Publisher, The California Courier The Turkish Minister of Education Huseyin Celik was planning to visit various universities this week in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and New York. However, when the Turkish Foreign Ministry became aware of his itinerary, he was advised to cancel his visit to the Univ. of Michigan (Ann Arbor), because his host there would have been Associate Prof. of Sociology, Fatma Muge Gocek. Prof. Gocek learned that the Foreign Ministry had told the Education Minister to cancel his trip to the Univ. of Michigan, because she "recognized the Armenian claims [of genocide], had previously hosted Taner Akcam [a Turkish scholar who recognizes the Armenian Genocide] at the University of Michigan, and is currently writing a book on the issue." Prof. Gocek and Prof. Ronald Grigor Suny had jointly organized two workshops on the Armenian Genocide in the last four years - the first at the University of Chicago and the second at the Univ. of Michigan (Ann Arbor). This incident is yet another indication that Prime Minister Recep Erdogan’s repeated promises to improve Turkish-Armenian relations are not sincere. Under the guise of meeting the requirements for membership in the European Union, Erdogan's government has passed a series of “paper” reforms that have not been implemented. Furthermore, despite repeated assurances that the Turkish government is ready to open the border with Armenia, Turkey has not even been willing to take the first step of establishing diplomatic relations with Armenia. How could the Erdogan government convince anyone that it is seriously considering to improve relations with Armenia, when it can’t even tolerate the holding of a conference on Armenian issues organized by a noted Turkish academic at an American university? Ironically, while Erdogan's government was ostracizing this Turkish professor, the University of Michigan was honoring her with the Harold R. Johnson Diversity Award for her "innovative efforts to open up constructive dialogue among Turkish and Armenian scholars, as well as her continuing efforts to enhance the quality of diversity on campus." BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO SLOVAKIA JOINS THE FRAY For the first time since the controversial comments made by the British Ambassador in Armenia on the Armenian Genocide, the British Ambassador in another country has joined the fray. Ric Todd, the British Ambassador to Slovakia, responded on April 5th to a letter sent by Ashot Grigorian, the President of the Armenian Community of Slovakia, complaining about the denial of the Armenian Genocide by Amb. Thorda Abbott-Watt. Amb. Todd expressed regret that the British government's position "on the events of 1915-16" had caused personal problems for the letter-writer, assuring him that "whatever happened will not be forgotten." Amb. Todd's letter is just as insulting as the denialist position of the British Ambassador to Armenia. Readers should send their complaints to Amb. Todd's e-mail address: bebra@internet.sk. Meanwhile, the British Ambassador to Armenia, Thorda Abbott-Watt, continued receiving complaints from around the world. Two major Armenian organizations added last week their voices to this on-going controversy. The Armenian Democratic League (Ramgavar Party) of France published a statement in the organization's organ, La Lettre de L'ADL, "condemning the British Ambassador's statement as "false" and "politically ill-fated." It stated that her denial of the Armenian Genocide "is not only an insult to the memory of the entire Armenian nation, but should be viewed as a complicity to the Genocide." The ADL of France demanded that the Armenian government declare her a persona non grata and immediately expel her from Armenia. The second important statement was issued by the Armenian Community and Church Council (ACCC) of Great Britain. In a letter addressed to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the ACCC called Amb. Abbott-Watt's denial of the Armenian Genocide "most insensitive and an affront to our dignity.... It is highly offensive not only to the memory of the 1.5 million Armenians whose Genocide she refers to, but to all Armenians throughout the world, including British Armenians...." The ACCC demanded that Amb. Abbott-Watt "issue an unqualified and speedy retraction of her hurtful and offensive observation which one could easily consider to be undiplomatic, patronising, and most definitely unbecoming an Ambassador of Her Majesty's Government...." Furthermore, the ACCC called the British government's policy of denial "not only slanderous, but an immoral act, sinister in the extreme, committed merely for political expediency." The ACCC urged the British government to "re-address the issue of recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, ... denounce the atrocities perpetrated against the Armenians of Turkey in 1915 as Genocide, and to condemn those responsible." Interestingly, on the eve of April 24, "the British-Turkish Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group" is visiting Turkey this week. After a stop at the Mausoleum of Ataturk, the British Parliamentarians will meet with various Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Readers are urged to continue sending e-mails to Amb. Abbott-Watt: Thorda.Abbott Watt@fco.gov.uk; to Michael Jay, the Under-Secretary and Head of the UK Diplomatic Service: Michael.jay@fco.gov.uk; and to Prime Minister Tony Blair through the following web site: http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/page821.asp (click on select a subject, select "international affairs," and then click on the “go” button), asking the British government to withdraw its Ambassador as she can no longer effectively carry out her diplomatic duties in Armenia. Please send copies of your e-mails and any responses to the Armenian Foreign Ministry: info@armeniaforeignministry.com and to: sassoun@pacbell.net.

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