Istanbul, 26.10.2006
OPEN LETTER
Dear Seda,
I have been stormed with well over hundred pages of your informative news on various subjects, which is impossible to read on the screen. My secretary makes prints and I read them at home when I can spare the time. Having a three day Ramadan holiday, I could go through almost everything, and being a thankful reader for the vast information you have been supplying in one year, I thought that I better make some remarks on few points, so that you can have an exchange of views, to be shared with dedicated readers (like me).
Before elaborating on the recent bulletins and excerpts of articles relating to the “French sotê” Denial Law and parallelism(?) with Article 301, I am sorry to note that religion versus logic, is used as a pillar of justification.
As I had confessed earlier, I am an ordinary man, not a writer (who thinks he knows all) or historian (who makes statements without investigating deep and extensive enough), not a philosopher (who lectures ethics but remains silent to the world wide raping of average wisdom), or a scholar (selling his reliability and neutrality) or politician (who surrenders his soul and honor just to be bribed a seat or title, to make him feel superior when truly he is inferior to his fellow citizens). I am just a person like everyone, but in doubt of many things I hear or read…
Ara Baliozian, hit his “balioz” on the right spots of reliability. I would have liked to ask the French lawmakers:
“if I am free to believe or disbelieve, in what is lectured to all mankind, from birth to death, and continuously used as a threat of punishment in today’s and after-life, by all clergy classes, most of which are involved in orgies of interests with Ruling Political Administrations, to such extremities that even gayish relations are accepted as natural, but on the other hand, sharp divisive lines are being drawn by the “status of a penis, if it is circumcised or not, or immersing a baby in some water, declared to be holy or some other rituals, pagan or else, and “all human inventions”. Discrimination of persons and subversion of identities by such criterions, instead of co-existence in peace and harmony, by hardly contribute anything to globalization of same ethical values, versus globalization of free trade, and person’s freedom in his/her preferences or “personal divine interpretations and expectations”.
Within the scope of such a minimal-liberal understanding, what the French Parliamentary Circus and clowns have demonstrated is not o n l y totally rotten, stupid, unjust and unethical but it is cowardish of realities, restricting freedom of expression and research to find the truth… which apparently is their night mare!
A definitely dubious claim, (a tall lie, until it’s truth is proven by an authorized judicial court) is being “hastily smuggled”, punishing persons who dare, “not to agree” with it. In other words, I have the liberty to agree or disagree with holy books, said to be words of God, which are being taught to billions of people in temples, b u t I have to admit a UNIVERSAL LIE, as the ONLY TRUTH… And who decides for that? Any judiciary court or investigation committee of the professionals or an international court where such claims should be taken first? No, a bunch of educated unethical persons, visibly abuse and exceed their limits of duty, just to kiss some hands or feet for few votes… Reading the speech of Devecian, it strikes that his Armenian ethnicity enslaved his French citizen identity. And for those who read some history, such huge exaggerations and illusions are the manna of Dashnak principles, now leased to the French Parliament. An overblown tire, or fabricated lie are bound to blow off, sooner or later…(Even Moliere, could not have imagined such a “mass-stupidity” in his didactic comedies.
Regarding the EU stick and carrot: Too bad that our politicians are too naïve to read and learn, or impotent to do anything against all these humiliations. Why don’t you have the courage to stand up and say that you will have to ask Turkish people (same way some EU countries will ask) if they want to become a humiliated outcast member by name only, or will settle for having less of that “fake carrot which is at the end of the dark tunnel”, but more of our personal values of independence, justice and honor. EU’s “dummy” showcase is already empty, and only “fools will give as much as we do, and be obedient” to all the scolding and injustices… EU does not have to keep their promises… but WE have to! … I am afraid that nearly all cartoons made about Turkey and EU relations are very objective, as much as the other Cartoons insulting a religion or its believers, is an outrageous abuse of “freedom” carried to the extent of “insulting others”. Who is so much happy with the French Bill? Armenia, PKK, Greece and other radicals on the wait list… Unfortunately, Turkish governments have been and are still indifferent, incapable of taking any measures for what was to come in the past four decades…
A very recent survey carried by “MILLIYET” newspaper, shows that the opinion of Turkish people for EU has dramatically changed, such as: Those who do not trust EU, 78%, those who think that pre-conditions will become even harder, 76.5 %, those who think we must definitely enter, 32.2%,, those who say definitely NO is 25.6%, those who say it makes no difference 33%. Turks credit friendliness of Azerbaijan as 71%, Pakistan 47.3%, Iran 29%, Germany 17.7 %, Russia 8.7%, Greece 4.2%, USA 3.6%, Britain 3.2% and France 2.8%. If our present government “which by accident avoided entering Iraq swamp”, now, despite the wish of the people “jump into the EU swamp”, this may be much worse than a train accident, because it is simply “drowning in mud!”
Your # 1166: Our Demirel abi, can still talk and give opinions and has the right explanations to save the moment, such as “yesterday was yesterday”, which implies that “today is today” and we should do nothing for “tomorrow’s being tomorrow”… What a great political philosophy, but it doesn’t reply the simple question, such as, , “what have you done during the many times you were the Prime Minister and later President”? Yes, I remember and that “discarded tomorrow” has become the bitter today, because of smart politicians who ‘saved only their days’, not the visible and ‘expected future troubles to follow’…
I have a hunch, after having read Heather S. Gregg’s paper http://web.mit.edu/cis/www/migration/pubs/rrwp/13_divided.pdf that the composers of these orchestrations stay “invisible”, and this “Genocide Muppets Global Show”, is being displayed in several stages of the world and many persons, institutions, writers, historians, debaters, turncoats, butter spreaders and finger lickers, are all characters of the Muppet Shows… Of course, the “players” are rewarded in one way or another, but it is the watching audience dragged by scenarios, who pay! How much of diverse collections, go to right or wrong places, is no one’s business… Just pay, do as you are told, or else???? May be below excerpt from A. Lalayan’s book works out for today also !
<A.A. Lalayan’s P.48: Since the fragments of Tashnaks are addicted to alcohol, gambling, and alike, their need for large sums of money is obvious. “To protect immigrants” was the basic and may be the most important item of the Tashnaksutyun budget. The subject is the following: Tashnak Party, systematically collected donations for their own oblations. A short while ago, Agaronyan had collected in USA a substantial amount, equivalent to 15 million marks. Of course, he did not use this money to even slightly ease the situation of the Armenian refugees. He did not even distribute this money to starving crowds; but further acted unjustly when dividing this spoil with his comrades.
You can now understand the reason behind the smearing campaign led by the unemployed ministers of an unjust and inexistent government against Soviet Russia, the only country solving the immigrant question. The Tashnak ideologists kept alive the “immigrant profile” and included even “dead people’s names” to increase the number of refugees.>
Behind every move there is money…compensation, policies, imaginary bank accounts, etc. etc… I cannot believe that all this struggle is only to “keep the very Christian identity Armenians”, advertised on their victimized bill boards. It looks that only a small portion reaches Armenia and nothing more than propaganda is accomplished in the tiny republic, with a population less than a district of Istanbul.
But let us not forget that the Diaspora Dashnak party goads the puppet Armenian government and dictatorial undemocratic policy, and those at top plus the State Church are satisfied with the status quo, whilst thousands of Armenians go to other countries to find jobs at very low pays, without any social benefits… Diaspora headquarters find money to pay to lobbies, political candidates, conferences, social activities, but very little for the desperate Armenians, who cannot fill their bellies with empty propaganda words… So, let us guess and respect the brains and coordination between all Diaspora Organization teamsters, as explained in subject paper. There is no miraculous scissors to cut the wide and thick web, halting the movements of hesitant Turks who still cannot see the size and thickness of the web.. This is a war of propaganda and brainstorming to get results…Same way that Britain did with the Blue Book, or Morgenthau with his Story Book… What counts is not “who is just and what is true”, but who wins…and once you are the Victor, it is the victory that counts, not the means ! So, with all due respect, I have to compliment the achievements of Diaspora offices, without showing any cards or documents…
Once we visualize the progress in so many Parliaments, TV stations, newspapers and editorials, we must admit the hidden strength of the opposition and areas they conquered. What ASALA did, is already forgotten, not even one criminal has been ever punished by any Armenian authority! The ASALA assassins, have exceeded by far their fore fathers during WWI and make Hasan Sabbah (inventor of assassins) look like a dupe. World communities have been always sympathetic because :
(Guenther Lewy, p.144 ISBN: 0-87480-849-9) "The picture of the Muslims that the missionaries presented frequently, conformed to the centuries-old image of the Terrible Turk’, while Armenians were regularly depicted as innocent victims and Christian heroes who could do no wrong…. In the eyes of the missionaries, when Armenians used guns it was strictly for self-defense, while Turkish using force were usually described as engaged in murderous actions " ….
Christians never do anything wrong… all wrongs are done by Muslims only !
After these general introductory comments, you may note my short notes on some of the writings, as below:
# 1139: Mahmut E. Ozan’s article, as always is fully objective and informative. Yet, I wish to remind readers on the subject of Nazi-Armenians on followings:
a. http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2006/08/924-le-petit-journal.html covered the subject explicitly.
b. http://www.tallarmeniantale.com/ tallarmentiale http://www.tallarmeniantale.com/Nazi-Collaboration.htm Is another
perfect study with proofs on the same subject.
c. Readers must notice that the statement “attributed to Hitler” was another Andonian style fabrication, but introduced at
the most proper time to Nuremberg court (where it was rejected), which left serious impact on members of US Congress
and Senate, who cannot see that this fake document, served as a free pass to convert the ex-Nazi Armenians
which fought under German flag, easily and speedily into victim Russian Armenians who were admitted in USA (of course against certain fees) or legally smuggled, who joined the large Armenian community in USA.. So, that
fake statement saved Nazi Armenians and brought them safely into USA, again through their excellent arrangements explained in above readings!
d. For genuine U.S. business partnership of Bush Dynasty with Nazi Germany, below excerpt may be noted as a
sampler:
(Kevin Phillips, AMERICAN DYNASTY, Viking, ISBN; 0-670-03264-6)
"p.187
U.S. overseas investment didn’t end with Hitler’s accession to power. Capital continued to move to Germany during the 1930s under the Third Reich. Reports by the U.S. Commerce Department showed the U.S. investment in Germany increased by 48.5 percent between 1929 and 1940, while declining almost everywhere else in continental Europe.By 1939, many of these various units -manufacturing engines, armored chassis, and artificial rubber- were mainstays of the German war machine. As pricey, immobile assets that could not be repatriated, the large German subsidiaries were also important props of the valuations of many of the biggest U.S. companies. Instead of the obvious pro-A11ied economic self-interest of 1917, many major corporations faced a very different conundrum in 1939-41. Top executives and investment bankers uncertain about what they ought to do -or how they ought to take cover- hired lawyers like John Foster and Allen Dulles.
p.180 - 181
The Special Senate Committee on the Investigation of the Munitions Industry -perhaps unfairly nicknamed the “Merchants of Death” investigation- never got too deeply into the major 1933-34 surge of U.S. military exports to Hitler’s Germany. Although the committee chairman cited figures that exports to Germany by United Aircraft (Boeing Aircraft, Chance Vought, and Pratt and Whitney) had increased by 500 percent between 1933 and 1934, the State Department leaned on committee members to make no reference to secret reports about German rearmament. At any rate, no documentation exists for how many Remington-made weapons reached Germany through Dutch barge routes or Thyssen transport."
# 1138: Literature and Propaganda: Thanks again to Ara Baliozian, for his excellent satirical combing of realities in literary eloquence. I don’t know how many readers enjoy Ara’s balyoz hits on unspeakable topics.
I agree with him that there are too many Jack S. Avanakians, with whom we share this world in the loneliness of
being logical and reasonable; I hope that it was not his balyoz, who saved Erdogan by breaking his bulletproof car window. “That Balioz” is now sacred in Ankara, as an example of scientific perfection. (I hope that it does not get Ara in a similar trouble like Vahe experienced.)
# 1137: Vahe Avetian in Glendale: As Ara just said, he could have avoided the frustrations he had to face, if his name was to be Avanakian instead of Avetian… What ? You don’t agree? You… denialist criminal … etc...
# 1132: Matti Huuhtanen: What, 1.5 killed? Please refer to my Attachment POPULATION.
# 1133: France’s Sham: Chirac Apologizes by Ali Al Hail. Thanks for an outsider’s objective article. After all Chirac is no more than a Muppet of the Big Genocide Show, and he has to talk, to save the situation and confirm his cheap hypocrisy. Like Demirel said “Yesterday was yesterday” in Armenia, and in Paris it is a new day !
# 1134: Armenia and War; Lots of mumbo-jumbo words of slippery, talking a lot, saying nothing !
# 1135: Orhan Pamuk: Enough is enough…I plugged my ears with pamuk… (I wouldn’t be surprised if some time later he adopts another citizenship as well, to make his voice heard louder).
# 1131: Thanks to Russel Berman for his objectivity and “preemptive obedience”, whereby France wants to
“criminalize doubt” about the status of killings or deaths. (There is plenty written evidence that there was relatively low killings caused by brigandry, within total number of deaths. Even reading only Armenian sources, it is not possible to say if the egg or hen was first in bilateral butcheries).
# 1128: Turk’s Low Influence: Even when those educated cannot be united in Turkey, how can we expect the working class people, who know and are told nothing to compete with diaspora masters…
# 1125: Patriarch Mesrob: Turkish citizens of all ethnicities are lucky to have such a balanced leader for the Turkish Armenian community, (He is frequently attacked by ANCA, AGBU or Hrant Dink because he does not obey Dashnak orders and protects his patriarchate real estates, some milked by Diaspora…)
# 1124: 90 articles on French Bill and BBC Steven Eke: Mass killing or bi-lateral butcheries in 1915 ?
Before EU can open their mouth about the illegal Armenian workers, let me ask them the followings: To get a Shengen visa as a businessman, I have to provide a very long list of documents including my properties, bank accounts, chamber of commerce registration, hotel reservation, invitation letter, etc, etc… and after you complete all and wait for 3-4 weeks to get a visa…can I exceed my duration of stay in any EU country beyond the period stamped on my passport? Or am I kicked out as if a criminal ? (Not all EU countries recognize that visa.) Compare this to an Armenian citizen who pays $ 10 to get an immediate stamp visa at the entry city.
He should go back in one month, maximum duration is 90 days. He stays for years, brings his family and the Barbarous Turks are so incapable that they cannot find and expel them like civilized EU countries do! ( I try not to make any transfers in any EU country… Just in case a flight is cancelled… You are enslaved in the airport over a wooden chair)… And we call this freedom and human rights! Kiss my …back!
Turkish State, did wrong by overlooking the “longer stay” of Armenians or Georgians, discriminating all other countries’ visitors, in the same status… Hence, a “wrong privilege has been already given, and an error done!” Now, to correct your “own error”, you cannot make another error (regardless how barbarous and cruel you are) and expel these poor persons, just because of what some Diaspora or French guys said! One mistake does not straighten out the other mistake, it just adds to two mistakes!
I hope that I proved to be a good reader at least…
Best regards to all, (from one who does not want to be nick named “Avanakian”)
Sukru S. Aya
-----------------------------
POPULATION : CONTROVERSY or MATHEMATICAL AVERAGE ?
The “opening code” of the whole genocide puzzle, of course relays to the number of people we are speaking about. As you will see from below figures, given estimates differ very much. However, looking to the “reliability and neutrality of the source”, readers are still have to make a guess. The most competent historian in demography is Justin McCarthy, but since he is “labeled as pro-Turk”, we will try to use other “general data” and reach to an estimate by logical “average”.
The “genocide balloon” may speak of 1.5 or even 2 million persons killed ! Is that possible? To start with let us see how many Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire, how many of them were relocated, how many reached their destinations in 1915, but went back and forth, with Russian and French armies or immigrated, settled (Greek Islands, Cyprus, France, USA, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon and heavily Russia).
Below are various estimates, made for “Christian Armenians living within Ottoman Empire” borders:
a. Kirkor Zohrab, estimate of Patriarchate 2.560.000 *
b. Armenian historian K.J. Basmachian 2.380.000 *
c. By Armenian delegation given to Paris conference in 1919 2.250.000 *
d. 30.12.1918 Given by Venizelos at Paris Conference, before war, 1914 2.100.000 *
Living in 1918 1.260.000 * (L.840.000)
e. 1895 – Francis de Presence 1.260.000
f. 1900 Tournbize 1.300.000
g. 1905 – Ottoman state census 1.294.851
h. 1912 - British BLUE BOOK! (Annual Register) 1.056.000
i. 1913 – L.D. Contenson 1.400.000
j. French Yellow Book (1.555.000) 1.475.000
k. Armenian Patriarch Ormanian 1.579.000
l. Lepsius 1.600.000
m. 1915 – Oct. p.329 Nat. Geographic (All area including Russia, Persia) 2.000.000
n. Grabill, p.51, All over the Empire in 1914 1.8 - 2.000.000
o. Zurcher, p.119-120 “Turkey” 1.500.000
p. 1918 – July, p.61, Nat.Geographic (Total Empire population. 18 millions) 2.000.000
r. Katchaznuni, living in 1920 (after emigration and losses) nearly 1.000.000
s. Armenian historian Lalaian – detailed, in Armenia only in 1918 885.000
“ “ “ 1920 - 690.500
Deaths in Armenia under Dashnaks ( wars, starvation, epidemics) 195.000
t. Encyclopedia Britannica 1.500.000
u. Armenian historian Kevork Aslan 1.800.000
v. Revue de Paris 1.300.000
w. Arnold Toynbee’s book “Nationality and the War” 1915, written before
he joined Propaganda Division had indicated Armenian population as:
155.000 Tiblisi + 161.000 Constant. + 750.000 Russian provinces Erivan
Nakchivan, Kars, Alexandropol, Shura + 600.000 Turkish 6-provinces = 1.511.000
(Above figures exclude those in relief camps, or who went back or to other countries or lived
undisturbed in other parts of Western Turkey and large cities)
The readers or researchers who do not want to use Justin McCarthy’s head-count figures, must make a guess or take an average, between lowest 1 million and highest 2 millions, and estimate that the total number of Ottoman Armenians, within the large borders of 1914 should be 1.5 million, with a plus/minus margin of say not more than 10% …
Readers are reminded that the figures marked (*) were somewhat inflated by Armenians just before the Paris Conference, “to justify that they are crowded enough to fill up the huge land they were expecting from Black Sea down to the Mediterranean. One of the reliable sources would be the British Blue Book, written based on the reports of the American Missionaries, plus their own Consuls spread throughout Ottoman Empire, down to cities with only say 20.000 population. It will be a paradox, to expect the British reduce the numbers, for any advantage or arguments in favor of Turks. Statistics show, that the Armenian population in the areas they named Turkish Armenia, was no more than 20% of all people.
According to Turkish statistics, out of the total 1.300.000, the number that lived in the subject six provinces, was 628.000. But according to the Istanbul Armenian Patriarchate’s later declaration total number was 2.100.000, out of which 1.018.000 lived in subject provinces. The difference is 390.000. Armenians claimed they formed 38% of the population in the area; Turks claim that it was not even 20% and even in one or two cities (Van, Erzurum) where Armenians concentrated, they still were well under the average.
Discrepancies exist even for population of Istanbul, where counting should have been easier.
- Edwin Grosvenor indicates in his explicit book of 1877, Armenians in Istanbul only 165.000
- Memorandum given to Paris Conference in 1919, shows (Istanbul + Izmir + Syria) 230.000
- 1913 Armenian Patriarchate figure for Istanbul Armenians 163.670
- Estimate of British Officers on spot after occupation of Istanbul, in 1920 83.000
Excerpts from Guenther Lewy’s book: (p.145)
“….Some recipients of this information were aware of the Levantine tendency to exaggerate and therefore realized that not everything that was told to them by their Armenian informants, could be regarded as the complete truth. In a report on Armenian deaths dated Sept. 23, 1913 the British consul in Erzurum noted “the Armenian tendency to blatant exaggeration
… According to Arnold Toynbee, “Oriental arithmetic is notoriously inexact” and there is much “unconscious exaggeration” and “purposeful misinterpretation”.
… Bergfeld noted that the most fantastic accusations against the Turks had become highly popular in the twon. However, as the stories about the masses of corpses in the river became ever more frequent and hardened into definite assertions, he decided to check out their veracity. On July 17, accompanied by the American consul as a neutral witness, he rode for four hours along the river, but found only one dead body. Inasmuch as the river contained very little water and was split into numerous small and shallow branches, he concluded that it would have been quite impossible for a large quantity of corpses to be carried by the river and swept out to sea. In the meantime news also received that the first group of deportees had reached Erzinjan without losing a single person. Bergfeld served in Turkey for eight year and spoke Turkish language. His creditability is enhanced by his documented… “
The second phase of the controversy, is the number of Armenians living in the six-vilayets who were relocated to Southern parts of the Empire (Zor district in Syria), considering the fact that many Armenians in key employments or professions (doctors, pharmacists, important artisans etc.) were excluded, and in early summer of 1915, those who were Protestant and Catholic too were exempted.
Whilst there were many Armenians fighting in many volunteer gangs or brigades against Turks, there were other Armenians fighting alongside Turks at Dardanelles, or handling the correspondence in the army cipher sections, because “they only, could speak other languages”.
We have to make another guess regarding the number of Armenians (Turks were also relocated but without any provisions) relocated from the subject six-vilayets to Syria overland.
Yusuf Halacoglu, head of the Turkish Historical Society, based on archive records, gives the figure
of 438.758 who were relocated. Those who traveled by train from Cilicia region, were never attacked.
Few columns from other districts traveling overland on foot or ox-carts, were in some cases attacked by Circassian and Kurdish brigands, mostly in retaliation of what Armenians gangs had done to them.
Some provisory gendarmes (the good ones were in the fighting army) performed well, whilst others were unwilling or unable to risk their lives to protect the columns they were guarding. Many of them were later put on trial and some punished by the Army. Yusuf Halacoglu gives the number of about 60.000 persons who died because of hardships, fatigue, starvation, widespread epidemics such as typhus, which is about 15% of the moved people. The relocation law was to be implemented by respective Provinces, and the results depended on the capacity, financial and manpower means of each governor.
Bearing in mind that the whole country was suffering epidemics and shortage of food, even the army fighting in three fronts (plus internal against Armenian fifth columns) were deprived of clothing, footware and provisions the province governors were experimenting such a large scale movement for the first time, with no additional staff but very little extra allowances. Imaginable dramatic conditions, (shortage + incapacity + inability) cannot be classified as an “intended annihilation”. Just a few months earlier in January, 80.000 soldiers starved, froze to death on the Russian front, because of imprudence. Did things improve in 3 months ?
According to German army records, their loss of soldiers because of epidemics and shortages was about 10% of the total force, dying in the rear lines. Even their commander in chief died of typhus.
The situation with the Turkish army, was reported to be much worse, due to lack of sanitary means and personnel, poor clothing and less than one third of the daily food ration. Death in Turkish armies, in the rear lines, was said to be close to 30%.
Now let us see what others said about the number of deported-relocated people.
a- A British memorandum on “relief needs” dated Oct. 30, 1918 speaks of deportation of “over 1 million”.
b- Cypriot historian Sonyel gives this figure as 800.000 deported.
c- Raymond Kevorkian speaks of 870.000 deported to Syria.
d- Boghos Nubar head of Paris delegation, states in 1918 that the number was 600 – 700.000
e- British Foreign Office, Geographical Section, indicated the total living population in subject provinces
(Erzurum, Sivas, Diyarbakir, Harput, Van, Bitlis) as 3.601.075 of which 665.815 were Armenians and
2.687.748 Muslims, rest Greek, Nestorian and others.
Under these figures, how French Parliament and others, plus some ignorant writers or historians can speak of 1.5 millions killed in the process of relocation, is a most stupid claim, with nothing to do with historical scholarship or minimal arithmetic. May be above excerpt of Guenther Lewy and report of Bergfeld, explains that the habit of “blatant exaggeration” succeeds and convinces dummies…
The third and most important controversy, is about the Armenians who survived, reached safely destinations, some settled and started new business, some went back after the surrender of the Ottoman Empire in 1918.
Again, we have different sources and records, which can be classified as below.
a - The most important and reliable document is the letter of American Consul J.B. Jackson, one of the
most bigoted men from consular pool, dated Feb.8, 1916 in which he gives a broken down list of
survivors in ten main cities, reporting to ambassador Morgenthau that a total of 486.000 are alive.
b - Another very reliable source is the report of Dr. F. Nansen, head of the “League of Nations
Emigrants Committee” who according to Akabian’s book (p.253) was giving below breakdown:
* Emigrated from Turkey to Russian Armenia and Caucasus 400.000
* Refugees who fled abroad 400 or 300.000 min. 300.000
* Living in Istanbul, Izmir, Syria (Venizelos report Paris Confer.) 230.000
* Remaining cities of Anatolia ( “ “ ) 150.000
Total number of living persons according to Armenian sources –1919 1.080.000
Note: We have various confirmations that 150.000 Armenians went back to Cilicia when occupied by France
and their special Battalion D’Orient – (see other chapters) committed atrocities. However, after the French
agreement with Kemalist Turks in 1920, and French evacuation of the “internal war areas” in these provinces,
150.000 Armenians (few Greeks) left with the French Armies causing an economic vacuum. (Grabill p.260)
c - Katchaznuni, in his manifest of 1923 spoke that nearly One Million Armenians were alive in 1918 prior
to evacuation of 1917 by Russians after Revolution, and founding of their short lived Republic
d - Historian Lalaian in separate excerpts speaks of 885.000 Armenians alive (in those areas only) and
that by 1920, they lost 195.000 lives because of starvations and bad management of the Dashnaks
e - 880.000 reported to Paris Conference by Venizelos (Boghos Nubar’s claim) as living in 1919 in area
f - Akaby Nassibian gives other breakdowns as follows in her book: (p.249, 253,211,72)
- According to joint British Arm. Relief committee: Greece – Syria – Palestine – Caucasus 750.000
- Immigrated to Russia from Turkey, 310.000 or 400.000 other source says 500.000
- Fled to other countries 350.000
- In Egypt waiting acceptance 5.00, at Basra for transport 14.000 14.000
g - James Barton, (head of American Board of Foreign Missionaries and Relief Organization) reported to the
Paris Conference in April 1919 that 100.000 Armenian refugees in Aleppo and Damascus were waiting to
return to their homes. Stanley Kerr, an American Relief Official wrote that 170.000 of these were eventually
repatriated.
h - George Montgomery, an American official at the Paris conference, gave a detailed tabulation of Armenians
alive in Turkey in 1919, which amounted to 594.000 + 450.000 in Caucasus + 60.000 in Persia = 1.104.000
Total (Apart from those in other countries or immigrated)
i - German Missionary J. Lepsius, arrives to a total of 948.500 or rather 1.108.000 survivors in 1921. Including
those in Caucasus – Armenia, Palestine, Arab lands under British-French mandate and by 1925 more than
30.000 had emigrated to France and about 100.000 to USA.
j - According to Caleb F. Gates, president of Robert Collage, the Armenian population statistics in January
1921, as confirmed by the Armenian Patriarchate, was as follows: Armenians in Ottoman province,
approximately 600.000; Armenians alive: 944.900; Armenian total losses: 355.000.
Naturally, Armenians (although they received 98% of all relief supplies – guarded by Turkish soldiers when within borders of the Empire- were not immune to epidemics and starvations,(which swept out some 20% of population in areas where there was no war) and like over 500.000 Muslims who died in inter communal wars, exiles, epidemics, starvations, they too suffered. Death made no selection. It will be very improper, to count these deaths as “massacred by Turkish armies” and declare Armenian race “importal” (much that they claim to be of noble Arian race). Let us not forget that more than half of the people returned to their homes after mid 1915 when deportations were stopped and in larger numbers with the advance of Allied forces after Ottomans lost the war. Those coming back from Russia, had to go back when Kemalist forces took control over the area and Republic of Armenia had to surrender in 1920 with the treaty of Gumru. It is not known, how many people took these hard long trips by ox-carts or on foot back and forth, but it is not difficult to guess that some 30% of the traveling or camped people died, like others. We understand that almost 200.000 died within two years in Caucasus under the rule of Armenian Republic, and of course those are counted as “massacred by Turks” as well.
Looking at above people alive before 1914, those who were moved and those who survived until 1920, we can take a guess that at least some 200.000 Turkish Armenians living in subject six provinces died of various natural causes (may be some 30 – 40.000 killed in bi-lateral butcheries). The Ottoman State ruling at that time, (fighting wars on three fronts against super powers for the very existence) may be found “guilty of being unable to provide proper means during the relocation process”. But those who make an assessment of “massacre or genocide” fail to remember that it was the same government who lost 80.000 of their 90.000 army in less than two weeks on the Russian front, because of deprivations and lack of management and prudence, and that this disaster was mainly caused by the sudden and unexpected resistance put by the Armenian Volunteer forces fighting for Russians, which the Ottomans “naively thought in August 1914 Erzurum Congress of Dashnaks” that they will fight on the side of Turks against the gift of “autonomy promised in the long wanted six provinces”. The refusal of that generous offer, was the first breakpoint, the Sarikamish disaster caused by Armenian resistance was the second breakpoint, the Van Revolt in March-April was the third breakpoint, and with the landing of ANZAC forces in late April in Dardanelles, attack in the South Suez front, and Russian advance, plus the fifth column activities of some 25.000 – 40.000 volunteer units, the Ottomans had every justification to push out “all people” from fighting areas, and had no time, chance, will, or reason to sort out the wet and dry fire wood. This is “my evaluation”. The readers may make their own evaluations considering the authenticity of above given reference sources, which apparently the “slanderers never look at”. No one speaks of the Sarikamish disaster experienced just very few months earlier, and draw a parallelism ! The condition of the soldiers in attack, was much worse than the conditions and supplies to relocated caravans. Why no one holds Britain and French blockade of all ports for starvations, considering the fact that they “let the relief goods go through blockades”.
26.10.06
Sukru Server Aya
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