Bitlis, Osmanlı Devleti’nde planlı Ermeni olaylarının ilk başladığı yerdir. Hınçak Cemiyeti kurulduktan kısa bir süre sonra, Ermenilerin en yoğun yaşadığı bu vilayette Müslümanlarla Ermeniler arasında çatışma ortamı oluşturmak için harekete geçmiş ve bunda başarılı olmuştur. Bitlis vilayetindeki terörün amacı, Avrupalı devletlerin dikkatini Doğu Anadolu’daki Ermenilere çekmek ve Sultan II. Abdülhamid’e geciken ıslahat projelerini uygulatabilmekti. Osmanlı hükümeti bu ilk teşebbüslerden haberdar olunca Bitlis’e tecrübeli ve güçlü bir vali tayin etmek ihtiyacı hissetti. Hasan Tahsin Paşa, 1891-1895 yılları arasında bu vilayette valilik yaptı ve olayları planlayan Mihran Damadyan ve Hamparsum Boyacıyan gibi birçok Ermeni çete liderini yakalayarak, teşkilatın sırlarını çözdü. Vilayette sıkıyönetim uygulayan vali, kısa sürede bölgedeki ABD misyonerlerinin ve Avrupa Devletleri konsoloslarının da bu iş içinde olduğunu ortaya çıkardı. Onun bu faaliyetleri hem Ermeni komitelerinin ve hem de İngiltere başta olmak üzere Avrupa Devletlerinin Doğu Anadolu hakkındaki planlarını bozacak nitelikteydi. Bu yüzden valinin görevden alınması için Osmanlı hükümeti üzerinde büyük bir baskı oluşturuldu ve Batı kamuoyu vali Hasan Tahsin Paşa’nın şahsiyetinde bir Osmanlı imajı inşa ederek bütün kitlesel örgütleri “Osmanlı Devleti’nde Ermenilerin katledildiği” haberi üzerine çekti. Bu makalede, 1891-1895 yılları arasında Bitlis’te yaşananlar vali Hasan Tahsin Paşa ekseninde, Cumhurbaşkanlığı Osmanlı Arşivi kayıtları ışığında, Avrupa’da propaganda basın merkezinde ele alınarak Ermeni Sorununun doğuşuna ve bunda Avrupa’nın etkisine dair bir sonuca ulaşılmaya çalışılacaktır
Bitlis is the first place in the Ottoman Empire where the Armenian events began in a planned manner._x000D_
Shortly after its establishment, the Hunchakian Society, in this province where the Armenians lived_x000D_
the most, took action to create an atmosphere of conflict between the Muslims and the Armenians._x000D_
The aim of the terror in the province of Bitlis was to draw the attention of the European states to the_x000D_
Armenians in Eastern Anatolia and to implement the delayed reform projects Abdülhamid II. When_x000D_
the Ottoman Government became aware of these first attempts, the government felt the need to_x000D_
appoint an experienced and powerful governor to Bitlis. Hasan Tahsin Pasha served as governor in_x000D_
this province between 1891-1895 and captured many Armenian gang leaders such as Mihran_x000D_
Damadyan and Hamparsum Boyacıyan who planned the events and solved the secrets of the_x000D_
organization. The governor who practiced martial law in the province soon found out that the US_x000D_
missionaries and the consuls of the European States in the region were involved in this matter. His_x000D_
activities were in a way to disrupt the plans of both the Armenian committees and the European_x000D_
states, especially England, on Eastern Anatolia. Therefore, a great pressure was put on the Ottoman Government for the dismissal of the governor and the Western public opinion built an Ottoman image_x000D_
under the personality of Governor Hasan Tahsin Pasha and drew all mass organizations on the news_x000D_
that “Armenians were massacred in the Ottoman Empire.”_x000D_
In this article, the events in Bitlis between 1891-1895 will be discussed in the light of the records of_x000D_
the Governor Hasan Tahsin Pasha and Presidential Ottoman Archives, in the propaganda press centre_x000D_
in Europe, and an attempt will be made to reach a conclusion about the emergence of the Armenian_x000D_
Question and the effect of Europe in this.
Bitlis is the first place in the Ottoman Empire where the Armenian events began in a planned manner. Shortly after its establishment, the Hunchakian Society, in this province where the Armenians lived the most, took action to create an atmosphere of conflict between the Muslims and the Armenians. The aim of the terror in the province of Bitlis was to draw the attention of the European states to the Armenians in Eastern Anatolia and to implement the delayed reform projects Abdülhamid II. When the Ottoman Government became aware of these first attempts, the government felt the need to appoint an experienced and powerful governor to Bitlis. Hasan Tahsin Pasha served as governor in this province between 1891-1895 and captured many Armenian gang leaders such as Mihran Damadyan and Hamparsum Boyacıyan who planned the events and solved the secrets of the organization. The governor who practiced martial law in the province soon found out that the US missionaries and the consuls of the European States in the region were involved in this matter. His activities were in a way to disrupt the plans of both the Armenian committees and the European states, especially England, on Eastern Anatolia. Therefore, a great pressure was put on the Ottoman Government for the dismissal of the governor and the Western public opinion built an Ottoman image under the personality of Governor Hasan Tahsin Pasha and drew all mass organizations on the news that “Armenians were massacred in the Ottoman Empire.” In this article, the events in Bitlis between 1891-1895 will be discussed in the light of the records of the Governor Hasan Tahsin Pasha and Presidential Ottoman Archives, in the propaganda press centre in Europe, and an attempt will be made to reach a conclusion about the emergence of the Armenian Question and the effect of Europe in this.
