Delegations of a number of cities visit Armenian Genocide memorial

October 14, 2017 - 15:42 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Delegations of a number of cities who have arrived in Yerevan to participate in events marking the 2799th anniversary of the capital city's foundation on Saturday, October 14 visited the Armenian Genocide memorial.

Accompanying the guests were Yerevan's deputy mayors Kamo Areyan, Vahe Nikoyan and Davit Ohanyan, as well as representatives of district administrations.

The members of the delegations put a wreath at the memorial and flowers at the eternal fire, also paying tribute to the memory of the victims with a moment of silence.

Also, the guests toured the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute to learn more about the exhibits displayed.

The Armenian capital city of Yerevan is celebrating the 2799th anniversary of its foundation with a number of events on Saturday.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.