TURKISH SCHOOLS CONTINUE ANTI-ARMENIAN CAMPAIGN
Tert.am
09.05.11
The anti-Armenian campaign in Turkish schools continues.
In the run-up to the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
a secondary school teacher in Istanbul showed students photos of
Turks allegedly killed by Armenians, the Turkish news agency Etha
reported, citing a 10th-grade student who attended special classes
in National Security.
The student told the agency that most students were unwilling to
watch the photos they were forced to look at, and some even wanted
to quit the classroom against the teacher's will.
"When we asked the teacher who killed [ethnic] Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink and why, he immediately changed the topic to force us into
silence," the student was quoted as saying.
The Turkish news agency considers the incident scandalous, comparing
it to the Education Ministry's earlier ban on a film telling about
the Armenian Cause.
In 2009, the Turkish Ministry of Education issued a decree allowing the
screening of the documentary at schools. A parent of a schoolchild
later filed a complaint with the ministry, saying that the film
had negatively affected her daughter, driving her to "hatred and
hostility",
In response, the ministry banned the film's screening at schools. It
said in a statement that the film was intended for history teachers,
not children.
Weeks later, however, the ministry sent the film to schools, asking
them to present it to children and submit a report afterwards.
The Armenian community in Turkey also voiced its complaint in that
connection and sent a letter to Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan.
In 2010, Hrant Dink International Foundation filed a lawsuit against
the Ministry of Education, calling for an action to stop the screening
the film at schools. But the court left the claim unsatisfied.
The film which documents Ankara's denial policy in relation to the
Armenian Genocide was prepared by the instruction of the Turkish
Armed Forces special headquarters.
From: A. Papazian
Tert.am
09.05.11
The anti-Armenian campaign in Turkish schools continues.
In the run-up to the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
a secondary school teacher in Istanbul showed students photos of
Turks allegedly killed by Armenians, the Turkish news agency Etha
reported, citing a 10th-grade student who attended special classes
in National Security.
The student told the agency that most students were unwilling to
watch the photos they were forced to look at, and some even wanted
to quit the classroom against the teacher's will.
"When we asked the teacher who killed [ethnic] Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink and why, he immediately changed the topic to force us into
silence," the student was quoted as saying.
The Turkish news agency considers the incident scandalous, comparing
it to the Education Ministry's earlier ban on a film telling about
the Armenian Cause.
In 2009, the Turkish Ministry of Education issued a decree allowing the
screening of the documentary at schools. A parent of a schoolchild
later filed a complaint with the ministry, saying that the film
had negatively affected her daughter, driving her to "hatred and
hostility",
In response, the ministry banned the film's screening at schools. It
said in a statement that the film was intended for history teachers,
not children.
Weeks later, however, the ministry sent the film to schools, asking
them to present it to children and submit a report afterwards.
The Armenian community in Turkey also voiced its complaint in that
connection and sent a letter to Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan.
In 2010, Hrant Dink International Foundation filed a lawsuit against
the Ministry of Education, calling for an action to stop the screening
the film at schools. But the court left the claim unsatisfied.
The film which documents Ankara's denial policy in relation to the
Armenian Genocide was prepared by the instruction of the Turkish
Armed Forces special headquarters.
From: A. Papazian