Turkish event examines 1915 Armenian deportations
Politics |
If you have pain you can understand other peoples pain, and we have to talk for the pain of other people because they are not here, says Turkish academic.
Academics met in Istanbul on Tuesday to commemorate last centurys forced deportation of Armenians, with one describing 1915 as a year full of tragedies. Istanbul Sehir University hosted a conference entitled What happened in 1915? as part of a 99th anniversary commemoration of the events of 1915.
Academic Ferhat Kentel of Istanbul Sehir University said that 1915 is full of tragedies including the War of Canakkale (also known as Gallipoli), and the Sarikamis battle between the Ottoman Empire and Russia in which around 90,000 Turkish soldiers froze to death. If you have pain you can understand other peoples pain, and we have to talk for the pain of other people because they are not here, Kentel said.
The audience also heard from Fethiye Cetin, the lawyer of assassinated Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and writer of My Grandmother, which tells a story of her own Armenian heritage. Cetin told listeners how she was shocked when she learnt of her Armenian roots despite all the evidence, such as the fact that there was a church in her hometown although she never questioned where the congregation had gone.
Benjamin Abtan, president of the European Grassroots Antiracist Movement said: In terms of society there is more and more recognition of the Armenian genocide and more commemorations within Turkish society." "Those connections are growing and becoming stronger, he added.
However, Nicolas Tavitian of the Armenian General Benevolent Union remained skeptical over chances of reaching agreement with the current Turkish government over the definition of the events of 1915. Saying that the current Turkish government has roughly had the same view as the previous administrations on the Armenian issue he added: They say they are open to discussion but nothing has been proven yet.
The Armenian diaspora and government describe the 1915 events as genocide and have asked for compensation. Turkey claims that although Armenians died during deportations, many Turks also died in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia.
Turkeys president, Abdullah Gul, visited Armenia in 2008 starting the so-called football diplomacy process. The visit, which took place on the sidelines of an international match between Turkey and Armenia, became an attempt to thaw relations between the two countries after nearly a century of hostility.
In 2009 Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan then attended a football match in Turkey in an attempt to thaw relations between two countries after nearly a century of hostility. Turkeys Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu last visited Armenia in December 2013.
The region has often seen Turkey caught up in conflict with its neighbors. Ankara closed its border with Armenia in 1993 to support Azerbaijan during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Academic Ferhat Kentel of Istanbul Sehir University said that 1915 is full of tragedies including the War of Canakkale (also known as Gallipoli), and the Sarikamis battle between the Ottoman Empire and Russia in which around 90,000 Turkish soldiers froze to death. If you have pain you can understand other peoples pain, and we have to talk for the pain of other people because they are not here, Kentel said.
The audience also heard from Fethiye Cetin, the lawyer of assassinated Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and writer of My Grandmother, which tells a story of her own Armenian heritage. Cetin told listeners how she was shocked when she learnt of her Armenian roots despite all the evidence, such as the fact that there was a church in her hometown although she never questioned where the congregation had gone.
Benjamin Abtan, president of the European Grassroots Antiracist Movement said: In terms of society there is more and more recognition of the Armenian genocide and more commemorations within Turkish society." "Those connections are growing and becoming stronger, he added.
However, Nicolas Tavitian of the Armenian General Benevolent Union remained skeptical over chances of reaching agreement with the current Turkish government over the definition of the events of 1915. Saying that the current Turkish government has roughly had the same view as the previous administrations on the Armenian issue he added: They say they are open to discussion but nothing has been proven yet.
The Armenian diaspora and government describe the 1915 events as genocide and have asked for compensation. Turkey claims that although Armenians died during deportations, many Turks also died in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia.
Turkeys president, Abdullah Gul, visited Armenia in 2008 starting the so-called football diplomacy process. The visit, which took place on the sidelines of an international match between Turkey and Armenia, became an attempt to thaw relations between the two countries after nearly a century of hostility.
In 2009 Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan then attended a football match in Turkey in an attempt to thaw relations between two countries after nearly a century of hostility. Turkeys Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu last visited Armenia in December 2013.
The region has often seen Turkey caught up in conflict with its neighbors. Ankara closed its border with Armenia in 1993 to support Azerbaijan during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Similar News
