of
simultaneous bomb attacks.
May 28, 1976 Zurich
Bomb attacks at the offices of the Turkish Labor Attache and the
Garanti Bank. Extensive damage. A bomb in the Turkish Tourism Bureau
is defused in time. Responsibility is claimed by the JCAG.
May 2, 1977 Beirut
The cars of the Military Attache, Nahit Karakay, and the
Administrative Attache, Ilhan Özbabacan, are destroyed. The two
diplomats are uninjured. Credit is claimed by the ASALA.
May 14, 1977 Paris
Bomb attack at the Turkish Tourism Bureau. Extensive damage. The "New
Armenian Resistance Group" claims responsibility.
June 6, 1977 Zurich
Bomb attack at the store of a Turkish citizen, Hüseyin Bülbül.
June 9, 1977 Rome
Assassination of the Turkish Ambassador to the Holy See, Taha Caržm.
He dies soon after the attack. The JCAG claims responsibility.
October 4, 1977 Los Angeles
Bomb attack at the house of Professor Stanford Shaw, who teaches
Ottoman history at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).
Responsibility is claimed by an "Armenian Group of 28."
January 2, 1978 Brussels
Bomb attack at a building containing Turkish banking services. The
"New Armenian Resistance" claims credit.
June 2, 1978 Madrid
Terrorist attack on the automobile of the Turkish Ambassador, Zeki
Kuneralp. His wife, Necla Kuneralp, the retired Turkish Ambassador
Besir Balcžoglu die immediately in the rain of gunfire. The Spanish
chauffeur, Antonio Torres, dies of his injuries in the hospital. ASALA
and JCAG claim responsibility.
December 6, 1978 Geneva
A bomb explodes in front of the Turkish Consulate General. Extensive
damage. The "New Armenian Resistance Group" claims responsibility.
December 17, 1978 Geneva
A bomb explodes at the THY Bureau. ASALA claims responsibility.
July 8, 1979 Paris
The French capital experiences four bomb attacks in a single day. The
first is at the THY offices; the next at the offices of the Turkish
Labor Attache; the third in the Turkish Information and Tourism
Bureau. A fourth explosive, intended for the Turkish Permanent
Representative to the O.E.C.D., is defused before it explodes. The
JCAG claims responsibility.
August 22, 1979 Geneva
A bomb is thrown at the car of the Turkish Consul General, Niyazi
Adalž. The diplomat escapes unhurt. Two Swiss passers-by are injured.
Two cars are destroyed.
August 27, 1979 Frankfurt
The offices of THY are totally destroyed by an explosion. A pedestrian
is injured. The ASALA claims responsibility.
October 4, 1979 Copenhagen
Two Danes are injured when a bomb explodes near the offices of THY.
ASALA claims credit.
October 12, 1979 The Hague
Ahmet Benler, the son of Turkish Ambassador Özdemir Benler, is
assassinated by Armenian terrorists. The murderers escape. JCAG and
ASALA claim responsibility.
October 30, 1979 Milan
The offices of THY are destroyed by a bomb explosion. ASALA claims
responsibility.
November 8, 1979 Rome
The Turkish Tourism Office is destroyed by a bomb. ASALA claims
responsibility.
November 18, 1979 Paris
Bomb explosions destroy the offices of THY, KLM, and Lufthansa. Two
French policemen are injured. Responsibility is claimed by ASALA.
November 25, 1979 Madrid
Bomb explosions in front of the offices of TWA and British Airways.
ASALA, in claiming responsibility, states that the attacks are meant
as a warning to the Pope to cancel his planned visit to Turkey.
December 9, 1979 Rome
Two bombs explode in downtown Rome, damaging the offices of PAN AM,
British Airways and the Philippine Airways. Nine people are injured in
the terrorist attack. A "New Armenian Resistance Movement" claims
responsibility.
December 17, 1979 London
Extensive damage is caused when a bomb explodes in front of the THY
offices. A "Front for the Liberation of Armenia" claims
responsibility.
December 22, 1979 Paris
Yžlmaz Çolpan, the Tourism Attache at the Turkish Embassy is
assassinated while walking on the Champs Elysées. Several groups,
including ASALA, JCAG and the "Commandos of Armenian Militants Against
Genocide" claim responsibility.
December 22, 1979 Amsterdam
Heavy damage results from a bomb explosion in front of the THY
offices. ASALA claims credit.
December 23, 1979 Rome
A bomb explodes in front of a World Council of Churches Refugee
Center, being used as a transit point for Armenian refugees from
Lebanon. ASALA claims credit for the attack and warns the Italian
authorities to halt "the Armenian diaspora."
December 23, 1979 Rome
Three bomb explosions occur in front of the offices of Air France and
TWA, injuring a dozen passers-by. ASALA claims responsibility, stating
that the bomb was placed "in reprisal against the repressive measures
of French authorities against Armenians in France" (i.e., questioning
suspects, carry out investigations, etc.)
January 10, 1980 Teheran
A bomb which explodes in front of the THY offices causes extensive
damage. ASALA claims responsibility.
January 20, 1980 Madrid
A series of bomb attacks, resulting in numerous injuries, occurs in
front of the offices of TWA, British Airways, Swissair, and Sabena.
The JCAG claims credit for the attacks.
February 2, 1980 Brussels
Two bombs explode within minutes of each other in front of the
downtown offices of THY and Aeroflot. The "New Armenian Resistance
Group" issues a communique in which they claim responsibility for both
attacks.
February 6, 1980 Bern
A terrorist opens fire on Turkish Ambassador Dogan Türkmen, who
escapes with minor wounds. The would-be-assassin, an Armenian named
Max Klindjian, is subsequently arrested in Marseilles and returned to
Switzerland for trial. The JCAG claims credit for the attack.
February 18, 1980 Rome
The offices of Lufthansa, El Al and Swissair are damaged by two bomb
attacks. Telephone messages give three reasons for the attacks: 1. The
Germans support "Turkish fascism"; 2. The Jews are Zionists (ASALA);
3. The Swiss behave "repressively" towards the Armenians.
March 10, 1980 Rome
Bomb attacks on the THY and Turkish Tourism Bureau offices on the
Piazza Della Repubblica. The blasts kill two Italians and injure
fourteen. Credit for the attack is claimed by the "New Armenian
Resistance of the Armenian Secret Army."
April 17, 1980 Rome
The Turkish Ambassador to the Holy See, Vecdi Türel, is shot and
seriously wounded. His chauffeur, Tahsin Güvenç, is also slightly
wounded in the assassination attempt. JCAG claims responsibility for
the attack.
May 19, 1980 Marseilles
A rocket aimed at the Turkish Consulate General in Marseilles is
discovered and defused prior to exploding. ASALA and a group calling
itself "Black April" claim credit for the attack.
July 31, 1980 Athens
Galip Özmen, the Administrative Attache at the Turkish Embassy, and
his family are attacked by Armenian terrorists while sitting in their
car. Galip Özmen and his fourteen-year-old daughter, Neslihan, are
killed in the attack. His wife, Sevil, and his sixteen-year-old son,
Kaan, are wounded. Credit for the double killing is claimed by ASALA.
August 5, 1980 Lyon
Two terrorists storm into the Turkish Consulate General in Lyon and
open fire, killing two and injuring several other bystanders. ASALA
claims credit for the attack.
August 11, 1980 New York
An "Armenian group" hurls paint bombs at the Turkish House across from
the United Nations, home of the Turkish Representations in New York.
September 26, 1980 Paris
Selçuk Bakkalbasž, the Press Counselor at the Turkish Embassy, is shot
as he enters his home. Bakkalbasž survives but is permanently
paralyzed as a result of his injuries. ASALA claims responsibility for
the attack.
October 3, 1980 Geneva
Two Armenian terrorists are injured when a bomb they are preparing
explodes in their Geneva hotel room. The two, Suzy Mahseredjian from
Canoga Park, California, and Alexander Yenikomechian, are arrested.
Their arrest leads to the formation of a new group called "October 3,"
which subsequently strikes at Swiss targets.
October 3, 1980 Milan
Two Italians are injured when a bomb explodes in front of the THY
offices. ASALA claims credit for the attack.
October 5, 1980 Madrid
The offices of Alitalia are rocked by a bomb explosion which injures
twelve individuals. The ASALA claims responsibility for the attack.
October 6, 1980 Los Angeles
Two molotov cocktails are thrown into the home of the Turkish Consul
General, Kemal Aržkan. He survives with injuries.
October 10, 1980 Beirut
Two bombs explode near Swiss offices in West Beirut. A group calling
itself "October 3" claims responsibility for these bombings as well as
others on the same day against Swiss offices in England.
October 12, 1980 New York
A bomb placed in front of the Turkish House explodes. Four passers-by
are injured. JCAG assumes responsibility.
October 12, 1980 Los Angeles
A travel agency in Hollywood, owned by a Turkish-American, is
destroyed. JCAG claims responsibility.
October 12, 1980 London
The Turkish Tourism and Information Bureau's offices are damaged by a
bomb explosion. ASALA claims credit.
October 12, 1980 London
A Swiss shopping complex in central London is damaged by a bomb blast.
Callers claim the explosion was the work of "October 3."
October 13, 1980 Paris
A Swiss tourist office is damaged by a bomb explosion. "October 3"
again claims credit.
October 21, 1980 Interlaken, Switzerland
A bomb is found in a Swiss express train coming from Paris. Luckily,
it does not explode. "October 3" is believed to be behind the action,
which could have caused a catastrophe.
November 4, 1980 Geneva
The Swiss Palace of Justice in Geneva is heavily damaged by a bomb
explosion. Credit is claimed by "October 3."
November 9, 1980 Strasbourg
Heavy damage results from a bomb blast at the Turkish Consulate
General. The attack is claimed by ASALA.
November 10, 1980 Rome
Five people are injured in attacks on the Swissair and Swiss Tourist
offices. ASALA and "October 3" claim credit.
November 19, 1980 Rome
The offices of the Turkish Tourism Bureau and those of THY are damaged
by a bomb explosion. ASALA claims responsibility.
November 25, 1980 Geneva
The offices of the Union of Swiss Banks are hit by a bomb explosion.
Responsibility is claimed by "October 3."
December 5, 1980 Marseilles
A police expert defuses a time bomb left at the Swiss Consulate in
Marseilles. "October 3" claims responsibility.
December 15, 1980 London
Two bombs placed in front of the French Tourism Office in London are
defused by a Scotland Yard bomb squad. "October 3" claims the bombs
are a warning to the French for assistance they have rendered the
Swiss in fighting Armenian terrorism.
December 17, 1980 Sydney
Two terrorists assassinate saržk Aržyak, the Turkish Consul General,
and his bodyguard, Engin Sever. JCAG claims responsibility.
December 25, 1980 Zurich
A bomb explosion destroys a radar monitor at Kloten Airport, and a
second explosive planted on the main runway of the airport is defused.
"October 3" claims credit for these attempted mass-murders.
December 29, 1980 Madrid
A Spanish reporter is seriously injured in a telephone booth while
calling in a story to his paper about the bomb attack on the Swissair
offices. "October 3" claims responsibility.
December 30, 1980 Beirut
Bomb attack on the Credit-Suisse offices. ASALA and "October 3" fight
over who gets the credit.
January 2, 1981 Beirut
In a press communique, ASALA threatens to "attack all Swiss diplomats
throughout the world" in response to the alleged mistreatment of "Suzy
and Alex" in Switzerland. On January 4, ASALA issues a statement
giving the Swiss a few days to think things over.
January 14, 1981 Paris
A bomb explodes in the car of Ahmet Erbeyli, the Economic Counselor of
the Turkish Embassy. Erbeyli is not injured, but the explosion totally
destroys his car. A group calling itself the "Alex Yenikomechian
Commandos" of ASALA claims credit for the explosion.
January 27, 1981 Milan
The Swissair and Swiss Tourist offices in Milan are damaged by bomb
explosions. Two passers-by are injured. "October 3" claims credit for
the bombing in a call to local media representatives.
February 3, 1981 Los Angeles
Bomb-squad officials disarm a bomb left at the Swiss Consulate. The
terrorists threaten in anonymous phone calls that such attacks will
continue until Suzy Mahseredjian is released.
February 5, 1981 Paris
Bombs explode in the TWA and Air France offices. One injured, heavy
material damage. "October 3" claims credit.
March 4, 1981 Paris
Two terrorists open fire on Resat Moralž, Labor Attache at the Turkish
Embassy, Tecelli Arž, Religious Affairs Attache, and Ilkay Karakoç,
the Paris representative of the Anadolu Bank. Moralž and Arž are
assassinated. Karakoç manages to escape. ASALA claims responsibility.
March 12, 1981 Teheran
A group of ASALA terrorists try to occupy the Turkish Embassy, killing
two guards in the process. Two of the perpetrators are captured and
later executed by the Iranians. ASALA claims credit.
April 3, 1981 Copenhagen
Cavit Demir, the Labor Attache at the Turkish Embassy, is shot as he
enters his apartment building late in the evening and is seriously
wounded. Both ASALA and JCAG claim the attack.
June 3, 1981 Los Angeles
Bombs force the cancellation of performances by a Turkish folk-dance
group. Threats of similar bombings force the group's performances in
San Francisco to be canceled as well.
June 9, 1981 Geneva
Mehmet Savas Yergüz, Secretary in the Turkish Consulate, is
assassinated by the Armenian terrorist Mardiros Jamgotchian. The
arrest of the ASALA terrorist leads to the formation of a new ASALA
branch called the "Ninth of June Organization," which will be
responsible for a new series of attacks.
June 11, 1981 Paris
A group of Armenian terrorists, led by one Ara Toranian, occupies the
THY offices. Initially ignored by the French authorities, the
terrorists are only evicted from the premises after vehement protests
from the Turkish Embassy.
June 19, 1981 Teheran
A bomb explodes at the offices of Swissair. The "Ninth of June
Organization" claims responsibility.
June 26, 1981 Los Angeles
A bomb explodes in front of the Swiss Banking Corporation offices.
Again the work of the "Ninth of June Organization."
July 19, 1981 Bern
A bomb explodes at the Swiss Parliament Building. "Ninth of June"
claims responsibility.
July 20, 1981 Zurich
"Ninth of June" strikes again. A bomb explodes in an automatic
photo-booth at Zurich's international airport.
July 21, 1981 Lausanne
Twenty women are injured as a bomb laid by Armenian terrorists
explodes in a department store. "Ninth of June" claims responsibility.
July 22, 1981 Geneva
A bomb explodes in a locker at the train station. Authorities suspect
"Ninth of June."
July 22, 1981 Geneva
An hour later, a second bomb explodes in a locker at the station.
Police cordoned off the area following the first explosion, thereby
preventing injuries from the second.
August 11, 1981 Copenhagen
Two bombs destroy the offices of Swissair. An American tourist is
injured in the explosion. "Ninth of June" claims responsibility.
August 20, 1981 Los Angeles
A bomb explodes outside the offices of Swiss Precision Instruments.
The attack is claimed by "Ninth of June."
August 20, 1981 Paris
Explosion at Alitalia Airlines. "October 3" is back in action.
September 15, 1981 Copenhagen
Two people are injured as a bomb explodes in front of the THY offices.
Police experts manage to defuse a second bomb. Credit is claimed by a
"Sixth Armenian Liberation Army."
September 17, 1981 Teheran
A bomb explosion damages a Swiss Embassy building. ASALA's "Ninth of
June" claims responsibility.
September 24, 1981 Paris
Four Armenian terrorists occupy the Turkish Consulate General. During
their entry into the building, the Consul, Kaya Inal, and a security
guard, Cemal Özen, are seriously wounded. Terrorists take 56 hostages.
Özen dies of his injuries in the hospital. The terrorists are ASALA
members.
October 3, 1981 Geneva
The main post office and the city courthouse are hit by bomb
explosions. An ASALA member is scheduled to go on trial for murder in
the courthouse. "Ninth of June" claims credit for the attacks, which
leave one person injured.
October 25, 1981 Rome
An Armenian terrorist fires at Gökberk Ergenekon, Second Secretary at
the Turkish Embassy. Ergenekon is wounded in the arm. ASALA claims
credit in the name of the "September 24 Suicide Commandos."
October 25, 1981 Paris
Fouquet's, the fashionable French restaurant, is the target of a bomb
attack. A group calling itself "September-France" claims the attack.
October 26, 1981 Paris
The same group is behind the explosion of a booby-trapped automobile
in front of "Le Drugstore."
October 27, 1981 Paris
"September-France" carries out a bomb attack at Roissy Airport.
October 27, 1981 Paris
A second bomb explodes near a busy escalator at Roissy Airport. No one
is injured. "September-France" claims responsibility.
October 28, 1981 Paris
The same group is responsible for a bomb attack in a movie theater.
Three people are injured.
November 3, 1981 Madrid
A bomb explodes in front of the Swissair offices, injuring three
persons. Considerable damage to nearby buildings. ASALA claims
responsibility.
November 5, 1981 Paris
A bomb explodes in the Gare de Lyon, injuring one person. The attack
is claimed by the Armenian "Orly Organization."
November 12, 1981 Beirut
Simultaneous bomb explosions occur in front of three French offices:
the French Cultural Center, the Air France offices and the home of the
French Consul General. The "Orly Organization" claims responsibility.
This organization owes its name to the fact that the French police
arrested an Armenian at Orly Airport in Paris because of forged
papers. The idea now is to "bomb him free."
November 14, 1981 Paris
A bomb explosion damages an automobile near the Eiffel Tower. "Orly"
claims responsibility.
November 14, 1981 Paris
"Orly" launches a grenade attack on a group of tourists disembarking
from a sightseeing boat on the River Seine.
November 15, 1981 Paris
"Orly" threatens to blow up an Air France airplane in flight.
November 15, 1981 Beirut
Simultaneous bomb attacks are carried out against three French
targets: the "Union des Assurances de Paris", the Air France offices
and the "Banque Libano-Française". "Orly" is responsible.
November 15, 1981 Paris
A McDonald's restaurant is destroyed by "September-France."
November 16, 1981 Paris
A bomb injures two innocent bystanders at the Gare de l'Est. "Orly"
claims responsibility.
November 18, 1981 Paris
"Orly" announces that it has planted a bomb at the Gare du Nord.
November 20, 1981 Los Angeles
The Turkish Consulate General in Beverly Hills suffers extensive
damage. The JCAG claims credit.
January 13, 1982 Toronto
An ASALA bomb causes extensive damage to the Turkish Consulate
General.
January 17, 1982 Geneva
Two bombs destroy parked cars. The ASALA "Ninth of June Organization"
claims credit.
January 17, 1982 Paris
A bomb explodes at the Union of Banks and a second is disarmed at the
Credit Lyonnais. "Orly" claims responsibility.
January 19, 1982 Paris
A bomb explodes in the Air France offices in the Palais des Congres.
"Orly" claims responsibility.
January 28, 1982 Los Angeles
Kemal Aržkan, the Turkish Consul General in Los Angeles, is
assassinated by two terrorists while driving to work. Nineteen year
old Hampig Sassounian is arrested and sentenced to life.
March 22, 1982 Cambridge, Massachusetts
A gift shop belonging to Orhan Gündüz, the Turkish Honorary Consul
General in Boston, is blown up. Gündüz receives an ultimatum: Either
he gives up his honorary position or he will be "executed."
Responsibility is claimed by the JCAG.
March 26, 1982 Beirut
Two dead, sixteen injured in an explosion at a movie theater. ASALA
claims credit for the attack.
April 8, 1982 Ottawa
Kani Güngör, the Commercial Attache at the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa,
is seriously wounded in an attack by Armenian terrorists in the garage
of his apartment house. ASALA claims responsibility.
April 24, 1982 Dortmund, West Germany
Several Turkish-owned businesses suffer extensive damage in bomb
attacks. The "New Armenian Resistance Organization" claims
responsibility.
May 4, 1982 Cambridge, Massachusetts
Orhan Gündüz, the Turkish Honorary Consul General in Boston is
assassinated. The murderer is still at large.
May 10, 1982 Geneva
Bombs explode at two banks. The attacks are claimed by an Armenian
"World Punishment Organization."
May 18, 1982 Toronto
Four Armenians are arrested for trying to smuggle money out of the
country. The money was extorted from Armenians, a common practice
throughout the world. In the course of the investigation, it is
discovered that the terrorists fire-bombed the house of an Armenian
who refused to make his contribution to Armenian terrorism.
May 18, 1982 Tampa, Florida
Attack at the office of Nash Karahan, the Turkish Honorary Consul
General.
May 26, 1982 Los Angeles
A bomb damages the office of Swiss Banking Corporation. The suspects:
four Armenians accused of involvement in ASALA.
May 30, 1982 Los Angeles
Three members of ASALA are arrested when planting a bomb in the Air
Canada cargo-office.
June 7, 1982 Lisbon
The Administrative Attache at the Turkish Embassy, Erkut Akbay, and
his wife, Nadide Akbay, are assassinated in front of their home. JCAG
claims responsibility.
July 1, 1982 Rotterdam
Kemalettin Demirer, the Turkish Consul General in Rotterdam, is shot
down by four Armenian terrorists. An "Armenian Red Army" claims
responsibility.
July 21, 1982 Paris
Sixteen injured in a bomb explosion near a cafe in the Place
Saint-Severin. Credit is claimed by the Orly Organization. "Orly"
complains that the French do not treat the arrested Armenian
terrorists as "political prisoners," but rather as ordinary criminals.
July 26, 1982 Paris
"Orly" is responsible for injuring two women in an explosion in Paris'
"Pub Saint-Germain."
August 2, 1982 Paris
Pierre Gulumian, an Armenian terrorist, is killed when a bomb he is
making explodes in his face.
August 7, 1982 Ankara, Esenboga Airport
Two Armenian terrorists open fire in a crowded passenger waiting room.
One of the terrorists takes more than twenty hostages while the second
is apprehended by the police. Nine people are dead and eighty-two
injured&emdash;some seriously. The surviving terrorist, Levon
Ekmekjian is arrested and sentenced.
August 8, 1982 Paris
A bomb is defused in time. "Orly" regrets the discovery.
August 12, 1982 Paris
Terrorists open fire on a policeman assigned to protect the offices of
the Turkish Tourism Attache. Luckily, he escapes without injury.
August 27, 1982 Ottawa
Colonel Atilla Altžkat, the Military Attache at the Turkish Embassy,
is assassinated in his car. JCAG claims responsibility.
September 9, 1982 Burgaz, Bulgaria
Bora Süelkan, the Administrative Attache at the Turkish Consulate
General in Burgaz, is assassinated in front of his home. The assassin
leaves a message "We shot dead the Turkish diplomat: Combat Units of
Justice Against the Armenian Genocide." An anonymous caller claims
that the assassination is the work of a branch of the ASALA.
October 26, 1982 Los Angeles
Five Armenian terrorists are charged with conspiring to blow up the
offices of the Honorary Turkish Consul General in Philadelphia. All
belong to the JCAG.
December 8, 1982 Athens
Two Armenians on a motorbike throw a bomb at the offices of the Saudi
Arabian Airlines. The bomb hits a power pylon, explodes and kills one
of the terrorists. His accomplice, an Armenian from Iran named Vahe
Kontaverdian is arrested. It is later revealed that ASALA ordered the
attack because Saudi Arabia maintains friendly relations with Turkey.
January 21, 1983 Anaheim, California
Nine "sophisticated" pipe bombs are confiscated from an Armenian
bakery after one of the detonators goes off and causes fire.
January 22, 1983 Paris
Two terrorists attack the offices of THY with hand grenades. No one is
injured. ASALA claims credit.
January 22, 1983 Paris
French police defuse a powerful explosive device near the THY counter
at Orly airport.
February 2, 1983 Brussels
The offices of THY are bombed. The "New Armenian Resistance
Organization" claims responsibility.
February 28, 1983 Luxembourg
A bomb placed in front of Turkey's diplomatic mission is defused. The
Armenian Reporter in New York reports that the "New Armenian
Resistance Organization" is responsible.
February 28, 1983 Paris
A bomb explodes at the Marmara Travel Agency. Killed in the explosion
is Renée Morin, a French secretary. Four other Frenchmen are wounded.
A few minutes after the attack, ASALA claims responsibility.
March 9, 1983 Belgrade
Galip Balkar, the Turkish Ambassador to Yugoslavia is assassinated in
central Belgrade. His chauffeur, Necati Kayar is shot in the stomach.
As the two assailants flee from the scene, they are bravely pursued by
Yugoslav citizens. One of the terrorists shoots and wounds a Yugoslav
Colonel, and is in turn apprehended by a policeman. The second
terrorist opens fire on civilians who are chasing him, killing a young
student and wounding a young girl. The two terrorists, Kirkor Levonian
and Raffi Elbekian, are tried and sentenced.
March 31, 1983 Frankfurt
An anonymous caller threatened to bomb the offices and kill the staff
of Tercüman newspaper, a Turkish daily.
May 24, 1983 Brussels
Bombs explode in front of the Turkish Embassy's Culture and
Information offices and in front of a Turkish-owned travel agency. The
Italian director of the travel agency is wounded. ASALA claims credit.
June 16, 1983 Istanbul
Armenian terrorists carry out an attack with hand grenades and
automatic weapons inside the covered bazaar in Istanbul. Two dead,
twenty-one wounded. ASALA claims responsibility.
July 8, 1983 Paris
Armenian terrorists attack the offices of the British Council,
protesting against the trials of Armenians in London.
July 14, 1983 Brussels
Armenian terrorists murder Dursun Aksoy, the Administrative Attache at
the Turkish Embassy. ASALA, ARA and JCAG claim responsibility.
July 15, 1983 Paris
A bomb explodes in front of the THY counter at Orly airport. Eight
dead, more than sixty injured. A 29 years old Syrian-Armenian named
Varadjian Garbidjian confesses to having planted the bomb. He admits
that the bomb was intended to have exploded once the plane was
airborne.
July 15, 1983 London
A bomb, similar to the one that exploded at Orly, is defused in time.
ASALA claims responsibility for both attacks.
July 18, 1983 Lyon
A bomb threat is made by ASALA against the Lyon railroad station.
July 20, 1983 Lyon
Panicky evacuation of Lyon's Gare de Perrache following a bomb threat
from ASALA.
July 22, 1983 Teheran
"Orly" carries out bomb attacks on the French Embassy and Air France.
July 27, 1983 Lisbon
Five Armenian terrorists attempt to storm the Turkish Embassy in
Lisbon. Failing to gain access to the chancery, they occupy the
residence, taking the Deputy Chief of Mission(DCM) and his family
hostage. When explosives being planted by the terrorists go off,
Cahide Mžhçžoglu, wife of the DCM and four of the terrorists are blown
to pieces. The DCM, Yurtsev Mžhçžoglu, and his son Atasay are injured.
The fifth terrorist is killed in the initial assault by Turkish
security forces. One Portuguese policeman is also killed and another
wounded. The ARA claims responsibility.
July 28, 1983 Lyon
Another bomb threat on Lyon-Perrache railroad station. ASALA claims
responsibility.
July 29, 1983 Teheran
A threat to blow up the French Embassy in Teheran with a rocket attack
causes Iranian officials to increase security at the facility.
July 31, 1983 Lyon and Rennes
Bomb threats from Armenian terrorists force the emergency landing of
two domestic French flights carrying 424 passengers.
August 10, 1983 Teheran
A bomb explodes in an automobile at the French Embassy. ASALA claims
credit for the attack.
August 25, 1983 Bonn
A whole series of bomb attacks against offices of the French Consulate
General claim two lives and leave twenty-three injured. ASALA claims
responsibility.
September 9, 1983 Teheran
Two French Embassy cars are bombed. One of the bombs injures two
embassy staff members. ASALA claims credit.
October 1, 1983 Marseilles
A bomb blast destroys the U.S., Soviet and Algerian pavilions at an
international trade fair in Marseilles. One person is killed and
twenty-six injured. ASALA and "Orly" claim credit.
October 6, 1983 Teheran
A French Embassy vehicle is bombed, injuring two passengers. "Orly"
claims responsibility.
October 29, 1983 Beirut
Hand-grenade attack on the French Embassy. One of the ASALA terrorists
is arrested.
October 29, 1983 Beirut
The Turkish Embassy is attacked by three Armenian terrorists. One of
the assailants, Sarkis Denielian, a 19 years old Lebanese-Armenian is
apprehended. ASALA claims responsibility.
February 8, 1984 Paris
Bomb threat on an Air France flight to New York.
March 28, 1984 Teheran
A timed series of attacks is carried out against Turkish diplomats:
Two Armenian terrorists shoot and seriously wound Sergeant Ismail
Pamukçu, employed at the office of the Turkish Military Attache;
Hasan Servet Öktem, First Secretary of the Turkish Embassy, is
slightly wounded as he leaves his home;
Ibrahim Özdemir, the Administrative Attache at the Turkish Embassy,
alerts police to two suspicious looking men. They turn out to be
Armenian terrorists and are arrested;
In the afternoon of the same day, Iranian police arrest three more
Armenian terrorists outside the Turkish Embassy;
An Armenian terrorist is killed when a bomb he is attempting to plant
in the car of the Turkish Assistant Commercial Counselor explodes
prematurely. The dead terrorist is later identified as Sultan
Gregorian Semaperdan (ASALA).
March 29, 1984 Los Angeles
ASALA sends a written threat, saying they will assassinate Turkish
athletes who take part in the Olympics.
April 8, 1984 Beirut
ASALA issues a communique warning that all flights to Turkey will be
considered military targets.
April 26, 1984 Ankara
The Turkish Prime Minister, Turgut Özal, receives a threat warning him
that if he goes ahead with a planned visit to Teheran, ASALA will
schedule a major terrorist operation against his country.
April 28, 1984 Teheran
Two Armenian terrorists riding a motorcycle open fire on Isžk Yönder
as he drives his wife, Sadiye Yönder, to the Turkish Embassy where she
works. Isžk Yönder is killed, and ASALA claims credit for yet another
senseless murder.
June 20, 1984 Vienna
A bomb explodes in a car belonging to Erdogan Özen, Assistant Labor
and Social Affairs Counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Vienna. Özen is
killed and five others seriously wounded, including a policeman. ARA
terrorists claim credit for the crime.
June 25, 1984 Los Angeles
A news agency office in France receives a letter threatening to attack
all governments, organizations and companies which assist, in any way
whatsoever, Turkey's team at the Los Angeles Olympics.
August 13, 1984 Lyon
A bomb explodes in a Lyon train station causing minor damage. ASALA
claims credit.
September 1984 Teheran
Several Turkish owned firms in Iran come under attack after receiving
warning letters informing them that they are to be targeted. The first
victim is the Sezai Türkes Company. A Turkish employee is injured
while fighting the fire caused by the explosion. A chain of smaller
scale acts of intimidation follows.
September 1, 1984 Teheran
Iranian authorities expose a plot to assassinate Ismet Birsel, the
Turkish Ambassador to Teheran.
September 3, 1984 Istanbul
Two Armenian terrorists die as one of their bombs goes off too soon.
The ARA claims credit.
November 19, 1984 Vienna
Evner Ergun, Deputy Director of the Centre for Social Development and
Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations, Vienna is assassinated
while driving to work. The assassins leave a flag with the initials
"ARA" on his body.
December 1984 Brussels
Authorities are able to thwart a bombing attempt at the residence of
Selçuk Incesu, Turkish Consul General.
December 29, 1984 Beirut
Two French buildings in East Beirut are bombed. ASALA claims credit.
December 29, 1984 Paris
Following an ASALA threat to blow up an Air France plane, police
increase security at the Charles de Gaulle Airport.
January 3, 1985 Beirut
The offices of Agence France Presse are extensively damaged when a
bomb explodes.
March 3, 1985 Paris
An anonymous caller to Agence France Presse threatens to attack French
interests throughout the world upon the indictment of the three
terrorists who participated in the Orly attack.
March 12, 1985 Ottawa
Three heavily armed terrorists storm the Turkish Embassy, killing a
Canadian security guard in the process. After blowing up the front
door, the gunmen enter the building. Ambassador Coskun Kžrca manages
to escape but suffers extensive injuries. The wife and daughter of the
Ambassador, who were taken hostage, are later released, and the
terrorists surrender. ARA claims responsibility.
March 26, 1985 Toronto
A threat to blow up the city of Toronto's transit system leads to
chaos during the rush hour. An "Armenian Secret Army for the
Liberation of Our Homeland" claims responsibility for the threat.
November 1985 Brussels
A special anti-terrorist security squad of the Belgian police exposes
and arrests three Armenian terrorists with Portuguese passports. They
were planning an attack on Turkish officers at NATO headquarters.
November 28, 1985 Paris
French police arrest the leader of the terrorist
organization&emdash;the "Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of
Armenia-Revolutionary Movement" (ASALA-RM)&emdash;Mr. Monte Melkonian,
a U.S. citizen. In Melkonian's apartment, police confiscate weapons,
explosive devices, arrival and departure information on Turkish ships
scheduled to visit France and a picture of Turkey's Ambassador to
France, Adnan Bulak.
December 1985 Paris
Forty-one shoppers in two of Paris' leading department stores
(Gallerie Lafayette and Printemps) are injured (twelve seriously) when
nearly simultaneous bomb explosions rip through the stores. In the
ensuing panic, some 10,000 Christmas shoppers flee into the street.
The Armenian Reporter, published in New York, reports in its December
12th issue that French law enforcement authorities are concentrating
on ASALA as the most likely perpetrator. ASALA later takes credit for
the two bombings.
November 23, 1986 Melbourne
At 2:15 a.m. a bomb explodes in front of the Turkish Consulate
General. One dead -presumedly the perpetrator- and one Australian
injured.
bigmacnfries
Yeah, it is not "sick" to rape, torture and massacre millions of
totally innocent and defenceless human beings (Turks, Arabs, Jews,
Kurds and other non-Armenians) of Ottoman Eastern Anatolia to carve up
an Armenian homeland which never existed; but it is "sick" to disclose
Armenian savagery.
What sick and twisted logic!!!
Only an Armenian brainwashed brain with unconditional anti-Turksih
hatred can produce this sick and twisted logic. Only an Armenian sick
brain can say Turkey should go fuck herself".
What a sick and corrupt brain !!!
bigmacnfries
> From what I can see, demented turkish retard, you are considered an
> idiot even by your fellow turks.
>
> There are some sick creeps on usenet, but you outdo them all with your
> psychopathic hatred and anti-social agitation.
>
> BTW, what did your psychiatrist tell you is an anally regressed retard,
> you anally regressed retard? You didn't understand because you are too
> retarded? Too bad, a little self-knowledge would do you good, retard.
Yeah, it is not "sick" to rape, torture and massacre millions of
totally innocent and defenceless human beings (Turks, Arabs, Jews,
Kurds and other non-Armenians) of Ottoman Eastern Anatolia to carve up
an Armenian homeland which never existed; but it is "sick" to disclose
Armenian savagery.
What sick and twisted logic!!!
Only an Armenian brainwashed brain with unconditional anti-Turkish
hatred can produce this sick and twisted logic. Only an Armenian sick
brain can say "Turkey should go fuck herself".
What a sick, corrupt, hatefull brain !!!
bigmacnfries
Roman
CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX OF THE MAIN CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY COMMITED BY TURKEY
FROM 1878 TO THE PRESENT TIME
1878 March. Berlin Congress.
1878 June 4. Turkey sells Cyprus to England.
1879 Kurdish revolt at Badinan by Obeydalla.
1894 September - 1896 August. Sultan Abdul Hamit applies the policy of
genocide to the Armenians.
In August and September 1894, Armenians are slain in Sassun.
In October 1895 takes place the first organized genocide in Constantinople
and Trebizond and in November and December 1895 the authorities organized
a great massacre throughout the country.
In June 1896, the massacre of Van takes place.
After the capture by the Armenians in 26 - 8 - 1896 of the Ottoman Bank,
another massacre takes place in Constantinople. Total number of victims is
300000.
1896 May 12. Murders of Greeks and conflicts between Greeks and Turks in
the island of Crete.
1909 end of March. New massacres of the Armenians organized by the New -
Turks at Adana, Tarsus and other towns of Cilicia. Victims are 30000
Armenians and some American missionaries.
1909 Revolution of the Arabs in Yemen is suppressed in bloodshed by the
New - Turks.
1911 October 1. Assassination of Emilianos, Bishop of Grevena by the
Turks.
1912 Kurdish uprising in Mardin under Bedirhan and H. Remo, and in Bitlis
under Seyh Selim.
1912. The Turkish army in retreat from East Thrace loots the villages of
Didymotichon and Adrianopoli districts. Villages of the Malgara district
are burnt. The same happens in Kessani. Assassinations and massacres
accompany the destruction and looting in this predominantly Greek region.
1913 February. The Turkish authorities compel the Greek inhabitants of the
district of village Crithea to leave their village in East Thrace. A
brutal looting follows.
1913. The reoccupation of Eastern Thrace by the Turkish army leads to
atrocities and massacres o f Greeks. 15690 are the victims of these
massacres. In the regions of Malgara and Charioupoli many villages are
also destroyed. Massacres were followed by looting.
1914 February 8. The Dutch Westerneck and the Norwegian Hoft are appointed
as General Inspectors of the Armenian provinces.
1914 May 25 .The Greek Orthodox (Ecumenical) Patriarcate protests for the
persecution of Christians and commands all churches and schools to be
closed.
1914 May 27. The Turkish authorities at Pergamum command all Christian
population to leave the town within two hours. The terrorized inhabitants
take refuge in the Greek island of Mytilini.
1914 May - June. The Turkish authorities enforce all kinds of persecutions
in the Greek regions of West Asia Minor. The coast of Asia Minor is
devastated. In Erythrea and Phocaia the massacres of Greeks are merciless.
1914 July. The General Inspectors of the Armenian provinces arrive in
Constantinople. Mr. Hoft arrives at Van.
1914 July - August. The Turkish government creates «the forced labor
battalions». It is a new scheme for extermination of the Greeks - Ottoman
citizens - drafted in the Turkish army. By this method of the "forced
labor battalions» 400000 Greeks were exterminated by hunger, hardship,
maltreatment and deprivation.
1914 September. The Turks declare persecution against the Greek
inhabitants of the Makri region of the South - West Asia Minor. Many are
killed. Persecution is followed by plunders, violations and robberies.
1914 November. By order of the Turkish government many villages of Eastern
Thrace where there was a great majority of Greek population are forcibly
evacuated (Neochorio, Galatas, Callipoli etc..) Plunder of houses and
shops follows. Thousands fled from their ancestral homes to Greece.
1914 November - December. By order of the Turkish government, the region
of Visii and part of the Saranda Eklisiae is evacuated. 19000 Greeks are
exiled in Anatolia and their properties looted. According to the
Ecumenical Patriarchate records, 119,940 Greeks were expelled from East
Thrace.
1914 January - December. More than 250000 Greeks are exiled from East
Thrace and Smyrna's region. The properties of the exiled are detained.
1914. During this year Turkish persecutions against the Greeks are
hardened. The Ecumenical Patriarchate strongly protests. Talbot bye the
Minister of internal affairs visits the pro-vinces to examine the
complaints, but the persecutions are intensified because the minister in
collaboration with the local authorities renders them more systematic.
1915 April. Arrests in great numbers of Armenian intellectuals and
prominent national Armenian leaders in Constantinople and the provinces.
They are deported in Anatolia and are slain on the road. The Armenian
soldiers of the Turkish army are disarmed and massacred by thousands. The
Armenian population is exiled to the Syrian desert and massacred by tens
of thousands, slain by the Turkish army, the irregulars and the civilians
or left to die of hunger and maltreatment 1,500,000. Armenians are the
victims of Turkish ferocity.
1915 June 13. "The formal declaration" of the Armenian extermination is
published by the Ottoman government.
1915 September 16. A secret telegram to the Allepo District Command
orders: "You have knowledge that the government has decided the thorough
extermination of the Armenian population living in Turkey. Everyone who
has a contrary opinion cannot continue to be a member of the State
administration. There must be an end to their existence without any mercy
for the women, children and invalid persons regardless of the awful means
of extermination. Minister of Internal Affairs Talaat bey». You are not
wrong. It is an order of the Turkish government addressed to Turks who are
supposed to belong to the human race. Every comment is unnecessary.
1915. The Turks begin a fierce persecution against the Syrian Orthodox and
Nestorians living in Hakkari, Mardin and Midyat regions. Though not well
known, this persecution equals that of the Armenians. One of the first
victims was Adai Ser Archbishop of Sert. General massacres and full
destruction were its characteristics. The annihilation was almost
completed till the end of World War I.
1916. Destruction of the region Riseou - Platanou of Pontus. Plunder of
the towns Ofis, Sourmena and Gemoura. The looting organized by the Ottoman
State officials took place under the leadership of Ahmet bey and that of
field marshal Velip pacha.
1916. The Turks compel the inhabitants of different regions of Pontus to
immigrate to Sivas. Only 550 survived out of 16,750 inhabitants of the
Elevi and Tripoli regions. Of the 49,520 inhabitants of Trebizont only
20.300 saved their lives, 1916 December 27. All prominent of Amissos and
4000 Greeks, inhabitants of the town are arrested and deported to
Anatolia.
1917 March 10. Adil Bey, deputy of Lebanon in the Ottoman Parliament
declared officially that only in Lebanon and Syria, 144,000 persons died
of hunger purposely provoked by the Turkish administration.
1917 Spring. The deportation of 23000 Greeks, inhabitants of Cydoniae is
ordered by the Turks
1917 November. 400 Greek families are expelled from the S.W. Asia Minor by
the Turks. Their properties are looted.
1918 January 8. The president of U.S.A. Wilson declares the principle of
self - determination for all the peoples oppressed by Turkey.
1918 April. Another 8000 Greek families are expelled from S.W. Asia Minor.
1918 May 28. After the victory of the Armenians over the Turkish army, the
independence of Armenia is proclaimed.
1918 June 4. After several months of fighting the Armenians have fought
alone against Turkey, the treaty of Batum is signed by which Turkey
recognizes the Independent Armenian Republic.
1919 June 4. After 5 years of exile the inhabitants of Pergamum return
home.
1919 June 25. The French premier Clemenceau says for the Armenian
massacres: «The whole history has not to show another example of such
organized hideous acts».
1920 January 19. The Supreme Allied Council recognizes the independence of
Armenia.
1920. Chryssanthos, Bishop of Trebizond is condemned to death in absentio
by the Court Martial of Ankara. The Bishop of Zilon is condemned and dies
in jail.
1920 August 10. Signature of the treaty of Sevres providing an independent
Armenia, self determination for Kurdistan and liberation of East Thrace
and Smyrna's territory, according to the president Wilson declaration for
self - determination of all peoples of Asia Minor.
1920 September. Kemalist Turkey attacks Armenia. The Armenians fight
desperately against the Turkish army. Finally the Armenians succumbed on 2
- 12 - 1920. The Turkish victory is followed by a general massacre of the
Armenians and the annexation of one half of the independent Armenia to
Turkey..
1920 November 22. The arbitration of President of U.S.A. Wilson on the
turco - Armenian frontiers is submitted.
1921 June 3. Kemalists arrest 1320 Greeks, prominent inhabitants of
Samsus. The next day they kill 701. The dead are buried in common graves
behind the house of Hekir Pacha. The rest are exiled in the interior of
Anatolia.
1922 August 24. The Turkish army seizes Pergamum. The Greek citizens flee
to save their lives.
1922 September 9. The Turks enter Smyrna. The city is set on fire. Wild
massacres of Greeks and Armenians take place. The victims count about
150000 persons.
1922 October. After the evacuation of East Thrace by the Greek army,
300000 Greeks are compelled to leave their country, where their ancestors
have lived for thousands of years.
1914 - l922 October. It is estimated that during these 8 years, the Greek
nation has suffered by the Turks:
Massacres. More than 150.000 Greeks of the Pontus region and more than
1400000 Greeks of Asia Minor have perished by massacres, shooting,
hanging, hunger and inhuman and criminal maltreatment by Turks. Refugees.
It is estimated that more than 1.700.000 Greeks were saved from the
Turkish murderous frenzy as refugees. 1400000 of them came to Greece from
East Thrace, Asia Minor and Pontus. About 200.000 went to Russia from
Pontus and the rest were dispersed all over the world. All these persons
left their fatherland, after more than 3000 years, during which their
ancestors have continuously lived in these regions, chased by the Turks,
newcomers in Asia Minor.
1924 July 10. Kurdish revolt of Nasturi in Hakkari. It was suppressed by
the 7th Turkish Army corps after 79 days 36 villages were destroyed 12
others were leveled down to the earth.
1925 March 3. The great Kurdish revolution bursts out at Elazig under Seyh
- Sait 10.000 Kurds seize Harput and attack Diyarbakir, the Capital of
Kurdistan After the complete destruction of 48 villages, the,revolution
was suppressed at 7/10/1927 drowned in Kurdish blood.
1926 May 16. Mount Agri Kurdish revolt takes place. The rebels caught
prisoner, the 28th Turkish infantry division. The revolt after being
spread to the regions of Hakkari, Siirt and Mardin, was suppressed after
fierce fights with more powerful forces at 17/7/1926.
1927 May 30. A great Kurdish revolution in Diyarbakir and Agri under Seyh
Enver. It was suppressed after violent fights at 7/10/1927. 2000 Kurdish
fighters were killed. For many days the waters of Murat river were turned
red by the blood of the slain Kurdish fighters.
1928. Two Kurdish uprisings took place. The first under Resul Aga at
Siirt, and the second under Ali Can. Accurate information lacking, owing
to Martial Law.
1930 June 2. Kurdish uprising at Agri region. It was suppressed at 18 - 9
- 30.
1930 August 31. Turkish newspaper Milliet publishes a declaration of
Premier Ismet Inonu «Only the Turkish nation has the right to have
national claims in this country. No other element has such a right».
1930 September 30. Turkish paper Milliet publishes a statement of the
Turkish minister of Justice:
«The Turk is the only master in his country. Those who are not pure Turks
have one right in this country: The right to be servants, the right to be
slaves». This is the way Turkey understands the human rights and behaves
to the minorities of Armenians, Greeks, Syrians and Kurds. Even today 12
million Kurds have not a school, their language, their music and dances
are prohibited, their leaders persecuted and the Kurdish people killed.
1935. A Kurdish uprising under Buban in Bitlis and in Siirt under Abdul
Rahman takes place.
1937. A Kurdish revolution under Seyh Risa, bursts at Dersim. Details are
not known because of the severe censorship by turkish authorities.
1937 May 23. The Turkish government forbids the edition of the newspaper
of Constantinople Son Telegraph, because it has referred to the Kurdish
sufferings.
1938 November 10. Death of Kemal Ataturk, the butcher of Kurds, Greeks and
Armenians who saved his country from partition.
1941 May. Mobilization of 20 classes of the Greek and Armenian minorities
living in Turkey and having Turkish citizenship, in order to exterminate
them in the same manner, as they have already done during World War I,
through the forced - labor battalions.
1942 November 11. The law of taxation on property of the non Muslims of
Turkey (Varlik Vergisi) is voted. It is a hideous attempt of economic
extermination of the Greek and Armenian communities, which were exposed
undefended to the excesses and abuse of power by the Turkish economic
authorities.
1955 September 6. The Turkish authorities organize a great pogrom against
the Greeks of Constantinople. 29 Churches were burnt and 46 looted. The
graves of the Ecumenical Patriarchs and Christian cemeteries were
vandalized. Thousands of shops were destroyed. Hundreds of women raped.
Vandalism's at a smaller scale have takes place in Smyrna.
1960 A military Coup takes place showing that the Armed Forces have always
been and will always will be in charge of Turkey where there is no real
Democracy.
1971 12 March. Another military Coup occurs which leaves the fascist
military in power until 1973.
1974 July 20. The Turkish army invades the independent and armless island
of Cyprus, member of U.N.O. and seizes the 40% of it, on pretext that this
is necessary for the Turkish -Cypriot minority which equals 18% of the
whole population.
1974 July - August. Despite the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council
No 353, 357, 358, 359, 360 etc. which urged: «The withdrawal without delay
from the Republic of Cyprus of foreign military personnel». The invading
Turkish forces have turned into a permanent occupation army, which for 25
years does not conform with the above resolutions, despises U.N.O.,
challenges every conscientious man of the World and undermines world
peace.
1975 The Turkish occupation regime in north Cyprus declares it to be a
"Federated Turkish State" in the face of UN condemnation. Out of the
200,000 original Greek Cypriot inhabitants who made up 82% of the
population only 20,000 remain in enclaves, soon to dwindle in number to
less than 600 through the deprivation of basic human rights including
Freedom of Movement, Education and Medical Treatment.
1978 The Turkish fascist state initiates a pogrom against Alevi-muslims
all over Turkey. All over Turkey, Grey Wolves murder hundreds of people.
The place where the most people are killed is Kahramanmaras. The
repression and criminalisation of Alevi-muslims in Turkey, continous also
in the present time
1978 December 25. Turkish fascists massacre hundreds of Kurds in Marash .
1978 December 28. Proclamation of Martial Law in 15 provinces of Turkish
Kurdistan prohibiting for 18 years now any information about the
sufferings of the Kurdish people. The fascist government of Ankara hopes
that they will achieve by force the submission of the enslaved peoples of
Asia Minor. They hope they will continue to occupy the country of Armenia,
Kurdistan, North Cyprus and the Greek fatherland of East Thrace and West
Asia Minor. The future will prove how wrong they are. Every free and
conscientious man of the world must help for that.
1980 September 12. Coup led by General Kenan Evren overthrows the
governing MHP replacing one brand of fascism with yet another lasting
until 1983.
1983 November 15. The illegal Turkish puppet regime declares independence
for the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC") in the occupied
part of Cyprus which has now been systematically Ethnically Cleansed of
over 200,000 indigenous Greek Cypriots. The "illegal" declaration is
immediately "Deplored" by the UN Security Council which declares the
"Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" "Legally Invalid" in Resolutions
541(1983) and 550 (1984) which also "Condemns" this and all other
secessionist actions.
1984 Turkey begins a crackdown on Kurds seeking autonomy. In the following
years many Kurdish Villages are razed to the ground and emptied of
inhabitants who are moved to other parts of Turkey or forced to flee as
refugees. Those who speak out against the Turkish regime are summarily
imprisoned or assassinated.
1993 The Turkish brutalities against the Kurdish people continue and are
stepped up. Turkey showing ABSOLUTELY NO RESPECT for international laws
and agreements invades Northern Iraq in its attempt to butcher the Kurdish
people
1995 Turkish soldiers from the Hakkari Mountain Commando Brigade slaughter
and dismember the bodies of Kurdish resistance fighters. They then take
photographs of themselves posing with the victims of their barbaric crime
and sell them as trophies at $2 a piece.
1996 January 27. Turkish naval forces briefly invade and occupy the island
of Imia which was deemed as Greek Territory by the Paris 1947 convention.
Only US intervention prevents a war. This is part of an endless list of
challenges to Greek sovereignty, which include illegal Turkish claims to
almost every Greek island in the Aegean, even the island Crete, and the
daily violation of Greek Air Space and Territorial Waters
1996 August 12/14. Turkish occupation and security forces together with
MHP Grey Wolves terrorists sent by the Turkish Government to occupied
Cyprus brutally beat and murder Cypriot refugees peacefully protesting
against Turkeys illegal occupation and ethnic cleansing of northern
Cyprus, in the UN buffer zone in front of United Nations onlookers and the
worlds media who capture the scenes on video. Tassos Isaak is clubbed to
death on August 12 by Turkish thugs and his cousin Solomos Solomou is shot
dead on August 14 by a so-called "minister" of the puppet occupation
regime.
1996 September 14. A 58-year-old Greek Cypriot Civillian, Petros
Kakoullis, was shot and killed while out collecting Snails, by the Turkish
occupation troops, receiving three bullets, two on the chest and one on
the neck.
1999 Turkey captures Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan and after torturing
him and depriving him of legal representatives subjects him to an inhume
trial in glass cage, demanding the death penalty from a specially set-up
Kangaroo Court.
1999 The death toll of Kurds killed in Turkish military operations rises
to over 40,000 and according to the figures published by Turkeys own
"parliament", 6,000 Kurdish Villages have been systematically emptied of
all inhabitants and 3,000,000 Kurds have been displaced.
Roman
Roman
Roman
bigmacnfries
> LEARN SOME DESPICABLE TURKISH HISTORY, TURKISH RETARD:
>
> CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX OF THE MAIN CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY COMMITED BY TURKEY
> FROM 1878 TO THE PRESENT TIME
>
"turkeyhumanrights" is a mouthpiece of Armenian/Greek/PKK/KADEK
anti-Turkish Hatred Inc and a fabricator of anti-Turkish hate
propaganda.
Roman (nir...@here.de), a thug and murderer of
Armenian/PKK/KADEK/Greek anti-Turkish Hatred Inc., posts another
anti-Turkish hate propaganda fabricated by "turkeyhumanrights" which
is a mouthpiece of Armenian/Greek/PKK/KADEK anti-Turkish Hatred Inc
and a fabricator of anti-Turkish hate propaganda.
Learn about the real tragedy of Armanian women:
bigmacnfries
> LEARN SOME DESPICABLE TURKISH HISTORY, TURKISH RETARD:
"turkeyhumanrights.fw.bz" is a mouthpiece of Armenian/Greek/PKK/KADEK
anti-Turkish Hatred
Inc and a fabricator of anti-Turkish hate propaganda.
Roman (nir...@here.de), a thug and murderer of
Armenian/PKK/KADEK/Greek anti-Turkish
Hatred Inc., posts another anti-Turkish hate propaganda fabricated by
"turkeyhumanrights
.fw.bz" which is a mouthpiece of Armenian/Greek/PKK/KADEK anti-Turkish
Hatred Inc and a
fabricator of anti-Turkish hate propaganda.
http://www.armenianreporteronline.com/old/20072002/c-tragedy.htm
By Avedis Yapujian
tragedy.
easier" means is left to the woman to put an end to her hunger:
selling her body. There
was prostitution in Armenia during the Soviet era as well (is there
any place where it
doesn't exist?); however, it had never become a common occurrence, the
need had never
been felt to create an artfully made word for it. Today, this activity
has reached
frightful proportions. The numbers given in the press cause
bewilderment, and those who
were present at a discussion which took place recently in the
Journalists House in
Yerevan agreed that it is impossible to eliminate this phenomenon.
Today, in order to
survive, our virgin girls willingly throw themselves into the arms of
debauched Turks for
the purpose of satisfying their bestial passion. Prostitution is
supposedly outlawed in
Armenia . . . You don't know whether to laugh at, or cry over, that
law. How can a law
satisfy a hungry, unfed woman? Again, by law, how many individuals can
be put in jail for
that activity, considering that they number in the thousands?
A journalist from Armenia, named Anush Babayian, writes: "The oldest
profession in the
world is experiencing a revival in Armenia." Is this the "revival"
created by
independence, while culture, the arts and literature have become
buried in darkness?
Anush Babayian gives frightening details: "The Armenian women who sell
their bodies have
a high 叢rofessional' reputation in the United Arab Emirates
(particularly Dubai) and
Turkey; they have expanded their 疎ctivity' in the United States,
Germany. . . ."
The numbers released in the press are more dreadful. Accordingly,
thirty thousand
Armenian women in Istanbul are providing pleasure and delight to the
offspring of
genocidists. Five thousand others "are working" in Ankara and Adana.
Their number in the
United Arab Emirates surpasses twenty thousand. Of the European
countries, they prefer
Germany in particular, because there is a large Turkish community
there. These women are
wandering along the sidewalks of Marseille, Athens and Barcelona. As
for Armenia, their
number in Yerevan alone is more than a thousand, according to official
statistics, but in
reality it is triple that number. Many of these women have children.
Fifty-two percent of
them have sexually transmitted diseases, which they pass on to their
male customers who,
of course, get other women infected. Those who are ill and don't have
free medical
treatment avoid going to clinics. Only some voluntarily turn
themselves in to law-
enforcement agencies so that they can get free medical treatment. As I
Roman
Roman
Seanie O'Kilfoyle
> DESPICABLE
John Woods
> POLICE RAID ON THE HOME OF A TORTURED KURDISH WOMAN:
>
"info-turk.be" is a mouthpiece of Armenian/Greek/PKK/KADEK
anti-Turkish Hatred Inc and a fabricator of anti-Turkish hate
propaganda.
Roman (nir...@here.de), a thug and murderer of
Armenian/PKK/KADEK/Greek anti-Turkish Hatred Inc., posts another
anti-Turkish hate propaganda fabricated by "info-turk.be" which is a
mouthpiece of Armenian/Greek/PKK/KADEK anti-Turkish Hatred Inc and a
fabricator of anti-Turkish hate propaganda.
Fucken rapist, murderer, torturer of innocent and defenceless Turks
cannot be lower than what they are, so there is no need to insult
them.
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR540011998?open&of=ENG-ARM
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
AI INDEX: EUR 54/001/1998 1 January 1998 AI Index: EUR 54/01/98
ARMENIA
Summary of Amnesty International's concerns
Armenia, one of the republics of the former Soviet Union, has taken
many steps towards building a democratic and civil society, and
reforming its judicial and legal systems, since achieving
independence.(1) It soon became a party to a number of important
international standards in the field of human rights.(2) A new
Constitution including basic rights and freedoms was adopted in 1995,
a Constitutional Court was established later the same year, and
parliament is currently debating a new criminal code to replace that
inherited from the Soviet era.
Many problems remain, however, and as Armenia stands on the threshold
of accepting a further set of human rights obligations, in connection
with its application for membership of the Council of Europe, Amnesty
International remains concerned that some of the guarantees and laws
already adopted to protect human rights are not being fully
implemented or observed. Within its remit Amnesty International's
concerns include young men imprisoned as prisoners of conscience owing
to the lack of a civilian alternative for conscientious objectors to
compulsory military service; allegations that political prisoners have
been subjected to unfair trials; and persistent reports of
ill-treatment in detention, of both criminal and political prisoners,
including cases in which such treatment is said to have led to deaths
in custody. In addition, although there have been no executions in
Armenia since independence, the death penalty has yet to be abolished
in law and there are believed to be at least 25 men currently on death
row.
This document presents a summary of these current concerns in Armenia,
and includes Amnesty International's recommendations.
Imprisonment of conscientious objectors
At least five young men are currently imprisoned in Armenia because
their conscience has led them into conflict with the law that makes
military service compulsory for young males, and offers them no
civilian alternative. Four of these men are named as John Martirosyan,
Yerem Nazaretyan, Tigran Petrosyan and Samvel Manukyan (little
substantive is known about the fifth man at present). Their stories,
described below, illustrate how Armenia is not respecting the
internationally-recognized right to conscientious objection. Other
rights are said to have been violated also. One of these young men,
for example, is said to have been forcibly conscripted and beaten
severely when he refused to don military uniform. The father of
another was reportedly illegally detained as a hostage by military
officials, in order to force his son to report for conscription.
Amnesty International regards these young men as prisoners of
conscience, and is calling for their immediate and unconditional
release.
Background to military service
Military service in Armenia is currently compulsory for all young men
between the ages of 18 and 27, and there is no civilian alternative
for those who cannot perform this military service because of
religious, moral, ethical or other objections. There have been regular
reports in recent years that some young men who refused to carry out
military service on grounds of conscience were being imprisoned for
lack of such an alternative. These reports have related mainly to
adherents to the Jehovah's Witness religion.
The Jehovah's Witnesses are said to have been active in Armenia since
1975, and they have faced various forms of problems with the
authorities since then. They are still refused official registration
in Armenia,(3) in connection with their position on military service.
The religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses do not permit them to
bear arms or to swear the oath of allegiance required by army
conscripts in Armenia, thereby bringing them into conflict with the
Armenian law requiring all young men to perform compulsory military
service. The current penalty for refusing conscription is from one to
five years' imprisonment, under Article 75 of the Criminal Code.
Up until 1994 it appears that in some cases local military enlistment
agencies in Armenia continued from the Soviet era an unofficial
practice of reaching a certain accommodation with religious
conscientious objectors, rather than prosecuting them. In such cases
conscripts with conscientious objections were not required to take the
normally compulsory oath of military allegiance, for example, and were
sent to serve in capacities where they were not required to bear arms,
such as drivers, cooks or as members of construction battalions. There
was said to have been a change in this more lenient approach from
1995, however, resulting in an increase in prosecutions of
conscientious objectors.
According to a report in the newspaper Ayzhm in April 1996,(4) for
example, this change in approach had resulted in the imprisonment of
15 Jehovah's Witnesses for various periods. The four still imprisoned
at the time the article was written were named as Sarkis Arakelian,
who was sentenced to one year's imprisonment, Karen Simonian, who
received two years' imprisonment, and Shahum Nahapetian and Grigor
Dayan who were both sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment. One of those
already released was named as Tigran Mardoyan, said to have completed
his second sentence for refusing to serve in the army. Two others,
Artur and Artak Hovhannissian, had reportedly left the country on
their release to avoid the same situation, of being called up again,
once more refusing to serve on conscientious grounds, and so facing a
repeat prosecution and imprisonment.(5)
Prosecutions have continued, and one unofficial source has reported to
Amnesty International that as of January 1998 there were at least five
Jehovah's Witnesses imprisoned for refusing on religious grounds to
perform compulsory military service. The four cases currently known to
Amnesty International are described below. The actual figure of
imprisoned conscientious objectors is probably higher.
Prisoner of conscience John Martirosyan
John Martirosyan is a Jehovah's Witness. On 1 March 1997, around three
months before his eighteenth birthday, he was notified of his
forthcoming conscription for compulsory military service at the autumn
call-up(6) and was ordered to go to the Shahumyan District Military
Registration and Enlistment Office (DMREO) to undergo a medical
examination. John Martirosyan did so, passed the medical, and handed
over a written statement to the District Military Commissar. In this
statement he notified the authorities of his inability to perform
compulsory military service on religious grounds, and wrote that - in
the absence of any alternative, non-military service - he understood
that such a refusal would result in criminal prosecution.
John Martirosyan
When he turned 18 on 21 June 1997, and knowing that his statement
would most probably be ignored, John Martirosyan decided to leave his
home - not to avoid prosecution, but to avoid being taken forcibly
into military service by the army (as happened in the case of Samvel
Manukyan described below, for example). Like others who have described
being in a similar situation, John Martirosyan preferred to await a
summons from the public prosecutor in connection with the institution
of criminal proceedings, and subsequently be tried as a civilian,
rather than be forcibly conscripted into a military unit. What
happened next in John Martirosyan's case - the detention of another
family member, in effect as a hostage in an effort to force him to
present himself at the DMREO - has also been widely alleged in other
cases.
Two days after John Martirosyan's eighteenth birthday, at around
6.30am, two men from the DMREO went to his house and asked about his
whereabouts. His father, Levon Martirosyan, replied that John had
already written a statement about his beliefs to the Military
Commissar, but went with the men back to the DMREO in order to hand
over a further copy of the statement which John had prepared in
advance for this eventuality. Once at the DMREO, however, officials
reportedly ripped up this statement and ordered Levon Martirosyan to
be detained in a solitary confinement cell until his son agreed to
present himself there for military service. This was around 7.00am on
23 June.
The following day Levon Martirosyan's wife went to the DMREO to seek
an explanation as to why he was being detained, and she was also told
that he would be kept until John Martirosyan came to take his place.
When she protested that her husband was unwell, having reportedly
suffered an attack of radiculitis while detained, and that she was
calling an ambulance, the Military Commissar himself was said to have
told her that in that case they would detain her instead of her
husband. Eventually the parents were allowed to leave the DMREO at
around 5.00pm on 24 June.
Representatives of the DMREO called repeatedly at the house after
that, and are said to have searched the premises on several occasions
without any official sanction. Eventually, on 18 August, the public
prosecutor's office rang summoning John Martirosyan to appear. His
parents went to the office and were told that their son must agree to
perform military service, or face prosecution. The following day John
Martirosyan himself went to the prosecutor's office, and was placed
under arrest.
The trial took place on 21 September, at the People's Court of
Shahumyan District of Yerevan, the capital. John Martirosyan was
convicted of "evading regular call-up to active military service"
under Article 75 of the Armenian Criminal Code, and sentenced to 18
months' imprisonment. He is serving his sentence at the Kosh ordinary
regime corrective labour colony(7), and will be due for release on 19
February 1999 (the time spent in pre-trial detention counting against
the sentence), should he serve his term in full.
Prisoner of Conscience Yerem Nazaretyan
Yerem Nazaretyan, who was born on 20 September 1976, received
notification of his call-up papers in autumn 1994. He underwent the
medical examination, and also straightaway notified the Zod District
MREO in Ararat Region that he was unable to perform compulsory
military service on religious and conscientious grounds. He repeated
these statements at various intervals, asking either to be able to
perform alternative service or to be prosecuted for his refusal to
perform military service. Like other young men in such a situation
Yerem Nazaretyan left his home, to avoid being forcibly taken into the
army, and went into hiding. At one point he was caught and taken to a
DMREO Assembly Point, but managed to escape. He married in August 1997
and went to live at the home of his father-in-law. He was eventually
arrested there on 22 October - at around 10.00pm that evening some men
are said to have gained entrance to the home saying they were
plumbers, and then detained him.
Yerem Nazaretyan
On 23 October Yerem Nazaretyan wrote to the public prosecutor of Vedi
district, again explaining the reasons which underlay his inability to
perform compulsory military service. Yerem Nazaretyan stated that
after studying the Bible and considering himself a true Christian, his
conscience did not allow him to serve in the army. He was prepared to
bear criminal responsibility for this, but emphasized that he was also
willing to perform alternative work. "Article 23 of the Constitution
of the Armenian Republic guarantees each the right to freedom of
conscience and religion", he wrote, "Respect my human dignity".
Yerem Nazaretyan was tried by Ararat District People's Court in the
city of Vedi on 24 November 1997, and sentenced to two years'
imprisonment under Article 75 of the Criminal Code for evading
military service. As of December that year he was held at the
Sovetashen investigation-isolation prison, awaiting transfer to a
corrective labour colony. Yerem Nazaretyan will be due for release by
October 1999 at the latest.
Prisoner of conscience Tigran Petrosyan
Tigran Petrosyan was born on 16 April 1977 and was notified of his
call-up to compulsory military service on 25 September 1996. He
immediately sent a written statement to the Military Commissar of the
Sovetsky (Khorhrdayin) District of Yerevan explaining that as a
Jehovah's Witness he was unable to perform compulsory military service
on religious and conscientious grounds, and asking for the opportunity
to perform a socially-useful, non-military alternative service. By the
beginning of October 1996 Tigran Petrosyan had received no response
and so repeated his statement in writing to the public prosecutor of
the Tigran Petrosyan Sovetsky District. As in the case of John
Martirosyan, his parents were reportedly harassed by representatives
of the DMREO, who also threatened to hold his brother as a hostage to
force Tigran Petrosyan to appear at their office.
Tigran Petrosyan
On 2 June 1997 the prosecutor's office instigated criminal proceedings
against Tigran Petrosyan, who was allowed to remain at liberty pending
his trial. The hearing took place on 21 August 1997 in the People's
Court of the Sovetsky District of Yerevan, and Tigran Petrosyan was
sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for evading call-up (Article 75
of the Criminal Code). He is serving his sentence at the Kosh ordinary
regime corrective labour colony, and will be due for release by 21
February 1999.
Prisoner of conscience Samvel Manukyan
The young men in the cases described above went to considerable
lengths to avoid the possibility of being forcibly conscripted into
the army, preferring to stand trial and serve a prison sentence
instead of finding themselves in a military unit and a situation of
great conflict with their conscientiously-held beliefs. Samvel
Manukyan, also a Jehovah's Witness, was not able to follow this
option: he was taken by force to a military unit and then tried under
military law when he escaped - the only way he could remove himself
from the military demands his conscience forbade him to carry out.
Samvel Manukyan
Samvel Manukyan was born on 15 November 1978 and left Armenia in April
1996, before he reached the age of conscription. He lived in Russia
for a while, before returning home of 28 November 1996. He was at
liberty for only a few days, as representatives of the DMREO detained
him at his home on 4 December and took him by force to military unit
63853 in Vanadzor. He reports that he was severely beaten there, and
forcibly dressed in a military uniform after his own clothes were torn
from him, in spite of his written statements that he wanted to be
tried as a civilian for refusing military service (under Armenian law
the offence of "evading regular call-up to active military service"
does not fall under the separate section of military crimes, because
the person concerned, having avoided conscription, had not legally
fallen under army jurisdiction at that point).
After two days at the military unit Samvel Manukyan managed to escape,
and spent the next five months staying with a friend. During this time
he sent several statements to relevant officials noting his refusal to
perform military service, and the reasons for it, and requesting to be
brought to trial rather than face forcible conscription. His family
contacted the procurator's office and believed they had reached an
agreement for him to face prosecution, so Samvel Manukyan eventually
returned home around 15 days before the trial was due to take place.
On 16 May 1997, however, eight representatives of the DMREO detained
him at his home and Samvel Manukyan was held for the next two months
in military custody in solitary confinement. He was also reportedly
beaten severely during this time. He stood trial on 15 July 1997 in
Vanadzor, and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for the
military crime of desertion (Article 255 part a) of the Armenian
Criminal Code). Samvel Manukyan is serving his term in Kosh ordinary
regime corrective labour colony, and will be due for release on 16 May
2000, should he serve his term in full.
International law and conscientious objection
The right to conscientious objection is a basic component of the right
to freedom of thought, conscience and religion - as articulated in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights (to which Armenia is a party), and the
European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms. It has been recognized as such in resolutions and
recommendations adopted by the United Nations Commission on Human
Rights, the United Nations Human Rights Committee, the Council of
Europe and the European Parliament.(8)
These bodies have all urged governments to guarantee that individuals
objecting to compulsory military service because of their
conscientiously held beliefs are given the opportunity to perform an
alternative service. They have stated explicitly in a number of
resolutions that this alternative service should be of a genuinely
civilian character and of a length which cannot be considered as
punitive. They have also recommended that individuals be permitted to
register as conscientious objectors at any point in time before their
conscription, after call-up papers have been issued, or during
military service. Likewise, the United Nations Commission on Human
Rights, the Council of Europe and the European Parliament have
emphasized that information about how to seek recognition as a
conscientious objector should be readily available to all those facing
conscription into the armed forces - as well as to those already
conscripted.
In October 1997, the importance which the Council of Europe attaches
to the recognition of the right to conscientious objection and the
provision of a genuinely civilian alternative service in each of its
member states was reflected in the decision of the Council's Steering
Committee for Human Rights to convene a Group of Specialists to assist
member states with the drafting and implementation of appropriate
legislation in this area and to raise public awareness of the issue.
This group is expected to hold its first meeting in Strasbourg in
April 1998.
Likewise, in November 1997, both the Council of Europe and the
European Union reminded participating states in the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) - including Armenia - at
the OSCE's Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw that
recognition of the right to conscientious objection to military
service is an important part of the Organization's commitment to
upholding freedom of thought, conscience and religion for all people
living in the OSCE region.
Amnesty International considers a conscientious objector to be any
person liable to conscription for military service who refuses to
perform armed service for reasons of conscience or profound
conviction. Their profound conviction may arise from religious,
ethical, moral, humanitarian, philosophical, political or similar
motives. But regardless of their objection, the right of such
individuals to refuse to carry weapons or to participate in wars or
armed conflicts must be guaranteed. This right also extends to those
individuals who have already been conscripted into military service,
as well as to soldiers serving in professional armies who have
developed a conscientious objection after joining the armed forces.
Wherever such a person is detained or imprisoned solely because they
have been refused their right to register an objection or to perform a
genuinely alternative service, Amnesty International will adopt that
person as a prisoner of conscience.
Amnesty International does not question the right of governments to
conscript individuals into the armed forces, nor does it agree or
disagree with the motives of individual conscientious objectors. In
keeping with the international standards mentioned above, however,
Amnesty International insists that all those liable to conscription
are given the opportunity to perform an alternative to armed service
on the grounds of their conscience or profound conviction. On this
basis, Amnesty International campaigns for the development of law and
procedure which make adequate provision for conscientious objectors,
and for the release of all those imprisoned solely on those grounds.
To this end Amnesty International is continuing to urge the relevant
authorities in Armenia to take all appropriate steps to introduce the
necessary legislation guaranteeing conscientious objectors their
fundamental rights without delay, and to ensure that no one is
imprisoned solely for exercising their right to conscientious
objection, in violation of international standards to which Armenia is
a party.
Allegations of ill-treatment in detention
Torture and cruel treatment is prohibited under the Armenian
Constitution(9), and evidence obtained through violation of legal
proceedings has no legal force.(10) It is also a criminal offence for
investigators and others to force a person to give testimony by use of
threats or other illegal actions.(11) These provisions are, of course,
in addition to the guarantees against torture contained in the
international standards to which Armenia is party.
Nevertheless, in recent years Amnesty International has received
persistent allegations that prisoners have been beaten and otherwise
ill-treated by law enforcement officials. In some cases it is alleged
that the beatings were carried out intentionally to obtain information
or a confession, in others the motivation is said to have been
intimidation. In some cases it is alleged that the victim died as a
result of the beatings received. Amnesty International's concern about
these reports has been compounded by the apparent reluctance on the
part of the authorities in many cases to conduct prompt and
comprehensive investigations, or to initiate proceedings against those
alleged to be responsible.
In many instances it has been difficult to corroborate such
allegations for a variety of reasons. Many detainees in pre-trial
detention, for example, are denied access to family members while the
investigation is continuing and have also reported problems in
obtaining full and prompt access to a defence lawyer or medical
practitioner of their own choice. This reduces the opportunities for
an independent examination of alleged injuries. Many detainees are
also said to fear reprisals if they make an official complaint, or to
have no faith in the commitment of the authorities to conduct an
impartial investigation.
Allegations of ill-treatment have been persistent, however, and come
from a wide variety of unrelated sources. An example is the wave of
beatings reported after the disputed presidential elections held in
September 1996. A few of the many allegations from this time are given
below. Although the events took place over a year ago, it is helpful
to outline them briefly in view of the prosecutions which took place
in 1997, and which are touched on in the following section on alleged
unfair trials of political prisoners.
Allegations of widespread beatings following the September 1996
presidential elections
The main contestants in the presidential elections held on 22
September 1996 were the incumbent, President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, and
Vazgen Manukian of the National Democratic Union. Vazgen Manukian's
supporters alleged irregularities in both the voting procedures and
the subsequent count, and disputed the official results which gave
President Ter-Petrosyan victory. In the days following the election
tens of thousands of people gathered in Yerevan, in protest at the
results. On 25 September events turned violent when sections of a
crowd gathered outside the National Assembly (parliament) building,
which also housed the Central Electoral Committee, launched an
apparently spontaneous attempt to storm the premises after it was
assumed, wrongly, that Vazgen Manukian had been arrested. Before order
was restored some of the crowd managed to enter the parliament
building and assaulted various individuals, including the speaker of
parliament, Babken Araktsian, and his deputy, Ara Sahakian, who were
subsequently hospitalized with concussion.
Unofficial sources reported that over 100 people were subsequently
detained for a short period (frequently, it is claimed, because of
their known or perceived political views rather than any direct
connection to the violent events), and there were numerous allegations
that law enforcement officials beat or otherwise ill-treated people
both while taking them into custody and also when they were in
detention.(12) For example four women are said to have been among
those assaulted when uniformed men entered the building of the
opposition National Self-Determination Union (NSDU) in Yerevan on 26
September. Garine Stepanian, president of a children's charity which
has offices next to the headquarters of the NSDU, described the events
as follows:
"...uniformed troops, suddenly and without warning or provocation,
entered our headquarters...and proceeded to ransack the premises, to
confiscate all vehicles, equipment, files and supplies, and to break
into the safe containing our funds for distribution to our 'children
without parents'.
"President Garine Stepanian and staff members Ina Konstantian, Sophia
Neshanian and Anahid Garabedian were beaten with rifle butts and
soldiers' boots when they tried to object to the attack. We were
bruised and terrified, but our injuries did not require
hospitalization. We were in shock....Men in the vicinity and members
of the NSDU who came to our defence were beaten mercilessly and hauled
off to prison by the troops."(13)
Among the opposition politicians reportedly ill-treated was Ruben
Akopian, a member of parliament from the currently suspended Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF or Dashnak Party). He was detained on 25
September at the National Assembly building, where he was said to have
been kicked and beaten with gun butts to the point of unconsciousness
by officials who detained him until a parliamentary session the next
day. At that session, which was televised, he and seven other
opposition members of parliament were stripped of their deputy's
immunity, and viewers saw Ruben Akopian together with three other
deputies being assaulted by their fellow members of parliament.
On 9 October the National Assembly issued a statement condemning such
behaviour (along with the storming of parliament and the beating of
the parliamentary speaker and his deputy), but to Amnesty
International's knowledge no criminal case has been opened against
those members of parliament responsible - even though events were
televised and the then Procurator General was present. This contrasts
strongly with criminal proceedings instigated against a number of
people said to have been involved in the beating of the parliamentary
speaker (see below in the section on alleged unfair trials of
political prisoners). It also underlines the recurring complaint from
others who made allegations of ill-treatment against law enforcement
officials at the time of the September events, to the effect that
there have been no impartial, comprehensive investigations into their
allegations, even though in some instances the alleged victims have
given the name and rank of those they say were responsible.
Deaths in custody
Many of the detailed reports of ill-treatment obtained by Amnesty
International (such as those described in the document Armenia:
Further allegations of ill-treatment in detention, AI Index: EUR
54/03/96) have come from political prisoners(14), or their relatives
or supporters. Far fewer allegations are ever publicized by purely
criminal prisoners, mainly it seems through fear of reprisals (with
those concerned lacking the support base, for example people willing
to campaign and demonstrate publicly, that is frequently available to
political prisoners). The allegations that Amnesty International does
learn of in criminal cases therefore tend often to relate to instances
when the reported ill-treatment or torture has led to the grimmest of
outcomes - that of the death of the victim. One of the most recent
such allegations is that regarding the death in custody some nine
months ago of Manvel Virabyan, aged only 17.
Manvel Virabyan was detained on 5 April 1997 at his home in Yerevan,
by police from the Sovetsky District Department of Internal Affairs
who were investigating a robbery a few days earlier. Unofficial
sources(15) allege that police were actually looking for his brother
Mamikon Virabyan, and in his absence detained Manvel instead. Mamikon,
who has a previous conviction, was detained later that day when he
went to the police station to inquire about his brother. In addition
two other men named Meruzhan Arutyunyan and Varazdat Avetisyan (also
with previous convictions) were detained that day in connection with
the robbery. All were subsequently brought to trial for a range of
criminal offences, except Manvel Virabyan who died in police custody
in the early evening of 13 April.
According to unofficial sources, Manvel's death was a result of the
severe beatings and ill-treatment which were meted out to all four
detained men in order to force them to confess (Mamikon Virabyan,
Varazdat Avetisyan and Meruzhan Arutyunyan are said to have confessed
to around 10 crimes as a result, although Meruzhan Arutyunyan
reportedly claimed later at his trial that he was in prison for a
previous offence at the time of one of the alleged crimes. The men
were said to have been beaten often to the point of unconsciousness,
and Meruzhan Arutyunyan was reportedly still passing blood in his
urine a month after the alleged attacks).
Manvel Virabyan's family reported that his face was so disfigured when
they went to see him in the morgue that they did not recognize him,
and that his body also bore signs of other serious wounds. His mother
also alleges that she dropped her initial protests over Manvel's death
as a result of intimidation by officials who issued threats against
her other son Mamikon.(16)
Official sources have denied the reports of beatings, and have stated
that Manvel Virabyan died as a result of cardiac and pulmonary
insufficiency with generalized infection particularly affecting the
heart, kidneys and liver - the diagnosis given on his death
certificate. However, such a diagnosis does not in itself rule out the
possibility that the fatal illness could have resulted from a beating,
as well as from other more natural causes. Amnesty International has
asked for further information on the case, for example what medical
assistance Manvel Virabyan was afforded while in detention and the
results of any investigation conducted into the alleged beatings, as
well as for a copy of the autopsy report and the results of any
inquest.
The United Nations and allegations of beatings, torture and deaths in
custody
Among those examining and reporting on the allegations of
ill-treatment and beatings in Armenia in recent years have been
various bodies of the United Nations. For example in April 1996 the
United Nations Committee against Torture examined Armenia's first
periodic report under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.(17) The Committee
against Torture, a body of independent experts, periodically reviews
the measures taken by States Parties to implement the convention, and
publishes its comments and recommendations.
Following its review of Armenia's report the Committee noted positive
aspects, such as the integration of prohibitions against torture into
the new Armenian Constitution adopted in 1995, but recommended among
other things that torture be mentioned in penal law as a crime in
itself, and that it be clearly defined; that measures be taken to
guarantee that persons could not be expelled or extradited to other
states where they were in danger of being subjected to torture; and
that the authorities investigate and report back on allegations of
ill-treatment of detainees. Members of the Committee had raised
Amnesty International's reports of such allegations at the session
and, although these were denied by the Armenian delegation, the
Committee recommended that they receive a report back after a due
investigation of the claims.(18) Amnesty International has approached
the relevant authorities asking what steps have been taken to
implement the Committee's recommendations, and also requesting a copy
of any report prepared for the Committee detailing the procedures
undertaken to investigate the allegations of ill-treatment at the
session.
The concerns of the Committee against Torture about alleged
ill-treatment in Armenia were repeated by the United Nations Special
Rapporteur on Torture, Nigel Rodney, in his general report of January
1997 to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.(19) The report
states inter alia:
"In the light of the information he has received, the Special
Rapporteur shares the concern expressed by the Committee against
Torture "about the number of allegations it has received with regard
to ill-treatment perpetrated by public authorities during arrest and
police custody" (A/51/44, para. 95) and shares the Committee's "doubts
about the effectiveness of the provisions for the safeguard of persons
in police custody" (para.94). He urges the government to give serious
consideration to the Committee's recommendations (paras. 96-101)."
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions has also raised several cases of deaths in
custody with the Armenian authorities, as described in the addendum to
his report dated 23 December 1996 to the Commission on Human
Rights.(20) Among these was the case of Rudik Vartanian, who died in
custody in Yerevan on 21 January 1993 after being beaten by police
officers. Seven officers are said to have used chairs, batons and
other objects,(21) causing injuries including three fractures to the
skull inflicted with a blunt instrument. Two police officers were
eventually sentenced to imprisonment in connection with his death,
although this trial only took place in January 1996, three years after
Rudik Vartanian died, and neither of the officers was actually
convicted of homicide.(22) Unofficial sources have alleged that the
authorities were dilatory in pursuing the prosecution, the continuance
of which owed more to the tenacity of Rudik Vartanian's relatives, and
that his parents received threatening telephone calls and offers of
money to try to persuade them to drop their campaigning efforts in the
case.(23)
Response of the new Prosecutor General of Armenia
On 5 November 1997 Amnesty International received a long response from
the new Prosecutor General of Armenia, Henrik Khatchatryan, to many of
its concerns, including that of ill-treatment and beatings in
detention. The Prosecutor General stated that he was constantly
implementing measures to deal with the issue of torture, including by
visits to places of detention; by setting up a confidential telephone
line at the Armenian procuracy for those who wish to report abuses;
and by issuing instructions to procuracy offices throughout the
country to raise their level of supervision of cases and to carry out
objective, comprehensive criminal investigations of human rights
abuses within strict time limits. The Prosecutor General stated that
investigations were initiated whenever an incident of ill-treatment
occurred, giving as an example the case of Galust Dilanyan, aged 23,
who had been detained at Interior Ministry premises in the town of
Gyumri, "subjected to physical violence" and who had then committed
suicide by using his shirt as a rope to hang himself. Three Interior
Ministry officers were placed in custody on the Prosecutor General's
orders in connection with these events, and criminal proceedings have
been instituted.
Incidents of ill-treatment in the army were dealt with in a similar
fashion, according to the Prosecutor General. Eight cases of beatings
of conscripts had been recorded from the beginning of 1996 up until
the time of his letter, and criminal proceedings instituted by the
procuracy in these cases had resulted in the conviction of 13 persons,
one of whom was an officer.(24) In the case of conscript Amayak
Oganesyan, said to have been beaten and physically assaulted by or at
the instigation of senior or non-commissioned officers (see Armenia:
Further allegations of ill-treatment in detention, AI Index: EUR
54/03/96, October 1996, for more details), the Prosecutor General
wrote that no evidence was found to support the allegations of
ill-treatment and the criminal case was closed for lack of evidence on
15 April 1997.
Some other responses of the Prosecutor General to specific allegations
are given at the appropriate points in this document. In several cases
the Prosecutor General highlights two specific problems that hinder
attempts by his office to address the issue of ill-treatment in
detention. The first is that detainees often do not lodge official
complaints about their ill-treatment at the time it is alleged to have
taken place, thus making any subsequent investigations more
problematic owing to lack of supporting medical evidence. The second
is that some victims in cases where an assault clearly has taken place
are unable or unwilling to identify the alleged perpetrators, thus
making it difficult to continue criminal proceedings. While Amnesty
International acknowledges these difficulties, the organization
believes that specific measures can and should be taken to address
aspects that many unofficial sources say underlie the problem - fear
of reprisals, and lack of confidence that the authorities will pursue
rigorously all allegations of torture and ill-treatment. Amnesty
International welcomes the commitments expressed by the Prosecutor
General, and the dialogue he is obviously willing to engage in on this
subject, and urges him together with other relevant authorities to
implement the recommendations given in the last section of this
document.
Alleged unfair trials of political prisoners
Allegations of ill-treatment have figured widely in claims that
political prisoners have been subjected to unfair trials. Since 1995
three major groups of political prisoners - over 50 people - have
stood trial in Armenia. Many of the defendants have alleged that they
were beaten or otherwise ill-treated in order to force them to
confess, that their relatives have received similar treatment as a way
of exerting pressure, and that statements extracted under duress have
not been excluded as evidence in court. Some of their lawyers have
complained that they were denied access at times to their clients and
to materials of the case, and that these and other procedural
violations have called into question the fairness of the trials in
line with international standards. These claims are especially serious
in view of the death sentences handed down on four of the defendants.
The major trials are outlined below.
The Dro case
In the so-called Dro case (known officially as case No. 62200395), 11
men from a larger number originally arrested stood trial on charges
ranging from withholding information to murder. They were accused of
membership in a clandestine terrorist group known as Dro within a
major opposition party known as the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF or Dashnak Party). In a televised address on 28 December 1994
President Levon Ter-Petrosyan cited the alleged existence of such a
group within the ARF as the reason for ordering the suspension of that
party.(25) The case assumed major political dimensions, with many
supporters of those detained claiming that much evidence of an alleged
terrorist group had been fabricated in order to facilitate the removal
of the ARF from the political arena (its suspension precluded the ARF
from contesting as a party the elections for parliament in 1995 and
president in 1996). The trial began in July 1995, and concluded over a
year later on 10 December 1996 when three defendants were sentenced to
death and the rest to terms of imprisonment of from three to 15 years.
Several of those originally held (see box overleaf for a list of
detainees who eventually stood trial) reported great difficulties in
meeting freely and promptly with a defence lawyer of their own
choice,(26) especially in the period immediately after their arrest in
late 1994 or early 1995. David Kaprielian, for example, was arrested
on 25 December 1994 but was reportedly not seen by a lawyer until four
days later. Mikael Manukian, Armen Grigorian and Gagik Manukian are
among others said to have been refused visits on occasion from their
lawyers. Arsen Artsruni claimed that he had tried during February and
March 1995 to inform the relevant authorities that he wished to change
his legal representative, but that he was not given paper on which to
write a statement to that effect nor told to whom he should address
his request (which was eventually granted at the end of March). As
most defendants in Armenia are not permitted to meet with family
members until the prosecution has completed the investigation of their
case, access by defence lawyers is of great importance as a safeguard
against ill-treatment and coercion. Indeed, several of the defendants
alleged that they had been beaten and otherwise ill-treated in
pre-trial detention in order to extract confessions.
The Dro defendants
Arsen ARTSRUNI was born in Beirut, Lebanon, but has been based in
Armenia since 1990. He was judged to have established the Dro group
and was sentenced to death after being convicted of complicity in
premeditated, aggravated murder (Article 99 of the criminal code),
complicity in premeditated murder (Article 100) and banditry (Article
72, "organization of an armed band aimed at attacking enterprises,
institutions, organizations or individuals, and also taking part in
such bands and in the attacks committed by them"). The sentence was
upheld on appeal.
Armenak MNJOYAN was sentenced to death for banditry. The sentence was
upheld on appeal.
Armen GRIGORIAN was sentenced to death for banditry, but his sentence
was reduced on appeal to 15 years' imprisonment.
Armenak ZAKARIAN's sentence of 15 years' imprisonment for banditry and
premeditated, aggravated murder was upheld on appeal.
Hovhanes MKRTCHIAN was detained in Moscow on 3 December 1994 and
transferred to Armenia in February 1995. He was sentenced to 10 years'
imprisonment, upheld on appeal, for banditry, complicity in
premeditated murder, and concealing a crime (Article 205).
Hrant MAKARIAN was born in Iran but moved to Armenia in 1990, and is a
high-ranking member of the ARF. He was cleared of original charges of
premeditated murder and banditry as part of the Dro group, but
convicted of possession and use of a counterfeit passport (Article
213), and of illegal possession of arms (Article 232). His five-year
sentence was upheld on appeal.
Ara HARMANDAYAN was born in Lebanon, moving to Armenia in 1991. His
six-year sentence for banditry was cut on appeal to five years'
imprisonment.
Edik SIMONIAN was convicted of banditry. His sentence of five years'
imprisonment was cut on appeal by one year.
Gevorg ALAVERDIAN had his three-year sentence for banditry upheld on
appeal.
Tatul GABRIELIAN was initially accused of withholding information,
then charged with banditry. The appeal court upheld his sentence of
three years' imprisonment.
Gegam MANUKIAN was accused of withholding information on a state crime
(Article 84) and sentenced to three years' imprisonment. He was
released on 13 May 1997 under an amnesty, although his conviction was
upheld on appeal by the Supreme Court.
Among those making such allegations was Arsen Artsruni, who was
subsequently sentenced to death. Arsen Artsruni alleges he was beaten
on 27 December 1994 and on 9 January 1995, as a result of which he
gave testimony. On 11 April 1995, however, he repudiated this
testimony in the presence of his new lawyer on the grounds that it had
been extracted under duress. On 22 or 23 April (sources differ) he was
reportedly again subjected to physical pressure - it is said with the
aim of forcing him to retract his repudiation of 11 April and of
getting him to implicate another ARF member named Vahan Hovanessian
(see account of the second trial below). On 26 April 1995 Arsen
Artsruni's lawyer requested a medical examination of his client, but
accounts differ as to when it took place. According to the Prosecutor
General of Armenia,(27) the medical examination was carried out on the
same day, Arsen Artsruni stated to the medical expert that no physical
violence had been used against him, and the conclusion of the
examination was that Arsen Artsruni had suffered no bodily harm. Arsen
Artsruni's lawyer, however, claims that the medical examination was
conducted formally only eight days after his original request, and
without the lawyer being present, by which time traces of the alleged
beatings were no longer visible. In court Arsen Artsruni repudiated
much of his testimony, on the grounds that it had been extracted under
duress.
Defendant Gegam Manukian, interviewed by an Amnesty International
delegate in Yerevan days after his release under an amnesty on 13 May
1997, reported that he was not physically abused but was subjected to
psychological blackmail - the investigators allegedly told him that if
he did not testify they would pressurize his fiancée to give evidence.
He also said that when he was first arrested (on 5 January 1995) he
was kept for three to four months on his own in a cell which was so
damp that he had to wring his towel dry each time before using it.
Gegam Manukian also said that he had not had access to papers, or his
relatives, for the five months he was held before the trial began.
Another prisoner named Armen Momjian, arrested in connection with the
case but released a year later, is said to have sustained a broken
lower jaw and right arm as a result of ill-treatment in detention; the
investigator is also alleged to have threatened to put him in a cell
with homosexuals (ie implying a threat of rape) in order to force him
to confess. No confessions said by the defendants to have been
extracted under duress were known to have been excluded as evidence
during the trial proceedings.(28)
It was also alleged by unofficial sources that negligence had
contributed to the death in pre-trial detention of Ardavast Manukian,
one of the 12 defendants originally set to stand trial in the Dro
case. Ardavast Manukian had been detained in Moscow, Russia, on 2
December 1994, and died on 16 May 1995 in an Interior Ministry
hospital in Yerevan (without seeing any family members for the whole
period of his detention). He had been transferred to that hospital on
5 May, from the infirmary at the Interior Ministry
investigation-isolation prison.
At a press conference on 17 May lawyer Ruben Saakian reported that
Ardavast Manukian had suffered among other things from bleeding from
the rectum, headaches and dizziness, but that two requests from
Manukian's lawyer for court-supervised medical and psychiatric
examinations of his client had been turned down without explanation in
March (with a third lodged just three days before Artavast Manukian's
death). A request to release Ardavast Manukian on health grounds had
also been rejected.
Ardavast Manukian had been eventually transferred on 2 March 1995 from
a prison of the State Department for National Security, where he had
been kept since his return from Moscow, to the infirmary at the
Interior Ministry prison in Yerevan. Ruben Saakian alleged, however,
that the infirmary lacked the necessary medical personnel and
medication to treat Ardavast Manukian, and a non-governmental
organization named the Committee for the Defence of Political
Prisoners has also claimed that he was sent to the prison infirmary in
spite of instructions from the procuracy that he should be transferred
to an actual hospital attached to the Interior Ministry.
Responding to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial,
summary or arbitrary executions, who had raised this case with them,
the Armenian authorities stated(29) that two autopsies had been
carried out on Ardavast Manukian, from which it had been concluded
that he died of natural causes, and that medical files showed his
treatment to have been appropriate. The authorities also stated that
criminal investigations carried out by the office of the public
prosecution service had established no unlawful acts on the part of
the medical personnel, officials or other persons.
Complaints about the conduct of the investigation and court
proceedings in this case have also been made by many of the
defendants' lawyers. Several, for example, reported problems in
gaining full access not only to their clients but to relevant case
materials during the investigation. Hrant Makarian's lawyer, for
example, reported that he and his client were given only 10 working
days to get acquainted with 18 volumes of material prepared by the
prosecution, after which the material was removed and sent to the
court on the grounds that they 2were dragging things out". Armenak
Zakarian was said to have been given only one day, and his lawyer only
nine days, to acquaint themselves with the 18 volumes of case
materials after the preliminary investigation. Lawyers have alleged
numerous other procedural violations such as inaccurate custody
records (Arsen Artsruni, for example, was said to have been detained
on 3 December 1994, although the protocol of the preliminary
investigation records that he was detained two days later). At least
three lawyers connected with the Dro case were also physically
assaulted in the first half of 1995, by people they strongly believed
had links with official structures and in incidents they felt were not
sufficiently rigorously investigated by police. The experience of two
of these lawyers, Rafael Safarian and Zhora Khachatarian, who were
beaten up by men in military uniform at their office in Yerevan on 21
March 1995, is described in more detail in the Amnesty International
document Armenia: Allegations of ill-treatment - an update (AI Index:
EUR/05/95, November 1995). Responding to Amnesty International on this
incident, the Prosecutor General said that a criminal case had been
initiated on 23 March 1995 by the Spandaryan District Procuracy under
Article 222 of the Criminal Code (malicious hooliganism). The victims
had stated during the investigation, however, that they had not
recognized who had beaten them, and so the criminal case was closed on
23 May 1995 on the grounds that the perpetrators could not be
identified.
Leading ARF member Hrant Makarian, left, with other Dro trial
defendants in the courtroom cage during their trial.
All 11 of the defendants who finally stood trial before the Supreme
Court of Armenia were convicted in December 1996, and three - Arsen
Artsruni, Armen Grigorian and Armenak Mnjoyan - were sentenced to
death. On 4 July 1997 the Supreme Court, which had heard appeals from
all the defendants, reduced the sentence passed on Armen Grigorian to
15 years' imprisonment and cut the prison sentences of two other men,
but left the rest of the sentences without change. Arsen Artsruni and
Armenak Mnjoyan remain on death row at the time of writing.
The trial of Vahan Hovanessian + 30
Arrests in the Dro case were followed in mid-1995 by a further round
of arrests of known or suspected ARF supporters. They included senior
ARF member Vahan Hovanessian, who was brought to trial with 30 others
(some in absentia) on charges of attempting to stage an armed coup in
1995. This case has also prompted allegations that the accusations of
a conspiracy aimed at the forcible overthrow of the government were
fabricated, in order to discredit the ARF and remove its leading
figures from political life and influence in Armenia. The trial before
the Supreme Court opened on 5 March 1996 and ended on 12 December
1997. Twenty eight defendants were convicted, with one sentenced to
death and the others given sentences of imprisonment (in some cases
suspended). One defendant was acquitted (the cases of the two
remaining defendants from the original 31 had been separated earlier
from the main case).
As in the Dro case, this trial has also thrown up numerous allegations
that defendants and their relatives were beaten or otherwise placed
under physical or mental duress in order to extract testimony; that
some defendants were denied full and prompt access to a defence lawyer
of their own choice, especially in pre-trial detention; and that there
were numerous other procedural violations in breach of international
fair trial standards. Such allegations are especially serious because,
as with the Dro case, many of the defendants faced charges which
carried a possible death sentence.
With regard to allegations of duress, defendant Manvel Yeghiazarian,
for example, reported in court(30) that he was assaulted during his
arrest on the night of 29 - 30 July 1995, and was interrogated
immediately after he had been taken to prison suffering from
concussion, bruising and fractured ribs.(31) He also claimed that his
wife and children had been assaulted by law enforcement officials.
Defendant Ashot Avetisian repudiated all his statements made during
the preliminary investigation of the case, stating that they had been
made under extreme physical and psychological duress. He claimed in
court that he was beaten with metal rods and subjected to electric
shocks, and that six of his relatives were detained in order to put
pressure on him to confess.(32) Gagik Karapetian alleged that pressure
was exerted on him to give evidence via threats to his family, and
repudiated his previous testimony.(33) Lev Sarkisyan reported that his
brother was detained for several days, and that investigators
threatened to charge the brother with illegal arms possession unless
Lev gave evidence.
Defendants' relatives have also given evidence in court that they were
threatened in order to coerce them into giving evidence against the
accused. On 19 February 1997, for example, Zaven Karapetian, father of
defendant Gagik Karapetian, testified that he, his son and his
pregnant daughter-in-law had been subjected to physical and
psychological pressure at the police station of Mashtots district,
Yerevan. On 25 February 1997 Lilit Khachakian testified in court that
Interior Ministry employees from the Mashtots district forced her to
give evidence against Vahan Hovanessian by beating her and subjecting
her to psychological pressure. On the same day Aghavni Karapetian,
wife of Gnel Hovanessian, told the court that she was also beaten
severely by Interior Ministry employees from Mashtots district and
that she subsequently miscarried. She said that in addition her two
sisters and disabled brother were also beaten. Gnel Hovanessian's
sister-in-law, Angin Karapetian, also reported when she gave evidence
to the court on 4 March 1997 that she and other members of her family
had been beaten by Interior Ministry officials from Mashtots district.
These assertions have been disputed by the Prosecutor General of
Armenia, however, who has stated(34) that there are no custody records
showing that the relatives named above were held at the Mashtots
district department of the Interior Ministry.
There were also numerous allegations of other violations of due
process during the investigation and trial in this case. Those in
relation to defendant Vahan Hovanessian, the prominent ARF leader, may
serve as examples. Lawyers and the unofficial Committee for the
Defence of Political Prisoners allege among other things that:
- Vahan Hovanessian was not told of the reasons for his arrest when he
was being detained;
- the search of his apartment took place without a warrant, and only
one copy of the search protocol was made which the police officers
took with them, without leaving a copy as required for Vahan
Hovanessian's wife;
- his family and friends were not told where he was being held for
several days after his detention;
- although Vahan Hovanessian was detained on 29 July 1995 he was held
incommunicado until 2 August that year and was denied the right to
communicate with his defence lawyer. When he was first able to meet
with his lawyer on 2 August, the latter was denied access to the
evidence and materials of the case (Vahan Hovanessian's lawyer also
told Amnesty International delegates visiting Yerevan in October 1995
that between August and October that year she had only been able to
meet her client three times, and never in private);
- there were several official statements issued around the time of
Vahan Hovanessian's arrest treating him as guilty as charged, thereby
violating the presumption of innocence;
- during the trial the metal cage in which Vahan Hovanessian and the
other defendants were held in the courtroom impeded their access to
their legal representatives, who could not be seated adjacent to their
clients nor advise them directly during proceedings.
When the trial opened on 5 March 1996, 20 of the defendants, including
Vahan Hovanessian, were accused of treason in the form of "a
conspiracy for the purpose of seizing power" (Article 59 of the
Criminal Code), organizing especially dangerous crimes against the
state (Article 67) and preparing terrorist acts (Articles 15 and 61).
One man, Tigran Vardkesi Avetissian, was charged with the murder of
two police officers. Other charges against the defendants included
being accomplices to murder, illegal possession of weapons, concealing
a crime and withholding information on a crime.
Leading ARF member Vahan Hovanessian
With the trial drawing towards its close, the prosecution decided that
there was insufficient evidence to support the accusation of treason,
thus undermining previous assertions that there had been a
widely-based and organized conspiracy with plans to seize power. Some
charges were also requalified into "calling for the violent overthrow
or change of the state and social order" (Article 65) and "calling for
the commission of crimes against the state" (Article 65-1).
The trial ended on 12 December 1997, with the conviction of 28
defendants (see box). Tigran Vardkesi Avetissian was sentenced to
death, Vahan Hovanessian was sentenced to four years' imprisonment
(under Articles 65, 65-1 and 67), and others received sentences of up
to seven years' imprisonment. Eleven of those sentenced did not
receive custodial sentences because of a previously-declared amnesty
of April 1997, because they had already served the length of the
sentence given while they were detained on remand and during the
trial, or because their sentences were suspended.
The verdicts in the case of Vahan Hovanessian + 30
Tigran Vardkesi AVETISSIAN was sentenced to death; Gagik KARAPETIAN
and Artur KAZARIAN were sentenced to seven years' imprisonment; Gnel
HOVANESSIAN and Arsen YERITSYAN were sentenced to six years'
imprisonment; Manvel YEGHIAZARIAN, Ashot AVETISSIAN and Karapet
KAZARIAN were sentenced to five years' imprisonment; Vahan
HOVANESSIAN, Sergey HOVANISSIAN and Ashot KHACHATRIAN were sentenced
to four years' imprisonment; Armen RUSTAMIAN, Tigran Mher AVETISSIAN,
Karen Hazarepti KARAPETIAN, Martin KARAPETIAN, Suren SAHAKIAN and
Arkady SARDARIAN were sentenced to three years' imprisonment.
The following defendants received non-custodial sentences: Andranik
AMBARTSUMIAN, Gagik GEVORKIAN and Ofik ASSIKIAN, who were sentenced to
three years' imprisonment, suspended for three years; Harutiun
SARGSSIAN, Nairi MANUKIAN and Gagik VANIAN who were sentenced to 28
months' imprisonment and had already served this term in custody,:
Gagik ASSIKIAN and Gevorg KAZARIAN who were sentenced to one year's
imprisonment; suspended for one year, and Vagif AVETISSIAN, Karen
Evaldi KARAPETIAN and Armen AGHAJANIAN who were released as a result
of the amnesty.
The "September 25" trials
Between January and July 1997, 12 people stood trial in six separate
hearings on charges linked with events at the end of September 1996,
when opposition protests over disputed presidential elections turned
violent, the building of the National Assembly was stormed by a
section of the crowd, and the parliamentary speaker and his deputy
were among those beaten (see section above on ill-treatment). The
defendants were charged with "organizing or participating in mass
disorders" under Article 74 of the Criminal Code;(35) some also had
further charges laid against them, for example in connection with the
beatings of the parliamentary speaker and his deputy. Some did not
deny being present in the National Assembly building or its grounds
during the events (journalist Argishti Kivirian, for example, claimed
he was there purely in a professional capacity), but did deny any part
in the physical assaults and also claimed that the disorders were
spontaneous and not part of an organized plan.
As in the cases described above, many of the defendants in these
series of trials alleged that they had been beaten in the period
immediately after their detention (as did many others who were
subsequently released without charge, see for example in the section
on ill-treatment above, and AI Index: EUR 54/03/96), and in court
withdrew their initial testimony on the grounds that it had been
extracted under duress. In the first trial which began on 6 February
1997 before the Armenian Supreme Court (and known as September 25/1),
for example, Abet Petrosian testified that he had been beaten by
various officials after his detention on 29 September 1996, and that
threats had been made against his mother and wife in order to force
him to confess. He withdrew in court the testimony he had given during
pre-trial detention. Abet Petrosian's four fellow defendants made
similar claims, with Seyran Massoyan and Mkrtich Meghavorian, for
example, testifying that they had written down their testimony at the
dictation of the investigators after they had been subjected to
physical and psychological duress. The court reportedly did not take
these allegations into account, or order any investigation on the
grounds that the defendants had not lodged complaints about their
treatment during pre-trial detention, although Argishti Kivirian
claims that he had done so and Abet Petrosian said that he was
unwilling to name those involved in his ill-treatment for fear of
reprisals against his family (a reaction common in the allegations
brought to Amnesty International's attention).
There were also allegations of procedural violations. Argishti
Kivirian and Abet Petrosian, for example, allege that they were denied
prompt access to a lawyer in the period immediately following their
arrest. Vahe Beknazarian was said to have been held for the first 20
days of detention in a very small temporary holding cell of the
district police station, where the maximum limit is supposed to be
three hours, rather than being transferred to an investigation prison.
Lawyers for the defendants in this trial also claim that none of the
alleged victims of beatings who actually appeared in court (three out
of the 10 from whom statements had been taken) identified the
defendants as being among those who had assaulted them. Lawyers for
Kim Balayan, in the trial known as September 25/2, claim that during
the search of his home neighbours summoned to be lay witnesses (and in
whose presence by law the search must be conducted) were not shown a
warrant for the search, and also that they did not witness the police
allegedly finding gun cartridges in the apartment. The cartridges were
also allegedly not packed and sealed as evidence, as required by law.
All but one of the defendants in these trials were convicted, but
given sentences or released under an amnesty. A review of the cases is
given below. Like the Dro and Vahan Hovanessian trials, many of the
proceedings were regarded as politically motivated - with the
government prosecuting some known or suspected opposition supporters
in connection with the attack on the parliamentary speaker and his
deputy, but not taking any steps to institute criminal proceedings
against those members of parliament seen on television (indeed, as
noted above, in the presence of the then Prosecutor General)
assaulting their opposition colleagues. Amnesty International is also
not aware of any comprehensive and impartial investigations into
allegations that the defendants in these series of trials were beaten
and ill-treated in detention.
Review of the September 25 trials
September 25/1. The defendants were Vahe Beknazarian, Abet Petrosian,
Seyran Massoyan, Argishti Kivirian and Mkrtich Meghavoryan, who were
detained in September and October 1996. All were accused of mass
disorders under Article 74 of the Criminal Code, and all allege that
they were beaten in custody. The trial began before the Armenian
Supreme Court on 6 February 1997, and ended on 6 June. All were
convicted, although the charge against Vahe Beknazarian, Argishti
Kivirian and Mkrtich Meghavoryan was changed to the lesser one of
organizing or participating in public disorders (Article 206). Abet
Petrosian and Seyran Massoyan received sentences of 30 months' and two
years' imprisonment respectively, suspended for two years, and were
released from the courtroom. Mkrtich Meghavorian, Argishti Kivirian
and Vahe Beknazarian were each sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment,
but were released from custody under an amnesty declared in April. On
12 September the Supreme Court heard appeals in the cases of Mkrtich
Meghavorian and Argishti Kivirian, but left the sentences unchanged.
September 25/2. Kim Balayan, the head of the ARF's Yerevan office, was
detained on 26 September 1996, and charged with mass disorders
(Article 74), failing to render assistance to a person in danger
(Article 128 - he was accused of not coming to the aid of the
parliamentary speaker), and illegal possession of ammunition (Article
232 - 28 cartridges were found during the search of his apartment).
His trial began at the end of May 1997, and ended on 9 June. Kim
Balayan was acquitted of charges under Articles 128 and 232, but found
guilty of organizing mass disturbances and given a two-year suspended
sentence.
September 25/3. Defendants Vahe Varsanian, Onik Hunanian and Seryozha
Melkonian were arrested at the end of October 1996 and charged with
mass disorders under Article 74. Seryozha Melkonian claimed that he
had been beaten while being questioned, and Vahe Varsanian said that
he had been subjected to duress but declined to elaborate. All three
were convicted at their trial which began on 4 June 1997 in the
Armenian Supreme Court, but were released from custody in the
courtroom as their two-year sentences of imprisonment were suspended
for two years. On 10 September the Supreme Court turned down an appeal
by Seryozha Melkonian and Vahe Varsanian, but Onik Hunanian's sentence
was reduced to one year's imprisonment, suspended for two years.
September 24/4. Defendant Mannik Sargssian was arrested on 10 December
1996 and charged with mass disorders (Article 74) and terrorist acts
against the parliamentary speaker (Article 61). She claimed that her
testimony had been given under great psychological duress, as
investigators had threatened to arrest her son. Mannik Sargssian's
trial began on 11 June 1997 at the Supreme Court, and ended with her
conviction on 27 June on both charges. She was sentenced to five
years' imprisonment but the judge made this a conditional sentence
with three years' probation, having taken into account various
mitigating factors, and Mannik Sargssian was released from the
courtroom at the end of the trial.
September 24/5. The trial of defendant Arsen Yeghiazarian on charges
of mass disorder (Article 74) and kidnapping (of the parliamentary
speaker, Article 130) began at the Supreme Court on 26 June 1997.
Arsen Yeghiazarian claimed that he was present in the National
Assembly building, but that he had stood on a table calling for the
crowd to stop the physical assaults and that he had helped the
parliamentary speaker out of the building. On 1 July the court
acquitted him under Article 74 and returned the case for further
investigation on the second charge, releasing him from custody pending
these developments. The subsequent investigations produced no further
evidence, and the case under that article was dropped.
September 26/6. Defendant Serob Manukian was arrested on 1 October
1996 and charged with mass disorders under Article 74 and theft of
state or public property (Article 86). He was convicted at his trial
before the Supreme Court in early July 1997 and given a two-year
sentence of imprisonment suspended for one year. He was released from
the courtroom. The Supreme Court upheld the sentence on appeal in
August.
Awaiting trial and currently in custody are three other men facing
charges in connection with the September 1996 events: Arshak Sadoyan
and Albert Baghdasarian (both members of parliament) and Armen
Khachatrian. Arshak Sadoyan and Albert Baghdasarian emerged from
almost a year in hiding on 11 September 1997 and presented themselves
voluntarily at the office of the Prosecutor General. They have been
charged with mass disorders under Article 74 (earlier charges against
Sadoyan of treason and planning serious anti-state crimes were
dropped). The charge or charges against Armen Khachatrian are not
known to Amnesty International at present. His health is said to be
poor, and his lawyer alleges that she is experiencing difficulties in
obtaining permission to meet with him.
The death penalty
On 19 March 1997 the National Assembly began discussing a new draft
criminal code in which there would be no capital crimes, whether in
time of peace or war, and in which the death penalty would be replaced
by the maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Life imprisonment
would not be imposed on women or minors. The draft version was passed
in its first reading on 3 April, although the issue of abolition
caused lively debates. The second reading had been expected when
parliament reconvened after the summer recess, but at the time of
writing it still had not passed into law.
Amnesty International welcomes these moves, as well as the continuing
moratorium on executions in force as a result of the abolitionist
stance of President Ter-Petrosian (for further detailed information on
this issue see the Amnesty International report Armenia: Time to
abolish the death penalty, AI Index: EUR 54/03/97, April 1997).(36)
However, the organization still has a number of concerns about the
death penalty in Armenia. One of the foremost of these is the
possibility of judicial error, linked with allegations of unfair
trials and with a number of reports that law enforcement officials
have used physical and other means of duress in seeking to obtain
confessions, including in cases where the offence carries a possible
death sentence.
The Dro and Vahan Hovanessian trials are examples of such allegations.
They also illustrate another current concern of Amnesty International,
that of the lack of appeal to a court of clearly higher jurisdiction
when the court of first instance is the Armenian Supreme Court.
Although decisions of the Supreme Court sitting as the court of first
instance may be appealed, such appeals are lodged with the Presidium
or Plenum of the Supreme Court, that is the same body of people from
which the original judges were drawn. International standards are
clear that anyone convicted of a capital offence should have the right
to their conviction and sentence being reviewed by a higher tribunal.
In April 1997 the United Nations Human Rights Committee, reviewing
Georgia's initial report under the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, commented on similar arrangements in that country
and expressed concern that an appeal heard by other bodies within the
Supreme Court, against a sentence passed by the Supreme Court, did not
fully respect the right to have a case reviewed by a higher court.
Finally, although there is a de facto moratorium on executions, courts
have continued to pass death sentences and there are currently at
least 25 men on death row. (37) The numbers on death row have steadily
accumulated, in part due to the moratorium but also because, in the
absence of any information on pardons, it appears that President
Ter-Petrosian has not actually been commuting pending death sentences.
This means that some of those currently on death row may have been
waiting years without knowing when they may expect their clemency
appeals to be heard and in a state of continued uncertainty as to
their ultimate fate.
Repeal of legislation on homosexuality
The new draft criminal code is also said to abolish the
criminalization of consenting homosexual acts between adult males.
Under legislation inherited from the Soviet era, Article 116 punishes
"sodomy", defined as "sexual relations of a man with another man".
Part 1 of the article punishes consenting sex between adult males by
up to five years' imprisonment. Amnesty International is continuing to
seek further information on the progress of the new legislation.
Pending its adoption, the organization has urged officials to initiate
moves to repeal Article 116 part 1, and not to pursue criminal
prosecutions of men for consenting same-sex relations between adults
in private.
Amnesty International's recommendations
Amnesty International welcomes the various moves taken by Armenia
since independence to strengthen the protection of human rights. The
organization is calling for further measures, however, so that the
rights provided for under the Armenian Constitution and legislation,
as well as under the international standards to which Armenia is a
party, are fully implemented, and so that those in official positions
who violate human rights are called to account. Amnesty
International's recommendations are as follows.
End imprisonment of conscientious objectors as prisoners of conscience
The right to conscientious objection to military service is not a
marginal concern outside the mainstream of international human rights
promotion and protection. The right to conscientious objection is a
basic component of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and
religion - as articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and
the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms. Bodies such as the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights, the Council of Europe and the European Parliament have
all urged governments to guarantee this right.
Amnesty International is urging the Armenian authorities to:
release immediately and unconditionally John Martirosyan, Yerem
Nazaretyan, Tigran Petrosyan, Samvel Manukyan and all others
imprisoned for their refusal on conscientious grounds to perform
military service, and refrain from imprisoning anyone else as a
conscientious objector;
introduce without delay legislative provisions to ensure that a
civilian alternative of non-punitive length is available to all those
whose religious, ethical, moral, humanitarian, philosophical,
political or other conscientiously-held beliefs preclude them from
performing military service;
establish independent and impartial decision-making procedures for
applying a civilian alternative to military service;
ensure, after the introduction of a civilian alternative service, that
all relevant persons affected by military service, including those
already serving in the army, have information available to them about
the right to conscientious objection and how to apply for an
alternative service.
End torture, ill-treatment and deaths in custody
Torture and ill-treatment of persons under any circumstances are
expressly prohibited under international agreements to which Armenia
is party, such as the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Convention against
Torture) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Amnesty International recognizes the problems that may exist within
the law enforcement system, for example those caused by lack of
funding for professional staff, training and infrastructure, or those
caused by a lack of public confidence in the willingness of such a
system to address abuses. These problems can never be used as an
excuse, however, for torture and deliberate ill-treatment. Amnesty
International recommends that the Armenian authorities:
criminalize torture as a distinct crime with appropriate punishments
under national law, as defined in the Convention against Torture;(38)
inform all detainees of their rights, including the right to complain
to the authorities against ill-treatment;
ensure that detainees under interrogation are informed promptly of the
charge or charges against them, and that they are allowed prompt and
regular access to a lawyer of their own choice, as well as to
relatives and an independent medical practitioner;
implement prompt and impartial investigations of all complaints of
torture or ill-treatment of detainees, as well as when there are
reasonable grounds to believe that torture or ill-treatment has
occurred even if no complaint has been made (in line with Article 12
of the Convention against Torture);
as part of such investigations, ensure prompt, impartial and
professional medical examinations of persons alleging torture or who
may have been tortured;
bring those responsible for torture or ill-treatment of detainees to
justice in the courts;
ensure that every victim of torture has access to the means of
obtaining redress and an enforceable right to fair and adequate
compensation, including the means for as full a rehabilitation as
possible (in line with Article 14 of the Convention against Torture);
ensure that information regarding the absolute prohibition against the
use of torture and ill-treatment is fully included in the training of
law enforcement personnel and other persons who may be involved in the
custody, interrogation and treatment of any individual subjected to
any form of arrest, detention or imprisonment;
establish an effective system of independent inspection of all places
of detention;
take steps to address the concerns and all the recommendations of the
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and the Committee against
Torture.
Review alleged unfair trials of political prisoners
As mentioned earlier, Amnesty International's definition of a
political prisoner is broad, encompassing for example those who are
accused of criminal offences but whose actual or imputed motive for
such crimes is political. Amnesty International does not call for the
release of all such prisoners within this definition, but does urge
that all receive a fair trial in line with international standards. In
view of the many allegations of ill-treatment in detention and of
various procedural violations in the trials described in this paper,
Amnesty International is calling on the Armenian authorities to:
conduct a full judicial review of all such cases in which it has been
alleged, for example, that testimony was extracted under physical or
psychological duress, or that there have been violations of
international fair trial standards.
Abolish the death penalty
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases
throughout the world, and without reservation, on the grounds that it
is a violation of the universally guaranteed right to life and
constitutes the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. The
organization is calling on the Armenian authorities to:
commute all existing death sentences, as well as any that may be
imposed before formal abolition of the death penalty:
give priority in parliament to the second and any further readings
necessary of the draft criminal code, in order that complete abolition
of the death penalty may be enshrined in law without further delay;
sign the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights. Signing this instrument, the first treaty
of worldwide scope aimed at abolition of the death penalty, would
confirm Armenia's commitment to abolition.
End criminalization of consenting homosexual relations between adults
in private
Under legislation inherited from the Soviet era, consenting sex
between adult males is punishable by up to five years' imprisonment.
Amnesty International is calling on the authorities to:
repeal Article 116 part 1, which criminalizes consenting sex between
adult males;
refrain from criminal prosecutions of men for consenting same-sex
relations between adults in private.
****
(1) Armenia became a member of the United Nations in March 1992.
(2) These include the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and its first Optional Protocol, the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention against Torture
and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and
the four Geneva Conventions together with their Additional Protocols
(all in 1993).
(3) Religious organizations must be registered with the authorities in
order to be able to carry out certain activities. Those refused
registration are not allowed, for example, to publish their own
newspapers, rent a meeting place, or sponsor the visas of visitors to
Armenia.
(4) Article by Vahan Ishkanian in the Armenian newspaper Ayzhm, issue
No. 10 (27 March to 2 April), 1996.
(5) Such repeat prosecutions were also reported in the past from
various parts of the Soviet Union, where some young Jehovah's
Witnesses faced an almost continuous cycle of call-up and imprisonment
until they reached the upper age of conscription at 27.
(6) There are usually two call-up sessions a year, in spring and
autumn.
(7) Ordinary regime is the least severe of the four categories of
corrective labour colony inherited from the Soviet era.
(8) For further information on the issue of conscientious objection in
general see Out of the margins: The right to conscientious objection
to military service in Europe, AI Index: EUR 01/02/97, April 1997.
(9) Article 19 of the Constitution.
(10) Article 42 of the Constitution.
(11) Article 193 of the Criminal Code.
(12) For more information see the Amnesty International report:
Armenia: Further allegations of ill-treatment in detention, AI Index:
EUR 54/03/96.
(13) In a letter received by Amnesty International on 5 November 1997,
the Prosecutor General of Armenia states that Garine Stepanian, Ina
Konstantian and Anahid Garabedian did not lodge a complaint with the
local procuracy in the Spandaryan district of Armenia about these
events. The only approach to the procuracy was from Sophia Neshanian,
to the effect that on 26 September 1996 she was struck by one of a
group of armed people who had run into the building. In a statement
she is said to have noted that she suffered no bodily injuries and did
not wish to undergo a medical examination.
(14) Amnesty International uses a broad interpretation of the term
"political prisoner" so as to cover all cases with a significant
political element, for example criminal offences committed with a
political motive or within a clear political context. Amnesty
International does not call for the release of all political prisoners
within this definition, nor does it call on governments to give
political prisoners special conditions. Governments are, however,
obliged to ensure that such prisoners receive a fair trial in line
with international standards, and Amnesty International opposes the
use of torture and the death penalty in all cases - both political and
criminal - without reservation.
(15) See the article entitled "Butchers" by Armenian journalist Mikael
Danielyan, published in the Moscow-based weekly Ekspress Khronika, No.
43, 22 November 1997.
(16) An Amnesty International delegate was told by unofficial sources
about the alleged threats during a visit to Yerevan in May 1997.
According to Mikael Danielyan (see above footnote), it was not until
September that the three mothers of those arrested approached a
non-governmental organization in Armenia about the alleged beatings,
as they had previously felt too afraid of reprisals.
(17) The Convention against Torture prohibits torture in all
circumstances. It obliges States Parties to make torture a punishable
offence and provides for universal jurisdiction over alleged
torturers. It forbids the return of people to countries where they
would risk being tortured, it insists that victims of torture are
entitled to compensation and rehabilitation, and it prohibits the use
as evidence in court of confessions or statements extracted under
duress. Armenia acceded to the Convention against Torture in September
1993.
(18) UN Press Releases HR/CAT/96/04 and HR/CAT/96/05 of 30 April 1996.
(19) UN reference: E/CN.4/1997/7, 10 January 1997. In UN report
E/CN.4/1997/7/Add.1, the Special Rapporteur reports that in a letter
dated 12 June 1996 he had raised with the Armenian authorities the
cases of several defendants in the so-called Dro case (see the section
in this document on alleged unfair trials) who had reportedly been
beaten for the purpose of coercing confessions during pretrial
detention; the case of two lawyers connected with the Dro case who had
been beaten by persons who were allegedly public officials or who were
acting at the instigation of such officials; the case of 19 devotees
of the Hare Krishna religious organization said to have been beaten by
a paramilitary organization with close links to the Ministry of
Defence; and the case of Razmik Grigorian who was said to have died
after a severe beating in police custody.
(20) UN reference: E/CN.4/1997/60/Add.1, 23 December 1996. The other
cases raised were that of Ardavast Manukian, a defendant in the
so-called Dro trial who died in custody in 1995, and the case of eight
Azerbaijani prisoners of war who died at the Armenian Ministry of
Defence prison in 1994 (see Amnesty International Reports 1995 and
1996).
(21) See Armenia: Further allegations of ill-treatment, AI Index: EUR
54/03/96, October 1996.
(22) According to the Armenian Prosecutor General, a criminal case was
initiated on 22 January 1993, the day after Rudik Vartanian's death.
Three officers - Samvel Dzhaginian, Artur Atarbekyan and Ruben
Antonyan - of the Spandaryan District Department of the Interior
Ministry, were taken into custody on charges of premeditated,
aggravated murder (Article 99 of the Criminal Code) and exceeding
their authority or official powers (Article 183) ( Ruben Antonyan, for
example, was said to have been responsible for the order to take Rudik
Vartanian to the district Interior Ministry department "where he was
illegally kept for 10 hours, grievously beaten up and died as a result
of injuries received"). The murder charge was later dropped against
all three, leaving only that under Article 183, but subsequently
reinstated and the case sent to the Supreme Court for trial. On 5
November 1993, however, the Supreme Court returned the case for
further investigation on the grounds that the preliminary
investigation had been incomplete.
The three were released from custody, but arrested again on 2 February
1994. Samvel Dzhaginian was charged under Article 183, Article 184
(negligence) and Article 203 (escape from place of detention) of the
Criminal Code, and Artur Atabekian under Articles 183 and 184. The
case was sent for trial to the Supreme Court, which once again sent it
back for further investigation. The charges under Article 184 were
dropped, and the Supreme Court eventually sentenced Samvel Dzhaginian
to four years' imprisonment and Artur Atabekian to three-and-a-half
years' imprisonment. The case against Ruben Antonyan was sent back for
further investigation, eventually being referred again to the Supreme
Court for trial on 15 September 1997. The charges of murder against
Samvel Dzhaginian and Artur Atabekian were dropped at the end of 1996
and on 4 February 1997 the criminal investigation into the death of
Rudik Vartanian was closed, on the grounds that it could not be
determined which of the police officers involved had caused his death.
(23) See the article "Murder or exceeding one's authority" by Mikael
Danielyan in Ekspress Khronika, No. 14, 1996.
(24) The charges against them were under Articles 252 ("violation of
the regulations on the relations between servicemen") and 268 (misuse
of authority , exceeding authority or failure to exercise authority")
of the Criminal Code.
(25) In January 1995 the Armenian Supreme Court granted the Ministry
of Justice (with whom political organizations must be registered)
permission to suspend the ARF on the grounds that it did not fulfil
the requirements governing the organization of political parties as
set out in the 26 February 1991 law "On Civic and Political
Organizations". The ARF remains suspended at the time of writing.
(26) Information on allegations by defendants in the trials described
in this section has come mainly from non-governmental organizations in
Armenia such as Avangard and the Committee for the Defence of
Political Prisoners, as well as from meetings Amnesty International
delegates held in Armenia in October 1995 and May 1997 with
defendants' relatives and defence lawyers.
(27) Details given in a letter received by Amnesty International on 5
November 1997.
(28) In his letter received on 5 November 1997, the Prosecutor General
wrote that the accused in this case had not made any verbal or written
statement during the preliminary investigation to the effect that any
violence had been used against them.
(29) UN reference: E/CN.4/1997/60/Add.1, 23 December 1996
(30) Asbarez-on-line, 7 May 1996
(31) According to the Procurator General in his 5 November 1997 letter
to Amnesty International, the prison custody record showed that Manvel
Yeghiazarian was treated at the prison's infirmary from 1 to 29 August
1995 for traumatic haematomas on the left side of his body and that
his thoracic cavity was drained of fluid, but that Manvel Yeghiazarian
had not disclosed during the investigation how the wounds had been
sustained.
(32) Asbarez-on-line, 28 May and 5 June 1996.
(33) Asbarez-on-line, 8 July 1996.
(34) in his letter to Amnesty International received on 5 November
1997.
(35) Article 74 states: "The organization of mass disorders
accompanied by pogroms, acts of destruction, arson, and other similar
actions, or the direct commission of the aforementioned crimes by
participants in them, or the offering by such persons of armed
resistance to authority, shall be punished by deprivation of freedom
for a term of two to 15 years".
(36) Further information on the death penalty as an issue in
international law can be found in the document International Standards
on the Death Penalty, AI Index: ACT 50/06/97, August 1997.
(37) In his letter received by Amnesty International on 5 November
1997, the Armenian Prosecutor General writes that there were 24 men
under sentence of death at that time. Since then Amnesty International
knows of at least one further death sentence, that passed on Tigran
Avetissian in the Vahan Hovanessian case. In that letter the
Procurator General also reported that he had visited prisons where
those sentenced to death are held, and had observed no violations in
the regulations governing detention nor any cases of illegal acts by
prison personnel.
(38) In his letter received by Amnesty International on 5 November
1997, the Armenian Procurator General stated on this point that the
Criminal Code already envisages criminal responsibility for torture
under Article 105 ("intentional infliction of severe bodily
injuries"), Article 106 ("intentional infliction of less severe bodily
injuries") and Article 110 ("torture"). None of these, however,
contains the definition of torture as given under the Convention
against Torture, including specific mention of torture as an act
carried out "by or at the instigation of or with the consent or
acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an
official capacity" (Article 1 of the Convention against Torture).
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Related Documents
(EUR 54/001/2003) Armenia: Fear for safety/Unfair trial/Intimidation/
Prisoner of Conscience, Artur Sakunts
© Copyright Amnesty International
John Woods
John Woods
Roman
Mazlum-Der (Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed
Peoples) summarizes human rights violations in Turkey for 2003 as
follows:
The number of people killed by unknown perpetrators or in mysterious
circumstances totaled 256. Twenty-two people were killed by security
forces, most of them for not obeying an order to halt. Indeed all these
people could have been arrested. There is strong evidence showing that
some were shot with the intention of killing them.
In the first part of 2003, 32 people were killed and 36 people injured in
clashes. A total of 135 died and 99 were injured by the end of the year. A
total of 146 incidents occurred against civilians relating to explosions.
In these incidents 91 people were killed and 847 wounded. Most of the
casualties were from the recent explosions in Istanbul.
In 2003, 36 people disappeared or were kidnapped and 14 were victims of
rape or sexual assault. Fully 273 people claimed to have been tortured and
91 claimed to have been threatened or received offers to work as informers
for the government. Over 9,000 people who illegally entered or tried to
exit Turkey were detained, and 495 of them were arrested.
Some 153 villages were raided, and 12 were evacuated.
There were 122 human rights violations in prisons, where 21 people died in
2003.
According to Mazlum-Der sources, a total of 1,634 years and nine months of
imprisonment were demanded by the judiciary in 2003; however, verdicts
totaling a mere 235 years and four months of imprisonment were issued. TL
242.647 trillion in fines were levied against writers and people who
expressed their thoughts.
Fully 160 activities were banned and various magazines and periodicals
were seized. Some radio and TV stations were banned from broadcasting and
were banned for a total of 1,118 days.
A total of 1,185 violations occurred in the field of freedom of faith.
Raids by the gendarmerie against Koran courses increased, causing 44
courses, dormitories and mosques to be closed down, while 290 people were
detained. Seventeen violations were committed against non-Muslims in 2003.
Fully 2,099 violations occurred in the field of education, most of which
were prosecutions and penalties given to students who protested against
the Higher Education Board (YOK).
A total of 602 violations occurred involving freedom of assembly and 11
NGOs were closed down. The majority of these violations were committed on
the pretext of NGOs organizing illegal activities and meetings and the
force used to stop these activities.
The shortcomings in the current law for the right to asylum were not
eliminated, and 5,326 people were either deported or died trying to flee
Turkey.
Over 8,900 violations occurred in the field of work and labor. One hundred
seventy-seven workers died in work-related accidents due to insufficient
safety measures in the workplace, and 7,630 employees were laid off on
various pretexts. (Turkish Daily News, February 19, 2004)
Roman
John Woods
>
>In the German language the old word to "türken" (to turkify) means "to
falsify".
Fuck German language,
Fuck Armanian language,
Fuck Armenian culture of hatred and murder,
Fuck the thugs and murderers Armenian anti-Turkish Hatred Inc.
Roman
Hehe, turkish retard, this is some very impressive presentation of turkish
intelligence.
BTW, did you ask your psychiatrist now what an anally regressed retard is?
Self-knowledge is a good thing!
Jason K. Lambrou
Alarm,alarm new Turk posring JohnWoods
jj
"Jason K. Lambrou" <jjs...@jjdummy.com> wrote in message
news:40BB6190...@jjdummy.com...
More pidgin Eengleeshh from our resident pidgin seepeaking GAY twisted
senile old fool.
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
>
Jason K. Lambrou
> MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA*
> >
*Πως γελαει ενας μαλακας.
jj
A malakas is an idiot who has nothing to laugh about.
At your age GAYson you only have GAY dreams you wash down with ouzo thinking
it is that vile racist Dorian Chicken West's cum. Hardly anything to laugh
about, is it GAYson?
Enjoy the rest of your days on this planet but be aware that there is no
ouzo where you'll soon be going due to your old and senile age.
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
>
Seanie O'Kilfoyle
"jj" <m...@kickingGaysonsArse.com> wrote in message
news:c9j6of$pf9$1...@titan.btinternet.com...
*rotfflmfao*
CAN YAPPIE DOG "WESTIE" CUM ?
I HEARED HE WAS ABUSED AS AN 8 YEAR OLD BY HIS gREEKLING TRUMPET TEACHER WHO
TAUGHT THE LITTLE CHICKEN HOW TO *BLOW TRUMPET* AND *SUCK FLUGELHORN*
AFTER TOUCHING HIM UP WITH HIS "LAP-STEEL" OF COURSE
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAR
jj
>
>
Aha..more HTML posting by GAYson the twisted old senile fool.
You want to play HTML games GAYson? Ok, I'll join in the fun.
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
jj
"Seanie O'Kilfoyle" <Pi...@Easy.SCHPAMM.com> wrote in message
news:cklvc.33$Lf4.11@newsfe5-win...
I heard that his Trumpet teacher was none other than GAYson's uncle Ahmed
who also molested GAYson at a very young age. But only after GAYson kept
begging to be buggered in the family tradition way.
He didn't want to be a family out cast and loves the family traditions.
He says his whole family got fucked by the Turks and they all walk around
with great big smiles on their faces.
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
>
Seanie O'Kilfoyle
"jj" <m...@kickingGaysonsArse.com> wrote in message
*LOL* stop it man
Enough bey !
You're splitting my sides
innit
jj
Why should I be the only one hurting.
I am generous and would like to share GAYson's stupidity with every one.
I want to tell every one how happy he and his family is to get fucked by the
Turks. What's wrong with that?
His happiness must be shared by all.
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Jason K. Lambrou
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
defaultnot
> All replies to the TURKISH RETARD who calls himself "sutten" will be
> crossposted to SCT!
>
> LEARN SOME DESPICABLE TURKISH HISTORY, TURKISH RETARD:
>
This is nothing but fabricated anti-Turkish hate propaganda.
Until 10/29/1923, Turkey did not exist, Turks were the subjugated
nation of Ottoman empire which was not a democratic represantative of
Turkish nation.
It is a well documented fact that Armenians, along with Greeks, Serbs,
Albanian and other Southeastern Europeans were essential part of
Ottoman goverment and society in everywhich way. Ottoman sultans had
Armenian Pashas and officers (miltary generals and administrators) at
all levels of their goverment by the tens of thousands. Even some, if
not many, of the Ottoman sultans were Armenian. Armenian blood was
circulating in the veins of all Ottoman sultans. Armenians
participated in Ottoman goverment decisions in every step of the way
and benefitted from Ottoman system of oppression under which Turks
were suffered immensely and deprived of everything.
So Armenians should bitch about themselves, their own terrorist
leaders (who were ".. craven and mean-spirited and exel in nothing
except drinking." - Marco Polo), instead of putting the blame on Turks
for the brutalities they committed themsleves against innocent
subjects
defaultnot
> All replies to the TURKISH RETARD who calls himself "sutten" will be
> crossposted to SCT!
>
> LEARN SOME DESPICABLE TURKISH HISTORY, TURKISH RETARD:
>
"turkeyhumanrights" is a mouthpiece of Armenian/Greek/PKK/KADEK
anti-Turkish Hatred Inc. fabricates anti-Turkish hate propaganda for
the son-of-a-bitches like Roman <nir...@here.de> and his/her fellow
Turk haters.
Roman
The one original thing this TURKISH RETARD and notorious spammer of usenet
ever comes up with are his many screen names. Here is a select choice of
the ones he has used:
defaultnot, sutten, marykalbright, mcdowell, antiservitude, John Woods,
Robert T Carr, david coors, bigmacnfries, adorman...
If you see one of these names: it's always the same TURKISH RETARD, either
with copied and pasted turkish propaganda articles, or some fascist,
turkish comment, typical for a TURKISH RETARD.
BTW, TURKISH RETARD, did you ask your psychiatrist now what an anally
Roman
TURKISH RETARD, this is some very impressive presentation of turkish
intelligence.
The TURKISH RETARD, spamming "defaultnot", also known as "John Woods",
"bigmacnfries", "Robert T Carr", "faulty nutter", "sutten",
"assinservitude", as well as under many other screen names, is the
well-known village idiot on usenet spreading lies about countries like
Greece, Armenia, Kurdistan, Europe. This idiot copies and pastes his
turkish hate propaganda from turkish propaganda websites.
*Don't fall for his lies.*
--
suttenn
Armenian/PKK/KADEK/Greek anti-Turkish Hatred Inc., posts anti-Turkish
hate propaganda fabricated by mouthpieces of Armenian/Greek/PKK/KADEK
anti-Turkish Hatred Inc. and a fabricator and poster of anti-Turkish
hate propaganda.
With over 16,700 (http://groups.google.com/groups?q=nir...@here.de&ie=UTF-8&hl=en)
anti-Turkish hate propaganda posts in a very short period of time,
this racist Turk killer is a fulltime thug of Armenian/PKK/KADEK/Greek
anti-Turkish Hatred Inc.
It is a well documented fact that Armenians were an essential part of
Ottoman goverment and society in everywhich way. Ottoman sultans had
Armenian Pashas (miltary generals and administrators) at all levels of
their goverment. Even some, if not many, of the Ottoman sultans were
Armenian. Armenian blood was circulating in the veins of almost every
Ottoman sultan. Armenians participated in Ottoman goverment decisions
in every step of the way and benefitted from Ottoman system of
oppression.
Turkey did not even exist until until October 29, 1923 when the
democratric Republic of Turkey was founded after Turks won their
independence against the Ottoman rule and the victors of WWI who
supported Armenian terrorists who tortured, raped, massacred innocent
and defenceless Ottoman subjects, Turks, Kurds, Jews, Arabs and other
non-Armenians to ethnically cleanse Ottoman Eastern Anatolia for an
Armenian homeland which never existed in the history.
So Armenians should bitch about themselves instead of putting the
blame on Turks for the brutalities Armenians committed themsleves
against innocent subjects of their Ottoman empire.
suttenn
anti-Turkish Hatred Inc and a fabricator of anti-Turkish hate
propaganda.
Roman (nir...@here.de) is a thug and murderer of
Roman
TURKISH RETARD, this is some very impressive presentation of turkish
intelligence.
BTW, did you ask your psychiatrist now what an anally regressed retard is?