Genocide
Last updated: June 11, 2026
The Armenian Genocide of 1915 represents one of history’s first systematic mass killings of a civilian population, in which Ottoman Turkish forces and local militias killed approximately 1.5 million Armenians and displaced hundreds of thousands more from their ancestral homelands in Anatolia. Perpetrators used massacres, deportations into desert conditions, and starvation as deliberate instruments of elimination. Survivors scattered across the globe, establishing diaspora communities in the Middle East, Europe, North America, and beyond. Turkey has denied the genocide for over a century, refusing to acknowledge the Ottoman state’s intent to destroy the Armenian people, a position that shapes contemporary Turkish-Armenian relations and regional politics. Genocide denial remains an official Turkish state policy backed by legal penalties in Turkey itself for those who acknowledge the historical record, complicating efforts toward Turkish-Armenian normalization and historical justice.
The ethnic cleansing of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) in September 2023 displaced more than 150,000 Armenian inhabitants from the enclave in a matter of hours, following Azerbaijan’s 24-hour military offensive on September 19–20, 2023. Unlike the 44-Day War of 2020, which ended in a ceasefire with Russian peacekeepers deployed, the 2023 operation resulted in complete displacement of the Armenian population and the effective erasure of Armenian self-governance in a territory that had been ethnically Armenian for centuries. Azerbaijan’s destruction of Christian heritage sites, including damage to the Stepanakert Cathedral documented in early 2026, compounds the physical and cultural dimension of the cleansing. The international community, including Western governments and human rights organizations, provided minimal diplomatic pressure or consequences for the displacement, contrasting sharply with rhetoric regarding other contemporary conflicts. Through works like photographer Erhan Arik’s Horovel project and the documentary Ojakh: On the Other Side of Silence, artists and documentarians have recorded the personal stakes of Armenian memory and continuity—capturing testimony from elderly Armenians whose families originated from historic Armenian regions and reflecting on how identity and community persist despite rupture and loss.
The concept of genocide denial has become inseparable from Armenian political consciousness. Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the 1915 genocide shapes the terms on which Armenia negotiates peace with Azerbaijan and Turkey, as recognition remains a precondition for many Armenians and diaspora organizations seeking justice and historical truth. The speed and completeness of the 2023 displacement from Artsakh has prompted scholars and Armenian analysts to assess whether the term genocide applies to the 2023 events, a question with legal, moral, and political dimensions. Arthur Martirosyan examined in January 2026 the long-term consequences of the Baku pogroms, connecting historical violence to ongoing patterns of threat and displacement. Whether international law will address either the 1915 genocide or the 2023 cleansing through accountability mechanisms remains uncertain, leaving Armenia in a position where historical memory and contemporary survival are bound to geopolitical outcomes beyond Armenian control.
Groong episodes that include this tag
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Genocide.
Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 21, 2021
Topics:
- Snap On - June 20th!
- Gas Through Azerbaijan
- Military Exercises by Armenia and Azerbaijan
Guests
- David Davidian
- Emil Sanamyan
Hosts
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210321.html Episode 54 | Recorded: March 21, 2021
Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 21, 2021
Topics:
- Snap On - June 20th!
- Gas Through Azerbaijan
- Military Exercises by Armenia and Azerbaijan
Guests
- David Davidian
- Emil Sanamyan
Hosts
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210321.html Episode 54 | Recorded: March 21, 2021
Supreme Judicial Council | Turk-Azerbaijani Military Exercises in Kars | Blinken on Armenia (Ep #45) [EP45]
Posted on Monday, Jan 25, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Genocide, Syria, Artsakh, Armenian Genocide, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir
Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - Jan 24, 2021
Topics Covered:
- Supreme Judicial Council Appointments
- Turkish-Azerbaijan Military Exercises in Kars Region
- Incoming US Secretary of State Tony Blinken on Armenia
Guests
- Aram Hamparian
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Emil Sanamyan
Your Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Hovik Manucharyan
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210124.html Episode 45 | Recorded on January 24, 2021
Supreme Judicial Council | Turk-Azerbaijani Military Exercises in Kars | Blinken on Armenia (Ep #45) [EP45]
Posted on Monday, Jan 25, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Genocide, Syria, Artsakh, Armenian Genocide, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, NATOGuest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - Jan 24, 2021
Topics Covered:
- Supreme Judicial Council Appointments
- Turkish-Azerbaijan Military Exercises in Kars Region
- Incoming US Secretary of State Tony Blinken on Armenia
Guests
- Aram Hamparian
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Emil Sanamyan
Your Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Hovik Manucharyan
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210124.html Episode 45 | Recorded on January 24, 2021
Armen Ashotyan - Opposition Talks | Ep 44, Jan 19, 2021 [EP44]
Posted on Tuesday, Jan 19, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Azerbaijan, Russia, China, European Union, Genocide, Geopolitics, Turkey | Series: cog
Groong Links:
Guest:
- Armen Ashotyan , MP, VP Republican Party of Armenia (HHK)
Topics:
- What took place in 2018?
- Why did RPA support Vazgen Manukyan as PM candidate?
- Nov. 9/10 ceasefire agreement & Jan 11 statement
- Is the RPA truly serious about removing Pashinyan? Why hasnât the opposition mobilized more people onto the streets?
- Lessons learned from Dec. 2018 elections.
Episode 44 | Recorded on January 17, 2021
Armen Ashotyan - Opposition Talks | Ep 44, Jan 19, 2021 [EP44]
Posted on Tuesday, Jan 19, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Azerbaijan, Russia, China, European Union, Genocide, Geopolitics, TurkeyGroong Links:
Guest:
- Armen Ashotyan , MP, VP Republican Party of Armenia (HHK)
Topics:
- What took place in 2018?
- Why did RPA support Vazgen Manukyan as PM candidate?
- Nov. 9/10 ceasefire agreement & Jan 11 statement
- Is the RPA truly serious about removing Pashinyan? Why hasnât the opposition mobilized more people onto the streets?
- Lessons learned from Dec. 2018 elections.
Episode 44 | Recorded on January 17, 2021
Opposition Talks: Edmon Marukyan of Bright Armenia Party (Ep. 36) [EP36]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 23, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Economy, Genocide, Human Rights, NATO | Series: cog
Guest(s):
Conversation with Bright Armenia’s Edmon Marukyan
Following the trilateral Karabakh ceasefire of Nov 9, all major political forces in Armenia (except for the ruling party) condemned Nikol Pashinyanâs agreement to the deal. While the dissatisfaction with the agreement is widespread, the opposition is not entirely unified on what to do next.
Weâll talk with the leader of one of the 2 parliamentary opposition factions, Bright Armenia about his, and his partyâs vision and subsequent actions to be taken by Armenia.
What is Bright Armeniaâs vision for post
Read MoreOpposition Talks: Edmon Marukyan of Bright Armenia Party (Ep. 36) [EP36]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 23, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Economy, Genocide, Human Rights, NATOGuest(s):
Conversation with Bright Armenia’s Edmon Marukyan
Following the trilateral Karabakh ceasefire of Nov 9, all major political forces in Armenia (except for the ruling party) condemned Nikol Pashinyanâs agreement to the deal. While the dissatisfaction with the agreement is widespread, the opposition is not entirely unified on what to do next.
Weâll talk with the leader of one of the 2 parliamentary opposition factions, Bright Armenia about his, and his partyâs vision and subsequent actions to be taken by Armenia.
What is Bright Armeniaâs vision for post
Read MoreOpposition Talks: Arthur Khachatryan - ARF Dashnaktsutyun (Ep. 34) [EP34]
Posted on Saturday, Dec 19, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Armenian Genocide, Economy, Genocide, Turkey | Series: cog
Guest(s):
Conversation with ARF’s Arthur Khachatryan
Following the trilateral Karabakh ceasefire of Nov 9, the Armenian opposition has nearly universally condemned Nikol Pashinyanâs agreement to the deal. The largest opposition grouping, called Movement of the Salvation of the Homeland (ÕÕ¡ÕµÖÕ¥Õ¶Õ«ÖÕ« ÖÖÕ¯Õ¸ÖÕ©ÕµÕ¡Õ¶ Õ·Õ¡ÕªÕ¸ÖÕ´ in Armenian), composed of 17 political parties including the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), Prosperous Armenia, and the Republican Party, are demanding Pashinyanâs immediate resignation and the appointment of their
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