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.
Opposition Talks: Arthur Khachatryan - ARF Dashnaktsutyun (Ep. 34) [EP34]
Posted on Saturday, Dec 19, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Armenian Genocide, Economy, Genocide, Turkey
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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Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review Episode 27 - Nov 15, 2020
Topics Covered:
- The war ends. What are the terms of the deal?
- Pax Russiana
- The extent of Turkeyâs presence in Azerbaijan
- Jubilation in Baku
Your Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Hovik Manucharyan
Resident Panelists:
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Emil Sanamyan
- Artyom Tonoyan
Recorded: Nov 15, 2020
Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review Episode 27 - Nov 15, 2020
Topics Covered:
- The war ends. What are the terms of the deal?
- Pax Russiana
- The extent of Turkeyâs presence in Azerbaijan
- Jubilation in Baku
Your Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Hovik Manucharyan
Resident Panelists:
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Emil Sanamyan
- Artyom Tonoyan
Recorded: Nov 15, 2020
Armeenia and Artsakh in the Arab Media (Ep #24) - 10/28/2020 [EP24]
Posted on Monday, Nov 2, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Middle East, Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Iran, Artsakh, Israel, Russia, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: cog
Guest(s):
Conversations on Groong: Artsakh in the Arab Media - Oct 28, 2020
Since September 27, Azerbaijan has been waging an all out war on Artsakh, cluster-bombing towns and villages and killing civilians and destroying churches and cultural centers, with the aim to destroy and depopulate the region. The worldwide Armenian Diaspora has come together to fight this existential threat.
Weâve read much about the Diasporaâs activities around most of the world, but what about the Arab world? This episode explores some of the challenges and opportunities that
Read MoreArmeenia and Artsakh in the Arab Media (Ep #24) - 10/28/2020 [EP24]
Posted on Monday, Nov 2, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Middle East, Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Iran, Artsakh, Israel, Russia, Armenian Church, Nagorno KarabakhGuest(s):
Conversations on Groong: Artsakh in the Arab Media - Oct 28, 2020
Since September 27, Azerbaijan has been waging an all out war on Artsakh, cluster-bombing towns and villages and killing civilians and destroying churches and cultural centers, with the aim to destroy and depopulate the region. The worldwide Armenian Diaspora has come together to fight this existential threat.
Weâve read much about the Diasporaâs activities around most of the world, but what about the Arab world? This episode explores some of the challenges and opportunities that
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Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - 10/25/2020
Topics Covered:
- International diplomacy on the move?
- What is Turkeyâs endgame?
- War and post-war economy
- Update on COVID
Guests:
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Hrant Mikaelian
- Emil Sanamyan
Your Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20201025.html Episode 23 | Recorded on October 25, 2020
International diplomacy | Turkey’s endgame | War and post-war economy | Update on COVID - 10/25/2020 [EP23]
Posted on Wednesday, Oct 28, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Economy, Armenian Genocide, Genocide, LebanonGuest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - 10/25/2020
Topics Covered:
- International diplomacy on the move?
- What is Turkeyâs endgame?
- War and post-war economy
- Update on COVID
Guests:
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Hrant Mikaelian
- Emil Sanamyan
Your Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan
- Asbed Bedrossian
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20201025.html Episode 23 | Recorded on October 25, 2020
Artsakh War: Security situation | Diplomatic activity | Humanitarian impact (Ep. 21) [EP21]
Posted on Tuesday, Oct 13, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Russia, Human Rights, Genocide, Syria | Series: wir
Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - October 12, 2020
Topics Covered:
- Security situation on the ground;
- Diplomatic activity, short & long term goals;
- Humanitarian impact in Artsakh & Armenia;
- Effect of social media on the war.
Your Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Asbed Kotchikian
Resident Panelists:
- Lara Aharonian: Co-founder & co-director of the Women’s Resource Center NGO in Yerevan
- Robert Avetisyan: Representative of Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the US
Episode 21 Recorded: Oct 12, 2020 Full details: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20201012.html Playlist: WiR (Week in Review)
Artsakh War: Security situation | Diplomatic activity | Humanitarian impact (Ep. 21) [EP21]
Posted on Tuesday, Oct 13, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Russia, Human Rights, Genocide, SyriaGuest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - October 12, 2020
Topics Covered:
- Security situation on the ground;
- Diplomatic activity, short & long term goals;
- Humanitarian impact in Artsakh & Armenia;
- Effect of social media on the war.
Your Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Asbed Kotchikian
Resident Panelists:
- Lara Aharonian: Co-founder & co-director of the Women’s Resource Center NGO in Yerevan
- Robert Avetisyan: Representative of Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the US
Episode 21 Recorded: Oct 12, 2020 Full details: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20201012.html Playlist: WiR (Week in Review)