Armand Sag, 25, a Turkish citizen that started to write in the column of the news portal “De Dagelijksestandaard” about Turkey’s foreign policy, isfired after he wrote that “Turks did not commit a genocide against Armenians.”
A graduate of Utretch University, History and Turcology Department, Armand Sag said that freedom of opinion does not exists in Holland. “I cannot believe what has happened. I am shocked. It is unbelievable,” said he.
Stating that he was warned by his boss several times because of the articles in which he wrote that Turks did not commit a genocide against Armenians, Sag said, “I am fired because of the Armenian issue. My boss called me to apologize Armenians. But i did not. And he fired me.”
Sag said, “Obviously, being a columnist was not my thing. I was hired a little while ago. Then I was censured after I defined 1915 events as displacement. Do not get me wrong, I did not mention anytime if the events were genocide or not. I can tell you that great trouble rose because I used the term ‘displacement.’ I knew that Armenian lobby in Holland is strong, but I did not expect this much.”
Sag said, “Afterwards, I wrote the column that includes my statements telling that Turks did not commit a genocide against Armenians. Armenians sent hundrends of e-mails and letters. And then,they called me to apologize to Armenians. And because I did not, I am fired.”
Complaining that Turkish lobby is weak in Holland, Sag said, “There are 450,000 Turkish citizen in Holland. On the other hand the population of Armenian diaspora in Holland is about 12,000. It is so sad that Armenian lobbies are stronger here. Unfortunately, I did not find any support from Turkish people in Holland.”
