TURKISH ACADEMICS PROTEST ANTI-ARMENIAN DOCUMENTARY SCREENING IN TURKISH SCHOOLS

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.02.2009 16:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Academics and Armenian citizens in Turkey are angered
at the Ministry of Education’s decision to screen an anti-Armenian
documentary in Turkish schools.

Sari Galin documentary was criticized by academics for reflecting the
official ideology of the Turkish Republic about Armenian Genocide. It
is mostly criticized as unscientific and weak in its claims because
it exaggerated the deaths of Turks.

"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.

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," Bayramoglu
said, adding that it is undemocratic that Armenian schools and
Armenian students attending the same classes with Turks were told
to watch the documentary. "Imagine if Turks living in Bulgaria were
forced to watch a documentary saying that ‘Turks have been cruel
toward Bulgarians in history.’ Would you accept that?" Bayramoglu said.

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, Hurriyet Daily News reports.

500 Armenians and intellectuals have sent an open letter to the
Turkish Prime Minister to protest the Education Ministry’s decision.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress