Statement by the “Geghard” Scientific and Analytical Foundation on the Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
On April 24, all Armenians commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire a century ago.
Between 1914 and 1918, the Young Turk government orchestrated a systematic extermination of the Armenian people, which was the continuation and culmination of the Hamidian massacres of 1894-1896 and the Adana massacre of 1909. Guided by pan-Turkic ideology and taking advantage of the First World War, in the end of 1914, the Young Turk government began its genocidal campaign against the Armenian people. As a result of this genocide, carefully planned and executed by the Turkish state, more than 1.5 million Armenians were exterminated, and thousands were forced into exile, scattered across the globe and deprived of their ancient homeland. A century after this crime, Turkey continues to deny the Armenian Genocide, setting an example for Azerbaijan to carry out genocidal acts against the Armenian people.
The anti-Armenian policy of Ottoman and republican Turkey was adopted by the state of Azerbaijan as well. Between 1918 and 1920, Azerbaijan carried out massacres of Armenians in Baku, Nukhi, Aresh, and Shushi. In 1988-1990, similar atrocities occurred in Sumgait, Kirovabad, Baku, and Maragha. In Azerbaijan, as in Turkey, those who killed Armenians were praised and received state honors. The conferral of the title “national hero” on Shahin Taghiyev, one of the commanders responsible for the Maragha pogroms in 1992, is a clear example of this practice and set a precedent for Ramil Safarov in 2004, as well as for Azerbaijani war criminals during the April War in 2016 and the Artsakh War in 2020.
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By destroying and displacing Armenians, Turkey also obliterated Armenian cultural traces. Azerbaijan has adopted a similar policy. Baku continues the desecration and systematic destruction of Armenian historical and cultural sites in Artsakh, with the aim of erasing the Armenian presence from the region.
In 2023, the deportation of Artsakh Armenians was carried out by Azerbaijan. In the 21st century, Armenians have once again faced massacres and forced displacements. Additionally, after occupying Stepanakert, Azerbaijan renamed one of its streets after Enver Pasha, a key figure behind the Armenian Genocide.
Although the Armenian Genocide has been internationally recognized and condemned by many states and organizations, the lack of proper implementation of justice has set a precedent for ongoing atrocities and genocides not only against Armenians in Armenia and Artsakh but also around the world.
It is imperative for the international community and diplomatic circles to establish clear mechanisms and take decisive actions to prevent further aggression and violence against the Armenian people. By doing so, they can set a precedent for preventing bloodshed and crimes against humanity worldwide.
