Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (also known as the Armenian Holocaust or the Armenian Massacre) is a term which refer to the forced mass evacuation and related deaths of hundreds of thousands or over a million Armenians, during the government of Young Turks from 1915 to 1917 in Ottoman Empire. Several facts in connection with the genocide are a matter of ongoing dispute between parts of the international community and Turkey. Although it is generally agreed that events said to comprise the Armenian Genocide did occur, the Turkish government rejects that it was genocide, on the alleged basis that the deaths among the Armenians, were not a result of a state-sponsored plan of mass extermination, but from the result of inter-ethnic strife, disease and famine during the turmoil of World War I.

Official Recognition

There is a general agreement among Western historians, that the Armenian genocide did happen. The Association of Genocide Scholars (represent the major body of scholars who study genocide in North America and Europe), for instance, do formerly recognize the event, and even consider it as undeniable. On the other hand, the academic recognition is not representative of government and media recognition. Many governments, including the United States, United Kingdom , and ironically Israel do not officially use the word genocide to describe these events, due in part to their strong commercial and political ties to Turkey, though some government officials have used it personally. Many newspapers for a long time would not use the word genocide without disclaimers such as "alleged" and many continue to do so. A number of those policies have now been reversed so that even casting doubt on the term is against editorial policy, as is the case with the New York Times. In recent years the number of countries recognizing the event as genocide officially, despite threats of economic retaliation by Turkey have grown. Two recent examples are France and Switzerland. In Switzerland, Turkish historian Yusuf Halacoglu has faced charges of violation of Swiss laws against holocaust denial as a result of a speech he held in Winterthur in 2004. Turkish entry talks with the European Union were met with a number of calls to consider the event as genocide, though it was eventually not a specific stipulation.

Related Topics:
United States - United Kingdom - Israel - Commercial - Political - New York Times - France - Switzerland - Yusuf Halacoglu - Holocaust denial - Winterthur - 2004 - European Union - Genocide

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Countries recognizing an Armenian genocide, include: Argentina, Armenia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Lebanon, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela.

Related Topics:
Argentina - Armenia - Belgium - Canada - Cyprus - France - Germany - Greece - Italy - The Netherlands - Lebanon - Poland - Russia - Slovakia - Sweden - Switzerland - Uruguay - Vatican City - Venezuela

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• European Parliament
• Council of Europe, Parliamentary Assembly
• United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities
• The majority of US states also recognize the Armenian Genocide, however there is no federal (country-wide) recognition.
• The Canadian House of Commons voted to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. The federal government, in opposing the motion, did not express a position on whether the genocide took place.
• International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) Report Prepared for TARC
• The Association of Genocide Scholars
• Union of American Hebrew Congregations
• World Council of Churches
• The Turkish Human Right Organization
• The League for Human Rights
• "Parliament of Kurdistan in Exile" (an unnoficial organisation with no parliamentary powers)
• Permanent Peoples' Tribunal

See also: Post Armenian Genocide timeline

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