WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)—The Armenian Weekly recently welcomed Eren Keskin, a prominent Kurdish activist in Turkey, as its newest columnist. Keskin will share her thoughts on human rights and minorities in Turkey. Her first column will appear in the Oct. 27 issue.
Keskin is the second columnist to write for the Weekly from Turkey. Last year, journalist and human rights activist Ayse Gunaysu began writing her bi-weekly columns, which are some of the most widely anticipated and read in the paper.
Eren Keskin is vice-president of the Turkish Human Rights Association (İHD) and former president of its Istanbul branch. She has been repeatedly threatened, assaulted, and arrested by Turkish authorities for exposing and speaking out against the abuses suffered by women in Turkish prisons, and co-founded the project “Legal Aid for Women Who Were Raped or Otherwise Sexually Abused by National Security Forces.” In 1995, Keskin was imprisoned for her human rights activities and was adopted as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. In 2004, she received the prestigious Aachen Peace Award “for her courageous efforts and activities for human rights.” And in 2005, she was awarded the Esslingen-based Theodor Haecker Prize for Civic Courage and Political Integrity. In March 2006, Keskin was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment for insulting the Turkish military; the sentence was later converted to a fine of 6,000 New Turkish Liras, which she refused to pay.
The Armenian Weekly welcomes Keskin into its family of columnists.
This looks like a progressive move that will add to the your readers’ depth and perspective on the issues of our times. It is important that we, in the diaspora, gain as much insight into the thinking within Turkey as possible. We have much to learn and this will add substance to our exposure. I look forward to this entry in the Weekly.
Stepan wrote, “It is important that we, in the diaspora, gain as much insight into the thinking within Turkey as possible.”
Yes, though I would prefer gaining insight into not only the gangster government in Armenia but also Russia’s influence there.
For the most part, I respect Turkish human rights advocates, but one caveat if I may: they advocate for Turkey, not Armenia. Let us remember that.
Gor, I with your comments . My belief that Turkey’s end of denial and a sincere approachtowards reconciliation with be fueled by changes from within their society.We need to acknowledge this and,yes, criticize it, when appropriate. Insight into their diverse culture will be valuable if we are to engage in meaningful dialogue. It is incredible how little we know about each other; yet our paths
intersect frequently. We are all aware of the Turkish historical position the last 75 years to eliminate
Armenians from the history of Anatolia and the impact that has had on common Turkish citizens. We also are handicapped by a lack of knowldge. This type of journalism hopefully will lead to more dialogue, questions and insight. Our cause will only be improved by an educated and enlightened
base. Justice and reconciliation…..