Sceduled Events in Sweden

[Gavur]

Conference on the Genocide in the Ottoman Empire 1915/16

90 years of denial - The atrocities against Armenians,
Assyrians, Syriacs, Chaldeans

Date: 15th of November
Place: ABF, Sveavägen 41, Stockholm, Sweden
Programme

* 8.30 - 9.00 Registration
* 9.00 - 9.10 Introduction
(Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson, Chairperson, ABF - Workers' Educational
Association and member of The Living History Forum board)
* 9.10 - 9.50 The Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century.
(Dr Tessa Hofmann, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany)
* 9. 50 - 10.20 Coffee break
* 10.20 - 11.20 The Armenian genocide
(Professor Vahakn N Dadrian, Director of Genocide Research with the Zoryan
Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA)
15 minutes discussion with the moderator
* 11.20 - 11.35 Short break
* 11.35 - 12.35 Atrocities against Assyrians, Syriacs, Chaldeans
(Professor David Gaunt, Södertörn University College)
15 minutes discussion with the moderator
* 12.35 - 13.50 Lunch
* 13.50 - 14.25 Official Turkish opinion on the Armenian genocide and the
atrocities against Assyrians, Syriacs, Chaldeans
(Prof.Dr.Kemal Cicek from the Turkish Historical Society)
10 minutes discussion with the moderator
* 14.25 - 15.20 Different opinions on the Armenian genocide and racism
against Armenians, Assyrians, Syriacs, Chaldeans
(Ms Yelda Ozcan, Journalist and Author)
15 minutes discussion with the moderator
* 15.20 - 15.50 Coffee break
* 15.50 - 17.15 Situation for Ethnic Minorities in Turkey today and the
Concept of the 20th Century history among the General public in Turkey. Panel debate
(Professor Vahakn N Dadrian, Professor David Gaunt, Ms Yelda Ozcan,
Journalist and Author, Dr Tessa Hofmann, Representative of the Turkish Embassy
and two representatives of the Armenian, Assyrian, Syriac, Chaldean communities)

Moderator: Arne Ruth, author and former editor-in-chief

Conference language: English

Please notice: The numbers of seats are limited. The closing date for
entries is the 21st of October. Use the form below to apply.

Photographing prohibited

The Conference is arranged in cooperation between The Living History
Forum, Södertörn University College, ABF - Workers'
Educational Association, The Armenian Federation in Sweden, The
Assyrian Federation in Sweden, The Syriac Federation in Sweden, ACSA -
The Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac Association

Free admission.

[Hovik]

International Conference on Armenian Genocide to Be Held in Stockholm

Pan Armenian

International Conference on Armenian Genocide to Be Held in Stockholm

04.11.2005 23:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An international conference dedicated to the 90th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will be held in Stockholm November 15.
The event was initiated by Live History institution, coordination council of
the Armenian Unions of Sweden and some other organizations. The conference
has the purpose to raise the Genocide issue in the political, public and
scientific circles. `The rights of the Christian minorities in Turkey are
still infringed and the intellectuals are subjected to persecutions,'
Chairman of the coordination council of the Armenian Unions Karo Hakobian
said. Turkey's position at the conference will be presented by historian
Kemal Cicek. Members of the Swedish Reichstag, political and public figures,
representatives of political parties and ministers were invited to the
event.

[Gavur]

Turkey Discontent with Genocide Conference in Stockholm

19.11.2005 20:28 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An international conference marking the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was held in Stockholm November 15. Turks were discontent with the results of the event. Turkish Embassy representative in Stockholm complained that Turkish historian Kemal Cicek was provided less time for a statement, than others. The organizational commission representatives responded that the time for speeches at the conference was provided to everyone beforehand and if there were complaints, these should have been made at the time, stated organizational commission representative Karo Hakobyan. One could judge from the conference name that it will discuss various historical aspects of the Armenian Genocide, not the official viewpoint of Turkey, he added.

Turkish press and the Foreign Ministry also accuse organizers of the international conference in Stockholm in allegedly not allowing Hurriyet journalists' presence at the event. Swedish Ambassador to Turkey has refuted this rumor. The matter is that everyone, including information agencies were notified beforehand that there no photography will be allowed, however the entire conference will be shot and all materials and photos will be available. At the beginning of the conference, Turkish journalists both held photography and took a film about the event, after which the conference chairman again demanded to stop photography. However, they were allowed to record the speeches. Turks were discontent they did not manage to repeat their traditional script and capture all those present at the conference (apparently, for investigation purposes), as it was the case with a similar conference in Upsala, Karo Hakobyan said. Many people were surprised that the Turkish Embassy agreed to take part in a conference on the Armenian Genocide.

Turks were also discontent with professor Kemal Cicek not being able to justify them – also due to his insufficient English proficiency, but most importantly – due to contradictory expressions. He stated the following, «Armenians should be grateful for their being deported and taken away from the zone of hostilities.» He also said, «Europeans should not accuse Ottoman Turks in absence of democracy, as there was no democracy in European countries either and all European countries committed genocides against their national minorities.» The following words were interesting, «I love Armenians, I love you all, thus you should all love me, too.» Kemal Cicek urged the parties to form a commission of historians to discuss the issue and come to a decision. However professors Tatryan and Gaunt refused, saying free access should be provided to archives for historians to engage in their business without external interference. Then Cicek made a suggestion to professor Tatryan, «Welcome to the archives, bring your Armenian money and take away the archives.» The conference materials will of course be published, reported the Union of Armenian Associations of Sweden.

[armenica.org]

Hello!

I found the lectures very interesting and as the seminar two years ago, held in Uppsala by Living History Organisation, the Turkish scholar actually "sealed the deal that the other historians were trying to sell". The first time it was a certain Dr. Turan, while this year it was Prof. Cicek who delivered the proof of the Turkish side being in possess of absolut no evidence or common sense what so ever. It wasn't his English which made the audience laugh; it was the incoherent, unverifiable, and contradictory facts.

He actully claimed, and I quote, "that the Armenian community should be gratefull for the relocations which saved many lives from the dangers posed by the war," and "that the Armenian Diaspora should actully financially compensate the present Turkish government for their expeses" (food, tents and clothing which Turkey was forced to supply the relocated Armenians with).

I hope to be able to put the video or at least a voice file from the lectures online. I am waiting to get the proper permission and the files from the Armenian Association Union so that we can put on our site, Amenica.org (http://www.armenica.org). I'm doing my best to hasten this in order to put the files online while the seminar is still "fresh".

With best regards,

Vahagn Avedian
Armenica project manager

[1.5 million]

Yeah can't wait to hear these claims. Very interested in what our resident Turkish posters think of these (new?) Turkish claims...

[armenica.org]

Well, Prof. Gaunt said once "it is always a pleasure to argue with Turkish historians, since you are so predictable". I agree! I think if you hear one you have heared the rest. Halacoglu is the most prominent Turkish historian in the field and his statements are more laughable than sustainable. What made Cicek special was his extraordinary remarks of "Armenians should be grateful," and "should compensate Turkey for the expences." I thought that I had heard (at least) most of what they have to say, but this one has gone to my "Top Ten List".

Turkey has nothing new to put forward and their biggest asset has been pure denial. Now, the time is running out. Turkey's WWI ally, Germany, has finally recognised the mass murders, Edinbrough, a legislative part of UK has recognised the genocide and UK government has refused the Turkish reuqest to revise the "Blue Book." Turkish jouranlist, authors and scholars have started to openly question their passed 90 years of denial and even recognised the genocide. This would have been inconceivable for 5 years ago.

Give it some more time and Turkey will be either forced to recognise the genocide due to increased international pressure or will finally open its eyes and be brave enough to look at the piles of evidence presented by the researchers. The question is not if, it's when.

[armenica.org]

wht kind of pressure can make that? i dont know any pressure that can make turkey accept these?

Turkey wants to get in EU, don't they?

[armenica.org]

As far as I have followed the discussion about Turkish EU-membership negotiations, the Armenian Genocide is not a pre-condition for starting the talks, but it is definitely included as one of the terms which Turkey will have to fulfil before becoming a full member. EU has already made its gravest mistake to allow Cyprus drag in a very highly ongoing conflict within its borders and it will not repeat this with Turkey and Armenia. EU has neighbourhood programs with Armenia and Turkish refusal to open the border with Armenia due to Armenian refusal to withdraw its genocide claims is something that must be solved before EU will allow Turkey become a full member. EU can not have member countries such as France, Belgium, and Sweden of which the first two have criminal penal codes concerning denial of the Armenian Genocide, and introduce a Turkey whose government, officials or citizens who can be subjected to this kind of persecutions. I think EU politicians are more keen of keeping the union together, instead of introducing potential sources for disintegration.

The Armenian Genocide may not be an official pre-condition, but if you read in between the lines you'll see that it's something which Turkey, if they choose to comply with European standards for human rights, friendship and unity, will have to face the facts sooner or later during the process of EU-integration. If France won't bring it up, Belgium will, otherwise Netherlands, Greece, or Cyprus are highly conceivable candidates for highlighting this issue. And bare in mind that we are talking about countries which have already recognised the genocide. New CDU German policy might have some remarks in this issue. And there are several other countries who have started to consider introducing legislative bills for recognition of the genocide.

[armenica.org]

Well, as I said earlier, if you are trying to find a direct referral or mentioning of the Armenian genocide in the document, you will find not much substantial. But, and again, as I said earlier, you have to read between the lines and see how EU can implement the same issue by using other peripherial matters, such as the close Turkish-Armenian border.

Nevertheless, the inability of some European countries to acknowledge the Armenian genocide due to economic factors and ties with Turkey, does in no way alter the reality of its existance.

[cosmos]

Turkey will recognize the genocide someday, but this will not be accepted by any pressure. Turkey is gonna decide it itself. If any pressure is proceeded with on Turkey, it will probably cause the wide scale reactions. So there should not be force about that. Otherwise, Turkey will give up joining in EU. If it is recognized by force, it will be a much disgrace for Turkey.