Accuse Armenians Of Wronging Turks -nyt19151022b
ACCUSE ARMENIANS OF WRONGING TURKS
Ottoman Authorities Give Out Formal Changes of Widespread Outrages
ALONG CAUCASIAN FRONTIER
Russian Troops Linked with Greek and Armenian Civilians as the Perpetrators
OCTOBRER 22, 1915
Special to The New York Times. WASHINGTON, Oct. 21.--Following world-wide accusations of barbarous treatment of the Christians of Armenian, the Turkish Government has filled countercharges here, in which it is alleged that barbarous acts have been committed on Moslems along the Caucasian frontier by Russian troops, aided by members of the Greek and Armenian population of that region.
The countercharge was sent by the Turkish Government to its Embassy at Washington. It took the form of a communication which was delivered to Secretary Lanshing today by Abdul Hak Hussein Bey. First Secretary and Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy since the return of Ambassador A. Rustem Bey to Turkey.
After delivering the communication to Secretary Lanshing, the Turkish Charge handed a summary of it to the press.
Secretary Lanshing refrained from commenting upon the Turkish Government's communication, beyond saying that he had not had opportunity to examine the document. It is not expected that the State Department will take any action on the communication at this time, but will file it for future reference.
The summary given out by Hussem Bey says:
"The Ottoman Embassy has just received an official report from the General Ottoman headquarters concerning the barbarous acts perpetrated by the Russian troops, assisted by the Greek and Armenian populations, against the Moslems dwelling along the frontier of the Caucasus. These atrocious acts, committed under the eyes of the Russian authorities in the districts of Tavashguerd. 'Pensguerd, Olti, and Ardanuche have been well ascertained after a careful inquiry by Seifullah Effendi, a member of the Ottoman Parliament from Erzerum. Some of the most typical cases are related below with omission however or certain details which could not be printed on account of their indescribable horror.
"A band of Russians and Armenians repaired to the house of Murad Bey, a wealthy man of the village of Kirechud, well known for his charitable acts toward all the inhabitants, without distinction of race or creed, with the obvious intention of assaulting his old wife. Murad Bey realized the impossibility of rescuing her from dishonor, killed her with his own gun, and was himself later murdered by the aggressors. The fury of the latter was then directed against the daughter-in-law of Murad Bey, whose son, Sulleyman, following the example of his father, was also murdered.
"The offenders went afterward to the village of Izentur, and in order to prevent the repetition of similar acts, began by shooting up in a barn the male part of the population and after that assaulted the women. The Moslems of the surrounding villages being forewarned of the danger, rushed to the spot, but too late to rescue the women, among whom two girls 13 years of age died from disgrace and torture.
"Moslem women who took refuge in the village of Parishur were assaulted by Greeks and Armenians, and some of them had to submit to the worst treatment. Most of them, however, preferring death to disgrace, threw themselves from a hill 200 meters high into a rocky precipice, where they all perished.
"A great number of Moslem women, of Ardanuche who had fled to Tavanguerd had to endure the same fate. Whilst they had been left half dead their Russian, Armenian, and Greek aggressors carried the cruelty to the point of piercing with their bayonets the cheeks of their babies in order to prevent them from taking the milk of their mothers. In this wise, mothers and children perished by a slow and terrible death under the eyes of their persecutors.
"The wife and the daughter of Ibrahim Allias who were carried away by Greeks and Armenians from the village of Mokdjalar to the village of Pertek in the district of Olti and there they were assaulted. Two Mussulmans, rushing to their aid rescued the young girl. The mother died after having received twenty-one wounds. The young girl lost her life two months later as a consequence of the shock she had experienced.
"Armenians and Greeks serving as guides to the troops, in the attack on the village of Erghenes, have assaulted with unheard of brutality the wife of Imam Oglou Osman Agha, under the eyes of her helpless husband. The latter was afterward murdered and his body cut to pieces.
"Zebra, wife of Mouhib Oglou Mohammed Ali, equally from the village of Erghenes, 18 years old, was tortured by the same malefactors during three days, after which she was killed and her body horribly mutilated.
"The Armenians swelling in the village of Dauzote beheaded a certain man. Cherif by name, and four other Mussulmans, who had taken refuge in that village.
"A Greek, named Yani, murdered in the middle of the street and before a numerous assemblage. Garib Agha of the village of Karnavas, in the district of Tavasquerd, who had fled to the village of Azort, in the district of Tortum. The Armenians who were witnessing this scene joined Yani at once and dragged twenty-five Mussulmans out from the houses where they had concealed themselves. Driven into the street, these unfortunate people were called together and all of them killed, after having experienced horrible tortures recalling the Middle Ages. Their bodies, cut to pieces were then exhibited on every street corner.
"The same murderers proceeded to the village of Djihan, and there they attacked five aged men, 70 years old. These were first covered with wounds, and afterward, being smeared over with kerosene were burned alive.
"These few instances could be multiplied, but they are sufficient to show the barbarous spirit with which the Russians, aided by Armenians and Greeks, are carrying on the war in the Caucasus."
A hard copy of this article or hundreds of others from the time of the Armenian Genocide can be found in The Armenian Genocide: News Accounts From The American Press: 1915-1922