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PRESS RELEASE
ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION
805 Manoogian Street
Montreal, Quebec
H4N-1Z5
OTTOMAN ARCHIVES OPEN A SLIVER
Montreal, Wednesday September 7, 2005 -
Filled to capacity last Thursday night at the Montreal Armenian
Community's AGBU Demirdjian Hall, renowned German archival historian
and genocide scholar, Dr. Hilmar Kaiser, delivered a presentation on
his recent studies in the Ottoman archives.
AGBU chairman, Viken L. Attarian introduced Dr. Kaiser to the
audience and officially thanked the group of Montrealers who made his
recent research in Turkey and trip to Montreal possible.
Dr. Kaiser had worked in the Ottoman archives between 1991 and 1995.
In 1996, he was banned from the archives by the Turkish authorities
for political reasons. In the past, he had uncovered important
archival material detailing key aspects of the Armenian Genocide but
was stymied by bureaucratic impediments. He eventually received an
outright lifetime ban. For years, scholars, politicians, and
Armenians worldwide had demanded his readmission.
In July 2005, Dr. Kaiser, visited the Turkish Prime Minister's
Ottoman Archives in Istanbul, Turkey. He spoke about the full and
unhindered cooperation of the staff at these archives. Therefore
today, he concluded projects he had left unfinished 10 years earlier.
Dr. Kaiser said that a critical step forward in the opening of the
Ottoman Turkish archives has been made. The Turkish government has
officially reopened those archives and the ban on Dr. Kaiser's work
there has been lifted.
He spoke about important material that he has uncovered such
as miscellaneous original deportation orders against Armenians in the
Anatolian regions of Ottoman Turkey thus confirming the views of
worldwide Genocide scholars. But, some collections of the Turkish
Prime Minister's Ottoman archives are still unavailable. Notably, the
Ottoman Ministry of the Interior's Directorate for Public Security,
2nd Department (Armenian Department) remains closed.
It is hoped that the positive developments at the Turkish archives
will continue and those collections will be made available for study
in the near future.
Dr. Kaiser's lecture finished with a lively question and answer
session with the audience. For more information, please contact AGBU
Montreal at 514-748-2428 or by email [email protected],
attention: Harry Dikranian
Dr. Hilmar Kaiser's most recently published an introduction and
provided commentary in a book entitled "The Memoirs of Abram Elkus:
Lawyer, Ambassador Statesman." Abram Elkus was the American
Ambassador to Turkey following Henry Morgenthau. This and other
books by Dr. Kaiser are available for purchase on the web at
http://www.garodbooks.com
.
ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION
805 Manoogian Street
Montreal, Quebec
H4N-1Z5
OTTOMAN ARCHIVES OPEN A SLIVER
Montreal, Wednesday September 7, 2005 -
Filled to capacity last Thursday night at the Montreal Armenian
Community's AGBU Demirdjian Hall, renowned German archival historian
and genocide scholar, Dr. Hilmar Kaiser, delivered a presentation on
his recent studies in the Ottoman archives.
AGBU chairman, Viken L. Attarian introduced Dr. Kaiser to the
audience and officially thanked the group of Montrealers who made his
recent research in Turkey and trip to Montreal possible.
Dr. Kaiser had worked in the Ottoman archives between 1991 and 1995.
In 1996, he was banned from the archives by the Turkish authorities
for political reasons. In the past, he had uncovered important
archival material detailing key aspects of the Armenian Genocide but
was stymied by bureaucratic impediments. He eventually received an
outright lifetime ban. For years, scholars, politicians, and
Armenians worldwide had demanded his readmission.
In July 2005, Dr. Kaiser, visited the Turkish Prime Minister's
Ottoman Archives in Istanbul, Turkey. He spoke about the full and
unhindered cooperation of the staff at these archives. Therefore
today, he concluded projects he had left unfinished 10 years earlier.
Dr. Kaiser said that a critical step forward in the opening of the
Ottoman Turkish archives has been made. The Turkish government has
officially reopened those archives and the ban on Dr. Kaiser's work
there has been lifted.
He spoke about important material that he has uncovered such
as miscellaneous original deportation orders against Armenians in the
Anatolian regions of Ottoman Turkey thus confirming the views of
worldwide Genocide scholars. But, some collections of the Turkish
Prime Minister's Ottoman archives are still unavailable. Notably, the
Ottoman Ministry of the Interior's Directorate for Public Security,
2nd Department (Armenian Department) remains closed.
It is hoped that the positive developments at the Turkish archives
will continue and those collections will be made available for study
in the near future.
Dr. Kaiser's lecture finished with a lively question and answer
session with the audience. For more information, please contact AGBU
Montreal at 514-748-2428 or by email [email protected],
attention: Harry Dikranian
Dr. Hilmar Kaiser's most recently published an introduction and
provided commentary in a book entitled "The Memoirs of Abram Elkus:
Lawyer, Ambassador Statesman." Abram Elkus was the American
Ambassador to Turkey following Henry Morgenthau. This and other
books by Dr. Kaiser are available for purchase on the web at
http://www.garodbooks.com
.