Pailan Responds to Erdogan's Post About Kazim Karabekir Pasha, the 'Father of Armenian Orphans'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a post on social media in connection with the anniversary of Kazim Karabekir Pasha's death. Erdogan published a photo of Karabekir and wrote, "Dear friends, you know the story behind this portrait of Kazim Karabekir Pasha." He added that Karabekir loved children very much, taking care of 6,000 children from Anatolia, and that this photo was presented by the orphans of Trabzon. "To the father of orphans, Kazim Karabekir Pasha, from the Armenian orphans of Trabzon, September 9, 1922," Erdogan wrote.

In response to the Turkish president's post, Armenian MP Karo Pailan commented on his Twitter microblog. "Mr. Erdogan, do you know the story of this portrait? Those children were orphaned because their family members were killed during the Armenian Genocide. Mr. Erdogan, are you really ready to learn the story behind this portrait?" Pailan wrote.

It should be noted that Kazim Karabekir was the commander of the 1st, 2nd, and 15th Turkish Caucasian Army Corps during 1918-1919, participated in the conquest of Erzincan, Erzurum, and Kars, and later became the commander of the Eastern Front forces. In September 1920, Turkish forces, under Karabekir's leadership, invaded Eastern Armenia.