AVIM

18.05.2015

On May 15, 2015, AVIM organized a meeting dedicated to a discussion of the Malta tribunals, importance of the Malta process with respect to the genocide allegations today and legal dimensions dimensof these allegations upon Uluç Gürkan’s book entitled as Ermeni Katliamı Suçlaması, Yargılama ve Karar: Malta 1919 – 1921 (The Armenian Massacre Accusation, Trial and Verdict: Malta 1919-1921). In this meeting, Uluç Gürkan shared his ideas in detail within the frame of AVIM specialist Dr. Turgut K. Tuncel’s questions.

Uluc Gurkan’s book is a significant study that exposes the process of Malta tribunals and the consequential documents about these tribunals with respect to contemporary allegations. Yet, this book has a significance beyond these; Gürkan, by going beyond an informative and descriptive historical study, brings forward a topical political suggestion about Turkish-Armenian dispute upon an argument he raises. Gürkan’s argument is that investigation carried out by the British authorities didn’t find enough evidence to bring 144 Ottoman officials to court in in Malta. He argues this is an historical fact that invalidates genocide allegations. Gürkan suggests Turkey to officially demand the files of the Malta investigation from Britain and to use the documents in this file as concrete evidences against the genocide allegations.

Until today, many informative and descriptive historical studies were done. Yet, Gürkan’s book demonstrates that a new approach is arising; the book on the Malta tribunals signals that against genocide allegations, studies that develop arguments and ideas have been started to be conducted. This, definitely, predicates an important juncture for the resolution of the to solve Turkish-Armenian dispute.