Journal of Turkish Weekly
Sept 24 2005
Pro-Armenian Istanbul Conference Starts Under Protests
Hundreds of Turkish nationalists have been protesting outside a
controversial conference on the Armenians Issue in Istanbul.
The Turkish protesters chanted slogans and booed delegates entering
Istanbul’s Bilgi University for the two-day event. The conference had
been due to open on Friday, at another venue, but was stopped from
doing so by a court order. After the court decision the organization
was moved to Bilgi University from Bosphorus University. Turkish
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul declared that the court decision was not right. Both said that
Turkey is a free country and anyone could organize any conference on
any subject.
Debate of the Turkish-Armenian killings has been taboo in Turkey and
in Armenia. Now pro-Armenian books and articles can be published in
Turkey and pro-Armenians may organize such lectures as being
witnessed in Bilgi University while it is still taboo in Armenia and
Armenian diaspora. Armenians strongly reject t discuss the Armenian
issue with the Turks. `The Armenians consider discussion as a treason
to their ancestors’ Dr. Nilgun Gulcan from ISRO says.
Armenians worldwide have been campaigning for decades for the deaths
– they claim it is more than a million, around the time of WWI – to
be recognized universally as genocide. The Turkish historians on the
other hand argue that the Armenians rioted and supported the
occupying Russian Armies during the First World War, and the Istanbul
Government had to decide to relocate more than 500,000 Armenians from
the war theatre to the Syrian province of the Ottoman State. However
many Armenians died due to the bandit attacks, ethnic clashes and war
circumstances. Bad weather conditions and famine caused a great
tragedy. More than 520,000 Turkish and Kurdish villagers were also
massacred by the Armenian armed groups. The Tashnaks (Armenian
ultra-nationalists) attacked the Turkish and Kurdish villages and
massacred many civilians. The Armenian groups continued their attacks
after the war. The Armenian terrorists killed many Ottoman
high-ranked bureaucrats and former generals after the war. The ASALA
terrorism during the 1970s and 1980s massacred more than 40 Turkish
diplomats in the name of revenge of the past.
COURT BANNED; PM ERDOGAN DEFENDS
The conference discussing the issue was due to be held at Istanbul’s
Bosphorus University, but it was banned by an Istanbul court after
complaints by nationalists that the historians behind it were
“traitors”. However Turkish Government leaders regretted the court
ruling which “cast a shadow on the process of democratisation and
freedoms”, according to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan
said `Turkey has nothing to be afraid’. `If we have confidence in our
own beliefs, we should not fear freedom of thought’ he added.
EU enlargement commissioner Krisztina Nagy said Brussels strongly
deplored the court’s “attempt to prevent the Turkish society from
discussing its history”.
“The Armenian genocide is an international lie,” read a huge banner
carried by members of the left-wing Workers’ Party.
Turkey begins talks on joining the EU in two weeks’ time.
NOT A SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE
Dr. Davut Sahiner said that the Istanbul Armenian Conference is not a
scientific one:
`Almost all of the participants pro-Armenian. It is not scientific.
No academicians could give a reference to this conference in their
serious studies. It is political and they make pro-Armenian
propaganda. They invite no serious Turkish researchers. You cannot
see Ilber Ortayli, Turkkaya Ataov or Mim Kemal Oke. They called the
journalists, populists names, Armenians and pro-Armenians. But, I
still support the conference. It should be made. Turkey is not
Armenia. Turkey is not Switzerland. Even the Armenians or
pro-Armenians can say anything they wish, and no one will be punished
or put to prison. You remember, a Turkish scholar from Duke
University was put to the Armenian prisons in Yerevan last Summer due
to his scientific researches in Armenian archives. No Turkish
historian can go to Armenia after this. And all of us know that no
pro-Turkish speaker can speak in Lyon or California on Armenian
issue.’
Dr. Nilgun Gulcan similarly argued that a similar conference cannot
be organized in France or in Armenia. `Because they are not sincere
and democratic enough’ Gulcan added.