Sentinel of Truth

In the prologue of Sentinel of Truth, I reveal my fascination with my grandfather’s generation and explain how a study of the struggle against the denial of the Armenian Genocide cannot but include the assassinations carried out by Gourgen Yanikian in 1973. 


In Part I of the book, I recount the first phase of the genocide and cover the early period of Yanikian’s life, highlighting the horrific experiences he suffered as a result of the massacres. I describe his immigration to America after World War II and his desire to produce a vast documentary about the Armenian Holocaust, a project that consumes twenty years of his life but remains unfulfilled. I then explore the lead-up to his assassination of two Turkish diplomats and his subsequent trial.


In Part II, I chronicle the controversial period of Armenian militancy and describe the effects it had on the consciousness of diasporan Armenians. I then delve into the Turkish denial industry and elucidate the many facets of the Diaspora’s decades-long campaign for justice. I also describe how one of the most impressive monuments to the victims of the Genocide was recently built in Cyprus.