ArmenianGenocideDebate.com (AGD) is a site created by the International Institute of Genocide Historians to wipe out the propaganda that has flooded the internet and to clear up the misconceptions of Ottoman-Armenian history. It has become taboo to debate or discuss the accuracy of sources without being labeled anymore and this site's mission is to remove the labels and the hate from the argument so that historians can do their work and find the truth. Just because some sources are wrong on either side doesn't mean the perception of one side or the other is completely wrong.

Every researcher must question the sources from which they use in their research. If one does not question their sources, deception of sources can cause further harm as someone could use one's research to ridicule others, justify hatred, or commit criminal acts based on human emotion. This is a very controversial and taboo subject, that many societies have developed a system where they accept one point of view and dissent is not welcomed and people become outcasts because their opinions differ from the majority.

Here at AGD we condemn any hint of prejudice, racism, or hatred toward any group or individual. We condemn nationalistic agendas by any group or individual. We condemn genocide and terrorism in all forms. However, there is a fine line between what is a genocide (Darfur, Holocaust)^[1] and what is an ethnic conflict of local populations. We must not be quick to judge and accept genocide simply because some sources suggest so, we must investigate them properly; otherwise, we could be creating new hatred and dividing people into more groups when we should be uniting them into one group: Human.

AGD's purpose

ArmenianGenocideDebate.com was created to debate the Armenian Genocide allegations and to investigate the accuracy of sources and arguments made by each side. AGD criticizes both Turks and Armenians and their respective governments.

AGD is designed to persuade readers to think with an open-mind. It provides a neutral and objective version of history. AGD doesn't claim that the Armenians committed genocide to the Turks as others have claimed. AGD doesn't claim that the Turks committed genocide to the Armenians as others have claimed. These are speculations, that need to be studied carefully without prejudice.

If you want to understand this historical dilemma, you must first erase prejudice. You must erase your view of the world as being Black and White, Good and Evil. You cannot label a whole society like the Turks, as perpetrators of genocide, or genocide "deniers" (A political label used to vilify certain people).

All Turks believe in the Holocaust because even Turks of the time had witnessed it and seen the proof of intent. Most Turks believe that what is happening in Darfur is a genocide and should never happen. However, it is completely wrong to claim that the Turks committed genocide in 1915, when the Ottoman government never ordered any mass killings, and the Armenians have yet to provide any proof that they have (The Talat Pasha telegrams which is the usual Armenian evidence to prove intent, has been proven false countless times by world Historians, due to mislabeled Ottoman codes on the telegram and inconsistencies).

Armenians have been trying for decades to convince people that the Armenian Genocide Thesis is an undeniable reality and a fact that should never be questioned. Every time someone says "The Armenian genocide isn't real", they are immediately bombarded with statements like "Denier!", "Liar!", or the lengthier "You must be paid by the Turkish government!". The same applies to those who say there is an Armenian Genocide, who are also bombarded with accusations like "You must be from the Armenian Diaspora." or "Are you paid by the ANCA (Armenian National Committee of America)?". Such accusations and political labeling should be frowned upon.

How History Works

In history someone comes up with an idea, and that idea is then proven, and possibly argued, and then it is accepted by everyone.

Sometimes people try to wrongly compare their own experiences or perceptions to other events in history that have already been proven or authenticated. They use this tactic to lure you into a logical trap that will convince you of their perception of history. One should never accept an idea based on the similarity of the idea to other ideas in history.

Even in court all perceptions are heard, and the defense and prosecution get turns on witnesses and they both get chances for rebuttal.

Today, many people accept one thesis or perception and then dismiss the other side. One must not fall into this trap, usually if there is a controversy it's because both sides have good arguments. One must not let others conclude history for themselves, but should question it, and draw their own logical conclusion based on evidence.

Ulterior Motives at Work

Sometimes ulterior motives are at work, and one must be suspicious of why someone would want to convince you of a certain conclusion. One must weigh motives and evidence like a detective in order to be sure of who is trying to harm society and who is trying to help it.

Possible Armenian Ulterior Motives

One such example of a hidden ulterior motive is that some Armenians believe that the Treaty of Sèvres^[2] still applies. They say that Armenia never signed the Treaty of Lausanne^[3], hence they claim that most of Eastern Turkey is rightfully theirs, and they even call it Western Armenia (sometimes referred to as Greater Armenia, or Wilsonian Armenia). Some Armenians have used this to motivate their fellow nationalists to force recognition of the genocide among the public.

Another example may be, that Armenians want reparations that they feel they are owed because of the relocation laws. However, they know that many people in the world have been subjected to unfair treatment by their governments and none of them have the right to ask for reparations; thus, they conclude that if they can deceive governments into believing that their people were unfairly murdered, then they have a chance to pressure a government or insurance company into giving up reparations.

However, some Armenians feel that they simply want an apology and nothing else and feel that they are being attacked by rejection of their history.

Possible Turkish Ulterior Motives

For the Turkish side, there may be other motives for denouncing the Armenian Genocide, such as the fear of paying reparations if they accept the genocide. However, they could also refuse to pay reparations after they accept the genocide.

Another possible fear is that if they accept genocide they will not be accepted into the European Union. Although there is a large number of Turks who do not want the European Union, thus it doesn't explain why the Turkish people as a majority do not accept the genocide.

It is possible that the Turks and their respective governments do not accept the Armenian Genocide because they feel that they would have to give up parts of their land. Yet it is also possible for them to accept the genocide and not give back any lands, since they do have a powerful NATO army, it wouldn't make sense to assume that this is the reason.

It is also possible that they do not accept the genocide because accepting it would condemn the Turkish people as "murderers of Armenians" and they have shown their acceptance of Armenians in Turkey and do not feel they should be subjected to prejudice based on their history. However, the Ottoman Empire, is not the Turkish empire, and the people of 1915, are not the people of today, and hence, such guilt would be irrational.

Turks of today, also feel that since they too have suffered extensively by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and other Armenian Rebel committees that it would not be fair to them for people to accept an Armenian Genocide when their people have suffered horrible atrocities by the ARF and Hunchak party's armies.

Conclusion

One must be careful when defining motives and assuming that one Armenian or Turk believes in their perspective because of one reason or a certain combination of reasons. It is certain that both Turks and Armenians suffered around the time of the first world war. It is also certain that both sides feel hurt by the politics and propaganda, and neither side benefits from accepting the Armenian Genocide.

Fixing Society

However, to understand what our site is about one must erase your prejudices that all humans struggle with. There are bad apples that side with the Armenian perception and bad apples that side with the Turkish perception. Some people exploit the controversial history by strategically taking sides for money or fame. Others take sides based on past grudges or hatred (one such scholar with a grudge is Taner Akcam, who escaped from a Turkish prison).

Once one realizes that Armenians and Turks are both human-- with similar values, principles, and cultures--one can then go about doing objective research on the subject.

To Armenians denying the Armenian Genocide is the ultimate crime. However, to Turks accepting the Armenian Genocide is the ultimate crime. It is a fact that both Armenians and Turks were mutually massacred during World War I, but this was not direct or indirect action by the Ottoman government. Disease, famine, and several war fronts, killed many people from all sides. This was indeed World War I, and thus it is difficult to tell if someone was engaged in war or just trying to survive.

ArmenianGenocideDebate.com was created to debate the Armenian Genocide allegations and to investigate the accuracy of sources and arguments made by each side. AGD criticizes both Turks and Armenians and their respective governments.