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4d ago

Armenia Faces Public Dismay Over Subdued Genocide Remembrance Amid Peace Efforts

As Armenia and Azerbaijan finalize a peace treaty and seek normalization with Turkey, official recognition of the Armenian Genocide takes a backseat, leaving many citizens disheartened.

Over the past four decades, Armenia and the Turkic-speaking Muslim Azerbaijan, fought two wars over the mountainous region of Karabakh
Genocide Remembrance Day was marked not only with grief, but also with some discontent that the Armenian government
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The burning of the flags was later denounced by the prime minister's office

Overview

  • On April 24, tens of thousands of Armenians gathered at the Tsitsernakaberd memorial in Yerevan to commemorate the 1915–1916 mass killings by Ottoman authorities, despite a lack of major official events this year.
  • Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently stated that genocide recognition is no longer a priority for the Armenian government, as it focuses on peace talks with Azerbaijan and potential normalization with Turkey.
  • Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on the text of a peace treaty aimed at ending decades of hostilities, following Azerbaijan's 2023 reclamation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the displacement of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians.
  • Turkey continues to deny the genocide, estimating Armenian deaths at 300,000–500,000 and attributing them to civil strife, while 34 countries, including the U.S. Congress, officially recognize the killings as genocide.
  • Public sentiment in Armenia reflects skepticism toward rapprochement efforts, with many citizens expressing distrust of Turkey and Azerbaijan and dismay over the government's shifting priorities.