Further proof of the Spanish King’s efforts to save Armenian intellectuals during genocide

The Research Center for Western Armenian Studies recently published documents on its website, proving that the King of Spain during the Genocide.

The Center has now published an official letter from Spain’s Representative to the Ottoman Empire addressed to Turkish Foreign Minister Halil Bey. In the letter dated May 10, 1916 Spain’s Ambassador Julian del Arroyo wrote that His Majesty King Alfonso XIII was asking Sultan Mehmed V to spare the lives of Aknuni, Daniel Varuzhan, Siamanto, and other prominent Armenians, reports.

Regrettably the Spanish King was unaware that these Armenians had been killed long before his praiseworthy intervention.

Several recently obtained documents indicate that Interior Minister Talat finally made up a fake story about the fate of these prominent Armenians. Talat wrote to Foreign Minister Halil Bey on July 25, 1916, asking him to advise the Spanish Ambassador that the Armenians in question, while being led to the Diyarbakir Military Court, had overcome their guards and escaped to Russia. Talat concealed the fact that the Armenian prisoners had been killed months before the Spanish King’s inquiry.