|
Muhamed Talat Pasha, the interior and main
minister of YoungTurks |
The different Armenian groups and parties, who
were tired of the violent poltics and massacres of Sultan Abdul Hamid, ran
to help Turkish revolutionist groups called Young Turks. The Young Turks had
instituted a committee called Committee of Union and Progress ((Ittihad ve
Tarakki Cemiyet)) and in this way, they fought against
Sultan Abdul Hamid. |
Ismael Enver Pasha, the minister of war of
YoungTurks |
|
At last, in the year 1908, by performing a
coup d'etat the Young Turks forced the Sultan to accept the institution of
the national Parliament and thus they assumed the head of affairs. At that
time, Turk and Armenian, Christian and Muslim, attempted hand in hand to use
this opportunity which had been found after 30 years of the rule of Sultan
Abdul Hamid, to create an equitable state in which there were no racial
distinctions.
The next year, 1909, Sultan countered with an anti-revolution and succeeded
for some while, but not much later, Young Turks assumed power again and this
time Sultan Abdul Hamid was deposed forever.
When Armenians thought all their misfortunes and the periods of fear and
fright, were finished by the deposing Sultan Abdul Hamid, but suddenly once
again, in the same year, 1909, the face of violence and crime appeared to
Armenians. This time the city of massacre was Adana (Cilicia); about 30,000
of Armenians of that city were slaughtered. It seemed that racial and
religious fanaticism of Turks against Armenians had no end. The manner in
which the massacres were carried out was eerily reminiscent of that of
previous massacres ... Shooting, burning, raping Armenian women, the regular
Turkish army cooperating with the felons and plunderers. Then at the end, as
before, no one was tried and punished for their heinous crimes .
|
