Özet:

There are two main points that help us better understand the developments leading to the Relocation and Resettlement Law of 27 May 1915. The first point is the alliance between the sections of the Ottoman Armenian population under the Dashnaktsutyun leadership and the imperialist European states and Tsarist Russia. The second is the policy of ethnic cleansing against the Muslim population by the Armenian volunteer committees in order to change the demographic balance in the region in their favour to achieve the aim of “Great Armenia”. Documents (correspondences between officials, field reports etc.) contained at the Tsarist Russian archives, the archives of a state that was outright at war with the Ottoman Empire, provide us evidence and context to properly understand the rationale and legitimacy of the relocation policy carried out by the Ottoman Empire concerning its Armenian subjects. National and international court verdicts, such as those of the European Court of Human Rights, in contemporary times concerning issues on genocide disputes and freedom of expression add additional perspective on the research of the relocation policy.

Anahtar Kelimeler: