[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 72 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H4121-H4122]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IN OPPOSITION TO CANCELLATION OF GENOCIDE CONFERENCE IN TURKEY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon to voice my outrage 
and great disappointment about a recent development in Turkey. A 
conference set to begin yesterday in Bogazici University, of Turkish 
scholars and academics, entitled ``Ottoman Armenians During the Decline 
of the Empire: Issues of Scientific Responsibility and Democracy,'' was 
indefinitely postponed by the university organizers.
  According to Agence France-Presse, Turkish Justice Minister Cemil 
Cicek yesterday accused conference organizers of committing treason, 
saying, ``We must put an end to this cycle of treason and insults, of 
spreading propaganda against the Turkish nation by people who belong to 
it.'' In addition, Turkish officials have demanded copies of all papers 
submitted to the conference.
  The development further affirms the speculation that the image that 
the Turkish Government has attempted to create for itself is nothing 
more than a desperate attempt to create a facade. Contrary to what 
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and other Turkish officials would have 
us believe, the Government of Turkey is not democratic, is not 
committed to creating a democracy, is not making an effort to create 
better relations with Armenia and is definitely not ready to join the 
European Union.
  Over the last year, we have witnessed the Government of Turkey 
attempt to move towards democratization. However, the manner in which 
they have chosen to do so is an insult to any truly democratic 
government. Their attempts have included the adoption of a penal code 
that, in reality, represents a dramatic display of the Turkish 
government's campaign to deny the Armenian genocide. Furthermore, this 
new criminal code further hindered improved relations between the 
Republic of Armenia and Turkey.

[[Page H4122]]

  Section 306 of this penal code punishes individual Turkish citizens 
or groups that confirm the fact of the Armenian genocide in Ottoman 
Turkey or call for the end of the Turkish occupation of Northern 
Cyprus, with up to 10 years in prison. Far from coming to terms with 
the genocide or reaching out to Armenia, Turkey, in adopting Section 
306 of its new penal code, hardened its anti-Armenian stance and 
undermined hopes for reduction of tension in the region. This sets the 
stage for possible legal action against conference planners and 
participants. The Turkish Government has refused to support rescinding 
this prohibition against free speech, despite international criticism.
  Mr. Speaker, with the cancellation of this conference, we find that 
the Government of Turkey will go to any length to avoid facing its 
bloody past. In just 2 weeks, Turkey's prime minister will be in the 
United States for an official visit, proclaiming that his nation is a 
democracy ready for full membership in the European Community and 
asking for U.S. support. The sad reality, Mr. Speaker, is that when it 
comes to facing the judgment of history about the Armenian genocide, 
Turkey, rather than acknowledging the truth, has instead chosen to 
trample on the rights of its citizens and still maintain lies.
  Hrant Dink, editor of the Armenian weekly Agos in Turkey stated, 
``This decision strengthens the hand of those outside Turkey who say 
Turkey has not changed, it is not democratic enough to discuss the 
Armenian issue, it shows there is a difference between what the 
government says and its intentions.''
  Numerous European countries, including Poland, France and Greece, 
have passed Armenian genocide resolutions and have continuously urged 
Turkey to admit its crime. Just this week, French President Jacques 
Chirac urged Turkey to recognize the genocide and said failure to do so 
could harm Ankara's drive to join the European Union.
  We cannot sit by and allow any nation that we consider an ally and a 
nation that is desperately seeking admission into the European Union to 
behave in such a manner. To bring this development into perspective, 
consider that according to current law in Turkey, dozens of U.S. 
Senators and hundreds of Congressmen would be punished simply for 
having voted for Armenian genocide resolutions, spoken about the 
lessons of this crime against humanity or commemorated the victims of 
the atrocity. So, too, would the American academic establishment, human 
rights groups, the mainstream media and just about everyone else aside 
from the Turkish embassy and its paid lobbyists here in Washington, 
D.C.
  Only by being prepared to admit mistakes and make amends can the 
Turkish Government truly be considered a nation governed by the values 
of democracy. This recent event reveals the vulnerable side of Turkey, 
one that is still hiding from its history and is incapable of learning 
from its mistakes so as to ensure that they will not be repeated in the 
future.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States prides itself on being the world's 
leader in spreading democracy and liberty. As an effective leader, it 
is our duty to recognize that Turkey is not yet a democratic state and 
it will take a sincere effort on the part of Turkey to make a 
transition from a government that currently advocates censorship and 
lack of freedom of speech to one that embraces the principles of 
democracy in its true meaning.

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