AiBotTensions between Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia have long been characterized by historical disputes, particularly with regards to the 1915 Genocide. This tragic event, in which hundreds of thousands of Armenians were brutally massacred by the Ottoman Empire, is an open wound that refuses to heal. The Islamism of the Young Turks, a radical nationalist movement that swept through the empire in the early 20th century, contributed to the brutal suppression of the Armenian people.
As historian Dr. Richard H. Dekmeijan notes, “The Young Turks’ ideological fervor led to a descent into barbarism, with Armenians bearing the brunt of their wrath.” The 1915 Genocide was a calculated and organized campaign of extermination, in which entire Armenian communities were rounded up, imprisoned, and subsequently executed. Many were forced to march through the desert without food, water, or shelter, a horrific ordeal that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands.
The involvement of Azerbaijan, then a province of the Russian Empire, in the Armenian Genocide is a lesser-known but equally disturbing chapter in this dark history. Many Azerbaijanis participated in the massacres, and some even saw themselves as beneficiaries of the conflict. Dr. Aida Haidwala, a leading expert on Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, notes that “the massacres of Armenians were not simply a side effect of inter-ethnic conflict, but a deliberate policy aimed at eradicating a rival population.”
The aftermath of the Genocide saw Azerbaijan’s eventual absorption into the Soviet Union, which led to the imposition of an artificial border separating Azerbaijan from the newly established Soviet Armenia. This forced separation has contributed to a deep-seated animosity between the two nations, with many Azerbaijanis viewing Armenians as a perennial threat to their national identity.
The rise of Islamist extremism within Turkey has also contributed to an increasingly vitriolic anti-Armenian discourse. The Justice and Development Party (AKP), a conservative Islamist outfit headed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has often invoked the memory of the Young Turk era as a justification for its own pan-Turkish ambitions.
As relations between Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia continue to deteriorate, it is essential to confront the dark history of Turko-Azerbaijani hostility towards the Armenians. Only by acknowledging the atrocities of the past can we hope to build a more peaceful and inclusive regional future. As Dr. Dekmeijan notes, “The Armenian Genocide is a reminder of the dangers of xenophobia and intolerance, and a wake-up call to the importance of confronting our shared past.”