ARMENIAN COMMITTEE IN DEFENCE OF TURK HISTORIAN

Noyan Tapan
Jul 24, 2007

PARIS, JULY 24, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian community
in France has created a "Committee in defence of Taner Akcham", which
aims at defending this intellectual from possible Turkish attacks.

The committee has sent a letter to the French authorities and a number
of European institutions, thus attracting their attention to the fact
that "the threats addressed to Taner Akcham are increasing on account
of his studies, which prove the fact of the Armenian Genocide." There
is criticism in the letter directed at Article 301 of the Criminal
Code of Turkey.

It should be mentioned that Taner Akcham, a professor in the history
department of the Minasota University, about a month ago revealed
the identity of the author promoting the position of Turkey, who
was struggling against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide with
the "Holdwater" pseudonym in the United States of America for over
thirty years. It was Murad Gumen, a film producer. And the threats
addressed to the Turkish historian have been increasing after this
revelation. Even an article titled "Is it possible that Taner as well
will be killed?", which is not signed by anybody, has been published
on one of the Turkish Internet sites. The author presents his memories
connected with the Turkish historian, tells about the activities of
Taner Akcham. He writes that he has received a letter by Internet,
in which the following line was written: "It is my turn after Hrant
(the editor-in-chief of the Weekly "Agos": Noyan Tapan).