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Cihan News Agency, Turkey
April 20 2014
Forgotten Ottoman legacy: Armenian intellectuals
The Young Turks and the Young Ottomans are the most popular Ottoman
intellectuals. Namık Kemal, Ä°brahim Å?inasi, Ziya PaÅ?a and Abdullah
Cevdet are renowned intellectuals who are considered Young Turks.
These are names we are familiar with; however, there are also some
leading figures most of us do not remember: Ottoman-Armenian
intellectuals. One of these intellectuals attempted to translate the
Quran and the Seerah (biographical texts on the Prophet Muhammad) into
the Armenian language; another tried to launch a Western-style music
school. Some of them were deputies in Parliament, whereas others were
members of the Committee of Union and Progress. But all were Ottomans.
And, sadly, they were taken to either Çankırı or AyaÅ? after massive
arrests on April 24, shortly before the mass deportation. Here are the
stories of these Armenian intellectuals.
Some refer to the 1915 mass killings as genocide; some, however, refer
to them as deportation. According to Hrant Dink, what happened back
then was total destruction for both the Turks and Armenians. Some
terrible and horrible things that both communities are unable to
define, acknowledge and address happened in that year.
The Deportation Law was adopted on May 27, 1915. The bill, which
formally entered into force on June 1, was specifically designed to
facilitate the deportation of the Armenian communities of the Ottoman
state; thousands of Armenians were relocated under the provisions of
the law. Even though the bill was adopted on May 27, April 24 is
marked as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day by Armenians around the
world. Interior Minister Talat PaÅ?a ordered the arrest of leading
Armenian figures on that day. Armenian intellectuals, writers,
artists, teachers, lawyers, doctors and deputies were arrested in
their homes early on April 24 and taken to detention centers. The
arrests spread to other provinces within a few days. Nesim Ovadya
Ä°zrail, author of the book `24 April 1915 Ä°stanbul, Çankırı, AyaÅ?,
Ankara,' recalls that initially, 197 intellectuals were put under
arrest. Then an additional 53 were taken into custody. Ninety-two
people considered major criminals were imprisoned in AyaÅ?; the
remaining 158 were taken to Çankırı and released, but they were not
allowed to leave the town. Armenians who were forced to live in the
town rented apartments there. There were doctors, dentists,
pharmacists, lawyers, architects, engineers, scientists, clerics,
actors and teachers among them. Nesim Ovadya Izrail notes that
well-educated Armenian intellectuals were mostly engaged in writing
and journalism in Çankırı. Overall, this group of Armenians could be
properly called intellectuals. The people who were placed under arrest
included high-level bureaucrats and bankers as well as politicians,
local administrators and mayors.
Ä°zrail further argues that 174 Armenian intellectuals were executed
without a trial after four months of detention. The remaining 76 were
released on the orders of the central government. Izrail says: `Back
then, it was impossible for an Armenian to move from Çankırı or AyaÅ?
to another part of the country without a certificate confirming his
release. Some of them were even unable to survive despite the fact
that they had such a certificate.'
Here are some of these intellectuals:
Krikor Zohrab: journalist, parliamentarian, university professor.
Zohrab was elected after the pronouncement of the second
constitutional monarchy as an Ä°stanbul deputy; he was one of the
Armenian representatives of the Committee for Union and Progress in
Parliament. Zohrab, one of the most active members of Parliament, was
famous for his eloquent speeches. He addressed a large audience in
Turkish on July 31, 1908 in the Taksim Municipal Garden. He ended his
speech saying: `We have different religions; but we do have the same
path. And that path is the road to freedom.' These remarks suggest
that Zohrab was an Ottoman. He was not a nationalist; he was a
pro-Ottoman intellectual. He supported the idea of promoting different
identities on the basis of a common Ottoman identity. He worked to
foster brotherhood between Armenians and Turks. For this reason, he
defined himself as both a Turk and an Armenian. He had a lot of
friends, including Talat PaÅ?a, the most powerful man of the time.
According to Izrail, both were Freemasons. During the massive wave of
arrests on April 24, Zohrab, like Erzurum deputy Vartkes Serengülyan,
was comfortable, feeling no pressure at all. But this did not last
long; while having dinner and playing cards on June 2 at the Cercle
d'Orient, a social club and restaurant, Zohrab got up to leave, and
Talat also stood up and kissed him on the cheek. Surprised, Zohrab
asked why; Talat said he had wanted to do so. This is known as a kiss
of death, because that same day, Talat signed the papers for the
arrest of Zohrab and his deportation to Diyarbakır. Talat was aware
that this simply meant death. Despite their friendship, Talat did not
hesitate to make this move. Zohrab was killed in Urfa; his head was
smashed with a stone.
Zabel Yesayan: She was an Ottoman-Armenian intellectual who lived in
Ã`sküdar, Ä°stanbul. She was born in the Silahtarbahçe neighborhood of
Ã`sküdar in 1878. In her autobiography `Silihdari Bardezneri' (The
Gardens of Silihdari), where she narrates her childhood memories, it
is possible to get a good description and depiction of the Ã`sküdar of
that time and to experience the mindset of Ä°stanbul in the 1880s. She
was the first Armenian woman to study literature and philosophy at the
Sorbonne. She witnessed the Adana massacre in 1909. Yesayan compiled
her observations in another book, `Averagnerun Meç' (Amid the Ruins)
which was translated into Turkish. Most of her essays addressed to
women are collected in a compilation, `Isbasman Sırahin Meç' (Waiting
Room). Her novel `GeÄ?dz Hancarner' (Phony Geniuses), in which she
sarcastically criticizes Armenian intellectuals, was never completed
because of pressure from male intellectuals. She was a socialist and
an anti-militarist. She invited the Ottoman people to live in peace.
She was never complicit in nationalist propaganda and asked her
readers to forget about her nationality and religion. However, despite
this, she was listed among those who would be arrested on April 24.
Yesayan was the only woman on the list; she fled to Bulgaria. However,
in 1937, she was placed under arrest for publishing anti-Soviet
propaganda during Stalin's rule and exiled to Siberia. There is no
precise information on when and how she died.
Gomidas Vartabed: Born in Kütahya, Vartabed is one of the most
important musical artists in this country. He was the first
non-European musician to be admitted into the International Music
Association. At an early age, he compiled folk songs that he heard
from his classmates from different parts of Anatolia. In 1896, he
moved to Berlin to study music. After his return, he continued his
work compiling folk music in different cities in Anatolia. He
performed in concerts in Ä°stanbul, trained musicians and recorded
compilations. He occupied a special place among the Ottoman
intellectuals of the time because of his talent in music. He started
preparations to found a Western-style music academy. However, he was
sent into exile before he could realize his dream. It is reported that
Ottoman intellectuals, particularly Halide Edip, tried to secure
Gomidas' release. Ä°zrail says that there is evidence suggesting that
Edip worked hard to ensure that he would be released, concluding that
she worked all her connections to this end. He returned to Ä°stanbul
after a while, but most of his friends were already dead. This made
him depressed. Izrail says: `Germans are proud of Beethoven; and
Turkey would have been associated with Gomidas. But unfortunately,
Turkey is remembered with a Gomidas who lost his mind because of what
he had to deal with in his country.'
Levon Larents: Born in Samatya in 1875, Larents graduated from Robert
College, a private high school in Ä°stanbul. He had a short life;
Larents was a journalist, writer and interpreter. A supporter of the
pro-Armenian Hınçak Party in his youth, Larents became a highly
skilled journalist and interpreter; he was fluent in French and
English. In 1911, he translated the Quran and the biography of Prophet
Muhammad into the Armenian language. He was placed under arrest while
he was translating Rumi's seminal work, `Mesnevi.' He was only 33 when
he was taken from AyaÅ? to a rural area in Ankara, where he was killed.
Dr. Dikran Allahverdi: He studied medicine in Berlin and Vienna; his
work on typhoid fever was remarkable. Allahverdi, who was charged with
containing a cholera epidemic in Bandırma and Edincik, brought it
under control in a very short time. He was an ardent supporter of the
Committee for Union and Progress and served as chairman of the
Pangaltı Branch of the Association of National Defense created by the
committee. Pangaltı was a predominantly Armenian neighborhood in
Ä°stanbul. Armenians were generally cool to this association; however,
he made a generous donation to the association, which attracted the
attention and appreciation of the Turkish press. But this leading
committee member was arrested on April 24, 1915 and sent to AyaÅ? as a
major criminal. He was later released, but things were never the same
for him. Allahverdi did not leave his country; he died in 1930 in
Ä°stanbul.
Born in Adana, Arisdekes Kasparyan was a lawyer who practiced law in a
modest office in Galata, Ä°stanbul. He is also known for his works on
law. Kasparyan, who wrote `Kavanin' (Sources of Law), `Cüzdan-ı
Kavanin-i Osmaniye' (A Treatise on Ottoman Laws), `Hukuk MüÅ?aviri'
(Legal Adviser) and `Tefsir-i Usul-i Muhakeme-I' (Procedural Law) is
also known for his opposition to nationalistic movements and
sentiments among Armenians. But he was also one of those who were sent
to AyaÅ?. Kasparyan was one of the 54 Armenian intellectuals who were
killed in Ankara.
Armenian intellectuals in Turkish nation-building
Ottoman Armenian intellectuals were supportive of nation-building
efforts in Turkey. Izrail says: `Given that we are aware of Armenian
intellectuals who defended Turkish nationalism, without the Armenian
massacres in 1915, there would have been many Armenian intellectuals
promoting Turkish nationalism and nation-building.' Such intellectuals
include Gomidas Vartabed and Diran Kelekyan. Gomidas performed a
concert at the Military Academy in Ä°stanbul in 1912 for the veterans
who were injured in the Battle of Tripoli. He was praised in the
Turkish press. Gomidas, at an event organized by the nationalist
Turkish Association, delivered a famous speech where he emphasized
strong ties of friendship and brotherhood between different peoples
and nations sharing a common culture under the same roof. The audience
included famous Turkish nationalists Hamdullah Suphi Tanrıöver, Mehmet
Emin Yurdakul and Halide Edip Adıvar. Papers of the day described the
speech as touching and influential, and reported that it brought the
audience to tears. Turkish intellectuals frequently visited Gomidas at
his home in Pangaltı.
Another example is Kelekyan, chief columnist of the Turkish-language
Sabah daily of the time, who delivered a speech at a political rally
organized by Committee of Union and Progress members in Sultanahmet
Square on the eve of the Balkan War. Izrail says: `It was Diran
Kelekyan who delivered one of the most enthusiastic and nationalistic
speeches to encourage the Ottoman state to enter the war and defended
the reacquisition of the lands that were previously lost in the
Balkans in his columns. If history had been written differently, he
would have been remembered as a nationalist intellectual who would
promote Turkish nation-building.' Kelekyan, who also taught political
history at Ä°stanbul University, was one of the people who were
arrested on April 24; he was murdered in Sivas.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-345579-forgotten-ottoman-legacy-armenian-intellectuals.html
April 20 2014
Forgotten Ottoman legacy: Armenian intellectuals
The Young Turks and the Young Ottomans are the most popular Ottoman
intellectuals. Namık Kemal, Ä°brahim Å?inasi, Ziya PaÅ?a and Abdullah
Cevdet are renowned intellectuals who are considered Young Turks.
These are names we are familiar with; however, there are also some
leading figures most of us do not remember: Ottoman-Armenian
intellectuals. One of these intellectuals attempted to translate the
Quran and the Seerah (biographical texts on the Prophet Muhammad) into
the Armenian language; another tried to launch a Western-style music
school. Some of them were deputies in Parliament, whereas others were
members of the Committee of Union and Progress. But all were Ottomans.
And, sadly, they were taken to either Çankırı or AyaÅ? after massive
arrests on April 24, shortly before the mass deportation. Here are the
stories of these Armenian intellectuals.
Some refer to the 1915 mass killings as genocide; some, however, refer
to them as deportation. According to Hrant Dink, what happened back
then was total destruction for both the Turks and Armenians. Some
terrible and horrible things that both communities are unable to
define, acknowledge and address happened in that year.
The Deportation Law was adopted on May 27, 1915. The bill, which
formally entered into force on June 1, was specifically designed to
facilitate the deportation of the Armenian communities of the Ottoman
state; thousands of Armenians were relocated under the provisions of
the law. Even though the bill was adopted on May 27, April 24 is
marked as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day by Armenians around the
world. Interior Minister Talat PaÅ?a ordered the arrest of leading
Armenian figures on that day. Armenian intellectuals, writers,
artists, teachers, lawyers, doctors and deputies were arrested in
their homes early on April 24 and taken to detention centers. The
arrests spread to other provinces within a few days. Nesim Ovadya
Ä°zrail, author of the book `24 April 1915 Ä°stanbul, Çankırı, AyaÅ?,
Ankara,' recalls that initially, 197 intellectuals were put under
arrest. Then an additional 53 were taken into custody. Ninety-two
people considered major criminals were imprisoned in AyaÅ?; the
remaining 158 were taken to Çankırı and released, but they were not
allowed to leave the town. Armenians who were forced to live in the
town rented apartments there. There were doctors, dentists,
pharmacists, lawyers, architects, engineers, scientists, clerics,
actors and teachers among them. Nesim Ovadya Izrail notes that
well-educated Armenian intellectuals were mostly engaged in writing
and journalism in Çankırı. Overall, this group of Armenians could be
properly called intellectuals. The people who were placed under arrest
included high-level bureaucrats and bankers as well as politicians,
local administrators and mayors.
Ä°zrail further argues that 174 Armenian intellectuals were executed
without a trial after four months of detention. The remaining 76 were
released on the orders of the central government. Izrail says: `Back
then, it was impossible for an Armenian to move from Çankırı or AyaÅ?
to another part of the country without a certificate confirming his
release. Some of them were even unable to survive despite the fact
that they had such a certificate.'
Here are some of these intellectuals:
Krikor Zohrab: journalist, parliamentarian, university professor.
Zohrab was elected after the pronouncement of the second
constitutional monarchy as an Ä°stanbul deputy; he was one of the
Armenian representatives of the Committee for Union and Progress in
Parliament. Zohrab, one of the most active members of Parliament, was
famous for his eloquent speeches. He addressed a large audience in
Turkish on July 31, 1908 in the Taksim Municipal Garden. He ended his
speech saying: `We have different religions; but we do have the same
path. And that path is the road to freedom.' These remarks suggest
that Zohrab was an Ottoman. He was not a nationalist; he was a
pro-Ottoman intellectual. He supported the idea of promoting different
identities on the basis of a common Ottoman identity. He worked to
foster brotherhood between Armenians and Turks. For this reason, he
defined himself as both a Turk and an Armenian. He had a lot of
friends, including Talat PaÅ?a, the most powerful man of the time.
According to Izrail, both were Freemasons. During the massive wave of
arrests on April 24, Zohrab, like Erzurum deputy Vartkes Serengülyan,
was comfortable, feeling no pressure at all. But this did not last
long; while having dinner and playing cards on June 2 at the Cercle
d'Orient, a social club and restaurant, Zohrab got up to leave, and
Talat also stood up and kissed him on the cheek. Surprised, Zohrab
asked why; Talat said he had wanted to do so. This is known as a kiss
of death, because that same day, Talat signed the papers for the
arrest of Zohrab and his deportation to Diyarbakır. Talat was aware
that this simply meant death. Despite their friendship, Talat did not
hesitate to make this move. Zohrab was killed in Urfa; his head was
smashed with a stone.
Zabel Yesayan: She was an Ottoman-Armenian intellectual who lived in
Ã`sküdar, Ä°stanbul. She was born in the Silahtarbahçe neighborhood of
Ã`sküdar in 1878. In her autobiography `Silihdari Bardezneri' (The
Gardens of Silihdari), where she narrates her childhood memories, it
is possible to get a good description and depiction of the Ã`sküdar of
that time and to experience the mindset of Ä°stanbul in the 1880s. She
was the first Armenian woman to study literature and philosophy at the
Sorbonne. She witnessed the Adana massacre in 1909. Yesayan compiled
her observations in another book, `Averagnerun Meç' (Amid the Ruins)
which was translated into Turkish. Most of her essays addressed to
women are collected in a compilation, `Isbasman Sırahin Meç' (Waiting
Room). Her novel `GeÄ?dz Hancarner' (Phony Geniuses), in which she
sarcastically criticizes Armenian intellectuals, was never completed
because of pressure from male intellectuals. She was a socialist and
an anti-militarist. She invited the Ottoman people to live in peace.
She was never complicit in nationalist propaganda and asked her
readers to forget about her nationality and religion. However, despite
this, she was listed among those who would be arrested on April 24.
Yesayan was the only woman on the list; she fled to Bulgaria. However,
in 1937, she was placed under arrest for publishing anti-Soviet
propaganda during Stalin's rule and exiled to Siberia. There is no
precise information on when and how she died.
Gomidas Vartabed: Born in Kütahya, Vartabed is one of the most
important musical artists in this country. He was the first
non-European musician to be admitted into the International Music
Association. At an early age, he compiled folk songs that he heard
from his classmates from different parts of Anatolia. In 1896, he
moved to Berlin to study music. After his return, he continued his
work compiling folk music in different cities in Anatolia. He
performed in concerts in Ä°stanbul, trained musicians and recorded
compilations. He occupied a special place among the Ottoman
intellectuals of the time because of his talent in music. He started
preparations to found a Western-style music academy. However, he was
sent into exile before he could realize his dream. It is reported that
Ottoman intellectuals, particularly Halide Edip, tried to secure
Gomidas' release. Ä°zrail says that there is evidence suggesting that
Edip worked hard to ensure that he would be released, concluding that
she worked all her connections to this end. He returned to Ä°stanbul
after a while, but most of his friends were already dead. This made
him depressed. Izrail says: `Germans are proud of Beethoven; and
Turkey would have been associated with Gomidas. But unfortunately,
Turkey is remembered with a Gomidas who lost his mind because of what
he had to deal with in his country.'
Levon Larents: Born in Samatya in 1875, Larents graduated from Robert
College, a private high school in Ä°stanbul. He had a short life;
Larents was a journalist, writer and interpreter. A supporter of the
pro-Armenian Hınçak Party in his youth, Larents became a highly
skilled journalist and interpreter; he was fluent in French and
English. In 1911, he translated the Quran and the biography of Prophet
Muhammad into the Armenian language. He was placed under arrest while
he was translating Rumi's seminal work, `Mesnevi.' He was only 33 when
he was taken from AyaÅ? to a rural area in Ankara, where he was killed.
Dr. Dikran Allahverdi: He studied medicine in Berlin and Vienna; his
work on typhoid fever was remarkable. Allahverdi, who was charged with
containing a cholera epidemic in Bandırma and Edincik, brought it
under control in a very short time. He was an ardent supporter of the
Committee for Union and Progress and served as chairman of the
Pangaltı Branch of the Association of National Defense created by the
committee. Pangaltı was a predominantly Armenian neighborhood in
Ä°stanbul. Armenians were generally cool to this association; however,
he made a generous donation to the association, which attracted the
attention and appreciation of the Turkish press. But this leading
committee member was arrested on April 24, 1915 and sent to AyaÅ? as a
major criminal. He was later released, but things were never the same
for him. Allahverdi did not leave his country; he died in 1930 in
Ä°stanbul.
Born in Adana, Arisdekes Kasparyan was a lawyer who practiced law in a
modest office in Galata, Ä°stanbul. He is also known for his works on
law. Kasparyan, who wrote `Kavanin' (Sources of Law), `Cüzdan-ı
Kavanin-i Osmaniye' (A Treatise on Ottoman Laws), `Hukuk MüÅ?aviri'
(Legal Adviser) and `Tefsir-i Usul-i Muhakeme-I' (Procedural Law) is
also known for his opposition to nationalistic movements and
sentiments among Armenians. But he was also one of those who were sent
to AyaÅ?. Kasparyan was one of the 54 Armenian intellectuals who were
killed in Ankara.
Armenian intellectuals in Turkish nation-building
Ottoman Armenian intellectuals were supportive of nation-building
efforts in Turkey. Izrail says: `Given that we are aware of Armenian
intellectuals who defended Turkish nationalism, without the Armenian
massacres in 1915, there would have been many Armenian intellectuals
promoting Turkish nationalism and nation-building.' Such intellectuals
include Gomidas Vartabed and Diran Kelekyan. Gomidas performed a
concert at the Military Academy in Ä°stanbul in 1912 for the veterans
who were injured in the Battle of Tripoli. He was praised in the
Turkish press. Gomidas, at an event organized by the nationalist
Turkish Association, delivered a famous speech where he emphasized
strong ties of friendship and brotherhood between different peoples
and nations sharing a common culture under the same roof. The audience
included famous Turkish nationalists Hamdullah Suphi Tanrıöver, Mehmet
Emin Yurdakul and Halide Edip Adıvar. Papers of the day described the
speech as touching and influential, and reported that it brought the
audience to tears. Turkish intellectuals frequently visited Gomidas at
his home in Pangaltı.
Another example is Kelekyan, chief columnist of the Turkish-language
Sabah daily of the time, who delivered a speech at a political rally
organized by Committee of Union and Progress members in Sultanahmet
Square on the eve of the Balkan War. Izrail says: `It was Diran
Kelekyan who delivered one of the most enthusiastic and nationalistic
speeches to encourage the Ottoman state to enter the war and defended
the reacquisition of the lands that were previously lost in the
Balkans in his columns. If history had been written differently, he
would have been remembered as a nationalist intellectual who would
promote Turkish nation-building.' Kelekyan, who also taught political
history at Ä°stanbul University, was one of the people who were
arrested on April 24; he was murdered in Sivas.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-345579-forgotten-ottoman-legacy-armenian-intellectuals.html