GLENDALE—The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region issued an open letter to the California Democratic Party on Thursday protesting the Progressive Caucus for inviting Armenian Genocide denier Cenk Uygur to speak at the party’s convention in San Diego this weekend.
Uygur, who is the host of the offensively-named program “The Young Turks,” has gone publicly denied the Armenian Genocide on several occasions in various publications and on his Web site, The Young Turks.
“The claims of an Armenian Genocide are not based on historical facts. If the history of the period is examined it becomes evident that in fact no such genocide took place,” said Uygur, according to a post on his Web site.
The ANCA-WR is urging that Uygur’s invitation be reconsidered.
Below is the text of the letter to the party.
February 9, 2012
Dear Members of the California Democratic Party,
It has come to the attention of the Armenian National Committee of America, Western Region (ANCA-WR), that the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party (CDP) has invited genocide denier and lead host of the offensively-named The Young Turks news program, Cenk Uygur, to speak at the CDP Convention in San Diego, California, on February 11, 2012.
The Young Turks, upon whose name Mr. Uygur’s program is based, officially known as the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), came to power in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire using the guise of reform and progressive ideology. As World War I began, the leaders of the Young Turks, known as the Triumvirate, or Three Pashas, – Mehmet Talaat, Ahmed Djemal, and Ismail Enver – initiated the planned extermination of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire.
These Young Turks were responsible for the murder of over 1.5 million Armenians. The suffering of the Armenian Nation at the hands of this group has left an indelible association of the moniker with the incomprehensible horrors of the Armenian Genocide.
Mr. Uygur’s decision to use this highly offensive and hurtful moniker for his news program has been a source of continued pain for the Armenian community in the United States and abroad.
Furthermore, Mr. Uygur has publicly denied the genocide committed against the Armenian people. One example is in the Daily Pennsylvanian where he wrote, “The claims of an Armenian Genocide are not based on historical facts. If the history of the period is examined it becomes evident that in fact no such genocide took place.”
For a caucus of the California Democratic Party – a party in which our community has placed its trust to speak the truth about the historical injustices suffered by the Armenian people – is appalling, insensitive, and irresponsible.
We ask that the California Democratic Party urge the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party to reconsider its decision to invite an admitted denier of the Armenian Genocide whose program’s name, The Young Turks, perpetuates the misguided disregard for the memory of the martyrs of the Armenian people.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Andrew Kzirian
Chairman
Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
now you know which party you should vote for in November. The Democrats are the biggest hypocrites.
Obama, Clinton, Biden, Pelosi and Reid, they all promised to recognize the Armenian genocide while campaigning. They had two solid years of total power, the administration, the house and the senate and sat on their hands. And not only they did not pass the genocide resolution instead they became Turkey’s most loyal friends so much so that hilarious Hillary even made the Genocide a historical debatable event further fueling Turkish assertions of denial.
Shame on them. Never elect a single Democrat come November.
I hope AYF organizes a protest there. I’ll be there.
Sadly a young Armenian-American woman works for Cenk Uygur and appears with him regularly on his The Young Turks TV show..
Even more sad, some time ago when Cenk made some offensive jokes directed at Glendale Armenians (in connection with the Medicare brouhaha), this Armenian woman joined in.
How many Jews would sit down and joke around with a Jewish Holocaust denier ?
Well done ANCA-WR: “Never forget, Never forgive”.
You deny the Armenian Genocide even once, you are tainted for life.
I posted on his website some time ago that the title of his show “The Young Turks” was offensive to me as an Armenian-American. Of course, I was attacked by all his brain-dead followers. Imagine a show entitled “The Hitler Youth?” Is there any difference there?
Incredibly, he employs an Armenian woman on his show as a prop to give his extreme views credibiity. Shame, shame, shame.
The question is: Who in the California Democratic Party has invited this inapt individual to speak at the CDP Convention in San Diego, California, on February 11, 2012. Did he know his background before inviting him? In my view, if he knew Cenk Uygur’s background as a Genocide denier, perhaps, on purpose, he wanted to create a conflict between Armenians and Turks. But, who benefits from this conflict? . What say you?
The demo party of California must be at a low nadir: first voting in the clown as president,next inviting a clown,of the young jerks to speak
Ana Kasparian, a slave/servant for the Turks of the Young Turks program is a traitor and a low life in my opinion. She is a perfect example why all Armenians around the world need to return to Armenia in large numbers if we want our identities and dignities to stay intact.
So much for the democratic party of Obama,Biden,Hillary,a bunch of liars to say the least.
ana kasparian is an embarrasment to our entire nation, culture and history
The television channel RT “Russia Today” has a program called “The Alyona Show” hosted by Alyona Minkovski. She is from California and doubtlessly is aware of the Armenian Genocide due to the large Armenian population and also California’s official recognition of the Armenian Genocide along with over 40 American States. Despite this, I have seen Cenk Uygur on “The Alyona Show” many times, and I wonder if her audience is aware that Uygur is a Genocide denier and a historical revisionist!?!
Alyona Minkovski must exercise a higher standard of journalistic ethics and professionalism and not have such guests as Cenk Uygur on her program. Cenk Uygur (and many other Turkish revisionists) is to Armenians what a Holocaust-denying, pseudo-intellectual, neo-NAZI Jew-hating skinhead is to Holocaust survivors.
However, as a young TV host and journalist, Alyona Minkovski wants to make a name for herself as a bold and provocative figure, and that is why she has people like Cenk Uygur on her program.
She ought to know better.
so if he has denied the genocide several times on his website why don’t you link to it? Is it because you can’t? Post your proof or is this just another fox news type journalism?