Quarries in Bandirma and Armenians

Abstract

In this paper the issue of operating the quarry located In the Armenian village of Preme district, Bandirma town, during the second constitutional era will be examined. Problems began when the local government abolished the permission that the Armenian villagers had for operating quarries and gave the operating right to a foreigner. Gustave Couteaux, a Belgian, was the last foreigner to hold this permission and he informed the Ottoman government about the Armenian villagers who were using his quarry. At the request of the operator the Ottoman government forbad Armenians to use the quarry. After this ban the disagreement between the Armenian villagers and the operators turned into a physical conflict. The Ottoman government then tried to solve the problem.