(TANER AKCAM) Tall Armenian Tale: The Other Side of the Falsified Genocide

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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.

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.)

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.

Of Taner Akcam's "Legends"

This is a response to a 2003 Akcam essay (entitled "About 1915 and Some Legends" appearing in the leftist Turkish newspaper, "Radikal") where Dr. Akcam attempted to throw smoke at certain historical realities, one being that some Ottomans were punished for crimes against Armenians. In addition, he minimizes the exemptions granted the Armenians, and smears the author of "The Armenian File," following the age-old pro-Armenian tactic of shooting the messenger instead of analyzing the message.

Taner Akcam Interviewed on Radio

On February 6, 2005, "Historian" Taner Akcam was invited to give a talk on CBC's Sunday Edition, a Canadian radio program. Akcam provides his theory on why the Armenians were exterminated, which differs from the traditional speculation. There are fascinating revelations regarding his sordid past. The radio show had the integrity to solicit the views of the "other side" of the story, which infuriated Taner Akcam. He fired off a letter, reproduced in its entirety, which must be read to be believed. He actually characterized this historical counter-view as a... fatwa!

Taner Akcam charges Turkish historians with a "crime"

Examines the methodology of Taner Akcam as he desperately attempts to discredit Turkish historians, in his relentless efforts to affirm the Armenians' genocide. He goes so far as to accuse academicians with a differing point of view as being criminals. (In an article entitled, “Anatomy of a Crime: the Turkish Historical Society’s Manipulation of Archival Documents") Is he overstating his case? Or has he adopted the smear tactics of his Armenian benefactors to an overbearing degree? These would be the ones who feel no compunction in accusing others of crimes when there is no genuine proof... particularly when the charge is "genocide."

A Correspondence with Taner Akcam (and a Rescuer)

While I rarely put up private behind-the-scenes communications, I ran into this series of open letters directed toward Dr. Akcam. An exchange of sorts resulted. When Taner Akcam refused to get into the ins and outs of historical truth (that old accursed dialogue, instead of the cherished monologue), Prof. Dennis Papazian, in whose university Akcam got his first U.S. teaching job (maybe his first teaching job anywhere; it doesn't seem like he served on a faculty in Germany, where he received his degree), stepped up to the plate.

Was Taner Akcam Sponsored by Armenians?

The story goes, Fatma Muge Gocek brought the undistinguished academic into the United States entirely on her own initiative. It certainly served the purposes of the propagandists to give the appearance the Armenians had nothing to do with the former terrorist's suddenly getting a job in an American university. But an unwitting confession by the real force behind Akcam's sponsorship blows the lid off yet another Armenian myth.

Taner Akcam's Prison Sentencing

Taner Akcam innocently likes to tell us the reason why he was sent up the river in Turkey was because he was heroically acknowledging the existence of Kurdish identity within his fascist nation, but according to a most friendly source, there was a little more to it than that.

A Shameful Liar: Taner Akcam

In early 2007, Taner Akcam got personal, charging the Turkish government and its fascist citizens of conducting a campaign against him, wrongly portraying him as a "terrorist" and as a "propagandistic tool of the Armenians." Do his claims have merit?

A Major Whopper of the "Shameful Liar"

There are some historical facts that are just so totally obvious by now, they should not be challenged by even the most diehard propagandists. But some are so "shameful," they go on challenging them anyway. A recent (2007-end) article exposes Taner Akcam with a major whopper.