2861) So We Get Revenge by Artem Erkanyan & Comment by Sukru Server Aya

(GoogleTranslated from Russian. Please contribute a better translation)

Not much time left before the 100 th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Many times it was suggested that the anniversary of the massacre should be to create several major films, including gaming. Wrote that it would be logical, if one of these films was on the Armenian avenger of the group "Nemezis" . . that famous order that resulted in the execution of lawful death sentence against the principal organizers of the genocide. Talking about actions "Nemezisa, most often mention the brilliant operation conducted in Berlin Sogomonom Teyleryanom, shot the informal leader of the Young Talaat-pashu. But often forgotten about his predecessors and followers. But the avenger spent at least a dozen successful stock executioners to eliminate the Armenian people. Start this massive campaign was given 19 June 1920-year Aram Erkanyanom. This prominent figure in the national liberation movement, certainly deserve to know the name of his descendants. Biography of the man - finished the script for the film.

Erkanyan - notably the representative of the names, which gave its remarkable Armenian musicians, historians, architects. He was born in Karin (Erzurum), where he was educated. During the genocide was at home, and when the Russian troops retreated, went with them to the Caucasus, and joined the Armenian volunteer squad under the guidance of Drastamat Kanayan. During the Bash-Aparan battle commanded by machine-gun platoon, was on the front lines. Was Dashnaktsutyun. It seems that Ram was a secret employee of the special services of Armenia. At least know that in 1919 th year, he was in Constantinople with some secret mission. In Constantinople, he met with a prominent figure in the national liberation movement Schaan Natalie (Hakob Ter-Akopian). That meeting changed the lives of Erkanyana. "I immediately thought that I know him since childhood. No, this guy is special - prompted me to heart "- and then write about Arame Schaan Natalie.

In autumn 1919 the year I was in Yerevan X congress of the party Dashnaktsutyun, which was made a historic decision on the enforcement of death sentences against leaders of the Young and the rulers of Azerbaijan musavatistskogo responsible for the genocide of Armenians. It was considered 650 names of perpetrators and accomplices of genocide. Of these, 41 had been selected the main culprit. The operation was named "Nemezis. (Nemesis - the name of the Greek goddess of retribution). For the operation convener was formed, headed by the Ambassador of Armenia to the United States Armen Garo. Operational leadership and material support was requested Schaan, Natalie, and Grigor Merzhanovu. Schaan immediately began searching for reliable people who can fulfill responsibility. At Sogomona Teyleryana and Aram Erkanyana bet he did immediately. Aram has been entrusted with the first action, as the first victim was chosen former Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Fatali khan Khoyski, personally ordered the massacre of Armenians in Baku and Shusha. The operation was performed brilliantly. Khoyski was shot at a time when walking in Tbilisi on Golovinske Avenue, along with other torturer, the Armenian people - former Interior Minister Halil bekom Hasmamedovym. Khoyski died on the spot, Hasmamedov - in the hospital. Here is what writes about this in his memoirs Schaan Natalie: "Only those who knew Khan Khoyski familiar with its history, can appreciate the courage of Aram. Accompanied by his retinue Khan walked the streets of Tiflis, ignoring the verdict pronounced by Armenians. After all, all attempt it fail. An experienced and brazen beast, it did not take into account only one - that in front of him, breaking the chain armored bodyguards, one on one and will be faced with Aram fair verdict. Aram was injured while under the hail of bullets was able to prove that he is as lovok and Heather, and dare ... "

Even before the formation of the "Nemezis" Ottoman decree of 16 December 1918-the year the leaders of the party "Unity and Progress" and a number of eminent mladoturetskogo governments are brought to justice. They were charged with the integration of Turkey into the war and the deportation and genocide of Armenians. In February 1919 the year in Constantinople began the trial of mladoturkami. Among the accused were former Grand Vizier, chairman of the committee "Unity and Progress", Said Halim Pasha, the Minister of the Interior Talaat, Enver Military Minister, Minister of the Navy Cemal, the General Council Şükrü Ibrahim, Khalil Ahmed and Nessy, the head of the central apparatus of the secret organization Teshkilati mahsusse "Doctor Behaetdin Shakir and others. Members of the tribunal unanimously decided to sentence the leaders of the party "Unity and Progress" to death. But the conviction was in absentia, as they all fled. One of those who were destined to bring the sentence into execution, was Aram.

What is Ram Erkanyan writes in his memoirs about the day when he dated Natalie Shaana know what a responsible mission entrusted to him. "... And when I have to part with him, he whispered with a smile:" You up a Behaetdin Shakir. You must be the best way to find out who fell to your share. He endorsed the villainous intent - to drown in the sea of Armenian children and has performed his hands-Azmi Pasha. It was he who ordered the poison of all those children who could still remember their fathers and mothers. This is literally all overtake the offender vilayet, studying and appreciating the actions of governors, organized around the deportation, determine the form of destruction of the Armenians and appointed executors. And woe betide him, in whom he could suspect a lack of cruelty ... The rest I doskazhu thee in the day when you are able to see in Berlin that hyenas in the guise of a European gentleman ... "

But the line of the Turkish tribunal verdict: "... Dr. Behaetdin Shakir went to Trapezund, Erzurum and other vilayet as chairman of the ad hoc organization consisting of chete (irregular troops) and offenders released from prison. Taking the lead in these bands, he was the author of the tragic acts of mass murder and theft ... "Ram is well known, who would be the case. Several members of his family had been victims of acts of the executioner. He was happy that he was entrusted with the honor to avenge them. It helps Grigor Merzhanov and Hrach Papazyan, snoopy leaders of the Young in Berlin. Aram immediately sent to Germany. On the way he learns about the success of ordinary shares Nemezisa. All European newspapers wrote that the 5 th December 1921 the first year in Rome, was assassinated former Ottoman Empire Grand Vizier Said Halim Pasha,. This was carried out by a friend and ally of Aram "Nemezisu" Arshavir Shirakyana. "Bravo, Arshavir - said Aram. - I will you the baton. " Avenger still did not know that after a couple of weeks Arshavir will be sent to Berlin and will join him for assistance in carrying out operations to remove Behaetdina. But the assassination of Said difficult task, as well as hiding in Europe, leaders of the Young became even more secretive and cautious.

Exit on the track Behaetdina be through the former governor Trapezunda Cemal Azmi, who was close with his family Shakira. He had a small shop in Berlin. During World War II P ervoy Dzhelal Azmi was famous for the unusual, the monstrous cruelty against the Armenians. In the Turkish tribunal verdict on it reads: "Some women and children on his orders left Trapezunde by placing in hospitals and homes dervish, ostensibly with the intention of protecting them. In many places, women and even girls, gathered in groups, put on a barge under the pretext of sending the sea to another location. But as soon as the barges disappeared from sight, these women and children were thrown into the sea and recessed ... "Aram Arshavir and were ordered to - to try to break through the Cemal Azmi on Behaetdina Shakira and shoot them both. The mission became a matter of Aram throughout his life. Once in a Turkish coffee house Aram heard talking son Cemal Azmi Ekmelya with your friends. He told that the 1915-year his father gave him - 14-year-old yuntsu - a harem of 8-10-year-old girls izh aristocratic Armenian family Trapezudna. In a remembrance of those days have flowed resent drivel. "Sometimes my father envied me, seeing me in these razlegshimsya bud lilies ..." - talking son of executioner. Aram hardly deter, not to shoot Ekmelya directly to the coffee house. But retribution is not long in coming. Behaetdina managed to track down. As it turned out, he often stayed in the house Cemal Azmi.

Initially, action was planned for 15 th March. The day was symbolic - a year ago Sogomon Teyleryan shot Talaat-pashu. But the main reason for choosing the date was that on that day retaliation can be made in respect of multiple executioners. After all, hiding in Berlin Talaat comrades on the anniversary of the death of its leader had visited his widow, to express words of comfort and to raise the glass "shrine" for upokoy. Use the opportunity not been able to - put some of the informants. But the order remains in force - the sentence should be carried out on at least two, and one of them surely must be Behaetdin Shakir. So, you need to wait for the case where the "bloody doctor" to meet with someone from former allies. Two weeks later, the fault of informants have overlooked another such chance. It is known that a member mladoturetskogo triumvirate, former Minister of the Navy Cemal arrived in Berlin for a secret meeting with Behaetdinom and other accomplices. From there, he should immediately leave for Moscow to meet with Nazym-pashoy, contact the Young coordinated with Vladimir Lenin. Since then planned to depart in Turkestan and to adhere to the orders of local basmacheskim pan, headed by former Minister of War Enver Ottoman Turkey. It was found that the meeting with Cemal accomplices held at the Villa Enver, located in the Berlin suburb Grunwald. But, apparently, rulers Young, Scared shares "Nemezisa, perestrahovatsya and decided at the last moment, changed the place of gathering. And maybe, once again brought informants. Aram and Arshavir have been unusually depressed. Only Schaan Natalie smiled, to give the spirit of his friends. He is sure that Cemal, and Nazym, Enver, and sooner or later get his own. And so it happened. 25 th July 1922 the first year Cemal was shot dead in Tbilisi Petros Ter-Pogosyanom and Artashes Gevorgyan. 4 th Aug 22 th Hakob Melkumov in Enver Turkestan zarubil drafts. Nazym was hanged in Turkey under the Tribunal's verdict kemalistskogo failed assassination attempt on Ataturk.

A new opportunity has arisen to carry out revenge itself on 17 April. Aram and Arshavir found that evening Behaetdin Shakir and Cemal Azmi invited to dinner at the home of former police chief of Constantinople Azmi Bay. Along with them were their wives and children and the widow of Talaat-Pasha. It is time to act - decided avenger. The hope was that the hospitable host, after dinner, will be rich conduct of their guests, and then will immediately destroy the three. And so it happened. None of the women, according to the order, should not have been affected. But the widow of Talaat just Aram was not forced to violate the order. The first shot pushed Behaetdina second - Cemal Azmi. But someone from the accompanying Turks managed to alienate Arshavir and dislodge him from the hands of a gun. While other women wail over the dead bodies, Ms. Talaat showed enormous courage and tried to roll his hands on the slippery cobblestone upavshemu Arshavir. And only have the Aram to her chest gun barrel brave widow made it clear that to persevere may force the avenger to abandon the principle that women and Children can not kill in any case. The third shot came not in the heart of a woman, but in light of street lamp. In the dark, it was easier to hide ...

German police found no traces. In the morning almost all the Berlin newspapers published a photo of the morgue, which depicted the bodies of those killed executioners. And only then Erkanyan sighed with relief - is published by the bullet was indeed mortal. "I felt easy, like a mountain, compressed his chest, finally, strike me. Revenge is done. I vow, the martyrs, executed "- and then write the Ram in his memoirs.

The book "So we avenged Aram wrote already in Argentina, where he emigrated in the late 20's. And before that he spent several years in Romania. In Bucharest Erkanyan based Armenian newspaper and was its editor. To publish newspapers and in the Argentine city of Cordoba. Tuberculosis claimed the lives of his very young. Tomb Aram Erkanyana in Cordoba today is a place of pilgrimage for all Argentine Armenians.

Artem ERKANYAN, «New Era»

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Comment by Sukru Server Aya
1 June 2009

The essay is a typical piece of “twisted presentation” where the victim is also the hero, and has the right to “execute lawful death sentences” without clarifying, what law, what tribunal, what accusation and defense and whose authority? The writer is totally mixed up, if he should emphasize the “victimization of Armenians” or their “braveries and heroism in fighting Turks” as mutual citizens of the Ottoman Empire.

Rather than writing several pages on the distortions and nonsense exhibited in the article, I will limit myself in clarifying just a very few of the discrepancies:

a. Dr. Bahattin Shakir: He was very friendly with Dashnaks since 1907 when they had agreed with CUP that should they assist in coming to power, CUP would give them the “autonomy” they have been waiting since 1878 in the Berlin Congress. If the writer would refer to Pastırmaciyan’s book “Why Armenia Should be Free” printed in 1918 in Boston, he can learn that Bahattin Shakir was with the large CUP group which attended the Dashnak Congress in Erzurum in late July – Mid August 1914, and offered autonomy, in return of Armenians keeping their promise (causing disturbances in Russia and joining the Turkish army in full). If ARF had kept their old promise, the Turkish Army would have been in Baku in no time. Instead, they joined the Russian allies and were one of the important reasons of the Sarikamish disaster, where Ottomans lost some 80.000 soldier in less than two weeks!

b. After the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and Russians leaving the front (and all supplies to Armenians) a second huge wave of massacres was carried in about 100 villages and main cities of Erzincan and Erzurum.

Soon the Armenians-Georgians-Azerbaijanis formed the Caucasus Federation in late 1917 under Bolshevik pressure and Schaumian became the commissar, whose first duty was to bring Armenian volunteers and wipe out the Moslems in the Baku area. Few months later the Federation broke down, Georgia declared independence under German protection. The Brest-Litovsk Treaty was signed on 3.3.1918 and some of the area occupied by Russians was returned to Turks. But Dashnakists continued to fight to grab more lands. As a result of counter offensive and after the peace bargains in Trabzon in early May failed, the Armenians lost all fights.A few days after they declared their independence on May 28, 1918 they applied for peace to Turks and signed the heavy terms imposed on them with a Treaty signed in Batum on June 4, 1918, with several annexes (Signatoıries were Kachaznuni, Hatisov and Papacanov).. Annexes 18 and 19, provide “reciprocal most favored country cooperation and protection by Ottomans for Armenia, against outside intervention..

The claims of indemnity and penalization for atrocities were waived and most important of all the Democratic Republic of Armenia was accepted to be an Ottoman Protectorate. (Law and order and some food to starving Armenians was supplied after this agreement). Soon the Caucasus states and a delegation from Armenia, (Aharonian and Hadissian) arrived in Istanbul to be received by the Sultan Vahdettin. On Sept 6th 1918, they were received and after reciprocal good wishes and thanks the delegation cabled to Khactaznuni on Sept 9th, the “good news about this reception” and the new Armeno-Turkish friendship. However, after 30.10.1918 surrender of the Ottomans with Mudros Treaty, the situation changed immediately. A month later on Nov.30, 1918 Armenia declared their “full independence” and started the war for land grabbing again, this time supported by the British troops in Iran. The delegation was now in Paris in Feb. 1919, requesting half on Anatolia, cleaned of non-Christians (85%). These are all written in the Paris Memorandum available on your E-library.

The attack on the back lines of Turks in 1920 when Mustafa Kemal was at war with Greeks in the West , was the “third time stabbing in the back”. The Nationalist Turkish Army of Kazim Karabekir fought back and the Dashanakists had to surrender for the last time by Gumru Treaty on Dec. 3, 1920. That was almost the end of about two years life of DRA and soon Armenia became a province of the Soviet Russia and everything was left in the hands of the Bolshevik government in Moscow. With this agreement, the rest of the starving Armenians were saved with the Russian grain plus help of the Near East Relief. During the 2 years rule of DRA, the population which was about 1 million in 1918, dropped down to 815.000 by the end of 1920. < Of course, these deaths of starvation and epidemics are counted as “massacred by Turks”.>

c. Trabzon governor Cemal Azmi and rumor that people were drowned in the Black Sea: According to a U.S. Paper, 10.000 were drowned in Trabzon, when the total Armenian population was less than 8.000! All ports were under the blockade of the Allied Navy and strange enough, none of the Allied navy records make mention of floating drowned bodies. There are no sharks in the Black Sea to feast on floating bodies.

In February 1919, the defeated Ottoman Government tried to form a “Neutral International Court of Justice” and invited Spain, Holland, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland to send two “arbiter judges”. In the meantime, several celebrities were rounded up to Malta by British for trial. All these five states (after consulting Britain) declined from taking part in the proposed international court. Those detained were released in 1921 without any indictment or trial because no “legal evidence was found whatsoever”.

The result was that a Kangaroo Turkish Court was set up and several innocents were hanged without any proven charges or even given the right to defend against charges. Now the writer goes beyond the deeds of the Kangaroo Courts and “takes law in their hands by Nemesis”, all killers become national heroes.

The last word “Revenge is done. I vow the martyrs, executed”, is a typical sentence which can only give moral support to fanatic souls who do not take the trouble to think and evaluate as “humans” forgetting but once their ethnicity, which drives them out of humanity and reason!

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