Hürriyetim
23.05.2005
War of words before conference on Armenians has even begun
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Profes sor Ilber Ortayli (left) and Murat Belge

Sefa Kaplan
A conference to be held between May 25-27 at Bosphorus University is
sparking arguments before it has even started. The conference, organized by
the Bosphorus, Bilgi, and Sabanci Universities, is entitled “Ottoman
Armenians During the Collapse of the Empire: Scholarly Responsibility and
Problems with Democracy,” and is expected to attract wide participation.
The sharpest criticism so far of the conference has come from Professor
Ilber Ortayli of Galatasaray University, who has said:

The same old team of people

“The people invited are the same ones who are always invited. There is no
way the issues can be argued healthily.” Ortayli went on, “Maybe they
couldn’t invite Professor Yusuf Halacoglu (embattled Turkish professor
recently accused by a Swiss prosecutor of violating Swiss law by denying the
Armenian genocide), by they should have invited retired diplomat Gunduz
Aktan for his knowledge of law….In this country, there is democracy,
everyone can do what they want. Everyone can account for their actions. My
views on this matter are clear.”

Professor Yusuf Halacoglu also had criticisms for the upcoming conference:
“They have invited people who will echo the views of the Armenian side. Why
haven’t they invited me? If they see me as representing the official view on
the matter, they must be defending the diaspora view of things.”

Professor Berktay of Sabanci University: No need for Halacoglu to
“re-enlighten” us

In answer to much of the criticism, Professor Halil Berktay of Sabanci
University had this to say: “The official response of the Turkish government
on this matter has practically been memorized. Conferences on the Armenian
question have been organized for years in this country. All of them have
been one sided; historians that criticized freely were never invited. There
is no need for Professor Halacoglu to “re-enlighten” us on his views.”

Retired diplomat Elekdag: Goal of conference is to stain Turkey

Retired diplomat and Republican People’s (CHP) Party MP Sukru Elekdag had
these strong words for the conference organizers: “There is a desire to
broadcast Armenian propoganda. No one was invited to speak about history in
an objective and honest way. It is very sad that a meeting whose objective
is to stain Turkey is being held at Bosphorus University.”