ArmenPress
Jan 20 2005
ISTANBUL HOSTS ARMENIAN EXHIBITION
ISTANBUL. JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS: Some 6,000 people have visited
an exhibition, devoted to Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in the
early 20-th century, that opened in Turkish Istanbul on January 8, a
record number of visitors for local galleries.
Entitled “My Dear Brother” the exhibition has on display around
500 old photographs, postcards and other exhibits, showing how the
most matured Armenian community lived in the empire and what role it
played in the society.
“Turkish schools and universities taught only the history of Turks
as if no other people lived in this territory. When we speak about
Armenians, we regard them not as part of the society, but as a hotbed
of problems,” the gallery director, Osman Koker, was quoted by France
Press as saying.
He said he decided to also write a book to fill the historic gaps.
“It would be impossible to talk about what happened in 1915 without
these preliminary steps,” he said, adding that he was well aware that
it is not an easy task to change the people’s way of thinking.
“Until now a sizeable segment of the society, especially in rural
areas, take the word “Armenian” as an offense,” he said.