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