FEAJD.org (Communiqués de presse), Belgium
May 27 2005
CANCELLED CONFERENCE : THE JOINT DECLARATION OF THE CONFERENCE
ORGANIZERS AND PARTICIPANTS’
The three day conference entitled ‘The Otoman Armenians during the
Era of Otoman Decline’ that we, as academics and public intellectuals
of Turkey, had planned with Bosphorus University as host was
unfortunately forced to be deferred as a consequence of pressures,
threats and slander.
We protest that two deputies serving under the roof of the Turkish
National Assembly, which is presumed to be the guarantor of
scientific activities, academic freedom and security of life and
property, have engaged in provocations that are totally in opposition
to these fundamental principles, and that the spokesperson of the
government incriminated all the conference participants by serious
claims such as ‘thrusting a knife into the nation’s back.’
We are additionally ashamed that this spokesperson also carries the
title of ‘Minister of Justice.’ We think that it would be more
appropriate for him to be utilized with a duty outside of that of law
and justice.
We herewith notify the public that this conference will be convened
in the near future.
We organize this conference to seek answers to the question ‘what
happened before, during and after 1915?’ We attempt to understand and
recount a historical issue that during the last years has become
trapped and increasingly politicized between the radical Armenian
national and official Turkish theses.
Scientific meetings are not necessarily covered like television
debates conducted on certain issues. Scientific meetings also do not
have the prerogative to bring together all sides who are in
opposition to one another and who are also convinced of their own
‘truths.’
Furthermore, the decision to determine who should comprise the
participants of a scientific conference is the most natural right of
the hosts and the most fundamental application of the freedom of
thought that is supposed to exist at universities.
No one individual, organization and institution has the right to
intervene in a scientific conference organized outside of its own
body.
In addition, we find the unjust and prejudiced accusations made
against the not yet presented papers of a not yet actualized
conference totally unlawful.
Had the actualization of this conference been tolerated, the rich,
varied and not at all monotonous approaches to the issue of what
happened before, during and after 1915 would have emerged.
We, the participants of this conference whose signatures are enclosed
below, want to especially point out, as we also noted on our press
release dated 17 May 2005, that ”The emergence of different,
critical and alternative voices, the demonstration of how Turkey
actually contains such a rich multiplicity of thoughts would be, once
again, to the utmost benefit of Turkey.’
We believe that the actualization of our conference in the very near
future would be one of the most significant steps taken in our
country on the path to academic freedom, to the independence of
universities, and in general toward democracy.’
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress