ANKARA, Turkey (A.W.)—The symposium on the Armenian Genocide in Ankara—which was scheduled to be held on April 24-25, but was then canceled earlier this week—will take place as scheduled, the organizers announced.
It had proved to be impossible for the organizers to find a venue, as some venues had declined to host the conference because of security considerations. The Turkish Public Security Department, however, contacted the organizers on April 23 and assured it had resolved the matter with the hotel where the conference was scheduled to take place. The Security Department cited “technical” reasons (infrastructure, etc.) for the initial unwillingness of the hotel to host the conference.
The symposium, titled “1915 Within Its Pre- and Post-Historical Periods: Denial and Confrontation,” was canceled on April 21 after facing “political and bureaucratic hurdles,” the Weekly reported yesterday.
Organized by the Ankara Freedom to Thought Initiative (AFTI), the symposium was not only going to address history but explore issues like the confiscation of Armenian property and reparations.
Participants include Ragip Zarakolu (publisher), Recep Marasli (author of The Armenian National Democratic Movement and 1915 Genocide), Sait Cetinoglu (activist and writer), David Gaunt (genocide scholar, author of Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim-Christian Relations in Eastern Anatolia During World War I), Henry Theriault (professor of philosophy, Worcester State University), Baskin Oran (author, professor of political science at Ankara University; one of the initiators of the apology campaign of Turkish intellectuals), and Khatchig Mouradian (doctoral student in Holocaust and genocide studies, Clark University; editor, the Armenian Weekly).
It is not clear at this point whether those participants outside of Turkey will be able to attend the conference on such short notice.
The conference will take place under tight security.
This is good news. Glad to hear the conference will go ahead.
Fine, just as long as we all realize in our alleged excitement that holding a conference is not the goal of the Armenian Cause.
If, for example, the Palestinians were to hold a conference on the Nakba of 1948 (and I presume that Israel has allowed many such conferences) that does not get Palestinians what they really want, which is justice in terms of land and other compensation.
Please realize that Turkey is allowing this conference for its own reasons, so it can say “Look, we are discussing the events of 1915 just as you wanted – therefore, don’t pass any more genocide resolutions .”
I hope we all know that the US and other countries just love this sort of nonsense. They buy it hook, line, and sinker. We Armenians enable this sort of thing by our letters to the editor which say “Pretty please, boss Turk, I have PTSD and need you to admit what you did, Mommy and Daddy Turk, so we Armenians don’t have to go to psychiatrists anymore.”
God, I hate that sort of moaning and weeping,m don’t you?
We get ourselves into big trouble when we think of the Genocide as the be-all and end-all of the Armenian Cause. We have let down our ancestors who never in their worst nightmares imagined that all we would ask for is a “pretty please” by the Turks that will satisfy shnooks like the AAA.
When are we going to get off this Genocide kick and start getting real about what we want? God save us from our Armenian academicians.
THIS IS RESULTS OF FREEZING THE PROTOCOLS,
INSTEAD TO DRAW THE SIGNATURES FROM PROTOCOLS
WHICH IS STILL IN FULL POWER ANY MINUTES, THAT’S WHY
THEY RE START THE CONFERENCE, THIS FREEZING IS VERY DANGER
GIVING TO TURKS BIG CHANCE TO WIN THE DIALOGE UNDER NEW
PRECONDITIONS!!! GOD HELP ARMENIANS AROUND THE WORLD
LONG LIVE A. R. F.
Don’t get exited; we should always “Eat” first and say “Thanks” after; so let’s wait and see how close they get to the reality that we know; if they get to 1,500,000 + Lands then we are in.
It had proved to be impossible for the organizers to find a venue, as some venues had declined to host the conference because of security considerations.
Wow, someone tell this to AB
It is not clear at this point whether those participants outside of Turkey will be able to attend the conference on such short notice
No comment necessary. I can only imagine how outraged and freaked out the State Dept handlers must have been when the conference was canceled. I frankly think despite the bluster that the Turkish govt is panicking and has no idea where to go next in this changing situation. Obviously governments are going to continue to recognize the genocide and the EU at least has made this perfectly clear.
I guess the Bacha Bazi party was canceled to make room for the conference and make the Turks look more credible with the US.
Does anyone remembers in October 2000 when It look like the Armenians will soon see justice, when congress where setting up a resolution to recognize the Armenian genocide.
The senior Israel politician leading the denial is formal minister Shimon (Persky) Peres, ( Then Israel only allies in that hostile region) Israel and turkey lobbied hard to stop the resolution.it was dumped because of 2 or so votes (someone correct me if I am wrong?)
Now it is Turkey time a 10 years anniversary?
Now 2010 Dear Hillary Clinton comes up with this.(MERDE)
The Obama administration believes the passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution on Thursday was inappropriate, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.
We have made that clear to all parties involved,” she said, while responding to a question about the resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.
A journalist asked: “Before entering the administration, both you and President Obama supported the campaign to label 1915 incidents as ‘genocide.’ In recent days, both you and he have made direct appeals to Howard Berman, the chairman of the House’s Foreign Affairs Committee, against the draft resolution. Could you explain why you and the president have reversed course on this issue?”
Clinton responded: “Well, I think circumstances have changed in very significant ways.
When President Obama took office and I became secretary of state, we determined that the process undertaken by Switzerland in bringing the Turkish and Armenian governments together was a very worthy one that we intended to support, and we have done so. I was personally in Zurich at the time when the protocols for the normalization of the relationship between the two countries were signed. We think that is the appropriate way to manage the problems that have stood in the way of normalization between the two countries.”
“I do not think it is for any other country to determine how two countries resolve matters between them,
to the extent that actions that the United States might take could disrupt this process,” she said.
“Therefore, President Obama and I have made clear, both last year and again this year that we do not believe any action by the Congress is appropriate, and we oppose it.
We do not believe that the full Congress will or should act upon that resolution, and we have made that clear to all the parties involved,”
In early days The ARF had the right solution,but after 4 or 5 American presidents promisses?but instead spread a lot of MERDE,and we still belive them.
(offcourse we now are civilised?)A miracle?and then?
I do hope the Armenian weekly will have the decensy not to erase this next comment.the 100 year old seniors that i am including was a genocide surviver.
(This next comments is personaly directed towards.Mr.Paylag Atamian our Melbourne Australia ARF organizer ( i do hope the rest of the ARF organization over the world are not a carbon copy of this man) a real fearless leader.he only insults and ridicules 100 years old seniors.
it has only been 3 years now
When are you going to front up and apologies to our Armenian seniors and provide proof for all your allege accusations towards an ARS member that are their for them,
I promise you this issue is not just going to vanish.
TONY.
https://armenianweekly.com/2010/04/23/ankara/