• am
  • ru
  • en
print version
19.06.2008

DISCUSSIONS ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION DAY IN TURKISH MASS MEDIA

   

Haykaram Nahapetyan

Like every year, this year as well, the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide was in the center of attention of mass media, various analytical centers, politicians and governmental system. Special attention is to be devoted to the analysis of events held in the RA and Diaspora on the occasion of the anniversary, placed in the web page of the Institute for Armenian research of Ankara (IAR) (www.eraren.org) on April 21. This publication is interesting because it has come to prove about familiarity of Turkish structures with the Armenian press and their detailed study of internet pages of Armenia and Diaspora. IAR may be considered one of the main structures conducting information-analytical study of Armenia in Turkey.

In one of the publications it is mentioned that the events timed to the Armenian Genocide have already begun: “Like every year, together with such powers as the US, France, England and Russia, one can notice activity in the Greek part of the South Cyprus, Bulgaria, Poland, Georgia and Lebanon.”

The author of the article points out a conference to be held in Tbilisi on the subject “Armenian Genocide in 1915-1923: a view from Tbilisi, Istanbul and Yerevan” and calls it to be “unprecedented.” The information about events organized on April 20 in the RF by the initiative of the Union of Armenians in Russia and demonstration of the film “Farm of skylarks” are taken from the Russian press. It is noteworthy that by the time the article was being prepared in the Armenian press there were no publications about the demonstration of the film “Farm of skylarks” in Moscow and other events.

The information about events organized in the Kingdom of Netherlands is taken from the webpage of Confederation of Armenian Organizations in Holland. The Turkish structure also gives detailed information about the events held in France, Germany, the US and Cyprus.

It is worth mentioning the observations of a Turkish analyst on the events of 2008 held in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey as well. On April 24 in the Istanbul University “Bilgi” will be held a scientific conference on “What happened in 1915?” According to the information at hand the conferences was to be participated by Turkish public figures and the representatives of liberal intellectuals, in particular, was planned the participation of “Belgi” publication director Ragifa Zarakolu, as well as the former deputy director of the Human Rights Organization and the former head of the Istanbul office of the structure Ragip Zarakolu. The director of “Komitas” Institute and British historian of Armenian origin, Ara Sarafyan, was to come from London. It is obvious that approaches to the events held in Turkey will not be single-valued. The Turkish site asks itself a question how the court-legal system of Turkey will behave taking into account the fact that in his speech Ara Sarafyan may speak about the Armenian genocide. Suchlike announcements will per se violate article 301.

“In that way the events planned to be held in Armenia and Diaspora in commemoration of April 24 are shifted into Turkey as well. It will make a ground to make other steps which are to be undertaken in the future in protection of assertions about the Armenian Genocide” writes the IAR collaborator Yildiz Deveji.

It is noticeable that the Turkish analyst doesn’t present all the events organized on the occasion, and in his work he just presents the overall picture following the course of events. It is also not excluded that in the internet one can find the publication of the shorter version of the full analysis of Y. Deveji.

In “Jumhuryat” daily it is noteworthy the analytical articles of the former Turkish ambassador to the US, and at present the deputy of the parliament of the oppositional National-Republican party Syukru Elkdagh. He writes that in 1980s, when the issue of the Armenian Genocide was included in the US parliament agenda, there were congressmen denying Genocide. Today, although the bill on Genocide is temporarily frozen, the picture is quite different.

“20-25 years ago, when I was working as an ambassador and the bill on the Armenian Genocide was under discussion in Congress, the congressmen in friendly terms with Turkey were objecting and announcing that the Armenian assertions were historically not-grounded. In October of the previous year I took part in the sitting of Congress and no congressman spoke about Turkey’s rightfulness. The ones who voted “against” grounded it by the fact that in case the bill was passed the Turkish government would close Turkish-Iranian border and “Incirlik” base, would be cut material delivery from the US to Iraq and Afghanistan.” The former ambassador thinks that in case of such developments Turkey is sure to be the loser.

“Hurryet” daily mentions that in his speech delivered on April 21 in the Institute of Stevens Technology (US, New Jersey) the American “historian” Gyunter Levi supported the Turkish denial of genocide. The event was organized by the Institute of Turkish Research (Washington). Levi announced that he worked in British, German and American archives and had come to the conclusion that there was no genocide perpetrated.

Gyunter Levi is one of the “historian friends” of Turkey who together with Justin McCarty, Hit Loury, Erikh Feygli and other “friends” puts forward the false thesis of denying the Armenian Genocide. These “historian friends” are sure to work on the account of “grants” of the Turkish state.

It is worth mentioning that according to some information Justin McCarty was the Institute mate of the American historian of Armenian origin Levon Marshalyan and was well aware of historical realities.

In Turkish mass media is also mush spoken about Armenian-Turkish relations discussed at the meeting between the Austrian and Turkish foreign ministers Ursula Plassnik and Ali Babacan as well as the letter of congratulation addressed by the Iranian Mass media head to his Armenian colleague Edward Nalbandian.

This subject was also lit up by the Armenian mass media. It was detailed elucidated by the French “Le Mond,” the article from which was republished by the Turkish daily “Sabah.” By the way, “Le Mond” stressed up that Turkey put forward two preconditions “to regulate relations with Armenia – Karabakh conflict settlement and refusal of international recognition of Genocide, whereas Armenia puts no preconditions.” The French newspaper mentions that in the US the Genocide recognition bill will more likely be included in the agenda on the eve of presidential elections on November 3.

In the Turkish daily “Radical” was published the Article of Ahmet Insel entitled “Deportation of Armenians and moral responsibility.” “Radical” may be considered to be the central publishing body with the most liberal approaches. The events of 1915 are called “great tragedy” by the author, which is almost adequate with the word “genocide.” Quoting the well known thesis of the Young Turks, “Armenian Question doesn’t exist after 1915,” Insel considers that “Armenian Question may be solved only when the inhabitants in this territory take the responsibility for inhuman sufferings the Ottoman Armenian had in 1915.” “And only than we will be able to share the anguish of the occurrences at the Ottoman period and get rid of the sins,” writes the liberal publicist.

The Turkish mass media also speaks about rallies in the capital of Australia (Sidney) and the capital of Greece (Athens) in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide anniversary. “Sabah” mentioned the fact that on April 26 in New York Time Square was held a rally against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

In its issue of April 22 “Hyurriyet” newspaper mentioned that the head of the White House, according to the information got from the US, would not use the term “genocide” on April 24, just lake he did during the previous 7 years.

Let’s mention that Bush didn’t keep his promise, and it is already the third year that the Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper, who hasn’t given any promise, appears with a speech qualifying the crime as “genocide.”


Return
Another materials of author