In the early hours of April 24, 1915, Turkish authorities began a coordinated arrest of 250 prominent Armenian figures in Istanbul, including writers, academics, and community leaders. This event is often regarded as the onset of the systematic persecution that would culminate in the Armenian genocide. Under the pretext of national security during World War I, the Ottoman government sought to neutralize the Armenian intellectual elite, viewing them as a potential threat to the state. The arrested individuals were taken from their homes and transported to unknown locations, and many would never return. This operation set the stage for a broader initiative which would unfold over the subsequent years, resulting in the death and displacement of over a million Armenians across the empire.

The arrests were not isolated incidents; they were part of a larger policy framework aimed at the Ottoman Empire’s minority populations, particularly the Armenians, who were accused of collaborating with foreign powers during the war. Consequently, this led to widespread deportations and mass killings, often carried out through forced marches into the Syrian desert and other remote areas. The practical implications of the arrests were devastating, not only dismantling the community’s leadership but also instilling fear and paranoia among the larger Armenian population, prompting flight, concealment, or complicity as survival strategies. By targeting the intellectual class, the Ottoman authorities aimed to erase the cultural identity of Armenians, ensuring their inability to organize resistance against further atrocities.

This systematic approach laid the groundwork for what would become one of the first modern genocides, characterized by the extensive use of state machinery to enforce mass killings and deportations. The ramifications of these actions would echo through history, deeply embedding the tragedy into collective memory as Armenians around the world have continued to commemorate those lost, seek justice, and pursue recognition for the genocide committed against their people.