TRAGIC EVENTS OF THE PAST MUSTN’T BE FORGOTTEN
PanArmenian News
April 20 2009
Armenia
The 1909 massacres in Adana marked the beginning of the Armenian
Genocide of 1915, Armenian historian, UCLA Professor Richard
Hovhannisyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. "We must not forget
Adana massacre victims. It is one of the black pages of our history,
and we mustn’t forget about it. We ought to raise our future generation
in that spirit."
R. Hovhannisyan said that the ongoing dialogue between Armenia and
Turkey must not be linked to the events of past. "This is history, and
it mustn’t be linked to current negotiation process between Yerevan and
Ankara. Still history mustn’t be sidelined," UCLA Professor emphasized.
According to Mr. Hovhannisyan, the Armenian community is looking
forward to the US President’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide
prior to the anniversary of the tragic event. "Barack Obama’s recent
speech in the Turkish Parliament gives us hope that he hasn’t changed
his position on Genocide recognition," the historian stated.
On April 1, 1909 the tension in Adana erupted into riots, 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.