Abstrakt
Without setting itself the explicit task of defining whether the tragic events of 1915 constitute a legal case of genocide or not, this article investigates the current perceptions of these events in key EU nations, Armenia, and Turkey. The article focuses heavily on the internal Armenian and Turkish discourses, with the ultimate goal of unearthing the rationale behind Yerevan's encouragement of genocide recognition and Ankara's unwillingness to recognize the genocide as well as the political implications.
It points to the growing politicization of the issue of the Armenian genocide (non)recognition - and its utilization by elites of some EU member states in an effort to hinder Turkey's prospective EU accession; by Armenian regime to legitimize their bid for power and rally the support of the influential Armenian diaspora; and by Turkish elites to defend the reputation of the late Ottoman Army and provide against prospective territorial claims, as well as claims on compensation.