Yücel Güçlü; Armenian-Kurdish Relations in the Provinces of Erzurum, Van, Bitlis, 1908-1920 (original) (raw)

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