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In Documentary aired on PBS, Turkish Scholar Admits Genocide
A new documentary, "The Armenians: A Story of Survival," airing on local
PBS stations in cities throughout the United States, includes a segment in
which a prominent Turkish scholar is openly acknowledging the Armenian
Genocide.
Engin Akarli, Professor of Middle Eastern History at Brown University,
begins the interview by saying: "We have to put these things in their
appropriate historical context. Yes, these things happened."
But when asked to explain what "these things" are, Prof. Akali replies with
no hesitation: "Genocide. OK? Genocide in the sense that attacks against a
distinctive, specific part of a population. In this sense, that's what I
understand of the Armenian genocide. It happened. We need to face it, to
understand why it happened, [under] what circumstances it happened and what
are the moral implications? What does this event tell us about the time?
What does this event tell us about great power politics and problems of
nationalism in this part of the world? There are many issues that this
particular event sheds light on."
The documentary also features prominent Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace
Prize Laureate, Elie Wiesel who strongly condemns the Turkish attempts to
deny the Armenian Genocide: "To say it didn't happen, it
pains, it's an insult, it's an offense to memory, it's an offense to
dignity, it's an offense to humanity, to the humanity of Armenians!"
Incredibly, when the producers of the documentary asked the Turkish Embassy
in Washington to present the Turkish government's position on the Armenian
Genocide, the Embassy refused to do so, "unless given up to 9 full minutes
of uncut and uninterrupted air-time."
The Turkish Embassy officials were foolish enough to make such an arrogant
demand, thereby depriving themselves of the opportunity to present their
lies on TV. Their bullying tactics only work under the
existing non-democratic conditions in Turkey!
Turkish Commission Member Reveals Sinister Intentions
Three recent developments in Armenia and the Diaspora sharply countered
claims by Armenian members of the "Turkish Armenian Reconciliation
Commission" that most Armenians supported their secret negotiations with
Turkish deniers of the Armenian Genocide.
Almost all of the political groups represented in the Armenian Parliament
issued a joint statement on July 31 criticizing the Commission's "shadowy
process…which can endanger real possibilities for the establishment of
relations" between Armenia and Turkey. These parliamentary blocs,
consisting of 83 out of 129 members or two-thirds of the Parliament,
declared in their statement: "The attempt to weaken the process of
garnering international recognition for the Armenian Genocide, split the
efforts of the united Armenian front, and disrupt the process which has
gained momentum within the international arena, is unacceptable. The
signatories announce that Armenian-Turkish bilateral relations can be
established only through authorized legal representatives."
The Foreign Ministry of Armenia issued its official position the following
day: "It is noteworthy that the political forces holding the majority in
the parliament have assumed a unified position over the Turkish Armenian
Reconciliation Commission." The Ministry expressed its "concern over the
fact that Armenian Genocide-related issues which are of pan-national
importance and have always been a uniting factor in both
Armenia and the Diaspora can split the united Armenian front and suspend
the Armenian Genocide recognition process. …It should also be noted that
track two diplomacy cannot replace state-level discussions, and all
existing problems between Armenia and Turkey can be solved only through an
inter-state dialogue."
The third important development was the joint statement issued by 21
Armenian Church leaders and community organizations in the United States on
August 9, condemning the creation of the Turkish Commission. The
signatories, including the religious leaders of the Prelacy of the Armenian
Apostolic, the Catholic and the Evangelical churches, declared that the
Commission's undertaking "could lead to results which do not correspond to
the interests of the Armenian nation."
A report issued by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on August 8 stated that
"the reaction from the Armenian public has been largely negative so far."
It further reported that "many politicians, public figures and scholars in
Armenia and the Diaspora say that Ankara wants to stem the wave of
recognitions by Western legislatures of the Armenian Genocide, by showing
that it is engaged in a dialogue with the Armenians."
A statement issued by Ozdem Sanberk, a member of the Turkish Commission,
confirmed Armenians' worst fears. In an interview with the Azeri newspaper,
"525-chi Gazet," on July 19, 2001, Sanberk made the followingalarming
revelation: "The basic goals of our commission is to impede the initiatives
put forth every year in the U.S. Congress and parliaments of Western
countries for the genocide issue and aimed at weakening Turkey….The key
goal is to prevent the genocide issue from being regularly brought into the
agenda of the Western countries…. The significant matter for us is that the
genocide issue is not discussed by the American Congress any more. Because,
as long as we continue the dialogue, the issue won't be brought to the
Congress agenda. If it is not discussed in the Congress, we, being Turkey,
will gain from that. The U.S. Congress will see that there is a channel of
dialogue between Turks and Armenians and decide that 'there is no necessity
for the Congress to take such decision while such a channel exists.' "
To make matters worse, Cong. Robert Wexler, the co-founder of the
newly-formed Turkish Caucus in the House of Representatives and one of the
most pro-Turkish members of Congress, issued a "Dear Colleague" letter last
month welcoming the Turkish Commission and urging his House colleagues to
support it. Cong. Wexler, in his letter, also lays all speculation aside by
confirming that "the ten member commission [is] supported by the United
States Department of State!"
Prof. James Russell, the Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard
University, in a letter to the Armenian News Network, issued the following
warning about the Turkish Commission. "Reconciliation, without prior
recognition, repentance, and restitution by Turkey is an empty word at
best; at worst, another cynical ploy. I hope Armenians won't fall for it!"
The above developments indicate that as more and more Armenians are
learning the true facts about the Turkish Commission, they are uniting in
their opposition to this "unholy dialogue."
Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News Archives