Thursday, September 24, 2015

120 years ago this month: The Halifax Herald (1895), Canada. #ARMENIAN ATROCITIES

Halifax Herald (1895), Canada.
ARMENIAN ATROCITIES
Another Outbreak Which is Creating Much Excitement
LONDON, September 10.- The Daily News today publishes a despatch from Kars, stating that fresh outrages have been perpetrated in the Erzenzilian district. A band of brigands attacked on August 12th a company of Turkish gendarmes, killing a sergeant. Therefore, the Turkish authorities, without making any inquiries, decided that the assailants were Armenian revolutionaries from Kemakh who intended to release exiled Armenians who were still in prison at Kars. A force of 1,000 Turkish troops was sent to Kemakh and five villages were pillaged. Five thousand persons were rendered homeless. Men were tortured and women and children ravished. Four monasteries were sacked. It is reported that the Turkish minor officials have formed an anti-Christian society to slaughter Christians if the Porte accepts the scheme of reforms the Powers insist upon.
[from "Heralding of the Armenian Genocide" (2000) by Katia Peltekian]

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

100 years ago in Today's The Times (UK) newspaper: 5,000 ARMENIANS RESCUED BY FRENCH CRUISERS

100 years ago in Today's The Times (UK) newspaper:
5,000 ARMENIANS RESCUED BY FRENCH CRUISERS

PARIS, SEPT. 21

   The following official communication is issued by the Ministry of Marine: -
   “Pursued by the Turks, about 5,000 Armenians, nearly 3,000 of whom were women and children or old people, took refuge towards the end of July in the massif of Djebel Moussa, to the north of the Bay of Antioch. There they had succeeded in keeping off their aggressors until the beginning of September, but then their provisions and munitions began to fail and they seemed certain to fall into the hands of the Turks, when they succeeded in signaling to a French cruiser the dangerous position in which they were. The cruisers of the French squadron immediately went to their assistance and succeeded in assuring the escape of the 5,000 Armenians, who were conveyed by our warships to Port Said, where they were heartily welcomed. They have been accommodated in a temporary camp.”
-Reuter.

[From my book "The Times of the Armenian Genocide"]