The Betrayed

In a special Correspondent to coincide with Holocaust memorial week, Fergal Keane investigates how a terrible slaughter, three quarters of a century ago, has returned to haunt the relationship between Turkey and its western allies. For decades the Armenian people have campaigned to have the killings of hundreds of thousands of their forefathers in Ottoman Turkey in 1915 recognized as genocide. But there has been an equally determined campaign by Turkey to deny genocide with threats of reprisals against any country which uses the word to describe the slaughter. Now as the United States steps up its efforts to win Ankara's support in any conflict with Iraq Correspondent reveals new Turkish pressures. The program also discloses how President George W Bush and his predecessor Bill Clinton both broke promises to the Armenian community that they would recognize genocide. Talking to Armenian survivors, Turkish officials and key political figures in the United States Correspondent investigates a story of two different versions of events; events which have left a people betrayed.