‘TREASON OR PLOT?’
By Hakob Chakrian
AZG Armenian Daily
16/03/2006
Halil Berktay Allegedly Requested Financial Aid from Diasporan
Armenians.
This was the title of an article in Turkish Vatan newspaper on
March 13 that dealt with an email allegedly sent by professor of
Sabanci University, Halil Berktay, to history professor at Minnesota
University, Stephan Weinstein.
In March 10 and 11 issues of Vatan, columnist Ruhat Mengi without
checking authenticity of the email commented on it meanwhile demanding
that Berktay reveal other Turkish scientists who receive money form
the Armenians. By doing so he arose uproar and allowed to suspect
Berktay in treason.
Why? Because Berktay, according to Mengi, defined deportation
of Armenians in 1915 as genocide, called the Armenian Genocide an
undisputed fact, called a renowned scientists as Bernard Luis Justin
McCarty a hired scholar of Turkey, dubbed Turkish scholars backing
official thesis “fascists concealing the truth” as well as established
close ties with the Armenian Diaspora.
As to the email, Prof. Berktay urged Weinstein to ban the participation
of Yusuf Halacoglu, head of Turkish History Foundation, and Gyunduz
Aktan in the panel of PBS TV and added that “scientists backing our
views on Genocide should be invited. We should discover them and give
chance to voice their opinion. We need to secure necessary financial
means for that.”
Berktay refuted the allegations calling them clear slander and then
he said: “First of all Stephen Weinstein is an American Jew and
does not accept the fact of the Armenian genocide. He criticized in
an article those opposing the participation of Halacoglu and Aktan
in the TV show. I turned to Weinstein via the Internet to back his
approach. I do not know him personally and I have never been to the
University of Minnesota nor have I made a speech there. I believe
this issue goes deeper than just questioning ‘was the deportation
of 1915 a genocide or not?’ I opposed to those blocking discussions
on the matter. As to financial support, it is an incredible lie that
has hurt my self-esteem and I am going to sue.”
The American historian confirmed Berktay’s words. He said the email
is a fiction and that he knows neither Aktan nor Halacoglu and has
never met Berktay.
Stephen Weinstein’s words well answer the question posed in the title
of the article underscoring that Berktay is a victim of a plot.
Prof. Halil Berktay is one of those Turkish scholars who recognize
the Armenian Genocide. In the created situation when the freedom
of speech is gaining momentum in Turkey, some circles strive not to
limit the freedom of thought of scientists but rather to force them
give up their views by various means.
It’s over doubt that any scientist facing an accusation of treason
will prefer to keep his mouth shut on Genocide issues than playing
with fire.
From: Baghdasarian