The state archives of France contain numerous documents proving that the uprisings of Armenians in various regions of the Ottoman Empire were the result of a conspiracy and support from the Allied Powers, reads the article published on the Turkish newspaper Yeni Şafak.
The article titled "Historical Realities in the Archives of France" says the goal was the division of the Ottoman Empire, which justifies the decision to relocate Armenians for reasons of state security, Caliber.Az reports.
The newspaper emphasises the groundlessness of the claims regarding the so-called "genocide of 1915," noting that this fact is also reflected in the diplomatic dispatches of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the period of 1915-1920.
As an example, the newspaper cites a decrypted letter sent by the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Théophile Delcassé, to the French Ambassador in London, Paul Cambon, on September 29, 1915. The six-page document contains a detailed plan for subversive actions, including Armenian uprisings in the Ottoman Empire.
To implement the plan, the French planned to establish logistical bases in Cyprus and Syria, as well as prepare a 50,000-strong Armenian army.
One of the major centers of the Armenian uprising was identified as the Çukurova region (Cilicia). The plan included the capture of strategic areas such as Adana, Mersin, and Iskenderun, as well as organizing acts of sabotage on the railway, which would undermine the resources of the Ottoman army.
In his letter, the French minister described the project of dismembering the Ottoman Empire as "the national ideal of France" and urged the ambassador in London to secure the open support of the British authorities.
The newspaper also highlights that the atrocities committed by Armenians against the civilian population of southern Anatolia reached such a level that French General Henri Gouraud, in one of his letters from November 25, 1920, openly wrote that "Armenians, using the weapons provided to them, are looting and burning peaceful villages, exterminating the Muslim population."
The French general emphasised that "Armenians are committing crimes for which the Turks are being blamed."
Henri Gouraud pointed out that the Armenians had gone out of control, declaring the creation of the "Cilician Armenian Republic" on August 4, 1920. In response, the French began disarming the Armenian units and expelling them from the region.
By Khagan Isayev
Source: caliber.az
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