PRESS RELEASE

ISSUED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE SCHOLARS
Affiliated with the Institute for the Study of Genocide
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
899 Tenth Avenue, Room 325
New York, NY 10019
Contact: Robert Melson, President
melson@polsci.purdue.edu
Tel: (765) 494-4187

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 29, 2005

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE SCHOLARS
– NEWS RELEASE –

WE WHO SERVE AS THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE SCHOLARS PROTEST AND CONDEMN THE CANCELATION
OF THE HISTORIANS CONFERENCE ON THE ARMENIAN QUESTION IN TURKEY BY
THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT AS A MAJOR VIOLATION OF BASIC STANDARDS OF
ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN THE FREE WORLD.

AT LONG LAST, TURKISH ACADEMICS AND INTELLECTUALS, SPONSORED BY
THREE HONORABLE UNIVERSITIES, WERE SCHEDULED TO CONDUCT A CONFERENCE
IN WHICH THE HISTORICAL REALITY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WAS TO BE
EXAMINED BY MANY OF THE PARTICIPATING LECTURERS.

THE GOVERNMENT OF TURKEY IS UNDERSTANDABLY STRUGGLING TO WIN ITS
POSSIBLE ACCEPTANCE AS A MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, AND IT IS IN
THIS CLIMATE THAT MANY TURKISH INTELLECTUALS HAVE MOVED COURAGEOUSLY
TO ADDRESS THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, A TRUTH WHICH IS STILL PUNISHABLE
BY TURKISH LAW.

FOR THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT TO CANCEL THE CONFERENCE IS A SHAMEFUL
STEP AND A SETBACK TO TURKEY JOINING THE FREE WORLD IN ITS GROWING
STANDARDS OF HISTORICAL TRUTH AND RESPONSIBILITY.

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE
SCHOLARS CALLS ON THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY TO ALLOW FULL AND FREE DEBATE
AND ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP ON THE FATE OF THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE IN OTTOMAN
TURKEY IN 1915-1923.

ROBERT MELSON, President, International Association of Genocide
Scholars, Professor of Political Science, Purdue University

ISRAEL W. CHARNY, Vice-President, International Association of Genocide
Scholars, Professor of Psychology and Family Therapy, Hebrew University
of Jerusalem

STEVEN L. JACOBS, Secretary-Treasurer, International Association
of Genocide Scholars, Associate Professor of Religious Studies,
University of Alabama

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