Yerevan--Armenians prepare to commemorate a hundred years since 1.5 million of their kin were massacred by Ottoman forces, as a fierce dispute still rages with Turkey over Ankara's refusal to recognise the mass murder as genocide.
Hundred of thousands are expected to flock to a towering memorial in Armenia's capital Yerevan on Friday for an emotional ceremony to mark the centenary of the start of a tragedy that still stirs deep divisions.
Ex-Soviet Armenia and the huge Armenian diaspora worldwide have battled for decades to get the World War I massacres at the hands of the Ottoman forces between 1915 and 1917 recognised as a targeted genocide.
But for modern Turkey -- the successor to the Ottoman empire -- hundreds of thousands died on both sides as Ottoman forces battled Tsarist Russia and describing the events as a "genocide" is a red line it cannot cross.
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has said the centenary will be used to remind the world of the struggle to recognise the massacre as genocide.
"This is an important date for the Armenian people and international community not only to look back and think over historical facts but to say 'never again'," Sarkisian said in a recent speech.
But the spotty guest list for the event highlights the lack of international consensus on the issue.
The presidents of Russia and France -- two of less than two dozen countries to formally recognise the genocide -- are expected to be among a handful of world leaders to join the crowds at the memorial, but others are shying away for fear of upsetting Ankara.
Meanwhile, Turkey has sparked ire by scheduling a major event for the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli, usually marked on April 25, for the same day, in what Armenia says is an effort to steal attention from what they call their genocide commemorations.
AFP
