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 Despite Obstacles, Armenian Genocide Commemoration Events Held in Turkey
ISTANBUL, Turkey (A.W.)—On April 24, three outdoor commemorations of the Armenian Genocide and a lecture by a Diasporan Armenian journalist were held in Istanbul, while a two-day conference on the Armenian Genocide began in Ankara, while obstacles, counter protests and fascist rhetoric tried to disrupt the commemorations, and reminded the few hundred participants of the long way ahead.
The first commemoration event was by Kurdish mothers whose sons had “disappeared.” For the past few years, an organization bringing these mothers together was holding silent protests every Saturday. In Beyoglu at noon, in an act of solidarity with Armenians and as a powerful statement of the continuities between the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey, these mothers, joined by human rights activists and supporters, held up photographs of not only their disappeared sons, but of the Armenian intellectuals who were arrested and killed on April 24, 1915 and in the weeks following it. The organizers of the gathering made statements calling Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
A small counter-demonstration by the Workers’ Party was held on a street nearby. They condemned genocide commemoration in Turkey, holding banners that said, “The Armenian Genocide is an imperialist lie.”
The second commemoration event was held at 1:30 p.m. at the Haydarpasha train station. Organized by the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association of Turkey, the commemoration brought together a few hundred people, who held photographs of Armenian intellectuals who were murdered in 1915 while lawyer and activist Eren Keskin, a leading figure in the Human Rights Association, read a statement which highlighted the importance of recognition and justice. Dozens of journalists, photographers and TV crews were present at the commemoration, which was held amidst heavy police presence, and went without serious incidents. Several individuals, however, started yelling at the organizers near the end of the commemoration, and the police intervened.
At 5 p.m., a genocide commemoration lecture was held at the Cezayir center’s meeting hall in Beyoglu. The lecture, by Armenian Weekly editor Khatchig Mouradian, was attended by Turkish intellectuals and activists who have been outspoken about 1915 in Turkey, reporters, and members of the local Armenian community. The Armenian Weekly will provide coverage of the lecture separately.
At 7 p.m., a candlelight vigil was held in Taksim Square, in the presence of hundreds of policemen, and a large crowd of the press and onlookers. Organized by Turkish intellectuals, the vigil was the most advertised of the commemoration events that day, and attracted the largest number of participants and counter-demonstrators. The organizers read a statement about April 24, 1915, saying that this was their pain as well.
Then, for almost half an hour, the participants in the vigil sat in silence while, nearby, counter protestors being pushed back by the police were yelling: “Death to the Armenian Diaspora.”
Contrary to what was reported in some U.S. and European media, today’s commemoration events were not the first in Turkey. The Istanbul Human Rights Association has been organizing commemoration events (lectures, panels discussions, musical performances) for the past several years. What was particular about the commemorations this year was the fact that they were held outdoors, on or near busy streets, intersections, and station, hence generating greater attention.
In Ankara, a two-day long genocide conference dealing with the history and the consequences of the Armenian Genocide began. A few days ago, the conference was cancelled because of bureaucratic, political pressure and security concerns. Later, an announcement came that the conference will be held as scheduled. Despite the confusion the cancellation was created, most scholars, including the ones from overseas, attended the conference or will do so on April 25.
(2010-04-25 / armenianweekly.com)
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