COMMANDER ANDRANIK IN MEMOIRS OF TURKISH AND AZERBAIJANI POLITICIANS AND MILITARY OFFICERS

Abstract

Love and respect for the legendary commander Andranik Ozanyan among Armenians reaches mythical, epic limits. In addition to the historical and political research, even a legend about Andranik, who is perceived as a national hero, is  preserved among the survivors of the Armenian Genocide from Western Armenia and their descendants. In general, Andranik’s  image instilled real or mythical hope in the souls of many generations of Armenians, even in the times when it seemed that thinking about victory was absolutely unrealistic. However, familiarization with the memoirs of various Ottoman and Turkish military and political figures or stories related to them reveals a different, Turkish perception of the image of the legendary commander. It is quite predictable that Andranik Ozanyan was in the spotlight of the Turkish military-political elite as a dangerous adversary, but it is remarkable that even decades later, he was perceived as an ideological rival, as a symbol who could pose a threat to the long-term goals of Turkey and Azerbaijan.