EDUCATION MINISTRY OF TURKEY HALTS SCREENING ANTI-ARMENIAN FILM CALLED ‘SARY GELIN’ AT SCHOOLS
ArmInfo
2009-02-20 12:46:00
ArmInfo. After an outcry from academics and Armenians, the Education
Ministry said that it had halted distribution of a documentary about
the Turkish version of 1915 events to primary schools eight months ago.
Turkish media reported that academics and Armenian citizens in Turkey
sent a letter to the prime minister demanding to stop distributing the
film called "Sary Gelin: The True Face of the Armenian Question," at
least to Armenian schools. The Education Ministry sent a statement at
the end of January to all primary schools asking for a summary report
of reactions from the documentary that it sent out June 25, 2008.
The documentary was criticized by academics for reflecting the
official ideology of the Turkish Republic about the incidents of
1915 and undermining the claims of an alleged Armenian genocide. The
documentary mentioned the 1915 incidents. It is mostly criticized as
unscientific and weak in its claims because it exaggerated the deaths
of Turks while undermining Armenian deaths in an attempt to dismiss
Armenians claims of genocide.
"The students were forced to watch that documentary, which indeed
had no scientific background. That would only increase hatred and
discrimination against the Armenians," the History Foundation of
Turkey said in a written statement on Tuesday.
Also, 500 Armenians and intellectuals have sent an open letter to the
prime minister protesting this incident. The letter asked the prime
minister to exempt at least Armenian schools and Armenian students
who attended the same classes with Turkish students from watching
the documentary. For academics, involving children in a conflicting
situation is wrong, according to Ali Bayramoglu, a columnist at daily
Yenisafak "This is to make the official ideology and the public opinion
exactly the same. This is similar to the practices of a totalitarian
state," said Bayramoglu, adding that it is undemocratic that Armenian
schools and Armenian students attending the same classes with
Turks were told to watch the documentary. Mensur Akgun, an academic
from Istanbul Kultur University, said although he did not watch the
documentary, he guessed it was a type of propaganda. "In a period when
relations between Armenia and Turkey are improving, it is wrong to
distribute propaganda materials, especially to children," said Akgun.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
