AZG Armenian Daily #095, 26/05/2005
Turkey
‘BOSPHORUS UNIVERSITY STABS TURKISH NATION IN THE BACK’
This Statement of Justice Minister of Turkey Puts Off the Workshop on
Armenian Issues
On May 25, daily Azg informed readers about scientific conference titled
“Ottoman Armenians at decline of the Empire. Scientific Responsibility and
Issues of Democracy” to launch in Turkey on May 25. The conference labeled
“alternative” by the Turkish press was to host scientists who, as Milliyet
put it, “examine Turkish state’s official thesis on events and deportation
of 1915”. Participants of the workshop received condemnations of Prof. Ilber
Ortayli from Galatasaray University, president of Turkish History Foundation
Yusuf Halacoglu as well as former ambassador, currently deputy Syuqru
Eleqdag as adherents of the Armenian Diaspora.
Things got even more complicated as justice minister of Turkey, Cemil Ciceq,
held forth at the Turkish National Assembly on May 24 in response to the
words of Eleqdag and a Justice and Prosperity Party member Ramazan Topraq.
Turkish Public TV quoted Eleqdag as saying that the workshop was organized
to accuse Turkey of genocide and Bosphorus University turned into an
instrument for Armenian propaganda. Topraq added, “Can you fancy a
conference backing Turkish thesis in Armenia, France or Switzerland? You
will face a lawsuit right away. What the Bosphorus University did is
demonstration of irresponsibility”.
The same source says that the two lawmakers reminded the chairman of Council
of Higher Education his obligation to take necessary measures against the
rector of the university. Minister Ciceq said in his speech, “There is no
other nation in the world with as clean hands and conscience as the Turkish.
Our history and archives stand for that. Today, when a country like
Switzerland tramples freedom of declaring [that Turks committed no
genocide], many of our non-governmental organizations exclaim regarding the
new Penal Code that there is no freedom in the country. But there is
freedom, indeed. That is the freedom of stabbing our nation in the back.
Everybody should understand this reality”.
Milliyet and Zaman offer details from the minister’s speech. According to
those papers, Ciceq continued, “What’s the purpose of stabbing in the back
while we, the nation and the state, are making efforts [against Armenian
allegations]? If you try to persuade a foreign deputy he will tell you, ‘You
first persuade those from the Bosphorus University who make up lies sitting
at the Bosphorus coast’. Thus, this is a stab in the back of Turkish
nation”.
Rounding off, justice minister demanded that independent organizations do
their duty with respect to the workshop and added, “I am impatient to see
what measures the Council of Higher Education is going to take and what the
Bosphorus University is going to do. You and the whole nation are waiting”.
The same day after the minister’s speech Bosphorus University administration
declared that “Ottoman Armenians at decline of the Empire” conference is
postponed. The administration said that it is unacceptable to slander the
university for a workshop which merely aimed at unfolding scientific dispute
and underscored, “We are deeply concerned that partial conclusions about a
would-be conference are a serious blow to free scientific activities of a
state university”.
Conference Preparation Committee member, Halil Berktay said, “It is a very
horrendous statement for the minister of justice to make. I think the
decision to put the conference off is largely connected with dear minister’s
speech at the parliament. The Preparation Committee will offer further
information about time and place of the conference.
Another Committee member, Murad Belge, joined him noting, “I am not aware
what’s going on behind the scenes. But I know that justice minister’s words
were very unbecoming. Appointment of a man capable of such a speech for the
post of justice minister is very disturbing. They say, ‘We committed no such
thing [genocide]’. Whoever claims the opposite, is declared a parricide. We
have reached a margin where we have to choose. What kind of Turkey do you
want? One that sticks labels on people or one that strives for the civilized
and democratic world?”
By Hakob Chakrian