ARMENIANS IN TURKEY REACT TO DOCUMENTARY
HYE-TERT
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Feb 24 2009
Turkey
At least don’t force our children to watch that DVD, pleaded the
Armenian citizens of Turkey in a letter with nearly 500 signatories
to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. They were complaining about a
six-part documentary called, "Sari Gelin – Behind the scenes story
of the Armenian question" that was sent to primary schools by the
National Education Ministry to be shown to the students.
"Sari Gelin" is, of course a folk tale shared for centuries by
Armenians, Turks and other indigenous people of Anatolia. The folk
song, Sari Gelin (Mountain Girl or Blond Girl) or Sari Gyalin in
Armenian echoed in Istanbul streets when tens of thousands of people
accompanied the coffin of Hrant Dink, the Armenian journalist slain
under still obscure conditions, to his final resting place two years
ago. Although the murderer of Dink, an 18-year-old lumpen kid from
the Black Sea area, was captured, collusion of Turkey’s security
authorities in the killing is being publicly debated today.
Producers of the documentary probably gave this title to their work
to create the impression that it was an attempt to erase animosities
between Armenians and Turks. But the effect was the opposite.
"Considering the way how the documentary in question deals with the
issue, it is certain that it will fan the feelings of hatred and
hostility through expressions of violence and discrimination rather
than providing knowledge in historical subjects and thus increase the
already existing animosities against the Armenians in the society,"
the letter said.
Since June 2008, the DVDs of the documentary were being distributed to
the schools by the Education Ministry, including the Armenian minority
schools. In January, the ministry asked the school administrations
to report by February 27 how the documentary was received by the
students. In the same circular letter the ministry revealed that the
documentary was prepared on the initiative of the Headquarters of
the Turkish General Staff.
The documentary includes historical footage allegedly showing armed
Armenian bands raiding Turkish villages in Anatolia during World War
I. It also shows bodies of Turkish diplomats slain by the Armenian
ASALA terror organization in the U.S. and Europe since the 19’/70s.
"Because of this practice, the greatest harm will be done to
the Armenian children who are going to school with their Turkish
friends. Those who have not lived it cannot judge how much damage can
be caused to the children’s psychology, how deep wounds it may open
when in a crowded classroom such accusations are made and the gaze
of others concentrate on singled out (Armenian) students," said the
letter addressed to Prime Minister Erdogan.
Strong negative reaction followed the letter by Turkey’s Armenian
citizens against the showing of such a documentary to children aged
between 7 and 15.
The documentary "teaches" the children how to hate the Armenians,
said Zubeyde Kilic, the president of Egitim-Sen, (Union of Workers in
Education Sector). She added that unless the showing of the documentary
is suspended immediately, her organization will take legal action
against it.
The History Foundation that has been conducting research on human
rights and anti-discriminatory measures in education also reacted
strongly against the documentary. "It is more a propaganda film than a
documentary," said the foundation in a written statement. "It spreads
seeds of hatred and antagonism. It fans the already existing feelings
of enmity against the Armenians," the statement emphasized.
Newspaper columnists also criticized the film for its "racist"
approach and its dangerous influence on the minds of young children.
After the public reaction, the Education Ministry came up with an
explanation that the video was distributed to the schools not to be
shown to the students but for the teachers "to train themselves in
historical issues." The ministry’s announcement also said that it
was suspending the distribution immediately.
Mustafa Oymak, the press officer of the Education Ministry said the
film was sent to the local ministry officials in the provinces who
in turn were supposed to report back their evaluations. He likened
the documentary to "other such activities of the ministry to support
education like film against cigarette smoking and preventive measures
against tuberclosis."
AKP Also Distributed the DVD
The director of the documentary, Ismail Umac, announced that the
governing party AKP also distributed DVDs of the film before the
general elections in July in 2007. The youth branch of AKP in Istanbul
ordered 75,000 copies and these were given out as "presents" to mainly
young people. Umac also claimed that the Headquarters of the Turkish
General Staff had nothing to do with the production of the film.
A 70-Minute Version Distributed Abroad
The documentary was also edited down to 70 minutes and dubbed
in English, French, German and other Western languages and
distributed abroad according to the producers. They also said that
for objectivity’s sake, they have also incorporated interviews with
foreigners, mostly Armenians abroad, who describe the events in 1915
as an Armenian genocide by the Turks.