2007 yılında Amsterdam Üniversitesi'ndeki Ermeni soykırımı iddialarına karşılık okul başkanlığına ilettiğim şikayet mektubum

April 27, 2007

TO THE PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM,

Dear Dr XXX,

I am an exchange student at the University of Amsterdam.

On April 18, 2007, in the class titled ''Conflict Studies'', the lecturer, Prof. Paul EFGH, gave a presentation about the history of the conflicts in the Middle East. During his presentation, he mentioned that Turks committed genocide against the Armenians in 1915. The following day, I wrote a complaint letter to Dr. ABC, our faculty dean, to start an investigation, and asked Prof. EFGH to prove his argument. Then, I received a response from Dr. ABC in which he expressed his refusal to my demand to start an investigation or the reasons that freedom of speech could not be restricted in the academia and that “the majority of relevant scholars in the world argued that in terms of our contemporary understanding of the term the events amounted to genocide.” He recommended me to discuss the matter with Prof. XYZ, a specialist working at the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. To that effect, we had a meeting with Prof. XYZ on 3 May, 2007.

For some details of our meeting and the events that happened afterwards, please read carefully the other pages attached to this letter.

The attitudes, as I pointed out in the attached document, of the scholars, Prof. Paul EFGH and Prof. XYZ, at the University of Amsterdam with regards to the Armenian question led me to decide to write this complaint letter to you. They have restricted my personal freedom, as well as freedom in the academia in general, for the following reasons:

By repeating publicly over and over again the same lies and slanders against my nation, they are in the position of provoking the masses against my country, and thus against me. In my view, such kind of attitudes brings restrictions to my freedom of speech in the following way: This does not, of course, prevent me from saying what I want to with regards to the Armenian question. But, these never-ending slanders absolutely prevent me from being able to make people listen and pay attention to what I want to say. That is to say, I cannot make my voice heard although I shout loudly. People are already brainwashed. Even if I put all the evidences onto the table, they still keep on asking “Why don’t you accept the thing you did?” They only want to believe what such scholars as Prof. Paul EFGH and Prof. XYZ claim. Consequently, those speeches and published articles and books of the scholars concerned absolutely, though indirectly, restrict my freedom of speech.

Their continuing lies and pressures to make Turkey recognize the so-called Armenian genocide prevents freedom of exchange of views on the basis of historical research. Prof. XYZ, for instance, clearly and publicly supports, in his articles, the law on denial of Armenian genocide in the European parliaments. My country, including its academicians and students, is asked to come to the conclusion, before being listened to and without (or with wrong) evidence, that her ancestors committed genocide on the Armenian population. The great majority of the scholars, as well as normal citizens, in the world consider it unnecessary to look at the Turkish perspective. As a result, declarations of acknowledgement of so-called Armenian genocide and public apologies are repeatedly demanded from us. This is an impediment in front of free exchange of views in the academia.

These propagandist arguments replicated over and over again is not a form of discussion that falls under provisions of academic freedom and freedom of speech but should be seen and dealt with as a form of harassment. Such forms of harassment are insulting to me. I absolutely feel offended, harassed, and insulted with these pressures and lie arguments which imply, sadly, that I am grandson of the murderers.

Consequently:

At present, it is really hard and oppressive for me to continue the classes under these circumstances. Please I demand a written apology from Prof. Dr. Paul EFGH and Prof. Dr. XYZ for the reasons I mentioned above. Additionally, owing to my sufferings, I demand € 1915 of compensation. In their apology, please I also demand their assurance that such harassments and insults will not happen again.

Of course each and every person has the right, which nobody should restrict, to propose the idea that what the Turks committed against the Armenians in the period concerned was genocide, provided, however, that it is not built on the basis of propagandist evidences and arguments but factual ones.

I cannot deny, however, the fact that Prof. XYZ was very kind towards me in general, which, still, does nothing to detract from the extent of my suffering.

I will be waiting for your response after you read this letter and reach to a conclusion.

Yours faithfully,

Kıvanç Sağır