ARMENIANS APPEAL AGAINST CONTROVERSIAL DOCUMENTARY IN SCHOOLS

Today’s Zaman
Feb 19 2009
Turkey

About 500 Armenians have sent a letter addressed to Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan asking him to suspend the screening of a
controversial documentary about the Armenian question that the
Education Ministry has recently required primary schools to screen.

The letter asks the prime minister not to require that the documentary
be screened at Armenian minority schools. But reports indicate
that Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Youth Branches have
distributed a large number of copies of the documentary.

The documentary, which defends the Turkish thesis against the
Armenian genocide allegations, narrates stories of Turkish people
tortured to death by Armenian gangs before 1915. The ministry has
ordered the film to be screened since June 25 at primary schools,
including those for Armenian students. In a memo sent to the schools,
the ministry has also asked that schools submit a report by Feb. 27
on the effect that the documentary had on students. The memo said
the documentary was prepared by the General Staff.

About 500 Armenians living in Turkey and intellectuals sent a letter
to Erdogan asking him to call off the screenings at Armenian minority
schools. The letter reads: "It is obvious that the documentary will
promote violence and discrimination and breed hatred and enmity
against the Armenian population in Turkey rather than providing
insightful information on the developments in the past. Dear Prime
Minister, this practice will inflict the greatest harm upon Armenian
pupils who are studying together with their Turkish friends. Those
who are unfamiliar will never know the impact of such an accusation
on the child’s psychology. To make sure that at least the Armenian
kids are saved from the feeling of guilt and exclusion while seeing
this documentary, we kindly ask you to exempt the Armenian students
from seeing this piece and not to allow its screening at Armenian
minority schools."

AK Party distributes 75,000 copies

But while the open letter to Erdogan has been posted for signups,
it became clear that the AK Party has distributed a large number
of copies of this documentary. Ä°smail Umac, who produced the
documentary, said an AK Party local branch asked for 75,000 copies
before the July 22 elections. The party’s local branches gave away
75,000 DVDs to young people. The back cover of the DVDs featured a
statement by Mehmet Muezzinoglu, who was elected Istanbul deputy in
July 22 elections. Umac also said that there was no link between the
documentary and the General Staff.

‘It is hard to be a Jewish student as well’

Before screening the documentary on the Armenian question, the
government sponsored other controversial practices in primary
schools. The Education Ministry issued a memo asking for a moment of
silence at all schools in memory of those who died in Gaza during the
Israeli attacks. Experts recalled that this would be detrimental to
the psychologies of the children and provoke hatred against Jews.

Another controversial incident involving the AK Party with respect
to abuse of the children was reported by Radikal daily on Feb 14,
2009. The paper published a photo depicting some kids picked by the
party administration as "AK envoys" who would distribute the party’s
fliers and prime minister’s letter to the public.