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FAON: DUTCH STUDENTS OF MARMARA UNIVERSITY OBLIGED TO ATTEND LESSONS ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL
PanARMENIAN.Net
26.09.2008 18:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Federation of Armenian Organizations in
the Netherlands (FAON) has protested to the Dutch Minister Ronald
Plasterk of Education, Culture and Science against the fact that
ERASMUS students of Marmara State University in Turkey, are obliged
to attend a four days' course with a program, which includes, among
others, such subjects as the denial of the Armenian Genocide and the
Turkish point of view on Cyprus, Inge Drost, spokesperson for Abovyan
Cultural Center, told PanARMENIAN.Net
The FAON states that the Netherlands should stop this ERASMUS program
with respect to Turkey as a protest against the manner that these
students are treated.
The FAON emphasizes that Turkey, as a candidate state for EU has
absolutely not shown any progress in the field of the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide. There is still no freedom of expression
about the Armenian Genocide. Even now under the amended Article 301
of the Turkish Penal Code, prosecution still takes place of people,
who speak about the Armenian Genocide. In such a manner proceedings
were started recently, with authorization of the Minister of Justice of
Turkey, against writer Temel Demirer, because of his press conference
last year, the day after the assassination of the Armenian Turkish
journalist Hrant Dink. The FAON indicates that expressions of the
Turkish denialist policy take place in all kinds of ways. Similar with
the Hawk Lessons are the courses, such as the lessons given to Dutch
Turks, who fulfill a shortened or normal conscription in Turkey. Also
in the Netherlands the Turkish and Dutch public are influenced by the
activities of the Turkish Embassy, by means of Turkish TV programs
transmitted via the Dutch cable, and by some Turkish organizations in
the Netherlands. Often there is fear for the "long arm of Ankara",
as a result of which many Turks do not dare to protest against such
activities. Others, particularly Right Nationalist Turks, are very
active in spreading the denialist material, among others, by means
of Internet.
As a result of the news on the Turkish interpretation of the exchange
program with the Erasmus University, the FAON repeats its earlier
requests to include teaching pack in the Dutch educational system
for providing the youth with objective information, which can prevent
difficulties between population groups in the future. This teaching
pack might include several genocide events, for example the Holocaust,
the Armenian genocide and the genocide in Rwanda, in order to provide
all young people with more knowledge and understanding of the subject.
Concerning the situation in Turkey, the FAON assumes that the Dutch
politicians, who wanted to wait for the practical consequences of the
amended Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code, will now clearly renounce
the interpretation of this Article by Turkish government about the
freedom of speech and the denial of the Armenian Genocide.
PanARMENIAN.Net
26.09.2008 18:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Federation of Armenian Organizations in
the Netherlands (FAON) has protested to the Dutch Minister Ronald
Plasterk of Education, Culture and Science against the fact that
ERASMUS students of Marmara State University in Turkey, are obliged
to attend a four days' course with a program, which includes, among
others, such subjects as the denial of the Armenian Genocide and the
Turkish point of view on Cyprus, Inge Drost, spokesperson for Abovyan
Cultural Center, told PanARMENIAN.Net
The FAON states that the Netherlands should stop this ERASMUS program
with respect to Turkey as a protest against the manner that these
students are treated.
The FAON emphasizes that Turkey, as a candidate state for EU has
absolutely not shown any progress in the field of the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide. There is still no freedom of expression
about the Armenian Genocide. Even now under the amended Article 301
of the Turkish Penal Code, prosecution still takes place of people,
who speak about the Armenian Genocide. In such a manner proceedings
were started recently, with authorization of the Minister of Justice of
Turkey, against writer Temel Demirer, because of his press conference
last year, the day after the assassination of the Armenian Turkish
journalist Hrant Dink. The FAON indicates that expressions of the
Turkish denialist policy take place in all kinds of ways. Similar with
the Hawk Lessons are the courses, such as the lessons given to Dutch
Turks, who fulfill a shortened or normal conscription in Turkey. Also
in the Netherlands the Turkish and Dutch public are influenced by the
activities of the Turkish Embassy, by means of Turkish TV programs
transmitted via the Dutch cable, and by some Turkish organizations in
the Netherlands. Often there is fear for the "long arm of Ankara",
as a result of which many Turks do not dare to protest against such
activities. Others, particularly Right Nationalist Turks, are very
active in spreading the denialist material, among others, by means
of Internet.
As a result of the news on the Turkish interpretation of the exchange
program with the Erasmus University, the FAON repeats its earlier
requests to include teaching pack in the Dutch educational system
for providing the youth with objective information, which can prevent
difficulties between population groups in the future. This teaching
pack might include several genocide events, for example the Holocaust,
the Armenian genocide and the genocide in Rwanda, in order to provide
all young people with more knowledge and understanding of the subject.
Concerning the situation in Turkey, the FAON assumes that the Dutch
politicians, who wanted to wait for the practical consequences of the
amended Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code, will now clearly renounce
the interpretation of this Article by Turkish government about the
freedom of speech and the denial of the Armenian Genocide.