by ARMENIAN CYPRIOT » Sat Jun 21, 2008 7:12 pm
The figure of 800,000 deaths actually comes from the official Ottoman statistics for 1915 - 1918 provided by Cemal's bureau (statistics released in publishing - Ottoman Gazette Takvimi Vekâyi No. 3909, July 21, 1920, pp. 3, 4). These statistics were obtained for the bureau by Mustafa Arif (Interior Minister), and only count those that were massacred during "deportations/relocations". They do NOT include the number of Armenian soldiers who were disarmed and killed in February of 1915.
There is only one reference to the silly figure of 300,000 deaths that Turkey so vehemently sticks to: Talat Pasha. How he came to this figure is a mystery, as there are no references to his sources or data. Yet, Turkey has come to rely on this completely unreliable number.
Turkey also likes to claim that Armenians have inflated the figures throughout the years to the current 1.5 million. However, that 1.5 million figure actually comes from German & Austrian officials who stated 1.5 & 1.2 million on SEVERAL occasions.
Oct 29, 1915 report from Dr. Arthur Chevalier de Nadamlenzki of the Austria-Hungary Adrianople (Edirne) consul: For the entire Ottoman Empire 1.5 million had already been deported (Ibid. 12 Tiirkei/463, Z.94/P).
Jul 2, 1916 report: As early as February 1916, 1.5 million Armenians destroyed (Volkswirtschaftliche Studien in der Türkei, A. A. Türkei, 134/35, A18613).
May 27, 1916 report from Foreign Office Intelligence Director Erzberger: 1.5 million Armenians destroyed (A.A. Türkei 183/42, A13959).
Oct 4, 1916 report from German Interim Ambassador to Turkey Wilhelm Radowitz: 1.5 million Armenians destroyed, 425,000 survive (A.A. Türkei 183/44, A27493).
Mar 13, 1918 report to Vienna from Dr. Kwatkiowski of the Austrian consul at Trabzon and Samsun: 1 million deported in the six eastern provinces, most died (Austrian Foreign Ministry Archives 12 Türkei/380, ZI.17/pol and 12 Türkei/463, Z.94/P).
1918 report from German major Franz Karl Endres serving in the Turkish army: 1.2 million Armenians perished (Die Türkei. Munich, CH Beck, 1918, p. 161).
...aaaaaand so forth. I could go on with quite a bit more, but you get the picture. Though none of these figures are guarantees, they paint quite the interesting picture in contrast to figures offered by others, especially considering the direct involvement of many of these people in the extermination project.