“Turkish-Armenian Relations: The Turkish Perspective”

A Discussion with Turkish Ambassadors

University of Southern California
Center on Public Diplomacy
March 20, 2006

EVENT DETAIL

Date: Sunday, March 26, 2006
Time: 12:00 PM (Noon)
Venue: Taper 201

Join Mr. Gündüz Aktan and Mr. Ã-mer Engin Lütem as they discuss:

“Armenian `Genocide’, International Law and the Psycology of Destroying
the Other”

Genocide, crime of crimes, is a legal category and as such law defines
it. The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide signed in 1948 defines genocide. According to this convention
the many questions need to be answered such as: Did the Ottoman
administration of the day have intent to destroy the Armenians? Was
there a motive in their acts to forge such an intent? Was the forced
displacement of Armenians against international law?

The psychological mechanisms behind the intent to destroy a group as
such are key to understanding whether the events can be qualified as
genocide. From this perspective a short comparison between the Holocaust
and the alleged genocide of Armenians could be useful. How can this
problem be settled between the Turks and Armenians?

A Brief Glance at Turkish-Armenian Relations

The status of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, the contribution of
the Armenians to the Ottoman state and Ottoman culture, the Russian
invasion of Caucasus, the Armenian Catholics, American missionaries and
the Armenians, the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, the emergence of
Armenian nationalism and its consequences ( revolts, terror, etc.),
Armenian collaboration with the Russian Army during the First World War,
the relocation of the Armenians , the dismemberment of the Ottoman
Empire and Armenian territorial claims, the war waged between the
Republic of Armenia and Kemalist forces on the Eastern front, Armenia’s
incorporation into the USSR, the rebirth of Armenian nationalism after
the Second World War, genocide allegations, Armenian terrorism and The
European Parliament’s resolution of 1987 are just some of the issues
that define the relations between Turkey and Armenia.

Gündüz S. Aktan

Gündüz S. Aktan was born in 1941 in Safranbolu, Turkey. He joined the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1967 and has served abroad in Paris,
Nairobi, New York, and Bern. He has been posted as Ambassador to Greece,
the Chief of Mission to the U.N., and Japan. From 1985 to 1988, Mr.
Aktan served as an advisor to Mr. Turgut Ã-zal, the Prime Minister, while
simultaneously serving as Director-general of Economic Affairs in charge
of relations with EC (now EU) (1986-88) during which time Turkey’s
application for full membership to EC was made. He has served as an
advisor to the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey on
foreign policy matters and was a member of the Turco-Armenian
Reconciliation Commission. On April 1, 2004, Mr. Aktan became the
Chairman of ASAM, a Turkish NGO that aids refugees, asylum seekers and
migrants.

Ã-mer Engin Lütem

Ã-mer Engin Lütem was born in Ä°stanbul in 1933. He joined the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs in 1957. He was appointed as the Turkish Ambassador to
Sofia in 1983 and served there for six years. After his service as the
Deputy Undersecretary of Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1989 and
1992, Mr. Lütem served as Turkish Ambassador to Vatican between 1992 and
1995 and as the Turkish Permanent Representative to UNESCO between 1995
and 1997. He continues to work as the Director of Armenian Research
Institute, founded by Eurasian Strategic Research Center.

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