TURKISH INTELLECTUALS ISSUE APOLOGY TO ARMENIANS
Sky Valley Journal
Dec 15 2008
USA
Turkish intellectuals issue apology to Armenians – Yahoo! News
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Associated Press Writer Suzan Fraser, Associated Press Writer –
2 mins ago
The group of prominent academics, journalists, writers and artists
avoided using the contentious term "genocide" in the apology, using
the less explosive "Great Catastrophe" instead.
Historians estimate that, in the last days of the Ottoman Empire,
up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks in what is
widely regarded as the first genocide of the 20th century. Armenians
have long pushed for the deaths to be recognized as genocide.
"My conscience does not accept that (we) remain insensitive toward and
deny the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected
in 1915," read the apology. "I reject this injustice, share in the
feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers, and apologize to them."
Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk was prosecuted after he
commented on the mass killings in 2005. Hrant Dink, an ethnic Armenian
journalist was shot outside his Istanbul office in 2007, following
his prosecution for comments he made about the killings of Armenians.
"Such an incorrect and one-sided attempt would mean disrespecting
our history," the diplomats said.
By late Monday, there were no public threats of legal action over
the petition.
In September, however, President Abdullah Gul became the first
Turkish leader to visit Armenia, where he and Armenian President
Serge Sarkisian watched their countries’ football teams play a World
Cup qualifying match.