ملف ٧٠٥/١٩١٦ الجزء ٢ "انتفاضة عربية: التقارير العربية؛ تقارير السير م. سايكس" [ظ‎‎٢‎٩] (٤٥٠/٥٦)

the deported Armenians that had come from Erzerum. In charge of the latter was a
colleague of mine, Mohamed Effendi, from the gendarmerie. He told me afterwards
that after leaving Kamach they came to a valley where the Euphrates ran. A band of
‘'Shotas” sprang.out and stopped the convoy. They ordered the escort to keep away,
and then shot every one of the Armenians and threw them in the river.
At Trebizond the Moslems were warned that if they sheltered Armenians th(^
would be liable to the death penalty.
Government officials at Trebizond picked up some of the prettiest Armenian
women of the best families. After committing the worst outrages on them they had
them killed.
Cases of rape of women and ffirls, even publicly, are very numerous. They w'ere
systematically murdered after the outrage.
iho Armenians deported from Erzerum started with their cattle and whatever
possessions they could carry. When they reached Erzmjiau they became suspicious,
seeing that all the Armenians had already been deported. The Yali of Erzerum
allayed their fears, and assured them most solemnly that no harm would befall them.
He told them that the first convoy should leave for Kamach, the others remaining at
Erzerum until they received word from their friends informing of their safe arrival to
destination. And so it happened. Word came*that the first batch had arrived safely
at Kamach, which was true enough. But the men were kept at Kamach and shot,
and the womeipand children were massacred by the “ Shotas after leaving that town/
Ihe Turkish officials in charge of the deportation and exterminate n of the
Armemans were: At Erzerum, Bihaa Eddin Shaker Bey; at Trebizond, Naiil Bey,
iewfik Bey Monastirly, colonel of gendarmerie, the commissioner of police; at Kamach ?
the member of Parliament for Erzinjian. Hie Shotas’ headquarters were also at Kamach!
I ieir chief was the Kurd Murza Bey, wffio boasted that he alone had killed 70,000
Armenians. Afterwards he w^as thought to be dangerous by the Turks and thrown
into prison charged with having hit a gendarme. He was eventually executed in
secret.
APPENDIX (C).
-luo -t±iuu Movement.
Lieutenant bayed Ahmed Moukhtar, from Aleppo, has had a share in the propaganda
fhr Arab independence. Before the war he was co-operating.with Arab leaders VSvria
for the furtherance of Arab aims. He did not approve ot the congress in Paris al he
foresaw that public manifestations would only lead to reprisals by the Yo,mg Turks
and eventually to a cruel revenge. As it happened, the Unionists have hanged in the
course of the present war, all notable Arabs they could lay hands on, who had taken
part m the Paris congress. taneii
Four months after the outbreak of war, Moukhtar was ordered to go to Erzeroum
He was sent under the escort ot two gendarmes and remained in the Caucasus uAi he
was made prisoner by the Russians at the fall of Trebizond. During the whole of At
t.me he had been kept m the dark regarding the Arab movement S
be e^patd th ^ ^ T ™ to
the Arab nation. They systematic^ hindered the Arabs fr^rp^kermentd
hldnAies ° PP every eff0rt f0r the deve, °P ment ^ agriculture, commerce and
Independence should be granted to the Arabs but nnrW + 1 ^ + i i
of a European Power. The Arabs are not Hpttr’se^vtmeh tr ° ] ^
i-rr 7 Ug t0 customs, nature, education, and religion of the Arabs in 1,
different provinces, they cannot all be ruled by the same law? n f U • th
be the cardinal feature of the new Government. While in Heiaz amf Y^ 00 ' 1 T St
sasfS? x;
but his mandate must be exdusAfy^lfti^AdArhANtAiY^Th 6
Simula be divided into four provinces, Hejaz, Yemen Syria TrA t i Jh kl - Dgdom
have a separate legislation and a governor elected by the p’ejple' Ach province" to