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Turkish human rights activist and scientist Sait Cetinoglu dedicated his speech during the Second Global Forum against the Crime of Genocide to famous Armenian novelist, Zabel Yesayan’s memory. 

It should be noted that Yesayan was the only woman on the list of Armenian intellectuals targeted for arrest and deportation by the Ottoman Young Turk government on April 24, 1915. She was able to evade arrest and flee to Bulgaria and then to the Caucasus, where she worked with refugees documenting their eyewitness accounts of atrocities that had taken place during the Armenian Genocide.

Cetinoglu made his speech during the first session of the forum concerning Genocide and deportation.
The activist also noted that the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan censored Turkish politician’s book on the Armenian Genocide.

According to Cetinoglu, many Turkish politicians and writers on the Genocide have told times again how it all happened, yet ‘it was Armenians that felt the pain, it was Armenians that have suffered the tragedy’.

“Sevan, an Armenian in Turkey is charged with 25 years of imprisonment for illegal construction. Most of the construction in the country is illegal, yet it is Sevan Nshanyan who has been charged with 25 years of imprisonment. He has been imprisoned for a book against Islam and Turkish authorities. This is imbalance,” Cetinoglu stated.

According to him, to admit and condemn the Armenian Genocide, everyone in Turkey should acknowledge the collective responsibility for the Genocide and then ask for forgiveness.

“A ‘Never Again’ memorial should be built and the compensation activities should be launched,” added Cetinoglu.