/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A recurrent conference on the Armenian Issue will be held in Maslak complex of Istanbul Technical University December 15-16. Platform of the Union of Non-Governmental Organizations has organized the conference. According to the Marmara Istanbul daily, «to all appearance, the conference will merely express Turkish official point of view over the Armenian Genocide. However, Armenian and Turkish historians are also invited and they say the Armenian Genocide actually took place.» Many of Armenian historians did not respond to the invitation to take part in the conference. Yerevan State University Rector Radik Martirosyan responded that his participation will be superfluous, as the invitation letter denied the idea of «genocide» and used the term «tragedy of war» instead. R. Martirosyan reminded that many parliaments have recognized the Genocide, while others consider the use of the term «genocide» a crime. US historian, ethnic Armenian Dennis Papazian stated in a response letter he would take part in the conference if scholars from Armenia also take part in it.
On behalf of the conference organizers Aisel Ekshin told the media that the platform is composed of 37 NGOs. He remarked many Turkish and Armenian historians refused from participation in the conference, demanding for the Genocide to be recognized first. «Under these conditions our conference is doomed to being one-sided,» the Turkish professor said. The conference participants include Turkkaya Atayov, Shukru Elekdag, Onud Eoymen, Gunduz Aktan, chairman of the Historical Establishment of Turkey Yusuf Galajoglu and US historian Norman Stone from Koc University, known for their denialist stand over the Armenian Genocide. It should be noted that after the Armenian Genocide conference organized by three Istanbul universities, during which viewpoints different from that of the Turkish authorities were heard, holding conferences voicing Ankara official stance over the issue became more frequent in Turkey.
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