Zaman, Turkey
May 25 2005

‘Armenian Conference is a Stab in the Back’
By Bahtiyar Kucuk, Zaman
Published: Wednesday 25, 2005
zaman.com

A conference on “Ottoman Armenians”, that was to be conducted at the
Bosphorous University (BU) in Istanbul on May 25, has been postponed
after Turkish Minister of Justice Cemil Cicek harshly scolded the
organization.

The conference titled “Ottoman Armenians at Decline of the Empire.
Scientific Responsibility and Issues of Democracy” which the History
Department of BU, the History Program at Sabanci University, and the
Comparative Literature Department of Istanbul Bilgi University
organized together was due to start today, on May 25 and continue for
three days.

BU canceled the conference after reaching a decision taken in the
evening hours prior to the start of the conference. In the written
statement made by the university, it was noted that BU had faced
serious accusations regarding the conference. In the statement, “We
fear that suggesting preconceived notions about the contents of a
conference which is not yet actualized, may damage the scientific
freedom of a state university. We announce to the Turkish public
opinion that we have decided it would be more convenient to postpone
the conference in the face of possible results from conducting the
conference under these circumstances.”

It was understood that the speech Minister Cicek gave in Parliament
was effective in brining about this decision. Cicek had said that the
conference to be held at Bosporus University meant a “Stab in the
back to the Turkish nation”.

Armenian Conference Preparation Committee member Assistant Professor
Halil Barktay of Sabanci University interpreted Minister of Justice
Cemil Cicek’s statements as unfortunate. Berktay said: “It is a very
horrendous statement for the Minister of Justice to make. Is this,
which democracy, which law, which mission?” Academic Aksin Somel from
Sabanci University spoke as follows: “Cemil Cicek’s statement concern
himself. The views the state had put forth have had no repercussions
till now. The view of the state has been broadcast as the Turkish
view on television and in newspapers. Let other views be given
voice.”