1559) Free E-Book : Archive Documents About The Atrocities and Genocide Inflicted Upon Turks by Armenians

ISBN 975-7479-85-3

Free E-Book 175 Pages 4.64 MB
by İsmet Binark
Former General Director of the State Archives and Researcher – Writer
ANKARA - 2002

FOREWORD
The structure of the Ottoman State is like a mosaic made up of various ethnic groups, which successfully enabled so many people speaking different languages and belonging to different religions and races to live side by side in peace without quarrel for centuries. Every different element constituted a part of this mosaic. All these different elements lived together for centuries in harmony under the just and tolerant rule of the Ottoman state. The Ottoman state governed all the minorities under its rule in peace and security for centuries and did never attempt to assimilate them for political reasons.

One of the pieces of the said mosaic were the Armenians. While no problems arose between Muslims and non-Muslims during the powerful periods of the Ottoman state, minority problems began to emerge following the weakening of the State, minorities being oriented by Western Powers in the direction of their own political, religious and economic interests. Just then, Western Powers started discussing the Question of Orient that was nothing but an endeavour to realise their political, military and economic aspirations towards the Ottoman state. Consequently, the ages old harmony was disrupted and the people who had been living together in peace took part in subversive activities aiming at the breaking of the State under the influence of the winds of political, religious and nationalistic secession blowing from the West.

In the 19th century, the non-Muslims in the Ottoman state were made both the object and the means of the Question of Orient. . . .