Journal of Turkish Weekly
Aug 24 2005
Turkish FM Opens the Armenian Conference
* The disputed Armenian Conference at Bosporus University which was
postponed after the public reactions will be opened by Turkish
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. The Rector of the University has
invited FM Gul and he accepted the invitation.
Kemalcan YUREKLI (JTW) ISTANBUL – A conference on Armenians, which
was postponed due to sharp reactions in the media and the Turkish
public, has been rescheduled for September 23-25 at Bosporus
University in Istanbul. The preparation committee for the conference
has decided to limit its comments on the conference to strictly
official ones. Likewise, the Rector of Bosporus University, Doctor
Ayse Soysal, has said she does not want to say anything in advance of
the late September date. Interestingly the postponed Armenian
Conference will be opened by Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul’s
speech. The rector invited Gul to make opening ceremony of the
conference and FM and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul accepted the
invitation, Hurriyet reports.
“Ottoman Era Armenians During the Collapse of the Empire”
The conference, entitled “Ottoman Era Armenians During the Collapse
of the Empire: Intellectual Responsibility and Democratic Problems,”
was originally supposed to run between May 25-27.
The participants in the Armenian conference will include professors
from Bosporus and Sabanci Universities, as well as Turkish academics
from Turkey and around the world.
Lasting two days, with 12 sessions, and featuring the participation
of 38 academics, the conference will have panels like “Deportation
and Massacre,” “Disaster and Rescue Stories,” “Memories and
Witnessnes,” “Things the World Knew that Turkey did not Know.”
The Conference had been strictly critiqued by Cemil Cicek, Turkish
Minister of Justice, however Turkish prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan
publicly declared that he was against any postponement. Erdogan said
`anyone can make any conference in Turkey with no restriction’.
Bosporus University is a state university.
On the other hand Turkish media continue its critics about the
conference. Many Turkish historians also accused the organization
committee of not inviting the different approaches to the conference.
The Conference Committee did not invite the well known Turkish
historians and International relations expert on Armenian Studies to
the conference, including Pro. Mim Kemal Oke, Prof. Dr. Turkkaya
Ataov and Prof. Dr. Ilber Ortayli.
Dr. Nilgun Gulcan told the JTW that the conference confirms Turkey’s
democratic and balanced approach to the Armenian issue. `This kind of
conference cannot be made in Yerevan, California or Lyon (France).
Armenians, particularly those in the Diaspora, cannot make
self-criticism. They just accuse and they do not want to hear any
word different than their ideas (if not beliefs)’ she added.
`CONSTRUCTIVE’
Dr. Sedat Laciner, head of the Ankara based Turkish think-tank
International Strategic Research Organization (ISRO) welcomes Turkish
FM’s decision to join the Conference:
`We, Turks and Armenians, need each other. We first must learn how to
make dialogue. We should understand each other. The Conference
Committee made big mistakes. They invited the media stars, but not
real and well known historians and IR researchers. It is really
difficult to call this activity as scientific gathering. But I
appreciate the attempt. We need all kind of activities to start and
maintain Turkish-Armenian dialogue. Turkish FM Gul’s decision is
really constructive and should be applauded. I hope a similar
conference (a Turkish Conference) which is critical on the Armenian
policies will be organized in Yerevan and Armenian Foreign Minister
Oskanian could open such a conference. We should not focus on just
the past. We should not sacrifice today for the history.’
Dr. Davut Sahiner does not agree with Laciner and Gul and says `This
conference is not scientific and constructive. This is not a matter
of freedom. Bosphorus University is a state university and almost all
of the participants are pro-Armenian so-called researchers and media
stars. This is a show business. They try to manipulate Turkish mind.
If they can dare to make such a show in Armenia or in the US, I do
not oppose the conference. They cannot even use any word which
criticizes the Armenian stance. Armenian attitude towards the Turkish
people is `just listen, shut-up, and accept it’. It is unfortunate
that Turkey is the only side which is under attack.’
Armenians argue that the 1915 events was an organized genocide by the
Ottoman Government. Turkey has never accepted that the events were
genocide or massacre. According to the Turkish perspective the
Armenian extremists rioted to establish a separate state against the
Ottoman State when the Ottoman Empire was in First World War. Many
armed Armenians were killed in clashes with the Ottoman Army. When
the Russians attacked the Ottoman Territories the extremist Armenians
attacked the Ottoman Armies inside. Thus the Istanbul Government
decided to re-locate the Armenian population from the war theatre to
the Syrian province of the Empire. Many more were died due to the
famine and bad weather during the relocation campaign. Armenian
groups claim that more than 1 million Armenians died in the campaign
while the Turkish official documents show that the total Armenian
population was less than the claimed number of the dies. More than
520,000 Turkish and Kurdish villagers were massacred by the Armenian
militants during the First World War.