Turks were killed in Armenian "Genocide"

In history, as studied by many and published by American historian Professor Justin McCarthy, what has been presented as Armenian "genocide" is in fact, only one side of a complicated and long history.

In the late 1700s, Russians started expanding to the south by slaughtering and/or forcing Moslems and Turks to emigrate. When Russians took Crimae and Caucasus regions from Ottomans and Persians, the czar adopted native Armenians as the proxy against the Turks in areas that bordered the Ottoman Empire. Like many other middle eastern populations, Armenians were religious: They took the side of Russia which was a great Christian power. By allying with an European empire they also got better economic conditions and hoped for independence.

For a century, after each war between Russians and the Ottomans, Russian borders progressed, more Moslems died and/or fled and more Armenians replaced them. By the end of 19th century, with the support of Russia, Armenians sought to create an independent Armenia in eastern Anatolia, in lands where three-quarters of population were Moslem. After successful and bloody uprisings in 1895 and 1909, Armenian revelations broke out 1914 when Russia went to war with the Ottoman Empire. Tens of thousands of Armenian rebels formed guerilla bands using Russian arms and uniforms. Van, the largest city of eastern Anatoila was captured by Armenian rebels and many Moslems in the city and surrounding villages were killed. The city was held until it could be turned over to the invading Russian army. Throughout the eastern Anatolia, Armenian bands attacked villagers wherever they found them. In turn, Turks and Kurdish tribesman attacked Armenian villages.

For the next five years, Armenian peasants and the Russian army battled Turkish peasants and the Ottoman army. Most of the civilians, without doubt, did not want to fight but forced by circumstances to take sides. Also, starvation and epidemics killed more people than the war did.

The Ottomans who were fighting a Russian invasion and trying to defend Moslem villages from Armenian guerillas, decided to deport all Armenians from dangerous areas to Syria. Although protected by a few Ottoman solders assigned to that mission, many of the columns of Armenian refugees were attacked, robbed and killed by Kurdish tribes or corrupt officials. However, twice as many Moslems as Armenians were forced from their homes because of attacks by Russian soldiers and Armenian guerillas.

With the Russian Revelation the czar's invasion in Anatolia ended. A new Armenian Republic attempted to hold the territory that Russians has conquered. They were defeated by the Turks. As the Armenians retreated, they killed the Turks who fell into their hands. Cities such as Erzincan were left in ruins, with Turkish bodies filling the streets. Armenians who failed to escape with their retreating army were killed as well.

In the end, in eastern Anatolia, almost 600,000 of the Armenians and more than 2 million Moslems had died.

After all this, is it not less than fair to state that Turks were killers and Armenians were victims? In reality, they were both victims and killers. Today, Armenians remember their dead. It should be known that Turks too, grieve for their dead. The nationalist feelings whether Turkish or Armenian have no place in truth. The important questions are human questions, not national ones.

Artemis Ozten
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