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Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide 38-Fikret Adanır

November 7, 2014 By administrator

  By: Hambersom Aghbashian

Fikret-adnirFikret Adanır (born Oct. 3, 1941 in Foca, Turkey) is a Turkish professor of history and philology. He studied  English Philology at the University of Istanbul(1962-1964), worked as a Turkish Language Instructor in Vermont, USA(1964). During the years (1965 -1971), he studied  English Philology, History and Philosophy at the University of Frankfurt am Main (M.A. in English Literature), then  studied Slavic Languages (Russian and Bulgarian) (1971-73) and completed his post-graduate studies and research at University of Frankfurt am Main (PhD in History, 1973-77). He held many academic positions where he served as Research Assistant (East European History), University of Frankfurt am Main(1978-79), Assistant Lecturer (East European History), University of Giessen(1979-84), Assistant Lecturer (History Department), Free University of Berlin(1984-86), Professor for Southeast European History (with special focus on Ottoman-Turkish History), Ruhr University Bochum(1986 to Present), and visiting professor, Sabanci University, Istanbul (October 2002-February 2003). He is the author of many books and has a very long list of published books.(1)

                        Prof. Fikret Adanir participated in the Conference entitled The Armenians during the Collapse of the Ottoman Empire that was held at Istanbul’s Bogazici University in September 2005. In his speech, he said, ” a Turkish government may have to accept genocide accusation one day due to impositions. This may please some circles. But, I don’t think a concession made as a result of such impositions will be beneficial for the future of Turkish-Armenian relations.” Adanir also said that he was using the expression ‘Armenian Genocide‘ in his academic works, and added, ” the dimension of the 1915-16 relocation is far beyond than mass killings. A whole nation, regardless of whether they were women, men, elderly or children, were relocated and died on the roads. Their properties were seized, while those who survived this incident were not allowed to return.” (2)

                        The Danish Royal Library has, together with the Armenian embassy, held an exhibition on “The Armenian genocide and the Scandinavian reaction” .Due to protests from the Turkish embassy, the library’s director, Erland Kolding Nielsen, has agreed to hold an alternative exhibition titled, “The so-called Armenian genocide.”This decision has caused widespread debate and 37 Turkish intellectuals, including Fikrat Adanır ,Taner Akçam, Cengiz Aktar, Murat Belge, Baskın Oran and İpek and Oral Çalışlar, have in an open letter in Dec.2012 in Denmark’s leading daily Berlingske, called on the library’s director to reconsider his decision. They mentioned in their letter “By giving the Turkish government the opportunity to present an “alternative exhibit”, you support their policy of suppression and intimidation. The support that you are extending to a regime that has made opposition to confronting history and denial of the truth a fundamental principle is equivalent to supporting a regime of apartheid. We want to remind you that your support constitutes an obstacle to democratization efforts in Turkey today.”(3)

                       In his research ” The Reality and Relevance of the Armenian Genocide” ,1999, Prof Richard Hovannisian (UCLA),  mentioned that “Fikret Adanir explains the lack of readiness in Turkish society to face the truth of the Armenian Genocide as being in large measure is the result of the “official history” taught and propagated in the Republic of Turkey. He offers an overview of Turkish nationalist historiography and how it shapes public opinion.”(4)

                       According to ESI (European Stability Institute), Turkish historian Halil Berktay, a professor at the prestigious Sabanci University in Istanbul  told ESI in early 2009, “Every country has foundation myths. Turkey’s, however, thanks largely to the perseverance of Kemalist dogma, has been virtually uncontested – at least till the 2000s. Turkey was a late nation state. The hegemony of state Kemalism allowed foundation myths to survive longer than in most nation states. He added ” A few Turkish intellectuals, such as Taner Akcam or Fikret Adanır, addressed the Armenian issue in the 1990s. But they were isolated from Turks in Turkey. The press did not cover their views. Marginal journals or printing houses printed 1500 copies of one of their books, for example.(5)

                        According to “ www.newworldencyclopedia.org ” ,(Oct 16, 2006), “Some Turkish intellectuals also support the genocide thesis despite opposition from Turkish nationalists; these include Ragip Zarakolu, Ali Ertem, Taner Akçam, Halil Berktay, Fatma Muge Gocek and Fikret Adanir.The reasons are : First, they cite the fact that the organization members were criminals, and that those criminals were specifically sent to escort the Armenians. This is regarded as sufficient evidence of the government’s criminal intent. Second, the fact that Armenians living outside the war zone were also removed. Thirdly, it is argued that the thesis of simple relocation is flawed due to the absence of the preparations which resettlement would require. Fikret Adanir suggested that over a million lost their lives during the events.(6)

                       A group of academics, journalists, artists and intellectuals have released a statement condemning in the harshest terms what they define as expressions that include “open hatred and hostility” towards Armenians in Turkish schoolbooks, which were recently exposed by the newspapers Agos and Taraf. The two newspapers recently published reports on hateful remarks targeting Armenians in the textbooks used in history classes, according to Today’s Zaman.

A letter accompanying the text of the condemnation, written by historian Taner Akçam, notes that including such expressions as lesson material to teach children is a disgrace. Prof. Fikret Adanir was one of the academics who have participated in releasing the statement.(7) 

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1- http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/soeg/adanir.html

2- http://www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/Fikret_Adanir

3- http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/a-controversial genocide.aspx? pageID=238&nID= 37144 &News CatID =396

4- http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/history/centers/armenian/source109.html

5- http://www.esiweb.org/index.php?lang=en&id=322&debate_ID=2&slide_ID=3

6- http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Armenian_Genocide

7- Turkish Intellectuals Condemn Anti-Armenian Textbooks. Asbarez.com.Sept. 30th, 2014

Filed Under: Articles, Genocide Tagged With: armenian genocide, Fikret adnir, recognize

Turkey will never recognize Armenian Genocide – Turkey’s FM

November 6, 2014 By administrator

Turkeys FMTurkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has stated that it is impossible for his country to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Speaking at the Turkish parliament, Cavusoglu provided information on the developments in some topics, Gercekgundem website of Turkey reported.

He reflected on the European Court of Human Rights hearing on the case: Dogu Perincek vs. Switzerland, and stressed that they are closely monitoring the respective developments.

And with respect to the events that occurred in 1915, Mevlut Cavusoglu claimed that it is impossible for Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide, which is attributed to their forebears and the Turkish nation.

“We stress this every time,” Turkey’s FM stated.

Filed Under: Articles, Genocide Tagged With: armenian genocide, FM, never, recognize, Turkey

LOS ANGELES ‘Champions of Human Rights’ To Be Recognized At ANCA-WR Banquet

November 1, 2014 By administrator

BY VANNA T. KITSINIAN, ESQ.

five-mediumLOS ANGELES—The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) announced that it will recognize three individual champions of human rights – U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, Cleveland H. Dodge, and Jackie Coogan — who, in working with the Near East Relief, were instrumental in bringing worldwide attention and rendering aid to the orphans and refugees during and in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide from 1915 through 1930.

Ambassador Henry Morgenthau

Perhaps the most vocal American political figure in history to speak on behalf of the Armenian people was Henry Morgenthau. Morgenthau was born in Mannheim, Grand Duchy of Baden in 1856 into an Ashkenazi Jewish family of twelve children. He was a lawyer, businessman, and United States Ambassador, most famous as the American Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1913 through 1916. As an early Woodrow Wilson supporter, Morgenthau, like other prominent Jewish Americans, was posted as the ambassador to the Ottoman Empire under an assumption operating at the time that Jews somehow represented a bridge between Muslim Turks and Christian Americans. Although the safety of American citizens in the Ottoman Empire—mostly Christian missionaries and Jews—was a major concern during his ambassadorship, Morgenthau stated that the one issue he was most preoccupied with was the Armenian Question, meaning the protection and the freedom of Armenians from their neighboring communities in the Ottoman Empire.

As Ottoman authorities began the extermination campaign of the Armenians in 1914-1915, it is reported that Morgenthau’s desk was flooded with reports nearly every hour by the American consuls residing in different parts of the Empire, documenting the massacres and deportation marches that were taking place. Faced with overwhelming evidence of genocide, and having witnessed the atrocities first-hand, Morgenthau sparked the American, and thereafter, international, relief effort for the Armenians by sending a cablegram to the Secretary of State in Washington DC on September 6, 1915, stating, “ Destruction of [the] Armenian race in Turkey is progressing rapidly…” Meanwhile, Morgenthau held high-level meetings with leaders of the Ottoman Empire, including Talaat and Enver Pasha, to help alleviate the suffering of the Armenians, but his protestations were blatantly ignored. As a result, Morgenthau famously admonished the country’s Interior Minister Talaat Pasha, stating, “Our people will never forget these massacres.”

As the Genocide continued, Morgenthau and several other American leaders decided to form a committee to lead the relief efforts. This committee later came to be known as the Near East Relief. Through his personal friendship with Adolph Ochs, publisher of The New York Times, Morgenthau ensured that the massacres of the Armenians continued to receive prominent coverage, with 145 published in The New York Times in 1915 alone. Exasperated with his relationship with the Ottoman government, he resigned from the ambassadorship in 1916. Looking back on that decision in his report concerning the annihilation of the Armenian people, “The Murder of a Nation,” Morgenthau wrote that he had come to see Turkey as “a place of horror.” He stated, “I had reached the end of my resources. I found intolerable my further daily association with men, however gracious and accommodating . . . who were still reeking with the blood of nearly a million human beings.” Later, his conversation with Ottoman leaders and his account of the Armenian Genocide was published in 1918 under the title Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story.

The Armenian National Committee of America WR (ANCA-WR) is proud to recognize U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau’s efforts to draw international attention the Armenian Genocide and for organizing private and public relief efforts to save the Armenian people. Accepting the posthumous recognition on the Ambassador’s behalf is his great-grandson, Henry Ben Morgenthau IV, MD, a pediatrician based in San Francisco, California. Dr. Morgenthau is also the grandson of Henry Morgenthau Jr., who was Secretary of the Treasury during President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration. Dr. Morgenthau IV has maintained strong ties to the Armenian community and its most important causes throughout his life. In 1999, he traveled to Armenia where he met with the President in Yerevan, the Catholicos at Etchmiadzin, and visited the National Genocide Memorial and other important cultural sites.

In receiving this honor, Dr. Ben Morgenthau stated, “I would like to thank the Armenian National Committee WR for singling out the heroic work of the Near East Relief and the Near East Foundation. My great grandfather, Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, was a founder of the Committee on Armenian Atrocities, which later became the Near East Relief. He was one of just a few heroes in positions of power willing to call attention to the horrific Genocide taking place in Armenia in 1915. We need more heroes.”

Cleveland Dodge

Following the Ambassador’s pivotal initial steps to bring international attention to this unimpeachable crime against humanity, several prominent Americans joined the Ambassador’s efforts to mobilize aid to the desolate Armenians who managed to survive the massacres. The aid that was rendered would not have been possible had it not been for the steadfast altruism of New York based philanthropist Cleveland H. Dodge.

Just ten days after Ambassador Morgenthau sent his famous cablegram with a plea seeking urgent assistance for the refugees, the Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief’s (later named Near East Relief) first meeting took place in Cleveland Dodge’s office on September 16, 1915. At the initial meeting, Dodge, along with a small group of friends, each pledged the first $60,000, which was cabled immediately for relief of the orphans and refugees. Not only was Dodge one of the organizers and founding members of NER, but was also, for several years, a personal funder of campaign and administrative expenses enabling NER to advertise that, “100 cents of every dollar go for relief – none for expenses, which are met privately.”

In 1919, when the war had left the entire Armenian population practically exiled from their homeland, stranded in the impoverished, famine-stricken regions of Southern Russia without food, clothing, or shelter, Armenians were dying of starvation at a rate of 1,000 per day. A million lives were at stake and a minimum of $15,000,000 was required to see them through the winter. Of course, as generous as Dodge had been in providing campaign and administrative expenses, $15 million could not have been raised without a larger campaign organization. At that stage, no one dreamed of asking Cleveland Dodge to do more than he had already done in spearheading and funding the relief campaign and administrative expenses. When Dodge learned that individuals other than himself would be asked to supplement what he was already doing to raise the additional funds, he requested from the Committee not to ask anyone else for additional campaign money and again generously donated an additional $100,000, and whatever else was necessary to see the winter through.

Moreover, through the years of NER’s existence, Dodge personally corresponded with President Woodrow Wilson, providing both emotional support for the challenging times which he and the rest of the world were navigating, as well as the financial backing of NER to help bring to fruition the much needed aid for refugees in the Near East, who the President so firmly believed needed aid. Thousands of committeemen and friends throughout United States and the Near East expressed their feelings of appreciation to Cleveland Dodge for all he did to make the mission of NER a reality.

It has been widely reported that the NER would not have existed had it not been for Cleveland Dodge, and there certainly would not have been such a rapid and far-reaching development of the organization, administering a total of $117 million of relief funds, had it not been for his inspiring leadership and generosity.

Accepting the recognition on behalf of Cleveland H. Dodge is his great-grandson Johnson Garrett, currently the Vice-Chairman of the Near East Foundation (NEF) and a Board Member of the Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation. He is also a member of the executive committee for both organizations. Garrett has worked as a digital media executive for 15 years, previously working for AOL, Viacom, Excite@Home, Ask Jeeves, and most recently, IAC/InterActive Corp. Garrett was a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a founding member of Network 20-20, a New York based foreign policy group. He graduated with a B.A. from Princeton University and a MBA from Columbia School of Business.

In response to the recognition, Garrett stated, “On behalf of the Dodge family, I am deeply grateful for this honor being bestowed upon my great-grandfather Cleveland H. Dodge. His philanthropic legacy was extraordinary, but no more evident and impactful than in helping to found Near East Relief which aided so many Armenians in their darkest hour.”

Jackie Coogan
Recognizing the immense influence of media, NER enlisted the “world’s best known boy” and most prominent child star in Hollywood at the time to carry the NER message to the masses. In the early 1920’s, child actor Jackie Coogan—later widely known as Uncle Fester on The Addams Family—lent his star power to the worthy cause of relief efforts to the starving children in the Near East.

Coogan launched “Jackie Coogan’s Circus” in Hollywood with the mission of obtaining food and clothing to donate to the dependent children of the Near East. With the aid of his side shows, band, bareback riders, acrobats, clowns, camels, lions, and everything in between, Jackie raised $3,500 by charging an admission in the form of a bundle of clothing or shoes or two cans of condensed milk. More than 7,500 people attended Jackie’s circus.

Most significantly, Jackie Coogan embarked on a tour of the United States and a four-month trip to Europe on behalf of the starving children of the Near East. In the U.S., Coogan visited 25 American cities in just August of 1924 in the interest of the relief fund, including Albuquerque, Denver, Kansas City, Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburg, Washington, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Newark and New York, to name a few. Every school child in the U.S. was asked to bring contributions to the collection stations. Boy Scouts, milk companies, and various organizations helped collect the supplies under the direction of the NER. Following his American tour, he then set sail for Europe, commanding a voyage to Greece, Syria, Armenia, and the Holy Land.

Thereafter, Coogan led a “Children’s Crusade of Mercy,” and with the help of his star power, successfully raised and sent a million dollar shipload of provisions to aid the orphans of the Near East. He personally set sail from New York City to Greece and made the presentation of the $1,000,000 worth of supplies to the representatives of the NER and the orphans themselves. At the time, a benefit performance of the latest Coogan film, “Little Robinson Crusoe,” preceded his departure. The Los Angeles Times reported that more than 3,500 cans of condensed milk were received, two from each Boy Scout who attended. Numerous articles were published in The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, reporting on Coogan’s Children’s Crusade, with headlines that read “Jackie’s Circus is Great Hit,” “Master Coogan Does Good Work for Starved Tots of Armenia,” “Jackie Begins Relief Tour,” “Coogan given send-off as He Starters Long Trip in Interest of Starving Armenians”, “Child Film Star Will Lead ‘Children’s Crusade’ and Go With Ship to Near East,” “Boy Actor Back from Near East,” etc. Coogan was described as a leader of a crusade of mercy to the Bible Lands. Before his tour of the Near East, tag sales that took place in Hollywood and downtown streets aided the Jackie Coogan Near East Relief Condensed Milk Fund, with The Kiwanis Club tendering Coogan a farewell luncheon.

In 1924, Jackie Coogan was decorated by the Greek government with the medal of an Office of the Order of George, given in recognition of his humanitarian work. The decoration ceremony took place in the Acropolis in the presence of the American Minister, government and civil officials, and 7,000 NER orphans. At that time, The New York Times reported that it was the first time this medal had ever been given to a child.

Accepting the recognition posthumously on Jackie Coogan’s behalf is his grandson, Keith Coogan. On this occasion, Keith stated, “Jackie Coogan played a very small part and was a very young man who turned to his father at the time and said, ‘Daddy, we need to do something to help.’ And his father believed that as a young boy of privilege, it was important that Jackie see what was happening in the world. And in a few short years, Hollywood came together and raised millions. It was really the children that came together, as Jackie led the Children’s Crusade of Care with his milk trains and the steam barges he took overseas via the establishment of the Near East Relief. I thank you for honoring him, California, and all of Hollywood.” Keith Coogan was born on January 13, 1970 in Palm Springs, California. Following in the footsteps of his legendary grandfather, Keith began his acting career in TV commercials, as well various TV shows and made-for-TV movies. He played the smitten Brad Anderson in the delightful teen comedy cult favorite “Adventures in Babysitting” and gave an engaging performance as Christina Applegate’s brother Kenny in “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.” He has made guest appearances on “Toy Soldiers,” “The Love Boat,” “Eight Is Enough,” “Knight Rider,” “CHiPS,” “Starman,” “21 Jumpstreet,” to name a few. Keith graduated from Santa Monica High School and attended Santa Monica College and Los Angeles City College, majoring in Drama. Coogan resides in Los Angeles and continues to act and runs blogs in his spare time.

The ANCA-WR is proud to recognize the humanitarian spirit of Henry Morgenthau, Cleveland H. Dodge, and Jackie Coogan, who embarked on one of the greatest international humanitarian efforts launched in the history of the American people. In addition to recognizing these three individuals, accepting the “Humanitarian Award” on behalf of the Near East Foundation will be Shant Mardirossian, Chairman of the Near East Foundation (NEF) and Charles Benjamin, President of NEF.

Mardirossian is the Chairman of the Near East Foundation (“NEF”), an international development organization founded in 1915. NEF is affiliated with Syracuse University, where its headquarters are located and operates in seven countries, which include Egypt, Jordon, Morocco, the West Bank, Sudan, Mali and Armenia. Mardirossian most recently led NEF’s effort to establish micro-economic development projects in rural Armenian villages. In his professional life, Mardirossian is a Partner and the Chief Operating Officer at Kohlberg & Company, L.L.C., a leading U.S. middle-market private equity firm. He is a graduate of the Lubin School of Business at Pace University and holds a B.B.A. in Public Accounting and an M.B.A. with dual concentration in Investment Management and Strategic Management.

Charles Benjamin has over 20 years of experience in international development, with extensive experience in community development and natural resource management throughout the Middle East and Africa. He has been involved with NEF since 1993, when he began a five-year assignment as Country Director in Morocco. Prior to becoming President of NEF in January 2010, he was a Senior Manager with the International Resources Group, an international development-consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., where he managed USAID-funded development projects in the Middle East and Africa. He holds a Ph.D. in natural resources and environment from the University of Michigan, with a focus on decentralization and local institutional development in West Africa.

The legacy of the Near East Relief and all of the selfless individuals who exemplified true humanitarian spirit reflect the deep bonds that have long existed between the American and Armenian people. The Armenian National Committee of America WR is proud to honor and recognize their work and their memory.

Filed Under: Genocide, News Tagged With: ANCA-WR, henry morgenthau, recognize

Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide 36-Cengiz Algan

October 23, 2014 By administrator

By: Hambersom Aghbashian

Cengiz-AlganCengiz Algan (born 1967 in Adana – Turkey) is a Turkish  politician and a human rights activist. Grew up in Izmir and graduated from Gazi University-English language department and translated many books. He is the author of many books (1). According to www.sabah.com.tr (6.22.2014), Cengiz Algan is a familiar name in the Libertarian left circles in Turkey, and he is a Co-founder of the The DurDe civic initiative “Say stop to racism and nationalism”, which is totally an independent organization and was established immediately after the murder of Hrant Dink. DurDe has organized the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in Taksim and  its against hate crimes . DurDe members are active in the  Armenian issue, they oppose anti-Semitism and Islamophobia as well, and  defend the rights of all disadvantaged groups (2).    

                         According to http://en.hayernaysor.am/ (10.06.2013), The Turkish organization “Say no to racism and nationalism” intends to restore the Memorial dedicated to the Armenian Genocide erected in 1919 in the Gezi Park in Istanbul’s centrally-located Taksim Square but later dismantled. As reported by Armenpress, this was published by the Turkish information website demokrathaber.com. The Spokesman of “Say stop to racism and nationalism” Cengiz Algan reminded that the territory of the Gezi Park in Istanbul’s Taksim Square and the adjacent areas belonged to the Armenians. “In 1560 the territory was presented to the Armenians by the Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent as a token of gratitude for his life was saved by an Armenian cook. A part of the park was occupied by the Armenian cemetery. In 1940s the Kemalist dictators snatched the territory from the Armenians”. He expressed his hope that someday the Memorial dedicated to the Armenian Genocide will be erected in its real place (3).

                          Cengiz Algan was one of the Turkish intellectuals who have signed  an open letter to the Danish Royal Library, in response to official statements that the Royal Library of Denmark has agreed “to balance” an Armenian Genocide exhibition by allowing the Turkish government to mount its own “alternative” . The Turkish intellectuals  mentioned that ” Turkish government has been suppressing historic truths and following a policy of denial for more than 90 years. The Turkish intellectuals have asked the  authorities “Not to Stand Against Turkey’s Democratization and Confrontation with its History(4).

                           Under the title “Is Turkey Overcoming the Armenian Taboo?”, Orhan Kemal Cengiz wrote in ALMONITOT (April 22, 2013), “Turkey is changing from a country where the phrase Armenian question was never mentioned to one where groups are marching in the street using the term Armenian genocide“. Orhan Kemal  added that “The change of language of the announcement used by the Dur De “Say Stop to Racism and Nationalism” initiative, which organizes these meetings, helps demonstrate the gradual erasing of the Armenian taboo in Turkey. In 2010, the announcement of the commemorative events began with the words, “This pain is our pain.” In the text, the events of 1915 were described as “the great disaster,” the Turkish equivalent of the phrase “Meds Yegern” used by Armenians. Cengiz Algan, spokesman for Dur De, said they received many threatening messages despite that “soft terminology.” The language became “clearer” over the years, and the number of threats declined. On the 2011 announcement, the title said only “April 24, 1915.” The text read, “This is the date when the extermination of the Armenians began.” The title of last year’s announcement read, “This is a pain of all of us,” while the text spoke of the tragedy of the Armenian people at length. The text of this year’s announcement is even more daring. It begins, “We are remembering the victims of genocide,” and it continues, “With the campaign of extermination that began on April 24, 1915, the Armenian people were eradicated en masse”(5).

                            In a press release -Paris 19 April 2014, it was announced that EGAM*  and AGBU** Europe delegation of European Civil Society leaders to attend the Commemorations of the Armenians Genocide in Istanbul. The event was organized by their Turkish partners DurDe! and the Human Rights Association – IHD from April 21st to 25th. In Their appeal they stated ” In 1915, the implementation of a methodical and premeditated plan led to the extermination of one and a half million of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, in an attempt to destroy an entire civilization and to “Turkify” Anatolia. The Armenian people were the victims of a genocide which would soon serve as a gruesome reference for others to follow. The successive governments of the Turkish Republic have since fought to deny the dark side of the history of their country, and to make their people and the world forget that the genocide ever occurred. They added “Our shared initiative is one for recognition, solidarity, justice, and democracy.” This was signed by Paul Morin, Executive Dir.– EGAM, Cengiz Algan & Levent Sensever, Spokespeople for Durde! (Turkey), Alexis Govciyan, President & Nicolas Tavitian, Director AGBU (Europe), Ayse Öktem, Platform for “Confronting a Century of Denial” (Turkey),Charles Aznavour, singer (France), Bernard Henri Lévy, Philosopher (France), and many others. (6)

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* EGMA : European Grassroots Antiracist Movement

**AGBU : Armenian General Benevolent Union

1- http://www.vansiyaseti.com/van/cengiz-alganla-soylesi-h7114.html

2- http://www.sabah.com.tr/Gundem/2014/06/22/artik-o-mahalle-ile-birlikte-yurumek-istemiyorum

3- http://en.hayernaysor.am/

4- http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/12/18/turkish-citizens-sign-petition-against-denialist-exhibit-in-denmark/

5- http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/iw/originals/2013/04/armenian-genocide-taboo-turkey-anniversary.html

6- www.egam.eu/…/14.04.18-CP-EN-European-Delegation-to-Commemora

Filed Under: Articles, Genocide Tagged With: armenian genocide, Cengiz Algan, recognize

Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide 29-Ayse Gunaysu

September 4, 2014 By administrator

 By: Hambersom Aghbashian

Ayse Gunaysu is a Turkish Human rights advocate, feminist and a professional translator. She has been a member of the Committee Against Racism and Discrimination of the Ayse-GunaysuHuman Rights Association of Turkey (Istanbul branch) since 1995, and is a columnist for Ozgur Gundem( Free Agenda). Since 2008, she writes a column titled “Letters from Istanbul,” for the Armenian Weekly. Her research Interests are Space and Place, Turkish and Middle East Studies, Kurdish Question in Turkey, Turkish Nationalism, Middle East Studies, and Modern Turkey.She is also involved in Genocide issues, specially the Armenian Genocide and its consequences and continuation till current days. Through her articles, researches, interviews and active participation in Genocide commemoration events and conferences, she is working very hard with many other intellectuals to change the official Turkish  view and position, demand and get the Armenian Genocide recognized by the Turkish government.(1)(2).   

                          On March 23, 2009, at the Genocide Conference “Legacy of the 1915 Genocide in the Ottoman Empire” in Stockholm, Ayse Gunaysu said ” Nearly a century after the genocide of Armenians and Assyrians/Syriacs as well as other Christian peoples of the Asia Minor,Turkey is still being poisoned by the suppression of the truth. Suppressed truth poisons the suppressor, it also poisons those who are deprived of the knowledge of the truth. Not only that, suppressed truth poisons the entire environment in which both the suppressor and those who are subjected to that suppression live. So it poisons everything.(3)

                            According to ” hyeforum.com, Aprl 30, 2009″, on April 24,2009,  the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Organization of Turkey organized an event commemorating the Armenian Genocide in Istanbul. Ayse Gunaysu , one of the organizers quoted Lawyer Eren Keskin saying “Today is the 24th of April, the 94th anniversary of the arrests in Istanbul which started the Armenian Genocide in 1915.” She added, “The official history [in Turkey] denies the genocide, but we know what happened and we believe it’s important to tell people the truth. So, today we will commemorate the most brilliant intellectuals of the Ottoman Armenians: the poets, writers, physicians, lawyers, and members of parliament, who were taken away on the 24th of April,1915 and murdered.”(4)

                          At  the  invitation of the Armenian Council of Europe & Surb Khach Tebrevank, Ayse Gunaysu, representative of the League of Human Rights in Turkey, and Ara Sarafian, a historian and President of the Komitas Institute in London , gave a lecture on April 27, 2012 at the Alex Manoogian Cultural Centre (AGBU) in the Rue de Courcelles in Paris. In her lecture , Ayse Gunaysu said “  I want you to know that for me to be here is an honor. I am proud. But I also have a sense of shame. The origin of this shame that I have today is because I come from that State. That State who is the author of this genocide. “she said. Continuing on to say that “  if there was no genocide in 1915, the Armenian population would rise to 17 million today. At that time, one in five was not a Muslim, which the Armenians. Today they represent only a drop in the ocean. That is why today I have this feeling of shame.”(5)

                          In a review of  “Rifat Bali”s book titled “ Devlet in Ornek Yurttaslari –Cumhuriyet Yıllarında Türkiye Yahudileri 1950-2003,” ,  “ The Model Citizens of the State–Jews of Turkey in the Republican Period 1950-2003.”,  Ayse Gunaysu wrote on how Turkey threatened and manipulated Turkish and other Jews. She said ” In his 670-page book, Rifat Bali gives a detailed account of the Turkish government’s efforts to mobilize its Jewish subjects to win the support of the Jewish lobby in the United States against the Armenian campaigners. At the same time, Bali shows, how the Turkish authorities played the Israeli government against U.S. policymakers for the same purpose. The book also offers rich material about how Turkish diplomats and semi-official spokesmen of Turkish policies, while carrying out their lobbying activities, threatened both Israel and the U.S. by indicating that if the Jewish lobby failed to prevent Armenian initiatives abroad—Turkey might not be able to guarantee the security of Turkish Jews. But this is not all. Rifat Bali throughout his book unfolds the entire socio-political setting  of the process of making the Jewish community leaders active supporters of Turkish governments’ struggle against the “Armenian claims” in the international arena.(6)

                          In an interview (January 19, 2014), concerning Hrant Dink’s  assassination, (hetq.am/eng/news/32061), Ayse Gunaysu mentioned that their committee  knew of him since the first issue of Agos in 1996, and they were in close contact  since then. Hrant Dink was the person who was able to change the perception of Armenians in the eyes of a large section of Turkish society , she said . Her Answer to a question  “why do you think Hrant Dink  was killed? was  “I think it’s because genocide is not something that happened and finished between 1915 and 1923. It still continues with an aggressive, crude, and gross denial.”(7)

                               According to http://artsakhpress.am (April 24, 2014), The American Jewish Committee issued a commemorative address on the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Also a number of French, Turkish and Armenian public figures, intellectuals and artists called Turkey to commemorate the 99th anniversary of Genocide in coming a step closer to justice and democracy, Le Monde daily said. Among those undersigned are: Charles Aznavour, singer; Bernard-Henri Lévy, French public intellectual and author; Bernard Kouchner, ex-foreign minister of France; Adam Michnik, editor-in-chief of Poland’s largest newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza; Paul Morin, executive director of the European Grassroots Antiracist Movement(EGAM); Ayse Gunaysu, the president of the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association of Turkey; and many others.(8)

                          On March 11, 2014, The Armenian Mirror- Spectator wrote ” Relics from the Armenian genocide will be unveiled during a conference focusing on the heroes and survivors of the genocide at the Ararat-Eskijian Museum on March 22. Filmmaker Bared Maronian along with British journalist Robert Fisk, Prof. Vahakn Dadrian, Dr. Hayk Demoyan, Ayse Gunaysu, Missak Keleshian, Shant Mardirossian, Dr. Rubina Peroomian and Prof. Vahram Shemmassian will take part in the daylong conference honoring those who aided in the rescue of survivors of the genocide from 1915 through 1930.(9)

                         In an interview with Egyptian Al-Ahram weekly (April 30, 2014) concerning Erdogan’s “condolences”  to Armenians, Ayse Gunaysu, was sure that Erdogan had “changed his communications consultant because this is new language.” Gunaysu said that although Erdogan’s statement was the first of its kind “we in Turkey are so used to the worst that a little bit less worse surprises us and almost give us hope.”(10)

———————————————————————————————————————1-http://www.armenianweekly.com/2014/01/17/turkey-an-action-movie-without-a-good-guy/

2- http://matematik.academia.edu/AyseGunaysu

3-http://www.armeniandiaspora.com/showthread.php?163838-Ayse-Gunaysu-at-the-Genocide-Conference-in-Stockholm

4-http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=21139

5- http://www.armenianlife.com/2012/04/30/ayse-gunaysu-i-am-ashamed/

6- http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_email.cfm/blog_id/37890/Ayse-Gunaysu-On-How-Turkey-Threatened-And-Manipulated-Turkish-And-Other-Jew

7-http://hetq.am/eng/news/32061/ayse-gunaysu%E2%80%9Chrant-was-assassinated-thats-the-reality-of-turkey%E2%80%9D.html/

8- http://artsakhpress.am/eng/news/1053/american-jewish-committee-issues-address-on-99th-anniversary-of-armenian-genocide.html

9- http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2014/03/11/a-childs-tattered-dress-sheds-light-on-armenian-genocide/

10-http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/Print/6081.aspx

It was published in Nor Or ,Sept.4, 2014

Filed Under: Articles, Genocide Tagged With: armenian genocide, recognize

Calif. Senate Recognizes Artsakh’s Independence

August 27, 2014 By administrator

From Left: ANCA WR Legislative Affairs Director Haig Baghdassarian, ANCA WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan, incoming Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon, ANCA Calif-senate-recog-arsakhWR Chair Nora Hovsepian, author of AJR 32 Assemblymember Mike Gatto, Senator Ricardo Lara, ANCA WR Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan

SACRAMENTO—The California State Senate, led by incoming Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon, by an overwhelming majority of votes on Wednesday passed Assembly member Mike Gatto’s resolution, AJR 32, encouraging Artsakh’s (Nagorno Karabakh) continuing efforts to develop as a free and independent nation and formally calling upon the upon the President and Congress of the United States to support the self-determination and democratic independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, reported the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region. Though the resolution has officially passed, the finally tally will not be available until early tomorrow morning as Senators absent from the floor during the vote have until the end of the day to cast their vote.

In his opening remarks, Senator De Leon recognized the presence of ANCA WR and ACA in support of the resolution, provided background information on the resolution and the region, and continued on to state, “The ethnic Armenian people in this region have suffered tremendously and deserve a free and independent homeland where they won’t be in danger of persecution. California can be a front line leader that seeks to motivate change in the world…With that in mind, I ask you to support democracy, freedom, a people’s resolution to conflicts and international recognition and recognition of Artsakh,”

His remarks and sentiments were echoed by fellow colleagues Senators Tom Berryhill and Ricardo Lara.

“As Americans, we should understand the desire to be an independent nation, free of tyranny and free to form a government that best reflects our values. It is our own history. Many times on this floor we address the plight of the oppressed and express our desire, as a state legislature, for people to be free and to be able to determine their own destinies. AJR 32 is no different. The peoples of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic did not elect to become part of Azerbaijan in 1921; they were forced into it by the Soviets. It is now their understandable desire to be free. Since declaring its independence Nagorno-Karabakh has held free, transparent and democratic elections. It is fitting that the United States stands behind regions seeking democracy. I urge your Aye vote,” stated Senator Berryhill.

“I rise today to speak in strong support of this important resolution, which encourages and supports the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s continuing efforts to develop as a free and independent nation. The resolution states that this region has historically been Armenian territory, populated by an overwhelming majority of Armenians, and yet was illegally severed from Armenia by the Soviet Union in 1921. Senate District 33 is home to a thriving and vibrant Armenian community – people who have embraced important American values of freedom, democracy, and justice. This resolution asks the President and Congress to extend those fundamental values to the people of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, and encourages their continued development as a free and independent nation. I ask for your support of this important resolution,” stated Senator Lara.

AJR 32 was adopted by the CA State Assembly in May 2014 by a sweeping vote of 70 to 2 under the leadership of Speaker Emeritus John Perez.

“Today, under the great leadership of incoming Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon and Assemblymember Mike Gatto, the State of California stood strong on our nation’s core values of liberty, freedom and independence for the people of Artsakh. We are extremely grateful to the CA Senate for their resounding support of this resolution and Artsakh’s need to develop as a free and independent nation,” stated ANCA WR Chair, Nora Hovsepian. “ We, along with our grassroots, are proud to have worked alongside Senator De Leon and Assembly members Mike Gatto, Katcho Achadjian, Adrin Nazarian, John Perez, and Scott Wilk in making today’s victory possible and thank them profoundly for their unwavering leadership towards advancing a cause that is so dear to all of us,” added Hovsepian.

California is home to tens of thousands of Armenian-Americans who are refugees of pogroms against Armenians in Sumgait (1988), Kirovabad (1988), and Baku (1990), and the ethnic-cleansing of the Armenian population of Azerbaijan. Dozens of refugees from the region, many from the Shahumian district of Artsakh, were present for the historic vote along with representatives from the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region and the Armenian Council of America.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) worked closely with Senator De Leon’s office as well as the author, Assemblyman Mike Gatto, Co-Author Katcho Achadjian, and Assembly members Adrin Nazarian and Scott Wilk to garner support for the resolution. In weeks and days leading up to the vote, aside from having their Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan and Legislative Affairs Director Haig Baghdassarian work day-in and day-out with local activists to educate officials about the resolution and the issues in the region, the ANCA WR also activated its grassroots in sending letters and making calls to elected officials, urging them to support AJR 32.

“The passage of this important resolution was a long and challenging journey that started with the introduction of this resolution back in January. We worked so hard to make it move forward, and we are so proud today that the California State Senate stood with me in support of the people of Artsakh in their ongoing quest for freedom, democracy, and independence,” stated lead author of AJR 32, Assemblymember Mike Gatto.

“This resolution couldn’t have come at a better time, given the recent escalated level of violence along the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border, and as our freedom fighters continue to defend their right to live under a government of their own choosing. The people of Artsakh deserve nothing less and need this support now, more than ever before,” stated ANCA WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan.

The State of California now joins Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and Louisiana in adopting legislation which supports the independence of Artsakh.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: calif, Karabakh, recognize, Senate

Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide 27 – Maya Arakon

July 31, 2014 By administrator

By: Hambersom Aghbashian

Maya-ArakonMaya Arakon (born 1972 in Istanbul) is an Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Süleyman Şah University (Istanbul).
After graduating from Notre Dame De Sion French High School in 1991, she continued her higher education at Marmara University- Department of Political Science and Public Administration (licensed 1995). She completed her first M.Sc degree (European Union) in 1997, at Marmara University-European Community Institute . Her second M.Sc degree (European Union and Defense Sciences-1999), and PhD degree (Terrorism, Security and Defense Sciences- 2007), were both completed at Robert Schuman University (Strasbourg, France), and her Post Doctorate in 2009, at Paris University-Political Science Institute- International Research and Science Center (Paris-France).(1)
Maya Arakon was one of the Turkish intellectuals who signed a petition against Denialist Exhibit in Denmark, an exhibition which was planned by the Turkish embassy to support their point of view concerning the Armenian Genocide . ” Don’t Stand Against Turkey’s Democratization and Confrontation with its History! ” was the message to the Royal Library of Denmark who has given the Turkish government the opportunity to present an “alternative exhibit” in response to the Armenian Genocide exhibition.(2)
In his article “White Turks, Black Turks and grey debate”, (Hürriyet Daily News – Nov.22.2010), Özgur Ögret asked Maya Arakon to define “White Turks” . She described them as “sympathizers of the Kemalist ideology who perceive themselves as the founders of the Republi ; therefore, a group uneasy with Kurds and religious people, who they believe should be “educated and modernized.” Ögret commented in his article that “According to Arakon, White Turks lack a democratic perspective on human rights and thus cannot truly be Westernized.” Unfortunately, this is the ideology of the most members of the current Turkish government. (3)
According to PanARMENIAN.Net (April 1, 2010), “Some representatives of Turkish intelligentsia urge Turkey, which seeks EU membership, follow Serbian parliament’s example, which recently condemned the 1995 killings of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica and apologize to Armenians for 1915 Genocide. The offer was advanced by Maya Arakon, assistant professor of International Relations from Yeditepe University and Soli Özel, professor of International Relations and Political Science at Istanbul Bilgi University. According to Maya Arakon, Serbia which seeks EU membership, tries to whitewash its past; Turkey can initiate similar steps regarding Genocide issue”. (4)
——————————————————————————————————————————————
1- http://www.ssu.edu.tr/dokumanlar/cv/mayaarakon.pdf
2-http://www.aga-online.org/signature/detail.php?locale=am&alertId=6
3- http://archive.today/9wPza#selection-1193.0-1193.415
4- http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/world/news/46423/

also published on

Nor Or, July 31, 2014

Filed Under: Articles, Genocide Tagged With: American Memco Inc. Company opens Armenian Genocide online museum, armenian genocide, recognize, Turkish Intellectuals

Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide 25- Ahmet Altan

July 17, 2014 By administrator

By: Hambersom Aghbashian

Ahmet Hüsrev Altan (born in 1950 in Ankara, Turkey) is a Turkish journalist and author. He is the elder son of the notable journalist and writer Çetin Altan. His Ahmet-Altanbrother Mehmet Altan is also a journalist, writer and university professor of economy politics.

In addition to having written columns in several Turkish newspapers, including Hürriyet, Milliyet and Radikal, Altan has produced news programs for television. He was fired from Milliyet after writing a column on 17 April 1995 titled “Atakurd”, which presented an alternate history of Turkey. In 2007 he became the founding editor in chief and lead columnist of Taraf, a daily Turkish newspaper, and remained in the position until his resignation in December 2012. His novels include Kılıç Yarası Gibi (Like a Sword Wound), Aldatmak (Cheating), İsyan Günlerinde Aşk (Love in the Days of Rebellion), En Uzun Gece (The Longest Night), Tehlikeli Masallar (Dangerous Tales) and many others.(1)

According to ” http://www.bianet.org”, Sept. 12, 2008,” The latest victim of article 301 are Ahmet Altan for his article “Ah Ahparik” (‘Oh brother’ in Armenian), ” dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide” The complaint was filed by the Ankara branch of the Great Union Party (2). Under the title ” Pen against sword: a profile of Ahmet Altan “, Today Zaman mentioned on Feb. 07, 2010 “Beyond exposing army scandals, Altan and his team have broken many of the most entrenched taboos of Turkish public life. On Taraf’s front page, Altan has affirmed the Armenian genocide;… “(3).

On March 6,2010 , Altan wrote in Taraf newspaper ” Why the Armenian Genocide is a matter of discussion in American, French and Swiss parliaments and not in the parliament of the Turkish Republic ? Why can we, ourselves, not discuss a matter that we deem so vital that we perceive the difference of one vote as a source of humiliation?
 If you cannot discuss your own problems, you deserve to be humiliated. If you keep silent in a matter that you find so important, you deserve to be humiliated. If you try to shut others up, you are humiliated even more. The whole world interprets the killing of so many Armenians, a number we cannot even estimate properly, as “genocide”.(4)

On Feb.2, 2012, Altan delivered a speech at the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA). Alin K. Gregorian (Mirror-Spectator – Staff) wrote “Altan has picked up the mantle of getting recognition for the Armenian Genocide within Turkey, one of many reasons that he and the staff of Taraf are routinely hauled into court. In fact, during most of his time at the podium, a picture of a Taraf front page with the headline “1915 is a Genocide” was projected on a large screen. ” She quoted Altan saying “the views of Turks are changing, though perhaps not as fast as Armenians would like. If you want Turkey to accept it* , doing it by force is very hard. Only one man [the late Hrant Dink] managed to touch millions of Turks. Forget the state; go to the people. When they understand, they will force the state to change,”(5).

Ahmet Altan delivered a lecture on May 3, 2014, on World Press Freedom Day, in İstanbul, titled ” What is journalism?” where he mentioned the Armenian Genocide saying “you know, as we approach the 100th anniversary of 1915, this subject has become an important issue in Turkey. Using a neutral expression and without using the word “genocide,” the prime minister offered his condolences to Armenians. If today a newspaper writes about the Armenian genocide using the word “genocide” and tells the truth about what happened, the first reaction will come not from the state but from its readers. There are very few newspapers that can stand up to such pressure from their readers. Readers do not want to read news articles and comments that go against their beliefs, their learned ideas and their entrenched knowledge. (6)

Altan was charged in September 2008 under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code for “denigrating Turkishness”. He, along with some of his associates, carries a firearm for self-protection(1). It is impossible to summarize the ideas, opinions, thoughts and writings of such an intellectual in ա few pages. Reading Ahmet Altan articles are very interesting and are highly recommended.
——————————————————————————————————————————————
*The Armenian Genocide
1- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmet_Altan
2- http://www.bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/109701-writer-and-journalist-ahmet-altan-charged-with-insulting-turkish-nation
3- http://www.todayszaman.com/news-200823-pen-against-sword-a-profile-of-ahmet-altan.html
4- http://www.taraf.com.tr/makale/10325.htm
5- http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2012/02/02/altan-captivates-large-audience-with-message-of-hope-at-alma/
6- http://www.todayszaman.com/news-346713-what-are-journalists-for-by-ahmet-altan-.html

Filed Under: Articles, Genocide Tagged With: armenian genocide, recognize

Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide 21-Fatma Müge Göçek

June 19, 2014 By administrator

By Hambersom Aghbashian

Fatma Müge Göçek (born, raised and educated in Istanbul) , is a Professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies.( PhD 1988, Princeton University). Her research focuses on the Fatma-1comparative analysis of history, politics and gender in the first and third worlds. She critically analyzes the impact of processes such as development, nationalism, religious movements and collective violence on minorities. Her published works include East Encounters West: France and the Ottoman Empire in the 18th Century , Reconstructing Gender in the Middle East: Tradition, Identity, Power ( 1994 co-edited with Shiva Balaghi), Rise of the Bourgeoisie, Demise of Empire: Ottoman Westernization and Social Change (1996), Political Cartoons in the Middle East (Markus Wiener Publishers, 1998), Social Constructions of Nationalism in the Middle East ( 2002), The Transformation of Turkey: Redefining State and Society from the Ottoman Empire to the Modern Era (2011), and A Question of Genocide: Armenians and Turks at the End of the Ottoman Empire (Oxford University Press, 2011 co-edited with Ronald Grigor Suny and Norman Naimark).(1)

                                   In a lecture titled “Deciphering Denial: Modernity, the Turkish State and the 1915 Collective Violence against the Armenians, 1789-2009,” at the University of Michigan(Nov.16, 2011), Gocek said “The violence against Armenians was the first instance of collective violence in Turkish history,”. Talking about what happened in 1915 against the Armenians She said, “Most scholars agree that the events were a genocide. Then she asked , why do the Turkish state and society still deny it?(2)

                            According to “www.armenian.ch,” Fatma Müge Göçek  was one of the members of the Consulting Committee of academics who were from Turkey , Germany, USA, and France, and were supposed to  participate in the First Conference on the Armenian Issue Organized in Istanbul, Turkey at Bogaziçi University during May 25-27, 2005. Fatma-2The conference was cancelled at the opening ceremony, where the Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek accused those who organized and participated in the conference of treason, calling them traitors to their country (3). The conference was held On September 24-25 2005 at Bilgi University in Istanbul after two previous attempts which were blocked by the Turkish government. It was  entitled “Ottoman Armenians During the Decline of the Empire: Issues of Scientific Responsibility and Democracy”. The self-avowed goal of the conference was to call into question the official Turkish account of events. The participants discussed the plight of the Armenians in the final days of the Ottoman Empire, a politically correct way in Turkey of saying the Armenian Genocide. It was the first time this subject was ever discussed so openly in Turkey. Discussing the mass killings of Armenians has long been taboo in Turkey, and scholars who use the word genocide can be prosecuted under a clause in the Turkish penal code on insulting the national character.(4)

                         According to http://aghet1915.wordpress.com/recognition/, Fatma Muge Gocek is one of the Turkish intellectuals who recognized the Armenian Genocide.Halil Berktay , Taner Akçam, Murat Belge, Ahmet Insel, Bulent Peker, Salim Deringil, Ali Ertem, Murat Peker, Ugur Ümit Üngör and many others were in the list.(5)

                             In an interview with Gibrahayer E-Magazine (Sunday, January 01, 2006),  Göçek said “It would certainly be wiser for the Turkish government to come to terms with its history. “(6)

————————————————————————————————————————————–

1-http://www-personal.umich.edu/~gocek/

2- http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Fatma_Muge_Gocek

3- http://www.armenian.ch/forum/board/viewtopic.php?

4- http://www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/Conference:_Ottoman_Armenians_During_the_Decline_of_the

5- http://aghet1915.wordpress.com/recognition/

6- http://gibrahayer.blogspot.com/2006/01/interview-with-dr-fatma-muge-gocek.html

also published:

Nor Or Weekly – Thursday June 19, 2014

Filed Under: Articles, Genocide Tagged With: armenian genocide, recognize

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