Contrast the British Canon and the Turkish Newspaper
Listen to Canon Patrick Thomas on BBC Radio 4 for his latest visit to the Matenadaran,
including the story of how a manuscript was transported from Moush to Echmiadzin in 1915.
then scroll down to select the 26 July version of Prayer for the Day
Then read the latest from Turkey:
Turkish Daily News
July 26 2008
An open letter to Senator Obama
Saturday, July 26, 2008
You are in a position to help make history on this difficult and highly emotive issue: Ask the Turks and the Armenians to talk and to listen to each other
O. Faruk LOÃ?Â?OÃ?Â?LU, Turkey
Senator Obama, your inspiring march to the White House has fired the imagination not just of Americans voters, but of many millions more around the world. The promise of change, the willingness to engage and the readiness to hear and listen have succeeded in creating a truly global community of believers in your message. If you are elected the next American president, your choices and decisions will interplay with the hopes of men and women everywhere. It is an
unprecedented, huge responsibility, but also a historic and unique opportunity never before had by any of your predecessors. To bring about positive, beneficial change, you will need to properly
understand the challenges before you, be impartial, creative and possess a sense of justice and balance. You amply project these qualities. In your memoirs, you identify among the values you hold dear "honesty," "fairness," "straight talk" and "independent judgment." These are admirable references.
Getting Armenian claims right:
This is why I felt addressing this letter at this time might be helpful to you on an issue of tremendous importance to the Turkish people. I refer to the Armenian claims of genocide. So far, you have taken a nearly categorical stand in support of the Armenian views on
the matter. Some may attribute your stance to the exigencies of election politics. Nevertheless, the insistent nature of your attitude on the Armenian claims suggests that you have arrived at your considered opinion after obviously giving some thought to the matter. I wish only to remind you of a few key facts in this
connection and invite you to reflect on them. First, the veracity of the claims of genocide is profoundly contested. The Turks and the Armenians have diametrically opposed versions of the same set of events that occurred nearly a century ago. Their narratives are different and seemingly incompatible. Both sides challenge the authenticity of the documentary evidence offered by the other. Moreover, there is wide discrepancy over the number of lives lost on each side. The disagreement on what happened in 1915 is, however, not just between the Turks and the Armenians. Historians and other scholars of third parties are also deeply divided over the issue. Both sides can come up with long lists of names in support of their
views. Notwithstanding the Armenian claims to the contrary, it is therefore a matter far from having been settled in favor of either party. Second, the internationally accepted standard for establishing the act of genocide beyond challenge is missing in the Armenian case. This is the absence of a ruling from an authorized legal tribunal.
The Armenians have never proposed to take their case to court. No court has addressed the case or found the Turks guilty as charged. Clearly, resolutions of parliamentary bodies or pronouncements of eminent personalities, including politicians, cannot serve as substitutes for court judgments. Third, historical issues that have divided nations have ultimately always required for their resolution dialogue and conciliation. The Armenian Diasporas are trying to dictate their particular version of history to the international
community as the truth. The Turks are defending their own truth. The various attempts at dialogue so far have been to no avail because for the Armenians the only legitimate purpose of these exercises is for the Turks to admit to the crime of genocide. So long as the two sides fail to come together, the wounds between these great peoples will not be healed. Finally, the Turkish government, with the unanimous backing of the Turkish Parliament, has formally proposed to the Armenian government the establishment of a joint commission of scholars and researchers to delve into the matter, examining all the relevant documentation and evidence. The Commission is open to the participation of third party representatives. It would work in transparency. The Turkish government has committed itself to the a priori acceptance of the findings of such a commission. This is a brave and honest proposal. Only recently and in a remarkable first by any international body, the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE endorsed the validity and importance of the Turkish initiative.
Conciliation and dialogue:
Our times call for conciliation and dialogue. Perfunctory dismissal of the Turkish viewpoint would certainly please the Armenian lobby in America. However, it would hurt the Turkish people immensely and deal a serious and lasting blow to the all-important Turkish-American
relationship. Upholding the values of fairness and independent judgment you and so many of us so dearly cherish should lead you to review the Armenian question in a broader context. You are in a position to help make history on this difficult and highly emotive issue: Ask the Turks and the Armenians to talk and to listen to each other. That is the road to change. That is the road to conciliation between Turks and Armenians.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 26 2008
An open letter to Senator Obama
Saturday, July 26, 2008
You are in a position to help make history on this difficult and highly emotive issue: Ask the Turks and the Armenians to talk and to listen to each other
O. Faruk LOÃ?Â?OÃ?Â?LU, Turkey
Senator Obama, your inspiring march to the White House has fired the imagination not just of Americans voters, but of many millions more around the world. The promise of change, the willingness to engage and the readiness to hear and listen have succeeded in creating a truly global community of believers in your message. If you are elected the next American president, your choices and decisions will interplay with the hopes of men and women everywhere. It is an
unprecedented, huge responsibility, but also a historic and unique opportunity never before had by any of your predecessors. To bring about positive, beneficial change, you will need to properly
understand the challenges before you, be impartial, creative and possess a sense of justice and balance. You amply project these qualities. In your memoirs, you identify among the values you hold dear "honesty," "fairness," "straight talk" and "independent judgment." These are admirable references.
Getting Armenian claims right:
This is why I felt addressing this letter at this time might be helpful to you on an issue of tremendous importance to the Turkish people. I refer to the Armenian claims of genocide. So far, you have taken a nearly categorical stand in support of the Armenian views on
the matter. Some may attribute your stance to the exigencies of election politics. Nevertheless, the insistent nature of your attitude on the Armenian claims suggests that you have arrived at your considered opinion after obviously giving some thought to the matter. I wish only to remind you of a few key facts in this
connection and invite you to reflect on them. First, the veracity of the claims of genocide is profoundly contested. The Turks and the Armenians have diametrically opposed versions of the same set of events that occurred nearly a century ago. Their narratives are different and seemingly incompatible. Both sides challenge the authenticity of the documentary evidence offered by the other. Moreover, there is wide discrepancy over the number of lives lost on each side. The disagreement on what happened in 1915 is, however, not just between the Turks and the Armenians. Historians and other scholars of third parties are also deeply divided over the issue. Both sides can come up with long lists of names in support of their
views. Notwithstanding the Armenian claims to the contrary, it is therefore a matter far from having been settled in favor of either party. Second, the internationally accepted standard for establishing the act of genocide beyond challenge is missing in the Armenian case. This is the absence of a ruling from an authorized legal tribunal.
The Armenians have never proposed to take their case to court. No court has addressed the case or found the Turks guilty as charged. Clearly, resolutions of parliamentary bodies or pronouncements of eminent personalities, including politicians, cannot serve as substitutes for court judgments. Third, historical issues that have divided nations have ultimately always required for their resolution dialogue and conciliation. The Armenian Diasporas are trying to dictate their particular version of history to the international
community as the truth. The Turks are defending their own truth. The various attempts at dialogue so far have been to no avail because for the Armenians the only legitimate purpose of these exercises is for the Turks to admit to the crime of genocide. So long as the two sides fail to come together, the wounds between these great peoples will not be healed. Finally, the Turkish government, with the unanimous backing of the Turkish Parliament, has formally proposed to the Armenian government the establishment of a joint commission of scholars and researchers to delve into the matter, examining all the relevant documentation and evidence. The Commission is open to the participation of third party representatives. It would work in transparency. The Turkish government has committed itself to the a priori acceptance of the findings of such a commission. This is a brave and honest proposal. Only recently and in a remarkable first by any international body, the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE endorsed the validity and importance of the Turkish initiative.
Conciliation and dialogue:
Our times call for conciliation and dialogue. Perfunctory dismissal of the Turkish viewpoint would certainly please the Armenian lobby in America. However, it would hurt the Turkish people immensely and deal a serious and lasting blow to the all-important Turkish-American
relationship. Upholding the values of fairness and independent judgment you and so many of us so dearly cherish should lead you to review the Armenian question in a broader context. You are in a position to help make history on this difficult and highly emotive issue: Ask the Turks and the Armenians to talk and to listen to each other. That is the road to change. That is the road to conciliation between Turks and Armenians.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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