The Armenian Genocide took place between 1914 and 1923 and was the systematic mass murder and expulsion of more than 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turkey.
24 April 1915 is held as the starting date since on that day Ottoman authorities arrested and deported from Constantinople (now Istanbul) to the region of Angora (Ankara) around 270 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders. Most of them were murdered.
The genocide was implemented in two phases. Male population was mass murdered, subjected to army conscripts and forced labour.
Women, the elderly and children were deported, were part of death marches heading to the Syrian Desert. They were raped, murdered, deprived of food and water.
The European Union parliament voted “by a wide majority,” on Wednesday, 16th April 2015, overwhelmingly in favor of recognizing the mass-murder of Armenians by Ottoman Turkey as a genocide, commemorating the centennial of the genocide.
Text: © Communications Unlimited
Read also: