FactCheckArmenia.com is a website whose stated purpose is "exposingArmenian distortions and hypocrisies".[1] Despite the name, it is not afact-checking website; it publishes false informationdenying theArmenian genocide.[2][3] Among the false claims made by the website is the assertion that "no Armenians were harmed" during thedeportation of Armenian intellectuals on 24 April 1915 (most of the deportees were eventually murdered).[2]
According toVice News, "FactCheckArmenia dispenses a view that is suspiciously similar to the Turkish government's line—and sometimes, perhaps more extreme".[4] According to genocide expertSamuel Totten, the website uses a misleading title to "snare the uninformed". He adds that "There is hardly any other way to describe Fact Check Armenia than to say it is an out and out denier of the Ottoman Turk genocide of the Armenians between 1915 and 1922."[5] The website is not transparent about its ownership or funding, but has links to the Turkish government.[2][4] According to Ab Kaan, involved in both organizations, "all data in Fact Check Armenia is produced by The Turkic Platform".[6]
In 2015,Vice News reported that FactCheckArmenia.com was buyingGoogle ads in order to appear first in the search results for thesearch terms "Ermeni Kırımı" (a Turkish phrase for the Armenian genocide), and the English-language "Armenian genocide".[4] At the time, Google ad policy forbade "products or services that help users to mislead others".[4]
In April 2015, the website published a paid ad inReuters, which was later silently deleted.[2]
In 2016,The Wall Street Journal published an advertisement by FactCheckArmenia.com denying the Armenian genocide.[3][7] Previously,The New York Times refused to run the ad based on its policy rejecting any "advertising that denies great human tragedies".[6] Los Angeles City CouncilmanPaul Krekorian proposed that the city stop buying the newspaper and any others that print ads denying the genocide.[8]Kim Kardashian took out an ad inThe New York Times stating, "Advocating the denial of a genocide by the country responsible for it – that’s not publishing a ‘provocative viewpoint,’ that's spreading lies".[7][9][10]
In April 2016, the website was advertised on billboards in various places including Boston, Chicago, Texas, andLittle Armenia, Los Angeles.Armenian National Committee of America launched a campaign against the billboards, encouraging companies to "stop profiting from genocide denial".[8][1] Some of the posters were advertised by local Turkish consulates.[1] Turkish historianFatma Müge Göçek stated, "I have been following the story regarding the billboards in Boston and Chicago with great disappointment, but not surprise."[6]
On 20 April 2016, FactCheckArmenia.com paidGEICO Skytypers forskywriting over New York City stating "101 years of Geno-lie," "Gr8 ally = Turkey," "BFF = Russia + Armenia," and "FactCheckArmenia.com". GEICO Skytypers later apologized.[11][12] Although some Armenian-Americans were outraged, the skywriting otherwise attracted little attention from Americans.[1] Armenian-American novelistNancy Kricorian stated that she was "appalled and disgusted" by the skywriting. Furthermore, she "was surprised to see that they are still peddling this tired and unconvincing strategy of calling Armenians liars". History professor Louis A. Fishman said, "Stunts like we saw Wednesday in New York only throw salt on the wounds of Armenians whose families died in the genocide". However, he also stated that most Americans were probably confused by the messages.[11]
The website has an affiliatedTwitter account, @FCArmenia.[1] On 24 April, 2020 (Armenian Genocide Memorial Day), the account tweeted "#ArmenianGenocide is a hoax! Armenian lobby fooled public opinion for many years".[13] This view is in contrast to that of historical research and scholarship, which considers the genocide a historical fact.[4][11]
