ARMENIAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE 1925 (ARARAT) AND 1937 (DERSIM) KURDISH REBELLIONS IN REPUBLICAN TURKEY: MAPPING THE ORIGINS OF “HIDDEN ARMENIANS”*

The history of Armenian-Kurdish relations extends over centuries. In the 1800’s, Armenians were involved in the Kurdish rebellions in Kurdistan proper. The rebellions were crushed by Ottoman military might. After 1915, a new phase of Armenian involvement in yet a new episode of Kurdish rebellions ensued in Republican Turkey. This new collusion lasted all the way to the late 1930s. The aim of the ARF (Armenian Revolutionary Federation, AKA Tashnagtsutyune) at the time was twofold: Dispersion into the Middle East was considered to be a temporary sojourn and the ARF was adamant in its thinking that Armenians should repatriate to their historic homeland. The ARF attempted such an adventurous plan due to its knowledge that many pockets of Armenians—ergo, what would later become known as “Hidden Armenians”—existed in the Eastern Provinces of the newly established Turkish Republic. Having access to archival material from republican Turkey, the Soviet Union, Armenia, France, Britain, as well as the memoirs and letters of some prominent ARF leaders involved in the Kurdish rebellions of the time creates a unique opportunity to present a more detailed account about the period under. The article will focus on Armenian and especially ARF participation in those uprisings. This has to be done in order to close a gap in the international historical discourse regarding the subject.

CUMHURİYET DÖNEMİ TÜRKİYE’SİNDE 1925 (AĞRI) VE 1937 (DERSİM) KÜRT İSYANLARINA ERMENİ KATILIMI: “GİZLİ ERMENİLERİN” KÖKENLERİNİN İZİNİ SÜRMEK

Ermeni-Kürt ilişkilerinin tarihi yüzyıllar gerisine uzanmaktadır. 1800’lerde Ermeniler, Kürdistan olarak adlandırılan bölgede ortaya çıkan ve Osmanlı askeri gücü tarafından bastırılan Kürt isyanlarına katılmışlardır. Ermeniler, 1915’ten sonra, Cumhuriyet Dönemi Türkiyesi’nde baş gösteren ve 1930’ların sonlarına kadar devam eden Kürt isyanlarına da dahil olmuşlardır. Ermeni Devrimci Federasyonu’nun (EDF, namı diğer Taşnaksutyun) bu dönemdeki hedeflerini belirleyen iki düşünce söz konusudur: Ermenilerin Orta Doğu’daki yerleşkelerinin geçici olduğu ve Ermenilerin tarihi anavatanlarına geri dönmeleri gerektiği. EDF’nin yeni kurulmuş olan Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nin doğu bölgelerinde yaşamaya devam eden – daha sonraları “Gizli Ermeniler” olarak anılacak olan - Ermenilerin varlığından haberdar olması böylesine cüretkar bir plana teşebbüs etmesinin esas sebebidir. Cumhuriyet Dönemi Türkiyesi, Sovyetler Birliği, Ermenistan, Fransa ve Britanya’da bulunan arşiv belgeleri ve bahsi geçen dönemde ortaya çıkan Kürt isyanlarında rol almış olan EDF’nin bazı önde gelen liderlerinin anı türü eserlerine ve mektuplarına erişim, dönem hakkında daha detaylı bir anlatım sunmak için benzersiz bir fırsat sunmaktadır. Bu çalışma, konu hakkındaki uluslararası tarihsel anlatıda var olan boşlukları doldurmak amacıyla Cumhuriyet Dönemi Türkiyesi’nde yaşanan Kürt isyanlardaki Ermeni - ve özellikle EDF katılımına odaklanmaktadır.

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ISSN: 1306-9136
Yayın Aralığı: Yıllık
Başlangıç: 2006
Yayıncı: Terazi Yayıncılık Basım Dağıtım Danışmanlık Eğitim Organizasyon Matbaacılık Kırtasiye Tic. Ltd. Şti.