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Allegations Of "So-Called Armenian Genocide"
**** One of the expressions of Cetin Altan that I like the most is "the propaganda of Turks aiming at Turks." On all international issues, we very much like to propagandize to each other - a propaganda which is not based on realities. According to us, the entire world has lined up to be unfair towards Turks and to harm them. Perhaps this is a way of becoming content. But after such propaganda, when we come across the realities of life, we realize that the truth is absolutely not as we thought it was, and the disillusion we feel leads to other dramas.
**** The Cyprus issue is one of these subjects of propaganda. Finally the Greeks have started to join the European Union; even though, they had convinced us that such a thing could not happen. Most Turks believe that Denktas is a genius in politics. If you say, "look, in 29 years the Cypriot Turks stayed far behind the Cypriot Greeks," the majority will not believe it, or if you say, "the politics of Denktas have put both Turkey and the Cypriot Turks in an awkward position for 29 years, causing economic crises, and causing Turkey to be condemned many times by the Security Council of the UN" the majority will not listen to it, they prefer to believe legends which will make them happy.
**** On the issue of the "so-called genocide," too, we like very much to propagandize to ourselves. First of all, we start by indicating that the allegation is about a "so-called" genocide. Recently, I wrote in these columns on the basis of documents that the Council of the Higher Education, YOK, had sent a series of instructions to university rectors and deans and aimed to begin to train educators on this issue. Therefore YOK would determine in advance what and how scientists would think about the "Armenian Deportation," and the latter would work in the light of that . There you are - a scientific study in the Turkish style!
**** That scientific study, carried out at the university level, has apparently descended to the high, secondary, and primary school levels. In the introductory section of the decree dated 14th April 2003, signed by the Education Minister Huseyin Celik, it is explained how this work will be done and it is indicated that it was decided by the Commission of the Instruction and Education that the subjects relating to the Armenian, Pontus Greek and Assyrian allegations should appear in the "social knowledges" course of the 5th and 7th years of the primary education programs, in the 1st and 2nd history courses, and the history of reforms of the Republic of Turkey course, as well as in the Kemalism course of the secondary education programs. Emphasizing that these decisions were put into practice starting from the school year 2002-2003, it is requested that conferences be organized in primary and secondary schools dealing with the theme that "the Armenian allegations are groundless."
**** The instructions sent to schools are not limited to only that: it is requested that schools take advantage of those teachers and expert scholars who have already taken part in congresses organized around this subject. Yes, every effort will be made so that, first, it is recognized that the "so-called Armenian Genocide" is a "so-called" one, then, by means of propaganda, those denials will be taught to children and youth and will be engraved in their minds. It is written in the editorial of the weekly "Agos" that the same is requested from Armenian schools; it is required that young Armenians also form sentences denying "the groundless Armenian allegations."
**** The Education Minister Hüseyin Celik not only requires from the Armenian youth that he write an essay against the "groundless Armenian allegations," but also says that at the end of the year he will check the work done on this subject. What can the Armenian schools do? If they don't carry out this instruction, inspectors will arrive and harass them. Therefore, they will do what they are told to do and tell children about "the unfounded Armenian genocide allegations."
**** In reality, this propaganda is more deceptive for Turkish children: the Armenian child will hear one way or another from his family, relatives and eyewitnesses still living why the number of Armenians living in this country dropped from 2 million to 60,000. He will also know that he needs to say at school the opposite of what he hears at home. Whereas, what will the Turkish child do? Will he accept that an atrocity which took place during the Ottoman rule 88 years ago, the deportation and destruction of an entire population from its land, is a "so-called truth" or a "lie"? Then what kind of disillusion will he experience when people around the world will explain to him about the reality?
**** What happened in history did happen. It is impossible to fight against realities. Should German people defend Hitler, who assassinated millions of Jews for the simple reason that he is German? 1915 is one of the painful pages of the Ottoman history: on this date, the Committee of Union and Progress committed a huge crime against humanity. Why should I take the responsibility for that crime, and oppose the historical truths by asserting that all of this did not take place? Why shall we mislead young brains with lies? What kind of damage does such a propaganda cause in the brains of the youth. What will this society gain, by educating the youth with legends that are unreal?
Oral Calislar
From the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet
Date: Mon, 12 May 2003
**** One of the expressions of Cetin Altan that I like the most is "the propaganda of Turks aiming at Turks." On all international issues, we very much like to propagandize to each other - a propaganda which is not based on realities. According to us, the entire world has lined up to be unfair towards Turks and to harm them. Perhaps this is a way of becoming content. But after such propaganda, when we come across the realities of life, we realize that the truth is absolutely not as we thought it was, and the disillusion we feel leads to other dramas.
**** The Cyprus issue is one of these subjects of propaganda. Finally the Greeks have started to join the European Union; even though, they had convinced us that such a thing could not happen. Most Turks believe that Denktas is a genius in politics. If you say, "look, in 29 years the Cypriot Turks stayed far behind the Cypriot Greeks," the majority will not believe it, or if you say, "the politics of Denktas have put both Turkey and the Cypriot Turks in an awkward position for 29 years, causing economic crises, and causing Turkey to be condemned many times by the Security Council of the UN" the majority will not listen to it, they prefer to believe legends which will make them happy.
**** On the issue of the "so-called genocide," too, we like very much to propagandize to ourselves. First of all, we start by indicating that the allegation is about a "so-called" genocide. Recently, I wrote in these columns on the basis of documents that the Council of the Higher Education, YOK, had sent a series of instructions to university rectors and deans and aimed to begin to train educators on this issue. Therefore YOK would determine in advance what and how scientists would think about the "Armenian Deportation," and the latter would work in the light of that . There you are - a scientific study in the Turkish style!
**** That scientific study, carried out at the university level, has apparently descended to the high, secondary, and primary school levels. In the introductory section of the decree dated 14th April 2003, signed by the Education Minister Huseyin Celik, it is explained how this work will be done and it is indicated that it was decided by the Commission of the Instruction and Education that the subjects relating to the Armenian, Pontus Greek and Assyrian allegations should appear in the "social knowledges" course of the 5th and 7th years of the primary education programs, in the 1st and 2nd history courses, and the history of reforms of the Republic of Turkey course, as well as in the Kemalism course of the secondary education programs. Emphasizing that these decisions were put into practice starting from the school year 2002-2003, it is requested that conferences be organized in primary and secondary schools dealing with the theme that "the Armenian allegations are groundless."
**** The instructions sent to schools are not limited to only that: it is requested that schools take advantage of those teachers and expert scholars who have already taken part in congresses organized around this subject. Yes, every effort will be made so that, first, it is recognized that the "so-called Armenian Genocide" is a "so-called" one, then, by means of propaganda, those denials will be taught to children and youth and will be engraved in their minds. It is written in the editorial of the weekly "Agos" that the same is requested from Armenian schools; it is required that young Armenians also form sentences denying "the groundless Armenian allegations."
**** The Education Minister Hüseyin Celik not only requires from the Armenian youth that he write an essay against the "groundless Armenian allegations," but also says that at the end of the year he will check the work done on this subject. What can the Armenian schools do? If they don't carry out this instruction, inspectors will arrive and harass them. Therefore, they will do what they are told to do and tell children about "the unfounded Armenian genocide allegations."
**** In reality, this propaganda is more deceptive for Turkish children: the Armenian child will hear one way or another from his family, relatives and eyewitnesses still living why the number of Armenians living in this country dropped from 2 million to 60,000. He will also know that he needs to say at school the opposite of what he hears at home. Whereas, what will the Turkish child do? Will he accept that an atrocity which took place during the Ottoman rule 88 years ago, the deportation and destruction of an entire population from its land, is a "so-called truth" or a "lie"? Then what kind of disillusion will he experience when people around the world will explain to him about the reality?
**** What happened in history did happen. It is impossible to fight against realities. Should German people defend Hitler, who assassinated millions of Jews for the simple reason that he is German? 1915 is one of the painful pages of the Ottoman history: on this date, the Committee of Union and Progress committed a huge crime against humanity. Why should I take the responsibility for that crime, and oppose the historical truths by asserting that all of this did not take place? Why shall we mislead young brains with lies? What kind of damage does such a propaganda cause in the brains of the youth. What will this society gain, by educating the youth with legends that are unreal?
Oral Calislar
From the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet
Date: Mon, 12 May 2003