Truth Prevails over Millions Spent
By Turks to Lie about the Genocide
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
It took a little more than a year and a half, but it was well worth the
wait. After lengthy, sometimes complex, but mostly amicable discussions, the
European edition of TIME magazine, in its Feb. 12, 2007 issue, published a
full-page text on the Armenian Genocide and distributed a complimentary DVD,
in English and French, which contains a compelling 52-minute documentary on
the Armenian Genocide by French director Laurence Jourdan. The DVD also
includes a 46-minute interview with Dr. Yves Ternon, a leading expert on the
Armenian Genocide.
This issue of the magazine, which has been on newsstands since Feb. 2 in 67
countries throughout Europe, parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, was
sold out within the first 48 hours of its availability. Extra copies can be
ordered by contacting: time_europe@customersvc.com.
Both the DVD and the full-page ad were provided free of charge by TIME
Europe (circulation 550,000) after realizing that its staff, without proper
review, had inserted a Turkish DVD as a paid advertisement, under the guise
of promoting tourism in Turkey in the June 6, 2005 issue of TIME Europe.
The Turkish DVD, paid for by the Ankara Chamber of Commerce, was a deceitful
attempt to spread malicious lies and denialist propaganda on the Armenian
Genocide. Sinan Aygun, the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, subsequently
disclosed that Turkey's General Chief of Staff had approved the DVD for
distribution through TME. He also revealed that the Turkish Ministry of
Culture and Tourism had prepared the sinister DVD.
When scores of TIME subscribers, the Switzerland-Armenia Association (SAA)
and this columnist complained to TIME executives, Managing Editor James
Kelly in a letter to SAA dated Sept. 2, 2005, apologized for having
disseminated the Turkish DVD which he said "was not adequately reviewed by
anyone at TIME." Furthermore, he acknowledged that the Turkish DVD did not
"meet TIME's standards for fairness and accuracy."
Moreover, TIME (Europe) published in its October 17, 2005 issue, a critical
page-long letter to the editor -- possibly the longest letter ever published
in the history of the magazine -- jointly signed by the following five
French organizations: Memoire 2000, the Coordinating Council of Armenian
Organizations of France, Comité de Defense de la Cause Armenienne - ANC
France, J'Accuse, and the Movement Against Racism and for Friendship Among
Peoples. In an Editorial note, TIME restated its earlier apology for
disseminating the Turkish DVD.
In December 2005, these five organizations along with the
Switzerland-Armenia Association, the French Association of Armenian Lawyers
and Jurists, the EUROPEAN - ARMENIAN FEDERATION for Justice and Democracy,
and The California Courier newspaper reached an amicable agreement with TIME
executives ensuring that the facts of the Armenian Genocide will not be
distorted again in the pages of the magazine.
TIME agreed to distribute free of charge in its European edition an Armenian
Genocide documentary selected by the Armenian side. The magazine paid the
licensing fee for use of the DVD as well as the cost of duplicating over
half million copies. TIME also agreed to publish free of charge a full-page
ad on the Armenian Genocide.
In addition, Michael Elliott, the Editor of TIME International, issued the
following significant written statement: "Please be advised that, in common
with other leading news organizations, it is TIME's policy and practice to
refer to the Armenian genocide as a historical fact. Accordingly, I will be
informing our correspondents and editors that the term 'Armenian genocide'
should be used without qualification."
The above mentioned organizations are pleased that the very costly Turkish
attempt to distort the facts of the Armenian Genocide backfired and was
properly countered by TIME magazine which placed journalistic ethics above
all other considerations.
Turkish officials, on the other hand, were very displeased with this turn of
events. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, when asked for his reaction to the
DVD in TIME magazine, told CNN TURK last Friday: "Now millions of people [in
Europe] will be brainwashed against Turkey." Turkish TV networks and
newspapers provided extensive coverage of this unexpected development.
Turkish denialist circles have already launched an e-mail campaign against
TIME magazine. Those wishing to counter the Turkish complaints should send
their e-mails to: edit_office@timemagazine.com, thanking TIME executives for
reaffirming the true facts of the Armenian Genocide.
The above achievement is the result of lengthy discussions with TIME
executives. For the first time, several Armenian and non-Armenian
organizations throughout Europe and the United States worked together on a
common project. Now that such a network is in place, it becomes easier to
organize such a multinational coordinated effort in the future on other
significant issues.
*The Turks paid over a million dollars to advertise their denial of the
Armenian Genocide in seven languages. With the kind assistance of TIME, the
Armenians and their friends succeeded in organizing a successful response
using nothing more than the language of truth!*
