Armenian conspiracy theories

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Armenian conspiracy theories are any number of conspiracy theories that allege a conspiracy involving or revolving around ethnic Armenians, including the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian Church and the widespread Armenian diaspora. Such claims are frequently associated with denial of the Armenian genocide and other anti-Armenian sentiments, particularly in Turkey and Azerbaijan.

1 Samuel A. Weems
2 Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh
3 Hrant Dink
4 Other modern theories
5 See also
6 References

[edit] Samuel A. Weems

One of the most prominent and radical proponents of Armenian conspiracy theories was Samuel Weems.

Samuel A. Weems (December 12, 1936— January 25, 2003) was a writer and a disbarred lawyer in Arkansas, United States.^[1] In his book, Armenia: The Secrets of a Christian Terrorist State (2002), he stated that the Armenian Genocide was a gigantic fraud designed to "fleece" Christian nations out of billions of dollars. He also claimed that the Armenian Church was a "state owned" entity that organizes and funds terrorist attacks and that Armenians had "infiltrated" the United States.^[2] That book states that Armenian Diaspora communities in the United States and throughout the world are actually "colonies": political bases intended to gain money and support for Armenian Republic. The books also claims Armenia is founded on land stolen from Muslims and that Armenians have perpetrated enormous massacres against Turks and Azeris, both recently (in the Nagorno-Karabakh war) and in the past. He has been quoted as saying "The religion of the Armenians is fake" and that his research shows "that there is clearly an Armenian Master Plan that generates Armenian hate around the world".^[3] Prior to his death in 2003, he was preparing to write a second book claiming the international Armenian community collaborated with and supported Nazi Germany.

The book, along with essays and homemade videos by Weems, have been criticized as racist and Anti-Armenian by the Armenian Assembly of America.^[4] The book is available in several online bookstores in United States and Europe. It has also been translated in Turkish and distributed in Turkey.^[5]

[edit] Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh

Belief in an "Armenian International Conspiracy", that ethnic Armenians are attempting to change history and hide certain facts for political gain, can also be encountered in Azerbaijan,^[6] which has clashed with Armenia over Nagorno Karabakh, a de facto independent republic, officially part of Azerbaijan. Many Azeris believe that the Sumgait pogrom, where ethnic Azeris massacred Armenians during the dissolution of the Soviet Union, was in fact intentionally provoked by Armenians for propaganda purposes. The Sumgait pogrom is considered the primary trigger of the Nagorno Karabakh war.

The pogrom also lead way to the formulation of several conspiracy theories. According to a theory advanced by the Azerbaijani historian Ziya Bunyadov, the head of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, who claimed that the massacre had been premeditated by the Armenians to cast a negative light against Azerbaijan.^[7] By late 1988, the majority of Sumgait Azerbaijanis had accepted the view that the Armenians had provoked the rioting with this objective in hand.^[8] In an article that appeared in an Azerbaijani journal, Bunyadov claimed that Armenians had organized the pogroms: "The Sumgait tragedy was carefully prepared by Armenian nationalists...Several hours after it began, Armenian photographers and TV journalists secretly entered the city where they awaited in readiness."^[7]

Davud Imanov, an Azerbaijani filmmaker, expanded on this theory in a series of films called the Echo of Sumgait where he accused Armenians, Russians and Americans of conspiring together against Azerbaijan and claiming that Karabakh movement was a plot organized by the CIA.^[7] Other conspiracy theories revolve around the idea the massacre was instigated by Soviet hardliners in an attempt to discredit Gorbachev's policies.

[edit] Hrant Dink

There have been several conspiracy theories involving the assassination of Hrant Dink. Allegations that Dink, an ethnic Armenian living in Turkey, was assassinated by the Armenian diaspora. The official spokesperson of the Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate, Sevgi Erenerol, has claimed that Dink was killed because of he did not strongly campaign for Armenian Genocide recognition, and that he "realized he was being used". As evidence, she points to the fact Dink was buried in an Armenian Orthodox cemetery, although he was an Armenian Protestant. ^[9] She further claims that Ogun Samast was in fact in on the plot, and claimed that "Samast" literally means "church doorman" in the Armenian language (as if Samast was hired by Armenians to remove Dink), and concludes that "a big game is being played against the Turkish people".^[9]

[edit] Other modern theories

Chairman of the Turkish History Institution, Yusuf Halaçoğlu, has stated he believes that Armenian converts to Alevism are behind much of the PKKs separatist activities. He reportedly stated that “many of them, who converted from Armenian origins to Kurdish Alevism, are not really sincere. It is known that they are trying to open a church. For example when some PKK members are arrested it becomes apparent that they are not circumcised. We have to be careful about where the terror comes from.” ^[10] Halaçoğlu has also claimed that many members of the outlawed Turkish Workers and Peasants Liberation Army (TİKKO) and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are just converted Armenian Kurds. He has come under fire for his comments from the Armenian Agos newspaper, the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party and the Alevi Bektaşi Federations.^[10]

In the Republic of Georgia, anti-Armenian paranoia has been stirred up by the anti-Russian and anti-Abkhazian sentiment due to the Abkhazian conflict. Several Georgian newspapers predicted that the upcoming elections the Abkhazia enclave would be distinctly in the local Armenian's favor, suggesting that the election Armenian president would be very possible.^[11] Georgian media also suggested that Abkhazia would soon receive funding from the Armenian diaspora.

The APA news agency in Azerbaijan has made similar claims, stating that Armenia's ultimate goal is to occupy Abkhazia, and along with Javakheti, gain access to the sea. ^[12] The unconfirmed report from the APA claims that 60 members of the Georgian intelligentsia have asked the Georgian President to acknowledge cultural genocide committed against Georgians both in Abkhazia and Javakheti by Armenians, and a similarly uncorroborated quote suggested that Armenians were only waiting for Russia's recognition of that state as independent to occupy it.^[12]