Author: Babajanian Karo

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
April 24 2014

Deconstructing Turkish PM’s statement on Armenian tragedy

by BARÇIN YÄ°NANÇ

`The statement was certainly as dramatic and impressive as it was
unexpected,’ Richard Giragosian told me, speaking about Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an’s message on the Armenian tragedy.

The director of a Yerevan-based think tank, Giragosian was in Istanbul
to also take part in a commemoration that will take place in Istanbul.
As he rightly pointed out, there have been several historic firsts
during the decade-long rule of the Justice and Development Party
(AKP).

Holding commemorations by civilians in Turkey on April 24 only started
a few years ago and not only does the number of participants rise each
year, but so does the number of cities in which these activities are
taking place.

According to Giragosian, this statement came as a surprise because
ErdoÄ?an was perceived to be the person who killed the 2009
normalization initiative with Armenia, rushing to Baku without waiting
for the ink to dry in the protocols signed with Yerevan.

Here in Turkey, I don’t think we were that surprised. That’s not to
say it was expected. The fact is that we have now become acquainted
with the element of surprise in ErdoÄ?an. After all, he was the one
instructing the head of intelligence to start talks with the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) at a time when he was using a very
aggressive rhetoric on the Kurdish issue.

While the Armenian diaspora will probably not be impressed by the
message, it adds new `firsts’ in the process of breaking the taboos
about the World War I mass killings of Armenians at the hands of the
Ottomans.

One of the firsts is that it is the first time a Turkish PM has issued
a statement about the `issue.’ It is not a statement issued as a
counter reaction to the statements made all over the world. In a way,
it has perhaps started a tradition whereby we might have a statement
each year on the eve of April 24.

Of course it does not name the `issue.’ But Turkey now officially
recognizes the `pain’ of the Armenians. And obviously, the statement
talks about the pains suffered by all at that time, since it wants to
refrain from singling out the Armenians. This is the result of an
effort to show that Armenians were not targeted just because they were
Armenians, but that they got a share of the suffering at the time.

Still, by saying `certainly, neither constructing hierarchies of pain
nor comparing and contrasting suffering carries any meaning for those
who experienced this pain themselves,’ Turkey accepts the fact that it
is no consolation for Armenians that others have suffered too. After
all, as was said in the statement: `As a Turkish proverb goes, `fire
burns the place where it falls.”

The statement goes on saying, `It is a duty of humanity to acknowledge
that Armenians remember the suffering experienced in that period, just
like every other citizen of the Ottoman Empire.’ This is, in a way,
another first, as it legitimizes the commemoration activities both in
Turkey and throughout the world.

By issuing an official statement and accepting the commemoration
efforts as normal; Turkey for the first time officially recognizes
April 24, as the day of remembrance.

So if I were to recap: Independent of any previous statement made by
Turkish officials here and there, the official statement issued by the
PM with this specific timing means Turkey officially recognizes, for
the first time, the suffering of the Armenians, as well as April 24 as
the day of remembrance.

While the statement implies that Turkey is ready to listen with
tolerance to all discourse, even that of genocide, it sends a warning
to the Armenian diaspora about their planned activities for next year
when it says `using the events of 1915 as an excuse for hostility
against Turkey and turning this issue into a matter of political
conflict is inadmissible.’

Finally, the most important sentence in the statement comes at the
end: `The Armenians who lost their lives in the context of the early
20th century, rest in peace and we convey our condolences to their
grandchildren.’

Trust me, if issuing a statement becomes a state tradition, we will
have many more daring messages in the future.

Daily Sabah, Turkey
April 24 2014

ERDOÄ?AN BECOMES FIRST PM TO SHARE IN ARMENIANS’ PAIN

PM ErdoÄ?an extends his condolences to the grandchildren of Armenians
who were victims in 1915 together with other Ottoman citizens in an
unprecedented statement released on the Prime Ministry website in nine
languages

by Daily Sabah

ISTANBUL ‘ On the eve of the 99th anniversary of the Armenian
incidents in 1915, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an on
Wednesday released a historic message related to the incidents in nine
languages, including Turkish, Armenian, English and French. It is the
first time in the Republic of Turkey’s history that the Prime Ministry
has delivered such a message.

“It is a duty of humanity to acknowledge that Armenians remember the
suffering experienced in that period, just like every other citizen of
the Ottoman Empire,” ErdoÄ?an said in his significant comments.

The prime minister called for responsibility, saying, “The incidents
of the First World War are our shared pain. To evaluate this painful
period of history through a perspective of just memory is a humane and
scholarly responsibility. It is our hope and belief that the peoples
of an ancient and unique geography, who share similar customs and
manners will be able to talk to each other about the past with
maturity and to remember together their losses in a decent manner.”

“And it is with this hope and belief that we wish that the Armenians
who lost their lives in the context of the early 20th century rest in
peace, and we convey our condolences to their grandchildren.”

FULL STATEMENT

“The 24th of April carries a particular significance for our Armenian
citizens and for all Armenians around the world, and provides a
valuable opportunity to share opinions freely on a historical matter.
It is indisputable that the last years of the Ottoman Empire were a
difficult period, full of suffering for Turkish, Kurdish, Arab,
Armenian and millions of other Ottoman citizens, regardless of their
religion or ethnic origin. Any conscientious, fair and humanistic
approach to these issues requires an understanding of all the
sufferings endured in this period, without discriminating as to
religion or ethnicity.

Certainly, neither constructing hierarchies of pain nor comparing and
contrasting suffering carries any meaning for those who experienced
this pain themselves. As a Turkish proverb goes, “fire burns the place
where it falls.”

It is a duty of humanity to acknowledge that Armenians remember the
suffering experienced in that period, just like every other citizen of
the Ottoman Empire. In Turkey, expressing different opinions and
thoughts freely on the events of 1915 is the requirement of a
pluralistic perspective as well as of a culture of democracy and
modernity.

Some may perceive this climate of freedom in Turkey as an opportunity
to express accusatory, offensive and even provocative assertions and
allegations.Even so, if this will enable us to better understand
historical issues with their legal aspects and to transform resentment
to friendship again, it is natural to approach different discourses
with empathy and tolerance and expect a similar attitude from all
sides.

The Republic of Turkey will continue to approach every idea with
dignity in line with the universal values of law. Nevertheless, using
the events of 1915 as an excuse for hostility against Turkey and
turning this issue into a matter of political conflict is
inadmissible. The incidents of the First World War are our shared
pain. To evaluate this painful period of history through a perspective
of just memory is a humane and scholarly responsibility.

Millions of people of all religions and ethnicities lost their lives
in the First World War. Having experienced events which had inhumane
consequences – such as relocation – during the First World War, should
not prevent Turks and Armenians from establishing compassion and
mutually humane attitudes among towards one another. In today’s world,
deriving enmity from history and creating new antagonisms are neither
acceptable nor useful for building a common future. The spirit of the
age necessitates dialogue despite differences, understanding by
heeding others, evaluating means for compromise, denouncing hatred,
and praising respect and tolerance. With this understanding, we, as
the Turkish Republic, have called for the establishment of a joint
historical commission in order to study the events of 1915 in a
scholarly manner. This call remains valid. Scholarly research to be
carried out by Turkish, Armenian and international historians would
play a significant role in shedding light on the events of 1915 and an
accurate understanding of history. It is with this understanding that
we have opened our archives to all researchers. Today, hundreds of
thousands of documents in our archives are at the service of
historians. Looking to the future with confidence, Turkey has always
supported scholarly and comprehensive studies for an accurate
understanding of history. The people of Anatolia, who lived together
for centuries regardless of their different ethnic and religious
origins, have established common values in every field from art to
diplomacy, from state administration to commerce. Today they continue
to have the same ability to create a new future.

It is our hope and belief that the peoples of an ancient and unique
geography, who share similar customs and manners will be able to talk
to each other about the past with maturity and to remember together
their losses in a decent manner. And it is with this hope and belief
that we wish that the Armenians who lost their lives in the context of
the early twentieth century rest in peace, and we convey our
condolences to their grandchildren.

Regardless of their ethnic or religious origins, we pay tribute, with
compassion and respect, to all Ottoman citizens who lost their lives
in the same period and under similar conditions.”

Inside comments

Speaking to a TV program that aired on TV station aHaber,
Turkish-Armenian journalist Etyen Mahçupyan said the government moved
away from the diplomatic state discourse and got closer to the public
memory. He said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an’s message is not
only a soft message pointing to remembering shared pains, but also a
message that carries on the state policy.

Describing the message as a symbol of further positive steps,
Mahçupyan said, “This condolence is a turning point, and positive
steps should be taken in this regard. There is enough societal support
for further steps. That’s why it is not possible to prevent them.”
When asked what kind of effect this message will have in the Armenian
diaspora and Armenia, Mahçupyan said most in the diaspora can find the
message positive and hundreds of Armenians can respond positively to
the message.

On the Armenian Republic’s possible response to the message, Mahçupyan
said, “Armenia is more prone to use this message in a positive way
[than the Armenian diaspora] since Armenia wants to come out of its
shell and to connect with the world through Turkey.” He noted
nationalists in both countries could not prevent the improvement of
ties between Armenia and Turkey.

The head of the Surp Giragos Church Foundation, Vartkes Ergün Ayık,
praised ErdoÄ?an’s historic message on the events of 1915. Ayık said
the Armenian diaspora assumed Turkey stands in the same position as
when they left the country, but when they arrived in Turkey, their
opinion changed. “Armenians made significant contributions to these
lands, but they to leave this region. Relieving their pains should be
the duty of everyone living in these lands,” said Ayık.

When asked to comment on Turkey’s attempts to open the Ottoman archive
to clarify the 1915 incidents, Ayık said everything that is needed
should be done to relieve the Armenians’ pain. He further said
Armenians are optimistic and waiting for positive steps to be taken in
the future.

Turkey’s Armenian village’s headman Berç Kartum thanked the prime
minister for his message. He said, “I hope both sides take concrete
steps to relieve the pain after this message, and as Turkish
Armenians, we will be pleased with those steps.” Kartum said the
incidents are the issue between Turkey and Armenia and that he is
against the Armenian diaspora’s involvement in the issue between these
two countries.

Hurriyet Daily News, turkey
April 24 2014

Turkey to mull next steps after seeing Armenians’ reactions

Turkey is waiting to gauge the reaction of Yerevan, the Armenian
diaspora and Turkey’s Armenians to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an’s recent message on the Armenian issue before taking any new
steps on the matter, according to officials.

Turkey’s move is `a call for Armenia that we hope will be answered,’
Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu told reporters late April 23.

Turkey has been working on several confidence-building steps for
preliminary normalization with Armenia in the areas of the economy and
culture before implementing protocols that were signed in 2009 to
establish diplomatic relations and open the countries’ sealed borders.
Reopening the long-closed railway link between Kars and Armenia,
producing documentaries on history and uploading Ottoman archives
online are among the issues Turkey has been working on.

Ankara, however, has still made a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem between Azerbaijan and Armenia a prerequisite for approving
the protocols. Normalization with Armenia is not possible without a
solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, ErdoÄ?an told reporters late
April 23.

The reason why Ankara released the statement on April 23, but not
April 24 ` the day Armenians around the world mark the 1915 incidents
` is `to take the first step before developments and conduct a
proactive policy,’ a Turkish Foreign Ministry official told the
Hürriyet Daily News.

Ankara aimed to express its view before April 24 so that the statement
could be appraised on its own terms, not as a response to statements
on April 24.

Journal of Turkish Weekly
April 24 2014

‘Amen,’ says Armenian Patriarchate over PM’s 1915 message

24 April 2014

Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate has welcomed Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip ErdoÄ?an’s message on the Armenian issue, saying `amen’ to his
wish of condolences to the descendants of the Armenians.

In a statement, the patriarchate said the message from the prime
minister provides a `cornerstone for a bridge between the Turkish and
Armenian communities.’ It said the message could turn a new page in
Turkish-Armenian ties, and with regard to Muslim and non-Muslim
Ottoman citizens’ bitter memories from World War I.

In one part of his message, ErdoÄ?an had stated: `Millions of people of
all religions and ethnicities lost their lives in World War I. Having
experienced events that had inhumane consequences ` such as relocation
` during World War I, should not prevent Turks and Armenians from
establishing compassion and mutually humane attitudes between each
another.’

The Armenian Patriarchate said the message had the characteristics of
encouraging both communities in taking positive steps. `We said `amen’
to the prime minister’s wish for resting in peace to the Armenians who
lost their lives and accept the condolences with love,’ the statement
said.

On the other hand, Armenian President Serzh Sargsian yesterday accused
Turkey of `utter denial’ in failing to recognize the World War I mass
killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide.
In a statement marking the 99th anniversary of the start of the
killings and mass deportations, Sargsian made no acknowledgement of
ErdoÄ?an’s move and instead accused Turkey of continuing to ignore the
facts.

`The Armenian genocide … is alive as far as the successor of Ottoman
Turkey continues its policy of utter denial. The denial of a crime
constitutes the direct continuation of that very crime. Only
recognition and condemnation can prevent the repetition of such crimes
in the future,’ he said.

He said the looming 100th anniversary offered `Turkey a good chance to
repent and set aside the historical stigma in case they make efforts
to set free their state’s future from this heavy burden.’

However, Sargisian also stressed that the events of 1915 `should not
prevent Turks and Armenians from establishing compassion and mutually
humane attitudes towards one another.’

Armenian Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan urged Turkey to recognize
the genocide. `Our task is not only to restore our rights, but also to
prevent a recurrence of such crimes.’

Meanwhile, U.S. Department of State spokeswoman Jen Psaki said
Washington welcomed ErdoÄ?an’s `historic public acknowledgement of the
suffering that Armenians experienced in 1915.’

Yesterday was a day of national mourning in Armenia and requiem masses
were held in churches across the country, marking the 99th anniversary
of the massacres.

All national television channels ran live broadcasts of the annual
ceremony, which saw thousands of Armenians gathering at a hilltop
memorial above Yerevan to lay flowers at the eternal flame.

Assyrian International News Agency AINA
April 23 2014

Turkish Government Issues Message Denying Assyrian, Armenian, Greek Genocide
By Rufiz Hafizoglu

Posted 2014-04-23 18:28 GMT

Turkey’s Cabinet of Ministers has spread a message in connection with
the events of 1915, the website of the country’s government said on
April 23.

The message says it is important not to be a captive of historical
events and there is need to create a foundation for building a common
future.

The events of 1915 were a difficult time not only for the Armenians,
but also for Arabs, Kurds and representatives of other nations living
in the country, according to the message.

“Nevertheless, it is impossible to use the events of 1915 as a tool of
political pressure on Turkey,” the message of Turkish government said.

The message says Turkey supports the creation of a joint historical
commission to investigate the events of 1915 and expresses condolences
to the families of those killed in the events of 1915, including the
Armenians.

The message highlights that the events of 1915 are common grief.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey’s predecessor the
Ottoman Empire allegedly carried out “genocide” against the Armenians
living in Anatolia in 1915. While strengthening the efforts to promote
the so-called “genocide” in the world, Armenians have achieved its
recognition by the parliaments of some countries.

Neon Tommy- USC, CA
April 24 2014

The Armenian Genocide: Survivors and Rescuers

Roza Petrosyan

Recently, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a
resolution addressing the genocide of more than 1.5 million Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The resolution, introduced
by Senator Robert Menendez and intended to nationally recognize the
massacres that took place 99 years ago, must be voted upon by the
Senate before it can move forward.

Despite the existence of several official US documents that already
refer to the events in 1915 as ‘genocide’ and commemorative
declarations by 43 states, supporters have made multiple attempts in
the past to advance similar initiatives at the highest levels of
government. Yet the course this new legislation will take is
predictable. After giving Armenian-Americans false hope of national
acknowledgment by a world power and angering the Turkish government,
which invests significant resources to spread its denialist propaganda
regarding the events, the resolution will most likely be defeated.
Turkish leaders have already condemned this Committee’s actions and
have threatened to sever ties with the United States.

In the meantime, people all over the world, regardless of their ethnic
background, take action without relying on governmental bureaucratic
dealings. Being Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month, April becomes
a month of commemoration and education about the Armenian Genocide as
well as the Holocaust, the Rwandan Genocide and others. Events
remembering victims are organized, but so is celebration of survivors
who rebuilt communities and heroes who rescued thousands of people
from imminent death. These events might prove to be more influential
than passing a resolution, since education about mass violence and the
ability of individuals to stand up to such crimes can contribute to
prevention of future tragedies.

Thus, we should continue to support organizations and individuals who
emphasize the resilience of the human spirit by spreading conversation
about those who resisted and those who put their own lives at risk to
save victims.

Yet in an attempt to commemorate past tragedies, we must not treat
them as isolated incidents that solely impacted victim groups and thus
only concern those of the given background. Genocide is a human
calamity that becomes part of the history of all nations whether they
choose to be involved or not. While the American government juggles
the issues of the Armenian Genocide today, it was at the forefront of
rescue efforts in 1915.

By establishing committees for relief, such as the Near East Relief
Foundation, it sent significant resources that saved Armenians and
other victims. Through their work in the Ottoman Empire, American
politicians, such as Henry Morgenthau, and missionaries, advocated for
the Christians that were being massacres while doing everything in
their power to save lives. In the meantime, prominent American
newspapers such as the New York Times, the Washington Post and others
covered the tragedy in the Middle East on a regular basis. This is why
we must highlight the shared history between Armenians and Americans
to show that the United States government is also commemorating a part
of its history while recognizing the Genocide.

READ ALSO: USC Genocide Awareness Month

Similarly, we must combat denial, not by incessantly highlighting the
brutality of the killings or the number of the victims in the Ottoman
Empire, but by showing that Turkish history is also marked by heroes
who resisted the Genocide and saved innocent lives. There were many
ordinary Turks, as well as dignitaries, such as Turkish politician
Mehmet Celal Bey, who saved their Armenian compatriots while risking
their careers and lives. By denying the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish
government does not solely cover up its ancestors crimes; it also
erases the memory of the brave Turks who stood up against mass
violence and destruction.

So despite what American senators or President Obama will decide to
call the Armenian Genocide, or any other crimes against humanity,
ordinary people can continue to educate future generations about
genocide and support causes that will influence understanding and
tolerance.

Reuters
April 24 2014

Armenian leader says Ankara denies ‘genocide’ but Turks not enemy

By Hasmik Lazarian
(Reuters) – Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan accused Turkey of “utter
denial” of what Armenia sees as the genocide of Armenians by the
Ottoman Empire 99 years ago, but said his country does not consider
Turks its enemy.

Sarksyan’s website posted on Wednesday the remarks he was to deliver
on Thursday. They appeared the same day Turkey’s leader offered what
his government said were unprecedented condolences to descendants of
Armenians killed by Ottoman soldiers.

Deep disagreement about what happened in 1915 continues to poison
relations between Muslim Turkey and Christian Armenia. Turkey closed
its border with Armenia in 1993 and reconciliation efforts stalled in
2010.

true

Turkey accepts that many Armenians died in clashes, but denies that up
to 1.5 million were killed and that this was an act of genocide, a
term used by many Western historians and foreign parliaments.

The “Armenian Genocide … is alive as far as the successor of the
Ottoman Turkey continues its policy of utter denial,” Sarksyan said in
an address to be delivered on Remembrance Day on Thursday, according
to an English translation on the site.

“We are convinced that the denial of a crime constitutes the direct
continuation of that very crime. Only recognition and condemnation can
prevent the repetition of such crimes in the future,” he said, calling
on Turkey to “repent”.

TURKS NOT THE ENEMY

Erdogan did none of those things in his statement, but he unexpectedly
described the events of 1915 as “inhumane” and expressed condolences
to the grandchildren of the dead, in what Turkish government officials
said was a historic step.

Sarksyan did not mention Erdogan’s remarks in the address and made
clear Armenia believes it is up to Turkey to “set aside the historical
stigma” and “set free their state’s future from this heavy burden”.

“At the same time, I publicly reaffirm: we do not consider the Turkish
society as our enemy,” he said. “Bowing to the memory of the innocent
victims we remember all those Turks, Turkish families who lent a
helping hand to their Armenian neighbours.”

“God bless the memories of those who gave plenty of our compatriots a
helping hand by risking even their and their families’ lives,” he
said, according to the text posted on the presidential website.

No one from Sarksyan’s office or the Armenian government was
immediately available to comment.

Turkey cut ties and shut its border with Armenia in 1993 in support of
Turkic-speaking Azerbaijan, which was then fighting a losing war
against ethnic Armenians separatists for control of the
Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The frontier remains closed and international efforts to resolve the
dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh have been unsuccessful since a 1994
ceasefire, raising the persistent prospect that a new war could break
out.

Last December, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made Turkey’s
first high-level visit to Armenia in nearly five years, raising the
prospect of a revival in peace efforts between the historical rivals
which stalled in 2010.

(Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Tom Heneghan)

Independent Balkan News agency
April 24 2014

Armenians react to Erdogan’s statement for not recognizing the 1915 genocide

By Manolis Kostidis / 24/04/2014

The message of condolence the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
addressed for the first time on the occasion of the day of remembrance
of the Armenian Genocide, was met with mixed reactions, with Armenia
reacting strongly.

“In Erdogan’s statement there are the well known positions of the
Turkish propaganda. We actually expect something different from
Turkey”, emphasizes the statement of Yerevan and does not accept the
condolence message.

However, the deputy of the patriarchal seat of the Armenians in
Istanbul, Monsignor Aram Atesyan, said “it is a moving historical
statement, which eased our pain”.

The U.S. State Department welcomed the statement by Erdogan, calling
it a “historic and positive step”.

The European Commissioner for EU Enlargement, Stefan Fule, stressed
that “this is a positive message”.

Erdogan in the statement, among other things, he had
characteristically stated “may the Armenians, who lost their lives in
the conditions that prevailed in the early 20th century, rest in
peace. Our condolences to their descendants”.

Barack Obama’s message on the occasion of the 24th of April, which is
the day of the remembrance of the Armenian Genocide, refrained from
using the term genocide and spoke of a “big disaster”.

“Today we honor the memory of the “Great Disaster”; we honor the
memory of one of the greatest disasters of the 20th century. Ninety
nine years ago, in the last days of the Ottoman Empire, 1.5 million
Armenians were massacred or driven into death marches. My views on the
events that occurred in 1915 have not changed. The truths must be
accepted by everyone and this is in everyone’s interest”, was the
statement of the U.S. President.

Obama, before being elected president, had characterised the events of
1915 as “genocide”.

Scrape TV
April 24 2014

TURKISH PRIME MINISTER COMES AS CLOSE TO ADMITTING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
AS HE IS LIKELY TO EVER GET

April 24 2014

Ankara, Turkey – Pretty much everyone but the Turks agree that
Armenians were subject to a genocide way back in the First World War
but now the Turks appear to have relented on their objections to that
notion, sort of. Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has offered condolences
to the survivors of all those people who died in that incident, though
he refused to actually use the word, which is way more than the
Armenians have ever gotten before and likely all they are going to get
in future but at least it is something.

PRESS RELEASE
National Association for Armenian
Studies and Research (NAASR)
395 Concord Avenue
Belmont, MA 02478
Tel.: 617-489-1610
E-mail: [email protected]

DIKRAN KALIGIAN AND MARC MAMIGONIAN
TO DISCUSS `THE STATE OF DENIAL’ AT NAASR

Dikran Kaligian and Marc A. Mamigonian will give a joint lecture
exploring the rhetoric and techniques of academic denial of the
Armenian Genocide entitled `The State of Denial: Manufacturing a
Scholarly Controversy, Denying a Genocide,’ on Tuesday, May 6, 2014,
at 7:30 p.m., at the National Association for Armenian Studies and
Research (NAASR) Center , 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA.

>From its origins in the World War I era, denial of the Armenian
Genocide emerged in American universities during the Cold War. Bent
on `dissipating the heavy cloud that blotted the reputation of the
Turkish nation’ (in the words of Richard Hovannisian), a cadre of
academics in Turkish and Ottoman Studies ignored, minimized, or denied
the Armenian Genocide, a formative event in the shaping of modern
Turkey. Today, however, a growing body of critical scholarship and
documentation of the Armenian Genocide has rendered traditional
strategies of silencing and denial increasingly untenable, thus
necessitating new methods of denial.

Turkey and those who support its official narrative have responded
with a multi-faceted effort to construct a legitimate scholarly
controversy around `the events of 1915′ – a controversy that can
never, of course, be resolved in their opponents’ favor. Such
manufactured controversy is a time-tested strategy, long employed by
entities from Big Tobacco to the so-called `skeptics’ of global
warming who seek to gain academic credibility for positions not
otherwise supportable by scholarship. In this joint presentation,
Mamigonian will trace, briefly, the early development of Armenian
Genocide denial but will focus on more recent refinements and the
penetration of denial within American academia. Parallel examples of
denialist rhetoric will be compared across genocides as well as in the
natural sciences. Kaligian will focus on recent publications that
have attempted to establish a widespread `Armenian rebellion’ to which
the `deportations’ were a reasonable and justifiable response.

Dikran Kaligian is currently an instructor at Worcester State
University. He has also taught at Clark University, Regis, Westfield
State, and Wheaton colleges. He is past chairperson of the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA) Eastern United States and
managing editor of the Armenian Review. He received his Ph.D. in
history from Boston College and is the author of the book Armenian
Organization and Ideology under Ottoman Rule, 1908-1914. Marc
A. Mamigonian is the Director of Academic Affairs of NAASR. He is the
editor of the publications Rethinking Armenian Studies and The
Armenians of New England and the Journal of Armenian Studies.

Admission to the event is free (donations appreciated). The NAASR
Bookstore will open at 7:00 p.m. The NAASR Center is located opposite
the First Armenian Church and next to the U.S. Post Office. Ample
parking is available around the building and in adjacent areas. The
lecture will begin promptly at 7:30 p.m.

More information about the lecture is available by calling
617-489-1610, faxing 617-484-1759, e-mailing [email protected], or writing
to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.