The Adana massacre occurred in Adana Province, in the Ottoman Empire, in April 1909. A religious-ethnic clash^[1] in the city of Adana amidst governmental upheaval resulted in a series of anti-Armenian pogroms throughout the district. Reports estimated that the massacres in Adana Province resulted in 20,000 to 30,000 deaths.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} Turkish Courts-Martial of 1919-1920 were court martials of the Ottoman Empire after the armistice of Mudros during the aftermath the World War One, which the leadership of the Committee of Union and Progress and selected former officials had court-martial with/including the charges of subversion of the... Operation Nemesis is the Armenian Revolutionary Federation code-name for the covert operation in the 1920s to assassinate the Turkish masterminds of the Armenian Genocide. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Partitioning of the Ottoman Empire is direct consequence of the World War I with the Ottomans involvement in the Middle Eastern theatre. ... Denial of the Armenian Genocide is the assertion that the events following April 24, 1915 and the Tehcir Law of May 1915 were not part of a state organized genocide, that an Armenian Genocide did not occur. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Photographs of the My Lai massacre provoked world outrage and made it an international scandal. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... For other uses, see Ottoman (disambiguation). ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Adana (Turkish: , Greek: ) (the ancient Antioch in Cilicia or Antioch on the Sarus) is the capital of Adana Province in Turkey. ... The Countercoup (March 1909) is the famous coup against the Imperial Government of the Ottoman Empire, which was established by Young Turk Revolution of 1908, aimed to dismantle the Second Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire) and brining the monarchy of Abdul Hamid II with a dethroned Sultans bid for a... Pogrom (from Russian: ; from громить IPA: - to wreak havoc, to demolish violently) is a form of riot directed against a particular group, whether ethnic, religious or other, and characterized by destruction of their homes, businesses and religious centres. ...

The perpetrators of the Adana massacre were driven by "cupidity, religious dogmas" and fear of losing "their positions and jobs." Involved were governmental functionaries and Ottoman military authorities.^[7]

Origins

Bodies of massacred Armenians during the Adana massacre.

In 1908, the Young Turk government came to power in a bloodless revolution. Within a year, Turkey's Armenian population, empowered by the dismissal of Abdul Hamid II, began organizing politically in support of the new government, which promised to place them on equal legal footing with their Muslim counterparts. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Young Turks were a Turkish nationalist reform party, officially known as the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) — in Turkish the Ittihad ve Terakki Cemiyeti — whose leaders led a rebellion against Sultan Abdul Hamid II (who was officially deposed and exiled in 1909). ... Abdülhamid II (Ottoman Turkish: عبد الحميد ثانی , Turkish: ) (September 21, 1842 – February 10, 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire. ...

Having long endured so-called dhimmi status, and having suffered the brutality and oppression of Hamidian leadership since 1876, the Armenian minority in Cilicia perceived the nascent Young Turk government as a godsend.^[8] Christians now being granted the rights to arm themselves and form politically significant groups, it was not long before Abdul Hamid loyalists, themselves acculturated into the system that had perpetrated the Hamidian massacres of the 1890s, came to view the empowerment of the Christian minority as coming at their expense. This article is about dhimmi in the context of Islamic law. ... Abdülhamid II (Ottoman Turkish: عبد الحميد ثانی , Turkish: ) (September 21, 1842 – February 10, 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire. ... Year 1876 Pick up Sticks(MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Cilicia as Roman province, 120 AD In Antiquity, Cilicia (Κιλικία) was the name of a region, now known as Çukurova, and often a political unit, on the southeastern coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey), north of Cyprus. ... Sultan Abdul Hamid II Abd_ul_Hamid II also Abdulhamid, Abdul Hamid, Abd al_Hamid II, or Abdul_Hamid (September 21, 1842 – February 10, 1918) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from August 31, 1876 – April 27, 1909. ... Contemporary political cartoon portraying Hamid as a butcher of the Armenians During the long reign of Sultan Hamid, unrest and rebellion occurred in many areas of the Ottoman Empire. ...

The Countercoup of March 1909 wrested control of the government out of the hands of the secularist Young Turks, and Abdul Hamid II briefly recovered his dictatorial powers. Appealing to the reactionary Muslim population with populist rhetoric calling for the re-institution of Islamic law under the banner of a pan-Islamic caliphate, the Sultan mobilized popular support against the Young Turks by identifying himself with the historically Islamic character of the state. According to one newspaper report of 15 April 1909, The Countercoup (March 1909) is the famous coup against the Imperial Government of the Ottoman Empire, which was established by Young Turk Revolution of 1908, aimed to dismantle the Second Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire) and brining the monarchy of Abdul Hamid II with a dethroned Sultans bid for a... The Young Turks (Turkish Jön Türkler (plural), from French Jeunes Turcs, Arabic: تركيا الفتاة) was a coalition of various reform groups in favor of reforming the administration of the Ottoman Empire. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Sharia (Arabic: transliteration: ) is the dynamic body of Islamic religious law. ... A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfah), is the Islamic form of government representing the political unity and leadership of the Muslim world. ...

With the plea of reform (the Young Turks) won the Turkish Army over to Liberalism. But now again is heard the cry of Mohammedanism centuries old: "Where the sword is, there is our faith."^[9] The Young Turks (Turkish Jön Türkler (plural), from French Jeunes Turcs, Arabic: تركيا الفتاة) was a coalition of various reform groups in favor of reforming the administration of the Ottoman Empire. ... Islām (Arabic الإسلام, submission (to God)) is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ...

According to one source, when news of a mutiny in Istanbul arrived in Adana, speculation circulated among the Muslim population of an imminent Armenian insurrection. By April 14 the Armenian quarter was attacked by a mob, and many thousands of Armenians were killed in the ensuing weeks.^[10] Istanbul (Turkish: , Greek: , historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see other names) is Turkeys most populous city, and its cultural and financial center. ...

Other reports emphasize that a "skirmish between Armenians and Turks on April 13 set off a riot that resulted in the pillaging of the bazaars and attacks upon the Armenian quarters." Two days later, more than 2,000 Armenians had been killed as a result.^[11] The outbreaks spread throughout the district and by the end of the month as many as 30,000 Armenians were reported killed.^[12][13]

In those difficult times for the Ottoman Empire and its citizenry, the Armenians were also believed to be a target owing to their relative wealth, and their quarrels with imperial taxation.^[14] Graphical timeline Decline of the Ottoman Empire covers the military and political events between 1828 to 1908. ... For other uses, see Ottoman (disambiguation). ...

Bloodshed

An Armenian town left pillaged and destroyed, during the Adana massacre.

The tension erupted into riots on April 1, 1909, which soon escalated into organized violence against the Armenian population of Adana and in several surrounding cities. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Adana (Turkish: , Greek: ) (the ancient Antioch in Cilicia or Antioch on the Sarus) is the capital of Adana Province in Turkey. ...

By April 18, over 1,000 people were reported dead at Adana alone, with additional unknown casualties in Tarsus and Alexandretta.^[15] Thousands of refugees filled the American embassy in Alexandretta, and a British warship was dispatched to its shores; three French warships were dispatched to Mersin, where the situation was "desperate", and many Western consulates were besieged by Armenian refugees.^[16] The Ottoman military was struggling to subdue the violence. In tetrapods, the tarsi are the cluster of bones in the foot between the tibia and fibula and the metatarsus. ... Iskenderun, formerly known in the west as Alexandretta, is a city in the Turkish province of Hatay. ... This article is about the city of Mersin, see Mersin Province, (named İçel province until 2002), for information about the surrounding area. ...

Similar violence consumed Marash and Hadjin, and the estimates of the death toll soon grew to exceed 5,000.^[17] The British cruiser Diana was hoped to provide a "tranquilizing" effect at the port of Alexandretta, where violence still raged.^[18] Reports surfaced that imperial "authorities are either indifferent or conniving in the slaughter."^[19] A view from KahramanmaraÅŸ (Around Intersection of Kibris Meydani and Trabzon Caddesi) KahramanmaraÅŸ is the capital city of KahramanmaraÅŸ Province in southeastern Turkey. ...

Some order was restored by April 20, as the disturbance in Mersina had abated, and the British cruiser Swiftsure was able to deliver "provisions and medicines intended for Adana".^[20] A "threatening" report from Hadjin indicated that well-armed Armenians were held up in the town, "beleaguered by Moslem tribesmen who are only awaiting sufficient numerical strength to rush the improvised defenses erected by the Armenians."^[21] 8,000 refugees filled the missions of Tarsus, where order had been restored under martial law, the dead numbering approximately 50.^[22] HMS Swiftsure, launched 1903, was the lead ship of her class of pre-Dreadnought battleships. ...

An April 22 message from an American missionary in Hadjin indicated that the town was taking fire intermittently, that surrounding Armenian properties had been burned, and that siege was inevitable. The entirety of the Armenian population of Kırıkhan was reported to have been "slaughtered"; the Armenian village of Deurtyul was burning and surrounded; additional bloodshed flared up in Tarsus; massacres were reported in Antioch, and rioting in Birejik.^[23] At least one report praised the "Turkish Government officials at Mersina" for doing "everything possible to check the trouble", though "the result of their efforts has been very limited".^[24] As Ottoman authorities worked to contain violence directed at the Christian minorities of the Empire, the Armenian population "look(ed) to the Young Turks for future protection."^[25] Kırıkhan is a district of Hatay Province, Turkey. ... Dörtyol is a port and oil terminus at the head of the Gulf of Ä°skenderun in southeastern Turkey. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Antakya. ... Birecik (Greek: and later Macedonopolis or Makedonopolis; Latin: Birtha; Arabic: al-BÄ«rā البيرا; Kurdish: Bêrecûg), also formerly known during the Crusades as Bile, is a town and district of Åžanlıurfa Province of Turkey, on the River Euphrates. ... The Young Turks (Turkish Jön Türkler (plural), from French Jeunes Turcs, Arabic: تركيا الفتاة) was a coalition of various reform groups in favor of reforming the administration of the Ottoman Empire. ...

An American missionary at Adana during the period, Reverend Herbert Adams Gibbons of Hartford, described the scene in the days leading up to the 27th of April: The Reverend is an honorary prefix added to the names of Christian clergy and ministers. ... Nickname: Location in Hartford County, Connecticut Coordinates: , Country State NECTA Hartford Region Capitol Region Named 1637 Incorporated (city) 1784 Consolidated 1896 Government  - Type Mayor-council  - Mayor Eddie Perez Area  - City  18. ...

Adana is in a pitiable condition. The town has been pillaged and destroyed... It is impossible to estimate the number of killed. The corpses lie scattered through the streets. Friday, when I went out, I had to pick my way between the dead to avoid stepping on them. Saturday morning I counted a dozen cartloads of Armenian bodies in one-half hour being carried to the river and thrown into the water. In the Turkish cemeteries, graves are being dug wholesale.

...On Friday afternoon 250 so-called Turkish reserves, without officers, seized a train at Adana and compelled the engineer to convey them to Tarsus, where they took part in the complete destruction of the Armenian quarter of that town, which is the best part of Tarsus. Their work of looting was thorough and rapid.^[26] In tetrapods, the tarsi are the cluster of bones in the foot between the tibia and fibula and the metatarsus. ...

The Ottoman government sent in the Army to keep peace, but it was alleged to have either tolerated the violence or participated in it. A newspaper report of 3 May 1909 indicated that Ottoman soldiery had arrived, but did not seem intent upon effecting a peace:

Adana is terrorized by 4,000 soldiers, who are looting, shooting, and burning. No respect is paid to foreign properties. Both French schools have been destroyed, and it is feared that the American school, commercial, and missionary interests in Adana are totally ruined.

The new Governor has not as yet inspired confidence. There is reason to believe that the authorities still intend to permit the extermination of all Christians.^[27] This article is about the religous people known as Christians. ...

Grand Vizier Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha indicated that the massacre was a "political, not a religious question... Before the Armenian political committees began to organize in Asia Minor there was peace. I will leave you to judge the cause of the bloodshed."^[28] While conceding that his predecessor, Abdul Hamid II, had ordered the "extermination of the Armenians", he did articulate his confidence that "there will never be another massacre."^[29] ik ben jaaapie A Vizier (Persian,وزير - wazÄ«r) (sometimes also spelled Vazir, Vizir, Vasir, Wazir, Vesir, or Vezir - grammatical vowel changes are common in many oriental languages), literally burden-bearer or helper, is a term, originally Persian, for a high-ranking political (and sometimes religious) advisor or minister, often to... Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha (also spelled Hussein Hilmi Pasha) was an Ottoman statesman who held the top post of grand vizier for a brief period in the wake of the Second Constitutional Era in the Ottoman Empire, but who is also notable for being one of... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to... Abdülhamid II (Ottoman Turkish: عبد الحميد ثانی , Turkish: ) (September 21, 1842 – February 10, 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire. ...

In July 1909, the Young Turk government announced the trials of various government and military officials, for "being implicated in the Armenian massacres".^[30][31] The Young Turks were a Turkish nationalist reform party, officially known as the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) — in Turkish the Ittihad ve Terakki Cemiyeti — whose leaders led a rebellion against Sultan Abdul Hamid II (who was officially deposed and exiled in 1909). ...

Disputation and partiality of media

The government of Turkey, as well as some Turkish writers and nationalists, dispute this version of history, contending that the events of April 1909 were in fact an Armenian "rampage of pillaging and death"^[32] targeting the Muslim majority that "ended up with about 17,000 Armenian and 1,850 Turkish deaths."^[33] Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolising French nationalism during the July Revolution 1830. ...

Ottoman authorities denied responsibility in the shooting deaths of two American missionaries in the city of Adana, indicating instead that "the Armenians" killed Protestant missionaries D.M. Rogers and Henry Maurer while they "were helping to put out a fire in the house of a Turkish widow."^[34] Western media was often skeptical of Ottoman equivocation and denial, particularly in the instance of the shooting of the missionaries, as many American missionaries had been inundating the newspaper with tales of wanton carnage perpetrated against the Christian minority; the New York Times, for instance, while noting Ottoman denial of responsibility in the killing of Maurer and Rogers, nonetheless attributed their deaths to "Moslem fanatics".^[35] Proposed in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College and officially chartered in 1812, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was the first American Christian foreign mission agency. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

The Ottoman account of the killings was later contradicted by an eyewitness, American priest Stephen Trowbridge of Brooklyn.^[36] Trowbridge indicated that the men were killed by "Moslems" as they attempted to extinguish a fire threatening to subsume their mission.^[37] For other meanings, see Brooklyn (disambiguation). ... Proposed in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College and officially chartered in 1812, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was the first American Christian foreign mission agency. ...

Western media often rendered the massacres as a struggle between Christianity and the Muslim world, a "Christian martyrdom".^[38] While the Sultan resisted the attribution of religious motives to the killings, several Protestant missionaries and European Christians died in the massacres, and several Protestant and Jesuit churches and schools were destroyed.^[39] Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Protestantism encompasses the forms of Christian... Seal of the Society of Jesus. ...

See also

• Hamidian massacres
• Armenian Genocide
• Anti-Armenianism
• Countercoup (1909)

Contemporary political cartoon portraying Hamid as a butcher of the Armenians During the long reign of Sultan Hamid, unrest and rebellion occurred in many areas of the Ottoman Empire. ... Armenian Genocide photo. ... Bodies of Armenians killed during the 1915 Armenian Genocide. ... The Countercoup (March 1909) is the famous coup against the Imperial Government of the Ottoman Empire, which was established by Young Turk Revolution of 1908, aimed to dismantle the Second Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire) and brining the monarchy of Abdul Hamid II with a dethroned Sultans bid for a...

References

External links

• The Red Rugs Of Tarsus - A Woman’s Record of the Armenian Massacre of 1909
• Adana Massacre