Turkish soldier’s diary sheds light on Dersim massacresJanuary 8, 2020 - 14:17 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A Turkish historian has recently discovered the diary of a Turkish soldier who took part in the 1937-38 massacres in the Kurdish-majority province of Dersim, Turkey, Rudaw reports. When Dersim’s population rebelled against the Turkish military's increasing presence in the area, a brutal crackdown was instigated by Ankara. Thousands of Zaza Kurds, as well as Armenians were killed or internally displaced by the Turkish military campaign. Rebellion leader Seyid Riza and his son were hanged on November 15, 1937, in Dersim’s Elazig Bugday Square. Turkish historian Zainab Turkilmaz is a university instructor who has long been working on Ottoman and modern Turkish history. In August 2019, while searching the Ataturk Internet Archive, she discovered the diary of Turkish soldier named Yousif Kanaan Akim, who tells of the brutal Turkish army campaign through his own lens. "I was searching among the online archives of Ataturk. One of the key words I was searching was Dersim. While searching, I came across the diary of the Turkish soldier," Turkilmaz told Rudaw. Turkilmaz, who has been working on a book on the Dersim massacre since 1999, "immediately downloaded the document." "This document is one of the most precise and important sources, full of information with plenty of details concerning the massacre," she said. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |