OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF TURKEY

Paris, 18 June 2003

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
is extremely worried by recent measures approved by
Turkish Government intended for teaching the
1915-1917’s tragic history in the educational system,
a period during which the ‘Young Turk’ government had
planned and perpetrated the deportation and
extermination of the entire Armenian peoples from
Anatolia.

A decree issued on 14 April 2003 by Mr. Huseyin Celik,
Minister of Education, explains how to implement
measures down to the secondary and primary school
levels aiming at « fighting against the allegations of
genocide » of Armenians, but also of Pontus Greeks and
Assyrians. This decree follows a series of
instructions sent to University rectors and deans in
order to determine in advance what and how the
scientists will think about the « Armenian Deportation
» and how to train educators on this issue.

The FIDH condemns with force this attempt to deny
formally and universally established historical facts,
qualified and recognized as the first genocide of the
20th century, in the sense of the Convention for
Prevention and Repression of Crime of Genocide,
adopted by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1948.
The « Young Turks » leaders have been tried and
condemned for this matter in 1919 by the Special Court
of former Ottoman Empire ; crimes against humanity
being one of the convictions.

The first victims of this denial policy are the
Turkish citizens themselves, their rights and freedoms
as well. Then, the FIDH is informed about the arrest
and immediate prosecution on 30 May of 6 teachers,
being present at an information meeting set up by the
sub-prefect of Elbely county (in the province of
Kilis). They dared asking detailed information about
the implementation procedures set up by the Turkish
Government to « fight against the Armenian genocide
allegations ». This constitutes a clear violation of
fundamental freedom of expression, as guaranteed by
article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, duly ratified by Turkey.

These measures are clearly in contradiction the
recommendation (2001) 15 issued by the Council of
Europe’s Committee of Ministers on 31 October 2001, in
relation to the education of the 20th century’s
history. It requested from member States « to take all
necessary education measures preventing repetition or
denial of devastating events occurred during this
century, namely the Holocaust, the genocides or other
crimes against Humanity, ethnic cleansings, massive
violations of human rights (…) ».

Late 5 June, the European Parliament adopted a general
resolution about the adhesion of Turkey in the
European Union. It stressed its worry « about recent
instructions set up by the Turkish ministry of
education forcing primary and secondary schools to
participate into a denial campaign of the minorities
oppression during history of Turkey, especially
against the Armenian community ».

Therefore, the FIDH demands from the Turkish
authorities to cancel these measures in the shortest
timeframe and to guarantee in all circumstances the
freedom of expression for all its citizens and all the
rights of its Armenian minority, especially the right
and respect of its proper history and memory.

Finally, the FIDH demands from the current Turkish
Government to officially recognise the genocide
committed against the Armenians in 1915-1917,
conforming to the resolution of European Parliament on
18 June 1987 (doc.A2-33/87). It pointed out that «
democracy can be established in a country only to the
condition that this one recognises and enriches its
history in all its ethnical and cultural dimensions »
and assessed that « the denial by the Turkish
government of the genocide perpetrated earlier by the
Young Turks government against the Armenian people,
its unwillingness to implement the international law
standards as far as its dispute with Greece, the
continuous presence of Turkish troops in Cyprus as
well as the denial of Kurdish question (…) »
constitute obstacles to the eventual adhesion of
Turkey into the European Union.

Very truly yours,


Sidiki Kaba
President
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)