Armenian activities in The United States (1914-1917)

Ottoman-American relations became official with the Trade Agreement signed in 1830. In particular, the United States has obtained more privileges from this agreement than the Ottoman Empire. The most important of these privileges has been in the field of education and religion. American missionaries who began to come to Ottoman territory in the 19th century, tried to influence the American press with their biased reports by establishing close relations with the Armenians. The Armenians, who emigrated to the United States as a result of the activities of the missionaries in the Ottoman Empire and various reasons, gradually became American nationality and began to organize there in a short time. In particular, the propaganda carried out by the Hinçak and Tashnak Committees in America has had an effect in a short time and Turkish prejudice has been established in the American public. The Committee Armenians, who acted to make their dreams of an independent state a reality when the Ottoman Empire entered the First World War, rebelled on Ottoman territory and committed acts of terror against the Muslim population during the war. It put the Ottoman Empire in a difficult position. To prevent harmful activities, the Ottoman Empire forced Armenians in the war zones to migrating on May 27, 1915. Armenians became the most important agenda of the American public opinion during the First World War due to the decision of the Dispatch and Settlement. Since the dispatch of Armenians meant that the work carried out by American missionaries on Ottoman soil for half a century was vained, the American public began to be directed as the slaughter of Armenians. With the contributions of England and churches, the "barbarian" Turkish profile was tried to be drawn and successful in this regard. Armenian Question has become an important factor between the Ottoman Empire and the United States through their propaganda efforts. It can be stated that the press reports in this have contributed greatly. In this thesis study, the size of the propaganda in the American public in 1914-1917 and the measures taken by the Ottoman State against the propaganda were examined within the framework of Ottoman-USA relations.