In 1921, the book “The Great Crime” of the Diaspora Armenian writer-publicist Aram Antonyan, in the documentary genre, was published in Boston. Aram Antonyan (1887-1952) was one of the few people who managed to leave the Deir-el-Zor desert alive during the Armenian Genocide, where Armenians were massacred or starved to death.

The book presented for the first time important documents related to the Armenian Genocide: testimonies, official orders, codes, telegrams, letters and other written sources. The book contains Naim Bey’s memoirs, some secret documents belonging to him, and Talaat Pasha’s telegrams.

Naim Bey gave those documents to Aram Antonyan. By reading those cables, secret documents, we get a complete picture of how Ottoman Turkey organized the Armenian Genocide, what orders Talaat gave, and what method they used to carry out the massacres of Armenians.

In Talaat’s secret cables, we notice that he openly talks about Armenians, who should be sent to massacre the deserts. We read about it in Talaat’s December 1915 telegram.

N 801

“Party of Aleppo.

To every individual.

The Armenians working in railway and other constructions have also been decided to be sent to their places of deportation, and the army commanders have been informed about this by the Ministry of War. Report the result.

26 Dec. 915. “Home Secretary Tallead.” (Antonyan A., “The Great Crime”, Boston, 1921, p. 58).

Already in one of the telegrams of 1916, we read about the removal of the Armenians of Western Armenia from their settlements, taking them to the desert and massacring them.

N 840

“Party of Aleppo.

“We heard that there are 40-50,000 Armenians, most of them women and children, along the roads of the lines extending from Intil, Ayran to Aleppo. The most severe punishment will be given to those persons who will be the cause of a concentration of misery on those positions which are of great importance for military deployment. Therefore, after negotiating with the government of Atana, send those Armenians on foot to their places of exile (deserts) immediately, without going to Aleppo. I am anxiously waiting for you to report the result within a week.”

16 January 916: “Interior Minister Tallead”. (Ibid., p. 59).

In the telegrams, we also find facts about how women, children and the elderly were convinced that their husbands, husbands and fathers would join their families during migration or immediately after moving to a so-called “safe place”.

N 860

“Party of Aleppo.

“Answer to January 27 916 summons. –

Convince us that the men will eventually join them, and send them to the places of exile.

2 February 916: “Interior Minister Tallead”. (Ibid., p. 61).

Aram Antonyan’s “Great Crime” is one of the first important documentary works of the Armenian Genocide, which is based on real documents and testimonies. Secret materials and Talaat Pasha’s cables reveal the planned and coordinated nature of the genocide. Those documents clearly show how the Ottoman authorities organized the deportation and massacre of Armenians, deceiving and misleading the Armenians.

These facts show the real mechanisms of genocide as a crime organized by the Turks.

Z. Sh:i was late

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