Although the Armenian population in this kaza was small (1,691) and limited to five localities(1), one of the main routes through which Armenians were deported from the north and west passed through this administrative unit.[2] For a short period, the kaymakam of Arga (Ar(r)ha), Vasfi Bey, represented the mutesarrif of the sancak Malatya, which is why the German missionary and deputy director of the Bethesda Mission Station in Malatya addressed his intervention of 9 June 1915 in favor of arrested Armenian notables to him (see below). Hans Bauernfeind did not receive a reply.
“Kirk Göz Bridge, which the Armenians deported from Nigde, Tokat, Samsun, Amasia, Gürün, Arapkir, Sivas, and Eğin crossed on their way to one of the killing fields near Malatia, was under the control of a sevkiyat memuri (director of the deportation). With the aid of çetes, who may or may not have been wearing gendarmes’ uniforms, the sevkiyet memuri transported groups of deportees to the other bank of the river after removing males between 12 and 65 from the convoys. These males were massacred on the riverbank and thrown into the river, whereas women and younger children were set walking again, bound for the plain of Fırıncilar, a six-hours march away.”[3]
Ernst Bauernfeind’s Letter to the Kaymakam of Arrha, Vasfi Bey
Malatya, 9 June 1915
Dear Sir,
Please forgive me for taking the liberty of addressing you in writing. Because of not being able to talk to you alone I have no other way left. As the Armenian Question is an extremely important matter and does not leave any peace to anyone, we too cannot remain indifferent. This matter requires severity and rigor, but also wisdom and scrupulous research and information. We know very well that we have no official right to meddle in this matter, but on the other hand, some reasons compel me nevertheless to address some lines to you in this matter. We know from our own experience the state of the population of Malatya, of different nations, we know enough about the present circumstances, we are in the present case, so to speak, neutral, being at the same time confederates of the Ottoman government and people and on the other hand, by our work naturally in contact with the Armenian nation. I assure you, Sir, that we are far from taking the side of the Armenians; on the contrary, as I told you the other day, we seek to correct their faults at every opportunity, and we often speak to them with extreme severity. But, according to what you said the other day, I must assume that you are not yet fully aware of what is going on here at the moment. Therefore, I would like to ask you to allow me to draw your attention to a few points:
1) We are very dismayed by the fact that in many places the Armenians have sided with our enemies, and also that in Malatya so many defensive weapons have been found, and that the population did not deliver them on the first order. But we are quite sure that here fear has played a much more important role than revolutionary intrigues. We also know that many Armenians, by force of violence, beating and other intimidations, have been forced, not having any weapons that they could deliver to the government, to buy them from other people in order to hand them over to the government, or to denounce, in order to free themselves, other people, either guilty or innocent, or to look for other means of lying or falsehood more or less vile and low.
2) Because of this, many men have been put in prison and have been beaten, who are themselves innocent, and only their names have been denounced by treacherous traitors. Certainly, it is necessary to punish the guilty ones severely, but first of all, the guilt is to be proved by the means of public law. We do not think it is legitimate to imprison people just because of a suspicion. We’d be delighted if we were wrong, but we’re right to fear that things like this have happened many times before.
3) Also the execution of the punishment of bastinado has neither rule nor measure and often transgresses the laws of humanity. It seems to us absolutely necessary that, on the occasion of such responsibility the execution of the sentence does not happen without control of officials higher than police officers. I repeat: we would be happy to understand that we see too dark, but the indications are too clear and convincing.
4) Several details: Micael Efendi Chanian and his son Mihran, and the pharmacist Khosrov Efendi Kesheshian. The first two are, in the present case, absolutely innocent and disinterested, have never been involved in any parochial business, but have been slandered in the lowest way. We have known them for a long time, including Khosrov Efendi. He was the leader of the Tashnaktsagan party, but his intentions and efforts were not directed against the government in a revolutionary way, but he worked only for the legitimate interests of his nation, as every party does. His influence was not dangerous and oppositional. Now, the situation has become much worse because of low slander – many Armenians, in order to save themselves, have denounced his name, and because, in the present circumstances, each case is much more serious than in the normal state. Besides, in the dangerous and painful situation, slandered by his countrymen, misunderstood by the government, of which he is a loyal subject, he has recently quite lost his head, so that he was going to poison himself. On his good sense, however, there is no doubt.
5) If you will accept, Sir, our conviction: if the government by force, wants to find here things that really do not exist, and continuously uses means of violence, including against innocent people, we fear that the Armenian population becomes more and more disturbed and worried. However, if the government demonstrates, in addition to the necessary severity, more benevolence, liberality and scrupulous legality, we hope that the Armenian population will learn a lesson from these very painful for everyone days, and that, in the future, it will take a more loyal position. Among them there are some very lowly seducers, and unfortunately the population is, in general, foolish enough to be seduced.
As for us, and also for the government and the welfare of the country, it is of extreme importance that a sincere understanding be established among the government and the Armenian nation, especially in the present circumstances. For this purpose, my conscience has urged me, Sir, to draw your attention and your conscience to the above-mentioned points.
Please accept, Sir, the expression of our most sincere sentiments,
Yours faithfully
Hans Bauernfeind