The 109th anniversary of the genocide in the Ottoman Empire is being celebrated throughout Armenia today. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President Vahagna Khachaturyan, Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan and members of the government arrived at the Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex and laid wreaths at the memorial and flowers at the Eternal Flame.

“The memory of the victims of the Armenian genocide should become a symbol not of a lost, but of a found and real homeland in the person of the Republic of Armenia. The large-scale tragedy was the result of centuries-old lack of statehood, the result of forgetting traditions. The Armenian people have become victims of geopolitical intrigues and false promises. The genocide became a national tragedy and trauma that predetermined the socio-psychological structure of the Armenian people, who even today look at the world through the prism of this trauma and have not yet been able to overcome it,” Nikol Pashinyan said in his message.

In his address, Armenian Catholicos Karekin II noted that a difficult situation had developed in the border territories of Armenia after the genocidal acts committed in Nagorno-Karabakh and the deportation of Armenians from there.

“Our duty to the memory of the innocent victims of genocide is to protect the integrity of our native country, to be zealous in strengthening independent statehood and to preserve the traditions and heritage of our ancestors as a sacred relic,” the Catholicos said.

It is known from history that Armenians lived compactly in the territories of the Ottoman Empire. In 1882 their number was 2.6 million. After the massacres since 1915, only 281 thousand remained.

The fact of genocide is recognized at the state level by almost 30 countries. Also, a number of resolutions and declarations were adopted by international structures, and within the framework of the UN Human Rights Council, the document “Prevention of Genocide” developed by Armenia was adopted.

It is noteworthy that Türkiye still does not recognize historical events as genocide. President Recep Erdogan has repeatedly stated this. This time he sent a message to the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul and the community, stating that “Armenians, citizens of the Ottoman Empire, died as a result of the harsh conditions encountered during the First World War.”

“The destruction left by the First World War on Ottoman lands has left deep traces in our memory. Continuation of the atmosphere of peace and tranquility inherited from our ancestors is only possible through our joint efforts,” the Turkish President said. He also assured that the authorities will not allow any Armenian citizen of Turkey to feel alienated or a “second-class citizen.”