By Eng. HAMBERSOM AGHBASHIAN
Recognition of the Armenian Genocide – Testimonies
Mevlan Zade Rifat Author of The Secrets of the Ottoman Coup
In 1929, Turkish politician Mevlan Zade Rifat, one of the leaders of the Committee of Union and Progress, published a book in Turkish titled The Secrets of the Coup. In it, he discussed the secret meetings of the Committee, which later became known as the Union and Progress Party.
Rifat revealed that, on the orders of Talat Pasha—then the Turkish Minister of the Interior—the Committee’s leaders unanimously decided to exterminate the Armenian population, ensuring that not a single Armenian would remain in Turkey.
This admission demonstrates that the horrific massacres of Armenians were carried out with premeditated and deliberate planning by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress—a fact that successive Turkish governments continue to deny to this day.
Henry Morgenthau (1856–1946)
U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (1913–1916)
Author of Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story
Henry Morgenthau, a successful Jewish lawyer, served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1913 to 1916. He developed personal relationships with the leaders of the Union and Progress Party, particularly Talat Pasha.
In April 1915, the embassy received reports from various regions of the Ottoman Empire describing the deportations and massacres of Armenians. Eyewitness accounts confirmed these atrocities, and alarming news spread rapidly. Morgenthau concluded that Talat and his party were systematically planning to eliminate the Armenian population. Despite his repeated efforts to stop the genocide, he was unsuccessful.
In 1918, Morgenthau published his memoirs, Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story, which includes a chapter titled “The Murder of a Nation,” dedicated to documenting the Armenian Genocide.
Fayez al-Ghussein (1883–1968)
Syrian Lawyer and Writer
Author of The Massacres in Armenia
Prominent Syrian lawyer and intellectual Fayez al-Ghussein was exiled to Diyarbakir during the Armenian Genocide. On his journey, he witnessed firsthand the atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire against defenseless Armenians.
In November 1916, his testimonies were serialized in the Egyptian newspaper Al-Muqattam and later compiled into a book titled The Massacres in Armenia, published in Egypt in 1917. This was the first book in the world to expose the massacres and document the violations committed by the Turkish authorities.
The work serves as a firsthand account of the Ottoman Empire’s brutality during the Armenian Genocide. Later, al-Ghussein accompanied Emperor Faisal to the Paris Peace Conference, underscoring his prominence as an influential Arab figure of his time.
Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized the Armenian Genocide
A significant number of Turkish intellectuals and liberals have publicly acknowledged the reality of the Armenian Genocide. Many of these acknowledgments are documented in two English-language books authored by H. Aghbashian, each featuring profiles of 50 Turkish intellectuals, including their photos, biographies, and statements on the genocide.
Notable Turkish Intellectuals
Taner Akçam – Historian, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts
Taner Akçam is widely regarded as one of the first Turkish scholars to openly recognize the Armenian Genocide. He has authored numerous important works on the subject.
Hasan Cemal – Journalist and Writer
Born in 1944 in Istanbul, Hasan Cemal is the grandson of Ahmet Cemal Pasha. He is well known for his acknowledgment and public apology regarding the Armenian Genocide. His notable book 1915: The Armenian Genocide reflects his courageous stance.
Fethiye Çetin – Lawyer, Writer, and Human Rights Activist
Fethiye Çetin grew up believing her grandmother, Seher, was a Muslim woman. Decades later, she discovered her grandmother’s true identity—Heranus, an Armenian child abducted during the genocide after her family was massacred. Çetin traced her grandmother’s surviving relatives in the United States, but before a reunion could take place, her grandmother passed away. Çetin later authored My Grandmother, which has been translated into multiple languages and remains a poignant testament to the tragedy.
Other Notable Figures:
Orhan Pamuk (Nobel Laureate, Novelist)
Elif Shafak (Writer, Columnist)
Halil Berktay (Historian, Sabancı University)
Gencay Gursoy (Neurologist, Human Rights Activist)
Dr. Delik Kurban (Juris Doctorate, Columbia University)
Dr. Ümit Kurt (Historian – University of Newcastle, Harvard University, Van Leer Jerusalem Institute)
Dr. Ümit Kurt specializes in the late Ottoman Empire and modern Middle Eastern history, focusing on the Armenian Genocide and the economic transformations that followed. His major works include The Armenians of Aintab: The Economics of Genocide in an Ottoman Province and The Spirit of the Laws.
Countries That Officially Recognize the Armenian Genocide
Argentina (2003–2015), Armenia (1998), Austria (2015), Belgium (1998), Bolivia (2014), Brazil (2015), Bulgaria (2015), Canada (1996–2004), Chile (2007–2015), Cyprus (1975–1990), Czechia (2015), France (1998–2001), Germany (2016), Greece (2014), Holy See (Vatican) (2000), Italy (2000), Latvia, Lebanon (1997–2000), Libya (2022), Lithuania (2005), Luxembourg, Mexico (2013), Netherlands (2004–2015), Paraguay, Poland (2005), Portugal (2019), Russia (1995–2015), Slovakia (2004), Sweden (2010), Switzerland (2003), Syria (2020), United States of America (2021), Uruguay (1965–2004), Venezuela (2005).
Notable Mentions:
- Cyprus was the first country to bring the issue of the Armenian Genocide before the United Nations General Assembly.
- Uruguay was the first nation to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide in 1965.
- Pope Francis reaffirmed the Vatican’s stance in 2015 and 2016 by using the term “genocide” in his public addresses.
Next Article: The Armenian Cultural Heritage in Turkey Today
