The stated intention of ASALA was `` to compel the Turkish Government to acknowledge publicly its alleged responsibility for the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 , pay reparations , and cede territory for an Armenian homeland '' . The stated intention of ASALA was `` to compel the Turkish Government to acknowledge publicly its responsibility for the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 , pay reparations , and cede territory for an Armenian homeland '' .