Cilicia was occupied by the British after World War I , who were later replaced by the French . The French Armenian Legion armed returning Armenian refugees of the Armenian Genocide to the region and assisting them . Eventually the Turks responded with resistance against the French occupation , battles took place in Marash , Aintab , and Urfa . Most of these cities were destroyed during the process with large civilian suffering . In Marash , 4.500 Turks died . The French left the area together with the Armenians after 1920 . The retribution for the Armenian Genocide served as justification for armed Armenians
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Persecution of Muslims during Ottoman contraction