Lecture by Dr. Taner Ackcam - 06.01.2010

At 7 pm Dr. Taner Ackçam, one of the first Turkish historians, who openly and bravely talked about the Armenian genocide was invited for the first time in history after the genocide to the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia in Lebanon by His Holiness Aram I. The opening speech was given by Ms. Gassia Kouyoumjian of which followed Dr. Ackcam’s lecture entitled “The Turkish-Armenian conflict before and after Hrant Dink’s Assassination”. Dr. Ackçam made clear some key points in the Turkish government which were considered taboos and threats to their national security, he clarified that before 2001-2002 there was no laws in Turkey about the Armenian cause, but after these dates and because of some external pressures from the Armenian Diaspora and the European Union, the 301 Act was established forbidding the people to mention the Armenian cause as a genocide but rather started to teach new generation about the cause as a genocide perpetuated by the Armenians to the Turks.

Dr. Ackçam invited both sides to have a honest dialogue not on diplomatic levels only but between common people too, as he mentioned that his countrymen were in total ignorance about the real facts of the Armenian genocide and it is an important task for us to communicate and explain them this cause as well as listen to the Turkish side. The lecture was followed by many interesting questions where Dr. Ackçam gave his personal opinion and point of views. At the end ACUSA President Mrs. Asdghig Kandaharian thanked Dr. Ackçam for his lecture and invited the members to take a souvenir picture with Dr. Taner Ackçam.