Turkish poet, writer and lawyer Akif Kurtuluş, who is the author of an article called ‘Hundred Years of Shame’, told Ermenihaber:
“I call the process of deportation of Armenian intellectuals living in Istanbul to Chanker, Kalejik and Ayash on April 24 1915, ‘genocide.’ As a lawyer, I cannot express another opinion after reading the Lemkin document approved by UN. However, this must be said by the state that committed that crime. The Lemkin document is binding on the countries that eventually signed it. The Republic of Turkey cannot say: “Those massacres were carried out by the Ottoman Empire or the Ittihadists, I have nothing to do with it, because Turkey is its successor.”
According to the Turkish lawyer, this ruling regime will continue to deny the genocide as long as it succeeds. “If he accepts, we will be living in a completely different Turkey,” said Kurtuluş.
According to him, the only political force in Turkey that will be inclined to recognize the genocide and not deny it when it comes to power is the People’s Democratic Party.
“In my opinion, the People's Democratic Party is a very important political force for the future of Turkey. That is why it is being persecuted so much,” Kurtuluş said.
