Dear ATAA Friends & Değerli Arkadaşlar,
It has been a long time since I had the opportunity to communicate with you all. Lots have happened during that interim period. But, as they say here, that’s water under the bridge. We need to look ahead.
First, I would like to inform you of the well-known Turkish Parade that normally takes place around this time every year in New York City, and specifically this year on Saturday, May 18th. It is organized by sister organization Federation of Turkish American Associations (FTAA) in recognition of the singular importance of the movement of independence of the Turkish people that our founding father Mustafa Kemal Pasha Atatürk started back in 100 years ago by landing at Samsun on 19 May 1919. I am pleased to have received an invitation by the president of the Board of Directors of FTAA, Mr. Tulga Tekman for ATAA to attend this 38TH ANNUAL TURKISH DAY PARADE AND FESTIVAL starting at the corner of 53rd street and Madison Ave. New York, NY at 11:00 A.M. In thanking Mr. Tekman accordingly for the invitation, I am looking forward to seeing ATAA members and associated friends in the NY and NJ region to gather around the ATAA banner near the FTAA banner. If any questions, please let me know.
Secondly, I wanted to tell you briefly about a lecture that I attended the other day given by one of the very belligerent advocates, Peter Balakian, of the so-called “Armenian Genocide.” The lecture was at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, NY, and it was well-attended. When the Q & A started, I was determined to ask the first question to set the stage for what was to come. I had been waiting for this moment for several years since I wanted to meet with him almost ten years ago when my wife and I were visiting with some friends at Colgate College where Prof. Balakian teaches. Well, soon after having thanked him for enlightening us with his version of the history, and sensing where I was going, he interrupted me. I stood my ground and continued to ask the following question:
“Can you prove for us that there was a so-called ‘Armenian Genocide,’ bearing in mind that “genocide” is a legal term according to the United Nations 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and that for an event to be called genocide three basic tenements must have been met, namely: 1. genocide charges can only be litigated by a “competent tribunal,” 2. which shall follow “due process,” and 3. to prove “intent to destroy? For otherwise, don’t you think you would be defrauding the unsuspecting public that there was a so-called ‘Armenian Genocide’ when we all know that there wasn’t?”
The give and take with Prof. Peter Balakian after that exchange is attached for your information. I think we need to educate the public at large about the history that has been distorted and falsified so much for too long…. Please let me know if you have any comments. Thank you.
All the best,
Sevgin Oktay, VP
ATAA, NY-NJ Region
Assembly of Turkish American Associations
PO Box 65782
Washington, DC 20035
Tel : 202.483.9090
Fax: 202.483.9092
E-mail: vpny
Web : www.ataa.org
Alt.E-m: Sevgin
Alt.Tel : 845.485.2184
Alt..Fax : 845.452.5658
Mobile : 845.240.2801_.
Posted by: <Sevgin>
Response to Balakian Lecture.pdf
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