Unarmed Armenians?

Armenian historians claim that the Armenians were totally unarmed and civilian
during the last period of the Ottoman Empire. According to the Armenians, the
Ottoman soldiers attacked the Armenian civilians without any reason but racism. .
However the Armenian books prove that there were strong Armenian armed
groups against the security forces, and many Armenians were killed in the
clashes between the security forces and the armed Armenian movements. The
photo below was taken by the Armenians and it was re-published in an Armenian
book: Hratch Dasnabedian, Dashnaktsutiun, 1890-1924, p. 50.

July 1897: Armenian Commander and His Men

There are many more photos showing the Armenians heavly armed and in army
order. It is obvious that there was an Armenian riot against the Istanbul
Government and the Ottomans took the necessary measures to prevent the
Armenian uprising. The picture was not different in 1915. The Armenians made
co-operation with the occupying Russians and the Istanbul had to relocate the
Armenian population from the Eastern provinces to the southern province, Syria.
More than 800.000 Armenians were relocated. About 350.000 Armenians
returned to their houses in the following years. About 100-200.000 Armenians
died due to the Kurdish tribes revenge attacks, epidemic diseases, war
curcumstances, bad weather conditions and famine. We will continue to publish
the pictures showing the real side of the story.

By Dr. Nilgun GULCAN

December 11, 2006
www.turkishweekly.net