The Armenians broke away from the Byzantine church in
451,150 years after they accepted Christianity, leading to long centuries of
Armenian-Byzantine clashes which went on until the Turks settled in Anatolia
starting in the late 11th century, with the Byzantines working to wipe out the
Armenians and eliminate the Armenian principalities in order to maintain Greek
Orthodoxy throughout their dominions. Contemporary Armenian historians report
in great detail how the Byzantines deported Armenians as well as using them
against enemy forces in the vanguard of the Byzantine armies. As a result of
this, when the Seljuk Turks started flooding into Anatolia starting in the late
11th century, they did not encounter any Armenian principalities; the only
force remaining to resist them was that of Byzantium…
Contemporary Armenian historians interpret this Turkish
conquest of Anatolia to have constituted their liberation from the long
centuries of Byzantine misrule and oppression. The Armenian historian Asoghik
thus reports that "Because of the Armenians' enmity toward Byzantium, they
welcomed the Turkish entry into Anatolia and even helped them." The
Armenian historian Mathias of Edessa likewise relates that the Armenians
rejoiced and celebrated publicly when the Turks conquered his city, Edessa
(today's Urfa).
