1916-06-30-DE-011-M

Source: DE/PA-AA/Embassy Constantinople/Vol. 173.
Publication: DuA doc. 283 (rev. abbr.)
Translator: Vera Draack

From the Consul in Damascus (Loytved-Hardegg) to the Embassy in Constantinople

No. 93

Damascus, 30 June 1916

All of the Armenians are more or less being forced to become Mohammedans. With the exception of one family, all of the remaining 149 families in Dera have accepted Islam in writing. As Djemal Pasha is in Jerusalem and interviews with him in writing do not seem to be opportune, I have induced the local Mohammedan notability, who is against this forced change of religion, to make the local gerent of the vilayet aware of the fact that I am profoundly shocked by these measures, because they will cause a strong trend in Germany against the Young Turkish government.
The political advantages, which might be achieved by such attempts to denationalise the Armenians and cut off their relations with the Christian powers would be out of all proportion to the disadvantages which would arise from the negative opinion in Europe and the United States against Turkey. The gerent of the Vilayet denied the attempts to make the Armenians Islamic. I assume that he telegraphed the contents of this discussion to Djemal Pasha.

[Loytved]