Turkey's Take
There is no dispute over the fact that Ottoman authorities engaged in atrocities during the years 1915-16. However, it is disputed that the Ottoman government oversaw any plans to wipe-out the Armenian minority, living within the empire. The Republic of Turkey estimates a total of 300 000 deaths. The Armenian people, on the other hand, argue the figure of 1.5 million is of a greater accuracy.
The focal point for all discussion centred on the Armenian minority and the series of massacres during WWI is whether or not it was genocide. In accordance with Article Two of the UN Convention on Genocide of December 1948, the atrocities committed against Armenian peoples, namely, in the April of 1915 fit the criteria and match up with numerous other cases of genocide. So far more than 20 nations have recognised the massacres of 1915-16 as genocide. These include: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Russia and Uruguay.
Useful sites:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16352745
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17988453
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20932705
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/timestopics/topics_armeniangenocide.html
http://treaties.un.org/untc//Pages//doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%2078/volume-78-I-1021-English.pdf
The focal point for all discussion centred on the Armenian minority and the series of massacres during WWI is whether or not it was genocide. In accordance with Article Two of the UN Convention on Genocide of December 1948, the atrocities committed against Armenian peoples, namely, in the April of 1915 fit the criteria and match up with numerous other cases of genocide. So far more than 20 nations have recognised the massacres of 1915-16 as genocide. These include: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Russia and Uruguay.
Useful sites:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16352745
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17988453
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20932705
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/timestopics/topics_armeniangenocide.html
http://treaties.un.org/untc//Pages//doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%2078/volume-78-I-1021-English.pdf