Z'areh Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 I don't know what Ara Sarafian will accomplish by sitting down with a uni-lingual Turkish "historian", Halacoglu, whose "accomplishments" are basically fraudulent propagandist diatribe. Remember he came up with the notion of Turkish genocide by Armenians, and he pinpointed a figure of 523,299 people killed by Armenians. I guess there is this "superiority" feeling by Mr. Sarafian who might think "there! I showed them" by his attempts to silence Mr. Halacoglu, but unfortunately he will soon find out the magnitude of the entire Turkish propaganda machine against him. In my opinion Mr. Sarafian, as an individual, will be "eaten up" in whole and distorted to the hilt which will add to the muddying of the issues, just as Mr. Halacoglu and the forces behind him wished. Good luck to our lone hero! A humble advice to him from me would be to ask Mr. Halacoglu to produce the proof of his precise figures of Turks killed by Armenians, to start with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantom22 Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 (edited) Yes Z'areh, you are right on target! Sarafian is being lured into a trap. You see the Turks need something fast to deter the Genocide Resolution in the US Congress. Here, they will say, is proof that we are discussing this issue. Thusly, a Genocide Resolution is not necessary. I don't know what Ara Sarafian will accomplish by sitting down with a uni-lingual Turkish "historian", Halacoglu, whose "accomplishments" are basically fraudulent propagandist diatribe. Remember he came up with the notion of Turkish genocide by Armenians, and he pinpointed a figure of 523,299 people killed by Armenians. I guess there is this "superiority" feeling by Mr. Sarafian who might think "there! I showed them" by his attempts to silence Mr. Halacoglu, but unfortunately he will soon find out the magnitude of the entire Turkish propaganda machine against him. In my opinion Mr. Sarafian, as an individual, will be "eaten up" in whole and distorted to the hilt which will add to the muddying of the issues, just as Mr. Halacoglu and the forces behind him wished. Good luck to our lone hero! A humble advice to him from me would be to ask Mr. Halacoglu to produce the proof of his precise figures of Turks killed by Armenians, to start with. Edited February 22, 2007 by phantom22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Error 404 Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Who is Sarafian representing? Armenian Government? Diaspora? Who? Why is he making decisions on his behalf for the whole nation? I wonder why turks love him so much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominO123 Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 I don't know what Ara Sarafian will accomplish by sitting down with a uni-lingual Turkish "historian", Halacoglu, whose "accomplishments" are basically fraudulent propagandist diatribe. Remember he came up with the notion of Turkish genocide by Armenians, and he pinpointed a figure of 523,299 people killed by Armenians. I guess there is this "superiority" feeling by Mr. Sarafian who might think "there! I showed them" by his attempts to silence Mr. Halacoglu, but unfortunately he will soon find out the magnitude of the entire Turkish propaganda machine against him. In my opinion Mr. Sarafian, as an individual, will be "eaten up" in whole and distorted to the hilt which will add to the muddying of the issues, just as Mr. Halacoglu and the forces behind him wished. Good luck to our lone hero! A humble advice to him from me would be to ask Mr. Halacoglu to produce the proof of his precise figures of Turks killed by Armenians, to start with. I don't understand, is there something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z'areh Posted February 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 I don't understand, is there something? http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=66749 Turkish and Armenian historians are meeting at last Turkish and Armenian historians are meeting to discuss "what happened on the Harput Plain" and "how many people died" during the expulsion of the Armenians DUYGU GÜVENÇ ANKARA Turkish Daily News Ahead of the possible adoption of an Armenian genocide resolution recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, the President of the Turkish History Institute (TTK) Yusuf Halaçoğlu and a historian from the Gomitas Institute (London) Ara Sarafyan are expected meet this year to discuss claims about the number of deaths in Turkey's southeastern Harput plain. The two historians will meet face-to-face first to determine the procedure of their investigation, a historian from the TTK told the Turkish Daily News yesterday. He added that at the moment it is not clear whether the two historians will establish a commission or simply discuss the allegations among themselves. The cemeteries in Harput may be opened during the investigation, the same sources said. The same sources emphasized that the idea first emerged during an Istanbul conference where academics discussed genocide claims in March 2006. It was at the conference that Halaçoğlu and Sarafyan first debated the number of deaths in Harput after the Ottoman Empire made their expulsion decision in 1915. While Sarafyan insisted that 12,000 Armenians died, Halaçoğlu refuted the claims calling on him to make a public investigation into Harput. Sarafyan replied to the proposal two days ago with a letter to Halaçoğlu. Turkish diplomatic sources drew attention to the timing of the letter, saying Ankara proposed to set up a joint commission of historians to study the genocide allegations in 2005. Ankara does not judge the value of the letter as an official reply by Armenia but evaluates it as a first step. “We accept Sarafyan's proposal to start an investigation into Harput without any condition and we hope that this will give a chance to continue research about other cities, like Erzurum as well,” said a historian from the TTK. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a letter to the Armenian President Robert Kocharian officially proposing the formation of a joint commission between the two countries to study the genocide allegations about the 1915-1919 events, but the proposal was rejected by Kocharian, who in turn proposed to set up an intergovernmental commission for the beginning of diplomatic relations in reply to Erdoğan's letter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johannes Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 (edited) 92 տարի ետք, պիտի նստին եւ որոշեն՝ ո՞վ որո՞ւ իրաւունքը գողացեր է: -Երկու կողմերը հաւասար չէին -մէկ կողմը պետութիւն, միւս կողմը՝ խոցելի եւ ցանցառ բնակած հայ ժողովուրդ: -թուրքերը եկւոր են այս վայրերու մէջ, այնպէս որ՝ հայ ժողովուրդը ոչ ոքի հողի վրայ չէր նստած: -թուրք պետութիւնը պարտաւոր էր պաշտպանել հայ ժողովուրդը, որովհետեւ պետութիւն էր իշխանութիւն էր. կարողութեան տէր: -Հայ ժողովուրդը իր ապահովութիւնը վստահած էր իր պետութեան եւ իր լաւագոյն զաւակները նուիրած զինւորական ծառայութեան: -թուրք պետութեան կատարածը՝ ցածութեան, քածութեան (քածերը աւելի բարձր էակներ են) հրաշալի օրինակներ էին. երիտասարդներն ու արուները զինւոր տանելէ ետք կիներն ու երեխաները այրել կոտորել: -այդ հալաջողլուի կարելի է սկիզբէն վէրջ այսպէս այսպէս ասել՝ ինչու նախապէս հայեր կային այժմ ոչ: -այդ քննարկումները իրենց ...թող խոթեն եթէ ժամանակ շահիլ կը միտին: -92 տարի ի՞նչ տուին, որ վէրջը ինչ տան: -թուրքերը բորենիներու նման կսպասեն մեզ, որպէսզի ձուլուինք, օտարանանք եւ մեր իրաւունքը հետապնդող չմնայ: Edited February 23, 2007 by Johannes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominO123 Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Zareh, if it is about Harpout deaths, Sarafian will toast Kakaoglu like nothing, the problem though, and the reason why he should have refused is because now there is a justification to oppose the bill. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=66749 Turkish and Armenian historians are meeting at last Turkish and Armenian historians are meeting to discuss "what happened on the Harput Plain" and "how many people died" during the expulsion of the Armenians DUYGU GÜVENÇ ANKARA Turkish Daily News Ahead of the possible adoption of an Armenian genocide resolution recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, the President of the Turkish History Institute (TTK) Yusuf Halaçoğlu and a historian from the Gomitas Institute (London) Ara Sarafyan are expected meet this year to discuss claims about the number of deaths in Turkey's southeastern Harput plain. The two historians will meet face-to-face first to determine the procedure of their investigation, a historian from the TTK told the Turkish Daily News yesterday. He added that at the moment it is not clear whether the two historians will establish a commission or simply discuss the allegations among themselves. The cemeteries in Harput may be opened during the investigation, the same sources said. The same sources emphasized that the idea first emerged during an Istanbul conference where academics discussed genocide claims in March 2006. It was at the conference that Halaçoğlu and Sarafyan first debated the number of deaths in Harput after the Ottoman Empire made their expulsion decision in 1915. While Sarafyan insisted that 12,000 Armenians died, Halaçoğlu refuted the claims calling on him to make a public investigation into Harput. Sarafyan replied to the proposal two days ago with a letter to Halaçoğlu. Turkish diplomatic sources drew attention to the timing of the letter, saying Ankara proposed to set up a joint commission of historians to study the genocide allegations in 2005. Ankara does not judge the value of the letter as an official reply by Armenia but evaluates it as a first step. “We accept Sarafyan's proposal to start an investigation into Harput without any condition and we hope that this will give a chance to continue research about other cities, like Erzurum as well,” said a historian from the TTK. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a letter to the Armenian President Robert Kocharian officially proposing the formation of a joint commission between the two countries to study the genocide allegations about the 1915-1919 events, but the proposal was rejected by Kocharian, who in turn proposed to set up an intergovernmental commission for the beginning of diplomatic relations in reply to Erdoğan's letter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 (edited) Zareh, if it is about Harpout deaths, Sarafian will toast Kakaoglu like nothing, the problem though, and the reason why he should have refused is because now there is a justification to oppose the bill. Not to worry. Ara Sarafian is no idiot, unlike the likes of Khoja Hagaragian, that "Phantom" pain in my lower estremeties, neither is he, as a director of Gomidas Institute is a slouch. He knows exactly what he is doing an talking about. Sucking that Halacoghu/Kakaoghlu into a debate right in the heart of Turkland, and initiating a debate about the “Big G“, be it in quotations or not. http://www.gomidas.org/forum/editors.htm Hey Levon Marashlian. Do tell us about your trip to Ankara. http://www.glendale.edu/marashlian/Webs/le...nAnkara1990.htm Can someone find a video of his appearance at the documentary by Andrew Goldberg? Did you know that Peter Jennings spoke Armenian? He had picked up a few phrases during his assignment in Beirut, not to mention that he was once married to an Armenian woman? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjcCFxai1BE...ted&search= Also click on the video about ASALA and see how we can add to that “Wall of faex”, that is, multiply that 40 shansataks by a million or two. Edited February 23, 2007 by Arpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominO123 Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Ara Sarafian is no idiot, neither is he, as a director of Gomidas Institute is a slouch. He knows exactly what he is doing. Sucking that Halacoghlu/Kakaoghlu into a debate right in the heart of Turkland, and initiating a debate about the “Big G“, be it in quotations or not. http://www.gomidas.org/forum/editors.htm Hey Levon Marashlian. Do tell us about your trip to Ankara. http://www.glendale.edu/marashlian/Webs/le...nAnkara1990.htm Can someone find a video of his appearance at the documentary by Andrew Goldberg? Did you know that Peter Jennings spoke Armenian? He had picked up a few phrases during his assignment in Beirut, not to mention that he was once married to an Armenian woman? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjcCFxai1BE...ted&search= Also click on the video about ASALA and see how we can add to that “Wall of faex”, that is, multiply that 40 shansataks by a million or two. Kakaoglu defeat would be worst than Ankara 1990 event. Any revisionist bringing Harpout would shout in his own feats, Harpout mass massacre is one of the best documented massacre, there is about 100% probability that if we dig we will find mass graves all over the place. The problem now, is that this will creat an illusion that both parties are debating to oppose the US resolution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 The problem now, is that this will creat an illusion that both parties are debating to oppose the US resolution. If US is looking for an excuse not to pass the resolution, they will find other reasons easily. Don't forget those people who objected to it in the past, are pushing forward in order to punish Turkey for it's past deeds. Turkey is not playing the game with the old rules, they want to be in a major league with equal rules and equal respect of course this is not working well with the interests of those people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 (edited) If US is looking for an excuse not to pass the resolution, they will find other reasons easily. Don't forget those people who objected to it in the past, are pushing forward in order to punish Turkey for it's past deeds. Turkey is not playing the game with the old rules, they want to be in a major league with equal rules and equal respect of course this is not working well with the interests of those people. Only if that so called bornagain "christian" Texan hick, GWa--Bush would find advisers, and other, stop dancing at th end of the string manipualted by that "unholy Trinity" of wolfowits, feith and perle and those Israelo-Jesuso--or whatever the f***-neo-Cohens. Edited February 23, 2007 by Arpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z'areh Posted February 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 (edited) The problem now, is that this will creat an illusion that both parties are debating to oppose the US resolution. not only that, the whole idea of "debate" is a smokescreen. Halacoglu and Co. know very well that irrefutable evidences will come up during any debate, but as we will see so many distortions and outright lies are going to be put forward that any sane discussion will turn into a circus show. That is exactly why Armenians in general try officially to avoid such games. I have no doubt in Ara Sarafian’s academic abilities. But academia is not in play here, pure politics is. Halacoglu is neither a historian nor an academician, he is a political appointee to organize distorted view of history, that is the problem I have with this offer. I think, and as Q points it out, on the eve of US Congressional voting of bill 106 Mr. Sarafian might have bitten a Turkish bait. Turks will definitely let US congressmen know about this "new wave" of "understanding" between Armenians and Turks. One Armenian is going to be portrayed by Turkey as representing the entire other side. Having witnessed a debate in Arabic, between an Armenian and a Turkish representative on Al Jazeera, a few years ago, I can confidently say no light willbe shed on truth in such “debates”. Edited February 23, 2007 by Z'areh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 I think, and as Q points it out, on the eve of US Congressional voting of bill 106 Mr. Sarafian might have bitten a Turkish bait. Turks will definitely let US congressmen know about this "new wave" of "understanding" between Armenians and Turks. But Zareh this time around those US congressmen don't have the same willingness to listen to them. They are just pretending to listen because this time around Turkey is hurting their interests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted March 10, 2007 Report Share Posted March 10, 2007 A wise decision. ======= AZG Armenian Daily #044, 10/03/2007 Armenia-Turkey Relationships SARAFIAN REFUSED TO COOPERATE WITH TURKEY On February 23 "Azg" reported that head of the "Komitas" historical studies institute Ara Sarafian had responded to the proposal of cooperation by Yususf Halacoglu, president o the Turkish Historical Science Union. This information was derived from Halacoglu’s statement to "Sabah" newspaper, Turkey. On March 9 "Azg" came to know from the Turkish television that A. Sarafaian resigned his proposal of joint study of the Armenian Genocide without pre-conditions, which he made in reply of Halacaoglu’s proposal. On a press conference Halacoglu said that Sarafian personally expressed regret about standing back from the project and explained it by the pressure of the Armenian society, which he was unable to ignore. By H. Chaqrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johannes Posted March 10, 2007 Report Share Posted March 10, 2007 Իմչու կասկածի տակ դնել իրողութիւն մը որ մեր սիրտերը կը կրծէ: Այդ ժողովուրդը միայն յարգանք կրնայ ցուցադրել մեր վիշտերու հանդէպ: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z'areh Posted March 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2007 www.gomidas.org Report Missing Ottoman Archival Records on the Armenian Genocide, 1915 by Nora Vosbigian London, 7 March 2007: Today the Gomidas Institute issued its third statement on its proposal to work on a case study with Turkish historians regarding the treatment of Armenians in Harput in 1915.1 The Institute's latest statement follows a comment made by Dr. Yusuf Halaçoğlu, the head of the Turkish Historical Society, that vital Ottoman records on the 1915 deportation of Armenians--including in Harput--do not exist in Turkish archives today. These "non-existent" records are directly related to two Ottoman decrees which Turkish official historians have claimed regulated the deportation and resettlement of Ottoman Armenians in 1915. These were the 30 May 1915 regulations on deportations,2 and the 10 June 1915 regulations on the resettlement of deportees, the liquidation of their properties, and their compensation in their places of exile.3 The Gomidas Institute had asked, based on these regulations, to examine the registers showing details of Armenians who were deported from the Harput plain, as well as the resettlement records accounting for the fate of these deportees further a field. According to these regulations, all deported Armenian had to be registered, person by person (or household by household), village by village; the properties of deportees had to be recorded and liquidated; when the deported were resettled in their places of exile, they had to be compensated in proportion to their original assets. According to these regulations, Ottoman officials had to generate meticulous deportation, resettlement and compensation records which accounted for Armenians who were deported in 1915. On Monday 26 February 2007 Dr. Halaçoğlu appeared on CNN- Turk's "Manþet" programme where he stated, categorically, that the Ottoman records the Gomidas Institute had asked to examine did not exist. Halaçoğlu stated that : "He [sarafian] well knows about the archives. He also knows that there are no records for each village listing persons by name. There are no such records. If there were, they would not pose a problem for us. It would be better to produce them."4 To date Dr. Halaçoğlu has not contacted and explained himself to the Gomidas Institute. It is not clear how Dr. Halaçoğlu could make such a categorical statement about the non-existence of the Ottoman records we had asked for, given the texts of the Ottoman regulations governing deportations in 1915, or the fact that there are many Ottoman archives in Turkey, and not all Ottoman records in these archives are catalogued. Until there is further clarification, Dr. Halaçoğlu's statement only raises some fundamental questions: 1. Were Ottoman regulations on the 1915 deportations implemented according to the letter of the law? If so, why are we told that the registers related to this mass transfer of people are missing? Are all records missing, for the whole Empire, in both local as well as central archives? 2. If these regulations were not implemented, how was the movement of Armenians, the liquidation of their properties, and the resettlement of deportees regulated? Is it conceivable that none of these regulations were implemented for the whole of the Ottoman Empire from Erzeroum to Yozgat, Izmit and Kayseri? If so, where is the archival trail in Ottoman archives associated with the actual course of events? 3. Is it possible that no records were kept for either deportation or resettlement? If so, was this the case for the whole of the Ottoman Empire, and why were no records kept? 4. If records were kept and then destroyed, why and when were they destroyed? And were they destroyed for the whole of the Ottoman Empire, in both local as well as central archives in Turkey? 5. Is it possible that Dr. Halaçoğlu might be mistaken? Might some of the records we have asked for exist? Is it possible that there might be deportation records, as well as records related to the liquidation of Armenian properties, but no corresponding resettlement records? According to Ara Sarafian (Gomidas Institute, London), "Primary sources outside of Turkey indicate that the 1915 deportation of Armenians and the liquidation of their properties were regulated by Ottoman state authorities. Armenians were deported under the auspices of Ottoman officials. And most deportees were killed through privations and outright massacres on their way or in their places of exile (most notably Der Zor). Our sources indicate that there never was a resettlement programme as historians defending the official Turkish thesis suggest." The Gomidas Institute hopes that Dr. Halaçoğlu will explain why he thinks that the Ottoman deportation and resettlement registers the Gomidas Institute requested do not exist--especially those on Harput and its environs. NOTES 1. For the first two Gomidas Institute statements see http://www.gomidas.org/press/20Feb07PressRelease.htm and http://www.gomidas.org/press/26Feb07PressRelease.htm For the third statement (in Turkish) see http://www.gomidas.org/press/7Mar07PressReleaseTurkish.htm 2 Ottoman Ministry of Interior, Department of Settlement of Tribes and Immigrants, "Regulations Related to Settlement and Board and Lodging and Other Affairs of Armenians Relocated to Other Places Because of War Conditions and Emergency Political Requirements, May 30, 1915" in Turkish Prime Ministry Directorate-General of Press and Information, Documents on Ottoman Armenians, Vol. 2 [n.d.], Document no. 12, pp. 91-93. See copy http://www.gomidas.org/press/30May1915Regulations.htm 3 "The Regulation Concerning the Management of the Land and Properties Belonging to Armenians Who Have Been Sent Elsewhere as a Result of the State of War and the Extraordinary Political Situation" in Turkish Prime Ministry Directorate-General of Press and Information, Documents [on Ottoman Armenians], Vol. 1 [n.d.], Document no. 28, pp. 76-80. See copy http://www.gomidas.org/press/10June1915Regulations.htm 4 The Turkish transcript of what Dr. Halacoglu said is as follows: "Arşivlerin nasıl olduğunu kendisi [sarafian] gayet iyi biliyor. Orada her köyden tek tek, isim isim kimlerin nakledilmiş olduğunu bulamayacağını kendisi de biliyor. Öyle bir kayıt zaten yok. olmuş olsa zaten bizim için problem olmaz, daha güzel ortaya konabilir." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z'areh Posted March 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2007 Of Course this is being represented in theTurkish media as Ara Sarafian bowing out of the debate. What documents? says Halacoglu The most perverted thing about this is that the accused is being asked to provde damning evidence against himself. What BS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 The festival of comedy and blunder is never ending for the so called Turkish History President Mr. Hayvanoglu (Halacaoglu). They should rename him as Havuncoglu (carrot). WHY DO WE IVITE THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE? Mehmet Ali Birand Turkish Daily News, Turkey March 14 2007 I read it in Fatih Altaylý's column in Sabah daily yesterday. Turkish History Institute (TTK) President Yusuf Halacoðlu was supposed meet with Ara Sarafyan, the author of Blue Book, which is seen as one of the most important documents backing Armenian claims. Both sides were supposed to produce various documents to argue their case, the first such meeting. I was very excited about it. Armenians usually don't participate in such meetings. "The whole world accepts the genocide. Why should we open a case over something already accepted," they usually asked. Sarafyan was very important in this respect. His visit was supposed to provide a huge boost to Turkey's call for historians focusing on the matter, discussing and debating it. Suddenly, we were all told the meeting was cancelled. Professor Halacoðlu held a press conference and said Sarafyan had cancelled the trip, presenting an article in weekly AGOS that said the Armenian diaspora was furious about Sarafyan's trip. That was the reason of cancellation, he said. Now we learn from Altaylý that the real reason why the meeting was cancelled was very different. It appears Halacoðlu refused to open the archives without limits and objected to presenting certain documents. What was this all about? If you were not going to show the documents, why would you ask for a meeting? Why do you organize such a meeting before agreeing on the conditions of opening of the archives? Why do you initiate a process you cannot go take to the finish? Turkey is already on the defensive on this issue and this latest development means another point scored against us. No one will ever believe Turkey when it proposes to open the archives and share all the documents so that historians can discuss the matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominO123 Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 If they destroy the archives on the Armenians on Harput which document the massacres, there is probably no records which would remain of the period with the word "Armenian." Like I told, Harput is a bomb there, and Sarafian placed a finger on something which is a bomb. I don't see anything surprising about Halacoglu decision. The festival of comedy and blunder is never ending for the so called Turkish History President Mr. Hayvanoglu (Halacaoglu). They should rename him as Havuncoglu (carrot). WHY DO WE IVITE THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE? Mehmet Ali Birand Turkish Daily News, Turkey March 14 2007 I read it in Fatih Altaylý's column in Sabah daily yesterday. Turkish History Institute (TTK) President Yusuf Halacoðlu was supposed meet with Ara Sarafyan, the author of Blue Book, which is seen as one of the most important documents backing Armenian claims. Both sides were supposed to produce various documents to argue their case, the first such meeting. I was very excited about it. Armenians usually don't participate in such meetings. "The whole world accepts the genocide. Why should we open a case over something already accepted," they usually asked. Sarafyan was very important in this respect. His visit was supposed to provide a huge boost to Turkey's call for historians focusing on the matter, discussing and debating it. Suddenly, we were all told the meeting was cancelled. Professor Halacoðlu held a press conference and said Sarafyan had cancelled the trip, presenting an article in weekly AGOS that said the Armenian diaspora was furious about Sarafyan's trip. That was the reason of cancellation, he said. Now we learn from Altaylý that the real reason why the meeting was cancelled was very different. It appears Halacoðlu refused to open the archives without limits and objected to presenting certain documents. What was this all about? If you were not going to show the documents, why would you ask for a meeting? Why do you organize such a meeting before agreeing on the conditions of opening of the archives? Why do you initiate a process you cannot go take to the finish? Turkey is already on the defensive on this issue and this latest development means another point scored against us. No one will ever believe Turkey when it proposes to open the archives and share all the documents so that historians can discuss the matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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