declarations - Istanbul Historian Conference Halted by the Turkish Government
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 20:51:12 -0400
From: "Gocek, Fatma" <gocek@umich.edu>
To: armworkshop@umich.edu
Cc: aishalabi@hotmail.com, belindacooper@aya.yale.edu
Subject: declarations
dear colleagues,
below please find, as promised, the press declarationsthat were made on may 25th.
This is the Sabanci University press release (Sabanci was one of the three universities sponsoring the conference):
To the Attention of the PublicThe presidency of Bosphorus University that was to host the conference 'Ottoman Armenians at the End of Empire: Academic Responsibility and Issues of Democracy' has been forced to decide to postpone it. The declaration of the Bosphorus University presidency notes that the university was saddened to be confronted with 'serious accusations' because of this conference organized to provide 'a context for scientific discussion;' criticizes the 'expression of prejudices on the contents of a conference that had not yet been actualized;' and conveys that by so doing, a condition and context harmful to academic freedom have been created.
And these are indeed extremely serious issues. The universities in Turkey can, as independent institutions, organize meetings on a variety of topics; likewise, the various initiatives in science and ways of thought can hold, under the roof of the university, meetings around a perspective and platform that they themselves articulate. Those who oppose these meetings can criticize them in one way or another. But what is most important is the freedom to be able to hold such meetings. In addition to being educational institutions, the universities also serve as the guarantors of and as an umbrella for free and creative discussions on topics that are of interest to the country and the world. In the final analysis, they can contribute to societal progress by virtue of their members' total possession of the freedom of research, thought and expression.It is extremely distressing and dreadful that, in opposition to these universal values that have also been assimilated in Turkey, the 25-27 May conference at Bosphorus University was brought, because of prejudices and serious accusations, to the point of not being actualized. Not only does this consequence seriously harm the development of the freedom of thought, democracy and civil society, but I worry that it will also become, in the future within the international arena, a significant impediment to Turkey.
Professor Tosun TerziogluPresidentSabanci UniversityAnd here is the coverage of the press conference of Bosphorus University as reported in the newspaper Milliyet on 25 May 2005:
'Bosphorus University: the aim is not to make a choice between two opposing extremes'
Professors Selim Deringil and Edhem Eldem, faculty members of the Bosphorus University history department organized a press conference at the university because of the postponement of the conference on the subject of 'Ottoman Armenians at the End of Empire: Academic Responsibility and Issues of Democracy.
'In relation to the postponed 'Conference on the Armenian Question,' professor Selim Deringil of Bosphorus University history department said: 'our aim is not to make a choice between two opposing and irreconcilable extremes but to search for ways to present, as objectively as possible, the thoughts, experiences and actions of people who lived and died a century ago.
'Professor Edhem Eldem who spoke at the meeting reminded [those present] that because of the developments that occurred yesterday, the BU presidency took a decision to defer the conference it was going to host. Professor Eldem stated that they, as Bosphorus University members of the organizing committee, participated in the process that led to the formulation of this decision which was undertaken with great sorrow: 'We want to note that we fully support our administration on this decision. It is disturbing that a state university that holds academic freedom above all else and that has responsibly maintained this attitude up until this day has been identified, with unjust accusations, as a target. The one that would lose the most as a consequence of these developments will, unfortunately, be Turkey.' Professor Eldem then noted that the stand that would be adopted in relation to this decision would emerge from the joint discussions of the organizing and advisory committees of the conference and added: 'We think that, as such, it would be a mistake to make a guess or an announcement. But in order to give you a sense of the content of this conference which did not actualize, we think it would be most appropriate for you to hear a small section from the opening remarks my colleague Selim Deringil would have delivered had there been a conference today.
'Professor Deringil also noted that this conference was convened for the discussion of some topics that are not overtly researched perhaps because it is preferred that they remain in the dark and said 'I have to clarify right away that the aim here is not engage in a legal debate. The aim here is to see, hear, listen and understand, or at least try to understand.
'Professor Deringil defended the view that this question was until now debated in a one-sided manner both in Turkey and in Armenia as well as among the Armenian communities identified as the diaspora and claimed that the sides accused one another through a debate that centered around the attributes of the 1915-1917 events [equipped] with totally opposite figures, documents and strong assertions. Professor Deringil noted the following: 'Our aim is to leave this conflictual and barren style aside to [instead] approach the issue in a much wider historical context. It is for this reason that not only did we cover the pre-1915 period but we also tried not to overlook the stages through which the problem has evolved until today. It is for this reason that those who participated in the conference have been careful to scrutinize all types of documents and to comprehend all sorts of explanations. Our aim is not to make a choice between two opposing and irreconcilable extremes, but to search for ways to present, as objectively as possible, the thoughts, experiences and actions of people who lived and died a century ago. In so doing, we will probably be subjected to criticisms from both sides. But perhaps this is the unavoidable cost of rescuing history from politics.' Stating that the freedom of discussion in a country was the only road for progress, Professor Deringil noted that such a discussion environment had not been created until today. Deringil said 'yet this country deserves much better than this and has the knowledge and maturity to achieve it.' In the meanwhile, in front of the university, a group comprising of students made a declaration in support of their professors.I now present you with two declarations, one made by the Council of Higher Education (YOK) which is the governing body of the universities in Turkey and the other by the Historical Foundation, a civil society organization.
The text below is from the newspaper Milliyet dated 25 May 2005 and represents the viewpoint of the Turkish Council of Higher Education:'Armenian Conference' Criticism from the Council of Higher Education: it is unfortunate in the name of higher education'
In the declaration of the Council of Higher Education (YOK) regarding the meeting on the subject 'Ottoman Armenians at the End of Empire: Academic Responsibility and Issues of Democracy', it was noted that 'it is unfortunate for Turkish higher education that such formulations can take place in university settings.
'In the declaration issued by YOK, it was expressed that one of the basic functions of universities was to widely disseminate the knowledge acquired from research.
The declaration, which noted that this dissemination could take place through various activities such as meetings, conferences and scientific publications, also declared that science necessitated, in this process, the presence of all types of thought and viewpoints. The declaration contained the following:
'Yet according to the May 17th 2005 press release of the organizing committee of the conference planned for 25-27 May 2005 through the joint endeavors of the faculty of the Bosphorus, Bilgi and Sabanci Universities, the purpose of the conference was expressed as 'it is time for Turkey's own academics and intellectuals to collectively raise their voices that are different from the official theses and present their contributions. These expressions and the declarations of some members of the organizing committee that support such expressions demonstrate that this conference does not allow space on the topic for other thoughts and viewpoints. The opinion has been reached that the aforementioned conference cannot be one of those scientific conferences whose attributes have been discussed above. It has [therefore] been evaluated that it is unfortunate for Turkish higher education to have such formulations find a space for themselves in university settings.
'The text below which was e-mailed to us is the press declaration of the Historical Foundation, a civil society organization:
'The Declaration of the Turkish Historical Foundation: Our Country Shall Overcome the Chauvinism and Bigotry of the 19th Century'
The cancellation of the Ottoman Armenians conference organized through the collaboration of the Bilgi, Sabanci and Bosphorus Universities that was to start today indicates, before all else, that Turkey has suffered a very serious failure in the test of democracy.
Turkey's hegemonic cadres have not been able to tolerate the discussions, within a university [context] and among themselves, of a group of our intellectuals who possess very different interpretations on various dimensions of the Armenian issue and yet approach the topic not through 'national propaganda,' but from the perspective of various fields of expertise within the fields of history and the social sciences.
Turkish chauvinist-nationalism that for many decades has isolated Turkey and only contributed, in the international arena, to the gain of Armenian nationalism has once again blocked peace, democracy and mutual understanding in our country with a campaign of prejudiced slander initiated at one of the most significant platforms of the test of democracy, [namely] the Turkish National Assembly, by, on top of it all, a deputy from the opposition [party].
Scientific meetings are not platforms for debate. And the only point of debate regarding the Armenian problem is not [restricted to] the terminology to be employed for the 1915 deportation. The claims of those who have tried, through the taboos they have created till today, to turn our universities into the vocational schools of a provincial world, who have attempted to completely annihilate the opportunities for a plurality of debates [to take place] in the fields of history and the social sciences and with it the environment for scientific research, that this conference only provides space for one thesis and is intolerant to [the presence of] a multiplicity of perspectives are not convincing.
That the vulgar insults and threats directed to Bosphorus University which are contrary to the essence of the concept of a university have been expressed by a government spokesman is not only an unacceptable attitude against our scientific institutions and academic freedom, but it is also, in terms of our intellectual life, a horrific development that goes against both the government's own program as well as its national and international commitments.
As a civil society organization that for fourteen years has been active in the field of history, we once again declare on this occasion that we are in solidarity with our three universities that have been subjected to unjust attacks during the preparation stage of a scientific conference and with all the people of science who work on topics that are considered taboos.
The Historical Foundation that takes a stand against religious, ethnic and cultural discrimination and that works to transform history in Turkey from a prose of self-congratulation to a scientific endeavor will, in spite of all hindrances, continue to contribute to the understanding of all significant processes of Turkish history through scientific research and discussion, and will work jointly with all individuals and organizations that share this vision.
Orhan SilierDirector of the Administrative Council
i'll be in touch,
müge
Associate Professor Fatma Muge Gocek
University of Michigan
Sociology Department1225 S. University AvenueAnn Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: (734) 647-4228
Fax: (734) 763-6887
From: "Gocek, Fatma" <gocek@umich.edu>
To: armworkshop@umich.edu
Cc: aishalabi@hotmail.com, belindacooper@aya.yale.edu
Subject: declarations
dear colleagues,
below please find, as promised, the press declarationsthat were made on may 25th.
This is the Sabanci University press release (Sabanci was one of the three universities sponsoring the conference):
To the Attention of the PublicThe presidency of Bosphorus University that was to host the conference 'Ottoman Armenians at the End of Empire: Academic Responsibility and Issues of Democracy' has been forced to decide to postpone it. The declaration of the Bosphorus University presidency notes that the university was saddened to be confronted with 'serious accusations' because of this conference organized to provide 'a context for scientific discussion;' criticizes the 'expression of prejudices on the contents of a conference that had not yet been actualized;' and conveys that by so doing, a condition and context harmful to academic freedom have been created.
And these are indeed extremely serious issues. The universities in Turkey can, as independent institutions, organize meetings on a variety of topics; likewise, the various initiatives in science and ways of thought can hold, under the roof of the university, meetings around a perspective and platform that they themselves articulate. Those who oppose these meetings can criticize them in one way or another. But what is most important is the freedom to be able to hold such meetings. In addition to being educational institutions, the universities also serve as the guarantors of and as an umbrella for free and creative discussions on topics that are of interest to the country and the world. In the final analysis, they can contribute to societal progress by virtue of their members' total possession of the freedom of research, thought and expression.It is extremely distressing and dreadful that, in opposition to these universal values that have also been assimilated in Turkey, the 25-27 May conference at Bosphorus University was brought, because of prejudices and serious accusations, to the point of not being actualized. Not only does this consequence seriously harm the development of the freedom of thought, democracy and civil society, but I worry that it will also become, in the future within the international arena, a significant impediment to Turkey.
Professor Tosun TerziogluPresidentSabanci UniversityAnd here is the coverage of the press conference of Bosphorus University as reported in the newspaper Milliyet on 25 May 2005:
'Bosphorus University: the aim is not to make a choice between two opposing extremes'
Professors Selim Deringil and Edhem Eldem, faculty members of the Bosphorus University history department organized a press conference at the university because of the postponement of the conference on the subject of 'Ottoman Armenians at the End of Empire: Academic Responsibility and Issues of Democracy.
'In relation to the postponed 'Conference on the Armenian Question,' professor Selim Deringil of Bosphorus University history department said: 'our aim is not to make a choice between two opposing and irreconcilable extremes but to search for ways to present, as objectively as possible, the thoughts, experiences and actions of people who lived and died a century ago.
'Professor Edhem Eldem who spoke at the meeting reminded [those present] that because of the developments that occurred yesterday, the BU presidency took a decision to defer the conference it was going to host. Professor Eldem stated that they, as Bosphorus University members of the organizing committee, participated in the process that led to the formulation of this decision which was undertaken with great sorrow: 'We want to note that we fully support our administration on this decision. It is disturbing that a state university that holds academic freedom above all else and that has responsibly maintained this attitude up until this day has been identified, with unjust accusations, as a target. The one that would lose the most as a consequence of these developments will, unfortunately, be Turkey.' Professor Eldem then noted that the stand that would be adopted in relation to this decision would emerge from the joint discussions of the organizing and advisory committees of the conference and added: 'We think that, as such, it would be a mistake to make a guess or an announcement. But in order to give you a sense of the content of this conference which did not actualize, we think it would be most appropriate for you to hear a small section from the opening remarks my colleague Selim Deringil would have delivered had there been a conference today.
'Professor Deringil also noted that this conference was convened for the discussion of some topics that are not overtly researched perhaps because it is preferred that they remain in the dark and said 'I have to clarify right away that the aim here is not engage in a legal debate. The aim here is to see, hear, listen and understand, or at least try to understand.
'Professor Deringil defended the view that this question was until now debated in a one-sided manner both in Turkey and in Armenia as well as among the Armenian communities identified as the diaspora and claimed that the sides accused one another through a debate that centered around the attributes of the 1915-1917 events [equipped] with totally opposite figures, documents and strong assertions. Professor Deringil noted the following: 'Our aim is to leave this conflictual and barren style aside to [instead] approach the issue in a much wider historical context. It is for this reason that not only did we cover the pre-1915 period but we also tried not to overlook the stages through which the problem has evolved until today. It is for this reason that those who participated in the conference have been careful to scrutinize all types of documents and to comprehend all sorts of explanations. Our aim is not to make a choice between two opposing and irreconcilable extremes, but to search for ways to present, as objectively as possible, the thoughts, experiences and actions of people who lived and died a century ago. In so doing, we will probably be subjected to criticisms from both sides. But perhaps this is the unavoidable cost of rescuing history from politics.' Stating that the freedom of discussion in a country was the only road for progress, Professor Deringil noted that such a discussion environment had not been created until today. Deringil said 'yet this country deserves much better than this and has the knowledge and maturity to achieve it.' In the meanwhile, in front of the university, a group comprising of students made a declaration in support of their professors.I now present you with two declarations, one made by the Council of Higher Education (YOK) which is the governing body of the universities in Turkey and the other by the Historical Foundation, a civil society organization.
The text below is from the newspaper Milliyet dated 25 May 2005 and represents the viewpoint of the Turkish Council of Higher Education:'Armenian Conference' Criticism from the Council of Higher Education: it is unfortunate in the name of higher education'
In the declaration of the Council of Higher Education (YOK) regarding the meeting on the subject 'Ottoman Armenians at the End of Empire: Academic Responsibility and Issues of Democracy', it was noted that 'it is unfortunate for Turkish higher education that such formulations can take place in university settings.
'In the declaration issued by YOK, it was expressed that one of the basic functions of universities was to widely disseminate the knowledge acquired from research.
The declaration, which noted that this dissemination could take place through various activities such as meetings, conferences and scientific publications, also declared that science necessitated, in this process, the presence of all types of thought and viewpoints. The declaration contained the following:
'Yet according to the May 17th 2005 press release of the organizing committee of the conference planned for 25-27 May 2005 through the joint endeavors of the faculty of the Bosphorus, Bilgi and Sabanci Universities, the purpose of the conference was expressed as 'it is time for Turkey's own academics and intellectuals to collectively raise their voices that are different from the official theses and present their contributions. These expressions and the declarations of some members of the organizing committee that support such expressions demonstrate that this conference does not allow space on the topic for other thoughts and viewpoints. The opinion has been reached that the aforementioned conference cannot be one of those scientific conferences whose attributes have been discussed above. It has [therefore] been evaluated that it is unfortunate for Turkish higher education to have such formulations find a space for themselves in university settings.
'The text below which was e-mailed to us is the press declaration of the Historical Foundation, a civil society organization:
'The Declaration of the Turkish Historical Foundation: Our Country Shall Overcome the Chauvinism and Bigotry of the 19th Century'
The cancellation of the Ottoman Armenians conference organized through the collaboration of the Bilgi, Sabanci and Bosphorus Universities that was to start today indicates, before all else, that Turkey has suffered a very serious failure in the test of democracy.
Turkey's hegemonic cadres have not been able to tolerate the discussions, within a university [context] and among themselves, of a group of our intellectuals who possess very different interpretations on various dimensions of the Armenian issue and yet approach the topic not through 'national propaganda,' but from the perspective of various fields of expertise within the fields of history and the social sciences.
Turkish chauvinist-nationalism that for many decades has isolated Turkey and only contributed, in the international arena, to the gain of Armenian nationalism has once again blocked peace, democracy and mutual understanding in our country with a campaign of prejudiced slander initiated at one of the most significant platforms of the test of democracy, [namely] the Turkish National Assembly, by, on top of it all, a deputy from the opposition [party].
Scientific meetings are not platforms for debate. And the only point of debate regarding the Armenian problem is not [restricted to] the terminology to be employed for the 1915 deportation. The claims of those who have tried, through the taboos they have created till today, to turn our universities into the vocational schools of a provincial world, who have attempted to completely annihilate the opportunities for a plurality of debates [to take place] in the fields of history and the social sciences and with it the environment for scientific research, that this conference only provides space for one thesis and is intolerant to [the presence of] a multiplicity of perspectives are not convincing.
That the vulgar insults and threats directed to Bosphorus University which are contrary to the essence of the concept of a university have been expressed by a government spokesman is not only an unacceptable attitude against our scientific institutions and academic freedom, but it is also, in terms of our intellectual life, a horrific development that goes against both the government's own program as well as its national and international commitments.
As a civil society organization that for fourteen years has been active in the field of history, we once again declare on this occasion that we are in solidarity with our three universities that have been subjected to unjust attacks during the preparation stage of a scientific conference and with all the people of science who work on topics that are considered taboos.
The Historical Foundation that takes a stand against religious, ethnic and cultural discrimination and that works to transform history in Turkey from a prose of self-congratulation to a scientific endeavor will, in spite of all hindrances, continue to contribute to the understanding of all significant processes of Turkish history through scientific research and discussion, and will work jointly with all individuals and organizations that share this vision.
Orhan SilierDirector of the Administrative Council
i'll be in touch,
müge
Associate Professor Fatma Muge Gocek
University of Michigan
Sociology Department1225 S. University AvenueAnn Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: (734) 647-4228
Fax: (734) 763-6887
posted by Vahe Balabanian at 6:28 AM
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