Why does TURKEY deny GENOCIDE?

On 24 April 2021, President Biden formally stated that the United States recognised the mass deportation of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 as genocide. As expected, Turkey reacted furiously to the announcement, which has come as a major blow to its long standing efforts to fend off cases of Armenian Genocide recognition. So, what is the issue all about? And why does Turkey campaign so strongly against recognition?

Hello and welcome! My name is James Ker-Lindsay. Here I take an informed look at International Relations with a focus on territorial conflicts, secession, independence movements and new countries. If you like what you see, please do subscribe. If you want more, including exclusive content and benefits, consider becoming a channel member. Many thanks!

In 1915, soon after the Ottoman Empire joined the First World War on the side of Germany, Armenians living in the Empire's eastern provinces rose up against Ottoman rule. In retaliation, the Ottoman Government ordered the arrest of many leading community leaders and the deportation of the Armenian community. In the months that followed, the Armenian people of the Empire, along with Christian Assyrians, were forced to march south into the deserts of Syria. As a result, it is estimated that anywhere between 600,000 and 1.5 million men, women and children died from hunger, exhaustion, neglect, summary execution and abuse. Faced with a national trauma, and now spread out around the world, in the years that followed the Armenian people began a campaign to have the events of 1915 recognised as a genocide. In recent decades, this campaign has gained ground, much to the steadfast opposition of Turkey. While it accepts that hundreds of thousands dies, it regards claims of genocide as incorrect, unproven and as a stain on the nation. So, what are the arguments and what does recognition mean in real terms?

CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction and Titles
0:45 States and Acceptance of Past Atrocities
2:06 Understanding the Events of 1915
3:30 The Emergence of the Genocide Recognition Campaign
5:02 The Growth of Genocide Recognitions
6:39 The Case Against and For Recognition
10:56 Turkey and the Armenian Genocide

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KEYWORDS

#Turkey #ArmenianGenocide #Genocide
#InternationalRelations #InternationalHistory

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[JamesKerLindsay]

This is obviously an extremely controversial topic. Even more than usual, I would ask that people watch the entire video before jumping in to the discussion - one way or another. But it does raise important questions about whether - and how - countries are coming to terms with past atrocities. I would be really interested to hear from viewers about debates in their own countries about the past.

[ashodmartirossian]

Thank you very much for commentary. I haven't heard any better. My grandmother was a genocide survivor and told disturbing stories about the events. With all that said, I do not believe that all turks are enemies. There were ones who risked their lives saving Armenians. My grandmother is an example of that. There is still hope for Armenians and Turks to become civil, but first the genocide acceptance has to be done. It seems that Turk politicians are still dreaming of Ottoman Empire return.

[AlexCaspian]

Hello everyone. What if Turkey stopped denying the Armenian genocide officially?

[habanewaikaa]

4:13 -Wonder why United nation definition of ethnic cleansing doesn't apply on Israel 🤔!

[Stamboul]

I'm sorry, but it's naive to treat the issue as if it's really only about the Armenian Genocide and has no wider implications. Turks have developed and carefully cultivated a national psychosis around the idea that They are trying to break up their country - "They" being a roster of villains that always includes the Armenians (both the diaspora and the government of Armenia) and often also includes the United States. The idea being that recognition of the Armenian Genocide would be only a first step towards forcing Turkey to cede eastern Anatolia to Armenia. This is both completely reasonable and utterly bonkers.

Completely reasonable in that plenty of Armenians and non-Armenians really do think like that: probably most of the politically-engaged members of the Armenian diaspora; plenty of Armenians in Armenia itself and Artsakh, presumably alongside their elected representatives; and the sort of people who generally don't care for the Turks to begin with, from Breivik types and Greek ultra-nationalists on the right to Che wannabes and PKK supporters on the left.

Utterly bonkers in that there is no grandiose anti-Turkish conspiracy to achieve this. Most of the people pursuing this objective are very open about it; if anything, you can't get them to shut up about it. And they're not in positions of power from which to make any of it happen. But then, as one of the many secret, well-placed members of that conspiracy, of course I'd say that, wouldn't I?

Anyway, a cold, calculated analysis of the current situation would reveal that Turkey's policy on this is counterproductive. The sort of people who believe Turkey should pay reparations in the form of territory aren't waiting for a Turkish recognition, as they already believe the Genocide happened. The sort of people who believe Turkey's denial do so because they are predisposed to take its side on this, not because they find its arguments compelling, so a reversal would mean little to them. Where the denial makes a difference is with people who both believe that the Armenian Genocide happened and have no quarrel with the Republic of Turkey. With them, continued denial does nothing but harm Turkish reputation and credibility.

[GeorgeSBlonsky]

Another excellent and very balanced analysis of a very sensitive & difficult subject.. you're a brave man James taking on this one..! Nothing but admiration for you doing so..! all the best.. g

[gentelmen...]

This was probably the most unbiased video on this topic

[sloshed-rat]

James is one of the few voices I value on international analysis. I don't always agree with his opinion pieces, but he approaches the most controversial of topics with a nuance seldom seen nowadays.

Thanks for all you do, Professor Ker-Lindsay.

[alieren]

In the video, you mention that the decision for an explict intention of killing order, is not necessary for being charged by such political term as genocide. On the other hand, In the hitler example or any other colonial power abusing over african or american continent, there is always a explict order for such action. But there is also documents in the archives that ottoman empire punished more than a 1000 military member to harm Ermenians on the road. There is a failure state and civil war. The emigration policy is known since Ottoman's ancient times not only minorities also against Turkish tribes. Instead of an action, genocide is a result of fascist( radical-modern) mindset and the hitler was the top of the mentality. An empire can't have any benefit to kill its components.

[williamdavis]

@James Ker-Lindsay, I've been binge watching your videos and I have to say you really have a knack for falling into the really controversial topics. Most things like the Armenian Genocide or anything related to the Balkans such as your video on Kosovo or Bosnia falling apart are extremely difficult videos to do considering how emotionally charged they are. Most people avoid making these videos like the bubonic plague and for good reason. You sir took on the challenge and dove in head first.

Perhaps a video on the little known ethnic cleansing campaigns by Russia in the North Caucasus would be a nice topic for you to tackle next.

[ilshatvaleyev]

Why "Armenian Genocide" cannot be recognized. "Armenian Genocide" is a subject of history, it should not be a subject of politics. Western nations try to use this subject to exert pressure on Turkey. European nations should recognize their own responsibility for millions of deaths during the destruction of the Ottoman Empire by Western empires and during the colonization of the former Ottoman provinces by Western empires.
1. Ottoman Empire doesn't exist anymore. Turkey is a different country. Ottoman Empire was belonged to the Ottoman dynasty, not the Turkish nation. Ottoman Empire suppressed the Turkish nation in favor of the ideology of Islamic Caliphate. So the Ottoman Empire was finally recognized as a suppressor of Turkish nation. All members of Ottoman dynasty were deported from Turkey and never allowed to go back.
2. Blaming Turkey for "Armenian Genocide" is the same thing as blaming France for St. Bartholomew's Day massacre.
3. There wasn't a legal concept of genocide and there weren't any laws against genocide in 1915. Genocide wasn't considered as a crime according to international laws of that period. Nobody can be accused of violating non-existent laws or principles.
4. "600'000 or 1.5 million Armenian victims" is a pure nonsense. The whole Armenian population of Anatolia was 1.0-1.2 million. 350'000 Armenians migrated to Russia, 150'000 to France, 100'000 to the North America etc. Approx. 950'000 Armenians migrated from Anatolia during the WW1.
5. The only "evidence" that the Ottoman government intended to exterminate Armenian nation is the "telegrams of Talaat Pasha" written by Armenian journalist by his own hand. He said that Ottoman postal officer showed him the original telegrams but he couldn't prove it. That Armenian journalist was deported from Istanbul during "the day of Armenian genocide" (April 24th, 1915), went back to Istanbul, was captured and deported again. He had contacts with Ottoman officials and spied against the Ottoman Empire but nobody tried to kill him.
6. 950'000 Armenians left Ottoman Empire during the WW1. They wouldn't be able to cross the borders if the government actually issued an order to "kill all Armenians".
7. There was a lot of violence between Muslim and Christian population of Ottoman Empire when Muslim population was forced to leave the Balkans and the northern Black Sea region and move to Anatolia after the 1877-78 war. A lot of Muslim civilians were killed. Muslim refugees hated local Christians of Anatolia and tried to take a revenge for their killed relatives.
8. During the 1878' Berlin Congress Western countries agreed to use Armenians to weaken the Ottoman Empire. Western Countries and Russia started to deliver nationalistic propaganda and weapons to Armenians and prepare Armenian insurgents to fight against Ottoman Empire. They promised to announce the national Armenian republic after the failure of Ottoman Empire.
9. Decades of Armenian guerilla started after the Berlin Congress. During the WW1 Armenians switched over to the side of Entente (UK, France and Russia). It was a betrayal of Ottoman Empire and Ottoman Empire started to punish Armenians according to the medieval feudal laws.
10. Armenian nationalists started ethnic cleansing of the controlled territories to exterminate the whole Muslim population. Muslims of Eastern Anatolia were mostly Kurds and they were attacked by Armenians. Kurdish tribes were semi-independent and they were ready to switch over to the side of Entente. But Armenian attacks forced Kurds to stay loyal to Ottoman Empire. Bloody civil war between Armenians and Muslims of Eastern Anatolia started in 1915 and the Ottoman government wasn't an initiator of this war and it was not capable to stop it because the Ottoman Empire was on destruction.
11. Armenian insurgents responsible for hundreds of massacres against the Muslim population in Anatolia and Russian South Caucasus. Armenian insurgents attacked Muslims even in Baku, the largest Azerbaijani city, in 1918. But Armenia never recognized these massacres as crimes and continues to honor the murderers of civilian people as national heroes.
12. Ottoman Empire deported Armenians from Eastern Anatolia and let other Armenians leave Ottoman Empire. 350'000 Armenians migrated from Eastern Anatolia to Russia, some people moved to Persia and 250'000 Armenians were deported by Ottoman Empire to Syria. But Muslim officers and Muslim population (including Kurds and Arabs) considered Armenians as traitors and killers and hated them. When the Ottoman Empire lost the control over Syria, Armenian prisoners in Syria finally lost their chances to survive.
How Europeans see it: "The noble ancient Armenian nation was intentionally exterminated by Turkey which wanted to get rid of Armenians and capture their properties".
How it was actually: "Different Muslim nations of Ottoman Empire (Turks, Kurds, Azerbaijani, Circasses, Tatars) suffered ethnic cleansing and massacres and were forced to run from Balkans, Black Sea region and Caucasus to the Anatolia in the end of 19th Century. This resulted in multiple bloody clashes between Muslims and Christians in the Anatolia. When Armenians started guerilla for their independence, Muslim nations quickly understood that Muslims would suffer ethnic cleansing even in the Eastern Anatolia which was supposed as the territory of the future Armenian Republic. During the WW1 Armenian insurgents supported by Entente attacked Kurds and other Muslims, so the Ottoman Empire deported Armenians from Anatolia with huge victims from both Armenian and Muslim side".
The question is, why Western people never wanted to check the details of this tragedy.
The second question is, why so many Western people still have Barbaric ethics and still believe that if Muslims were killed, it's not even worth to mention it.

[mesheti]

This topic is really sensitive and controversial. However, it is not clear why it attracts attention much more than similar crimes of Europeans or other nations? I am not talking about Holocaust, where Germans were forced to admit and keep apologizing for last 80 years. Ho sincere is another question, but at least they do. No, I talk about France crimes in Algeria, what happened with indigenous population in Australia and Americas just 150 years ago, Japanese war crimes which they are reluctant to apologize for? Why Turkey is being pressed that much? Because allies were unable to fully reach their goals to erase any memory of Turks in the region or turn Turks into their puppet state?

[shendiify]

I don't think Turkey should be blamed for genocide for Armenian, after all that was in war during the Ottoman government, this modern day Turkish Republic, all peoples in war suffer, so lets move on. Tell that too the native American, they lost all there land, and was eliminated, they don't claim Genocide. It was war, in wars bad things happens.

[iaw]

Would you ever do a video on the Circassian genocide ? I think only Georgia recognises it.

Also why is the Armenian genocide usually recognised more than the Assyrian genocide ? How similar were they ?

[motocount]

Well done James!! I am glad, I found your channel! A future topic could be the Lausanne Treaty, the related population exchange and what happened with the minorities in both countries!
Χαιρετισμούς από Αθήνα!

[jackholler]

Well Belgium killed 10 million people but did not said any offical apology ...

[nesrindemirhan]

The Greek national anthem is the first two stanzas of a long poem of 158 stanzas by Dionysios Solomos. See the Turkish hostility in some lines of this poem below. The sequel contains the same hostility. It tells the story of the massacre of 30 thousand Turks by the Greeks in the Corinth peninsula in 1835.

Lyrics of the Greek National Anthem: Deep ocean, that's how I wish you were humming. And drown in its wave, every Turkish seed. Why did he slow down into combat for a moment? Why has the blood spilled decreased? Both helmets and swords To scattered brains, To the skulls torn apart, It's smeared with squirming internal organs the dogs were running low And they were shouting God, God! But the lips of the Christians were more true They were shouting fire! They were fighting like lions. Always fire! they were shouting. And the scumbags were dying, Shout out to God. Their dirty blood has become a river Flowing in the plain Innocent herbs instead of water drinking blood The bravest were shaken with blind steps They were expelled from Corinth. They hid and fled. Death sends its angel, Filled with famine and disease, Skeleton-like shapes They walk side by side.

[M.Salih]

I don't care the historical documents and the other facts. Just accept my story!!

Armenia

[HydraulicAmerica]

Similar incidents happened with Crimean Tatars and Koreans during the Soviet times. Do they qualify as genocide too?
Tatars and Koreans do not have a powerful diaspora in the West. So does this mean whoever pushes harder will get what they want without adequate process?

[jamesjameson]

Long-time subscriber here. I like the way you've handled this topic. Well done.