Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Aug 25 2007

Prosecutor initiates an investigation over Prof. Halacoglu

Saturday , 25 August 2007

The Kayseri Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into a
speech delivered by Turkish Historical Society (TTK) President Yusuf
Halaçoðlu in which he made controversial remarks on Turkish Kurds’
ethnic identity.

The history professor’s comments came on Friday when he noted that
many Kurdish people are Turkmens in origin, in a speech he delivered
in Kayseri.

Halaçoðlu also claimed that Kurdish Alevis were originally Armenians.

Following an order from the Kayseri Prosecutor’s office, Turkey’s
Security Directorate is reviewing the transcript of his speech. Both
the transcript and media coverage of his controversial speech will be
sent to the prosecutor as evidence.

The Ankara Public Prosecutor — where the case was initially filed —
transferred the file to the Kayseri public prosecutor. The case
files, compiled following a complaint by the Hacýbektaþ Veli Anatolia
Culture Foundation and the Alevi-Bektaþi Federation (ABF), have yet
to reach Kayseri. Both groups state that Halaçoðlu made
discriminatory remarks when he said that Kurds were originally
Turkmen and Alevi Kurds are ethnically Armenian. Halaçoðlu’s claims
stem from a study in which he asserts that many Armenians identified
themselves as being `Kurdish Alevis’ in an attempt to save themselves
from the forced migration of Armenians which took place in 1915.

25 August 2007