Tweet
Radikal
25 May 2005
page 7
`Armenian Conference Cancelled'
The Bosphorus University Presidency [office of the rector] deferred the
`Alternate Armenian Conference' because of the strong reaction of the
deputies and the Minister of Justice Cicek. The rectorate stated that
`prejudiced reactions harm freedom.'
ANKARA/ISTANBUL. The conference entitled `Ottoman Armenians during the
Era of Imperial Decline: Academic Responsibility and Issues of
Democracy' that had been planned to take place at Bosphorus University
during 25-27 May has been deferred due to the strong reactions of the
government and the parties in opposition and in rule. Following
Minister of Justice Cemil Cicek's evaluation of the conference as
`treason against Turkey,' the Bosphorus University Presidency announced
the deferral of the conference last night. Associate Professor Halil
Berktay who is on the organizing committee said `it is understood that
the conference has been cancelled because of the horrible talk the
Minister of Justice made at the parliament.'
The conference which had aimed to bring together alternative thoughts to
the official Armenian policy created a vast debate even before it
occurred. As the differing points of view regarding the Turkish and
Armenian theses transformed among academics into critiques of `following
the line of the Diaspora' and `defending the official thesis,' the topic
also made it to the agenda of the General Assembly of the Turkish
National Assembly. Sukru Elekdag of the Republican People's Party
(CHP), at the talk he gave outside of the set agenda, reminded everyone
that the official theses would be interrogated at the conference and
said `at the conference, actually the propaganda of the Armenian thesis
would be conducted under the pretense of practicing science. What is
sad is that Bosphorus University has been used by this treacherous
project.'
Ramazan Toprak of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) too claimed
that the conference was an operation, that the conference agenda was set
in accordance with the content the Armenians wanted, and that Bosphorus
University remained a spectator (to all this). Toprak registered the
following: `If there had been a conference organized in Armenia
defending the Turkish theses, it (the participants) would end up in
jail. The Higher Council of Education (YOK) [this is the council which
oversees the affairs of the universities that are legally independent of
the Ministry of Education- MG] does not even budge (i.e., take action).
If a conclusion is reached [at the conference] that condemns the
official thesis, I call all the organizations of the judiciary and the
political organizations, the entire Turkish populace to [perform their]
duty. I want this conference which reflects the mentality of those who
defended mandatory rule [in 1919 when the Ottoman Empire was under
occupation by the Allied Forces, MG] to be closely scrutinized. The
Turkish nation will never forgive those who hurl lies at its own
history.'
The reaction of Minister of Justice who spoke on behalf of the
government reacted very strongly as well. Cicek noted that the deputies
gave voice to the `feelings of the people' and stated the following:
`There is no other nation whose conscience and hands are as clean and
whose head is as pure as the Turkish nation. While the government, the
opposition, the state and the nation work together to get rid of the
claims of the alleged Armenian genocide, what does it mean to put a
dagger into these attempts from behind? Given this state of affairs,
how could you convince the parliamentarians of various countries? They
will say to us, `you better first go and convince Bosphorus University
that says these things while gazing onto the Bosphorus.' With this
movement, they have thrust a dagger into our backs. Universities are
independent but independence does not mean being irresponsible. This is
[a case of] great irresponsibility and lack of seriousness. Some of our
organizations, associations say `there is no freedom.' There is freedom
in Turkey to slander the Turkish nation, to thrust a dagger into its
back. I wish that I, as the Minister of Justice, had not turned over my
authority to prosecute. I am now very curious about what Bosphorus
University and the Council of Higher Education (YOK) are going to do.
We have to bring this era of irresponsibility, lack of seriousness, of
conducting propaganda against this nation while carrying its identity
cards to an end.'
Following these words of Cicek, Bosphorus University sent out a notice
that the conference it was going to host was deferred. The declaration
of the university contained the following expressions: `We are worried
that the academic freedom of a state university is harmed by the passing
of judgments in advance regarding the contents of a conference that has
not yet taken place. We want to notify the Turkish public opinion that
under these conditions and in consideration of the consequences that may
occur by the actualization of the conference, we found it more
appropriate to defer the meeting.'
Associate Professor Halil Berktay of Sabanci University who is a member
of the conference organizing committee expressed his reaction to the
decision to defer as follows: `According to the information conveyed to
me by the Bosphorus University presidency, the conference has been
deferred. I do not know the reasons [given] for deferral since I have
not seen the explanatory text of the [university] presidency. Yet it is
understood that the conference is cancelled at the face of the horrible
talk the Minister of Justice made at the Parliament. I do not want to
say anything in relation to this talk; I will make a declaration
tomorrow (today).'
In relation to the deferral decision, Yusuf Halacoglu, the president of
the Turkish Historical Society (TTK), made the following evaluation to
Radikal: `It would have been beneficial if there had been more
participants to this conference. If they gather together as [those
belonging to the] one side [of the issue], this means that the diaspora
is coming together in Istanbul. Don't they get together in a one-sided
manner as well? If they want to present something that is
scientifically correct, then it [the conference] ought to have multiple
participants. Then things could have been discussed from both sides,
documents could have been presented, and a more productive result would
have been reached. My personal opinion is that the government would not
have said anything against the conference if there was multiplicity of
participation.'
Translated from Turkish
25 May 2005
page 7
`Armenian Conference Cancelled'
The Bosphorus University Presidency [office of the rector] deferred the
`Alternate Armenian Conference' because of the strong reaction of the
deputies and the Minister of Justice Cicek. The rectorate stated that
`prejudiced reactions harm freedom.'
ANKARA/ISTANBUL. The conference entitled `Ottoman Armenians during the
Era of Imperial Decline: Academic Responsibility and Issues of
Democracy' that had been planned to take place at Bosphorus University
during 25-27 May has been deferred due to the strong reactions of the
government and the parties in opposition and in rule. Following
Minister of Justice Cemil Cicek's evaluation of the conference as
`treason against Turkey,' the Bosphorus University Presidency announced
the deferral of the conference last night. Associate Professor Halil
Berktay who is on the organizing committee said `it is understood that
the conference has been cancelled because of the horrible talk the
Minister of Justice made at the parliament.'
The conference which had aimed to bring together alternative thoughts to
the official Armenian policy created a vast debate even before it
occurred. As the differing points of view regarding the Turkish and
Armenian theses transformed among academics into critiques of `following
the line of the Diaspora' and `defending the official thesis,' the topic
also made it to the agenda of the General Assembly of the Turkish
National Assembly. Sukru Elekdag of the Republican People's Party
(CHP), at the talk he gave outside of the set agenda, reminded everyone
that the official theses would be interrogated at the conference and
said `at the conference, actually the propaganda of the Armenian thesis
would be conducted under the pretense of practicing science. What is
sad is that Bosphorus University has been used by this treacherous
project.'
Ramazan Toprak of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) too claimed
that the conference was an operation, that the conference agenda was set
in accordance with the content the Armenians wanted, and that Bosphorus
University remained a spectator (to all this). Toprak registered the
following: `If there had been a conference organized in Armenia
defending the Turkish theses, it (the participants) would end up in
jail. The Higher Council of Education (YOK) [this is the council which
oversees the affairs of the universities that are legally independent of
the Ministry of Education- MG] does not even budge (i.e., take action).
If a conclusion is reached [at the conference] that condemns the
official thesis, I call all the organizations of the judiciary and the
political organizations, the entire Turkish populace to [perform their]
duty. I want this conference which reflects the mentality of those who
defended mandatory rule [in 1919 when the Ottoman Empire was under
occupation by the Allied Forces, MG] to be closely scrutinized. The
Turkish nation will never forgive those who hurl lies at its own
history.'
The reaction of Minister of Justice who spoke on behalf of the
government reacted very strongly as well. Cicek noted that the deputies
gave voice to the `feelings of the people' and stated the following:
`There is no other nation whose conscience and hands are as clean and
whose head is as pure as the Turkish nation. While the government, the
opposition, the state and the nation work together to get rid of the
claims of the alleged Armenian genocide, what does it mean to put a
dagger into these attempts from behind? Given this state of affairs,
how could you convince the parliamentarians of various countries? They
will say to us, `you better first go and convince Bosphorus University
that says these things while gazing onto the Bosphorus.' With this
movement, they have thrust a dagger into our backs. Universities are
independent but independence does not mean being irresponsible. This is
[a case of] great irresponsibility and lack of seriousness. Some of our
organizations, associations say `there is no freedom.' There is freedom
in Turkey to slander the Turkish nation, to thrust a dagger into its
back. I wish that I, as the Minister of Justice, had not turned over my
authority to prosecute. I am now very curious about what Bosphorus
University and the Council of Higher Education (YOK) are going to do.
We have to bring this era of irresponsibility, lack of seriousness, of
conducting propaganda against this nation while carrying its identity
cards to an end.'
Following these words of Cicek, Bosphorus University sent out a notice
that the conference it was going to host was deferred. The declaration
of the university contained the following expressions: `We are worried
that the academic freedom of a state university is harmed by the passing
of judgments in advance regarding the contents of a conference that has
not yet taken place. We want to notify the Turkish public opinion that
under these conditions and in consideration of the consequences that may
occur by the actualization of the conference, we found it more
appropriate to defer the meeting.'
Associate Professor Halil Berktay of Sabanci University who is a member
of the conference organizing committee expressed his reaction to the
decision to defer as follows: `According to the information conveyed to
me by the Bosphorus University presidency, the conference has been
deferred. I do not know the reasons [given] for deferral since I have
not seen the explanatory text of the [university] presidency. Yet it is
understood that the conference is cancelled at the face of the horrible
talk the Minister of Justice made at the Parliament. I do not want to
say anything in relation to this talk; I will make a declaration
tomorrow (today).'
In relation to the deferral decision, Yusuf Halacoglu, the president of
the Turkish Historical Society (TTK), made the following evaluation to
Radikal: `It would have been beneficial if there had been more
participants to this conference. If they gather together as [those
belonging to the] one side [of the issue], this means that the diaspora
is coming together in Istanbul. Don't they get together in a one-sided
manner as well? If they want to present something that is
scientifically correct, then it [the conference] ought to have multiple
participants. Then things could have been discussed from both sides,
documents could have been presented, and a more productive result would
have been reached. My personal opinion is that the government would not
have said anything against the conference if there was multiplicity of
participation.'
Translated from Turkish