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Armenian National Security interrogates Kurdish Historian turkyelmaz
July 08, 2005 20:32:17
AZG Armenian Daily #125, 08/07/2005
Armenia-Turkey
ARMENIAN NATIONAL SECURITY INTERROGATES KURDISH HISTORIAN TURKYELMAZ
Archive Study and Smuggling of Ancient Manuscripts are Different Things
Preliminary investigation into the attempt of Turkish citizen of Kurdish
origin Eftan Turkyelmaz to smuggle Armenian ancient manuscripts to Istanbul
on June 17 is carrying on, the press office of Armenian National Security
Service informed withholding from details.
Turkyelmaz, 33, student of and Duke University in North Carolina, was
detained at the Yerevan airport while trying to get on the board of a plane
bound for Istanbul with a bag of books dated 17-20 centuries.
Turkish Foreign Ministry and Duke University work to release Turkyelmaz. The
website of the University informs that Turkyelmaz was working for doctor's
degree in cultural anthropology. The young historian who is highly spoken of
is doing his research in "Creation of Turkish, Kurdish and Armenian national
parties in Turkey in 1908-1930". He has been studying documents at the
Armenian National Archive since May 2, and as Amatuni Virabian, head of the
Archive, told daily Azg he has visited Armenian thrice recently.
Prof. Orin Starn, Turkyelmaz's advisor, was suspicious over "Armenian
claims" saying that the Turkish student had worked in many archives and
encountered no problems. "I am concerned that he was arrested during this
dangerous period of continuing confrontation [between Armenia and Turkey].
He is a bridge between nations", Associated Press quoted Starn.
Amatuni Virabian said that he read Turkyilmaz's articles before he began his
researches at the Archive and saw that "he is an impartial writer". Head of
the National Archive said that Turkyilmaz speaks very good Armenian. "I
presented him several modern books but I did not know he buys ancient
books", Virabian said. Turkyilmaz enjoyed privileges at the Archive as he
said that he was a student and was unable to pay big sums.
Turkyilmaz can be sentenced up to 5 years in prison according to Armenian
laws unless Armenian authorities display good will. The law reads,
"Smuggling - transportation of goods and articles of cultural value via the
border of the Armenian Republic concealing or by use of false documents is
punishable by fine or 5 years' imprisonment".
Turkish propaganda, which used to trumpet that Armenian archives are closed
to Turkish scholars, has changed its focus after Turkyilmaz's arrest
declaring that the first Turkish historian to study Armenian documents was
arrested. It seems Turkish authorities do no see difference between archive
research and smuggling. Back on May 6, Turkyilmaz told Radio Liberty, "It's
interesting that people in Turkey think that Armenian archives are closed
for Turkish citizens. That's not true. I am here. I have had no problem till
now". He also added that he knows no Turkish scholar who knows Armenian.
Was Turkyilmaz aware that books older than 50 years cannot be moved out
Armenia without the permission of Ministry of Culture? Supposedly, the
answer to this question will seal young scholar's fate. If knew the law
indeed and, as a press release of National Security Service informs, tried
to conceal the books, he will be punished. It's also uncertain where he got
the books. It should be noted that Turkyilmaz transported other Armenian
books as well during his last 3 visits and has a reach library of Armenian
books in the US.
By Tatoul Hakobian
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