When having Armenian origin is still a crime in Turkey

(photo: Yücel AŞKIN, from University's website)

NEMESIS news, 25 Oct 2005: The rector (the head) of Turkey's Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, Dr. Yücel Aşkın, was arrested last week on "corruption charges." It turns out that the only "crime" the Professor has committed is his alleged Armenian origin. The "crime" has been revealed, when according to Azg Daily, Turkish parliamentarian Ramazan Toprak has annoucned during his visit to Germany that the rector of Van's university has Armenian origin.

Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi is one of the biggest universities of western Armenian (modern east Turkey) where the 2 million Armenian population was wiped out between 1915 and 1923. Few Armenians were islamized and remained in their ancestral homeland by keeping their identity secret.

76 rectors of Turkish universities have united to protest Dr. Aşkın's unjust and racist arrest.

Early this month, Armenian journalist Dink was convicted for 6 months for saying that he is not a Turk, but an Armenian.