Top Secret Document Calls Armenians ‘Enemies of the State’

Kenan Evren

Document Charts Turkey’s State Denial of Armenian Genocide

ISTANBUL—A top secret document signed by the Turkish Army chief of staff weeks before the September 12, 1980 coup d’etat characterizes Armenians as “Enemies of the State,” reports Radikal newspaper.

The document entitled “Turkey’s immediate domestic threat” was distributed to all military commanders three months prior to the coup and was signed by then Chief of Staff Kenan Evren, who toppled the regime of Suleyman Demirel during one of many military coups in Turkey.

The document not only characterized Armenians as “Enemies of the State,” but also went on to say that the 1915 “relocation” of Armenians was “justified” because losses and deaths that occurred during that time were the “fault of the Armenians.”

“The assertion that Armenians lost 1.5 million people is a lie. The Armenian losses were between 50 and 100 [presumably 50,000 and 100,000]. The Turks suffered more severe losses,” asserted the document.

The document, which bears Evren’s signature, was used as the basis for carrying out the 1980 coup.

According to the document, which contains a portion on the historical developments, “The Armenian question re-emerges on the agenda in 1913 and from 1914 to 1915 armed Armenian groups were working with Russia on the Eastern Front and attacking Turks and Muslims. These incidents continued until 1918.”

The document goes on to blame Armenians, as well as “inhumane actions” by Europe, for the deaths of “thousands” of people at the time. According to Radikal, through this explanation, the Evren Report justifies the Armenian Genocide.

“During World War I, the Ottoman government found itself in a difficult predicament as a result of the betrayal by Armenians and their continued crimes, thus there was the imperative to transport Armenians to far away places away from the war. This decision corresponded with norms of the time and was legal, as well as a justified decision. It needs to be taken into consideration that these actions were taking place on Ottoman territory, which belonged to Turks,” said the Evren report.

The document also highlights the activities of the Armenian community at the time of its publication saying that the Armenians, having never understood that their ancestors “perished as a result of European policies, continue to be under the influence of inflammatory literature of the time, will fall prey to the same game and become involved in the events of today.”

“Instead of finding the true culprits, they [the Armenians] are attacking innocent political officials and engaging in terrorist activity.

The Evren report also criticized the activities of the Armenian church, saying that church members were deliberately settling Armenians from Anatolia in Istanbul.

“Beginning in 1967, Eastern Anatolia Armenians began to migrate to Istanbul. The poor Armenian children who came to Istanbul received their education and training at the ‘Aramian-Oundjian’ and ‘Immaculate Conception’ schools. During this period the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul told the world of the poverty-stricken children and began to take advantage of the situation. They are also urging them to reclaim their Armenian names,” said the Evren report.

The report also addresses alleged cooperation between Armenians and Kurds at the time, saying that Armenians were working to receive passports from supporters of the Kurdish movement.

“It is imperative that we, at all costs, retaliate against the crimes of these Armenians,” said the Evren report.