“Breaking the Silence”. Turkish historian: My aim is to convince people in Turkey that slaughtering a whole nation is a bad thing

Ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Aysor.am presents a special project whose purpose is to feature the cultural projects being carried out now.

It is already 10 years that “One Time” (Bir zamanlar) publishing house, based in Istanbul in 2005, has been performing important works in national minorities’s history, cultural study. In addition to publishing works concerning the above mentioned topics the publishing house also organizes exhibitions, meetings and discussions. The studies about Armenians are especially noteworthy among the works of publishing house. In particular, the head of publishing house, Turkish historian, philologist Osman Koker’s initiative of "Dear Brother. Armenians in Turkey 100 years ago" exhibition has toured the world’s several countries and has aroused great interest. The exhibition, as well as the book of the same name, includes about 500 postcards that describe the life of Turkey’s Armenians until 1915.

Ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Osman Koker told about his activities, Armenian’s life before the Genocide, the Consequences of Genocide and the current treatment of Turkish nation about the issue.

-The name of the publishing house is "One Time". I wonder what is the continuation? “One Time”: and then what?
-It means once existing and currently eliminated lots of important things. The cultural diversity and its destruction process in Turkey's past. Armenians are the part of that cultural diversity: an important part. Most of my activities are related to Armenians because I am personally more informed and specialized in Armenian nation.

- And where does the interest originate from?
- I think there is too much to tell Turks about themselves with the help of Armenians. In 2005, I wrote a book about Armenians which was the result of my 4 working years, but I had to establish my own publishing house because there was not a single one which would publish it.So I published my book entitled “Armenians in Turkey 100 years ago".

- This book contains postcards about Armenians’ life in the Ottoman Empire before the genocide. How did you find the postcards?
- Initially the book was dedicated to Armenians’ livelihood in the Ottoman Empire before the First World War or the Genocide: the regions inhabited by Armenians, the Armenian districts, the role they had in social-economic life of the country. This is the whole information I wanted to enrich with photos. It was then that I learned about Orlando Carlo Calumeno’s postcards. With his permission I used the postcards. No one expected that such material will come out from the postcards. As the result was fairly comprehensive and at the same time expensive book, besides not everyone could afford to buy it, I decided to organize an exhibition of the same name and display cards.

- From thehistory witnesses’ view point, what do the cards tell us about the Armenian’s livelihood before the Genocide.
- Not only the cards, but in general, if we look through my research, we can say that Ottoman Armenians were one of the most progressive sectors of society's cultural and social life. The Armenians lived in each side of the country. Even Armenian signboards can be seen in postcards.

- From the cultural point of view it means that destroying the Armenian population Turkey also had a great damage.
- We can say that the country had collapses from the both economic and cultural point of view. During the years of the Republic the eastern regions of the empire were in worse condition than in Era of Ottoman period. It means that it also struck the Turkish people. Naturally Armenians’ and Turks’ lived pains could not be compared, but our people also suffered too much. Finally a bad leadership “tradition” was established in the country. Government kills people and is not responsible for it. Subsequently the government continued to adhere to this tradition, even now. This is turned to state practice.

- A number of Turkish who has recognized the Genocide avoid to pronounce the term "genocide". Why?
- I also do not use the term too much, because the word “locks in” the discussion at once. Especially, if the discussion is with Turks. You can not tell people something by the term, no one will listen to you.

- Why does the term “lock in” the discussion? What are people afraid of: any Legal liability?
- People are afraid of not being accused. You know, my goal is to convince the people living in Turkey that slaughtering a whole nation is a bad thing. This is my judgement.

They do not even accept the fact of massacre. At first the government announces that “there is no such nation”, then: “they have killed us”. How can one person's story affect against a huge state policy. Nevertheless the truth you tell.

- How free are you in your other similar initiatives.
- I have not received any serious threat. There have not been anything done personally against me, but, for example, when I needed to open an exhibition in the city, someone threatened organizers and prevented the opening of the exhibition.

-Do you prepare any exhibition ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide?
- For me all these years up to present have been as much important as 2015. Those who come up with special initiatives are the ones who have not done anything up to this.

I have been doing that job for 10 years and I will do the same in 2015, 2016, 2017.

- Looking at the state policy and your Exhibition visitors at the same time, what do you think, when will the confrontation be?
- I think, however, the confrontation already exists. It exists at least in everyone’s mind.

The project was prepared with the assistance of the Information and Analytical Center of the Armenian Government Staff.