Anatolian Times, Turkey
May 12 2006
Turkish Intellectuals Send Letter To French Liberation Newspaper
ISTANBUL – A group of Turkish intellectuals have sent a letter to the
French Liberation Newspaper marking their disappointment with a
French parliamentary resolution that bans anyone from saying that the
”Armenian genocide” did not take place and punishes those that say
so.
The letter signed by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Insel, Prof. Dr. Baskin Oran,
Prof. Dr. Halil Berktay, Prof. Dr. Murat Belge, Muge Gocek, Elif
Safak, Etyen Mahcupyan, Hrant Dink and Ragip Zarakolu will appear in
tomorrow’s Liberation Newspaper.
The letter said ”when two different national memories start to
perceive same event oppositely, this polarization only strengthens
monologues; France is a country which must know this situation very
well. People instinctively support the ones with identical thoughts.
We have to overcome bringing Turks and Armenians to opposite sides in
a vicious circle and instead generate a dialogue and mutual history
by mutually conveying two memories to each other. We can reach this
goal only with freedom of expression and discussion and free movement
of all information.”