UNFOUNDED ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS CONFERANCE IN USA

Genocide focus of conference: Turkey making some restitution
By Bronislaus B. Kush TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
bkush@telegram.com

WORCESTER – Turkey – defying the sentiment of many nations – still
refuses to recognize the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians at the
hands of Ottoman Turks as a `genocide.’

But, in a gesture that some scholars believe may ease longstanding
tensions over the issue between Turks and Armenians, the Turkish
government has begun returning churches confiscated long ago from
Armenian Christians residing in and around Istanbul.

The return of the houses of worship was a key element discussed at a
two day conference at Clark University that examined the issues of
restitution and reparation to individuals and groups affected by the
decimation of the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire around the
time of World War I.

The conference was sponsored by Clark’s Strassler Center for Holocaust
and Genocide Studies, the National Association for Armenian Studies
and Research and Eric Weitz, the Arsham and Charlotte Ohanessian
Professor at the University of Minnesota.

The opening address Thursday night by John Torpey, a professor of
sociology at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center, drew a
number of Central Massachusetts residents of Armenian descent.

The Worcester area is home to one of the largest Armenian communities
in the nation.

Mr. Torpey, the author of `Making Whole What Has Been Smashed: On
Reparations Politics,’ compared past reparation and restitution
efforts, including Germany’s efforts to salve the wounds created by
the Holocaust and the American government’s attempts to right wrongs
committed against American Indians and African-American slaves.

Mr. Torpey said recognition of the genocide has been a long-time goal
of Armenian communities around the world.

While genocide recognition does not appear to be in the offing, he
said, initiatives `to pursue justice’ through financial and other
compensation are making strides. For example, lawsuits addressing the
theft of artifacts, properties and bank accounts have been filed
against the Turkish government and Turkish companies in a number of
countries, including the United States.

The attempt to obliterate the Armenian population in the Ottoman
Empire began April 24, 1915, when Armenian leaders, intellectuals,
writers and professionals were rounded up. Thousands were subsequently
abducted, tortured, deported or executed.

For decades, Armenians around the world have demanded that Turkey, one
of the empire’s successor states, step up and take responsibility for
the massacre.

In addition to economic compensation, Mr. Torpey said reparations and
restitution range from simple apologies to the construction of
memorials and museums. They also include the return of seized property
and goods, guarantees of no further reprisals, formal recognition of
certain groups and allowing victims to return home.

In addition to churches, the Turkish government has also begun
returning schools, cemeteries and orphanages.

Though returned to Armenians, these properties are formally being
given back on the basis of religious, rather than ethnic or
nationalistic, concerns.

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