Armenian soldiers saved Ottoman Military Minister Enver Pasha

Armenian soldiers saved Ottoman Military Minister Enver Pasha from being taken prisoner by the Russians on the Sarikamish front. Enver sent a letter of gratitude to Archbishop Zaven Der-Yeghiayan, the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul. The defeat at Sarikamish became the pretext to blame Armenian soldiers of treachery. On Feb. 12, 1915 Enver Pasha signed the order to disarm Armenian soldiers to force them become “amel tabouri” (labor battalions) and “hamal tabouri” (porter battalions). This was followed by their isolation and disarmament of Armenian officers. Enver later followed these with the order to eliminate all Armenian soldiers in the Ottoman Army.

Armenian soldiers saved Ottoman Military Minister Enver Pasha from being taken prisoner by the Russians on the Sarikamish front. Enver sent a letter of gratitude to Archbishop Zaven Der-Yeghiayan, the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul. The defeat at Sarikamish became the pretext to blame Armenian soldiers of treachery. On Feb. 12, 1915 Enver Pasha signed the order to disarm Armenian soldiers to force them become “amel tabouri” (labor battalions) and “hamal tabouri” (porter battalions). This was followed by their isolation and disarmament of Armenian officers. Enver later followed these with the order to eliminate all Armenian soldiers in the Ottoman Army.