The Hırlakyan family was a member of the Catholic Armenian Church. The Hirlakyan were dealing with trade, especially thereby in the construction of the sultan, earning them an important reputation in Anatolia. Agop Hirlakyan was the eldest son of the family, he was dealing with both politics and trade. Agop, who made a deputy in the Ottoman state, started to work for independent Armenia with the influence of nationalist sentiments. If the Armenians could establish an independent Armenian principality in Cilicia, Agop Hirlakyan would prevail over that princess. For this purpose, Agop provided political and commercial support for the Armenian rebellion. In 1895 Zeytun Revolt, he brought the most advanced weapons of his time to Anatolia by illegal routes and distributed them to Armenians. He provided communication between Armenians in Europe and Armenians in Anatolia. Thanks to the European ambassadors, the Armenian issue was announced to the world. The world press has telegraphed the embassies by defending the thesis that the Ottoman state had persecuted Armenians. It was one of the committees that allowed the European states to intervene in the internal affairs of the Ottoman state and the Ottoman state to reform Armenia.
Armenians in Maraş were sent to Konya and Aleppo by the Ottoman State’s deportation law in 1915. With the secret agreements made in the end of the First World War, the Armenians returned to Maraş and formed an Armenian legion. Agop Hirlakyan was one of the names leading the French when he invaded Maras. Abdal Halil Aga was the leading role. The Hirlakyan encircled the house like a castle and hosted Andre at home. The flag was still at the forefront in the incident. During the fighting period of the war of indepence, the French abandoned Maraş and left the city. He died on the 11th February 1920.
Keywords: Agop Hırlakyan, Maras, Armenian -French Relationship
