Commenting on the interpretation that the deportations resulted from the purported collaboration of the Armenians with the Russians, Wirsen states that the deportations were nothing but a cover for their extermination: "Officially, these had the goal to move the entire Armenian population to the steppe regions of Northern Mesopotamia and Syria, but in reality they aimed to exterminate the Armenians, whereby the pure Turkish element in Asia Minor would achieve a dominating position".
I en kommentar til den fortolkning, at deportationerne skyldtes det påståede samarbejde af armenierne med russerne, skrev Wirsen, at deportationerne ikke var andet end et dække for deres udslettelse: "Officielt havde disse til formål at flytte hele den armenske befolkning til steppeområderne i det nordlige Mesopotamien og Syrien, men i realiteten var formålet at udrydde armenierne, hvorved det rene tyrkiske element i Lilleasien ville få en dominerende plads."