by Dr. Beşir Mustafayev, Siirt University
The different ethnicities existing in the Caucasus continued to live together until the emergence of the Russian-Armenian factor in this region. This coexistence continued without any incidences until 1905; after this date, the Russian administration and Armenian nationalists implemented a genocide policy. They mercilessly massacred large numbers of the Muslim Turkish population and attempted to erase the traces of Turks from history. There are many archival documents showing that the activities of Andranik and Amazasp forces of Armenian origin were supported by foreign powers, especially Russia. These documents show that the Armenian (Dashnak) and Russian (Bolshevik) militias committed torture and genocide not only against the people of Eastern Anatolia in the Ottoman lands, but also against Muslims in the Caucasus.
The Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories is commonly referred to as commencing in 1988. However, the Armenian occupation of these lands dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century. At a meeting held in 1880, Armenian nationalists set two goals: The first was to take the Armenian issue to Europe and to utilize all possible means of propaganda to create the necessary public opinion. The second was to organize the Armenians within ten years at the latest and to attract the attention of Europe through revolts and massacres. In this period, both Russia and Europe saw the existence of an independent Armenian state (which was the aim of the Armenians) as dangerous for each other. Russia was worried that this state would come under the control of Europe, while Europe was worried that it would submit to Russia. In addition, Western states did not have a common view on this issue. Thus, a period of struggle between Russia and the Western powers for “Greater Armenia” began.
Articles reflecting the varying views on the issue were published in the European press. For example, a journalist named Jan Jores wrote in the French newspaper La Petit Republik that “the Armenian question was a product of Russia’s provocations”, while the German press was of the opinion that “the Armenian question should not be dealt with”. Nevertheless, the European powers continued their activities in order to use the Armenian issue in their own favor, and they supported the collection of aid for Armenians in their countries. In 1896, 565,000 marks were collected in Germany in order to help the Armenians, and arms were purchased and sent to the Armenian committees in Anatolia and the Caucasus. It is known that Armenians began to be active in the USA after 1896; many Armenians migrated to the USA from Anatolia. Rich people were the majority among these immigrants, and they soon established political influence due to their commercial activities.
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the Armenians had shifted their sphere of activity from the Ottoman Empire to the Caucasus. Unlike Anatolia, the Caucasus and North Azerbaijan were characterized by a large number of different ethnic groups, which posed a problem for Armenian activities. The rise of Baku as an oil city led to the influx of many ethnic groups to the region. Armenians made up the most affluent part of Baku’s population. With the support of Russia they modernized at a much faster pace than the local Muslims, and as a result they played a more profitable role in the development of the Azerbaijani economy. The Armenian bourgeoisie, who had great economic power, emerged in Baku. This economic power attracted large numbers of Armenians to the region, and the Armenian communities in Baku and the Caucasus soon gained national consciousness. Gregorian Christianity, which was identified with Armenians, had a great influence on this. Moreover, the Armenians spoke in their own language.
The least prosperous social group in the Caucasus were the Azerbaijani Turks. Indeed, the Turks were living in a colonial system and under unrelenting Russian pressure. Large portions of the community were uneducated, and religious affiliations defined their national identity. Moreover, they made up the largest numbers of unemployed in the region. The Armenians had gained superiority in Azerbaijan, and were able to take advantage of this for their own interests. The Russians and Armenians in the region began to arm themselves, especially starting from 1905. The Armenian-Muslim conflict, which began in February 1905, continued for a year in Revan (Iravan), Ganja, Nakhchivan and other regions of Azerbaijan. As a result of the massacres, 158 Azerbaijani villages were looted and more than 10,000 Muslims were killed.
On 15 March 1917, an Armenian named S. Shaumyan made a speech on “South Caucasus” at a meeting of the Baku Soviet, and openly signaled for the genocide of Turks. This caused a serious disturbance among the Muslim population of Baku. Armenians started to shout provocative slogans against Muslims, and finally on March 30, the first gunshots echoed in Baku. Over the days of 31 March and 1 April 1918, thousands of Turks were killed because of their anti-Bolshevik and Panturk views. Under the name of “Bolshevism”, Armenians massacred more than 17,000 Muslims in Baku alone. The aim of the Russians and Armenians was to destroy the local population of Baku, to claim the oil wealth and to declare the region an Armenian territory.
These events were not limited to Baku, and spread throughout Azerbaijan. One of the strongest attacks against Muslims took place in the Kuba and Shusha regions. The Armenians looted, burned and massacred the neighborhoods and villages where Muslims lived, and as a result hundreds of Muslims were left homeless. By March 1918, 199 Turkish villages in the Yerevan region and 62 Turkish villages in the Etchmiadzin region were completely destroyed, and these activities continued until September 1919. The Muslim population was slaughtered with swords and riddled with spears, children were burned alive inside the houses, 3 and 4 day old babies were bayoneted, and women were buried alive in the ground. Thus, the Armenians destroyed all traces of Turks in Yerevan. The surviving population took refuge in Iranian and Ottoman lands.
The Armenians easily captured the former Turkish lands with the help of foreign powers such as Russia, Europe and the USA. Until today, the world has always talked about the Armenian losses with allegations and slander regarding the “unfounded Armenian genocide”, while the losses of Muslims have barely been mentioned. Thousands of skeletons unearthed from mass graves that were unearthed years later clearly reveal the magnitude of the massacre of Muslim Turks; the number of skeletons exceeded 530,000. In order to realize their dream of establishing “Great Armenia” in the Eastern Anatolian provinces of Zangezur, Nakhchivan and Karabakh, the Armenians have committed massacres and genocide today just as they did in the past. However, for some reason this issue does not attract attention from the West, which always talks about “modernity, democracy, and human rights”. As long as the West, Russia, the USA and other imperialist powers behave in this way, there is a prevailing belief that long awaited peace will not come to the Caucasus and the Middle East.
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