Antonis Klapsis, Associate Professor of Modern History and International Politics at the University of the Peloponnese, discussed the historical context of the Armenian Genocide, the factors that led the collapsing Ottoman Empire to carry out the persecution and extermination of non-Muslim minorities, as well as the lessons to be drawn and Turkey’s continued refusal to acknowledge a historical event closely linked to its founding. He was speaking on Voice of Greece radio, on the program “Our Global Voice” with Dimitris Kontogiannis.
Mr. Klapsis noted that the impunity surrounding that genocide contributed to later atrocities, such as the Pontic Greek Genocide and the The Holocaust during World War II. He also referred to the indirect role of German officers serving within the Ottoman army at the time, given the empire’s alliance with the Central Powers, as well as acts of retaliation carried out by Armenians against several of those responsible for the genocide.
He further analyzed the reasons why Turkey continues to deny recognition of this event, in contrast to other countries—such as Germany—which have acknowledged responsibility for the Holocaust. Among the main reasons, he stressed, is the fact that the issue is closely tied to Turkey’s founding and remains a profound historical stigma.