An American historian said on Monday that struggle against Armenian allegations regarding 1915 incidents had not been lost, yet expressed concern over what could happen in 2015 if current situation would not change.
"A significant progress has been recorded, however there are still many things to be done," American historian Guenter Lewy told a news conference in office of the American-Turkish Coalition in Washington, D.C.
Lewy brought suit against an American institution, Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLIC), which accused him of being "Turkish agent and taking money from Turkish government" over 1915 incidents, and SPLIC apologized from Lewy after the case.
Lewy said some Armenian circles and some of supporters called him "genocide denier" after his book "The Armenian Massacres in Ottoman Turkey: A Disputed Genocide" was published. He said it should be possible to express ideas in common-sense without facing accusations like being the agent of a foreign country.
Lewy said the case result acquitted him from the shadows of the accusations which he felt as burden on him for two years, and envisaged that U.S. media might not name him as "Turkish agent" after SPLIC's apology, but would continue to call him "genocide denier".
Lewy said prevailing view in the U.S. media so far was because the majority of the academic circles approved Armenian allegations, yet noted he thought it was wrong.
Lewy said he suggested a survey to be conducted with the participation of historians, working on Turkey and the Middle East, where they could express their ideas regarding 1915 incidents." He said many historians as well as the renowned historians like Andrew Mango and Bernard Lewis questioned "genocide" description.
Asked if struggle against Armenians statements was lost, Lewy said the struggle had not been lost but noted he had serious concerns over the developments that could happen in 2015 (100th anniversary of 1915 incidents). He said a significant progress was recorded but that there were still many things to be done.
Lewy said, "the success on the matter has links with Turkey. I think things will get more difficult as long as Article 301 remains in effect. Because they will tell you 'you are afraid of free search'. Article 301 has been revised many times but it is still in effect."
Responding to a question, Lewy said solution of the problem regarding 1915 incidents at an international court was not easy.
Asked to comment on the 1915 incidents, Lewy said although he stated that it was wrong and inappropriate to describe the incidents as "genocide" he thought it was not easy to make a qualification.
Lewy said the parties failed to express a balanced and right view on what had happened in 1915.
Bruce Fein, a lawyer of the Turkish-American Legal Defense Fund (TALF), who represented Lewy in the case, stated that the view that everybody who opposed to allegations of Armenians took money from the Turkish government was a claim of the Armenian circles.
Fein underlined that apology of SPLC from Lewy was important, noting that both parties suffered tragedies in 1915 and the historical registrations on the matter did not draw a conclusion that the Ottoman administration deliberately targeted whole Armenian population.
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