ARMENIANS

Turkish thinkers' Armenia apology  By Sarah Rainsford  BBC News, Istanbul

An internet petition has been launched in Turkey, apologising for the "great catastrophe of 1915" when hundreds of thousands of Ottoman Armenians died.  Many international historians say the massacres and deaths of Armenians during their forced removal from what is now eastern Turkey were "genocide". Turkey firmly denies that, saying those who died were just victims of war. The petition - the first of its kind - was initiated by prominent Turkish academics and newspaper columnists. They say they want to challenge the official denial and provoke discussion in Turkish society about what happened. The petition is entitled "I apologise".  A short statement at the top reads: "My conscience cannot accept the ignorance and denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in 1915. I reject this injustice and - on my own behalf - I share the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers - and I apologise to them." It is a bold and original step in a country where writer Hrant Dink was killed just last year for openly saying that the events of 1915 were genocide. Previously he had been tried for "insulting Turkishness" for his comments on 1915 - as was Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel prize-winning author, who said that a million Armenians were killed "in these lands" and no one dared talk about it.  Sparking discussion :  Nationalist politicians have condemned the move as an insult to the Turkish nation, and the organisers have received abusive emails.  A group of some 60 former Turkish ambassadors has issued a counter statement, calling this petition unfair and contrary to Turkey's national interests .  Turkey admits that many Armenians were killed but it denies any genocide, saying the deaths happened during widespread fighting in World War I.  The petition does not call on the state to apologise for what happened and it deliberately avoids the highly controversial definition of genocide.  But the Turkish academic who dreamed up the idea says he hopes it will spark a proper discussion of what happened and promote empathy for what the Armenians suffered.  Cengiz Aktar called it the responsibility of all Turks to think and talk openly about how, and why, the Armenian people disappeared from a land they inhabited for 4,000 years.  "Our aim is to empathise with the grief of our Armenian brothers," he said.  The petition's authors say they have received many encouraging comments.  In the first few hours after the petition was launched, more than 1,000 people had signed their names beneath it. Story from BBC NEWS:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/7784230.stm
Published: 2008/12/16 12:43:43 GMT
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Turkish PM scorns Armenia apology

Turkey's prime minister has criticised a Turkish internet petition which apologises for the "great catastrophe" of 1915 when Armenians were massacred. The petition was launched by more than 200 Turkish academics and newspaper columnists earlier this week. Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "I find it unreasonable to apologise when there is no reason". Hundreds of thousands of Armenians died at the hands of Ottoman Turks in 1915. Turkey denies that it was "genocide". Mr Erdogan said the petition risked stirring trouble. He called it "irrational" and "wrong". Many international historians say the massacres and deaths of Armenians during their forced removal from what is now eastern Turkey were "genocide". Turkey vehemently denies that, arguing that those who died were just victims of the turmoil of World War I, in which many innocent Muslim Turks also died. The intellectuals behind the petition say they want to challenge the official denial and provoke discussion in Turkish society about what happened, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports from Istanbul. The petition is entitled "I apologise". A short statement at the top reads: "My conscience cannot accept the ignorance and denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in 1915. I reject this injustice and - on my own behalf - I share the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers - and I apologise to them." The petition was condemned on Tuesday by some 60 Turkish former ambassadors, who called it an act of betrayal. The Turkish-Armenian writer Hrant Dink was killed last year for openly saying that the events of 1915 were genocide. Previously he had been tried for "insulting Turkishness" for his comments on 1915 - as was Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel prize-winning author, who said that a million Armenians were killed "in these lands" and no-one dared talk about it.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/7788486.stm

Published: 2008/12/17 17:24:34 GMT

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