1660) Symposium by Prof. Justin McCarthy at Marmara University, Istanbul, 2005

The following notes from a special symposium where prof. McCharthy presented valuable information on the Armenian propoganda is being provided which may be helpful in the preparation of material opposing the HR 106 on Armenian issue.Valuable information on this issue is also provided in a commentary by Holdwater issued on 1 Nov. 2004, also sent to turkla.com editor. . .

Following a speech at the Turkish Grand National Assembly on March 24, 2005, Prof. Dr. Justin McCharty made a presentation at a Special Symposium at Marmara University on March 25, introduced by the Rector of Marmara University, Prof. Dr. Tunc Erem. Ms Bayraktar from the University read Prof. McCarthy's impressive CV to an audience that included professors, retired generals, several deputies, Sukru Elekdag and Onur Oymen among them, the US Consul, President of Turkish American Association Dr. Ata Erim, students and many interested people.

Prof. McCarthy began by stating that his presentation today would be different from the speech at the Grand National Assembly, and that rather than telling the history of the events, he would concentrate on the propoganda that has been and is being carried out by the Armenians which includes deliberate deceptions, distortions, fabrications and outright lies. ''So many lies, too little time to tell'' remarked the Distinguished Professor of Arts and Sciences from the University of Louisville, Kentucky. These were presented under four categories:

1. Demographic information. Prof McCharthy presented details of the population in the eastern vilayets on the first slide, followed by several others which showed discrepancies between the Russian records, the Armenian Patriach records and the Ottoman records. The Ottoman records indicate that the Armenian population in 1912 in the 6 provinces (Erzurum, Van, Elazig, Sivas, Bitlis and Trabzon) was never more than a third of the total population, amounting to 1,018,000. By inventing rounded numbers, the Armenians inflated this to 1,910,000.

2. 1,500,000 Armenians killed. Prof. McCharty's first comment was, ''Where did this come from? - out of the air.'' Probably no more than 600,00 Armenians due to a variety of causes, which was first reported in the fifties as being 600,000, than incresed to 800,000. Now they claim 1,500,000, which is more Armenians than ever lived in those regions, characterizing this as a ''deliberate deception''.

3. Documents, forged, fabricated and distorted. ''There was no proof of a genocide, therefore, the Armenians had to invent documents and distort existing ones; if you have no evidence, you make up'' stated Prof. McCarthy and presented an evaluation of the Malta trials, the telegrams attributed to Talat Pasa, supposedly by someone named Naim Bey, referring to the annihiliation of the Armenians, whose existence has never been proven. Prof. McCarthy also presented a slide showing the real and fake signatures of Abdulhalik, one of the Ottoman officals complicated in the events and remarked: ''Armenian nationalists should come out and admit that they were either confused or lied about the documents''. Than, Prof. McCharthy talked in length about the book written by Arnold Toynbee and James Bryce, ''The Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire'' known as the ''Blue Book'' and stated that most of the information in the book was provided by the Christian Missionaries and the foreign consulates (and the US Embassy in Constantinople) in Turkey, some even by non existent individuals.

4. Trials

McCarthy beriefly presented information on the trials that took place where false documents were presented, although some evidence presented were correct, and stated that Damat Ferit Pasa, the Grand Vizier at the time, did everything wrong and lied at the trails in order to preserve his position.

Question and Answer period

During the question period, I first conveyed the apprecaition of an elderly lady who had watched Prof McCarthy on TV and wanted to thank the professor for defending the Turks. Than I asked if the Panel exhibited on the 3rd floor of the US Holocaust Museum in WDC which displayes a quotation atttributed to Hitler , ''After all who remembers the annihiliation of the Armenians'' should be removed. ''Absolutely'' responded Prof. McCarthy and asked Melih Berk in the audience to briefly present his efforts in asking the Museum officials for the removal of the panel, which has been at the museum since its opening 12 years ago. Mr. Berk stated that the museum director responded to his letter with a note that they are looking into if Hitler had made that statement.

Then Sukru Elekdag asked about Toynbee's comment afterwards that he did not know the book was published for propoganda purposes, which Prof. McCarty did not agree with, and why the words ''Turk'' and ''Moslem'' were used interchangably. Professor responded by stating that the Ottomans referred to the population based on their religions, and therefore, ''Moslem'' is used extensively. However, when referring to people where Turks were in the majority, such as Ankara and Edirne, he referred to them as ''Turks''. Dr. Onur Oymen and a lady also asked questions, to which Prof. McCarthy responded and the symposium ended with a positive statement from Prof. McCarthy that the ''Turks should tell the world the truth about the Armenian allegations and books written by distinguished Turkish historians should be translated in to foreign languages. Truth has a way of winning.''

Reception at the impressive Marmara Universtity Rector Building

Over 500 attendees were invited to a reception after the symposium where a musical group also presented a mini concert. During the conversation, I asked Prof. McCarthy about Prof. Turkkaya Ataov's efforts in the fight against the Armenian propoganda. He mentioned that he had received an e-mail on Prof. Ataov's presentation at the Turkish Center in New York City on March 18 and that he is doing an excellent job in presenting the truth about the many faces of the Armenian issue.

As a last comment and as a concerned Turkish-American, I would like to thank Prof. McCarthy for his courageous efforts in telling the truth and his books, to Prof Tunc Erdem for hosting Prof. McCarthy at an excellent symposium and to Sukru Elekdag and the Republican Peoples Party for inviting Prof. McCarthy to Turkey and starting the fight against the greatest lie of the twentieth century.

Yuksel Oktay, PE
March 26, 2005
Istanbul

PS: Prof McCarthy revealed that he is working on a new book on the ''Van Rebellions'' and the role of the Christian Missionaries in the Armenian issue.

Below is a letter that was sent to Boston Globe in relation to an editorial on the Armenian issue.

Armenians who think like you should learn something from those who tell the truth and not close your eyes to the massacres of the Turks committed by the Armenians and acknowledge the facts. The plain truth is, as stated by many, the Armenians used propoganda, agitation, rebellion, armed volience, back-stabbing, betrayal, exatterations, fabrications and outright lies between 1890 and 1915 and international terrorism between 1922 and 2001 to serve their goals. Many foreign writers helped ther , simply because they were Christians, by writing one-sided and imaginary artciles and books, such as Epstein...

Let me share with you some good news that there are some Armenians who are now acknowledging that both the Turks and the Armenians lived through tradegies inflicted on both sides by fanatics on both sides. A young French Armenian, Sofi Balabanyan, in an interview published in August 20, 2004 issue of AGOS newspaper, states that grand children of both the Turks and the Armenians who died suffer the same trauma. Balabayan, who states that she is discovering her Armenian past, seems to be a reasonable person and visited Turkey in August, 2004 ,visiting her grandparents' village Istanoz near Ankara on the way to Syria as part of the 90th anniversary of the events of 1915. Reconciliation is only possible through communication and consideration. For the benefit of both the Turkish and Armenian children of the future, reconciliation should be a must.
04/03/07

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