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  • ANCA: House Members Speak Out Against Turkish Crackdown on Conf.

    Armenian National Committee of America
    888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
    Washington, DC 20006
    Tel: (202) 775-1918
    Fax: (202) 775-5648
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Internet: www.anca.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    May 27, 2005
    Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
    Tel: (202) 775-1918

    MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SPEAK OUT AGAINST TURKISH GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN
    ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CONFERENCE

    "The sad reality, Mr. Speaker, is that when it comes to facing the
    judgment of history about the Armenian genocide, Turkey, rather
    than acknowledging the truth, has instead chosen to trample on the
    rights of its citizens and still maintain lies."

    -- Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)

    WASHINGTON, DC Members of Congress this week expressed outrage and
    disappointment at the Turkish Government's recent decision to block
    a planned academic conference on the Armenian Genocide, reported
    the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

    The event, organized by scholars from Turkey's Bilgi, Bogazici and
    Sabanci Universities, was scheduled to take place May 25-27th at
    Bosphorus University.

    In remarks of the House floor yesterday, Congressional Armenian
    Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) commented that the
    government's forced cancellation of the conference "further affirms
    the speculation that the image that the Turkish Government has
    attempted to create for itself is nothing more than a desperate
    attempt to create a facade. Contrary to what Turkish Prime Minister
    Erdogan and other Turkish officials would have us believe, the
    Government of Turkey is not democratic, is not committed to
    creating a democracy, is not making an effort to create better
    relations with Armenia and is definitely not ready to join the
    European Union."

    Rep. Pallone went on to explain that the U.S. "cannot sit by and
    allow any nation that we consider an ally and a nation that is
    desperately seeking admission into the European Union to behave in
    such a manner. To bring this development into perspective, consider
    that according to current law in Turkey, dozens of U.S. Senators
    and hundreds of Congressmen would be punished simply for having
    voted for Armenian Genocide resolutions, spoken about the lessons
    of this crime against humanity or commemorated the victims of the
    atrocity. So, too, would the American academic establishment, human
    rights groups, the mainstream media and just about everyone else
    aside from the Turkish Embassy and its paid lobbyists here in
    Washington, D.C."

    Fellow Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg questioned the
    Turkish Government's commitment to democracy and free speech. "An
    important test of whether a country is a healthy democracy is
    whether someone can go out into a town square and speak their
    opinions freely. When the Turkish government cancels an academic
    conference like this and calls the participants traitors, it
    becomes very clear that they have not made a sufficient commitment
    to protecting free speech. These actions seriously undermine
    Turkey's credibility," stated Rep. Knollenberg.

    California Democrat Adam Schiff, author of the 2004 "Schiff
    Amendment" on the Armenian Genocide, concurred. "The decision to
    hold a conference at Bogazici University to discuss the Armenian
    Genocide held out promise that Turkey would begin confronting all
    aspects of its Ottoman past. Cancellation of the conference, and
    the Justice Minister's inflammatory accusation of 'treason,' shows
    that Turkey's intellectual freedom and academic independence has
    taken one step forward and two giant steps back. How much longer
    will it take modern Turkey to recognize the facts of a genocide now
    90 years old," asked Rep. Schiff.

    Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA), who spearheaded a successful effort
    in 1996 to cut foreign aid to Turkey due to its ongoing denial of
    the Armenian Genocide, stated: "Turkish government pressure on
    historians from Bilgi, Bogazici and Sabanci Universities to cancel
    the Armenian Genocide conference is yet another indication of the
    Turkish government's repression of freedom of speech and lack of
    respect for academic freedom. The action exposes as a hollow
    gesture Prime Minister Erdogan's call for a dialogue between
    Turkish and Armenian historians. The Turkish government's labeling
    of Turkish academics as 'traitors' simply for discussing the
    Genocide amongst themselves underscores the need for those of us
    here, in the United States, to call on Ankara to end its campaign
    of genocide denial."

    Urging Turkey to end its ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide,
    Michigan Republican Thaddeus McCotter argued, "Only honesty can
    begin to ease the ache of this evil perpetrated upon the Armenian
    people, and to further guard against a recrudescence of genocide
    anywhere in our world. Thus, any delay in acknowledging and
    apologizing for their nation's abhorrent historical crime only
    serves to embolden other proponents of genocide, and to implicate
    this generation of Turks in the sins of the past."

    Rep. Steve Rothman (D-NJ) took direct aim at statements by Turkish
    Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, who dubbed conference organizers as
    "traitors." "I condemn the recent action taken by the Turkish
    government to censor academic debate about the Armenian Genocide.
    Democracy and truth were thrown out the window when Turkish Justice
    Minister Cemil Cicek accused historians at three prestigious
    Turkish universities of treason when they attempted to debate the
    issue of the Armenian Genocide. Turkey does not deserve to be
    granted membership in the European Union if they continue to shut
    down educated discussion about this issue."

    The Conference, titled "Ottoman Armenians During the Decline of the
    Empire: Issues of Scientific Responsibility and Democracy," was
    jointly organized by the Comparative Literature Department of
    Bilgi University, the History Department of Bogazici University and
    the History Program at Sabanci University. Originally set to take
    place May 25th-27th at Bosphorus University, the schedule was to
    include over 30 papers by Turkish scholars from Turkey and abroad.

    In the days leading up to the conference, Turkish Government
    officials spoke stridently against the conference and its
    organizers. Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, in a speech
    before the Turkish Parliament on Tuesday, went so far as to accuse
    the academics of "treason." The Minister described the conference
    as a "a stab in the back to the Turkish nation." Cicek expressed
    regret that, as Justice Minister, he could not personally prosecute
    the organizers and participants.

    The government crackdown on the conference is the most recent
    chapter in the Turkish government's 90-year campaign of genocide
    denial. This effort has intensified in recent years. In 2003,
    Education Minister Hikmet Cetin issued a decree making student
    participation in a nation-wide essay contest denying the Armenian
    Genocide compulsory. The most recent revisions to the Turkish
    Penal Code criminalize references to the Armenian Genocide and the
    removal of troops from Turkish occupied northern Cyprus.

    The complete text of Rep. Pallone's May 26th statement on the House
    floor is provided below.

    #####

    Statement by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone
    (D-NJ) in Opposition to the Cancellation of the Genocide Conference
    in Turkey

    Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon to voice my outrage and great
    disappointment about a recent development in Turkey. A conference
    set to begin yesterday in Bogazici University, of Turkish scholars
    and academics, entitled ``Ottoman Armenians During the Decline of
    the Empire: Issues of Scientific Responsibility and Democracy,''
    was indefinitely postponed by the university organizers.

    According to Agence France-Presse, Turkish Justice Minister Cemil
    Cicek yesterday accused conference organizers of committing
    treason, saying, "We must put an end to this cycle of treason and
    insults, of spreading propaganda against the Turkish nation by
    people who belong to it." In addition, Turkish officials have
    demanded copies of all papers submitted to the conference.

    The development further affirms the speculation that the image that
    the Turkish Government has attempted to create for itself is
    nothing more than a desperate attempt to create a facade. Contrary
    to what Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and other Turkish officials
    would have us believe, the Government of Turkey is not democratic,
    is not committed to creating a democracy, is not making an effort
    to create better relations with Armenia and is definitely not ready
    to join the European Union.

    Over the last year, we have witnessed the Government of Turkey
    attempt to move towards democratization. However, the manner in
    which they have chosen to do so is an insult to any truly
    democratic government. Their attempts have included the adoption of
    a penal code that, in reality, represents a dramatic display of the
    Turkish government's campaign to deny the Armenian genocide.
    Furthermore, this new criminal code further hindered improved
    relations between the Republic of Armenia and Turkey.

    Section 306 of this penal code punishes individual Turkish citizens
    or groups that confirm the fact of the Armenian genocide in Ottoman
    Turkey or call for the end of the Turkish occupation of Northern
    Cyprus, with up to 10 years in prison. Far from coming to terms
    with the genocide or reaching out to Armenia, Turkey, in adopting
    Section 306 of its new penal code, hardened its anti-Armenian
    stance and undermined hopes for reduction of tension in the region.
    This sets the stage for possible legal action against conference
    planners and participants. The Turkish Government has refused to
    support rescinding this prohibition against free speech, despite
    international criticism.

    Mr. Speaker, with the cancellation of this conference, we find that
    the Government of Turkey will go to any length to avoid facing its
    bloody past. In just 2 weeks, Turkey's prime minister will be in
    the United States for an official visit, proclaiming that his
    nation is a democracy ready for full membership in the European
    Community and asking for U.S. support. The sad reality, Mr.
    Speaker, is that when it comes to facing the judgment of history
    about the Armenian genocide, Turkey, rather than acknowledging the
    truth, has instead chosen to trample on the rights of its citizens
    and still maintain lies.

    Hrant Dink, editor of the Armenian weekly Agos in Turkey stated,
    "This decision strengthens the hand of those outside Turkey who say
    Turkey has not changed, it is not democratic enough to discuss the
    Armenian issue, it shows there is a difference between what the
    government says and its intentions."

    Numerous European countries, including Poland, France and Greece,
    have passed Armenian genocide resolutions and have continuously
    urged Turkey to admit its crime. Just this week, French President
    Jacques Chirac urged Turkey to recognize the genocide and said
    failure to do so could harm Ankara's drive to join the European
    Union.

    We cannot sit by and allow any nation that we consider an ally and
    a nation that is desperately seeking admission into the European
    Union to behave in such a manner. To bring this development into
    perspective, consider that according to current law in Turkey,
    dozens of U.S. Senators and hundreds of Congressmen would be
    punished simply for having voted for Armenian Genocide resolutions,
    spoken about the lessons of this crime against humanity or
    commemorated the victims of the atrocity. So, too, would the
    American academic establishment, human rights groups, the
    mainstream media and just about everyone else aside from the
    Turkish Embassy and its paid lobbyists here in Washington, D.C.

    Only by being prepared to admit mistakes and make amends can the
    Turkish Government truly be considered a nation governed by the
    values of democracy. This recent event reveals the vulnerable side
    of Turkey, one that is still hiding from its history and is
    incapable of learning from its mistakes so as to ensure that they
    will not be repeated in the future.

    Mr. Speaker, the United States prides itself on being the world's
    leader in spreading democracy and liberty. As an effective leader,
    it is our duty to recognize that Turkey is not yet a democratic
    state and it will take a sincere effort on the part of Turkey to
    make a transition from a government that currently advocates
    censorship and lack of freedom of speech to one that embraces the
    principles of democracy in its true meaning.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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