14-I will mention the most important resolutions

I will mention the most important resolutions

I will mention the most important of them, because later on they gave rise to dissentions, lengthy correspondence and bitter opposition.

1. The title of the union, namely, the “Union for the Defence of the Rights of Eastern Anatolia/ was altered to the “Union for the Defence of the Rights of Anatolia and Rumelia.”

2. The phrase, “the Representative Committee is representative of the whole of Anatolia” was amended to “The Representative Commit tee is representative of the whole of the country/ Four new members were added to the number of those already appointed.

3. The clause: “Considering that we regard any sort of occupation or intervention as leading to annexation by Greece and the separation of Armenia, the principle of unified defence and united resistance will be adopted/ was amended to “The principle of unified defence and united resistance will be adopted for the purpose of resisting any attempt at occupation or intervention, and particularly any movement designed to lead to annexation by Greece or the separation of Armenia.”

These two clauses palpably differ from one another in a very im portant manner. In the first, no hostile attitude and no resistance with regard to the Entente Powers is referred to, while this is clearly inferred in the second clause.

4. The question proposed in Art. 4 led to a long discussion. The wording of it is:

“To decide upon the attitude to be adopted in regard to adminis tration, politics and the military power in the event of the Ottoman Government being forced, under pressure from the Powers, to cede and abandon these territories (namely, the Eastern Provinces)  This question evidently refers to a provisional administration as a body.

In the text of the resolutions passed by the Sivas Congress, the expression “this territory” was amended by the more comprehensive and general phrase “to cede or abandon any part of our country.”