A controversial documentary was intended to be shown in all primary school in Turkey. For the moment, Ministry of Education backs up after increasing reactions. The documentary supports the official line in Armenian Genocide claims and but does it in quite a graphic way as some articles in the following round up highlights. Despite various positive developments in our Foreign policy, this does not seem to have a parallel development in lower levels of education system. I haven’t myself done a research, but what I hear from colleagues suggest that most of the newly written text books continue to reproduce grossly biased historical and political claims…
Turkey halts controversial Armenia documentary distribution to schools
Turkey’s Education Ministry has halted the distribution of a controversial documentary about the Armenian issue to all elementary schools after its move incited fierce reactions among academics and intellectuals.
Film Introduces Children To Torture
About 500 Armenians have sent a letter addressed to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan asking him to suspend the screening of a controversial documentary about the Armenian question that the Education Ministry has recently required primary schools to screen…
The documentary, which defends the Turkish thesis against the Armenian genocide allegations, narrates stories of Turkish people tortured to death by Armenian gangs before 1915. The ministry has ordered the film to be screened since June 25 at primary schools, including those for Armenian students. In a memo sent to the schools, the ministry has also asked that schools submit a report by Feb. 27 on the effect that the documentary had on students. The memo said the documentary was prepared by the General Staff [of the Turkish army]… (click for Today’s Zaman article)
Academics angered by film’s screening
ISTANBUL – Academics and Armenian citizens are angered after it was revealed that the Ministry of Education sent a controversial documentary about the Armenian question to all elementary schools in Turkey.
‘Sari Gelin’ DVD should have no place in schools
One of the most important aspects of objectively dealing with the late period of Ottoman history, until its final collapse in 1923, is how the chain of events, covered by human tragedy in vast quantities, would be taught in Turkey’s elementary schools.
Turkish nationalist charged over ‘no Jews, no Armenians’ placard
True face of the Armenian question
The General Staff has prepared a documentary titled "Yellow Bride: The True Face of the Armenian Question." The documentary explores atrocities carried about by Armenian gangs in eastern Anatolia before the events of 1915. What a documentary!
The State of Armenians in Turkey
About two years after the assassination of the prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, many Armenians are sceptical about the chances of being given equal status in state, society, and the eyes of the law. The following are excerpts from an essay by Gunter Seufert (click here for the full text):
‘Turkish and Armenian businessmen await normalization of relations’
Kaan Soyak, co-founder and co-chairman of the Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council (TABDC), has said Turkish and Armenian business people are waiting for relations between their two countries to see normalization so they can go ahead with new projects that will benefit both sides.
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