1915-08-14-DE-012-M

Source: DE/PA-AA/Embassy Constantinople/Vol. 170.
Publication: DuA doc. 139 (rev. abbr.)
Translator: Linda Struck

The Vice Consul in Mossul (Holstein) to the Embassy in Constantinople

No. 24

Mossul, 14 August 1915

Reply to Telegr. No. 22.
So far I have not heard any remarks here that we are supposed to be the instigators of the atrocities committed against the Christians; on the other hand, the various local honest elements of the population are without doubt of the opinion that we are doing nothing to ensure that the guilty are punished and that an end is put to the atrocities at long last.
Everyone knows that the Vali of Diarbekir, for example, is the instigator of the terrible crimes committed on the Christians in his Vilayet; everyone rightly presumes that we are also aware of the atrocities and they are asking themselves why we allow a notorious mass murderer to remain unpunished and continue to be the Vali. It would hardly suffice merely to express our disapproval of the atrocities to effectively counteract the various compromising attitudes towards us.
Not until we have forced the Porte to ruthlessly demand that the criminals who are sitting in official positions in Diarbekir, Mardin, Seert, etc, account for these allegations and to do so as quickly as possible, only then will they drop the suspicions held against us.
I read in various German newspapers official Turkish denials of the atrocities committed against the Christians and am surprised at the naivety of the Porte in believing they can obliterate facts about the crimes by Turkish officials simply by telling downright lies.
Up to now the world has not experienced such atrocities, which have been proven to be and are still being committed by officials in the Vilayet Diarbekir!

[Holstein]