ATTACKS ON ARMENIAN CONVOYS AND MEASURES TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT

RELOCATION
Some Armenians have died as the result of the attacks made to some companies during the movement of Armenians towards their new settlement regions, especially by the Arabic tribes between Aleppo - Zor and Armenian committee member Urban.

As understood from a coded telegraph dated January 8th 1916, the attacks on the roads between Aleppo and Meskene resulted in the death of many Armenians, (1)

and that approximately 2.000 of the Armenians moving from Diyarbekir to Zor and from Saruc to Halep through Menbic road were robbed by the Urban tribes (2).

Again in Diyarbakir region, it has been notified that the gangs and the bandits killed almost 2.000 people including Armenians and Non - Muslims. Upon this event, it has been notified severely that such events should be immediately stopped and peace should be absolutely provided on the route of the companies, otherwise that province would be held responsible for the actions of the bandits. (3)

A coded telegraph sent to Diyarbekir, Mamuretülaziz and Bitlis provinces on June 14th 1915 informing that another company of 500 people were killed as the result of the Kurd attacks between Erzurum — Erzincan road. Upon this event, the use of any kind of instruments against the attacks of the villagers and the tribes and severe punishment of the ones attempting murder and usurpation had been ordered. (4)

The Ottoman government has shown extra ordinary efforts for providing food and the security of the companies while fighting against the enemy. It has shown great sensitivity about the murders and robberies, to which Armenians have been subjected to and tried to provide the safe performance of this transportation. With the instructions written to the administrations in the provinces, to which the transportation was made, the ones attacking the Armenian companies have been punished. The government, following up the precautions taken about this issue, has asked how many were punished harmed to the Armenian convoys, in the coded telegram it sent to Erzurum, Adana, Ankara, Halep, Hüdavendigar, Diyarbekir, Sivas, Trabzon, Konya, Mamoretülaziz provinces and Urfa, Izmit, Zor, Karesi, Kayseri, Kütahya, Maras, Karahisar administrators on September 5 1915. (5)

On the other hand, Investigation Commissions have been established for determining the officers, who showed reluctance or unlawful actions during the transportation of the Armenian companies. A commission consisting of Muhtar Bey, Ankara Province civil service investigator, and Kaymakam Muhiddin Bey, Izmir Gendarme Regional Investigator under the chairmanship of Asim Bey, first chief of Interrogation Court has been sent to Adana, Halep, Suriye, Urfa, Zor and Maras regions (6)

and a commission to which Ismail Hakki Bey, member of State Council has also participated, under the chairmanship of Hulusi Bey, chairman of Court of Appeal has been sent to Hüdavendigar, Ankara, Izmit, Karasi, Kütahya, Eskisehir, Kayseri, Karahisar-i sahib and Nigde regions. (7)

A third commission consisting of Nihad, Public Prosecutor of Istanbul Court of First Instance and Ali Naki Bey, a Gendarme Major under the chairmanship of Mazhar Bey, former governor of Bitlis has been appointed in Sivas, Trabzon, Erzurum, Mamuretülaziz, Diyarbekir, Bitlis and Canik regions. In a coded confidential telegraph sent to Mazhar Bey, who was the chairman of this commission and was in Sivas at that time, the commission has been requested to carry out the necessary investigations at the locations they visited and then to report the results of such investigations continuously to the center. (8)I

n accordance with the instructions given to the commissions, gendarme, police officers or directors would be sent to the Court Martial in accordance with the result of the investigation to be carried out about them. A list of the ones sent to the Court Martial would be given to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The results of the investigations to be carried out about the governors and district governors would be first submitted to the Ministry of Internal affairs and the transactions would be carried out in accordance with the order given.

If there occurred any misuse among the Court Martial chairmen or members and military officers, those people would be notified to the related army commanderships.

In the light of the reports given by the investigation commissions, many officers misusing their duties (stealing money and goods from the companies, causing the companies be subject to violation because of not performing their protection duties as required, acting in violation of the transportation order) have been discharged. Some of them have been judged at the Court Martial and have been sentenced to heavy punishments. (9)

REFERENCE:Halacoglu, Prof. Dr. Yusuf, Facts Relating to the Armenian Displacement (1915), TTK Publication, Ankara, 2001

FOOTNOTES1) Coding Office, no. 59/2442) Coding Office, no. 56/140; 55 — A/1443) Coding Office, no. 54/406; no 54 — A/73; no 54 — A/2484) Coding Office, no 54/9; no 54/1625) Coding Office, no 55-A/846) Coding Office; no 56/1867) Coding Office; no 56/355; no 58/388) Coding Office, no 56/2679) Coding Office, no 58/278; no 58/141; no. 55-A/156; no. 55-A/157; no 61/165; no 57/116; no 57/416; no 57/105; no 59/235; no 54-A/326; no 59/196

ARMENIANS NOT SUBJECTED TO RELOCATION

Saturday, 10. February 2007, 13:33:20

RELOCATION

The relocation decision has not been applied to all Armenians. At the beginning, a part of the Armenians living in the regions (In Urfa, Germis and Birecik, Erzurum, Aydin, Trabzon, Edirne, Canik, Cannakkale, Adapazari, Halep, Bolu, Kastamonu, Tekirdag, Konya and Karahisar-i sahib) have been kept out of the scope of migration. (1)

But, thereafter, when it has been certain that these people were also involved in various severity events, majority of them been subjected to migration. (2)

The ill and the blind were not subjected to relocation and the Catholic and the Protestant ones, the soldiers and their families, the officers, merchants, some workers and masters were not subject to migration, either. Likewise, in the telegraphs sent to the provinces, it is requested not to move the ill, the blind, the disabled and the old and to settle them in the city centers. (3)

With the telegraphs sent to the related provinces on August 2, 1915 and August 15th 1915, it has been ordered not to subject the Armenians from the Catholic and Protestant sects to migration and to settle them in the cities they were currently in and to notify the number of their population. (5)

[note by JGArslan: Only Gregorian Armnenians were subjected to relocation.The reason of this discrimination must be clearfied.]

The ones that have been subjected to migration by mistake have been settled in the cities they were currently in. (6).

But among the ones that were kept out of the scope of migration, the ones that were observed to have harmful actions have been sent to new settlement regions regardless of their being Catholic or Protestant. (7)

In the coded telegraph sent to the provinces on August 15 1915, the Armenians providing service as officers and health personnel in the Ottoman army and their families have not been subjected to migration and left at their locations. (8)

Besides this, the Armenians working in the branches of Ottoman Bank, in the Turkish Tobacco Monopoly and in some consulates have not been subjected to relocation, either, as long as they remained loyal to the government and their good behavior continued. Furthermore, orphans and widowed women have not been subjected to migration and have been taken under protection in the villages and orphanages. (10)

The children, who became orphans during the transportation have been sent to Sivas and settled in the orphanages there. (11)

A general order was issued on April 30, 1916 about the Armenian families needing protection. With this order, the families with no guardians, whose male members either were transported or were in military service, were settled in the villages and towns, where there were no Armenians and their catering were met from the Immigrants’ Allowance. The children up to 12 were given to Muslim families at locations, where the orphanages were not sufficient and their education and development have been provided. 30 kurush was paid to the poor Muslim families to meet the expenses of the children from the Immigrants’ Allowance. Young and widowed women were permitted to marry Muslim men with their own will. (12)

REFERENCE:Halacoglu, Prof. Dr. Yusuf, Facts Relating to the Armenian Displacement (1915), TTK Publication, Ankara, 2001FOOTNOTES1) Coding Office, no 54-A/155; no 56/ 114; no 56/ 225; no 56/ 226; no 57/89; no 57/177; no 59/ 2182) Coding Office, no 54-A/271; no 54-A / 272 (July 22nd 1331/ August 4th 1915)3) Coding Office, no 56/27; no 67/1864) Coding Office, no. 54-A/ 251; no 55/205) Coding Office, no. 56/112 (September 6th 1331/ September 19th 1915, to Konya province)6) About this issue, orders have been sent via telegraph to Sivas (Coding Office 56/176), Mamuretülaziz and Diyarbekir provinces (Coding Office no 56/172) on September 14th 1331 / September 26th 1915; to Konya (Coding Office, no 58/2) and Ankara (Coding Office, no 58/159) provinces on 1 Tesrinisani 1331 / November 14th 1915.7) A telegraph in this way has been sent to Adana province on August 1331 / September 2nd 1915 (Coding Office, no. 55-A/23).8) Coding Office, no. 55/189) Coding Office, no 56/36 (September 3rd 1331 / September 16th 1915); no 56/243 (September 17th 1331 / September 30th 1915); no 56/360 (September 28th 1331 / October 11th 1915).10) Coding Office, no 54/411; no 54/450; no 54-A / 32511) Coding Office, no 61/18-2012) This order has been sent to Adana, Erzurum, Edirne, Halep, Hüdavendigar, Sivas, Diyarbekir, Mamuretülaziz, Konya, Kastamonu, Trabzon provinces and Izmit, Canik, Eskisehir, Karahisar-i sahib, Maras, Urfa, Kaysri, Nigde possessorships (Coding Office, no 63/147) and to Ankara province on May 17th 1332 / May 30th 1916 (Coding Office no 64/162).

MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS AND EXPENSES OF RELOCATED ARMENIANS

Saturday, 10. February 2007, 13:34:10
RELOCATION

The Government has written notices to all provinces before beginning the Armenian relocation and requested them to take precautions to meeting all needs of the companies that would pass through their regions and to stock food. (1)

Various orders have been given to Immigrant and Tribe Settling Directorate for food — beverage provision. (2)

Sükrü Bey, the Immigrant and Tribe Settling Director was individually in charge for the determination and provision of the needs. (3)

It is understood from the documents that a total of 2.250.000 kurus has been allocated to meet the needs of the companies and of this amount, 400.000 kurus has been allocated to Konya, 150.000 to Izmit province subdivision, 200.000 to Eskisehir province subdivision, 300.000 to Adana province, 300.000 to Halep province, 100.000 to Syria province, 300.000 to Ankara province, (4) 500.000 to Mousul province. (5)

Furthermore, the provinces could aid the immigrants from their own budgets and sometimes new money allocations were sent from the center in accordance with the condition of needs. (6)

Meanwhile, a certain amount of money sent from America to be given to Armenian immigrants has been distributed to the Armenians under the knowledge of the government, by the American missioners and consuls. (7)

Besides this, it has been understood that some Armenians living in America have secretly sent the money they collected among themselves to the Armenians subjected to immigration. (8)

The Ottoman Government, while spending such great amounts of money for relocation on one hand, either delayed or completely canceled the debts owed either to the state or individuals of the Armenians subjected to migration. Likewise in a coded telegraph sent by Talat Pasha to Maras Governor on June 1, 1915, he requested not to take back the debts of Armenians and in another order sent to all provinces on August 4th 1915, the tax debts of the displaced Armenians were postponed (9).

On the other hand, health officers have been assigned to the migrating companies for providing therapy in case of illness. (10)

Furthermore, the legal proceedings about the criminal suspects, who were among the ones subjected to migration, were delayed. (11)

REFERENCE: Halacoglu, Prof. Dr. Yusuf, Facts Relating to the Armenian Displacement (1915), TTK Publication, Ankara, 2001.1) Coding Office, no 55/291; no 55/341; no 57/345; no 57/3512) Coding Office, no 55/152; no 55/291; no 55/341; no 55-A/17; no 55-A/135; no 57/1103) Coding Office, no 55-A/16 (telegraph dated August 18th 1331 / August 31st 1915)4)

Coding Office, no 55-A/175) The budget of the Directorate of Settlement of Tribes and immigrants for the year 1331 was 78.000.000 kurus and 1332 budget was 200.000.000 kurus and this amount was spent for the Armenians, Greeks and Arabs subjected to relocation and the Muslims coming from the regions invaded by the enemy (BA, BEO, no. 334063).6) Coding Office, no 53/305, no 55-A/1187) Coding Office, no 60/2818) Coding Office, no 60/1789) Coding Office, no 54-A/26810) Coding Office, no 54-A/22611) With a notification sent from the Courthouse and Sects Ministry to the Office of the Grand Vizier, it is notified that a decision for judging the ones that are migrated at the locations they are sent to and the ones that are not migrated at the locations they were at (BA, BEO, no. 329176).

PROPERTIES OF THE ARMENIANS SUBJECTED TO RELOCATION

Saturday, 10. February 2007, 13:42:21

RELOCATION

With an order issued on June 10, 1915, the properties of the Armenians subjected to displacement have been taken under protection.

In accordance with the order, it has been decided to sell the properties by auction that may decay and the animals or the production houses that must be operated, by the commissions that were established and by auction and to send the money to their owners.It is understood that the Ottoman Government showed great care in the implementation of this order. In order to prevent any misuse, a great care has been shown. Through the Commission on Abandoned Property, the money coming through the auction in the names of their owners was paid to the owners of such property. (1)

When there was some gossip was made during these sales, the government has sent a coded telegraph to the governors, provinces and Commissions on Left Properties on August 3rd 1915 and forbidden the purchase of those properties by the state officers because this could lead to some misuses. (2) But, thereafter, this decision has been canceled in some province on the condition of paying the real value with cash. (3)

The government has taken all precautions in order to prevent any kind of unlawful actions. Likewise, in a coded telegraph sent to the Chairmanship of Commission on Abandoned Property of Sivas on August 11th 1915, it has been requested to take the precautions that would prevent profiteering and misuses. (4) Again on the same date, with an order sent to all provinces, the precautions to be taken and the applications to be performed about this issue were indicated in the form of articles (5)

In accordance with this order: “no suspected person would be permitted to enter the evacuated regions; in case some people have purchased properties against cheap prices, the sales would be canceled and the real value of the property would be determined so that illegal interests would be prevented; the displaced Armenians would be permitted to take any goods they want with themselves; among the goods that can not be carry away like, the ones that would decay would be sold, but the goods that would not decay would be protected in the name of their owners; care would be paid not to lose touch with the owner of the immovable assets that would be hired, transferred and pledged and if there was any applications carried out in violation of these provisions starting from the date of commencement of the migration, they would be canceled; that no disputes would be allowed about such goods; the Armenians subjected to migration would be permitted to sell their properties to anybody except the foreigners” (6)

The provisions in these orders were applied with great care and the art and commerce enterprises that remained from the Armenians were transferred in high prices to settlement companies, which were established, their real value. (7)

The Commission on Abandoned Property has sent the money from sold properties to their owners. (8)

REFERENCE:Halacoglu, Prof. Dr. Yusuf, Facts Relating to the Armenian Displacement (1915), TTK Publication, Ankara, 2001.

FOOTNOTES1) Coding Office, no 53/3032) Coding Office, no 54-A/2593) Coding Office, no 55/1074) Coding Office, no 54-A/3855) For the texts of the laws issued about the properties of the displaced Armenians, see “Ahar mahallere nakledilen eshasin ve düyun ve matlubat-i metrukesi hakkinda kanun-u muvakkat”, Takvim-i Vekayi, September 14th 1331 and 18 Zilkade 1333, no. 2303, 7 year; furthermore, see Y.H.Bayur, Turkish Revolutions History, Ankara 1957, III/3, p. 45-466) Coding Office, no 54-A/3887) Coding Office, no 61/31; no 60/275; no 60/2778) Coding Office, no 57/348; no 57/349; no 57/350

THE RETURN OF RELOCATED ARMENIANS

RELOCATION
The migration was sometimes stopped during relocation both due to the weather conditions and congestion. Starting from November 25, 1915, with the orders sent to the provinces, the migration has been provisionally interrupted due to winter.

(1) On February 21st 1916, an order was sent to all provinces to stop the Armenian relocation. However, it has been indicated that this would not cover the harmful people, the ones related with the committees would be immediately collected and sent to Zor province subdivision.

(2)Upon the administrative and military necessity, a general order was sent stating that as of March 15th 1916, the Armenian migration was stopped and no relocation would be made for any reasons thereafter.

(3)After the completion of relocation, since the Armenians were mostly settled mostly in Syria province, the Armenian Patriarchy in Istanbul was closed on August 10th 1916 and moved to Jerusalem. Sis and Akdamar Cathogicospacies were united and moved to Jerusalem.

(4) The chairmanship of the newly established patriarchy has been given to Sis Cathogicospos Sahak Efendi.

(5)Following the end of the 1st World War, Ottoman Government has issued a decree for the return of the Armenians subjected to relocation to their former locations. In the letter sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mustafa Pasha to the Prime Ministry on January 1919, it is indicated that orders have been given to the related places for the transportation of the Armenians, who wanted to return, to their former locations and that the necessary precautions have been taken.

(6) The decree of return prepared by the government, dated December 31st 1918 is as follows:1- Only the ones, who want to return, will be migrated, except those people, no one else will be touched.

2- The precautions necessary will be taken for assuring a good journey, and for preventing housing and catering shortage in the returning locations; the migration and returning transactions will be started after contact is established with the administrators of the regions they will return to and after the necessary precautions are taken

3- The abandoned houses and lands will be returned to the owners.

4- The houses of the ones, where formerly immigrants have been placed, will be evacuated.5- A few families may be settled in the same location temporally in order to provide sufficient housing

.6- Buildings such as churches, schools and the income generating locations will be returned to the society they belong to.

7- If requested, the orphans will be returned to their guardians, who will be carefully determined, or to their societies, after their identifications are carefully determined.

8- The ones, who have converted their religions, will be able to return to their former religion if they want to.

9- Among the Armenian women, who have married to Muslims and converted their religions will be free to return to their former religion. In this case their marriage act will be automatically canceled. The problems relating to the ones, who do not want to return to their former religion and not wish to divorce from their husbands will be dissolved by the courts.

10- The Armenian properties, which are not in anyone’s ownership, will be returned to their first owners and the return of those which have become the property of treasury will be decided with the approval of the property officers. Further explanatory minutes will be prepared about this issue.

11- The property sold to the Muslim immigrants will be delivered to their first owners gradually as their owners return. Article 4 will be definitely applied

.12- If the Muslim immigrants have made repairs and additions in the houses and stores that will be returned to their former owners, or if they have planted the lands and olive groves, the rights of both sides will be observed.

13- The immigration and expenses of the Armenians in need will be met from the Military College Allowance.14- The amount of transportation made until the current time and the amount of transportation made and the target location of such transportation will be notified on the fifteenth and last days of each month. 15- The Armenians, who have left the Ottoman borders and who want to return, will not be accepted until a new order is issued.

The provisions of the decree explained herein above were valid for the Greek immigrants as well as the Armenians.

REFERENCE:Halacoglu, Prof. Dr. Yusuf, Facts Relating to the Armenian Displacement (1915), TTK Publication, Ankara, 2001.F

OOTNOTES1)

Coding Office, no 57/273; no 58/124; no 58/161; no 59/123; no 60/1902) Coding Office, no 61/723) Coding Office, no 62/214) For the new regulation made in 1916 for the Armenian Patriarchy, see Y. H. Batur, Turkish Revolution History, III/3, p. 57-59.5) Coding Office, no 66/202; no 66/220; no 63/1366) BA, BEO, no 341055. This letter of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has also been transferred to the Ministry of Courthouse and Sects due to its relation, on 26 Kanun-u evvel 1334 (January 8th 1919), by the Prime Ministry.

INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED BY FOREIGNERS ABOUT AND THEIR OUTCOME

Saturday, 10. February 2007, 13:45:02
RELOCATION
Just after the First World War, following the invasion of Istanbul and other regions by the entente states’ armies, hundreds of political and military leaders and Ottoman intellectuals were sent to and imprisoned in Malta Island by the English, with the claim that they were “war criminals”.

Comprehensive investigations have been carried out on the Ottoman archives for finding evidences of crime about the people imprisoned in Malta.

As the result of these investigations, no evidence could be submitted to the court neither against the Istanbul government of that time nor about the people imprisoned in Malta in order to prove the accusations on them.

The English Court has made desperate investigations in their own archives and in the archives of USA government in Washington, but again no results could be reached.In the same way, in the message found in the USA archive reports, sent by R.C. Craigie, the English Ambassador in Washington to Lord Curzon on July 13th 1921, the following is expressed:“I am sorry to notify you that there is nothing that can be used as evidence against the Turks imprisoned in Malta.

There is nothing that will provide sufficient evidence.

These reports do not seem to include even the evidences that may be helpful in supporting the information that is currently held by the Majesty’s Government about the Turks in any way.” (1)On July 29th 1921, the Legal Consultants of the King in London decided that the accusations directed to the people in the list of the English Foreign Affairs had a semi — political characteristic and therefore the transactions to be carried out about them should be held separate from those of the Turks, who have been arrested as war criminals.Furthermore, the expressions “Until now, no deposition has been obtained from any witness proving the accusations made about the arrested are true. In fact, it is not definite if a witness will be found or not; since in a country that is far and difficult to reach like Armenia and especially after such long time, it is even unnecessary to express how difficult it is to find a witness” (2) belongs to the Legal Consultants of His Majesty’s Government.

Consequently, the people, who were under arrest in Malta, were set free in 1922 without any accusation directed to them and without any cases held.During that time, some documents accusing the Ottoman Government of a so — called genocide and trying to evidence this issue was published by the English press.

These documents were claimed to have been found in the Ottoman State Offices in Syria by the English Invasion Forces under the direction of General Allenby. However, the interrogations carried out thereafter by the English Foreign Affairs Ministry showed that these were not documents obtained by the English army, but false documents written by the Nationalist Armenian Delegation in Paris to the allied delegations.

REFERENCES:1.PRO. FO. July 13th 1921, 371/ 6504/ E.85192.Foreign Office, July 29th 1921 371/ 6504 / E.8745

THE STANCE TAKEN BY SCHOLARS TO ALLEGATIONS OF GENOCIDE

The scientists, who perceive the history within the scientific principles, have reached the original copies and documents relating to the issue since 1925 until today, have listened to living witnesses and have made individual observations at the locations of the events.

These are the scientists, who knew that the Ottoman archives were open to the researchers since 1925 and who themselves reached the documents.

Therefore, only those who are as knowledgeable on this issue as they can comment on or can object to their views. For this reason, the report submitted by 69 American scientists to the members of the Assembly of Representatives in relation with the issue has great importance.

(1)“To the attention of the Members of USA Assembly of Representatives

The Turkish, Ottoman researches and the American Academicians specialized in Middle East, whose signatures are put hereunder, have agreed that the language used in decree number 192 by USA Assembly of Representatives is misleading and / or wrong in many points. “Although we fully support the concept of “National Day of Commemorating Inhuman Behaviors”, we find the following part, in this text, unacceptable:

…. 1.5 million Armenian — originated people, who have been the victims of the genocide made in Turkey between 1915 and 1923 …”Our disagreement focuses on the use of he words “Turkey” and “genocide” and may be summarized as follows:
From the 14th century until 1922, the area, which is called Turkey, more correctly as the “Republic of Turkey” today, was a part of the Ottoman Empire, which was a multi — religion and multi — national state. Just as it is wrong to accept the Habsburg Empire to be equivalent to the Republic of Austria of today, it is also wrong to accept the Ottoman Empire to be equivalent of to the Republic of Turkey.

The Ottoman Empire, which exited from the history stage in 1922 with the Turkish Revolution gave birth to the establishment of current Republic of Turkey in 1923, was a state, which kept the lands of more than 25 states, over Southeastern Europe, Northern Africa and Middle East. The Republic of Turkey was only one of them can not be held responsible for any events that happened in the Ottoman period.

But the ones, who have written the decree, wanted to give the responsibility of the “genocide” between 1915 and 1923 to Turkey by using the name “Turkey”.As for the genocide accusation, no one, who has signed this paper, have the purpose of underrating the dimensions of the pains that the Armenians have suffered. Likewise, we have the opinion that the pains of the Muslim public in the mentioned region can not be assessed in any other way.

The evidences put forward until now point out that an internal war between the communities (between the Muslim and Christian groups) has become more complex with the hunger, epidemics and the massacres and pains in and around Anatolia during the first World War. In fact, during those years, a continuous war has been suffered in the region that is not so different from the tragedy going on in Lebanon in the last decade.

The losses of both the Muslim and the Christian nations are big numbers. However, there are many documents and findings that the historians must reach in order to determine the reasons of the events that resulted in the death of the Eastern Anatolian public, which includes many Christians as well as Muslims. History is created by the statesmen and the politicians and it is written by the scientists. For the operation of this process, the scientists must be given the chance to reach the written records of the former statesmen and politicians.

Until now, a big part of the archives related with this issue in the Soviet Union, Syria, Bulgaria and Turkey have been kept closed to the historians. Until these archives are reached, the history of the Ottoman Empire between 1915 — 1923 in the scope of the decree of the Assembly of Representatives numbered 192 can not be completely known.We believe that USA Congress should encourage the full opening of the history archives relating to the issue and should not make any accusations until the historical events are fully brought into light.

The accusations such as the ones in the decree number 192 of the Assembly of Representatives would unavoidably result in unfair decisions about Turkey and maybe damaging the improvement, which the historians started to record in understanding these tragic events.As shown by the comments herein above, the history of the Ottoman — Armenians is an issue that is frequently debated among the historians and many of the historians do not share the expressions in the decree number 192.

In case the congress adopts this decree, it will have tried to decide which part of the historical problem is true through laws. Such a decision basing on assumptions that are historically doubtful gives harm to the honest historical research and damages the reliability of the American legislation process.

May 19 1985Prof. Dr. Rifaat Abou — El — HajHistory, California State UniversityProf. Roderic DavisonHistory, George Washington UniversityAss. Prof. Sarah Moment AtisTurkish Language and Literature, Wisconsin UniversityDistinguished Prof. Walter DennyArt History and Near East Researches, Massachussets UniversityAss. Prof. Darl BarbirHistory, Siena Institution (New York)Dr. Alan DubenAnthropologist, Researcher, New York Ilhan BASGÖZUral — Altay Studies Division, Turkish Researches Program Director, Indiana UniversityAss. Prof. Ellen Ervin Turkish Researches, New York UniversityProf. Daniel G. HatesAnthropology, New York City UniversityProf. Caesar FarahIslam and Middle East History, Minnesota UniversityProf. Ülkü BatesArt History, New York City UniversityPrf. Carter FindleyHistory, Ohio State UniversityProf. Gustav BayerleUral — Altay Studies, Indiana UniversityProf. Michael FinefrockHistory, Charleston InstitutionProf. Andreas G. E. BodroglifettiTurkish and Iran Languages, California UniversityAss. Prof. William HickmanTurkish, California Berkeley UniversityAss. Prof. Kathleen BurrilTurkish Researches, Columbia UniversityAss. Prof. Frederick LatimerHistory, Utah UniversityProf. Alan FisherHistory, Michigan UniversityProf. John HymesHistory, Glenville State InstitutionProf. Timothy ChildsTeacher, Johns Hopkins UniversityDr. Health W. LowryTurkish Research Institution Inc. Washington D.C.Prof. Shafiga DauletPolitical Science, Connecticut UniversityProf. Halil InalcikOttoman History, American Art & Science Academy Member, Chicago UniversityAss. Prof. Ralph JaeckelTurkish, California UniversityAss. Prof. Ezel Kural ShawHistory, California UniversityAss. Prof. Ronald JenningsHistory & Asian Researches, Illinois UniversityProf. John Masson Simth, JRHistory, California Berkeley UniversityAss. Prof. Cornell FleischerHistory, Washington UniversityDr. Svat SoucekTurkologist, New YorkProf. Peter GoldenHistory, Rutgers UniversityDr. Philip SoddardMiddle East Institute Director, Washington D.C.Prof. Tom GoodrichHistory, Indiana UniversityProf. Frank TachauPolitical Science, Chicago, Illinois UniversityDr. Andrew CouldOttoman History, Arizona, FlagstaffRobert StaabMiddle East Center Vice Director, Utah UniversityProf. William GriswoldHistory, Colorado State UniversityProf. Rhoads MurpheyMiddle East Languages, Cultures and History, Columbia UniversityProf. Tibor Halasi — KuvTurkish Researches, Columbia ProfessorAss. Prof. June StarrAnthropology, Suny Stony BrookDistinguished Prof. J.C. HurewitzFormer Director of Middle East Institute, Columbia UniversityProf. James Stewart RobinsonTurkish researches, Michigan UniversityProf. AvgdorlevyHistory, Brandens UniversityProf. Thomas NaffHistory, Middle East Researches Institute Director, Pennsylvania University Prof. Bernard Lew’isMiddle East History, Princeton UniversityAss. Prof. John WoodsMiddle East History, Chicago UniversityAss. Prof. Justin Mc CarthyHistory, Louisville UniversityProf. Pierre OberlingHistory, New York CityUniversityProf. Jon MandavilleMiddle East History, Portland State UniversityAss. Prof. Madeline ZilfiHistory, Maryland UniversityProf. Michael MeekerAnthropology, California UniversityProf. Metin TamkocInternational Law, Texas Tech. UniversityAss. Prof. James KellyTurkish, Utah UniversityProf. Stanford ShawHistory, California UniversityAss. Ass. Prof. Kerim BeySoutheastern UniversityDr. Elaine SimthTurkish History, Retired Foreign Affairs OfficerProf. Metin KuntOttoman History, New YorkAss. Prof. David ThomasHistory, Rhode Island InstituteAss. Prof. William OchsenwaldHistory, Virginia Polytechnic InstituteAss. Prof. Grace M. SimthHistory, California Berkeley universityAss. Prof. Robert OlsonHistory, Kentucky UniversityAss. Prof. Margaret L.VenzkeHistory, Dickinson Institute (Pennsylvania)Ass. Prof. William PeachyJewish and Near East Languages & Literatures, Ohio State UniversityE. Prof. Donald WebsterTurkish HistoryAss. Prof. Donald QuataertHistory, Houston UniversityProf. Walter WeikerPolitical Science, Rutgers UniversityProf. Howard ReedHistory, Connecticut UniversityProf. Warren S .WalkerEnglish, Turkish Oral Stories Archive Director, Texas Tech. UniversityProf. Dank Wart RustowPolitical Science, New York City UniversityInvitations have been made by Turkey at different times in order to discuss the correctness of the documents put forward by the Armenians and the Armenian pretensions supported by the Western European Countries and Russia. These calls have been both directed at to the Armenian scientists and to the people, who have undertaken the Armenian propaganda. However, an important part of these people did not participate the meeting without showing any reasons. The last example of this condition has been set in the 11th Turkish History Congress that gathered in 1990. For the first time, an “Armenian Section” had been programmed in the 11th Turkish history Congress and the foreign historians who have been “Armenian struggle Supporters” have been invited to the discussions in this section, but each of them using various excuses avoided participating in these scientific discussions.The list of the foreign scientists invited to the 11th Turkish History Congress, held in Ankara between September 5th — 9th 1990, in relation with the Armenian problem, is given hereunder:Prof. Dr. Heath LOWRY (participated)Garin ZEDLIAN (did not answer)Prof. Dr. Bernard LEWIS (could not participate)Prof. Dr. Justin McCARTHY (participated)Prof. Dr. Stanford SHAW (participated)Prof. Dr. Anthony BRYER (Did not answer)Dr. Andrew MANGO (participated)Prof. Dr. Salahi R. SONYEL (participated)Prof. Dr. M. MARMURA (did not answer)Prof. Dr. Allan CUNNINGHAM (did not answer)Prof. Dr. Robert ANCIAUX (participated)Prof. Dr. Aryeh SHMUELEVITZ (participated)Prof. Dr. Jak YAKAR (participated)Prof. Dr. Hans G. MAJER (could not participate)Prof. Dr. Wolf Dietrich HUTTEROTH (did not answer)Prof. Dr. Klaus KREISER (could not participate)Prof. Dr. Jean — Paul ROUX (did not answer)Prof. Dr. Paul DUMONT (participated)Prof. Dr. Robert MANTRAN (could not participate)Prof. Dr. Richard HOVANNISIAN (did not answer)Dr. Gerard LIBARDIAN (did not answer)Dr. Levon MARASHLIAN (participated)Prof. Dr. Vahakn DADRIAN (did not answer)Christopher WALKER (could not participate)Anahid Ter MIMASSIAN (could not participate)Tessa HOFFMAN (did not answer)REFERENCE:(1) Yildirim, Dr. Hüsamettin, Ermeni Iddialari ve Gercekler, Ankara, 2000

ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS AND UN TREATY ON GENOCIDE

Saturday, 10. February 2007, 13:47:10
RELOCATION

The concept “genocide” is defined with the “UN Agreement on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide Crime” dated 1948. In accordance with article 2 of the agreement;“

Genocide covers one of the following actions; with the intention of killing a national, ethnic, racial or religious group completely or partially: killing the members of the group, giving heavy damages to the physical or mental integrity of the members of the group, keeping the group in living conditions that will result in the loss complete partial physical existence of the group, taking precautions that will prevent births among the group, transfering of the children in the group to another group by force. In genocide, planned actions that have become a state policy are involved.”When the issue is assessed in terms of the genocide agreement, it is impossible not to mention some events in the history.

For committing an offence of inhumanity as genocide, that nation must have a tendency for such a crime in its history.

Tendency for crime is a characteristic for the societies just as it is for human beings.
When the Turkish history is examined, one can not find any trace of no genocide or assimilation.When we look at the geography, on which it has spread, we see that the Ottomans held a part of Europe together with the Balkans up to the borders of Vienna, all Northern Africa on Mediterranean coast, all of the Middle East and the Arab Peninsula under its management for many years.
This period is at least 200 — 400 years. Which nation in this geography can be said to be extinct?

In the period, during which religious rules were executed in Anatolia, beliefs such as the oldest Christianity sect Syriacism and Yezidi belief worshipping flame and peacock were able to survive lived and in 1800s, although violated of the religious laws, churches have been opened in Anatolia.

Even while one of the two brothers was Sokullu Mehmet Pasha, the Ottoman Grand Vizier, the other was assigned as Patriarch to the Makarje Serbian Church and has resurrected the Serbian nation. In the same period, when we look a other regions of the world, we see the genocides of the sects struggle period in Europe, the communities, whose languages were changed in the far east (Indians — Pestun), Africa, and Southern America whose language and religion have been completely changed.Nazis have killed millions of people during the 2nd World War.

Between 1939 — 1945, 5-6 million Jews, more than 3 million Soviet war prisoners, more than one million Polish and more than one million Yugoslavians, approximately 200.000 gypsies and 70.000 disabled were killed.

This is the genocide.In addition to these, although the United Nations has a preventive agreement, there have been many genocide events in the modern era.

For example, in accordance with the confessions of 2 retired French generals published in Le Monde, the French have killed minimum one million Algerians between 1954 — 1962, the Indonesian army has killed one million communists and their families between 1965 — 1966, the Red Kmers in Cambodia killed 1.7 million Cambodians between 1975 — 1979, in 1994 500.000 Tutsies have been killed by the Hutus in Ruanda, and finally thousands of Muslims have been subject to the Serbian severity in Bosnia — Herzegovina after 1991.The genocide crime has been committed in these events in its real meaning.

Contrary to the Armenian pretensions, the implementation performed in Eastern Anatolia in 1915 is the migration from one place to another region within Ottoman land and it has no relation with the genocide. Turkish management is accustomed to living with the nations of different cultures and races in the regions it dominated. There is “justice” in the Turkish tradition, there is “keeping the cultures alive”; but there is no “massacre” or “genocide”. This matter is clearly indicated in the book of Justin McCarthy named “Death and Exile”. In this book, the story of the Balkans and the Caucasian people taking refuge in the Ottoman management to escape death are related.

One should the ones accusing the Ottoman management with genocide: Where did the Jews and the Muslims escape from Spain and Portugal in 1469 where did Tökeli Imre and his men escape from Hungary in 1680, where did Rakoczi Ferench and his men go in 1711, where did Layos Kosuth and a Hun group of 2000 people go in 1849, where did Prince Chartorski go with his 135000 soldiers in 1841 and 1856, where did the Russian commander Vrangel and even Trouchki escape in order to take refuge from death?The history gives the answer all these questions as the “Ottoman”.

Don’t the ones announcing the relocation implementation in 1915 as the so called “Armenian genocide” know that Poland and Germany origin Jews found shelter in Turkey since 1930s? While only 20 — 25 years had passed over the so — called Armenian genocide, why did the ones looking for a country to adopt chose Turkey as their rescuer?

The answers to these questions are hidden in the just, humane, tolerant, uniting character of the Turkish State tradition, which has always been respectful towards traditions and beliefs.Furthermore, the genocides and assimilations made in the Balkans 550 years after the Ottoman Empire Fatih, who gave the people living on the land he ruled, the chance of preserving their values alive and transferring them to the new generations, must be remembered.

The Balkan nations, whose languages, religions, churches, schools were taken under guarantee with this order, have torn the Bosnians, Albania — rooted Muslims, Macedonians and Bulgaria Turks out of their own land in the verge of the 21st century.

Today, the ones accusing Turkey of genocide have ignored the massacres that continued for moths and tapped their ears to the screams of the raped women of any age. Recently, not only the Balkan nations found shelter in Turkey; but also the Iraqis running away from Saddam Hüseyin, the Iraqi state president, who tried to commit genocide using the “mustard gas” he provided from the western chemical weapon producers, found shelter in Turkey.

The Turkish people has always shared their bread at any time in history in spite of their limited opportunities and have opened their arms to the oppressed nations.

The Turkish people, the Ottoman and the Republic of Turkey have a very clean register that can be an example for other nations and states.
http://my.opera.com/noarmeniangenocide/blog/index.dml/tag/RELOCATION

Armenian Issue – Presentation by Prof. Dr. Turkkaya Ataov,

The following is a summary of the presentation for those interested in the subject matter.

The Armenian IssueAtaov started his presentation by stating that it is impossible to describe all aspects of the Armenian issue during a single lecture, today or tomorrow or even later, since it is such a complex problem that needs elaboration, corrections and new interpretations..

He started getting involved with this issue in 1979 when he realized that some of the things that he was reading were not accurate. He started writing about some of them in magazines and newspapers.

Pyramid of Skulls

One of the first things that attracted my attention, he said, was a picture published in several books, newspapers and magazines in France, Bulgaria, Iran and even in Latin America (including the Time magazine in the US) which claimed to be the skulls of Armenians killed by the Turks, referring to the “1915 - Turkish Barbarism”. The picture reminded me of a painting that I had seen at a gallery in Moscow, also included in a guide book that I had kept. I was able to locate the book among my 25,000 or so books and realized that it was the same painting published by the Armenians and their symphatizers over and over again.

I documented this in a monograph and made a wide distribution. The picture, presented as a photograph of heap of skulls, supposedly a remainder of ‘’Turkish barbarity’’ connected with the events of 1915, was actually a painting done in 1871 by a Russian master articst (V: Vereshchagin) who died in 1904.

Still hanging in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the oil canvas İS NAMED ‘’The Apotheasis of War’’ and is easily idebtifiable as such by any cultured Russian.

False Statement Attributed to Ataturk

An Armenian Hearst-style tabloid claimed that a Swiss journalist/artist had an interview with Ataturk on Aug 1, 1926, suggesting that Ataturk had admitted that the Ottoman Turks had committed genocide. An investigation on the tone and the style of the interview, the lack of any mention of the interview in Turkish newspapers, and investigations in the Swiss libraries showed that no such interview had taken place and that mo such person had even existed.

Book by AndonianAnother falsification is related to a number of so-called ''documents'' that an Armenian writer, Aram Andonian, either referred to or printed in a book that he attributed to the Ottoman leaders, principally to Talat Pasa.
Turkish scholars analyzed them and concluded that the book was based on forgeries. They were forgeries in terms of the kind of paper and cipher used, the dates, numbers and the signatures put on them. What he referred to as ''telegrams'' had been fabricated, which he claimed later that he had lost the originals. Ataov mentioned that he had extensively written about this as well.

Official Letters of Bogos Nubar, the head of the Armenian delegation to the Paris Peace Conference

Ataov showed a copy of an official letter that Bogos Nubar wrote to the French Foreign Ministry which states that between 600,000 - 700,000 Armenians had been subjected to relocation. Of these 250,000 went to the Caucasus, 80,000 stayed in Syria, 40,000 reached Iran, 20,000 more in Mosul and Baghdad, and hence a total of 390,000 reached their destination unmolested. The average remaining figure was 260,000. Bogos Nubar, the head of the Armenian Delegation at Versailles, does not say that this number was slaughtered by the Turks. Had he been sure that they were killed by the Turks, he would have certainly stated so, especially considering the fact that the Armenians were then on the side of the victors, and ‘’victors’’ justice was ruling everywhere. Ataov emphasized that the 260,000 were not killed by the Turks; many died of disease, or other causes, and that no one can really tell how many died. Between 1914-22, the Armenians participated in about s dozen wars, in which they killed and got killed.

Malta Trials

Ataov briefly commented on the Malta trials which ended with the release of 144 high Ottoman officials without any charges, including the Ottoman Grand Vizier down to the Columbia university graduate Ahmet Emin Yalman, the reporter who even gave lessons to the detainees to pass the time during the detention.

Quotation Attribute to Hitler

The notorious Hitler quotation was first published by The New York Times and The Times of London, with a note that this was reported by “our special correspondent”. While talking to his generals in 1939, the German dictator is supposed to have said: “I have given orders to destroy Polish-speaking race. After all, who remembers today the extermination of the Armenians.” Ataov stated he did extensive research on this and that there was no historical basis for attributing such a statement to Hitler. Ataov also spoke about the efforts of some misguided Armenians who draw a parallel between the Jewish Holocaust and the so-called Armenian genocide, which he said is unfair to the Jews as well as the Turks. Ataov added that Hitler was no expert of Armenian-Turkish relations, that all what he wrote was nonsense and even if he had made such a statement it would carry no weight at all.

Van UprisingsOne of the principal reasons for the relocation was the Armenian uprisings in Van in 1915 where Turks were massacred. The Russians took over the city and handed the governance to the Armenians which resulted in deaths mostly on the Muslim/Turkish side.

Questions and Answers
Ataov suggested that he could take only a few questions since it was getting late. One of the questions was on the Hitler quotation, as to why it was still being exhibited at the US Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, not too far from the White House. Turkkaya’s answer was: “Whoever has the power, will do whatever he wants.”
Then, Turkkaya stated that an Encyclopedia on Genocide published in Israel included Mustafa Kemal as one of those responsible for genocide. Ataov stated that he wrote about this falsification extensively.question was asked on the efforts of Ozdem Sanberk and the committee on the ''Reconciliation'' that was formed a couple of years ago, which has since been disbanned. Ataov responded by stating that he did not know about the efforts or the findings of the committee. Ataov also made a comment, referring to the recent conference in Ankara on Armenian Research, to which he was not even invited.

Edward Tasji, : ''You told us that no one cared or responded to the Armenian allegations. I have been doing just that for the past 40 years. Thanks to Ata Erim, my book will be published soon that will tell my story, based solely on my personal experience.

Ataov responded by stating that he knew Edward Tasji's efforts and thanked fo all he has been doing, but that he never said that here or elsewhere no one had responded to Armenian allegations..

Selected Books by Prof. Dr. Turkkaya Ataov
1. Osmanlı'nin Son Doneminde Ermeniler, August 2002, Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi Kultur, Sanat ve Yayin Kurulu Baskanligi.
The book, edited by Ataov, contains 14 articles written by experts on the Armenian issue, including Prof. Justin McCarty and Prof. Yusuf Halacoglu.

2. The Armenian Question, Conflict, Trauma, & Objectivity

3. An American Source (1895) on the Armenian Question

4. Hitler and the Armenian Question

5. A Statement Wrongly Attributed to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Documents on the Armenian Question: Forged and Authentic, 1985and many others.Ataov also stated that he had translated My Name is Aram into Turkish, one of many books written by William Saroyan, born in Fresno, California, to Armenian parents who migrated from Bitlis around 1910. Saroyan happens to be my favourite American author, who was a complex man as told by his son in a book The Last Rites.

Yuksel Oktay, PECivil EngineerNew JerseyNote: Prof. Turkkaya Ataov had made a similar presentation on the Armenian Issue at the Turkish Center back in 1988.
http://www.turkla.com/yazar.php?mid=1027&yid=39

Yusuf Hallacoglu :Armenian massacre stories began with 300.000s and came to 3.000.000s have no basis.

RELOCATION
Many things have been said and written about relocation since the date of its application. The Armenians have managed to deceive the world public opinion for a long period by hiding behind the false documents.

The Armenian massacre stories, which began with 300.000s and came to 3.000.000s have no basis.

Likewise during the invasion of Istanbul, both the English and the French have sufficiently investigated the Ottoman archive and since they have not been able to submit any documents in relation with the Armenian genocide, they must not have found any such document.On the other hand, they should have photographs in their archives taken by the journalists who came to Anatolia at that time to observe the relocation implementation. If a genocide had been committed with the order of the state, these photographs would have been presented to the world public opinion a long time ago.

Furthermore, if the party claiming the reality of a genocide had concrete documents, would the for establishing a “commission of jurists” be left without a response? Why did not this official suggestion of the Ottoman State left unanswered? Was the reason the fear that the roles of some western countries would become apparent in the organization and agitation of the Armenian bands or the fear that sources, from which the Armenians obtained their guns to kill thousands of innocent civil people, be disclosed?

When the word genocide is mentioned the Nazi mass murder that resulted in the loss of millions of Jews and other ethnical groups, comes to mind. When the word genocide is heard, the murder at least a million Algerians by the French between 1954 — 1962 is remembered. When the word genocide is heard, the murdering of 1 million communists and their families by the Indonesian army between 1965 — 1966 is remembered. When the word genocide is mentioned, the massacre of almost 2 millions of Cambodians by the Red Kmers in Cambodia between 1975-1979 is remembered. When the word genocide is mentioned, the murdering of 500.000 Tutsies by the Hutus in Ruanda in 1994 is comes to mind. And finally when the word genocide is heard, the severe massacre of thousands of Muslims in Bosnia — Herzegovina and Kosova after 1991 by the Serbians is remembered.

The genocide crime has been committed during these events in its real meaning. If the Ottoman State had any intention of subjecting the Armenians to “genocide”, wouldn’t it commit it where the Armenians lived? What was the need for such expense made during the relocation and so many commercial and military precautions that needed to be taken?The purpose of the relocation which the world’s most successful resettlement program has never been eliminating Armenians but was born out of a compulsory need of providing state security.

REFERENCE: Hallacoglu, Prof.Dr. Yusuf, Facts Relating to the Armenian Displacement (1915); TTK Publication, Ankara 2001.

Next 14 views of Turks for the following programme:
http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2008/s2207929.htm

Name Halit Sindi
Homepage Visit Time 13:42:38 23 Apr, 2008 EST
Remarks
Dear ABC Programmer,
I am a loyal viewer of many ABC programs including Foreign Correspondent. However, I would like to express my profound anger and disappointment over one of the stories you presented in the “Foreign Correspondent” program that broadcasted on 22 April 2008 at
9:30pm.

I truly found this program rather biased, distorted, and contained factual errors. I also found this program was totally one-sided and clearly favouring the Armenian allegations.

You have presented the story as if you were telling the facts on the issue. But so-called Armenian genocide is quite controversial issue, which many historians believe otherwise. Armenian accusations are usually based on stories that has been told by either family members or falsely fabricated by the Armenian Diaspora. They always failed to back up their claims with evidence or any historical fact. I strongly suggest you to read independent experts on the field such as Justin McCarthy, Heath Lowry, and Stanford Shaw before you make such hostile remarks on the free-to-air network.It is true that thousands of Armenians have lost their life due to starvation, disease and local rebel attacks during WWI.

However, according to many international sources including Australian Foreign Ministry website, at the time, thousands of Turks, also, lost their lives due to same reasons as Armenians.

But I guess, on the eyes of the Western world, Turkish losses are less valuable than Armenians. I cannot go without mentioning the Armenian terrorism, which cost the lives of 42 Turkish diplomats. Armenian terrorist organizations such as Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) and the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide (JCAG) started to operate in mid 1970's and they carried out approximately 200 attacks in 38 cities of 21 countries.
One of these attacks took place in Australia on 17 December 1980 when Turkey's Consul General of Sydney Mr.Sarik Ariyak and his security guard Mr.Engin Sever were murdered.

The Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide (JCAG) was responsible for this terrorist act. This vicious and cowardly attack considered being as one of the most significant terrorist events in the history of Australia by the ASIO.My message to you is; please be fair and stop your biased coverage on Turkish history.http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/guestlst/guestbook.pl

Name JoeHomepage Visit Time 22:39:23 22 Apr, 2008 EST
Remarks
I can ask Eric Campbell the same question as he asked during his program regarding the so called Armenian genocide to the Turkish MP, how can he be so sure this genocide had happened ? He was extremely bias in the way he presented both sides of the argument.
He made himself judge and jury and convicted a nation with a proud history with so called genocide. Eric Campbell tried to link the killing of the Armenian journalist in Turkey with the treatment of the Armenian minority in Turkey in the past. What about linking the killing of many Turkish Ambassadors all around the world by the Armenian terrorist group, ASALA.

Obviously that would not go well with Eric's superiors who are influenced by the powerful Armenian lobby. I wonder why he chose to make a such a program just before ANZAC day.

Name
Hilmi Deveci
Homepage
Visit Time 22:51:53 22 Apr, 2008 EST
Remarks
My previous comment should have read, Why is ABC bias towards Turkey ?When will ABC ever show the Turkish,or even better, other historian's view from around the world when it comes to "Turkish Genocide" by the Armenians ?If you are ever interested in real facts, I can provide a DVD produced by an American historian.
http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/guestlst/guestbook.pl?foreign

Name Julia Gul Arslan ( Australia Gallipoli Friendship SocietyHomepage Visit Time 22:29:57 22 Apr, 2008 ESTRemarks

Dear Eric and Foreign Correspond producerFor the segment due to be shown on 22 April.

…This program will let down many Turkish-Australians…by reading of your program’s synopsis, this film again one of those ones that turning the history upside down with full of biased emerging statements in order convey to inform with false and misleading report given to the Australian people sadly on the week of ‘the Friendship’ between Australia and Turkiye.

Turkish Australians who have being living in Australia harmoniously by respecting multicultural Australia and Australian values for more than 40 years now. However, such this program supports to give immerse reverse impact.
Your report and ABC TV should already know that such a divisive program doesn’t and won’t help Australia where supposed be a fair go country for everyone, every nationality unless an opportunity should have been provided for every nation to be able express their story and their historical realities.

Otherwise, such one sided and bias program encourages and sustains animosity nothing else!
Is that what you want? Turks believe the notion of ' animosity breeds animosity; it is a vicious circle ‘ therefore Turks support the idea of ‘ Peace and Harmony in Australia, Peace and Harmony in the Universe’.

Turks never supports hatred for any nation consequently Turkish people in Australia and Turkey never hate Australians for invasion of the Gallipoli War. They rather focus on the lessons from history and try to grow friendship and peace in Australia out of the Gallipoli War because they know that their heritage values require supporting peace, not war!.They also believe that there are hardly any wars, which the past conflicted parties jointly commemorate.
Gallipoli serves as a message of ' PEACE ' to the whole world. Lets celebrate friendships and peaceful acts not to support sick minds please!

Otherwise you and your like minded people have to chose imperialistic ideas to grow in Australia or not
Lest we forget the price of animosity!
http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/guestlst/guestbook.pl?foreign

Visit Time 15:44:55 17 Apr, 2008 EST
Remarks Eric,

This so called genocide has not been recognised by Turkey or the world. Turkey has opened its archives for the Armenians but to date all the Armenians are doing is lobbying. Please do not tell one sided stories. I saw the preview of your story and very dissapointed. When are you going to do your investigation to come up with both side of the coin.

Visit Time 22:10:56 22 Apr, 2008 EST
Remarks
I felt that the program shown on 22.04.08 about the genocide was onesided and only shown to show the slaughter to the armenians which was rediculous and 1 sided i strongly believe that a turkish muslim person to say to a priest that we will hang you and drink your blood! I am outraged and disgusted and it just goes to show how false all these alagation are.

Name M & E Gumec
Homepage Visit Time 22:25:17 22 Apr, 2008 EST
Remarks

Just watched your program about Turkey and Armenia. We are really disappointed with your biased coverage of this highly sensitive matter. It is such an important subject for both nations and instead of bringing the information from the historians, you gave coverage to an extreme nationalist - very one sided. It looked like you planned what you wanted to cover before starting your research.

We were in Turkey recently and we had the privilage to discuss this subject with historians lecturing at the unis and also providing info to the foreign historians. Their knowledge could provide more insight to such a sensitive topic. We found your program very irresponsible...
http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/guestlst/guestbook.pl?foreign

Name Mehmet aka johny Turk
Homepage
Visit Time 22:16:29 22 Apr, 2008 EST
Remarks

I suggest you read this website and do your journalism proffesionally before accusing Turks of false lies.Where was the balnaced reporting where was the interview with the Turkish victims from the armenian gangs tashnaks etc etc?http://www.tallarmeniantale.com/we are ready to sit down with the armeninas when ever they are to sort this historical lie out.BUT we cannot find partners such is the lies and hate fed.Here this man is brave and he is not even Turkish have a good read to get a TRUTH and BALANCEhttp://www.tallarmeniantale.com/Thank god for the internet otherwise the people would believe anything they see on
TVhttp://www.tallarmeniantale.com/

Name
Proud Australian Turk

Homepage Visit Time 21:51:51 22 Apr, 2008 EST
Remarks

I thought it may help for everyone to check this internet site aswell ..http://www.armenian--genocide.com/Unfortunately, the issue has never reached a properly constituted court. If the Armenians were convinced of their own case, they would have taken it to one. Instead, they lobby bewildered or bored parliamentary assemblies to "recognize the genocide."Congress should not take a position, one way or the other, on this affair. Let historians decide.

The Turkish government has been saying this for years. It is the Armenians who refuse to take part in a joint historical review, even when organized by impeccably neutral academics.
This review is the logical and most sensible path forward.

Passage of the resolution by the full House of Representatives would constitute an act of legislative vengeance and would shame well-meaning scholars who want to explore this history from any vantage point other than the one foisted upon the world by ultranationalist Armenians.
http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/guestlst/guestbook.pl?foreign

Name
Ali Turk
Homepage

Visit Time
23:56:19 27 Apr, 2008 EST
Remarks
Congragulation ABC another biased program without giving other facts..

Lets talk about some facts.1915 Turkish empire is in the war. Its facing it's own life and death struggle.. British, French and Anzacs army attacts to Gallipoli; Russia attacs to the east Turkey and Arabs with British forces attacks from south..

Thats not an ordinary war, but fight to life or death of all the Turkish people.Armenins living in Turkey (over million) think that Turkey will collapse within days if not in weeks.. Who would think any other way against such mighty forces. Gallipoli is about to fall to British army and great allied navy will be soon in Istanbul.. If they cannot , Russian will finish off anyway.

So they thought that it's their best opportunity to grab whatever they can from this dying man..they started to kill and deport all Turkish origin people (including my grand mum) in the hope of carving big Armenia. But as we all know not always the things goes in our way.

Turks stopped allied forces in Gallipoli and Russian couldnt have much luck on the eastern side of Turkey neither. So suddenly these Armenian thugs had to face Turkish might alone..Nobody denies that many Armenian are died but that was legitamete war where Turks are figthing to survive..number of dead doesnt prove genocide.

Millions of Japanese died in WWII but that doesnt show that Americans did genocide to Japons but it was war and one had to lose and the other wins and unfortunately millions dies. That was same with these armenians.. They did initiated their own war in the hope of big gains and lost more than they had at the end..
http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/guestlst/guestbook.pl?foreign

Name
This weeks report on Armenian claimed "genocide"
Homepage

Visit Time
18:47:01 29 Apr, 2008 EST
Remarks
I thought foreign correspondent was one of the independent news shows on Australian Television. If you want to debate Turkey's independence on speech issue, you could have done so easily.
But to attach that to the so called genocide of Armenians was a cheap shot. I am no international law expert but i know that lot of European countries have laws which forbid insulting the nation and the state(Critism is another thing).
For example France in just recent years proposed a law, to incriminate who denies there was a genocide of Armenians. Now, isn't this a double standard? This capital system seems like big countries have the right to say anything and make people believe in their own right view of the stories. What about the genocide of the native Americans by British,Spanish empires?

What about the genocide and assimilation of Pacific Islanders islanders by the British empire? What about the state of Africa and Middle East where people are still suffering in result of the WWI and WWII?

The program seemed like a propaganda from the Armenian diaspora, which spends millions of dollars every year, trying to convince people that this has happened. If you are so concerned about this debate happening in Turkey( where every year conferences are made to debate the issue in which foreign researchers,historians and journalists gather to discuss), why didn't you guys ask if this was debated in Armenia?

The evidences in the Armenian genocide museum is mostly false and made up after the WWII to make sure Armenian's are compensated for this deportation. Behind this allegations is one of the biggest European countries like France, who killed thousands of women and children during the WWI campaign in the Ottoman empire. You, as Australians, should have known better how much the Republic of Turkey respects other nations even though they have come to invade and colonize the land of Turks.

It was a shame this was never mentioned in the program. I was very disappointed in Eric Campbell who i thought was a top class journalist.
http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/guestlst/guestbook.pl?foreign

Name Hazza
Visit Time 22:23:00 22 Apr, 2008 EST
Remarks
In regards to you story Armenia/Turkey - Ghosts of the Past,

it is a shame that only 1 side has been betrayed, especially considering the factual inconsistencies such as:-Turkey closing the borders when Armenia acheived independence.

This is incorrect as the border was closed due to the Armenian annexation via millitary force of Azerbaijan territory-Armenia having a state that extended to included Mount Ararat. This is incorrect as no state existed and all territories were under Ottoman command.

-The government of Turkey has constantly asked for an independent enquiry into the events that occurred, yet the Armenian government has continued to drag its heels on the issue.Although at least you mentioned that the events were due to the Armenian's living in the eastern Anatolians uprising, you fail to understand that the word genocide is a systematic approach which does not apply in this situation, as the Armenians living for centuries I might add in the other parts of the Ottoman Empire were not affected.

Although I am sure that there will be Armenians and other ethnic minorities who will say they suffered for centuries under Ottoman rule despite evidence that points to the contray.Still you cant help those with sour grapes trying to gain what they can, even if that is by going to other parliments around the world to except there claims, circumventing historians.

Good luck to the Armenians, maybe they will get the eastern part of Turkey....good luck also to the Kurds.....maybe they will get the southern part of Turkey....good luck to the Greeks....maybe they will get the western part of Turkey...I am sure that will happen when Australia gives its land back to the Aboriginals, America to the Native Indians, New Zealanders to the Kiwis...but keep on the great reporting Foreign Correspondent....
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22:24:44 22 Apr, 2008 EST
Remarks
Name To Erric and Mark
Visit Time 22:24:44 22 Apr, 2008 EST
Care to mention Armenian terrorism?
Their endless assaults on Turkish diplomats?
http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2006/04/605-armenian-terrorism-ethnic-terror.htmlCare to mention Armenia's still ongoing invasion of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan? Azeri genocide?http://www.azerigenocide.org/hist/hist02.htm

You mentioned in your program that Armenians sided with Russians during WWI towards their independence. Were the Ottomans to embrace them and cry with tears of joy? At a time when the empire faced threats from every side, it would not tolerate attacks from its own citizens or any revolts.I find your effort sincere, but I would like to see you walk in the same shoes with the military leaders of that time.

Middle East is not a peace heaven, and it takes lives to guard your own land and country.Armenia has been invited to participate in a council of historians several times now, and it has refused every offer. Wondered why? Put the prejudice and the bias aside, Armenian people were killed, but did you see any hint towards a plan that was aimed to kill all Armenians? As was Hitler towards Jews? Or did you see an army/country trying to protect itself from backstabbing?Did your apologies soothe and save the Aborigininal people?

Did the Americans lend a helping hand to the Indians? (Care to look for massacres there as well?) I like brave journalists, but a journalist has the responsibility to tell the story fully.One last remark, I laughed at your comment saying Turks were afraid of Armenians capturing eastern provinces and Ararat.
Get real
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"THE TRIALS OF THE ARMENIANS Few Peoples have known as many changes of fortune as the Armenians. Situated in eastern Anatolia and extending eastwards into what is now the U.S.S.R., Armenia was in ancient times a buffer kingdom between rival empires. Armenia was frequently invaded-by Assyrians, Persians, Arabs, Greeks and Romans.

Withal, the Armenians retained their identity. In the 11th century, after still more invasions of their homeland, a number of Armenians established a new kingdom on the southern coast of Anatolia. This kingdom in its turn was destroyed in the 14th century by invaders from Egypt.
Under the Ottoman Empire, Armenian merchants and financiers thrived.

As the borders of the empire contracted in the 19th century, however, struggles broke out between Turks and Armenians for the possession of Anatolian lands. Many Armenians died; others fled abroad."

'Excerption from a book called 'Life World Library' by Desmond Stewart and The Editors of LIFE which is published in 1965. Desmond Stewart is a British writer and graduated at Oxford in 1948....

"The presence in the northeast of the country of a thriving cultured and relatively wealthy community of Armenians was a difficulty to Turks long before the First World War.
"It became a political and strategic threat when the war broke out because of the place of Armenians in the Russian Empire. However, most Armenians, two million of them living in the Turkish Empire, were no threat whatsoever.

"In many ways, it shows that the old idea that war is politics by other means is outdated in the 20th century. War is hatred by other means. And in this case, hatred means extermination. The First World War was the biggest war ever to date. The Second World War was bigger still. It's not accident on my mind that both of them were marked by genocide. This is the logic of the brutalization of total war." Jay Winter-historian"

…Saying that the massacre of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire was the same as what happened to Jews in Nazi Germany is a downright falsehood. What happened to the Armenians was the result of a massive Armenian armed rebellion against the Turks, which began even before war broke out, and continued on a larger scale. Great numbers of Armenians, including members of the armed forces, deserted, crossed the frontier and joined the Russian forces invading Turkey. Armenian rebels actually seized the city of Van and held it for a while intending to hand it over to the invaders.
There was guerilla warfare all over Anatolia. There is clear evidence of a decision by the Turkish Government, to deport the Armenian population from the sensitive areas. Which meant naturally the whole of Anatolia. Not including the Arab provinces which were then still part of the Ottoman Empire. There is no evidence of a decision to massacre. On the contrary, there is considerable evidence of attempt to prevent it…"
Bernard Lewis, on the American TV C-SPAN 2, 25 March, 2002

"… Armenians again flooded the czarist armies, and the czar returned to St. Petersburg confident that the day finally had come for him to reach Istanbul. Hostilities were opened by Russians, who pushed across the border on November 1, 1914, though the Ottomans stopped them and pushed them back a few days later. A subsequent Russian counter offensive in January caused the Ottoman army to scatter.and the way was prepared for a new Russian push into eastern Anatolia, to be accompanied by an open Armenian revolt against the sultan...

Armenian leaders in Russia now openly declared their support of the enemy and there seemed no other alternative. It would be impossible to determine which of the Armenians would remain loyal and which would follow the appeals of their leaders. As soon as the spring came, then, in mid-May 1915 orders were issued to evacuate the entire Armenian population from the provinces of Van, Bitlis, and Erzurum, to get them away from all areas where they might undermine the Ottoman campaigns against Russia or against the British in Egypt, with arrangements made to settle them in towns and camps in the Mosul area of Northern Iraq.

In addition, Armenians residing in the countryside (but not in the cities) of the Cilician districts as well as those of north Syria were to be sent to central Syria for the same reason. Specific instructions were issued for the army to protect the Armenians against nomadic attacks and to provide them with sufficient food and other supplies to meet their needs during the march and after they were settled. Warnings were sent to the Ottoman military commanders to make certain that neither the Kurds nor any other Muslims used the situation to gain vengeance for the long years of Armenian terrorism. The Armenians were to be protected and cared for until they returned to their homes after the war…"

Stanford Shaw, Prof. Of History at UCLA, History Of The Ottoman Empire And modern Turkey, Cambridge University Press, 1977, Vol. II, p 315.

“… Shortly after the news had spread to Europe of the attack on the Ottoman Bank and the subsequent massacre of Armenians, a number of artists of illustrated newspapers arrived in Constantinople, commissioned to supply the demand for atrocities of the Million-headed-Tyrant. Among these was the late Mr. Melton Prior, the renowned war correspondent. He was a man of strenuous and determined temperament, one not accustomed to be the sport of circumstances but to rise superior to them.
Whether he was called upon to take part in a forced march or to face a mad Mullah, he invariable held his own and came off victorious. But in this particular case, as he confided to me, he was in an awkward predicament.
The public at home had heard of nameless atrocities and was anxious to receive pictorial representations of these.

The difficulty was how to supply them with what they wanted, as the dead Armenians had been buried and no women or children had suffered hurt and no Armenian church had been desecrated. As an old admirer of the Turks and as an honest man, he declined to invent what he had not witnessed. But others were not equally scrupulous. I subsequently saw an Italian illustrated newspaper containing harrowing pictures of women and children being massacred in a church…”
p 29
… “… ‘Do you believe that any massacres would have taken place if no Armenian revolutionaries had come into the country and incited the Armenian population to rebellion?’ I asked Mr. Graves (The British Consul). ‘Certainly not’ he replied. ‘I do not believe that a single Armenian would have been killed’ …” p 70
Sydney Whitman, Turkish Memories, London 1914

“…The Editor is, of course, aware that these documents which he only possesses in a defective form cannot be presented as evidence in the strict sense by himself, and can plausibly be repudiated by the parties whose crimes they describe.”
Bryce, Viscount (Arnold J, Toynbee, editor) The Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire 1915-16, Miscellaneous No. 31(1916), British Secret War Propaganda Bureau Publication (1916) (run by Charles Masterman), p 41

“…Now I can readily understand and make allowance for the public's errors and misconceptions, for it has had, after all, no means of knowing that it has been systematically deceived, but I can find no excuse for those newspapers which, clinging to a policy of vilifying the Turk, failed to rectify the anti-Turkish charges printed in their columns even when it had been proved to the satisfaction of most fair-minded persons that they were unjustified…A case in point was the burning of Smyrna in September, 1922.
There was scarcely a newspaper of importance in the United States that did not editorially lay that outrage at the door of the Turks, without waiting to hear the Turkish version, yet, after it had been attested by American, English, and French eye-witnesses, and by a French commission of inquiry, that the city had been deliberately fired by the Greeks and Armenians in order to prevent it falling into Turkish hands, how many newspapers had the courage to admit that they had done the Turks a grave injustice?…"
E. Alexander Powell, The Struggle for Power in Moslem Asia, The Century Co., New York & London (1923), p 32-33

“… The Turkish Armenian does not know what a revolution is. He fears a revolution like death. But if there is something he is more afraid of, it is the revolutionary Armenian, the unreasoning revolutionary Armenians without a conscience who dragged him from misery to misery for several years with the thought of doing a good deed for him.

The Turkish Armenian have to confess that this enemy of their own kind has been everywhere and has done its work everywhere. It also had many followers in Russia, England and Turkey. Because it is known as a social truth that divisive movements and propaganda among groups in a society influence the masses very deeply. When these witless wretches came up with the idea of establishing a large state with the Armenians in Caucasia and Turkey, the God-fearing Armenians with good conscience who were aware of where the best interests of the nation lay, were overcome with sadness: 'An independent state, which will also include within its borders some of the Turkish provinces, is that it? This would be the destruction of Armenians' they said.

This was the truth. It was impossible for any Armenian with a little bit of discernment not to see it. Because these people were thinking that they could change the bed of a large river with eight or ten pieces of stone. This large river had opened its real bed by flowing for centuries on a strong surface. To change this direction was to tear Armenian nterests from the tranquil flow of the river, to push them to draught-ridden lands and to strangle them there for ever.

Those feeble minded persons failed to see that the foreigners who supported their revolution and evil deeds and championed their causes in their newspapers did not undertake such action for the love of Armenians. The aim, and the sole aim of these so-called protective powers was to cause the shedding of blood in regions which they earmarked for their hegemony and to take over these regions with the pretext of cleaning the blood. History is still recording what imperialism is capable of doing in places it sets its eyes on. But it was impossible to make the public-spirited revolutionaries comprehend this.
The anarchists and propagandists among them who could be useful neither to themselves nor to their communities in any other way were receiving salaries.

They were also receiving what they believed there was Turkish oppression, and they also made their compatriots believe in their lies. The last quarter of a century of Turkey's history is filled with some Armenian events. Although these events were supposedly aimed at some goals harmful to Turkey, in fact they were only the oppression of Armenians by Armenians.

If the causes and reasons for each event are analyzed one by one and if the events are analyzed meticulously, the only conclusion that will be arrived at is the one we have stated in the previous sentence; the oppression of Armenians by Armenians…”
Migirdic Agop, The Turkish Armenians, Istanbul 1922

“… Quoting from the American High Commissioner Admiral Bristol's report: "The United States should raise its voice against the plans of the Allies and the American people should be told the facts. They (the Turks) were still human and still had rights and the other side of the coin was obscured by the flood of Greek and Armenian propaganda painting the Turks as completely inhuman and undeserving of any consideration, while suppressing all the facts in favor of the Turks…."
Evans, United States Policy and the Partition of Turkey, 1914-1924, Baltimore 1965, p 272

”… By the end of October, the late Miss Annie T. Allen and Miss Florence Billings, the Near East Relief's representatives in Ankara (Angora), compiled a report on the state of the Turkish villages which the Greeks had burned during their retreat and forwarded it to the Near East Relief's headquarters in Constantinople. But the Near East Relief has never published that report, just as Mr. Lloyd George never published the Bristol report on Greek misdeeds at Izmir (Smyrna)…”
Clair Price, The Rebirth of Turkey, New York 1923, p 189

“… I am surprised that London should possess information which no one here is aware of and is unable to document. As a result, it has been impossible until now to determine exactly that Armenians have been massacred in any area. There is much talk about it but no one was able to give me certain and exact information. In particular the Armenian losses in Marash appear to be absolutely false. Apparently, the Armenians took part in the struggle of our troops in this city and had casualties like all the fighters. A serious study of the figures shows that these Armenian casualties do not exceed 1000…”
Prime Minister Millerand, Archives des Affaires Etrangeres de France,Vol 9, Folio 3

“… In some towns containing ten Armenian houses and thirty Turkish houses, it was reported that 40,000 people were killed, about 10,000 women were taken to the harem, and thousands of children left destitute; and the city university destroyed, and the bishop killed. It is a well-known fact that even in the last war the native Christians, despite the Turkish cautions, armed themselves and fought on the side of the Allies. In these conflicts, they were not idle, but they were well supplied with artillery, machine guns and inflicted heavy losses on their enemies…”
2.5 Lamsa, George M., The Secret of the Near East, Philadelphia, 1923, p 133

“… A circular was issued by the War Office inviting reports on war incidents from officers with regard to the enemy and stating that strict accuracy was not essential so long as there was inherent probability (p 20). Atrocity lies were the most popular of all, especially in this country and America; no war can be without them. Slander of the enemy is esteemed a patriotic duty…” p 22
… “… It is impossible to describe all the types of atrocity stories. They were repeated for days in brochures, posters, letters and speeches. Renowned persons, who otherwise would be hesitant to condemn even their mortal enemies for lack of evidence, did not hesitate to accuse an entire nation of having committed every imaginable savagery and inhuman action..”
p 129.
Arthur Ponsonby, Falsehood in War-Time, New York, 1928

“… Atrocity stories have been vastly overdone; some of the more recent massacres have been wholly nonexistent. One of the local (Constantinople) members of the press and of a relief organization told some friends openly that he could only send anti-Turkish dispatches to America because that is what gets the money…”
E. Alexander Powell, The Struggle for Power in Moslem Asia, New York, 1925

“… The Armenian, for all his ineffaceable nationalism, his passion for plotting and his fanatical intolerance, would be a negligible thorn in the Ottoman side did he stand alone.

The Porte knows very well that while Armenian Christians are Gregorian, Catholic and Protestant, each sect bitterly intolerant of the others and moreover while commerce and usury are all in Armenian hands, it can divide and rule secure; but behind the Armenian secret societies (and there are few Armenians who have not committed technical treason by becoming members of such societies at some point of their lives) it sees the Kurd, and behind the Kurd the Russian; or looking west, it espies through the ceaseless sporadic propaganda of the agitators Exeter Hall and Armenian Committees.

The Turk begins to repress because we sympathize and we sympathize because he represses and so the vicious circle revolves. Does he habitually, however, do more than repress? Does he, as administrator oppress? So far we have heard one version only, one part to this suit, with its stories of outrage and echoing through them a long cry for national independence. The mouth of the accused has been shut hitherto by fatalism, by custom, by the gulf of misunderstanding which is fixed between the Christian and the Moslem.

In my own experience of western Armenia, extending more or less over four years up to 1894, I have seen no signs of a Reign of Terror. Life in Christian villages has not shown itself outwardly to me as being very different from life in the villages of Islam, nor the trade and property of Armenians in towns to be less secure than those of Moslems. There was tension, there was friction, there was a condition of mutual suspicion as to which Armenians have said to me again and again "If only the patriots would leave us to trade and to till!".

The Turk rules by right of five hundred years' possession, and before his day the Byzantine, the Persian, the Parthian, the Roman preceded each other as over-lords of Greater Armenia back to the misty days of the first Tigranes.

The Turk claims certain rights in this matter - the right to safeguard his own existence, the right to smoke out such hornets' nests as Zeitun, which has annihilated for centuries past the trade of Eastern Taurus, the right to remain dominant by all means not outrageous …”
2.2 David G. Hogarth, A Wandering Scholar in the Levant, New York, 1896, p 147

“…We have no hesitation in repeating that these stories of wholesale massacre have been circulated with the distinct objective of influencing, detrimentally to Turkey, the future policy of the British Government when the time of settlement shall arrive. No apology, therefore, is needed for honestly endeavouring to show how a nation with whom we were closely allied for many years and which possesses the same faith as millions of our fellow-subjects, has been condemned for perpetrating horrible excesses against humanity on 'evidence' which, when absolutely false, is grossly and shamefully exaggerated…”
C.F. Dixon-Johnson, The Armenians, Blackburn 1916, p 61

"...When Turkey had not yet entered the war...Armenian volunteer groups began to be organized with great zeal and pomp in Trans Caucasia. In spite of the decision taken a few weeks before at the General Committee in Erzurum, the Dashnagtzoutune actively helped the organization of the aforementioned groups, and especially arming them, against Turkey. In the Fall of 1914, Armenian volunteer groups were formed and fought against the Turks..."

Hovhannes Katchaznouni, First Prime Minister of the Independent Armenian Republic, The Manifesto of Hovhannes Katchaznouni, 1923.
(The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Has Nothing to Do Any More, New York, Armenian Information Service, 1955, p. 5.)

"Practically all of the (volunteers were) Turkish Armenians," The New York Times reported, in 1915.

Compiled by Bulent TekSource Australia Turkish Forum (ATFP - http://www.network54.com/Forum/407087)

"...In the early part of 1915, therefore, every Turkish city contained thousands of Armenians who had been trained as soldiers and who were supplied with rifles, pistols, and other weapons of defense. The operations at Van once more disclosed that these men could use their weapons to good advantage..."
Henry Morganthau, U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Ambassador Morgenthau's Story, Doubleday, Page & Co., Garden City, New York (1918), page 301

"... It's better that I be a dog or a cat, than a Turkish barbarian..."

Edna Petrosyan, a SIX YEAR OLD Californian girl who recites hateful poems on the insistence of her mother. It is easy to see how this cycle of hate-perpetuation feeds the "Armenian Genocide" obsession for most Armenians. The Los Angeles Times, February 1, 1990

"It is in our blood to hate the Turks. However, we hate Bulgarians and Greeks also. The Jews like Turks, but they hate Arabs. The Arabs, in their turn, are not in favour with the Turks. And the level of hatred is rising."
Narek Mesropian, described as Armenia's poet laureate, in Golos Armenii, a Russian-language newspaper in Armenia, in an August 5, 1997 article reflecting the tension between the Armenian and Jewish communities. Interestingly, the Turks are not accused of hating anybody.

"Since all the able Moslem men were in the army, it was easy for the Armenians to begin a horrible slaughter of the defenseless Moslem inhabitants in the area. They ... simply cleaned out the Moslem inhabitants in those areas. They performed gruesome deeds, of which I, as an eye witness honestly say that they were much worse than what Turks have been accused of as an Armenian atrocity." General Bronsart von Schellendorf , "
A Witness for Talat Pasha," Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, July 24, 1921

"In Soviet Armenia today there no longer exists a single Turkish soul."
Sahak Melkonian, Preserving the Armenian Purity, 1920

"The Armenians did exterminate the entire Muslim population of Russian Armenia as Muslims were considered inferior to the Armenians by the prominent leaders of the Dashnaks."

Mikael Kaprilian, Armenian revolutionary leader, in Yerevan, 1919.

"Many massacres were committed by the Armenians until our army arrived in Erzurum... (after General Odesilitze left) 2,127 Muslim bodies were buried in Erzurum's center. These are entirely men. There are ax, bayonet and bullet wounds on the dead bodies. Lungs of the bodies were removed and sharp stakes were struck in the eyes. There are other bodies around the city."

Official telegram of the Third Royal Army Command, addressed to the Supreme Command, March 19, 1918; ATASE Archive of General Staff, Archive No: 4-36-71. D. 231. G.2. K. 2820. Dos.A-69, Fih.3.

"This three-day massacre by Armenians is recorded in history as the 'March Events' and thousands of Muslims, old people, women and children lost their lives."

F. Kazemzadeh, The Struggle for Transcaucasia (New York, 1951), p. 69. (This excerpt refers not to Armenian atrocities against Ottoman Turks, but to "Tartar" (derogatory for "Tatar") Turks, when Armenia attacked Azerbaijan in 1918. Regarding this period of March 30 to April 1 1918, Vladimir Lenin said that commissar S. Shaumyan, the chief architect of the massacres throughout Azerbaijan, "turned Baku into an Armenian operated henhouse [slaughterhouse]."
According to Justin McCarthy's "Death and Exile, Between 8,000 and 12,000 Muslims were killed in Baku alone.…"
As the Armenians found support among the Reds (who regarded the Tartars as a counter-revolutionary elements) the fighting soon became a massacre of the Tartar population"
W. E. D. Allen and Paul Muratoff, "Caucasian Battlefields", Cambridge University Press, 1953, p. 481