Special Project. Survivors of Armenian Genocide. Tovmas Poghosyan’s evidence about Armenian massacres in Karin

Aysor.am is launching the third series of project “Armenian Genocide: Breaking the Silence.” Under the headline “Survivors” we will regularly present the testimonies of survivors of the 1915 Armenian massacres in the Ottoman Turkey. 

Only 1000 out of 4000 houses in the famous Tigranakert settlement were Armenian. With a few exceptions, trade and handicrafts were in the hands of Armenian residents. I cannot make economic estimates, but they were quite well-off. During the draft, most Armenian soldiers, with a few exceptions, went to perform their duty. Meanwhile the confiscatory commission used to rob Armenian merchants and their homes. The military often stole the items they needed from Armenian districts, without paying attention to complaints. I was drafted into Lebanon’s 21st cannon company that was sent to Kespri. Two months later we were moved to Keotak. Our company had 1,600 soldiers, only 200 remained alive after battles and were moved to the village of Azap where we rested until January. In that month the Armenian soldiers were disarmed.

Only 60 Armenians soldiers remained from our company. We were all disarmed and used for transportation services for 15 days, after which we were sent to Erzurum and imprisoned, and 8 days later we were transported to Ashgala. One night, we were moved from Ashgala to Mamakhatun in order to work on the roads. Then we were offered to become Turks. We wanted to know the reason of that proposal. They said there was no reason - they just offered us to become Turks. Of course, we refused and they disarmed us. We continued to work on roads of Derjan until May when persecution of Armenians began. By that time demanding money by force had become a common occurrence.

Prisoners tied with ropes were brought from the prison. We were ordered to dig trenches in advance for their bodies. They were killed before our eyes and we had to bury them at gunpoint. Gendarmes and chetens (?) were the executioners. Using death threats, they forced us to keep silent and to reply to all questions that Kurds had attacked and killed them. We no longer worked on roads – now our daily job was to dig trenches and bury corpses. On Sunday they brought a group of prisoners from Erzurum and started to kill them. One of the prisoners was wounded in the chest, but he remained alive and asked for water. A German officer, with a gun in his hand, asked that man: “Do you want a bullet instead of water?” and fired at him. The following day we along with a measurer met a wounded Armenian on the road. He asked us to give him bread. He told us that he was buried alive but managed to get out of the grave after suffering for three days. He was one of the group members we buried.

He walked towards tents of laborer soldiers. We later saw the wounded man sitting near the tents. Some soldiers were digging a grave. In response to our question, the wounded man said: “They are going to bury me”. And indeed, they threw him into a trench and buried alive. General deportations of Karn and Derjan started at that point. Those of us who had a family and house were told to move along the deportation route together with family members. Realizing that they intended to kill, we did not allow Derjan’s soldiers to leave along with their families, although they were willing to do it. Soldiers’ supervisor Hasan chavush arrived at that moment and strictly forbade them to go, saying that all of them would be killed in that case. No one left after his words. At that time we were between Mamakhatun and Keopsi. Caravans of deportees would arrive every day. Each caravan was stopped. Men were taken aside and murdered, then women were robbed, gang raped and killed. The rest were driven away, while we were forced to throw bodies into trenches. Then the next caravan would arrive, with the same atrocities being committed. This continued for about 6 weeks. I witnessed their barbaric fun many a time. Before killing a pregnant woman, they would cut open her stomach, rip out the baby, throw the baby on a sword, and lough loudly, watching the child’s agonized convulsions. Six companies of laborer soldiers were working along the road.

They assembled us one night and told us to head to Yerznka – some high-ranking German military were allegedly expected to arrive in their cars so the road should be repaired. Yet upon reaching Keoti we were suddenly told to return. It was announced that an order was given to kill us, but later it was decided not to kill. In the evening the abovementioned supervisor Hasan said we would be killed one day so we had better run away. A group was going to flee, but Sirakan chavush from Basen informed the commander. We were imprisoned for three days, then were released and began to work again. Hasan chavush again came at night and told us to flee since we would be killed after the harvest. I and six friends devised an escape plan. We handed wheat to migrants, bought bread and moved towards Chipime Mount. We met two Turkish deserters there and they guided us to Yerznka where we bought some bread. In the morning we met Turkish military in a gorge. We said in response to their questions that we were engaged in transport operations. We lost five friends in the gorge. Two of us survived. On March 1, 1916 Kurds attacked Turks, near Tersim, Metskertr and all nearby regions. I participated in those raids four times. Following raids, they never shared any loot with me. I was half naked. Then I went to another Kurdish agha. There were many Armenians there. We remained until the capture of Yerznka and moved to Yerznka.

The project was prepared with the assistance of the Information and Analytical Center of the Armenian Government Staff.