Before World War I, The Kurdish-Armenian Struggle in the East: Ottoman Government’s Practices and the Kurdish Response to the Ottoman Government

• Main Author: Ersin KIRCA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Celal Öney 2017-04-01
• Series: Journal of History and Future
• Subjects: Kurds; Armenians; Kurd bandits; Land Matter; Bediüzzaman Said Kürdî�
• Online Access: http://dergipark.gov.tr/download/article-file/279653

Events such as killing, assault and robbery took place between Kurds and Armenians in II. constitutional period. The main causes of these events were land matter, personal cases and banditry activities. Armenian publications made complaints against Kurds by the Patriarchate continuously. Armenians argued that Kurds systematically massacred Armenians. But some of claims that Armenians put forward were exaggerated and unfounded. Armenians had never been massacred in this period. The most damaging to Armenians was an armed Kurdish bandit. Kurds sent a telegram from Van Gevash to the government on October 4, 1912. They responded accusations of Armenians to Kurds in this telegram. They also voiced the government’s persecution to Kurds in order to track the bandits. It was summarized as follows in this telegram. Kurds who attacked to Armenians are only 4-5 people. There is no consent of Kurdish people for such attacks. A nation can not be put under suspicion because of 4-5 people’s crime. The murder can not belong to a person since Armenians act with idea of committee. It is worrying Kurds that Armenian gangs begin to operation again and wander armed. It alienated Kurdish people for the government believe Armenians’ fake news and torture many innocent due to one or two criminals.