Skeletons of massacred found in Turkey

[Tongue]

Although there had been prior instances of finding mass burial sites believed to be from the Armenian Genocide, this was the first incident when such a discovery was reported by a daily newspaper in Turkey.

As the mass burial made news, local gendarmerie made another visit to the villagers. The latter were pressed to report the name of the person who leaked the mass burial discovery to the press. The officers told the villagers that the news reported by Roj TV, an international Kurdish satellite television, and Ülkede Özgür Gündem were “all lies.” The villagers were warned not to show the way to the cave to anybody.

The victims of the mass grave, according to Södertörn University History Professor David Gaunt, are most likely the 150 Armenian and 120 Syriac males, heads of their families, from the nearby town of Dara (now Oguz) killed on June 14, 1915.

The Armenian and Syriac residents were marched out of the town, and only one person was known to have escaped to tell of what had happened, Prof. Gaunt says. According to the Syriac survivor, his marching neighbors were murdered and their bodies were placed in a well. “The mass burial in this cave suggests that the two groups could have been killed in separate places, and that the Armenians were put into this cave, while the Syriacs were put in a well,” Prof. Gaunt, whose “Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim-Christian Relations in Eastern Anatolia during World War I” book comes out November, 2006, concludes.

The Turkish government officially denies the genocide of over a million Armenians, accompanied with massacres of thousands of Syriacs and other minorities, which took place in what is now eastern Turkey during WWI.

Photographs by Ülkede Özgür Gündem. Republished by permission.

Ayse Gunaysu, Istanbul

[bell-the-cat]

It's kind of off topic - but would anyone have any suggestions as to what I might do with some bone fragments I rescued from Turkey. Some of them are possibly the remains of a 13th century saint, St. Stephanos, since I found them scattered around a hole dug by treasure hunters in the chapel in which he was supposed to be buried in (near Muradiye, north of Lake Van).

[Yavrum]

How about contacting an Armenian museum in Armenia?

[Joseph]

It's kind of off topic - but would anyone have any suggestions as to what I might do with some bone fragments I rescued from Turkey. Some of them are possibly the remains of a 13th century saint, St. Stephanos, since I found them scattered around a hole dug by treasure hunters in the chapel in which he was supposed to be buried in (near Muradiye, north of Lake Van).

You could definitely contact the office of the Armenian Diocese in NYC.

[Joseph]

(AINA) -- The finding of a mass grave in south eastern Turkey, believed to date from the 1915 genocide of Assyrians and Armenians, and the Turkish government's silence regarding the finding has prompted a debate in the Swedish parliament on the matter.

It was on October 17 this year that villagers from Xirabebaba (Kuru) in south eastern Turkey came across a mass grave when digging a grave for one of their deceased. The villagers took pictures of the skulls and bones in the mass grave before Turkish military came and blocked the site. The villagers were certain that they had found remains of victims of the 1915 genocide. The military personnel forbade the villagers to tell anyone about the site and then closed it. Some of the villagers chose not to follow the orders of the military and told the story to a local newspaper who followed up on the story. As soon as the military learned that someone has leaked this information to the press, they pressed the villagers to give the names of those responsible for this. Since then journalists trying to get near the mass grave have been denied access by the military.

Turkey still denies that its Christian population of Assyrians (also called Chaldeans and Syriacs), Greeks and Armenians were subjected to genocides. That could explain why the Turkish state and most of the Turkish media has remained silent about the finding. But now one of Turkey's most popular weekly magazines, Nokta, has highlighted the mass grave finding with a cover story in the latest issue with the main heading "Again acting the three monkeys - a mass grave was found one month ago in Nusaybin and the jurisdiction, execution and legislation bodies as well as the media are silent." The writer, Talin Suciyan, accuses the Turkish state of turning a deaf ear to the mass grave finding. "None of the three 'powers' of our democracy, legislation, jurisdiction or execution made a move to deal with the issue. And when the fourth power - the media - swept the bones under the carpet (the Turkish) public remained completely unaware of the issue." she writes.

In fact, the only Turkish group that has reacted to the finding is the Turkish Human Rights Association who sent an open letter to the ministry of interior calling for an investigation into the matter. The mass grave finding has yet to enter Turkish politics but in Sweden the matter has stirred up a debate on the highest levels, much due to the efforts of the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac Association (ACSA). The news about the mass finding was distributed by Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå (TT), Sweden's top news agency and was thereafter published in several Swedish media, including the two leading morning papers Dagens Nyheter (DN) and Svenska Dagbladet (Svd). As a result of the above the mass grave issue has now entered Swedish politics as MP Hans Linde from the left party recently submitted an interpellation to the Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, asking for an independent commission of scientists and historians to examine the findings. The foreign minister must now ask the foreign ministry to launch an investigation into the matter before he can respond to MP Hans Linde. The response of the foreign minister on this issue is due to be presented on the 12 of December before parliament.

By Afram Barryakoub

[Joseph]

An update about the mass grave-related developments.

According to Toplumsal Demokrasi (a replacement for Ulkede Ozgur Gundem which is closed down for 15 days under a court ruling after Chief of General Staff fingered it out as the publication of the outlawed PKK) Yusuf Halacoglu, Head of the Turkish Historical Society, issued a written statement yesterday in response to Ulkede Ozgur Gundem's "allegations" in connection with the mass grave found in Mardin. "The mass grave belongs to the Roman and early Byzantian period," says the statement. "However if this assertion is found unsatisfactory we are ready to start an investigation to reveal the truth in cooperation with an international research degelation. It is unfortunate that the issue is presented as a discovery of a mass grave belonging to Armenians. In order to show how unfounded and inconsistent are the allegations that Armenians were subjected to a genocide and how everything is exaggerated and turned into a scheme of propaganda we are ready to investigate the case with experts from any country including Sweden or even Armenia. If it is found that the allegations (about this grave) is unfounded then the publications publishing the news item, and the scientist and the parlamentarians will have to apologise."

It is not clear who is the "scientist" and who are the "parliamentarians" he is referring to but we can guess that the "scientist" might be David Gaunt quoted by Gundem and the "parliamentarians" the Swedish.

If he truely thinks the remains are Roman - fine, that's good (but he could have added Persians). THe important thing is to get an impartial investigation. If the military has covered the site with earth, let's begin digging. To test Mr. Halacoglu's idea we don't even need to find very much. A simple old-fashioned Carbon 14 analysis of a bone fragment will be enough to see whether these are skeletons from pre-Islamic times. Or has someone conventiently planted something from an archeological museum just in case?

[1.5 million]

"Turkey, Mass Grave and the Three Monkeys" - Eastern Star News Agency

12 December 2006 / by Dikran Ego

Approximately two months ago a mass grave with remains after murdered Assyrians was found outside the village of Dara in south-eastern Turkey. The remains are from some of the Assyrians that were murdered by the Turkish military and by local Kurdish clans during the genocide against the Assyrians during the First World War.

Leading Turkish politicians, like Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have time after time “ensured” the world: “Turkish archives are open, we have nothing to hide ".

The discovery of this mass grave has put the Turkish politicians and other parts of the society in a condition unable to take action. The “assurances” which Turkish politicians have given so frankly are after the discovery of the mass grave nothing but a memory. Almost two months have passed, but the leading politicians in Turkey have still not commented the discovery of a mass grave with remains after murdered Assyrians from the genocide during the First World War. The silence is total and evident.

The only reaction from official Turkey was to give the military strict orders and to declare the area where the mass grave was found as a strictly prohibited area. The Turkish military has also declared the area as a military area. Turkish military historians try to explain the discovery with theories about the mass grave being a “mountain grave” from the late Byzantine era. What these “historians” do not realize is that they with these statements make fools of themselves and show very low credibility.

They few pictures that were taken of the mass grave show something entirely different. It can be clearly seen that the bodies are gathered in a heap and that the skulls are crushed with considerable violence.

The discovery of the mass grave has put the whole of Turkey in a shock condition. The inability to take action is obvious and has, like a virus, hit Turkey in general and the Turkish media in particular. The condition of the Turkish society can be resembled with the simile about “the three monkeys” which do not want to see, nor to listen or to speak.

The only magazine that has broken this taboo and the silence is NOKTA.

In the last issue of the magazine NOKTA publishes an article about the mass grave and interviews the chairman of the forensic medical faculty at Istanbul University, Prof. Sebnem Korur Financı. Financı says that if Turkey is ready to face its history, the discovery of the mass grave and the genocide against the Assyrians during the First World War must be discussed without prejudice.

Furthermore Financi says: So far, the authorities’ unwillingness to listen, to see and to speak about the question has been an attempt to keep this from spreading so that nobody will know anything about the genocide. Actually, this mass grave gives us an invaluable occasion to release ourselves from today's and yesterdays' dark history, which otherwise will overshadow the tomorrow

[Joseph]

Now there is an intelligent reply. How LAZY is it to fail to include a URL?

Here's your URL:

http://assyriatimes.com/engine/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3264

[Joseph]

ARMENIAN REPORTER

http://www.reporter.am

March 3, 2007

Mass burial debate continues

by Talin Suciyan

In October 2006 a mass grave was found in Dara/Nusaybin in Turkey. No
investigation was done to identify the remains. After the mass media
brought the matter to the attention of the public, Prof. Yusuf
Halacoglu of the Turkish Historical Society (THS) claimed that the
burial remained from Roman times, adding that THS is ready to form an
international group of experts to conduct a site investigation.
Meanwhile, Prof. David Gaunt of Södertörns University gave several
interviews to the Turkish media, arguing that the remains may belong
to Assyrians, Chaldeans, or Armenians. Mr. Gaunt based his argument on
the historical incidents known to have happened in that area, and
added that only a site investigation could determine the provenance of
the bodies. Mr. Gaunt's presumptions were challenged by Mr. Halacoglu,
who claimed they could not be correct.

As a response to Mr. Halacoglu's challenge, in January David Gaunt
wrote a letter to the THS, stating that he would appreciate to be a
part of an international researchers' group. Mr. Gaunt had three main
requirements: First, researchers should have full access to any site
that could have the probability of being a mass grave; second, to
interview the local people concerning the mass grave; and third, to
have full independence in investigating the burial and the area around
it. Mr. Halacoglu accepted the requirements, and both sides were to
set up dates for starting the research. A couple of days after this
mail correspondence, Hrant Dink was killed and the process stopped.

On February 11, Yusuf Halacoglu was in the headlines of Hurriyet daily
newspaper, announcing the cooperation between Sweedish and Turkish
historians, after almost one month. Right after this, on February 13,
another news item appeared in Hurriyet, this time concerning the dates
proposed by Mr. Gaunt. He had proposed to start the field work between
April 23 and 25, 2007. Hurriyet's title for the news item was,
"Sweedish professor's cunning of 24 April."

After both news items appeared in Hurriyet, Mr. Gaunt issued a press
release and wrote a letter to Mr. Halacoglu.

Mr. Gaunt's press release summarizes the process from October to this
date and continues as follows:

"After the first news was spread, authorities cordoned off the cave
and only some government agencies had access. Finally in December the
site was closed off and the opening was buried. The head of the
Turkish Historical Society (TTK), Professor Yusuf Halacoglu challenged
my suggestions and insisted that the bodies found were from Roman
times. Thereafter he made many statements to the press challenging a
Swedish delegation to investigate the site. This intensified after a
debate in the Swedish parliament on December 12, 2006, which was based
on reports in Turkish press (not upon my initiative, as some
mistakenly believe).

"In mid-January 2007, I sent up a trial balloon to see if there was
any substance to the TKK statements and I proposed to start
negotiations on making a joint investigation. It was apparent that the
only way any independent scientist would have to study the grave was
through some sort of collaboration with the TKK. I am fully acquainted
with its abysmal track record on the Armenian-Turkish issues and was,
and still am, very hesitant. We had not progressed further than
discussing the possible dates for an initial planning meeting, when
Hrant Dink was assassinated. I immediately put these negotiations on
ice. Apparently, however, the TTK is very hot to pursue this matter
and today has gone to Hurriyet revealing the very small amount of
progress we had up until the assassination and making some further
provocative and totally inappropriate statements.

"This investigation of the mass grave must be seriously planned. If
the TTK wants to rush in and do an incomplete job in a hurry, there
will be no reason for me to continue negotiations. For the sake of
legitimacy alone, the TTK cannot expect to do the investigation all by
itself and use the independent researchers only for PR purposes in
attempts to influence public opinion. I envision a long scientific
investigation with international co-operation. This first meeting can
only begin the process of identifying the long lost victims in that
mass grave."

Further, Mr. Gaunt wrote a letter to Mr. Halacoglu and stated that
there are very difficult issues, such as the budget, the size, the
qualifications, and the composition of the investigation team, the
cooperation of local universities for offices and for adequate storage
of the remains during the investigation, the organization for the
search for DNA among people whose ancestors might be in the grave. He
wrote "Perhaps I overstate my position, but for clarity it will be
impossible for us to call this a joint effort, and it risks the
legitimacy of the whole enterprise, if the TTK takes on all
responsibility for the investigative work and the independent
researchers are kept at arms length, until there is a press
conference."

Mr. Gaunt thinks that there have been previous investigations done by
the Turkish government delegations and he wrote he would like Mr.
Halacoglu to share the findings. "Please correct me if I am wrong, but
I have reason to believe that there have been several Turkish
government delegations that have already inspected the grave. You made
statements yourself, so I assume the TTK participated. It would be
very useful for our common planning if you could send over copies of
whatever material there is in whatever form, which has already been
assembled."

In the news item that appeared in Hurriyet, it was claimed that Mr.
Gaunt initiated the debate in parliament on the mass grave in December
2006. In the letter, Mr. Gaunt points out that only members of
parliament can initiate a debate, and as he is not a member of
parliament, he cannot do so. It was the initiative of members who read
the articles appeared in the media.

As far as the dates are concerned, Mr. Gaunt said to Nokta weekly
magazine that he proposed April 22-26, including the arrival and
departure dates, and for field work April 23-25. "I have managed to
clear the time 22-26 April by cancelling some speaking engagements in
the United States for which I already made preparations to be away
from the university. That the dates include April 24 has to do with
the nature of my research and the several speaking engagements which I
have had to cancel in order to accommodate the Turkish Historical
Society's insistence on meeting soon with me. If it was only a matter
of a one-day meeting in a major city, then I could of course have
suggested other times like a weekend."

Mr. Halacoglu has suggested that based on the outcome of the
investigation, the ones whose statements proved to be wrong should
publicly apologize. Mr. Gaunt reminded him that in scientific circles,
new interpretations, new facts, new materials, new techniques, and
unexpected results can always happen, and scientists learn from them
and are not embarrassed by new knowledge. He underlined that as
historians, they must first pay respect to the past and honor memory
by identifying whoever is enclosed in these long-lost graves, whatever
ethnicity they happen to have had.

*

Talin Suciyan is a correspondent for Istanbul's Nokta magazine. She
reports from time to time for the Armenian Reporter

[Joseph]

You can always count on a facist like Halaço?lu to make a wrong move

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=68233

Why do we ivite them in the first place?


Wednesday, March 14, 2007


Mehmet Ali Birand



I read it in Fatih Altayl?'s column in Sabah daily yesterday.

Turkish History Institute (TTK) President Yusuf Halaço?lu was supposed meet with Ara Sarafyan, the author of Blue Book, which is seen as one of the most important documents backing Armenian claims.

Both sides were supposed to produce various documents to argue their case, the first such meeting.

I was very excited about it.

Armenians usually don't participate in such meetings. ?The whole world accepts the genocide. Why should we open a case over something already accepted,? they usually asked. Sarafyan was very important in this respect. His visit was supposed to provide a huge boost to Turkey's call for historians focusing on the matter, discussing and debating it.

Suddenly, we were all told the meeting was cancelled. Professor Halaço?lu held a press conference and said Sarafyan had cancelled the trip, presenting an article in weekly AGOS that said the Armenian diaspora was furious about Sarafyan's trip. That was the reason of cancellation, he said.

Now we learn from Altayl? that the real reason why the meeting was cancelled was very different. It appears Halaço?lu refused to open the archives without limits and objected to presenting certain documents.

What was this all about?

If you were not going to show the documents, why would you ask for a meeting? Why do you organize such a meeting before agreeing on the conditions of opening of the archives? Why do you initiate a process you cannot go take to the finish?

Turkey is already on the defensive on this issue and this latest development means another point scored against us. No one will ever believe Turkey when it proposes to open the archives and share all the documents so that historians can discuss the matter.