The Shabbiness of the Denial of the Armenian Genocide – Ragip Zarakolu

Famous Turkish publisher, human rights activist, and publicist Ragip Zarakolu in his article published on the Ozgur-gundem website speaks of “historians” denying the Armenian Genocide and recalls the worries expressed by the Armenian communities for 100 years, noting that the latter only this year (2015 ) decided to organize events to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

According to Tert.am, Zarakolu notes that new historians and researchers who deny the Armenian Genocide turned to Russian sources in an attempt to expose the “betrayal” of the Armenians and show that with the assistance of Russian troops, the Armenians also massacred the Muslim people. What will this selective approach lead to?

“The searches of these scholars come down to an attempt to prove that the Armenians deserved the Genocide. However, they are not aware that with this denial, they accept the fact of the Genocide,” the article says.

“By linking civilian casualties, contagious diseases, and famine to these events, historians are reducing the number of casualties. Some “scholars” note that the death toll is incorrect since many Armenians have returned. They haven’t died but simply changed their religion. See, some are alive.

Saying all this, they don’t even notice that they recognize the 1948 UN Convention on the Armenian Genocide, but in different wording,” the scientist writes. Such an approach can only be described as “the shabbiness of denial.”

Zarakolu is also affected by the difficulties faced by the Armenian community in Turkey when mentioning the Armenian Genocide and notes that commemorative events began to be held only in recent years.

Only in 2008, the Human Rights Council organized a discussion at the Turkish University of Bilgi. Ara Safaryan gave an opening speech at the meeting. In 2009, the Human Rights Council held a closed event.

In 2010, the Council held a symbolic event at the Aydarpasha railway station, at the very spot from which representatives of the Armenian intelligentsia, including great musician Komitas, had been deported on April 24, 1915.