Yes, I agree with Michael’s comments. It is grossly insensitive to ignore the Armenian Provocation in the years leading up to 1915 and to speak as if Moslem lives are not worthy of mention. We in America need better communication with a Peaceful Moslem Culture like present-day Turkey and we should avoid misguided criticisms of their culture and history. In March 1915, the Turks were invaded by huge array of battleships and rightly saw themselves as being on the verge on annihilation. The loss of life -on both sides- in the Gallipoli campaign was enormous. All this came on the heels of the 1912-1913 Balkan wars which saw huge loss of Turkish life both military and civilian. The Armenians need to admit that the Armenian Revolutionaries couldn’t have picked a worse time to provoke their government.  

Also, in the past, this gazette has blocked Armenian Propagandists from posting links to more of their propaganda and I would like to see this policiy fully enforced moving forward. If they want to debate the substance of the article they should be made to feel most welcome to do so but if they just want to post more links to their lying propaganda they should be blocked, in my opinion.

http://www.karabakh-doc.azerall.info/ru/armyanstvo/arm12eng.htm#z3

Regarding the situation in Van, the Russians were approaching from three fronts, Muradiye, Özalp, and Baskale. The Armenians in the city were rebelling and continued an aggressive campaign against the Muslim population for 29 days. We had three barracks, Hacž Bekir, Aziziye, and Toprakkale. Ten soldiers would guard each one. They raided these barracks and slaughtered the soldiers like sheep by slicing their throats. Ali Çavus was also martyred there. While our weak militia were digging trenches to try to fight, the Armenians made holes in the walls and were firing shots with machine guns, pouring cans of kerosene, lighting fires, and escaping through the deep tunnels. This brutal attack lasted 29 days. The decision to flee was finally made so that the Muslim population would not suffer any more deaths. Those with carts used them; those without were under desperate conditions, but we all joined the exodus. People left their children on the road, others died from hunger and disease. It should be remembered that the Armenians not only committed large massacres in Van, but in the villages as well. The homes in the villages of Tžmar, Baskale, and Özalp were stuffed with hay and set on fire. Those that tried to escape were killed with bullets and bayonets. The inhabitants of a few villages in Zeve organized and fought the Armenians, but almost all of them — from seven different villages — were killed. Mass graves are still being uncovered in these villages and a memorial was built. Of the twelve ships that carried the Muslim refugees from Van, four of them carried government employees and their families. All of the sailors aboard the vessels were Armenians. The Armenian bandits, aided by these sailors, forced the four government employee boats to dock at the Adžr island, and killed all of the passengers. As for those in the other eight boats, they were taken to another island near Tatvan where Armenian bandits were waiting, but were able to escape with few casualties because they were armed. When we left Van, we first went to Bitlis, and later to Diyarbakžr. We witnessed the Armenian savagery along the way. Finally, I will tell you about what we saw and heard upon returning to Van. The Armenians applied all types of torture to the inhabitants, God bless their souls. They paraded Isa Hodja, who was over 100 years old, on a donkey through the village, raided and looted homes, and gathered women and girls into Mr. Ziya’s home where they repeatedly raped them. They threw the bodies of the dead into wells, and even filled the well of our mosque with their victims’ bodies. When General Cevdet entered Van for the first time, he asked the gendarmes to escort 130 women whose husbands were at the front to Diyarbakžr. They had been stranded in Van because they did not have any transportation. About 30 of them stayed in our house. They spun wool to survive. They were also given military rations. They told us that there was no end to the torture and cruelties they suffered at the hands of the Armenian bandits. The Armenians skinned the men, castrated them, and raped and impaled the women. We returned to Van four years later. We stayed two years initially, but were forced to flee again when the Russians arrived. This time we went as far as Siirt. When we returned 200-250 Armenian families were seeking refuge on the Çarpanak island. They were hoping that the Turks would leave, and that they would resettle in Van. Most of them were artisans. A short time later, a new decree was issued, and they were sent to Revan under the protection of the government. However, Van, raided seven times by the enemy, was completely destroyed except for the Armenian quarters. We had to rebuild the city.

In Far Eastern Anatolia (Van, Bitlis…), around 80% of the male population were armed. It is not difficult to imagine the reactions of the Muslims, and more especially the Kurdish bands, when the Armenian revolutionaries and the Assyrian/Nestorian insurgees supported the Russian invasion and butchered thousands of innocent peopes.

Among the most important responsables of the atrocities against Armenian civilians, there are the leaders of the revolutionaries committee, and more especially the ARF/Dashak.

Sorry, I am in holidays, and have not even a French keyboard…

Bon cela dit, c’est toujours agréable de voir un francophone en ces lieux…