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FACTORS LEADING
TO THE CREATION OF THE ISSUE
Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, with the encouragement
of Russia, Britain, France and the Empire of Austria-Hungary,
the nations which constituted the empire started struggling
for liberation and they were successful. These developments
set examples for the Armenians, as well. With financial and
moral help of the countries, which wanted to dissolve the
Ottoman Empire, they started rebellions in some regions. In
this way, in the second half of the 19th century,
an “Armenian question” came into being.
During this period, the former Empire of Russia, which emerged
gradually as an important state, accepted the Ottoman territories
as a natural area of expansion through Ottoman territories
and it possessed the goal of opening out to warm seas. In
order to achieve this goal, its primary means was to make
war. Beside this, it played the role of being the protector
of the Christian communities under the Ottoman rule. On the
other hand, the main powers of the period, Britain and France
also aimed at securing the Armenians for Protestantism and
Catholicism. In the framework of these goals, they established
the Armenian Catholic Church in 1830, and the Armenian Protestant
Church in 1847 in Istanbul. The real intention of this interest
for the Ottoman Armenians and other Christian communities
shown by Britain and France and Russia was to intervene in
the interior affairs of the Ottoman State and dissolve the
empire.
These powers promised Armenians the establishment of the Armenian
State in Eastern Anatolia. However, in the period in question
the Armenian population in the region constituted only 15%
of the general population. For instance, in Bitlis, where
they populated mostly, they were not even 1/3 of the population
of the province. The starting point for the “Armenian question”
is Hagia Stephanos Agreement and Berlin Conference, signed
at the end of the 1877-78 Ottoman-Russian war. The 16th
article of Hagia StephanosAgreement, which the Ottoman State
had to accept is as follows:
“Because the evacuation of the regions in Armenia, which
are under the occupation of the Russian Forces and ought to
be rendered to Ottoman State, this might cause detrimental
chaos in the friendly relations of the two states in these
regions. The Ottoman State guarantees, without losing time,
the redressing and arrangements required for the local interests
in these provinces, where the Armenians live, and providing
the security of the Armenians towards Kurds and Circassians.”
Although in principle this provision of the agreement did
not exactly satisfy the Armenians, who wished to gain their
independence, it is important to note that the "Armenian
question" was recorded in an international document and
the region called "Armenia" was mentioned for the
first time in history. Also, in 1878, the 61st
article of the Berlin Agreement, which was signed at the end
of the Berlin Congress, replaced the 16th article
of the Hagia Stephanos Agreement and it is as follows:
"The Ottoman State guarantees, without losing time,
the redressing and arrangement that are required by the local
interests in the provinces, where the Armenians live, and
providing peace and security of the Armenians towards Kurds
and Circassians. And since it shall notify the concerned states
about these precautions, these states shall monitor the implementation
of these precautions.”
With this provision of the Berlin Agreement, the foreign powers
were recognised the right of intervention to the Turco-Armenian
relations.
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