Making a speech due to the 91th anniversary of the independence of Erzurum, Historian Muzaffer Tasyurek said that Erzurum been subject of many big catastrophes and massacres. Tasyurek said that Erzurum occupied by Russians three times in 1829, 1878 and in 16 February 1916 due to its strategic importance and occupations left big damages. Stating that Armenian troops who were keeping company with Russian armed forces made unprecedented tortures and massacred thousands of Muslim Turks, Tasyurek said, "Armenian partizans had tied hands and feet of people and they murdered them with axes. People of Erzurum were all filled into hamams and they were burned. Women, children and old people were filled in haylofts and were burned alive. Men of the towns were taken out of the city with telling them they will cut trees or open the roads, and they were murdered there. Pregnant women were disemboweled and their babies killed with bayonets."
Stating that the massacres and catastrophes in Erzurum were big impacts to the historical mission of Erzurum, Tasyurek said, "World War One was like a hurricane for Erzurum. Two thirds of the city was burned by enemy. Libraries and historical buildings were ruined. Economy was collapsed. People had to eat weed to survive."
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
