KOK SERIES OF SOCIAL AND STRATEGICAL RESEARCHES: 9 THE MASSACRES THE ARMENIANS COMMITTED IN AD AM PROVINCE AND THE FRENCH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS Yusuf Ziya BILDIRICI Ankara 1999 FOREWORD Various states have been established in Anatolia, from the earliest periods of history, and civilizations have found a medium for development. Due to the very special characteristics of Anatolia, a land which has nurtured notable individuals in many fields, has aroused the desire of nations to be connected to it. The Armenians, who had suffered from the hardships of exile under the Bildirici, Yusuf Ziya Romans, Byzantines and Sasanids, have been forced to fight in wars and The Massacres the Armenians Committed in Adana Province usually were treated like third-class citizens, also claim that they have a and the French - Armenian Relations right on large part of Anatolia from the points of history, politics and culture. Published by © KOKSAV - KOK SOCIAL AND STRATEGICAL RESEARCH As part of their effort to disintegrate the Ottoman Empire and gain FOUNDATION control of its territories, the imperialist powers backed and continuously provoked the Armenians, a community of people of mixed origins living on ISBN: 975-7430-21-8 land known as Armenia -- a term used only to denote a geographic location Turgut Reis Caddesi 7/5 Tandogan - ANKARA -- and provided them with a basis of support for these claims. Tel: (0 312) 212 99 03 • Fax: 212 99 03 - 215 32 74 Among the non-Moslems in the Ottoman state, the Armenians, known Web: http://www.koksav.org.tr as the " Loyal Community ", had benefited the most from the opportunities E-Mail: koksav @ koksav.org.tr. which the state provided and had grown prosperous. However, misled by First published the false promises of their Western friends, they rose up against the state and began to break away from the Turkish community prior to the Second Printed in Turkey by SISTEM OFSET, 1999 Constitutional period. The Armenian rebellion movements started in Eastern Anatolia under the guidance of committeemen of Caucasian origin In the fourth part, the national resistance movement initiated by the and spread to the capital, Istanbul, and inevitably led to the massacre of Turks to free the country's territory from enemy occupation and enemy Turks. oppression is taken up as well as the part played by the government of the Turkish Grand National Assembly in the struggle in the region, and. as a It was the Armenians who fought in the front line against the Ottoman result of this, the liberation of the Adana region. soldiers during World War I, and again it was Armenians who committed massacres, that had seldom been seen in history, against defenseless While examining the subject as objectively as possible, we have used the Turkish civilians who were living behind the battlefront. available scientific data to bring to light the issues which are currently being exploited. The Armenians, whose ancestors had been massacred and exiled as punishment for their disloyalty to their sovereigns in ancient Anatolia, were I wish to express my thanks to my esteemed teacher, Prof. Dr. Azmi subjected to " sending and emigration " by the Ottoman state because of Siislu, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdulkadir Yuvali, Assist. Prof. Dr. Yilmaz Kurt, their treason to the state during, the time of war and because of the researcher and friend Cezmi Yurtsever -- all of whose opinions helped me massacres they had committed. so much in the course of the research -- as well as to members of the General Staffs Office for Military History and Strategic Studies' Archives The violence that they have carried out during the years of National and of the National Library -- who generously assisted me -- and to my Struggle in Qukurova which dimensions that surprised Russia, Britain and fellow countrymen of Adana who provided me unhesitatingly with France, which these states deceived the Armenians that caused bloodshed in Anatolia by promising them to establish a state. information. This work is based on a study of the Yusuf Ziya BILDiRiCi " adventurous " past of the Armenians in Anatolia, their relationship with the French, the massacres they committed in Adana and its surroundings. In conducting the research, advantage was taken of all available means including documents in the archives, relevant sources and eye-witnesses’ testimony. The study consists of four main parts. The subject is introduced with an analysis of the origin of the Armenians and the concept of Armenia and the dimensions of other nations' policies regarding the Armenians were determined. In the first part, the beginning of organized Armenian rebellions, including the events which occurred in Adana, have been listed. In the second part, attention has been focused on the riots and massacres which the Armenians committed during World War I to waste the lime of Ottoman army and on their emigration. In the third part, the historical interests of the expansionist powers in Adana and its environs have been examined. French - Armenian relations arc touched upon, and the wilderness committed by the Armenians in the coursc of the years of occupation have been set forth. ABBREVIATIONS a.g.d. above - mentioned digest a.g.e. above - mentioned book (the above mentioned publication) A.U.S.B.F. Ankara University, School of Political Sciences ATASE Military History and Strategic Studies Division OF Turkish General Staff Bkz. See c. Volume Qev. Translated by Dos. File Fih. List, catalogue number Haz. Prepared by HTVD War History Documents Digest H.U.S.B.E. Hacettepe University, Social Sciences Institute I.A. Islamic Encyclopedia I.U.S.B.E. Istanbul University, Social sciences Institute K1 File number Sh. Page TBMM The Turkish Grand National Assembly T.I.T.E. The Turkish Reform History Institute T.I.H.IV The Turkish War of Independence, the IVth southern front vd and continuance Yay. Published by CONTENTS FOREWORD...................................................................................................... I ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................................V CONTENTS....................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION A GENERAL VIEW OF TURKISH - ARMENIAN RELATIONS I. ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE ARMENIANS........................................... 5 II. ARMENIAN EM IGRATIONS......................................................................15 III. TURKISH - ARMENIAN RELATIONS.......................................................22 CHAPTER ONE TURKISH AND ARMENIAN RELATIONS IN OTTOMAN................................39 STATE AND ADANA EVENTS A. TURKISH AND ARMENIAN RELATIONS TILL 1908................................39 B. TURKISH AND ARMENIAN RELATIONS IN THE PERIOD OF 1908 TO 1914..................................................................................... 57 1- 1909 ADANA EVENTS...............................................................................57 2- DORTYOL EVENTS...................................................................................64 3- THE RESULTS OF 1909 ADANA AND DORTYOL EVENTS...................66 CHAPTER TWO TURKISH- ARMENIAN RELATIONS AND EVENT OF EMIGRATION IN THE WORLD W A R .....................................................................................78 A. TURKISH - ARMENIAN RELATIONS IN THE BEGINNING OF WAR.... 78 B. TURKISH- ARMENIAN RELATIONS DURING THE W A R ........................78 C. EVENT OF EMIGRATION..........................................................................93 D. RESULTS OF THE EVENT OF EMIGRATION......................................... 95 CHAPTER THREE POST- WAR- TURKISH- FRENCH- ARMENIAN RELATIONS IN QUKUROVA......................................................................... 100 A. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LIGHTNING ARMIES.................................. 101 B. ARMISTICE OF MONDROS AND MUSTAFA KEMAL PASHA’S ACTIVITIES IN AD A N A............................................................ 104 C. BRITISH INTERESTS IN QUKUROVA.....................................................108 D. FRENCH INTERESTS IN QUKUROVA AND 3. The Second Session and Pozanti Becames a Center of Province ...... 219 TURKISH - ARMENIAN RELATIONS.......................................................И З 4. Pozanti Declaretion.......................................................................... 222 E. FRENCH ARMY ENTERING TO QUKUROVA AND B. THE SECOND CONGRESS IN POZANTI.............................................. 224 MASSACRES BY ARMENIANS................................................................ 124 C. BATTLES AFTER THE CONGRESSES.................................................. 229 1. OCCUPATION OF ADANA........................................................................124 1. Kovanba§i Battle........................................................................... 229 2. ARMENIAN MASSACRES IN ADANA........................................................132 2. The Battles of Kanligegit.........................................................................230 a. Events of 1919...........................................................................................132 3. The Battle in Fadil..................................................................... 231 b. Armenian massacres in Adana until 20 day - agreement.....................139 III. ANKARA AGREEMENT AND RESCUE OF ADANA............................. 232 c. incirlik Events after the 20 day armistice..............................................150 A. Ankara