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2015 should be declared a year of support to Sevan Nisanyan: Hatspanian
17:25, 19 Jan 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
Hasmik Martirosyan
Public Radio of Armenia
On the threshold of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
Turkey continues its policy of silencing intellectuals and taking all
measures to prevent them from speaking about the crime perpetrated by
the Ottoman Empire. A vivid example of this policy was the arrest of
Istanbul-based Armenian writer, philologist Sevan Nisanyan on charges
of illegal construction.
An author of 19 books, Sevan Nisanyan, who keeps the Turkish
nationalists and anti-Armenian historians in horror, needs the support
of his compatriots, says Sarkis Hatspanian, an expert on regional
issues.
Mr. Nisanyan is a man of many interests and talents. Linguist,
journalist and hotel entrepreneur, Sevan Nisanyan graduated from the
Private Armenian School of Pangalti and attended Robert College, then
studied philosophy at Yale University, concentrating on Kant, Hegel
and Thomas Aquinas. He did graduate studies in political science at
Columbia University, where he worked under Giovanni Sartori, Zbigniew
Brzezinski, Seweryn Bialer and Douglas Chalmers.
According to Hatspanian, Nisanyan was one of the first to import
Commodore 64 computers to Turkey. He travelled all over the country to
compile a series of guidebooks on Turkey's regions. This was part of
Nisanyan's biography that posed no danger to the Turkish authorities,
but it would be difficult for an Armenian man to live in Turkey and
refrain from addressing the Armenian Cause, at least indirectly.
Sevan challenged the hotel businesses in Turkey, offering the hotels
he built for lower prices. Then he wrote the book The Wrong Republic,
a critique of what Nisanyan saw as the "founding myths" of the
Republic of Turkey. Written in 1994, the book circulated widely in
photocopy, until it could be legally published in 2008 without fear of
reprisals.
Nisanyan appeared on CNN Turk's "Contrary to the Questions" to discuss
the "The Innocence of Muslims" riots and the Turkish government's
denouncements of the film. The Supreme Board of Radio and Television
fined the private broadcast on the grounds that Mr. Nisanyan's
comments "insulted the Prophet Muhammad," "exceeded the boundaries of
freedom of expression" and were "insulting and injurious" to society.
According to Hatspanian, Nisanyan was silenced ahead of the Armenian
Genocide centennial. "The Turkish authorities are taking a revenge on
Nisanyan, one of the few individuals criticizing the Turkish
authorities," he said and added that "Armenia is also indifferent."
Remind that Armenian intellectuals also launched a collection of
signatures in support of Sevan Nisanyan. "But officials kept silent on
the issue," Hatspanian said.
In an interview with "Haber Turk" agency in late 2014 Nisanyan spoke
about the Turkish policy regarding the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.
"With his intellectual values Sevan Nisanyan does not differ from the
Armenian intellectuals sent to death on April 24, 1915," Hatspanian
said. "We are sending him to death, he struggles alone and tries to
rise up. The Armenian society and the Republic of Armenia should
declare a year of support to Sevan Nisanyan."
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/01/19/2015-should-be-declared-a-year-of-support-to-sevan-nisanyan-hatspanian/
17:25, 19 Jan 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
Hasmik Martirosyan
Public Radio of Armenia
On the threshold of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
Turkey continues its policy of silencing intellectuals and taking all
measures to prevent them from speaking about the crime perpetrated by
the Ottoman Empire. A vivid example of this policy was the arrest of
Istanbul-based Armenian writer, philologist Sevan Nisanyan on charges
of illegal construction.
An author of 19 books, Sevan Nisanyan, who keeps the Turkish
nationalists and anti-Armenian historians in horror, needs the support
of his compatriots, says Sarkis Hatspanian, an expert on regional
issues.
Mr. Nisanyan is a man of many interests and talents. Linguist,
journalist and hotel entrepreneur, Sevan Nisanyan graduated from the
Private Armenian School of Pangalti and attended Robert College, then
studied philosophy at Yale University, concentrating on Kant, Hegel
and Thomas Aquinas. He did graduate studies in political science at
Columbia University, where he worked under Giovanni Sartori, Zbigniew
Brzezinski, Seweryn Bialer and Douglas Chalmers.
According to Hatspanian, Nisanyan was one of the first to import
Commodore 64 computers to Turkey. He travelled all over the country to
compile a series of guidebooks on Turkey's regions. This was part of
Nisanyan's biography that posed no danger to the Turkish authorities,
but it would be difficult for an Armenian man to live in Turkey and
refrain from addressing the Armenian Cause, at least indirectly.
Sevan challenged the hotel businesses in Turkey, offering the hotels
he built for lower prices. Then he wrote the book The Wrong Republic,
a critique of what Nisanyan saw as the "founding myths" of the
Republic of Turkey. Written in 1994, the book circulated widely in
photocopy, until it could be legally published in 2008 without fear of
reprisals.
Nisanyan appeared on CNN Turk's "Contrary to the Questions" to discuss
the "The Innocence of Muslims" riots and the Turkish government's
denouncements of the film. The Supreme Board of Radio and Television
fined the private broadcast on the grounds that Mr. Nisanyan's
comments "insulted the Prophet Muhammad," "exceeded the boundaries of
freedom of expression" and were "insulting and injurious" to society.
According to Hatspanian, Nisanyan was silenced ahead of the Armenian
Genocide centennial. "The Turkish authorities are taking a revenge on
Nisanyan, one of the few individuals criticizing the Turkish
authorities," he said and added that "Armenia is also indifferent."
Remind that Armenian intellectuals also launched a collection of
signatures in support of Sevan Nisanyan. "But officials kept silent on
the issue," Hatspanian said.
In an interview with "Haber Turk" agency in late 2014 Nisanyan spoke
about the Turkish policy regarding the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.
"With his intellectual values Sevan Nisanyan does not differ from the
Armenian intellectuals sent to death on April 24, 1915," Hatspanian
said. "We are sending him to death, he struggles alone and tries to
rise up. The Armenian society and the Republic of Armenia should
declare a year of support to Sevan Nisanyan."
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/01/19/2015-should-be-declared-a-year-of-support-to-sevan-nisanyan-hatspanian/