Such statements do exist. Usually Armenian Diaspora states that in 1915 during WWI the Ottoman army killed a lot of Armenians. In 1915 the Ottoman Empire was in war with tsarist Russia. When the Ottoman army attacked the Russian army in the Easter territories of the present Turkey, Russians equipped Armenians living in these territories. Armenians lived in the whole territory of the Empire, but those living in the Eastern part, were equipped by Russians and attacked the Ottoman army from the rear. That is why the Ottoman government was forced to take certain measures and deport those Armenians to Southern Anatolia so army can be safe from the rear. During this deportation some Armenians perished, because of battles with Armenian militia and clashes with the local people or because of severe climate conditions of Eastern Turkey. I can add, that in those days less than 1,5 million Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire. Scientists, who analyzed the data of those days, state that about 300 thousand Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire. It is unclear, why the number of perished is 1,5 million, when only 300 thousand lived in the Empires territory. To my point of view, these statements are not right. It may be also added, that during those military attacks 200 thousand Turks living in the Ottoman Empire perished as well as Armenians did. A lot of people were killed during sporadic clashes with Armenians, because of hostility between Armenians and the local people of Eastern Turkey. Both sides – Turks and Armenians – lost a lot of their people, though it is not right to declare that 1,5 million Armenians perished. Armenians were not treated they way it is stated.
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