Expert: Turkish archives cleaned of Genocide documents back in 1919

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish archives came to be cleaned from the Armenian Genocide-related documents in the Ottoman Empire back in 1919, an expert said.

“Turkish archives were periodically cleaned from Genocide-related documents,” Turkolgist Anush Hovhannisyan told a press conference in Yerevan.

According to her, in 1980s however, Turkish authorities became more industrious with the Armenian Genocide issue being widely discussed in various international structures.

“Purging the archives, the Turkish authorities left only those documents, which, in their opinion, do not contradict their position on what happened in 1915. However once those documents are investigated, experts will notice facts proving the Genocide,” Hovhannisyan said.

She also noted that some of the Genocide-related documents may be kept in English and German archives. “In addition, Ottoman authorities sold a lot of documents to Bulgaria in 1931 as waste paper. Vatican in turn, got part of those documents from Bulgaria, and recent reports suggest that part of them will be published in 2012,” Hovhannisyan noted, adding that certain part of documents are kept in the archives of Turkey’s General Staff, which are not exposed.

Among the disclosed by WikiLeaks U.S. State Department secret documents was the message of the Turkish Sabanci University Prof. Halil Berktaya, addressed to the Chairman of the American Council in Istanbul. In the letter dated 12 July 2004 the professor informs the U.S. government official of "purging" of the Ottoman Empire archives from evidence on the Armenian Genocide. “Archives have been exposed to be purged several times since 1918.