US embassy cable - 05ISTANBUL1680

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ISTANBUL 001680 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, TU, AM, Istanbul 
SUBJECT: "ALTERNATIVE ARMENIAN CONFERENCE" GOES FORWARD 
WITH GOT SUPPORT 
 
REF: A. ISTANBUL 1655 
 
     B. ANKARA 4951 
     C. ANKARA 3032 
 
1. (U) Summary: The "Alternative Armenian 
Conference" (on Armenians in the late Ottoman 
Empire) unfolded without incident on September 24 and 25 
at a campus of its third organizer, Bilgi University, 
less than 48 hours after an Istanbul court had attempted 
to block it.  Foreign Minister Gul, who, along with PM 
Erdogan, had earlier condemned the court's intervention, 
saluted the initiative and expressed hope it would contribute 
to improving relations with Armenia.  It was a victory of 
courage and persistence for conference organizers and 
presenters; the government,s reaction is without precedent. 
Widely covered in the press, the conference attracted only 
scattered protests, although some participants were 
splattered with tomatoes and eggs.  Still to be seen is the 
reaction of the Turkish legal system, which in the past has 
sought to prosecute those who dared to question Turkish 
orthodoxy on the events of 1915.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU) With GOT encouragement and support, three 
Istanbul universities faced down a court order  and 
nationalist protesters to hold their twice-postponed 
"Alternative Armenian" conference at an "alternative" 
location.  Following Justice Minister Cicek's suggestion, 
conference organizers quickly moved the event to Bilgi 
University, the third co-organizer, unnamed in the court 
injunction (ref A) and opened there on September 23.  The 
original three-day program was condensed into two.  More than 
300 participants stayed for close to 12 hours on both 
Saturday and Sunday to hear panel after panel of historians, 
sociologists and journalists -- more than 40 in total -- 
challenge the traditional Turkish narrative about the mass 
killings and forced deportation of ethnic Armenians in 
1915-1916. 
 
3. (U) Presenters covered topics ranging from academic 
issues (inadequate archival information, biased 
interpretations, and politicization of the issue), to 
historical facts (the relationship between societies in the 
Ottoman Empire, tales of escape, witness reports) and present 
day implications, including the "historical-psychological 
suffocation of Turkish public opinion on the Armenian 
problem."  While the "G Word" -- a term the presenters, 
themselves used in English -- was uttered on more than one 
occasion, participants were at pains to explain that the 
conference's aim was not to decide whether or not genocide 
had been committed, but to freely air academic views on a 
heretofore taboo subject. 
 
A Milestone 
----------- 
 
4. (U) There was an air of nervous excitement and a sense 
that history was being made inside the conference grounds 
Saturday morning, as registrars carefully checked for 
invitations and identity documents.  Even academics who had 
earlier expressed skepticism, saying the event had "lost its 
academic value," acknowledged that the mere fact they were 
holding it marked an important mi\estone.  Several 
participants praised Bilgi University for stepping in at the 
last minute. 
 
5. (SBU) Conference organizing committee member Edhem Eldem 
was modest in his characterization of the event, saying that 
it was perhaps "a little naive" to think the conference would 
change things at a national level.  For his part, 
controversial Turkish scholar Halil Berktay saw the event as 
immensely important and told poloff that the conference was 
no longer about history, but about democracy and the role of 
civil society in Turkey.  Hrant Dink, publisher of Turkey's 
only Armenian-language newspaper, Agos, thought another major 
benefit of the conference could be to soften the Armenian 
diaspora's hard attitudes. 
 
View on GOT Reaction:  Thumbs Up 
-------------------------------- 
 
6. (U) Several conference participants expressed to us 
satisfaction with the government response to Thursday's 
cancellation notice (ref A).  In addition to the Prime 
Minister and Foreign Minister's comments condemning the 
conference's postponement, even Turkey's Higher Education 
Board (YOK), often a source of controversy itself, received 
points from this academic community for its statement 
criticizing the court's intervention.  Participants also 
expressed appreciation for the tone of the messag&*from 
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, delivered at the opening of 
the conference by Bogazici University Rector Ayse Soysal. 
 
7. (U) In his greeting, Gul pledged Turkey would continue 
work in modernizing its archives, and said that a deeper 
examination of history would contribute to improved relations 
between governments and peoples.  He pointed to Turkey and 
Armenia's 1000 years of shared history, during which the two 
societies contributed to each other's culture, prosperity and 
security.  He claimed that 
tolerance toward Armenians in Turkish society "constitutes a 
major advantage for the future of relations between the two 
peoples."  He lamented that many historical studies about 
that "tragic period" were subjective and politicized, and 
stressed that society must learn what happened and draw 
lessons from the facts.  He added that he hoped the 
"alternative" conference would constitute a contribution to 
awareness-raising.  (Complete text of Gul remarks e-mailed to 
EUR/SE.) 
 
More on Content 
--------------- 
 
8. (U) After opening remarks by the rectors of Bogazici, 
Sabanci and Bilgi universities, the first panel comprised 
presenters whom one observer called "the most hated by the 
nationalists" (Murat Belge, Halil Berktay and Selim 
Deringil).  Composed but tense, they kicked off the event, 
and had visually relaxed by the Q and A session.  Throughout 
the day, while not shying away from provocative language 
about historical facts, presenters focused on the importance 
of breaking taboos and confronting denial.  Fikret Adanir, a 
Turkish historian who has for years challenged Turkish 
orthodoxy on the events of 1915, instead of striking a 
controversial tone, noted that the most important thing was 
for the government to brin'about conditions to allow 
everyone to examine all available information for themselves 
and make up their Nn minds.  This remark brought the 
greatest applause of the day on Saturday.  Day two,s 
presentations took oa "therapy s!ssion" character at times, 
with one presenter 4ting that t(Y Qmenian and TMQish 
people needed two clinics:  one for trauma and one 
for paranoia. 
 
9. (U) Throughout the weekend there were lamentations about 
diversity lost forever and "defense mechanisms" used by Turks 
when discussing thE$topic.  TheQighlight of Sunday, however, 
was an emotional presentation by Hrant Dink, who moved many 
in he audience to tears.  Dink, who already has two cases 
opened against him in Istanbul courts for "insulting the 
state," used the expression "I am a person from Turkey," 
rather than a Turk, to descriwe himself anDexplained whyuArmenians feel 
attached to the land here - they want, he 
said, to be buried where they camQ from.  Many drew parallels 
between the "Armenian problem" and the currently Kurdish 
pr-Qlem, with warnings about the danger of the mass 
mobilization of hate. 
 
10. (U) Most questions posed to the panelists were respectful 
an in the spirit of an academic onference.  Examples 
include, "Why did many Armenians run to Syria, still part of 
the Ottoman Empire, if the empire were so evil?" and "Did 
researchers have any exact number of fully emptied villageQC 
around Ankara that had been referenced?"  And from a 
U.S.-based Turkish scholar, "Why didn,t the conference 
organizers invite independent,academic voice+`from the 
Armenian diaspora?" 
 
Lonely disenters, outnumbered protesters 
----------------------------------------- 
 
11. (SBU) A few participants did attempt to interrupt 
speakers and provoke a reaction.  One such interjector 
apparently came from the ranks of the nationalist Turkish 
Forum group, which includes several retired generals.  In 
another instance, one Marmara University professor engaged in 
a loud exchange with several participants.  The incident 
ended quickly, and the professor reportedly decided to leave 
the conference, but not before cameras had captured a heated 
discussion between him and presenter Halil Berktay.  (Note: 
Some academics at the conference told us they wished Berktay 
would not be so provocative; it made them uncomfortable.  End 
note.) 
 
12. (U)  Promised protests were limited, causing 
anti-conference commentators on a Kanal B television program 
Sunday night to appear perplexed as to why so few in a city 
of 15 million had come out to express their outrage.  On 
Saturday morning, some 250-300 Workers Party members 
demonstrated, chanting slogans against, among other things, 
philanthropist George Soros, who contributes to Bilgi 
University.  (Bilgi organizers reportedly took out 300 
sandwiches to offer the protesters, which they refused.)  In 
the afternoon, a demonstration by members of the Nationalist 
People's Party (MHP) was quickly dispersed and, by the time 
participants exited in the afternoon, just a small group of 
protesters lingered.  Despite their relatively small numbers, 
however, protesters did inflict some damage, as they showered 
attendees, including former Deputy Prime Minister Erdal 
Inonu, with eggs and rotten tomatoes.  Inonu nevertheless 
made a dignified exit on foot, refusing to accept police 
offers of a taxi and instead facing down the demonstrators. 
 
13 (SBU) Comment: It is a tribute to the courage and 
persistence of this conference,s organizers and presenters 
that it finally got off the ground.  The government deserves 
plaudits for its defense of the conference,s right to 
proceed this time around. 
 
14.  (SBU) Comment, continued:  This conference represents a 
milestone for academic freedom in Turkey.  It remains to be 
seen if it represents a milestone in freedom of expression as 
well, as it is not out of the question that a prosecutor 
could open a case against one or more participants for their 
remarks to the conference.  (The conference was filmed in its 
entirety by several news agencies, so there will be no 
question about what was actually said.)  But, this conference 
is only the most recent example showing that social change is 
afoot and more open public debate on the rise.  End comment. 
JONES