The place and importance of 1893 Ankara trial in frame of Armenian question

On 6 January 1893, announcements, which were against to the Ottoman government and the Sultan, were attached to the walls of official buildings, gates of mosques and churches in many small towns and villages. Thus the attention of Ottoman government and Europe turned to these places especially to Merzifon. By initiating a broad investigation and research, the Ottoman government found that the events were planned by Merzifon Hınchak Revolutionary Committee managed by Karabet Tomayan and Ohannes Kayayan and also the announcements were printed in the printing house of the college and distributed from there. Then it was begun to the process of arresting of Armenians including the two pastors who were in charge of the events. The Ottoman government wanted to realize the trial to serve as a lesson to similar cases and not to give opportunity for such kind of events. But though all these measures were taken, the intervention of foreign states to the trial, especially England and USA, was obvious. Even though there were 59 suspects in Ankara trial, it became almost Tomayan?s trial who was married with a European lady and a pastor in a missionary school. At the end of the trial, which was followed by so many foreign consuls and journalists, 17 person including Tomayan and Kayayan were put to capital punishment. Upon the British government?s repeated requests and pressure, Abdülhamit II agreed to send the two criminals, Tomayan and Kayayan, out of the country on the condition that it should be an example and recognized as an exception and from now on it would not be intervened to the law of free and independent Ottoman state. Besides, the Sultan decreased considerably the punishments of the other convicts.