Ömer Engin LÜTEM
25 June 2014
                                                                             

A grand conference was convened in Versailles, France right after the First World War for the preparation of the peace treaties. Representatives of peoples who intended to win their independence attended the conference and made speeches to raise their demands. Boghos Nubar Pasha of Egypt, who represented Ottoman Armenians, demanded around half of present-day Turkey, but these big lands were not given to the Armenians because the southern part was specifically demanded by France as well. Many years later, the then Prime Minister of England, Lloyd George, described these demands as “fairytales of Boghos” in his memoirs.  [i]

As the conference faced difficulties in determining the lands to be given to the Armenians, it referred the issue to American President Wilson through an article added in the Treaty of Sèvres. The lands that President Wilson foresaw to be given to Armenia were one third of the lands demanded by Boghos Nubar. Still, these territories constituted a very big land as it included the lands remaining within a circle starting from the west of Trabzon, including Van in the south, reaching the borders of present-day Iran and rounding out at Batum’s west. This land determined by Wilson is four times bigger than present-day Armenia. In the end, let alone seizing this territory, Armenia would be defeated by Turkish forces, would lose its independency in about 40 days after Wilson’s decisionand join the Soviet Union. To briefly sum it up, the borders drawn by Wilson have the characteristics of a “fairytale” as well.

As the conference faced difficulties in determining the lands to be given to the Armenians, it referred the issue to American President Wilson through an article added in the Treaty of Sèvres. The lands that President Wilson foresaw to be given to Armenia were one third of the lands demanded by Boghos Nubar. Still, these territories constituted a very big land as it included the lands remaining within a circle starting from the west of Trabzon, including Van in the south, reaching the borders of present-day Iran and rounding out at Batum’s west. This land determined by Wilson is four times bigger than present-day Armenia. In the end, let alone seizing this territory, Armenia would be defeated by Turkish forces, would lose its independency in about 40 days after Wilson’s decision and join the Soviet Union. To briefly sum it up, the borders drawn by Wilson have the characteristics of a “fairytale” as well.

For the centennial of 1915, the Armenians and the Armenian Diaspora are in preparations for the genocide allegations to be recognized in the widest arena and for various demands from Turkey to be put forward. In this regard, it can be observed that the borders drawn by Wilson are being brought to the agenda again.

Tomorrow, we will touch on another fairytale, demands by the Dashnak Party.