KeghartResponse of Armenian Intellectuals to Turkish Intellectuals regarding the on-line statement "I Apologize"
Posted in Nouvelles d'Arménie on-line Magazine.
Response of Armenian Intellectuals to Turkish Intellectuals regarding the on-line statement "I Apologize"
Posted in Nouvelles d'Arménie on-line Magazine.
The Petition is now closed
15 Janvier, 2009
Merci aux citoyens de Turquie qui viennent de lancer une pétition pour demander pardon, à titre individuel, aux Arméniens d’aujourd’hui.
Ils ont décidé publiquement, en leur âme et conscience, de ne plus supporter le déni auquel on les a soumis depuis bientôt 94 ans. Par leur geste sans précédent, ils reconnaissent que la négation des victimes du génocide de 1915 a pour conséquence la négation des blessures morales des survivants et descendants.
Conscient des risques qu’ils encourent, je décide à mon tour de répondre autrement que par l’indifférence, la critique ou l’attentisme. Citoyen du monde et enfant de rescapés arméniens, j’exprime ma reconnaissance aux signataires pour leur courage.
Le déni et le mensonge ont fait et continuent à faire le lit de l’extrémisme, générant haine et souffrance. Toute forme de violence doit maintenant appartenir à un passé révolu.
Aujourd’hui peut venir le temps de la vérité qui apaise, de la rencontre et du partage. C’est la voie ouverte par Hrant Dink. Je crois à la forte détermination des hommes et des femmes, de part et d’autre, pour accélérer ce processus sur le plan humain.
La société civile turque est en droit de savoir, librement et individuellement, tout ce qui s’est passé. Partout et aussi en Turquie, l’information et les livres existent, des témoignages et des traces sont encore là, les paroles se délient malgré et contre les dénégations d’Etat.
Dans ce contexte, j’accueille cette initiative comme un signe authentique d’espoir et de progrès historique et, personnellement, je la soutiens.
English Version
I thank the Turkish citizens who started an online petition to apologize, for their share, to the Armenians of today.
They took the decision in conscience and publicly to no longer support the denial they were involved in for 94 years. With this unprecedented event, they do recognize that denying 1915 genocide victims implies as a consequence the denial of the moral injuries of the survivors and their descendants.
Being aware of the risks they run, I decide in my turn, to respond in a manner other than indifference, criticism or abiding time. Citizen of the world and child of Armenian survivors, I express my gratitude to the signatories for their courage.
Denial and lies have been and continue to make the bed of extremism, generating hatred and suffering. Any form of violence must now belong to a bygone past.
Today the time may have arrived for truth that soothes, for encounters and for sharing. This is the path opened by Hrant Dink. I believe in the strong determination of men and women on both sides to accelerate this process on a human level.
Turkish civil society is entitled to know, freely and independently, all that has taken place. Information and books are available everywhere and also in Turkey; testimony and traces are still there, words liberate themselves despite and against the state's denials.
In this context, I welcome this initiative as an authentic sign of hope and progress of history, and I support it personally.
Simon Abkarian, comédien, metteur en scène (Paris), Serge Avedikian, comédien et réalisateur (Paris), Alain Alexanian, chef cuisinier et consultant (Lyon), Simon Azilazian, chef d’entreprise (Marseille), Denis Donikian, écrivain (Paris), Atom Egoyan, cinéaste (Toronto), Aram Gazarian, chirurgien (Lyon), Claire Giudicenti, éditrice, agent littéraire (Paris), Robert Guediguian, cinéaste (Paris), Jean-Claude Kebabdjian, éditeur, président d’association (Paris), Jacques Kebadian, cinéaste (Paris), Robert Kechichian, cinéaste (Paris), Jean Kehayan, journaliste et essayiste (Marseille), Arsine Khandjian, comédienne (Toronto), Nourhan-Francis Kurkdjian créateur parfumeur (Paris), Gérard Loussine-Khidichian, comédien (Paris), Michel Marian, professeur de philosophie (Paris), Naïri Nahapetian, journaliste, romancière (Paris), Didier Parakian, chef d’entreprise (Marseille), Hélène Piralian, psychanalyste et auteur (Paris), Gérard Torikian, compositeur et comédien (Paris)
And
Michel Abrahamian, chef d’entreprise (Avignon), Achot Achot, artiste peintre (Paris), Véronique Agoudjian, pharmacienne (Paris), Olivia Alloyan, bibliothécaire (Lyon), Krikor Amirzayan, journaliste et caricaturiste (Valence), Gorune Aprikian, producteur (Paris), Eugénie Arève, comédienne et agent artistique (Paris), Edmond Aslanian, professeur (Albertville), Hovnatan Avedikian, comédien (Paris), Hourig Attarian, universitaire (Montréal), Viken Attarian, hommes d’affaires (Montréal), MartineBatanian, écrivaine (Ottawa), Daniel Besikian, photographe (Paris), Mireille Besnilian, traductrice (Paris), Chloé Chapalain, décoratrice (Paris), Michel Chirinian, mairie (Avignon), Anahit Dasseux Ter Mesropian, psychanalyste (Paris), Anaïd Donabédian, professeur des universités (Paris), Hervé Georgelin, universitaire (Montpellier), Isabelle Guiard, comédienne et musicienne (Paris), Christophe Hovikian, éducateur et musicien (Paris), Annie Kebadian, programmatrice de théâtre (Paris), Elisabeth Kiledjian, productrice (Paris), Isabelle Kortian (Paris), Anahid Krimian, orthophoniste (Paris), Marie-Anne Le Métayer-Djivelekian, productrice (Paris), Gérard Malkassian, professeur de philosophie (Paris), Hélène Melkonian, artiste lyrique (Perpignan), Levon Minasian, scénariste et réalisateur (Paris), Alain Navarra, historien d’art (Cannes), Isabelle Ouzounian, monteuse (Paris), Christine Papazian, assistante de direction (Paris), Michaël Papazian, décorateur (Paris), Michèle Raineri, présidente d’association (Epinal), Armand Sarian, chef d’entreprise (Paris), Anne Sarkissian, réalisatrice (Paris), Jean Sarkissian, agent immobilier (Paris), Bernard Sarry, praticien hospitalier (Limoges), Aram Sédéfian, auteur-compositeur (Paris), Sarkis Tcheumlekdjian, metteur en scène (Lyon), Chouchane Tcherpatchian Abello, costumière (Paris), Pascal Tokatlian, comédien (Paris), Gisèle Tsobanian, fondatrice association culturelle (Paris), Berge Turabian, bibliothécaire, auteur-compositeur (New-York), Claude Vartan, retraité (Suresnes).
Dikran Abrahamian MD, Physician (Ontario, Canada), Haig Baltadjian, Professeur (Montréal, Canada), Antoine Terjanian, Consultant in Geomatics & Statistics (Ottawa, Canada), Sheila Terjanian, Economist (Ottawa, Canada), Gerard Paraghamian, Artist/Art publisher, a.o.c.a.(Toronto, Canada), Arsineh Attarian BA, Activist (Montreal, Canada), Vartkes Nicolian BSc CISSP CLP, Engineer (Toronto, Canada), Razmik Kavan, Businessman (Montreal Canada), Hagop Sevakian Management Consultant (Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, Nazareth Izmirlian MSc, Civil Engineer (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), Varoujan Knouni, Diamantaire (Kifissia, Greece), Angele Knouni (Kifissia, Greece), Aharon Sapsezian, Pasteur (Genève, Suisse), Nelson Nersessian, Engineer (São Paulo, Brazil), Miguel Angel Nalpatian, retired (Mar del Plata, Argentina), Takvor Toudjian, Dentist (Moncton, NB, Canada), Mig Migirdicyan BSc, Engineer (Toronto Canada), Carlos Chirinian, Sociologist (São Roque, Brazil), Elias Katudjian, Avocat (São Paulo, Brazil), Nélida Boulgourdjian, Historienne (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Gustavo Levon Alejandro Varterian (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Clement Hajian MD, Physician (Paraíso, Brazil), Abraham Terian, retied, Fulbright Distinguished Chair in the Humanities (Fresno, USA, Armen Norendzayan, Businessman, Northridge (USA), Aleek Karkazian, student (USA), Sarkis Ampar Sarkissian BA, Intenational Relations (São Paulo, Brazil), Janis Bazian, Artist, Activist (Dearborn, MI, USA), Nvart Andreassian, Conductor (Paris, France), Serge Bulanikian, Businessman (Los Angeles, USA), Elmira Arakelyan (Flushing, USA), Stepan Simonian, Dr/Engineer (Torrance CA, USA), Harut Der-Tavitian BA (Sun Valley, USA), Onnik Kiremitlian, Theologian (USA), Haig Khatchadourian, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy (Milwaukee, USA), Vartouhy Kojayan BA, School Administrator (Granada Hills CA, USA), Alain Milian, Supply Chain Manager (USA), Ruben Arslanian, Businessman (Los Angeles, USA), Louise Melconian LLB (Manchester, England), Aram Melconian MSc (Manchester, England), Rafi Ekmekian, Video Editor (Los Angeles, USA), Andrew Demirdjian PhD, Social-Behavioral Science (Montebello, USA), Richard Maloian BSc (Livonia MI, USA), Boghig Mesrob PhD, Professor-retired (Altamonte Springs FL, USA), Aram S. Hanissian MD, Physician (Memphis TN, USA), Zareh Bastajian MSc, Engineer (San Diego CA, USA), Hagop Istanboulli, Gemologist (Milan, Italy), Robert Safarian, Journalist – Editor of Hooys biweekly (Tehran, Iran), Maro Badiguian-Shirvanian, Admin. Agent (Montreal, Canada), Mike Balabanian MASc, Engineer (Yerevan, Armenia), Felicia Waldman PhD, Lecturer (Bucharest, Romania), Misha Osipov, Electrical Engineer (Tbilisi, Goergia), Vaghenag Tarpinian MD, Physician (Bethlehem, USA), Pedro Gregorio Mekhitarian MD, Physician (São Paulo, Brazil), Michel Zeitunlian, Professor, Licence d'enseignement (Beirut, Lebanon), Stepan Hrair Chahinian, Architect (São Paulo, Brazil), Miguel Angel Nalpatian, retired (Mar del Plata, Argentina), Sdepan Dersirelian, Student (Burnaby, Canada), Avo Jerejian, (Petaluma, USA), Gerard Paraghamian, artist/designer/publisher/musician/BA (Toronto, Canada), Nichan Mekhitarian, MD Surgeon (São Paulo, Brazil), Miklos Jakobovits, artist-painter (Oradea, Romania), Irma Toudjian pianiste, compositeur (Cagliari Italie), Sarkis Vahaken, writer, novelist and playwright (Los Angeles, USA), Assadour Szenkovits MD (Budapest, Hungary), Slava Mezhdoyan, Student (Tbilisi, Georgia), David Mkrtichian PhD, Astronomer (Odessa, Ukraine), Kurken Berksanlar BA, International Businessman (Los Angeles USA), Garabed Zakarian, Psychiatrist (Amman, Jordan), Nicolai Romashuk Hairabedian, Leader of the Armenian Community (Essen, Netherlands), Silvina Der-Meguerditchian, visual artist (Buenos Aires, Berlin, Germany), Bedros Enfiedian, Urbanist (Los Angeles USA).
Keghart
Keghart
20 comments
Je soutiens cette declaration
Je soutiens cette declaration des intellectuels et artistes d’orgine arménienne en faveur des intellectuels turcs.
Nélida Boulgourdjian (historienne, Buenos Aires)
Je leur donne mon appui le
Je leur donne mon appui le plus sincère à tous les intellectuels turcs qui ont valeureusement décidé de faire face au passé dur de ses ancêtres, en reconnaissant publiquement le génocide arménien et en abordant pour une réconciliation définitive entre turcs et arméniens.
Gustavo Varterian (Buenos Aires, Argentina).
Very good idea!
Very good idea!
Je les supporte surtout pour
Je les supporte surtout pour leurs courages vu les conditions sociopolitiques qui existent depuis la creation de ce pays.
It takes Conscience,
It takes Conscience, Intellect, Knowledge and most of all COURAGE for these Turks to come up with this petition. These Turks are like the Turkish family that hid my grand-parents in their house (In Kaysseri) during the 1915-18 massacres at the risk of their lives.
Thank you all
Thank you all for the apologies, for us armenians it’s very important that the turkish people recognize the facts wich happened until the armenian genocide.
Long Live Peace
Long Live Peace…Long Live Armenian-Turkish Friendship.
We want a safe world without war..without killers..with peace..with friendship..with Love..without nuclear attacks.
I want world+human rights+friendship+friends from every country.
Religion,colour,nationality… These are NOT important.
Religion,color,nationality
Ali,
Though I agree with the 1st part of your comments about peace and friendship, I disagree with the non importance of religion, color and nationality. Those are what define you as "you". Otherwise, you, Ali, as a possible Muslim, why don’t you change your name to a Western name, denounce your religion and become a Christian or a Jew and denounce the fact that you are an Iranian. How would you feel about it?
Even if you want to change all of those, or do change all of these, hypothetically speaking, deep down in your heart and in your soul, you are still an Iranian and a Muslim. You will gravitate towards your culture, your language, your music, you food and everything Iranian/Persian.
No, my friend!!!! If friendship and peace is part of the deal, so is the importance of religion, color and nationality. That is our identity and what our ancestors have given us. We are responsible to pass them on to our children, as our parents have done the same with us.
Bravo à tous.
Un sincère bravo aux intellectuels turcs d’avoir pris leur courage à deux mains, et bravo aux Arméniens qui ont reconnu qu’il y a des Turcs qui partagent nos souffrances. Il faut que les deux peuples tournent la page une fois pour toutes. Traducteur, interprète. Ottawa, Canada
Turn the page?
How can you forgive and forget a Genocide without the proper recognition and apology by one of the nations you mentioned?
Isn’t it a shame on all nations that after 95 years this issue is still pending and being dragged on and on just because of personal interests and national profits?
Congratulations to Turkish and Armenian Intellectuals
Congratulations to the Turkish intellectuals and to the Armenians. I salute you for your courage. Viva!
Turkish intellectuals
I congratulate and thank Turkish intellectuals for their courage, integrity and honesty. I hope that they set an example to Turkey to do likewise and to compensate for the diabolical crimes of its predecessors by compensating the Armenian people and by returning Western Armenia to its rightful owners.
While I believe that the apology of the Turkish intellectuals is sincere, I worry that official Turkey would use it to mislead the world that things are improving in Turkey, and thus burnish its image as a credible EU candidate.
Toutes mes félicitation
Toutes mes félicitation, je soutiens tous les intellectuels 🙂
Je soutiens cette declaration
I’m having problems
I’m having problems viewing your site using the Avant browser, for some reason the font is very small (almost unreadable). Any ideas why?
Thanks
Loz – hp 6735s
To Ali,Aram,Gregorio etc advocating “friendship” & Turn the page
Definitely we Armenians are all for it. Peace loving, non-bellicose and harmonious. But first things first. Accounts must be honoured and settled.To speak of being good neighbours and carry on, we must look back not too far on our relations.Turks, especially those on the state-government level have so far continued their un-friendly attitude towards Armenia´s extended hand for what you preach. Right? Indeed, you all know that they do not adhere to what they came for and refuse a healthy dialogue and healthy relations.
What can a group of Turkish intellectuals accomplish in an intransigient, unrelenting state-country. Please gentlemen, and I am addressing this to the Turkish intellectuals. Please go and fight against your government, try to convince them that it’s time time to give in and forego their efforts to bury our just demands. So much can be achieved. You people, not only the intellectuals, but the elite of your present day business people industrialists, professionals like physicians, IT and communication experts…these people must be guided by you.
The peasants and the uneducated plain workers can then join up with you… A tough job? Indeed, but that is what you should aim at and proceed.
All the best to you Turkish intellectuals.
Risking their lives
Turks hid my grand-parents in their house (In Kaysseri) during the 1915-18 massacres risking of their lives.
Declaration des intellectuels turcs
Bravo aux intellectuels turcs pour leur courage et sincerite et je soutiens entierement cette declaration.
Montreal, Canada
Will bookmark
I admire the valuable information you offer in your articles. I will bookmark your blog and have my children check up here often. I am quite sure they will learn lots of new stuff here than anywhere else!
Je suis a fond avec les intellectuels dans leur decision
On ne peut pas trainé derriere soi pendant des decennies l’histoire de n’importe que pays ; Il arrive un jour ou la verité doit faire surface; c’est tres courageux de la part des intellectuels Turcs d’avoir pris connaissance de leurs manuels d’histoire de leur pays et de lire certains manuscrits detaillant le genocide ne laissant aucun doute quant a la vericités des faits ; Pour conforter cette decision , le mois de decembre 2011 la chambre des deputés de France a voté pour l’adoption de la penalisation de negativisme de tout les genocides et en particulier celui des Armeniens en 1915 qui condamnera de 1 an de prison et 45 000 euros d’amende a tout negationiste .Nos deux peuples sont fait pour vivre ensemble merci a tout hommes de bonnes volontés pour faire de notre terre un havre de paix; que 2012 soit le depart d’une nouvelle vie dans le monde entier; BONNE ANNEE 2012 A TOUS ET A TOUTES AINSIQUE QU’A VOS FAMILLES
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