Westarmenien

Datei:Western Armenian Armenian population 1870s .jpg

The Armenian population of the eastern regions of the Ottoman Empire in 1870s, before the systematic killings of Armenians. (in Armenian)

Western Armenia (for other name see below) is a term, prmarily used by Armenians, to refer to Armenian-inhabited areas of the Armenian Highland that were part of the Ottoman Empire and now are part of the Republic of Turkey.

After the Hamidian Massacres of 1894-1896 and the Armenian Genocide (1915-1923) the indigenous Armenian population was either massacred, escaped to Russia or deported to the Syrian deserts. Currently, mostly Kurds and Turks live in that area, with minorities being Azerbaijanis, Laz people and Hamshenis.

Names

In English

• Turkish Armenia is an archaic term used until 1920s
• Ottoman Armenia is an archaic term used until 1920s

In Armenian

• Արեւմտեան Հայաստան (Arevmdean Hayasdan) in Western Armenian meaning "Western Armenia"
• Արևմտյան Հայաստան (Arevmtyan Hayastan) Eastern Armenian meaning "Western Armenia"
• Տաճկահայաստան (Tačkahayastan / Daǰkahayasdan) is an archaic term used until 1920s meaning "Turkish Armenian"
• Թրքահայաստան (Trkahayastan) is an archaic term meaning "Turkish Armenia"

Current situation

The modern concept of the United Armenia as used by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun).

The fate of Western Armenia — commonly referred to as "The Armenian Question" — is considered as a key issue in the modern history of the Armenian people. The first and second congresses of Western Armenians took place in Yerevan in 1917 and 1919. Since 2000, an organizing committee of congress of heirs of Western Armenians who survived the Armenian Genocide is active in diasporan communities.

Currently, the Republic of Armenia doesn't have any territorial claims to the Republic of Turkey, although, some political parties such as the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, the largets Armenian party in the diaspora, claim the area given to the Republic of Armenia (1918-1920) by US President Woodrow Wilson's arbitral award in 1920, also known as Wilsonian Armenia.

Demographics

The Eastern Anatolia Region of modern Turkey roughly corresponding to the Western Armenia.

The western border of the Republic of Armenia as drawn by US President Woodrow Wilson's arbitral award in 1920. The territory is also know as Wilsonian Armenia.

See also

• History of Armenia
• Geography of Armenia
• Armenian Highland
• Armenians in the Ottoman Empire
• Ottoman Armenian population

Further reading

• Arman J. Kirakosian, "English Policy towards Western Armenia and Public Opinion in Great Britain (1890-1900)", Yerevan, 1981, 26 p. (in Armenian and Russian).

External links

• Disappearance of Western Armenia after World War 1
• Video: Provinces of Western Armenia
• Radio Television Western Armenia