111 Years Ago They Slaughtered 4.5 Million Christians and Nothing Has Changed.
Armenian Genocide 111th Anniversary: Turkey Bans Commemoration as World Remembers 1.5 Million Christian Martyrs
On April 24, 2026, Armenians around the world marked the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, when the Ottoman Empire systematically murdered 1.5 million Armenian Christians during World War I. Thousands gathered at the Tsitsernakaberd memorial in Yerevan to lay flowers at the eternal flame, while parallel commemorations took place in London, Paris, Los Angeles, and New York's Times Square.
The genocide began on April 24, 1915, when Ottoman authorities arrested and deported 2,234 Armenian community leaders from Istanbul.
What followed was a campaign of mass executions, death marches, starvation, and forced conversions that decimated one of the oldest Christian communities on earth.
Turkey Bans Armenian Genocide Commemoration in Istanbul for Fourth Consecutive Year
In a move that enraged human rights advocates, the Istanbul Governor's Office denied permission for the fourth consecutive year to hold a genocide commemoration ceremony on Turkish soil. The April 24 Commemoration Platform had requested to use the Sureyya Opera House in Kadikoy district but was refused without justification. Commemorations had been held continuously from 2010 to 2019 before authorities began blocking them.
Turkey continues to reject the term "genocide," acknowledging casualties on both sides while refusing to accept responsibility for the systematic extermination of Armenian Christians. Meanwhile, U.S. Congressional members raised alarm about the Trump administration's Armenia Azerbaijan peace plan, warning it could endanger Armenia's sovereignty and the safety of its Christian population.
At the Times Square commemoration on April 26, clergy from the Armenian Prelacy, Diocese, Catholic, and Evangelical churches led prayers for the 1.5 million martyrs. Elected officials and scholars reinforced calls for universal recognition and justice.
The Crusader's Opinion
One hundred and eleven years. That is how long Turkey has denied butchering 1.5 million Armenian Christians. They ban commemorations on their own soil because the truth is too dangerous for their national mythology. Let us be clear about what happened in 1915: this was a targeted extermination of Christians because they were Christians. The Armenian Genocide was the 20th century's first great crime against Christendom, and Turkey's refusal to acknowledge it is an ongoing act of contempt against every believer who perished. The West must stop treating Turkey as an ally while it silences the memory of Christian martyrs.
Take Action
- Remember: Share this article and name the 1.5 million Armenian Christians who were murdered. Their memory demands it
- Contact Congress: Urge your representatives to oppose any peace deal that compromises Armenia's sovereignty or Christian heritage
- Support Armenia: Donate to the Armenian National Committee of America (anca.org) or Armenian Relief Society
- Educate: Teach your children and church community about the Armenian Genocide. Many have never heard the story
- Pray: Pray for the Armenian Christian community, for Turkey's recognition of the truth, and for the protection of persecuted Christians in the region
