01:10Armenia: Thousands flock to mass killing memorial
Armenia: Thousands flock to mass killing memorial
Thousands flocked to a hilltop memorial in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Wednesday to mark the 98th anniversary of the mass killings of ethnic Armenians by the order of Ottoman Empire officials during World War I.
Flowers were laid at an eternal flame during the ceremony, which was broadcast by every television channel in the country. Many wore t-shirts proclaiming "Remember 1.5 million Armenians," a reference to the claim by Armenia that 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottomans. Turkey, the state which replaced the heartland of the Ottoman Empire, says the number is between 300,000 and 500,000.
Armenians from across the country travelled to the hilltop monument, also known as Tsitsernakaberd, to pay respects to those who died in the 1915 killings. Commemorations have taken place on April 24 since the 1920s, marking the date when hundreds of Armenian intellectuals are said to have been arrested in the Ottoman capital of Constantinople, before being executed.
The Armenian government considers the killings genocide. Turkey denies the charges, pointing out that many Turks and other Imperial subjects were also killed during the conflict. A total of 21 countries including France, Belgium and the Netherlands have officially recognised the event as genocide, as well as 43 US states.
01:10Armenia: Thousands flock to mass killing memorial
Thousands flocked to a hilltop memorial in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Wednesday to mark the 98th anniversary of the mass killings of ethnic Armenians by the order of Ottoman Empire officials during World War I.
Flowers were laid at an eternal flame during the ceremony, which was broadcast by every television channel in the country. Many wore t-shirts proclaiming "Remember 1.5 million Armenians," a reference to the claim by Armenia that 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottomans. Turkey, the state which replaced the heartland of the Ottoman Empire, says the number is between 300,000 and 500,000.
Armenians from across the country travelled to the hilltop monument, also known as Tsitsernakaberd, to pay respects to those who died in the 1915 killings. Commemorations have taken place on April 24 since the 1920s, marking the date when hundreds of Armenian intellectuals are said to have been arrested in the Ottoman capital of Constantinople, before being executed.
The Armenian government considers the killings genocide. Turkey denies the charges, pointing out that many Turks and other Imperial subjects were also killed during the conflict. A total of 21 countries including France, Belgium and the Netherlands have officially recognised the event as genocide, as well as 43 US states.