Massacre of Adana Armenians in 1909 is a classic example of Genocide prelude

PanARMENIAN.Net - Massacre of Adana Armenians in 1909 is a classic example of Genocide prelude (similar example, Kristallnacht in Holocaust chronicles), orientalist and historian Suren Manukyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.



Adana population was heartened with promises of "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity" proclaimed by the new authorities of Ottoman Empire a year before tragic events. Armenians demanded appointments to governmental offices. An atmosphere of amicability was established between Armenians and Turks of Adana region, the more unexpected was the blow to Adana Armenians. People of Adana and adjusting villages were subjected to all the tortures employed during the Genocide of 1915-23: hatred fomentation with religious mottos of "fighting the unfaithful" and violence towards Christians. The Ottoman government sent in the Army of Young Turks to keep peace, but instead they tolerated the violence or participated in it.





In the aftermath of Adana massacres, the government of Turkey, as well as some Turkish writers and nationalists, tried to deny the pogroms. Young Turks tried to shift the responsibility for massacres upon their political rival Abdul Hamid and even out the number of those killed in the massacre, both massacre victims and perpetrators (362 people were arrested: 149 Muslims and 213 Christians). Thus, the impunity was the major total of Adana massacre. 9 Muslims and 6 Armenians were beheaded on May 28. Beheaded Muslims were common people, none of the notables, yet true perpetrators of disturbances were not made accountable. And the only fault of beheaded Armenians was trying to protect themselves.



"Impunity of perpetrators and inconsistence of the Great Powers created a firm perception of unpunishability of killing an Armenian," Suren Manukyan emphasized.





The tension erupted into riots on April 1, 1909, which soon escalated into organized violence against the Armenian population of Adana and in several surrounding cities. Reports estimated that the massacres in Adana Province resulted in 30,000 deaths.

Turkish and Armenian revolutionary groups had worked together to secure the restoration of constitutional rule, in 1908. On 31 March (or 13 April, by the Western calendar) a military revolt directed against the Committee of Union and Progress seized Istanbul. While the revolt lasted only ten days, it precipitated a massacre of Armenians in the province of Adana that lasted over a month.

The awakening of Turkish nationalism, and the perception of the Armenians as a separatist, European-controlled entity, also contributed to the violence.