Nationella Museum och Identitet - Elin Ivarsson

tyska stater. Här finns också pukor, trummor och blåsinstrument samt nycklar till
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Armémuseet i Istanbul, Turkiet
Text 10: ”Turk-Armenian Relations in History”
Armenians lived as kingdoms dependent to Macedonians, Selevkis, Romans,
Parts, Persians, Sassanids and Arabs in history.
Armenians exposed to preassure, violence and bad applications under the supremacy
of Byzantine Empire were forced to be Greek and Orthodox.
As a result of this, from the year 1045 the last Armenian princedoms in the
east Anatolia were completely vanished by the Byzantine and Armenians were
made to migrate to ÇUKUROVA region.
Under these circumstances, TURK-ARMENIAN relations started with Seljukid
Sultan Alparslan’s conquest of Kars-Ani region in 1064. As a result of the
victory in MALAZGİRT PITCHED BATTLE against the Byzantine in 1071.
Anatolia became ”TURKISH LAND” and two societies started to live together.
Armenians, like the other nations, utilized from ”Tolerance”, ”Affection” and
”Justice” principles which are the basics of traditional Turkish way of ruling and
they reached a good point in wefare with social, cultural and commercial facilities
provided.
In 1461, Sultan Mehmet the conqueror gave ”Armenian Patriarch” degree
to Hovakim, the spiritual leader of Armenians brought from Bursa to Istanbul and
accepted Hovakim’s religious and community administration right.
Under these comfortable and peaceful circumstances, there was no problem
between Turks and Armenians until the early 19 th century and as a result of this,
Armenians were called ”MİLLET-İ SADIKA”. So, many Armenians took critical
duties and positions such as minister, deputy, ambassador and translator in the
international negotiations until the decline of Ottoman Empire, in addition, many
Armenian officers worked at different positions in the Ottoman army.
After the French revolution, the industrialized countries, Russia, French and
England who want to capture Ottoman land under the name of ”EASTERN
QUESTION” by applying imperialistic policies, encouraged the Ottoman minority
citizens in Balkans, Caucasia and Middle East to the independence struggle by
provoking.
“Armenian Issue” gained an international dimension for the first time with
the attachment of the subject of making reforms with the Armenians in inhabited
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