Mekertich Portukalian

The son of a banker in Constantinople,[1] Portukalian became a teacher and initially taught at Tokat.

During and immediately after the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, he traveled to various cities in Russian and Ottoman Armenia, calling on Armenians to take up armed struggle.

After the war, he participated in the creation of the Black Cross revolutionary society in Van.

In 1885, Portukalian's school in Van was closed by the Ottoman authorities, after which he was exiled and settled in Marseille.

[1] In Marseille, Portukalian maintained his ties with the leaders of the party and began the publication of the first pro-revolutionary Armenian newspaper, Armenia.