At a symposium organized by the Turkish Historical Society (TTK), Turkish and foreign experts highlighted the suffering experienced by both the local Turkish population and Armenians in eastern Anatolia leading up to the events of 1915.
The symposium, titled "From the Ottoman-Russian War (1877-1878) to the National Struggle: Eastern Anatolia Occupation, Atrocities and Liberation," aimed to shed light on the history of eastern Anatolia.
Birol Çetin, the President of TTK, emphasized the need to uncover the truth and expressed concern that the incidents are being deliberately kept on the international agenda with a biased political motive.
Çetin underlined that Turks and Armenians had coexisted peacefully for over 800 years but that claims of atrocities were made during a time when the Ottoman government was weakened and facing military defeats.
He mentioned the discovery of graves belonging to Turkish citizens and emphasized that around 40,000 Turkish people lost their lives and nearly 500 villages were destroyed in the region.
Selçuk Ural, a faculty member of Kafkas University, highlighted the establishment of Armenian groups in Anatolia in 1890, which initiated massacres and acts of terror that lasted until 1920. These incidents significantly impacted the policies, economy, and demographics of the eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire.
Ural also noted that Armenian massacres against the Muslim population resumed in Kars and surrounding areas after the Mudros Armistice, resulting in further suffering for Muslims living in the region.
The symposium aimed to provide a better understanding of the historical context and the impact of these events on eastern Anatolia. It also addressed the aims of the Dashnak party, which sought to establish a "Great Armenia" and had activities in the Ottoman and South Caucasian territories.
The Turkish government's position on the events of 1915 is that Armenian deaths occurred as a result of some Armenians siding with invading Russians and rebelling against Ottoman forces.
The subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in casualties, with the Ottoman Empire taking precautions for a safe transfer. However, local groups seeking revenge, banditry, famine, and epidemics under war conditions exacerbated the tragedy.
Ankara objects to labelling these incidents as "genocide" and advocates for a comprehensive study of the events without prejudice, respecting scientific and legal principles to reach a fair understanding.
Türkiye has proposed the establishment of a Joint History Commission and has opened its archives for research.
The symposium also addressed the influence of literature, movies, cartoons, and memoirs in shaping the Armenian migration memories and potentially distorting the truth.
The complexity of the issue is further compounded by the strong Armenian diaspora present in different cultures and geographies.
