IS SEVRES AGREEMENT STILL VALID?

The Armenian propaganda alleges that Sevres Agreement is still valid and in force for them and on this basis, suggest that the "Armenian territories" set forth in Sevres should be returned to them.


It is hard to tell how such a nonsensical allegation could be acceptable when it is considered that the states who undersigned this agreement came to an end prior to the enforcement of the agreement and ratified by their signatures that Lausannes agreement superseded it. On the other hand, there are agreements signed by the Armenians themselves as a state.


The most eminent one of these is Batum Agreement. Tashnaks declared an Armenian Republic in Erivan on 28 May 1918 and the Ottoman State recognized such Republic through Batum Agreement concluded with the Armenians on 4 June 1918.


Foreign Minister of the Armenian Republic told the following after this agreement:


"Turkey's Armenians do not intend to depart from the Ottoman Empire any more. Problems concerning the Armenians in Turkey can not even be subject to negotiations between the Ottomans and the Armenian Republic. The relationships between the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian Republic are perfect and should be the same in the future, as well. All Armenian political parties share the same opinion on this matter. Continuance of these good neighborhood relationships is one of the major points of the Armenian Government, in which I am the Foreign Minister."43


Tashnak press organ Hairenik wrote the following in its issue of 28 June 1918:


"The hostile policy followed by Russia against Turkey was encouraging Caucasian Armenians as well. Caucasian Armenians caused the conflicts between two friendly elements. Fortunately, this did not last long. Caucasian Armenians understood that their security would be ensured only in Turkey and reached out their hands to Turkey. Turkey also wanted to forget what had happened in the past and shook hands with a knight's spirit. We admit that the Armenian problem is now settled and remained in the past. Mutual lack of confidence and hostility, caused by some adventurous foreign agents, should be eliminated."44


We can derive the following results from these interesting statements:


a) Armenian problem is over.
b) Russians and Armenians are responsible for the events, not Turks.
c) If there was an unjustness, it was Turks who suffered it.


As it is seen, the fact that what we are saying today is true was confessed by the Tashnaks 64 years ago, in 1918. However, despite these clear confessions, the problem would not be deemed to be closed by the Armenians and Armenian milieus would forget their confessions and pursue their old dreams at the first opportunity. As a matter of fact, Armenian gang operation continued despite Batum agreement.


Defeat of Ottoman Empire in the 1st World War and execution of Mondros Armistice Agreement on 30 October 1918 reactivated the Armenians.

Caucasian Armenian Republic under the control of Tashnak, who were pursuing great expectations, declared that they "annexed Turkish Armenia" on 28 May 1919, which was the first anniversary of its foundation. This declaration was taken seriously by nobody but Entente States.


Paris Peace Conference resulted with Sevres dictate left the issue of Armenia's borders to the arbitration of USA President Wilson, and Wilson sent an American delegation under the presidency of General James G. Harbord to Turkey in autumn 1919 to make examinations. Harbord delegation, having conducted examinations in Turkey in September and October 1919, submitted its conclusions in the form of a report to the US Congress. In this report, reflecting the truths, it was established that "Turks and Armenians lived side by side in peace during centuries, Turks suffered as much as the Armenians during deportation, Turkish villages were burnt down, maximum 20% of the Turkish peasants who went to the war could return, Armenians were never in majority at the regions called Turkish Armenia at the beginning of the 1st World War, the deported Armenians would not be capable of constituting the majority in even a single location in case of their return, the returning Armenians were not endangered and the sad and terrible allegations on the incidents were not true".45 Upon this report, the US Congress rejected to be a mandate for Armenia in April 1920. On 10 August 1920, Sevres Agreement that once more gave hope to the Armenians was concluded. The Agreement was providing that the Ottoman State recognize Armenia as a free and independent state and left the determination of the border to the arbitration of Wilson.


As it is known, there were two governments in Turkey on 10 August 1920; the Ottoman Government in Istanbul and the National Assembly Government in Ankara. It was the Ottoman Government who signed Sevres. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's Ankara Government would settle the "Armenian Issue" on its own.


Following Mondros Armistice Agreement, France occupied Adana province and England occupied Urfa, Maraş and Antep. Later on, England left its occupied regions over to France and the Armenians brought together by the French and dressed with French uniforms started to attack the Turks. This cruelty received the response of Turks and the Turkish resistance was organized against French-Armenian occupation. Thereafter, the propaganda that the Turks were murdering the Armenians was initiated; however, this time primarily the French command and nobody believed the Armenians.


Following the rejection of mandate for Armenia by the US Congress, regular units and gangs subsidiary to Caucasian Armenian Republic launched an attack against Turkey in June 1920, Ankara Government ordered a counter-attack in September and the Turkish forces severely defeated the Armenians and rescued all Turkish territories including Kars and entered Gümrü by crossing the border. Upon the peace request of the Armenian Government after this defeat, Gümrü (Alexandropol) Agreement was concluded on 3 December 1920. The Armenians admitted through this agreement that Sevres was ineffective and officially abandoned their land claims against Turkey.


However, the Red Army entered Erivan before the ratification of this agreement and the Soviet Armenian Government was founded.


The rule in Erivan was again taken by the Tashnaks through the rebellion initiated by Vratzian on 18 February 1921. Vratzian Government sent a delegation to Ankara on 18 March and requested assistance from Ankara Government against Bolsheviks. It is a strange occurrence of history that the Tashnak Government, who had declared only two years ago that they had annexed the Eastern Anatolian territory, were requesting the assistance of Ankara to survive.


This Tashnak Government did not last long and the Soviets came to rule again in Erivan.


Turkey concluded Moscow Agreement with Soviet Union on 16 March 1921. To complement this agreement, Kars Agreement was concluded with Soviet Armenia on 13 October 1921. Both agreements included provisions that Sevres was not recognized. Therefore, Soviet Armenian Government abandoned all claims following the Tashnak Government and the ineffectiveness of Sevres was documented once more.

Shahverdof, Justice and Labor Commissary of Soviet Armenia emphasized in the speech he delivered at the signing ceremony of Kars Agreement that, "it would not be possible to make those two nations offend each other for the interests of others".


Following the liquidation of eastern frontier in this manner, southern frontier was also liquidated upon the agreement concluded with France on 20 October 1921 and the French forces withdrew by taking the Armenian legion and local committee members they had brought together, and took most of the local Armenian people almost by force and settled them in Lebanon. The same incident would be witnessed in Hatay's joining the homeland.


Lausanne Agreement, which was concluded on 24 July 1923 and replaced Sevres, included no provision about Armenians.


Thus, the issue was completely resolved by Lausanne. Present allegations of the Armenians based on Sevres make no sense at all.

While closing, it would be convenient to remind that Sevres agreement was not approved by the nations who were parties to it.


Footnotes:


(43) SCHEMSI, Kara; op. Cit., p. 31
(44) SCHEMSI, Kara; op. Cit., pp. 31-32
(45) URAS, Esat; a.g.e., pp. 682-683