Tweet
Daily Bruin: University of California - Los Angeles
January 14, 2015 Wednesday
Turkish Cultural Club appeals against ASA resolution to divest from Turkey
by: Hannah Rosson
The Turkish Cultural Club appealed to the undergraduate student
government Tuesday to vote against a resolution drafted by the
Armenian Students' Association calling for the University of
California to divest from the Republic of Turkey.
The resolution calls for the UC's divestment from the Republic of
Turkey because the Republic does not recognize and has not given
reparations for the Armenian Genocide, which resulted in the deaths of
1.5 million Armenians in the early 20th century and the displacement
of the Armenian community.
The Armenian Genocide has been recognized by 42 U.S. states and 22
countries, as well as by the United Nations SubCommission on
Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.
In their presentation, Gülnaz Kiper, president of the Turkish Cultural
Club, and Mark Bhaskar, a member of the Olive Tree Initiative at UCLA,
said they think the language of the resolution creates a divide
between the Armenian and Turkish communities.
"(This resolution is) clearly a racist attempt to drive a wedge
between the Turkish and Armenian communities here at UCLA," said
Bhaskar, a second-year political science and Middle Eastern studies
student, during public comments.
Members of the Turkish Cultural Club also said they think the
existence of an Armenian Genocide has been debated by scholars. Some
of the students also said they would not call the killing of 1.5
million Armenians a genocide because no one debating the issue could
witness events that occurred in the past.
"This is not a fact," said Selene Sari, a member of the Turkish
Cultural Club, during public comments. "In Turkey and many other
nations, scholars are debating (the existence of the Armenian
Genocide)."
Kiper, a third-year psychology student and an international student
from Istanbul, Turkey, contradicted herself several times during and
after the Undergraduate Students Association Council meeting. When
asked, she said she did not think she was in a position to say whether
the Armenian Genocide could be called a genocide.
"I don't think it's a big deal if we do or do not call it a genocide,"
Kiper said in response to questions from councilmembers during her
presentation. "If you want me to call it a genocide, I will."
Kiper and Bhaskar said in their presentation that they do not think
divestment is a fair decision because they said they think Turkey has
a history of supporting human rights. They also said they think the
Republic of Turkey, formed in 1923, did not carry out the genocide and
that the Ottoman Empire was solely responsible.
"Divestment is an unfair punishment for Turkey," Kiper said.
Kiper added that she thinks the resolution inaccurately portrays the
Republic of Turkey as a country that actively silences speech on the
Armenian Genocide.
Some councilmembers voiced concerns about the Turkish students not
using the word "genocide" when referring to the Armenian Genocide.
Community Service Commissioner Savannah Badalich said she was
concerned some of the comments in the presentation were
microagressions against some Muslim communities. Badalich also
addressed Kiper's and Bhaksar's claim that Turkey did not want to
recognize the genocide because it was committed by the Ottoman Empire
before Turkey became a nation.
Badalich said Turkey should be more willing to acknowledge the
genocide if it believes the Ottoman Empire was responsible instead of
the nation itself.
Last quarter, the Armenian Students' Association announced its plan to
bring the resolution to the council table, and has since held two town
halls to receive feedback on and educate students about the
resolution.
Natalie Kalbakian, external vice president of the Armenian Students'
Association, said the club reached out to Turkish students and tried
to listen to their concerns. She also said the resolution is not meant
to target Turkish students, but rather to criticize the Turkish
government for not acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.
"It is upsetting to see that the University of California would be
invested in such a government," said Kalbakian, a third-year political
science student.
During a town hall last Thursday, the Armenian Students' Association
invited members of the Turkish Cultural Club and Muslim Students
Association to discuss and potentially alter the resolution to
accommodate students' concerns.
Mikael Matossian, a fourth-year environmental science student and
president of the Armenian Students' Association, said that some
members of the Turkish Cultural Club and Muslim Students Association
left the town hall early before discussing the resolution because they
did not feel comfortable at the event.
USAC is set to vote on the resolution next Tuesday at its weekly meeting.
January 14, 2015 Wednesday
Turkish Cultural Club appeals against ASA resolution to divest from Turkey
by: Hannah Rosson
The Turkish Cultural Club appealed to the undergraduate student
government Tuesday to vote against a resolution drafted by the
Armenian Students' Association calling for the University of
California to divest from the Republic of Turkey.
The resolution calls for the UC's divestment from the Republic of
Turkey because the Republic does not recognize and has not given
reparations for the Armenian Genocide, which resulted in the deaths of
1.5 million Armenians in the early 20th century and the displacement
of the Armenian community.
The Armenian Genocide has been recognized by 42 U.S. states and 22
countries, as well as by the United Nations SubCommission on
Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.
In their presentation, Gülnaz Kiper, president of the Turkish Cultural
Club, and Mark Bhaskar, a member of the Olive Tree Initiative at UCLA,
said they think the language of the resolution creates a divide
between the Armenian and Turkish communities.
"(This resolution is) clearly a racist attempt to drive a wedge
between the Turkish and Armenian communities here at UCLA," said
Bhaskar, a second-year political science and Middle Eastern studies
student, during public comments.
Members of the Turkish Cultural Club also said they think the
existence of an Armenian Genocide has been debated by scholars. Some
of the students also said they would not call the killing of 1.5
million Armenians a genocide because no one debating the issue could
witness events that occurred in the past.
"This is not a fact," said Selene Sari, a member of the Turkish
Cultural Club, during public comments. "In Turkey and many other
nations, scholars are debating (the existence of the Armenian
Genocide)."
Kiper, a third-year psychology student and an international student
from Istanbul, Turkey, contradicted herself several times during and
after the Undergraduate Students Association Council meeting. When
asked, she said she did not think she was in a position to say whether
the Armenian Genocide could be called a genocide.
"I don't think it's a big deal if we do or do not call it a genocide,"
Kiper said in response to questions from councilmembers during her
presentation. "If you want me to call it a genocide, I will."
Kiper and Bhaskar said in their presentation that they do not think
divestment is a fair decision because they said they think Turkey has
a history of supporting human rights. They also said they think the
Republic of Turkey, formed in 1923, did not carry out the genocide and
that the Ottoman Empire was solely responsible.
"Divestment is an unfair punishment for Turkey," Kiper said.
Kiper added that she thinks the resolution inaccurately portrays the
Republic of Turkey as a country that actively silences speech on the
Armenian Genocide.
Some councilmembers voiced concerns about the Turkish students not
using the word "genocide" when referring to the Armenian Genocide.
Community Service Commissioner Savannah Badalich said she was
concerned some of the comments in the presentation were
microagressions against some Muslim communities. Badalich also
addressed Kiper's and Bhaksar's claim that Turkey did not want to
recognize the genocide because it was committed by the Ottoman Empire
before Turkey became a nation.
Badalich said Turkey should be more willing to acknowledge the
genocide if it believes the Ottoman Empire was responsible instead of
the nation itself.
Last quarter, the Armenian Students' Association announced its plan to
bring the resolution to the council table, and has since held two town
halls to receive feedback on and educate students about the
resolution.
Natalie Kalbakian, external vice president of the Armenian Students'
Association, said the club reached out to Turkish students and tried
to listen to their concerns. She also said the resolution is not meant
to target Turkish students, but rather to criticize the Turkish
government for not acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.
"It is upsetting to see that the University of California would be
invested in such a government," said Kalbakian, a third-year political
science student.
During a town hall last Thursday, the Armenian Students' Association
invited members of the Turkish Cultural Club and Muslim Students
Association to discuss and potentially alter the resolution to
accommodate students' concerns.
Mikael Matossian, a fourth-year environmental science student and
president of the Armenian Students' Association, said that some
members of the Turkish Cultural Club and Muslim Students Association
left the town hall early before discussing the resolution because they
did not feel comfortable at the event.
USAC is set to vote on the resolution next Tuesday at its weekly meeting.