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How did the Armenian Genocide change the population of Eastern Anatolia?

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Uncovering the history of the Armenian Genocide — Armenian Genocide Overview of the history and controversy surrounding the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide fundamentally transformed the demographic landscape of Eastern Anatolia, effectively emptying the region of its long-standing Armenian population. At the start of the 20th century, approximately 2.5 million Armenians lived within the Ottoman Empire, with a significant concentration in the provinces of Eastern Anatolia.12

By the end of World War I, more than 90 percent of the Armenian population in these lands had been killed or deported. The systematic removal of this population served to erase many traces of their historical presence in the region. The consequences of this demographic shift included:13

Property Redistribution: The deserted homes and property belonging to Armenians were seized and given to Muslim refugees.13
Forced Assimilation: Surviving women and children were frequently forced to abandon their Armenian identities and convert to Islam.13
Nation-Building: These events laid the foundation for the more homogeneous nation-state that emerged as the Republic of Turkey in 1923.13

While the Turkish government acknowledges that deportations and some killings occurred, it rejects the characterization of these events as genocide, arguing they were necessary measures during a national security crisis. Most historians, however, conclude that the systematic destruction of the Armenian population fits the definition of genocide.43