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ARMENIAN HISTORIANS TURN DOWN TURKISH UNIVERSITY INVITATION


YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS; A team of Armenian scientists turned
down an invitation that was extended to them by Istanbul University
to participate in a conference on the Armenian genocide slated for
March 15-16.

Invitations were sent to Lavrenty Barseghian, the director of the
Yerevan-based Genocide Institute, Ashot Melkonian, the director
of History Institute, an affiliation of the National Academy of
Sciences and Ruben Safrastian, head of the Turkish Studies division
of the National Academy of Sciences-affiliated Institute for Oriental
Studies. They explained their refusal by saying that speakers invited
for the conference are those who present the fact of the Armenian
genocide as merely a “war tragedy.”

“We have nothing to discuss with people with such views. The fact of
genocide is a reality and we are not inclined to discuss it. Turks are
again trying to question this historical fact and also resolutions of
19 countries which have officially recognized it. There is no need
to again prove this historical fact,” Melkonian said, adding that
US-based Armenian historians Richard Hovhanesian and Ruben Adalian
who were also invited, have turned down the invitations.

Safrastian said the conference will try to examine whether ‘the
massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman empire constitute the crime of
genocide as defined by the UN 1948 relevant resolution.’ Melkonian
added that the Istanbul University is one of the most pronounced
nationalistic educational institutions in Turkey and is trying to drag
Armenian historians into fruitless debates over whether the genocide
did occur or did not.

Armenian scientists suggested in their written response to Istanbul
University that a TV bridge be organized through Euronews TV channel
between Yerevan and Ankara so that the world may listen to Armenian
and Turkish arguments.

Yorumlar kapatıldı.