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« Reply #15 on: April 26, 2010, 12:47:07 pm » |
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The events I talked about were proved right by the observations of
the other officers who had a say at the meeting.
In reply, Antranik stressing the Armenians’ gratefulness to Russia
claimed that they were a part of the Great Russian peoples; that they
did not want to separate from them for the time being, but to serve
Russia; that the massacres were the result of the enmity that had
been continuing for centuries between the Turks and the Armenians;
that all the defiance and savagery would be ended decisively; that
there would be no signs of a probable idea of coercing the civilians in
a short time; that he came here to put an end to such deeds; that he
if he were not to succeed he himself would leave at once. All the talks
were held with the help of translators.
When he was asked about the Russian officers who wanted to leave
Erzurum; he replied saying it would be better for the weak to leave
for the welfare of the cause, and that he would do his “best not to
keep them from leaving.”
Colonel Zinkević did his best in trying to convince all the people
present that the Russian cause keeping us here was in fact the same
true cause that brought him here; and that he fervent follower of the
cause.
At the end of the meeting, all the officers declared, prior to taking up
steps on the issue, that they would wait for another seven, or rather
ten, days to see how things would develop; and if Antranik’s promises
were met.
This meeting was held on either February 20 or 21. After the meeting
Colonel Doluhanov told me that he was extremely surprised to see
the hatred and loathsomeness in the Russian officers against the
Armenians. He voiced his surprise to the other officers as well.
Antranik issued an order saying that anybody committing murder,
may it be Armenian or Muslim, would be punished the same without
any discrimination of nationality. Bulletins and posters, in Turkish,
calling the people to open their shops and to work freely without any fear were hung all over the city. It was also declared in the bulletins
that those who would gather people to work elsewhere would be held
responsible for loss of any Turkish lives; and that those who were
accompanying those convoys would be equally held responsible as
well.
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