Haig Tiriakian

Haig (Hrach) Tiriakian (1871–1915) was an Ottoman Armenian politician and a member of the Armenian National Assembly. Tiriakian played an important role during the Ottoman Bank takeover in 1896. A member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Tiriakian lead an active life in Armenian politic affairs. He was killed during the Armenian genocide in 1915.

Life

Of Armenian descent, Haig (Hrach) Tiriakian was born in Trabzon, Ottoman Empire in 1871. In 1893, Tiriakian then went to Nancy, France where he studied agriculture until 1896. During his time in Europe, Tiriakian joined the Armenian Revolutionary Federation where his first assignment was assigned the planning of the Ottoman Bank takeover.

The takeover was planned in order to raise further awareness and action by the major European powers. The bank was largely employed European personnel from Great Britain and France. Stirred by the inaction of the European powers in regards to Hamidian massacres, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation members saw its seizure as the best way to bring full attention to the massacres. The organizational planning of the takeover required Tiriakian to visit various countries around the world before the takeover took place. Tiriakian eventually took part in the seizure along with other Armenian political activists such as Armen Garo and Papken Siuni. Tiriakian describes the event as follows:

After the takeover concluded, Tiriakian was one of many participants who were exiled then shipped to Marseille, France. After learning that another Haig Tiriakian had been detained in Ayaş, he demanded his namesake's release and his own transfer from Çankırı to Ayaş. He was then tortured and eventually killed in the vicinity of Ankara.