Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide: Ahmet Türk

By Hambersom Aghbashian

Ahmet Türk (born 2 July 1942 in Derik, Mardin Province, Turkey) is a Turkish politician of Kurdish descent . He was the chairman of the former pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) in Turkey and was a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (Turkish parliament) . On December 11, 2009, the Constitutional Court of Turkey voted to ban the DTP, accusing it of connection with PKK.Türk was expelled from the Grand National Assembly, and 36 other party members were banned from joining any political party for five years. In 2014, Ahmet Türk was elected as the new mayor of his hometown Mardin in the local polls.

On February 4, 2013, Marmara newspaper, published in Turkey, wrote “An influential Kurdish leader in Turkey, in an interview published on Sunday, acknowledged the Kurds’ role in the Armenian Genocide and apologized to the Armenians on behalf of the Kurdish people. Turkish parliament member and the vice-president of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Congress Ahmet Türk said that in 1915 the Kurdish people had a large role in the torture and massacre of Armenians, Assyrians and Yezidis and, he as a Kurd, apologized to the Armenian people on behalf of all Kurds”.

In the interview, Türk urged Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to follow suit and recognize the Genocide. He explained that the Kurdish population was used to commit the crimes against Armenians in 1915. “We, as Kurds, say that we did commit these crimes, but we committed them against our will,” added Türk. “The Turkish government, instead of denying it, must also apologize… There is a need for fundamental change here,” said Türk. (1)

Under the head-line “Kurds and the Armenian Genocide”, Deniz Serinci wrote on April 23, 2014, ” Last year Ahmed Türk, a Kurdish politician in Turkey, declared that the Kurds have their share of “guilt in the genocide, too,” and apologized to the Armenians. “Our fathers and grandfathers were used against Assyrians and Yezidis, as well as against Armenians. They persecuted these people; their hands are stained with blood. We as the descendants apologize,” Türk said. (2)

On Apr 12, 2010, Ahmed Türk, was attacked by racist Turks in Samsun – Turkey, in front of the court house and dozens of corrupted Turkish police officers. According to Hurriyet Daily News, July 27, 2010, ” The man who punched Kurdish politician Ahmet Türk in Samsun has been sentenced to serve 11 months and 20 days in prison, a punishment that was subsequently reduced to a court fine of 7,000 Turkish Liras.Türk’s attacker, İsmail Çelik, appeared at a hearing Tuesday that was held under stepped-up security, with 80 police officers present. The hearing lasted 10 minutes. The 27-year-old waiter attacked the former leader of the now-closed Democratic Society Party (DTP), on April 12, breaking his nose. Moments before the attack, Türk had been speaking to press members in front of the courthouse in Samsun. Despite the reduced sentence, Çelik said he was not satisfied by the verdict. (3)

According to Demokrathaber.net, January 5, 2016, criminal case was initiated against Ahmet Türk on the basis of being “A member of a terrorist organization” and for “Realizing propaganda of terrorist organization”. Türk is facing 7 years and six month to 18 years imprisonment in case if he found guilty. Ahmet Turk acknowledged the Kurds’ role in the Armenian genocide and apologized to the Armenians on behalf of the Kurdish people. (4)
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1-http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1a4_1360120162
2- http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/turkey/23042014
3- http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/default.aspx?pageid=438&n=puncher-of-ahmet-turk-fined-by-court-2010-07-27
4- http://www.demokrathaber.net/medya/ahmet-turk-ten-star-in-hendek-haberine-yalanlama-kurgu-gercekdisi-h60176.html