THE KURDS, THE ARMENIAN QUESTION, AND THE HISTORY OF ARMENIAN-KURDISH RELATIONS, VAHAN BAIBOURTIAN (original) (raw)
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Iran and the Caucasus Journal (Leiden, Brill Publishers), 2019
More than a century years ago Talât Pasha declared famously that in the Eastern Provinces "The Armenian question does not exist anymore". Today, far from being resolved, the former binary coding (Armenian/Turkish) is even further complicated by a third element-the ongoing Kurdish question (doza Kurdistanê). While most research and journalistic works frame the Armenian issue and the Kurdish issue as two separate events that merely coincide(d) in the same geographical space, this work explores their interdependence and the historical trajectories of two peoples fatally "tied together" across a spatio-temporal scale.
Yücel Güçlü; Armenian-Kurdish Relations in the Provinces of Erzurum, Van, Bitlis, 1908-1920
Middle East Policy, 2021
Among historians, the centennial of World War I has brought forth a needed assessment of this conflict's dimensions as regards Ottoman interethnic relationships, focusing on the identification of new archives, translation of memoirs, and a serious exploration of the war's outeome. That is what Güzin Çaykıran, an Ottomanist in the Turkish military archives in Ankara, has done. In 256 pages of text, complemented with photographs, maps, figures, graphies, tables, and appendices, she offers an intriguing and valuable contribution to the growing field of studies of early 20th-century Armenian-Kurdish relations. The book has contemporary political relevance. Current affairs in the Middle East and Caucasia continue to heighten the signifïcance of the Armenian-Kurdish relationship. The text consists of a préfacé, an introduction, four main parts, and a conclusion, followed by twelve appendices. The conclusion is helpful in clarifying Çaykiran's main points and the relationships among them. The lengthy introduction contains a critical account of previous research methods and results, as well as the author's own approach to researching the issue. Each part is divided into smaller narrative units identifïed by subtitles. The number of such units ranges between seven and 17. Such a choice in the organization of the material and présentation of the analysis enhances clarity. Part 1, "General Situation of the Erzurum, Van and Bitlis Régions," lays out the geographical location, administrative structure, demographical composition, military position, and socioeconomic conditions of the area. Part 2, "Reflection of the Proclamation of the Second Constitutionalism to the Région and the Events that Affected Armenian-Kurdish Relations," discusses the general attitudes of the Armenians and Kurds toward the constitutional government, the organizing of the Armenians and Kurds in the Second Constitutional Period, Armenian-Kurdish relations in the région during the Second Constitutional Period, reform efforts of the Ottoman government in the région, and the reaction of the Kurds to the Armenian reforms: the Bitlis revoit, the Armenian-Kurdish policies of Britain and Russia, and their activities in the région. Part 3, "Armenian-Kurdish Relations during the First World War (1914-1918)," studies the situation of the Ottoman army in the région, the situation of the Russian army and Russian efforts of attrition against the Ottoman army, the outbreak of Ottoman-Russian clashes and the Armenian revolts, the Ottoman and Russian practices of forcing Armenians to emigrate, the occupation of Erzurum and Bitlis, and the plight of the Kurds, as well as the Bolshevik révolution, the withdrawal of the Russian army from the région, and the Armenian massacre of the Muslims. Part 4, "Armenian-Kurdish Relations after the First World War," focuses on the Armenian-Kurdish demands following the Moudros armistice of October 30, 1918, the organizing activities of the Armenians and Kurds in the period of armistice, Armenians and Kurds in the Allied diplomatie processes following the armistice, eastern-front operations, the delimiting of the border, and the population movements in the région following the armistice. About half of the text concerns the prewar years, while the rest is evenly divided between
ULUSLARARASI SUÇLAR VE TARİH / INTERNATIONAL CRIMES AND HISTORY , 2018
The sixth article in this issue is titled “Armenian Involvement in the 1927 Ararat and 1937 Dersim Kurdish Rebellions in Republican Turkey: Mapping the Origins of “Hidden Armenians”.” In this article, Garabet K. Moumdjian focuses on Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun’s role in the Kurdish uprisings in the early Republican era. Although we find Moumdjian’s characterization of the tragic events of 1915 extra legem and unacceptable, his article provides hitherto unpublished Dashnak and other Armenian archival documents concerning the participation of Armenian militants in the Ağrı and Dersim uprisings which took place during 1930s. We believe that the documents published therein would help fill an existing gap in the literature concerning this point since primary documents published from the Dashnaktsutyun archives and excerpts from the memoirs of the key figures of the Dashnak committee leaves no doubt as to the participation of the Dashnak and other Armenian elements in the Kurdish uprisings of 1930s. We trust that this article will also reflect on the current state of affairs of Armenian-Kurdish relations.
The Armenian Question in Turkey’s Domestic and International Policy
IIRF Reports, 2015
Even if the Armenian question does not have the importance of the Kurd question for Turkey’s domestic policy, it plays a central role for Turkey’s selfunderstanding. What lies at the center is not primarily the everyday discrimination of Armenians which emanates from the population. Rather, it is the combat against those who want to designate the widespread deaths of Armenians in the course of the alleged resettlement of Armenians during World War I as genocide. It has only been since the massive opposition by governments and parliaments of numerous countries that Turkey has initiated research into genocide at all. Together with the discrimination of religious minorities, this has become a stumbling block for entry into the EU.
World War I became a milestone in the decay of empires and in the transition to the form of nation-state all over the world. Also, the national identities had been emerged and shaped in this period, before and after of the war. Contemporaneously, the years between 1912 and 1922, constructing Turkish identitiy and nationalim provided the important components to the founding of the Republic in Turkey. Especially, 1919-1922 period was important in terms of this arising national movement, because of the era which was beginnig the transition from the empire to the nation-state with the accession of the whole society in a national struggle. Therewith, Treaty of Sevres and Mondros Armistice Agreement were considerable factors in acceleration of the struggle in Anatolia. Besides, local press had a curicial role in the occupied territories throughout the stage. And the Journal of Albayrak which came out in Erzurum was one of the foremost media vehicles in the period of national struggle in the east of country. Herewith, Albayrak stated that it would make contribution to the point of informing the community and raising consciousness about the reasons of Armenian problem and its forthcoming dangers. This journal, also, gave information and news concerning Kurdish issue that arised in this period. In this respect, the purpose of this paper is to examine the place or role of a journal as a propaganda material within a struggle of independence and constructing a nation state period of an occupied country by analysing its news. It is important to study Albayrak because it had important impact on area of the local press in the region which made news about Armenians and Kurds. Herewith, the study also intends to handle the approach of this media source to Kurdish and Armenian issues in the era and by this way tries to make any contribution to the related discussion.
STUDIES ON THE ARMENIAN QUESTION
STUDIES ON THE ARMENIAN QUESTION, 2020
The Armenian Question is part of a larger problem, formulated under the name "The Question of the Orient”, which has been brought up in different forms at different times and places. Throughout history, it is part of the games that have been played countless times against the Turkish people and state. Again, this problem constitutes a different face of the imperialist politics applied by the great states throughout the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East and Anatolia throughout history. Although those who direct the issue of "relocation” have acted individually or collectively, the target has always been the Turkish people and state. This valuable work of Kemal Çiçek seeks an answer to this question. It is an extremely rigorous and, most importantly, an impartial study. In addition, this book provides sound information not only for scholars, but also for the general reader who is interested in this problem.