Turkish Press
May 25 2005
Press Review
AFTER CICEK CONDEMNS ARMENIAN CONFERENCE, UNIVERSITY POSTPONES IT
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek yesterday branded as `treasonous’ a
group of scholars organizing a conference to debate and question
Turkey’s official position on the so-called Armenian genocide
allegations. The three-day conference to be hosted by Istanbul’s
Bogazici University was to be attended by Turkish scholars and
intellectuals who question Ankara’s official stance on the issue.
However, upon harsh criticism by both Cicek and other politicians,
the university announced that the conference had been postponed.
Cicek condemned the initiative as a blow to government efforts to
counter the Armenian campaign to have the incidents internationally
recognized as genocide. “This is a stab in the back of the Turkish
nation… this is irresponsibility,” Cicek said. “We must put an end
to this cycle of treason and insult, of spreading propaganda against
the Turkish nation.’ For their part, the organizers of the conference
said that it is high time for Turkey’s scholars and intellectuals to
voice views diverging from the official stance. “The expression of
critical and alternate views will be to Turkey’s benefit,” the
statement added. /All Papers/