Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Empire of the Suns Unmasked
by Nicholas Tanery, Amnesty International, March 15, 2001
Posted: Friday, March 30, 2001 01:45 am CST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2001
Contact: Nicholas Tanery, 503/725-7471

EMPIRE OF THE SULTANS UNMASKED: TURKEY'S LEGACY OF TORTURE, POLITICAL OPPRESSION, AND DENIAL.

The Justice and Human Rights Council Greek Orthodox Community of Oregon, the American Kurdish Information Network, and Amnesty International at PSU proudly hosts a press conference and public forum on Turkey's legacy of torture and political oppression. The Portland Art Museum's "Empire of the Sultans" exhibit is supported by the American Turkish Council and by Portland State University's Turkish Studies program, funded directly by the Turkish government. The gross human rights violations perpetrated by the Turkish government and Turkey's legacy of political oppression and suppression of cultural identity and diversity, which is well documented by human rights monitors, goes unacknowledged in the exhibit. Local community activists from the Greek and Kurdish community in addition to the three panelists will express how their cultures have been violently suppressed and uprooted by the Turkish government. The event will take place on Thursday March 22, 2001 at 7:00 PM in the Vanport Room in Smith Memorial Center (1825 SW Broadway) Portland State University.

The panel discussion will focus on "Turkey's Legacy of Torture, Political Oppression, and Denial" This discussion may stem from the prevailing climate of impunity for Turkish authorities who torture women and children in custody. The cycle of harassment of Kurdish political parties (HADEP) in Turkey and the imprisonment of Kurdish parliamentarians whom did their constituency duly elect. The police raids of newspapers and arrests of journalists. So far, over 20,000 Kurds have been killed in Turkish military sweeps. The Turkish policy of denying Kurds the right to express their proud Kurdish cultures. Turkey's military occupation of northern Cyprus and the tragic suffering of the Greek people in northern Cyprus who live in enclaves and who have long been denied the fundamental right to freedom of religion.

The three panelists speaking at this event are: Mr. Michaelis Kyprianou Elios-Radio Cyprus affiliated with the Justice and Human Rights Council Greek Orthodox Community of Oregon, Mr. Husayn Al-Kurdi of the American Kurdish Information Network, and Mr. Nicholas Tanery , the student area coordinator of Amnesty International USA.

Michaelis Kyprianou is a journalist of renowned reputation in Cyprus, the Middle East, and Canada. He has traveled to northern Cyprus on investigative missions, and has authored groundbreaking exposes on the situation on the ground in northern Cyprus with the enclave Greeks whose numbers have steadily dwindled over the years due to harsh political oppression. Kyprianou witnessed and suffered firsthand as a young man the atrocities perpetrated against Greeks by the Turkish military in Cyprus, and has perpetually advocated for the right to return to his hometown of Kyrenia from whence he was forcibly removed. He is affiliated with Elios-Radio, which broadcasts from Cyprus throughout the Middle East and also works on the sister station of Radio-Elios in Montreal, Canada. The Justice and Human Rights Council Greek Orthodox Community of Oregon was formed by Greek-American Oregonians in 1974 following the Turkish military invasion of Cyprus and has advocated for an end to Turkey's military occupation of Cyprus, the Council is supporting Mr.Kyprianou's visit to Portland.

Husayn Al-Kurdi is a Kurdish-American writer, journalist, and university lecturer. Al-Kurdi was an advisor to Dr. M. T. Mehdi of the National Counsel on Islamic Affairs, a Special Advisor to Kurdish Cultural Center of North America, and has been a professor, lecturer, and educational consultant on U.S. foreign policy, U.S. history, Contemporary History and Public Speaking at Columbia College, Northwestern College and Loyola University. Mr. Al-Kurdi is considered one of the foremost experts on the Kurds outside official government circles. Al-Kurdi appeared on various radio and television stations, spoke and presented at a variety of conferences, and has written and published articles appearing in over 100 publications worldwide, and has produced and directed over 500 video and television programs. Al-Kurdi is currently the President of News International and Editor and Publisher of Portland Free Press.

Nicholas Tanery is the Amnesty International student area coordinator. Mr. Tanery has organized various symposiums and film festivals on genocide and human rights violations covering East Timor, Burma, Rwanda, Nigeria, Brazil, El Salvador, and has organized the recent Portland visit of Dr. Schulz, executive director of Amnesty International USA.

Following the panel discussion, the floor will be open to the local press and the local community in attendance for an extensive question and answer session. For more information about the panel discussion, please contact Nicholas Tanery of AIPSU at (503) 725-7471.

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