AKCAM LINKS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO TURKISH NATIONALISM AND ETHNIC CLEANSING
ArmRadio.am
11.04.2007 11:55
Over 300 students, faculty, and community members gathered at Ramapo
College to hear Taner Akcam speak out on the first genocide of the
twentieth century. For over an hour, Akcam linked the Armenian Genocide
of 1915-1917 to Ottoman Turkey’s population policy implemented on
the eve of World War I to maintain Turkish hegemony over a diminished
and endangered empire.
The event was sponsored by Ramapo College’s Center for Holocaust and
Genocide Studies and the Armenian National Committee of New Jersey,
with introductory remarks by Dr. Antranig Kasbarian, Nagorno-Karabakh
Program Director of the New York-based Tufenkian Foundation.
One of the first Turkish academics to acknowledge and discuss
openly the Armenian Genocide, Akcam based his talk was on his book
A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish
Responsibility. Acclaimed by Nobel Laureate in Literature Orhan Pamuk
as "…the definitive account of the organized destruction of the
Ottoman Armenians written by a brave Turkish scholar who has devoted
his life to chronicling the events," it was published by Metropolitan
Books last November (ISBN 0805079327).
Making extensive use of Ottoman and other sources previously unused
by historians of any nationality, Akcam placed the genocide within
the context of Turkish nationalism. He showed an empire in a state
of collapse that is plagued by dissension and contradiction. In its
dying breath, as Akcam’s research bears out, it lashed out against
and attempted to constrain its ethnic and religious minorities.
The Turkish government adopted a policy of "ethnic cleansing" Greeks
and Albanians were deported from southwestern Turkey, while Moslem
Kurds, Central Asians and Arabs were moved from their domiciles in
the eastern Turkey and subject to Turkification. The culmination of
this process was the first of the 20th Century’s genocides in which
over a million Armenian men, women and children lost their lives and
livelihoods through organized killing, rape, and deportation.
Professor Akcam made this tragedy come alive by citing from telegrams
and other documents penned by the Ottoman Turkish leadership. They
poignantly depict a situation in the government pursued its policy
of maintaining minority representation in most areas to 5-10%
of the total population against the Armenians with particular
vehemence. Among the Turkish claims and myths that Ackam put to
rest was that the government drafted a policy and put aside funds to
compensate Armenians for confiscations and loss of income incurred
during the expulsions. Document after document unearthed by Ackam
reveal that the authorities erected a deliberate a smokescreen to
hide widespread persecution and expropriation.
Ani Tchaghlasian, Chairwoman of the ANC of NJ commented, "We want
to thank Rampao College for working with the ANC of NJ to help
organize such a successful event. Given the recent rise of threats
towards Turkish scholars who speak out on the Armenian genocide,
following Hrant Dink’s assassination, we would also like to thank
Taner for giving his time to help enlighten the community on this
historical fact."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
