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Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English
25 Sep 05
Turkey: Views expressed at Ottoman Armenians conference, protesters
throw eggs
Istanbul, 25 September: "Ittihat and Terakki Party (Party of Union
and Progress) had a plan to purify whole Anatolia from the non-Turks,
starting from the Aegean Region, before the World War I, and this
plan was carried out in entire Anatolia during the years of the war
(World War I)", argued Associate Professor Taner Akcam of Minnesota
University.
Taking the floor on the second day of the conference titled "The
Armenians during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire" held at
Istanbul's Bilgi University, Akcam said that the relocation decision
was made at the end of long discussions and debates.
"The Ottoman documents indicate that the decision to relocate the
Armenians was made to end a deeper problem defined as the 'eastern
problem' and to end the dissolution process of the Ottoman Empire.
This decision was not a result of a need that erupted during the war.
There are many documents in hand with respect to the destruction of
Armenians," claimed Akcam.
On the other hand, Dr Ahmet Kuyas of Galatasaray University referred
to the four members of the Ittihat and Terakki Party, and said that a
serious massacre was made those days. According to Kuyas, the
architect of this massacre was Enver Pasha. Kuyas expressed his view
that the other three people who were responsible for these massacres
were Talat Pasha, Dr Bahattin Sakir and Dr Nazim.
Also speaking at the conference, Professor Baskin Oran of Ankara
University's Political Sciences Department said: "Concept of class,
criticisms of Ataturk, Cyprus, socialism, communism and Kurdistan are
no more taboos in Turkey. There was only one taboo left, and it was
Armenian issue. Now, it is no more a taboo."
Referring to Armenian Diaspora, Oran said: "Diaspora talks about
'recognition, compensation and territory', and this prevents
'recognition'. Nobody in Turkey can think of paying compensation for
things that an empire (Ottoman Empire), the alphabet of which you
have abandoned, did. Moreover, territory claims are nonsense."
Oran pointed out that assassins of Turkish diplomats should not
remain unpunished, and added, "assassins of 35-40 Turkish diplomats
were not punished or sentenced to minor punishments. And, this caused
as much reaction in Turkey as the 1915 incidents caused in Armenia.
And, this was the factor which increased this taboo in Turkey."
Before the conference started, a group of people who were the members
of the Grand Unity Party (BBP) threw rotten tomatoes and eggs to
participants and the building where the conference is being held.
Also, the audience was protested by the group.
25 Sep 05
Turkey: Views expressed at Ottoman Armenians conference, protesters
throw eggs
Istanbul, 25 September: "Ittihat and Terakki Party (Party of Union
and Progress) had a plan to purify whole Anatolia from the non-Turks,
starting from the Aegean Region, before the World War I, and this
plan was carried out in entire Anatolia during the years of the war
(World War I)", argued Associate Professor Taner Akcam of Minnesota
University.
Taking the floor on the second day of the conference titled "The
Armenians during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire" held at
Istanbul's Bilgi University, Akcam said that the relocation decision
was made at the end of long discussions and debates.
"The Ottoman documents indicate that the decision to relocate the
Armenians was made to end a deeper problem defined as the 'eastern
problem' and to end the dissolution process of the Ottoman Empire.
This decision was not a result of a need that erupted during the war.
There are many documents in hand with respect to the destruction of
Armenians," claimed Akcam.
On the other hand, Dr Ahmet Kuyas of Galatasaray University referred
to the four members of the Ittihat and Terakki Party, and said that a
serious massacre was made those days. According to Kuyas, the
architect of this massacre was Enver Pasha. Kuyas expressed his view
that the other three people who were responsible for these massacres
were Talat Pasha, Dr Bahattin Sakir and Dr Nazim.
Also speaking at the conference, Professor Baskin Oran of Ankara
University's Political Sciences Department said: "Concept of class,
criticisms of Ataturk, Cyprus, socialism, communism and Kurdistan are
no more taboos in Turkey. There was only one taboo left, and it was
Armenian issue. Now, it is no more a taboo."
Referring to Armenian Diaspora, Oran said: "Diaspora talks about
'recognition, compensation and territory', and this prevents
'recognition'. Nobody in Turkey can think of paying compensation for
things that an empire (Ottoman Empire), the alphabet of which you
have abandoned, did. Moreover, territory claims are nonsense."
Oran pointed out that assassins of Turkish diplomats should not
remain unpunished, and added, "assassins of 35-40 Turkish diplomats
were not punished or sentenced to minor punishments. And, this caused
as much reaction in Turkey as the 1915 incidents caused in Armenia.
And, this was the factor which increased this taboo in Turkey."
Before the conference started, a group of people who were the members
of the Grand Unity Party (BBP) threw rotten tomatoes and eggs to
participants and the building where the conference is being held.
Also, the audience was protested by the group.