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Today's Zaman, Turkey
March 9 2012
Investigation launched into racist books in İstanbul schools
9 March 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
The Turkish Education Ministry has said it started investigating why a
book it says includes `hatred and animosity' was distributed in
İstanbul's Kartal district and has canceled the unsanctioned
distribution of the book.
A statement released by the Education Ministry on Thursday said the
376-page-long book `I Am Closing This File,' written by Yunus Zeyrek,
includes debates in the media after the killing of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink in 2007, who was also the editor-in-chief of
Armenian weekly Agos. The book accuses certain officials and
intellectuals of being `pro-Armenian.'
The book was first published in 1981 and 1984 by the Culture Ministry
and again in 2001 by the Education Ministry. Later editions of the
book were published in 2007 and 2011 by the Payda Publishing House and
distributed to high school students by the Kartal district Governor's
Office in the same school district. The Education Ministry said it had
not approved the distribution of the book.
The statement added that the book includes material that fosters
`hatred and animosity,' which it said could negatively affect the
minds of children. `For this reason, the Education Ministry has
decided to stop the unsanctioned distribution of the book and to
launch an investigation to find who is responsible,' the statement
stressed.
From: A. Papazian
March 9 2012
Investigation launched into racist books in İstanbul schools
9 March 2012 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
The Turkish Education Ministry has said it started investigating why a
book it says includes `hatred and animosity' was distributed in
İstanbul's Kartal district and has canceled the unsanctioned
distribution of the book.
A statement released by the Education Ministry on Thursday said the
376-page-long book `I Am Closing This File,' written by Yunus Zeyrek,
includes debates in the media after the killing of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink in 2007, who was also the editor-in-chief of
Armenian weekly Agos. The book accuses certain officials and
intellectuals of being `pro-Armenian.'
The book was first published in 1981 and 1984 by the Culture Ministry
and again in 2001 by the Education Ministry. Later editions of the
book were published in 2007 and 2011 by the Payda Publishing House and
distributed to high school students by the Kartal district Governor's
Office in the same school district. The Education Ministry said it had
not approved the distribution of the book.
The statement added that the book includes material that fosters
`hatred and animosity,' which it said could negatively affect the
minds of children. `For this reason, the Education Ministry has
decided to stop the unsanctioned distribution of the book and to
launch an investigation to find who is responsible,' the statement
stressed.
From: A. Papazian