TURKISH APOLOGY PETITION SIGNATORIES MOSTLY STUDENTS
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.01.2009 16:12 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 27 516 people have already signed the Turkish
apology petition which reads, "My conscience does not accept the
insensitivity showed to and the denial of the Great Calamity that
befell the Ottoman Armenians in 1915. I reject this injustice and
for my share, I empathize with the feelings and pain of my Armenian
brothers. I apologize to them."
As freelance French journalist Jean Eckian told PanARMENIAN.Net,
over 6 300 signatories are students, over 1 700 are professors, over
1 200 are engineers, over 1 000 are workers and retired people, less
than 700 are attorneys and housewives, less than 600 are journalists,
less than 500 are physicians, less than 400 are craftsmen, accountants,
authors and educators, less than 300 are unemployed persons, less than
200 are architects, researchers, computer specialists, less than 150
are bankers and foremen.
The geography of signatories varies. In Turkey, Istanbul is the first
(9 937) followed by Ankara (2 129), Izmir (1 823) and Diyarbakir
(1 423). Then follow Mersin (482), Bursa (415), Adana (394), Antalya
(382), Van (375) and Mardin (334).
As to foreign countries, 3 793 signatures were registered from 63
states. 1 729 signatures came from Germany, 343 from the U.S., 324 from
the United Kingdom, 310 from France, 231 from Switzerland. Then Poland,
Austria, Sweden, Canada, Belgium, Australia, Denmark and Holland come.
5 signatories are from Japan and Saudi Arabia, 4 from Azerbaijan
(2 politicians & 2 journalists), 2 from UAE, 1 from Armenia, 1
from Karabakh, 1 from China, 1 from Qatar, 1 from Colombia, 1 from
Greenland, 1 from Kosovo, 1 from Ecuador, 1 from Kenya and 1 from
Singapore. Two dozens of cities or countries were not identified.