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*PASTOR SHOCKS TURKISH TV VIEWERS BY BOLD REMARKS ON GENOCIDE*
Even though the Turks are supposed to be on their best behavior in order
to convince the Europeans that they are civilized enough to join the
European Union, they are still extremely intolerant of anyone who dares
to bring up the taboo subject of the Armenian Genocide.
Last month, when Orhan Pamuk, an internationally-known Turkish novelist,
boldly told a foreign reporter that one million Armenians were killed
around 1915, just about all Turkish commentators, historians
(government-paid propagandists) and politicians severely condemned the
writer for making such a statement. A radical Turkish group even called
for the murder of this "traitor." Furthermore, a Turkish publisher is
being prosecuted by the government for releasing the Turkish translation
of an English language book that urges the acknowledgment of the
Armenian Genocide. Around six months ago, in the midst of trying to
qualify for the start of membership talks to join the EU, the Turkish
Parliament adopted a new law that makes it a crime for anyone to
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. If this is how the Turkish government
is acting, while trying to impress the Europeans, imagine what it would
do if its actions were not under scrutiny!
Given all the controversy this issue has generated within Turkey, the
Turkish "Flash TV" decided to air earlier this month a five-hour live
talk show on the Armenian Genocide. The host of the program requested
that the Armenian Patriarchate send a representative to take part in
this show. However, the Patriarchate refused to participate by saying
that it did not have an expert on the subject to be discussed. The host
then invited Rev. Krikor Aghabaloghlu, the outspoken and courageous
pastor of a local Armenian evangelical church, to present "the Armenian
point of view." Rev. Aghabaloghlu is a well-known activist who has
already been jailed once for challenging the confiscation of his
church's property by the Turkish government.
While there have been many talk shows on the Armenian issue, no one has
ever dared to go on Turkish TV and repeatedly assert in a bold and
brazen manner, as Rev. Aghabaloghlu did, that there is no doubt a
genocide was committed against the Armenians. Both Hulki Jevizoglu, the
host of the show, and his main guest, historian Mehmet Saray were
dumb-founded and tongue-tied by the Armenian clergyman's unexpectedly
outspoken remarks. In a very calm and congenial manner, and with always
a smile on his face, Pastor Aghabaloghlu said on national Turkish TV
that all Turks in Anatolia know the truth about the Armenian Genocide.
He said that no one dared to talk about this subject and that anyone who
had the courage to speak about it, is called a traitor, condemned by the
media, taken to court, and sent to jail.
Despite all attempts to shut him up during the show, Rev. Aghabaloghlu
kept on insisting that as a clergyman he has the obligation to tell the
truth. When asked to back up his comments, he said that he knew the
facts first-hand from the experiences of his own family. Besides, he
added, there is plenty of evidence for the Genocide in thousands of
books and that everyone knew that the Armenians in Anatolia were the
victims of Genocide. Otherwise, he said, what did happen to the
Armenians inhabiting that region? Did they evaporate? Did they decide to
migrate en masse? Are there any Armenians left in Anatolia?
Making the Turks even angrier, Rev. Aghabaloghlu said that since
Armenians are mistreated in Turkey today, one can only imagine how much
worse their treatment must have been back then under the Ottoman Empire?
Mehmet Saray, the Turkish historian, was so enraged by the Armenian
clergyman's assertions that he ke
pt asking the host of the show, "where
did you find this man?" Saray said he would have refused to appear on
the show if he had known that he would take part in such a "low quality"
discussion and that his years of research and his books on this issue
would be ignored.
When a viewer from Erzeroum called to say that mass graves of Turks were
recently uncovered, Rev. Aghabaloghlu immediately retorted: "How do you
know that these bones did not belong to Armenians?"
This astounding conversation, broadcast live to millions of Turkish
viewers, went on until the wee hours of the morning.
Rev. Aghabaloghlu is the courageous shepherd not only of his own flock,
but that of all Armenians in Turkey who dare not to speak out fearing
for their lives! The good pastor risked his life by making such bold
remarks on a taboo subject in Turkey. European Union officials should
warn the Turkish government that Turkey's EU membership prospects would
be seriously jeopardized should anything happen to this brave Armenian
servant of God who, as he says, has an obligation to tell the truth!
*/By Harut Sassounian; Publisher, The California Courier/*
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