Western Armenia

Etymology

In the Armenian language, there are several names for the region. Today, the most common is Arevmtyan Hayastan (Արևմտյան Հայաստան) in Eastern Armenian (mostly spoken in Armenia, Russia, Georgia, Iran) and Arevmdean Hayasdan (Արեւմտեան Հայաստան) in Western Armenian (spoken in the Diaspora: US, France, Lebanon, Syria, Argentina, etc.). Archaic names (used before the 1920s) include Tačkahayastan (Տաճկահայաստան) in Eastern and Daǰkahayasdan in Western Armenian. Also used in the same period were T'urk'ahayastan (Թուրքահայաստան) or T'rk'ahayastan (Թրքահայաստան), both meaning Turkish Armenia.

In the Turkish language, the literal translation of Western Armenia is Batı Ermenistan. The region has been officially described as Eastern Anatolia (Doğu Anadolu) since the seven geographical regions of Turkey were defined at the 1941 First Geography Congress. Throughout much of recorded history the eastern boundary of Anatolia was not considered to extend as far as the Araxes, the river which marks the present day boundary between the states of Armenia and Iran. The name "Armenia" was forbidden to be used in official documents by Ottoman authorities in the 1880s, and the region was officially renamed "Eastern Anatolia" by the Turkish successor state in the 1920s.* The Armenian Genocide: Cultural and Ethical Legacies – Page 3, by Richard G. Hovannisian – 2011

• This has been characterized as an attempt by Turkey to erase the Armenian history of the region.

History

Ottoman conquest

After the Ottoman-Persian War (1623–1639), Western Armenia became decisively part of the Ottoman Empire. After the Russo-Turkish War, 1828–1829, the term "Western Armenia" referred to the Armenian-populated historical regions of the Ottoman Empire that remained under Ottoman rule after the eastern part of Armenia was ceded to the Russian Empire by the Qajar Persians, following the Russo-Persian War (1804–1813) and Russo-Persian War (1826–1828).

World War I and later years

Armenian genocide

Main article: Armenian genocide

In 1894–1896 and 1915 the Ottoman Empire perpetrated systematic massacres and forced deportations of Armenians resulting in the Armenian genocide. The massive deportation and killings of Armenians began in the spring 1915. On 24 April 1915, Armenian intellectuals and community leaders were deported from Constantinople. Depending on the sources cited, about 1,500,000 Armenians were killed.

Caucasus campaign

Main article: Caucasus campaign, Occupation of Turkish Armenia

During the Caucasus campaign of World War I, the Russian Empire occupied most of the Armenian-populated regions of the Ottoman Empire. A temporary provincial government was established in occupied areas between 1915 and 1918.

The chaos caused by the Russian Revolution of 1917 put a stop to all Russian military operations and Russian forces began to conduct withdrawals. The first and second congresses of Western Armenians took place in Yerevan in 1917 and 1919.

Sazonov–Paléologue Agreement

The Sazonov–Paléologue Agreement of 26 April 1916 between Russian Foreign minister Sergey Sazonov and French ambassador to Russia Maurice Paléologue proposed to give Western Armenia to Russia in return for Russian assent to the Sykes–Picot agreement.

Area

Western Armenia comprises the Six Vilayets (vilâyat-ı sitte): Erzurum, Van, Bitlis, Diyarbekir, Kharput, and Sivas that existed during the Ottoman Empire. Alternatively, Western Armenia is referred to as the "12 lost provinces" in the Tsitsernakaberd complex which memorializes the Armenian genocide. These provinces correspond to the following:

1. Kars
2. Batum
3. Trebizond
4. Sivas
5. Kayseri
6. Adana
7. Haleb
8. Kharpert
9. Diyarbekir/Amed
10. Bitlis
11. Erzerum
12. Van

Current situation

The fate of Western Armenia – commonly referred to as the "Armenian question" – is considered a key issue in the modern history of the Armenian people. Armenia currently does not have any territorial claims against Turkey, although one political party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the largest Armenian party in the diaspora, claims the area designated as part of the Republic of Armenia (1918–1920) in the 1920Treaty of Sèvres also known as Wilsonian Armenia. Since 2000, an organizing committee of the congress of heirs of Western Armenians who survived the Armenian genocide is active in diasporan communities.

A 2014 survey in Armenia asked what kind of demands should be made to Turkey. Some 80% agreed that Armenia should make territorial claims (30% said only territorial claims, while another 50% said territorial, moral, financial, and proprietary). Only 5.5% said no demands should be made. According to a 2012 survey, 36% of Armenians asked agree or somewhat agree that Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide will result in territorial compensation, while 45% believe it will not. The online publication Barometer.am wrote: "It appears that our pragmatic population believes that all possible demands should be forwarded to Turkey [...] but a relative majority consider the practical realization of territorial claims to Turkey is unrealistic."[[File:SevresOttoman1927.JPG|250px|thumbnail|A 1927 version of the map used by the [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey]] (later restored)]]

Gallery

File:Cosmographia Claudii Ptolomaei ante 1467 (7456204) (cropped).jpg File:Moll, Herman. Turkey in Asia; or Asia Minor &c. 1736.jpg|Western Armenia the first half of the 18th century. Herman Moll's map,1736. File:Bowen, Frances. Turkey in Asia. 1810.jpg|Armenia Turkomania on 1810 map. File:Fenner, Rest. Persis, Parthia, Armenia. 1835 (A).jpg|Persis, Parthia, Armenia. Rest Fenner, published in 1835. File:Six armenian provinces.png|The Six Armenian vilayets (provinces) of the Ottoman Empire were defined as Western Armenia. File:Autonomus Armenian province project 1913.png|Autonomous Armenian province within the Ottoman Empire, proposed by the Russian Empire, the Armenian National Assembly and the Armenian Catholicosate in 1913. File:Armenian reform package in Ottoman Empire 1912-1914.png|Armenian reform package in Ottoman Empire, finally signed by representatives of the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire on February 8, 1914, and providing for the creation of 2 provinces under the control of inspectors general appointed by the Great Powers. File:Armenian Genocide Map-en.svg|Armenian genocide: map of massacre locations and deportation and extermination centers. File:Western Armenia Russian occupation 1916.jpg|The area of Russian occupation of Western Armenia in summer 1916 (Russian map). File:Armenia-1916-front.jpg|The area of Russian occupation of that region in summer 1916. File:ATD of the regions of Turkey occupied by Russian troops during WW1.png|Administrative-territorial division of Western Armenia, occupied by Russian troops in 1915-1917 . File:Soviet territorial claims against Turkey 1945-1953.png|USSR (Armenian SSR and Georgian SSR) territorial claims against Turkey 1945–1953. File:United Armenia.png|The modern concept of United Armenia as used by Woodrow Wilson and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun). File:Armenian presence within modern Turkish borders in early 1600s.png|Early 1600s spread of Armenians, a few decades after Ottoman conquest, within modern Turkey, per the State Committee of the Real Estate Cadastre of Armenia

Notes

References

References

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