Turkey condemns statement by ADL

By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff | August 24, 2007

The Turkish government, reacting to a controversy that started in Watertown,
yesterday condemned the Anti-Defamation League’s decision to call the
massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a genocide.

"We consider the statement of the ADL as an injustice to the unique
character of the Holocaust, as well as to the memories of its victims," the
Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "We expect it to be
rectified."

Burak Akcapar, first counselor of the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C.,
said Turkey has registered its concerns with Israel, the United States, and
"friends everywhere."

"We are concerned that a great injustice has been done by the ADL with this
statement," Akcapar said in an interview, adding that there is much
scholarly debate on the issue. "It has ignored our point of view about the
change of position. We are talking to all friendly parties about that. Our
position is very clear."

The swift and strong reaction from a major foreign government marked the
latest escalation in a revolt that started last week in Watertown Town Hall,
where town councilors voted 8 to 0 to withdraw from an Anti-Defamation
League program called No Place For Hate.

The councilors were protesting the Anti-Defamation League’s refusal to state
that the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians, beginning in 1915, was
genocide.

After the vote, the League’s New England director, Andrew H. Tarsy, defied
the organization’s policy and agreed to use the term. He was fired the next
day.

Jewish leaders in Boston and beyond protested, pointing out that Nobel
laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, among others, have recognized
the Armenian genocide.

Under mounting pressure, the Anti-Defamation League released a statement on
Tuesday saying that the killings were "tantamount to genocide," but it
stopped short of supporting a congressional resolution recognizing the
genocide, saying it was counterproductive.

The Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish groups had raised concerns that
passage of the resolution could jeopardize the safety of Turkey’s Jews.

Yesterday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated its continued opposition to
the resolution, but said the League’s concerns that it could lead to
retaliation against Jews was unfounded.

"The Jewish community in Turkey is part of our society, and its members do
not have any reason to worry," the ministry said in a statement.

The Foreign Ministry said it objected to the use of the word genocide
because it is "historically and legally baseless" and said that contrary to
the Anti-Defamation League’s new position, "there is no consensus among the
historians on how to qualify the events."

"The attempt of the ADL to rewrite the history is in contradiction with the
realities, and the rationale behind this is incomprehensible," the ministry
said.

Dikran Kaligian, an Armenian-American living in Watertown, said he was not
surprised by the Turkish response.

"These are the tactics that the Turkish government uses," Kaligian said.
"They’re fighting a losing battle against history and against logic. So
about the only thing they have in their arsenal is blackmail. This is
another form of it: ‘How could you do this to us?’ "

Yesterday, the Anti-Defamation League released a statement reiterating that
it does not support congressional efforts to recognize the Armenian
genocide.

"The force and passion of the debate today leaves us more convinced than
ever that this issue does not belong in a forum such as the United States
Congress," the League said yesterday. "The proper role of those of us who
deeply believe the controversy must be resolved is to promote and support
Turkey and Armenia in efforts to bring them together to begin the process of
reconciliation."

This statement was issued a day after national League director Abraham H.
Foxman agreed to have the organization’s policy-making body reconsider the
resolution at its next meeting in November.

The Anti-Defamation League’s unwavering stance angered some Armenian
leaders.

"It’s an attempt to appease the government of Turkey by backtracking away
from their position and [to] avoid supporting the legislation," said Aram
Suren Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee, an
advocacy group in Washington. Hamparian called it "patently illogical" for
the League to acknowledge the genocide and not ask Congress to do the same.

"Although independent scholars may have reached a consensus about the
genocide, in an effort to help accomplish the reconciliation, there is room
for further dispassionate scholarly examination of the details of those dark
and terrible days," the League said.

Keith O’Brien of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Levenson can be
reached at mlevenson@globe.com.
(c) Copyright < right> 2007 The
New York Times Company

Source:
articles/2007/08/24/turkey_condemns_statement_by_a dl/