Dr. Afif Erzen (b. 1913) received a scholarship to study ERICH FEIGL Professor Erich Feigl (b. Vienna, 1931) began writing in Germany after graduating at the top of his class from while still a student but soon switched over to documen- secondary school in Sivas. After completing his tary filmmaking. This brought him into the world of the preparatory studies (German at the Gymnasium religions and cultures of the Middle and Far East, as Zöllichau) in 1934, he attended the Universities of Berlin ERICH FEIGL well as Central America. He created television series (where he worked with Wilhelm Weber), Jena (where he worked with Fritz Schachermeyer on a dissertation such as "Journey to the Early Christian World", "The on "Metal Extraction and Metal Processing in Eastern A MYTH Heritage of the Early Christian World", "The Great Anatolia"). Since Schachermeyer's move to Heidelberg Religions of the World", "Telegallery", and "Men and prevented Dr. Erzen from completing his work in Jena, Myths". A number of films from these series have won he moved on to Leipzig (Helmut Breve: Das Ale-xander- national awards. Individual television specials such as reich; Griechische Geschichte), where he completed his "Musil of Arabia", "On the Streams of Paradise" (about studies in 1940 with a doctoral thesis on " Cilicia Until the religious communities of Mesopotamia), "Where the the End of Persian Rule". OF TERROR Turks Came From" and "Where the Turks Went" (about In 1944, Afif Erzen qualified as a lecturer (ancient histo- ry) at the University of Istanbul. In 1955, he became a A MYTH OF TERROR the origins and the fall of the Ottoman Empire), as well corresponding member and in 1968 a full member of as the famous TV documentaries about Empress Zita (" the German Archeological Institute in Berlin. He served Armenian Extremism: Die Kronzeu-gin" and "Kaiserin Zita", first broadcast in until 1983 as chairman of the Department of Ancient 1986) repeatedly brought Professor Feigl into the History at the University of Istanbul. Afif Erzen has been Its Causes and Its Historical precincts of the tragic events of 1915 and the history a guest lecturer at the Universities of Bonn, Munich, and context of the Armenian tragedy. The same hap- Erlangen, Mönster, Wurzburg, and Töbingen. His most pened in the course of Erich Feigl’s work as an author. recent lectures have concerned his excavations in Context His great biographies, Kaiser Karl and Kaiserin Zita, as ×avuøtepe and Ainos. Professor Erzen founded the Center for Historical and Archeological Research in Van well as his books about Musil of Arabia and Athos in 1967 and the Center for Southeastern European (Athos -Vorhlle zum Paradies) were all tied to the study Research in Edime in 1969. Both institutes have to do of Ottoman history - especially its final phase. A plan with the history of the origins and the significance of the gradually took shape for a monograph on the origins Armenian people, the Haik, as well as their historical and the history of the Armenian tragedy in Anatolia from development. the eyes of a man with profound knowledge of Anatolia Professor Erzen's international reputation is based on and its Middle Eastern environment. Professor Feigl his excavations at ×avuøtepe, the most significant was already familiar with all the settings and had known Urartian site of our times. The numerous scientific pub- lications that came out of his years of work at ×avuøte- The history of Armenian extremism is a myth in the true sense of the word - some- many, many witnesses (from both camps) for decades. pe have brought Professor Erzen world wide recogni- thing from the realm of fiction and imagination, something that has been made into The preparatory work was already well under way when tion. The most important of his works are: a shocking event (the murder in Vienna on June 20, Ankara in Antiquity. (Ankara, 1946) a legend. At the same time, it is something absolutely alive and potent, as we can 1984 of the Turkish labor attaché, Erdoan zen, who The Founding of the City of Istanbul and Its Names. see from the acts of terrorism and their horrible consequences. In the early twenties, was a personal friend of the author) led Erich Feigl to (Belleten, 1953) produce an extensive film expose of this "myth of ter- The Settlement Problem of Pamphylia in Antiquity. an Armenian by the name of Aram Andonian published a "collection of documents" ror", which has already claimed so many innocent lives. (Belleten, 1976) Cyprus in Ancient History. (Belleten, 1976) (actually they were photographs of "documents"), which he presented as "proof" After more than a year’s work on the films, Professor The Sea of Marmara and the Straits of Marmara in that the Ottoman government had planned the extermination of the Armenian peo- Feigl wrote this book, which is illustrated exclusively Ancient History. (Southeastern European Research with the author’s own photographs. The book exposes 1,1972) ple. These documents consisted of "orders" that could certainly be compared to the the roots of Armenian terrorism, which mainly harms the ×avuøtepe I. (Turk Tarihi Kurumu, Ankara, 1978) and insane acts of a Hitler or a Himmler. Franz Werfel based his tremendous novel, The overwhelming majority of Armenians who are unable to from the same institute, Eastern Anatolia and Urartians. come to terms with the reign of terror of a tiny minority. (1979). To these must be added the many essays which Forty Days of Musa Dagh, entirely on these "extermination orders" of the Ottoman This may well be due in part to uncertainty about the Dr. Erzen has published on his excavations in Ainos true situation which has led and which continues to lead (Enez, Thrace) and most importantly his excavations in government. He originally did this in good faith, and when he realized that he had Van (the cita-delle), Toprakkale, and Yukariskale. All of been taken in by a forgery, it was too late. Fear of reprisals prevented him from pub- to Armenian terrorism. This is certainly the case with the these publications were related to Dr. Erzen's Urartian public at large, who know nothing more than the unend- research. Some of them were written in collaboration licly acknowledging his error. The photo shows Armenian children on Musa Dagh, ing Armenian terrorist attacks, a few code words like with the sumerologist, Dr. Emin Bilgic,, of the University the scene of the novel, where a thriving Armenian-Turkish community still lives "genocide" and "massacre of the Armenians" and per- of Ankara. In this connection, Dr. Erzen's publications, haps a few (misinterpreted) facts. The Neo-Urartians in the Van Region (Ankara, 1979) today - in spite of the "extermination". This book presents the historical and contemporary and ×avuøtepe II (Ankara, 1986), must also be men- contexts plainly and openly. The surprising truth that is tioned. The latter, a synthesis of the results of Dr. EDITION revealed here will hopefully help to expose the true face Erzen's decades of archeological work in ×avuøtepe, represents the culmination of his career to date. EDITION ZEITGESCHICHTE • FREILASSING – SALZBURG ZEITGESCHICHTE of terror and avert further tragedy. A MYTH OF TERROR 2 An Illustrated Exposé by Erich Feigl A MYTH OF TERROR Armenian Extremism: Its Causes and Its Historical Context EDITION ZEITGESCHICHTE • FREILASSING - SALZBURG First published 1986 (german edition) This book is copyrighted under the Bern Convention. All rights are reserved by the author. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, no part of this publica- tion may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, elec- tronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owners. Enquiries should be addressed to the publishers: © Edition Zeitgeschichte / Büicherdienst D-8228 Freilassing, Georg-Wrede-Strasse 49 P.O.Box 1390 Printed in Austria 4 DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF MY FRIEND ERDO«AN ­ZEN Mankind has known this "world public" at least since A Personal Foreword Copernicus realized that the Earth revolves around the Sun. The "world public" did not recognize that, either. The "Have you gone crazy?" - "Are you tired of living?" truth did prevail, however, even if it took the "world pub- These were the comments of friends and acquaintances lic" quite a long while to separate fact from rumor, and when they heard that I was working on a book about the even if the rumor was so very ingenious (and wrong). causes and historical context of Armenian terrorism. These experiences and other developments which fol- Why should I be the one to take on such a dangerous sub- lowed the publication of the German edition of this book, ject? . Shouldn't it be a matter for the Turks and along with comments of friends and colleagues, have led Armenians to work out among themselves? All of my me to issue this new version in the English language with friends considered my project dangerous, even threaten- several additions and slight amendments, some of which ing, and I realized that it must be these concerns, these have been made necessary by recent events. fears, that have until now prevented unbiased accounts of My first encounter with the Turkish-Armenian tensions the historical reality behind Armenian terrorism from ap- came many years ago when I was making one of my pearing. People are obviously afraid of reprisals and many documentary films about religious communities of therefore leave the whole issue to the advocates of reck- the Middle and Far East. I had a meeting with the less violence, who control virtually all the literature on Armenian Catholicos of Sis, who lived in the elegant the subject.