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Northern District Times (Australia)
May 11, 2005 Wednesday
Racial row flares
RACIAL tensions have flared between Sydney's Turkish and Armenian
communities after a plaque commemorating the Armenian genocide was
stolen from Meadowbank.
Last month, Ryde Council unanimously condemned the Turkish Ottoman
Empire's extermination of Christian Armenians living in Eastern
Anatolia between 1915 and 1922.
The plaque was dedicated at Memorial Park on April 24, marking the
90th anniversary of the genocide, which claimed 1.5 million lives.
Ryde resident Carol Aghajanian was "terribly disappointed" to find it
had disappeared.
"It serves as a clear reminder they're (the Turkish community) still
denying it, even in Sydney, Ryde, Australia," she said.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia labelled the missing
memorial as the "ugly side of genocide denial", which "strikes at the
very heart of our democratic society".
But the Turkish community strongly denied the 1915 events.
Turkish News Weekly editor Arzu Agacakyak ran an article questioning
Ryde Council's knowledge and research on the issue before condemning
it last month.
Ryde Mayor Terry Perram stood by the council's decision to condemn
the genocide and provide a plaque, which it will replace.
"We relied upon the fact that the State Parliament had passed a
similar resolution in 1997 and it had erected a plaque."
Mrs Agacakyak said the Ottoman Empire was not responsible for a
genocide.
"Because Turkey was at war at the time and there was a short supply
of food, there was a lot of deaths but not 1.5 million.
"The Turkish Government . . . did not have an agenda to kill the
Armenians."
Mrs Agacakyak denounced Ryde Council's decision to unveil the plaque.
"It's really not the place of a council to approve things like this,"
she said.
But despite denials of genocide, Mrs Agacakyak said Turkish people
were upset the plaque was stolen and wanted to forge strong
relationships with Armenians.
"We're living in peace here (in Australia)," she said.
"We don't want our problems brought to this country."
May 11, 2005 Wednesday
Racial row flares
RACIAL tensions have flared between Sydney's Turkish and Armenian
communities after a plaque commemorating the Armenian genocide was
stolen from Meadowbank.
Last month, Ryde Council unanimously condemned the Turkish Ottoman
Empire's extermination of Christian Armenians living in Eastern
Anatolia between 1915 and 1922.
The plaque was dedicated at Memorial Park on April 24, marking the
90th anniversary of the genocide, which claimed 1.5 million lives.
Ryde resident Carol Aghajanian was "terribly disappointed" to find it
had disappeared.
"It serves as a clear reminder they're (the Turkish community) still
denying it, even in Sydney, Ryde, Australia," she said.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia labelled the missing
memorial as the "ugly side of genocide denial", which "strikes at the
very heart of our democratic society".
But the Turkish community strongly denied the 1915 events.
Turkish News Weekly editor Arzu Agacakyak ran an article questioning
Ryde Council's knowledge and research on the issue before condemning
it last month.
Ryde Mayor Terry Perram stood by the council's decision to condemn
the genocide and provide a plaque, which it will replace.
"We relied upon the fact that the State Parliament had passed a
similar resolution in 1997 and it had erected a plaque."
Mrs Agacakyak said the Ottoman Empire was not responsible for a
genocide.
"Because Turkey was at war at the time and there was a short supply
of food, there was a lot of deaths but not 1.5 million.
"The Turkish Government . . . did not have an agenda to kill the
Armenians."
Mrs Agacakyak denounced Ryde Council's decision to unveil the plaque.
"It's really not the place of a council to approve things like this,"
she said.
But despite denials of genocide, Mrs Agacakyak said Turkish people
were upset the plaque was stolen and wanted to forge strong
relationships with Armenians.
"We're living in peace here (in Australia)," she said.
"We don't want our problems brought to this country."