OpinionSpecial Reports
A History of Destruction: The Fate of Armenian Church Properties in Adana [i]
Genocidal processes involve the loss of large numbers of human life. The motivation behind these processes is always related to the destruction of a certain group of people. However, it is not only the people that make a community; the idea of the community is also related to shared values, everyday routines, culture, literature, and religion. Thus, genocidal processes not only target certain groups of people, but also the symbols, buildings, and monuments that belong to them. This article examines the fate of religious buildings in Adana after the Armenian Genocide of 1915, in a process of destruction that aimed to erase the proof of Armenian existence in the region.
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“After 1918, surviving Adana Armenians attempted to return to their homes. Restitution soon became an obstacle. The heirs of murdered and deceased deportees encountered difficulties when trying to reclaim property. The principle of “appearance in person” (isbât-ı vücud) was in force, and only the person registered on the property could claim it back. Many of those people had, of course, been killed, and their documentation often lost.”
There are countless stories like this from all the Armenian provinces. Those who argue that ” “CUP intent” can’t be proven for the Armenian Genocide need simply to look at these stories of how Armenian properties were quickly appropriated and redistributed and repurposed, and how Armenians were thwarted from claiming their property in the years following the deportations. Some like to suggest that these were decisions of local governors, but laws were passed (like the isbât-ı vücud) which show that the governing body of the nation fully participated in creating Turkey for Turks alone.
Mehmet Polatel, thanks for this significant contribution to scholarship and for viewing history with an impartial eye. I wish you much success in your studies.
Great article.However my question is:has a proper research been done about the movable properties & specially hundreds of years old of church & monastery movable properties from manuscripts,bibles to crosses,etc…?
Venomous Tiger
This is the Adana section. Please go to the Van section.
Does Mehmet Polatel know the fate of the treacherous people? Does he know what happened in Izmit?
Armenians OUT, Altai Turks IN. We will bring more Altai and Chinese Turks So What?
Could someone please tell me where the level headed, fair-minded Turks are? Why are they so quiet? Where are those who marched in solidarity over our mourning for Hrant Dink? Enough of the Turkish fanaticism. It is time for truth and peace between Armenians and Turks.
Could someone please tell John the Turk that this is the 21st century and he sounds like a fool hanging on to a dream of Turkish superiority.
‘Does Mehmet Polatel know the fate of the treacherous people? Does he know what happened in Izmit?’
Many of us don’t know John the Turk: don’t be shy, spell it out.
Tell us what happened in Izmit.
Tell us what happens to, quote, ‘treacherous people’ in Turkey.
And what’s with the Adana and Van sections ? What are you talking about?
Boyajian, 21st century or not, Turks that went out by the 10s of thousands for Hrant Dink are in the minority in Turkey. AK Party won by a landslide in 2002. AK Party won by about 50% in an open and fair election in 2011. CHP, center-left won 25%. MHP, center-right won 13%. Both CHP and MHP are Turk nationalist parties, as is AKP. PM Erdogan’s and FM Davutoğlu’s neo-Ottoman aggressive Pan-Turkic policy is very popular amongst majority of Turks. PM Erdogan is very popular amongst majority of Turks. Not to see the real Turkey which is in plain view in front of our eyes can have tragic consequences for us Armenians.
It is a common misconception, but human societies do not necessarily progress linearly with the progression of time. There have many instances when highly advanced and tolerant societies regressed to barbarism. For example, Germany was a very tolerant, cultured society just prior to their plunge into abyss of Nazi barbarism.
One never knows when it will happen.
Wrong Avery. AKP is strongly disliked by most people in Turkey, but in reality, they stoop to things such as rigging elections, supressing the views of opposition leadership via intimidation, pulling of ploys just to win elections and other vile things. People think the Number 1 threat to Turkey’s territorial integrity would be the AKP and people would like to get rid of AKP, but cannot successfully do so because of fear of jailing/imprisonment.
No We do not want a Roman Peace.
“Not to see the real Turkey which is in plain view in front of our eyes can have tragic consequences for us Armenians.”
Sadly, you are right Avery. The moderate minority is much too silent in Turkey, probably due to fear of reprisals from the majority of the population which supports the neo-Ottoman policies of Erdogan and Davutoglu.
Those moderates certainly don’t visit this site, or if they do, they remains silent.
in your filthy dreams again? LOL
The author throws around the “G” word rather generously, but then again all he is describing is deportation (a technical mistake unbecoming of a researcher of such caliber supposedly: there was no deportation) and de-Armenization (ethnic cleansing) of primarily certain provinces. Which is what the official history records and documents which again the author has referenced extensively.
What is also missing entirely from this writing is the fact that all this was taking place smack in the middle of a Great War, with which Ottomans were involved up to their eye balls. Government penned many policies and directives but naturally many did not have any effect since the very same government and the rule of law was collapsing in Asia Minor at this very time. Lack of this important context and use of somehow never really documented “secret” commands highlight the true intentions under the guise of a scientific objectivity.
Thank you for a very informative article.
I also wanted to mention that the “principal of appearance in person” was not always practiced either. I know that my grandfather who had escaped the genocide on account of being out of the country at the time (but had lost his whole family) returned to his lands in the early thirties with my grandmother (his new wife) and my mother in the early thirties and lived there for 5-6 years with the intention of getting his properties back. However, he was unable to get anything back, instead he was told stories about how the forests used to be covered with Armenian bodies and how they took the children to the sea to drown. Nothing like putting salt on the wound. He used to say it would take him 2 hours to cross his land on horseback and he dreamt about his orchards till the day he died. In my humble opinion there was no “principal” for an unprincipaled action perpetrated by the CUP and continued by the successor governments.
John the Turk– can you say ” last mummy of the denialist” in the Museum? You are absolutely competing with few of your kind on these pages to take that place but it is very hard to decide whether it will be you, or your fanatic crazies like Murat, Robert the Turk, Monastras, Kurk, Necati ect….you are absolutely up there on the ranks of being Genocidal and neo-ottoman….
Murat- same song and dance with the Turkey being in war.. who gives rat’s a@*@(*#(*@(# what Turkey was in.. the fact remains your ancestors did a very dirty deed and their descendents need to pay for it.. BECAUSE MURAT.. war or not… (nice excuse as always) you are enjoying all the glory that my ancestors build with their sweat and blood and YOUR ancestors took by force, blood and murder…
Mehmet- I thank you for such a great article.. May God protect you and watch over you.. thank you for putting aside all other aspects of politics and viewing this matter purely from the historical point of view.. you are a very smart man and i deeply respect you…
Boyajian jan.. we did have a smart Turk on our pages in the past.. Can’t remember the name right now but unfortunately there are few in between… The pack of these denialists have been dominant on our pages.. however, I am greateful to have people like Mehmet and of course our Turkish friend whose name i can’t remember to carry the honesty and justice torch without reservations….
Gayane
I’m krikor Berberian im just looking for Armenian Community of Adana, I am western Armenian from Adana and my only wish is to go and see where i came from who am i if there is anyone who can help me or has any documents which remains about Berberian familly in Adana plz i would like to know my email is krikor.berberian@gmail.com
Thank you .
thank you .