Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide: Esra Mungan

By Hambersom Aghbashian

Esra Mungan, is a professor of psychology at Boğaziçi University – Department of Psychology. She received her BA degree from Boğaziçi University, Istanbul in 1990, and her MA degree in 1998, and PhD degree in 2007 both from the American University, Washington DC, USA. Her Research Interests are Music Memory, Forgetting Processes, Memory Judgments and Evolutionary Psychology. Courses Taught by her are Research Methods, Statistics I + II, Seminar on Evolutionary Psychology, Music and Cognition I – II, Advanced Cognitive Psychology and Advanced Research Methods. She participated in many conferences and is the author of many books.(1)

In December 2008, two hundred prominent Turkish intellectuals released an apology for the “great catastrophe of 1915”. This was a clear reference to the Armenian Genocide, a term still too sensitive to use so openly. The signatories also announced a website related to this apology, and called on others to visit the site and sign the apology as well. The complete, brief text of the apology is: My conscience does not accept the insensitivity showed to and the denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in 1915. I reject this injustice and for my share, I empathize with the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers and sisters. I apologize to them. Professor Esra Mungan was one of the Turkish Intellectuals who signed it.(2)

A group of Turkish citizens–including academics, writers, Members of Parliament, and mayors, have signed a petition in December 2012, against denialist exhibition in Denmark which was going to be organized by the Turkish government. It was mentioned in the petition that “The Turkish government has been suppressing historic truths and following a policy of denial for more than 90 years. In response to the many intellectuals in the nation who have urged the government to confront history honestly, this systematic suppression and intimidation policy, which reached its zenith with the assassination of journalist Hrant Dink in 2007, continues unabated. Esra Mungan was one of the signees.(3)

Esra Mungan is one of the scholars and intellectuals of France, Turkey and others countries who recommended Ragıp Zarakolu of Turkey for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize. Ragıp Zarakolu is a Turkish human rights activist and publisher who has long faced legal harassment for publishing books on minorities and human rights in Turkey. After the military coup of September 12, 1980, he published more than 10 books (translations) of Greek literature, 10 books on the Armenian Question and 5 books related to the Jews in Turkey. Also a number of books dealing with the Kurds in Turkey. He also has published several books on the Armenian Genocide, which brought new criminal charges in 2005. In November 2007 he published a book about the Assyrian Genocide. His Publishing House offices were firebombed in 1995. (4)

According to “http://historum.com/middle-eastern-african-history”, Esra Mungan (professor of psychology), is one of the many famous Turkish intellectuals who are supporting the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.(5)

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1- http://www.psychology.boun.edu.tr/people/mungan.html
2- http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=200_prominent_Turks_apologize_for_great_
3-http://www.genocide-museum.am/eng/19.12.12.php
4- http://www.gitfrance.fr/article-nouvelles-signatures-inaugurales-en-faveur-de-la-nomination-de-ragip-zarakolu-au-prix-nobel-de-la-pa-111133463.html
5- http://historum.com/middle-eastern-african-history/83523-ataturks-stance-armenian-greek-assyrian-genocides-clarification-11-print.html