Taner Akcam has been credited as the first Turkish
"scholar" (that word is in quotation marks because real scholars
dispassionately consider all sides of a story) to have used the word
"genocide" to describe the Armenian events.
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Taner
Akcam |
A leftist revolutionist who advocated violence and who was
imprisoned for terrorist activities, Akcam escaped from jail and later
reinvented himself as a scholar, focusing on the one-note Armenian
"Genocide" as his bread-and-butter. His mentor was Vahakn Dadrian, and the
way was mysteriously paved for Akcam to become a perpetual "visiting
professor" in the USA. (American immigration officials are usually very
picky, often frowning on those with criminal records.)
While there are no major disagrements
between the master propagandist and his obliging student, Akcam has reportedly
disappointed Dadrian in not going far enough with established genocide
principles. At times, Akcam has even broken with his master; he rejects the Andonian forgeries, for example, while
Dadrian once hugely embarrassed himself in an attempt to legitimize them.
Moreover, Akcam does not currently appear to subscribe to the traditional
theories as to why the Ottomans should have exterminated the Armenians,
principally the theory of pan-Turanism, the idea of Turkifying the
ethnic groups of the Empire. (Although earlier in his career, specifically
with his "The Genocide of the Armenians and the Silence of the
Turks," Akcam was very much part of the genocide choir, gung-ho for
all the "pan" words. This is the relatively brief paper, by the way,
where Akcam repeated the "genocide" word an unbelievable 64
times.)
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Vahakn Dadrian |
Akcam makes extensive use of Master Dadrian's dizzying,
one-sided research over the many years.. Dadrian does not feel it beneath him
to occasionally cite Akcam (as an example, Dadrian threw Akcam a footnoted
bone in America and the Armenian Genocide of 1915), but it's becoming
apparent the master propagandist feels a good degree of disrespect for his protégé. Dadrian reportedly does not feel Akcam has what it
takes to share the stage with Dadrian. (Although it may be argued Dadrian's
ego is large enough where his contempt is not reserved strictly for Akcam.
Example: in a 2005 interview, Dadrian was asked about his "recent
lifetime achievement award," and Dadrian's response was, "Which one
there are many," going on to further gush over himself.)
Taner Akcam therefore suffers in some genocide circles,
regarding his academic credibility. In a battle with the Turkish Historical
Society's Prof. Kemal Cicek (analyzed below), Akcam has
been characterized as a "village idiot" among some of his peers.
Taner Akcam will forever have the stigma of being a
stooge for the Armenians, and such status can never bode well for the
integrity and recognition he must crave.
Currently, as reported by one of his
younger colleagues from the genocide club, one of Akcam's sources of financing
is the prominent Cafesjian Foundation (www.cafesjianfoundation.org/)
This Armenian foundation, according to the report, is partly responsible for
the payment of Akcam's upkeep at his current headquarters, the University of
Minnesota. Now this is different than the Turkish government's providing
grants to establish Turkish studies departments in universities, because once
the grant is given, educators in these departments can go in any direction
they please. However, if Akcam were to begin reporting true history that is
critical of the Armenians, it would very likely be the quickest way to kiss
this foundation money good-bye.
How is Akcam struggling against being perceived as an
object of ridicule? He is using the one asset going for him, his "Turkishness."
With the knowledge of his homeland's language and customs, and with the help
of pro-Armenian bases within Turkey (Armenian and leftist media outlets, along
with a network of like-thinkers in the mode of Halil Berktay), Akcam has a
better finger on the "genocide developments" in the country which
allows him to go on a plane of attack not easily available to his genocide
cronies.
Having learned well from his Armenian master, Akcam
appears to be concentrating on "seek and destroy" missions. He is
looking at the historical truths that expose the holes in the "Armenian
genocide," and attempts to throw Dadrian-style smokescreens at these truths. (Thus, the
relocation exemptions granted the Armenians, for example, become
"legends," as in the title of one of his works, examined below.) He
zeroes in on the small errors of the Turkish academicians doing research in
this area, knowing full well that these handful of scholars are comparative
neophytes to Akcam's firmly established genocide forces. (The forces that have
scared practically all the neutral non-Turkish scholars away, with their awful
smear campaign tactics.) Because he
can't deny the forest of truth, Akcam's plan is to set isolated fires in the
weedy areas, all in the time honored pro-Armenian practice to detract and
confuse. With each attempt, he is further withering the minute traces of
credibility some people would still like to accord him... but what else can he
do? He has to justify his propagandistic existence somehow.
Unfortunately, hardly anyone dissects the writings of
these ethically-challenged "genocide scholars," and thus people like
Akcam keep getting away with murder (quite literally, in the "Rufmord" meaning of the
word)... particularly since the genocide industry runs practically unopposed
(who will argue with anyone who speaks against genocide? We all know genocide
is "bad"), and the false "Armenian Genocide" has become
the accepted wisdom throughout a lazy-thinking and/or bigoted world.
On this page, some of Akcam's works will be analyzed,
exposing his degree of honesty and scholarship.