I. Press Release
11.1.2005
Viennese Armenian-Turkish Platform – VAT
The Viennese Armenian-Turkish Platform (VAT; see more detailed information on the Platform below) deeply regrets to announce that she will not carry through her starting initiative "The First Viennese Armenian-Turkish Round Table" (FVATR Vienna 2005) originally planned for spring 2005. The reason is that the Armenian partner has not provided us with the necessary confirmation as agreed in August 2004.
In case of any response from the Armenian side
in the near future, VAT
hopes to realise the Round Table at a later
time. On the other hand, the
Turkish partner accepted already to participate
in the dialogue, in which
each part was supposed to present 180 documents
on the year 1915 showing
their understanding of this delicate matter.
In July 2004, the first 100 documents each from
the Armenian and Turkish
side were exchanged to get the dialogue started.
This exchange on neutral
ground was the closest contact of Turkish and
Armenian scientists in the
past 90 years. Although VAT deeply regrets the
dialogue not taking place
as planned, VAT will continue to serve as a
platform for researchers from
all involved parties, in order to face mutual
and common history.
As VAT we expect from the international
community – especially from
Armenia and Turkey- to seriously and
systematically get involved with the
Armenian Question concerning all of us.
Primarily the researchers should
get involved with the Armenian Question and both
sides should enjoy the
same rights in the dialogue. The concept of VAT
can be taken as an example
for the mutual dialogue in that sense.
Viennese Armenian-Turkish Platform – VAT
VAT was founded by four Austrian historians as a
neutral platform serving
as an intermediary as well as a platform for
Turkish and Armenian
researchers scientifically investigating the
Armenian-Turkish Question.
One of the founders is of Turkish origin,
another of Armenian origin.
Founding members:
Univ. Prof. Dr. Wolfditer BIHL
Dr. Artem OHANDJANIAN
Kerstin TOMENENDAL, M.A.
Dr. Inanç ATILGAN
VAT is a private scientific initiative. Its
distinctiveness lies in its
difference from the dialogue processes which
have tried to "solve"
the
Question within the past 90 years. Thus, VAT
offers both sides a platform
on neutral ground on equal terms. Also, both
sides have the right to
discuss whether the incidents of the year 1915
may be called a genocide
or
not.
VAT has no political agenda. Its sole purpose is
to offer a strictly
scientifical platform aiming at publishing the
scientific results of the
dialogue process.
The first Dialogue Iniative of VAT (2004-2005)
Following the above mentioned principles, "The
First Viennese Armenian
Turkish Round Table" would have layed the corner
stone for the envisaged
dialogue process dealing with the incidents of
1915.
History of the first initiative of VAT:
- The basis for entering the dialogue
process was that each party
would accept the rules of VAT and nominate two
academicians from renowned
scientific. Thus, VAT contacted the Turkish
Historical Society (TTK) and
the Armenian Academy of Sciences (AAS). These
two institutions nominated
as their representatives: - Prof. Dr. Yusuf Halaçoglu (President of
the Turkish Historical
Society) - Prof. Dr. Hikmet Özdemir (President of
the Department of Armenian
Studies) - Prof. Dr. Lavrenti Barseghian (Director
of the Museum of Genocide
in Erivan) - Prof. Dr. Ashot Melkonian (Director of
the Department of History
in the Armenian Academy of Sciences). - Both sides officially informed VAT of
their participation. The
first official exchange of 100 historical
documents from each side in
various languages and from various archives took
place in July 2004, the
VAT acting as intermediary sending the Armenian
documents to the Turkish
partner and vice versa. VAT asked for additional
80 documents from both
sides. These 360 documents all together should
have been the basis for
the
dialogue process. - Due to untimely reports in Turkish,
Armenian and international
media without consent of the VAT, Dr.
Ohandjanian, one of the founders
of
VAT, withdrew from his position in August 2004.
Referring to this new
situation, VAT informed both sides and asked
them to confirm their
participation within the VAT. Thus, the Turkish
partner officially
confirmed his participation whilst the Armenians
have not responded yet. - Through Dr. Ohandjanian VAT came to know
that the Armenian part
had had problems with reading the unpublished
Ottoman documents which were
presented from the Turkish side. VAT informed
TTK about this problem. TTK
offered a transcript of the Ottoman source in
Latin letters so that the
dialogue could be realized within the scheduled
timetable. VAT informed
AAS about this offer. An answer from AAS is
still pending. - Due to the fact that the Armenian
partner has not officially
confirmed his participation although having been
asked to respond by
September 30 2004, and thus the second exchange
of documents has not taken
place yet, VAT considers itself not able to
organize the "FVATR Vienna
2005" as planned.
What was planned for the "FVATR":
- VAT would have organized the meeting
without public audience only
discussing the exchanged documents. The
chairperson of the meeting would
have been Prof. Bihl. Dr. Inanç Atilgan who is
of Turkish origin, would
not have taken part in the discussion in order
to not throw any doubt on
the objectiveness of VAT. This precautionary
measure had become necessary
because of the withdrawal of Dr. Artem
Ohandjanian who is of Armenian
descent. - The meeting would have been taped, all
results would have been
published. - As a result of the meeting a "common
handbook" would
have been
published giving both sides the opportunity of
equally presenting their
views on a very sensitive episode of history.
Prof. Dr. Wolfdieter Bihl
Kerstin Tomenendal, M.A.
Dr. Inanç Atilgan
Vienna 11.1.2005
Yorumlar kapatıldı.