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On May 10, 2018, the Institute for Armenian Studies of Yerevan State University hosted the prominent German scholar in Genocide Studies Hilmar Kaiser. The lecture was attended by students of the Department of Genocide Studies and Turkic Studies, lecturers etc. In his report Hilmar Kaiser presented the activities of Tahsin Bey, his policy against Armenians when he was a governor in Van and in Erzrum. The historian conducted his research on Tahsin Bey based on the study of archival materials. Tahsin was one of the leaders of the Young Turks, who managed to hide his anti-Armenian activities. According to one of the telegrams, Tahsin Bey was one of those who gave the order to exterminate the Armenians.

At the end of the lecture, students were given an opportunity to ask their questions. Most of all them were interested in the fact why the historian avoided to use the term Armenian Genocide. The author explained it by the problematic nature of the term. Instead of the term Genocide, the author prefers to use the term extermination. He considers that many realities characterized as genocide are not compatible with the Armenian Genocide in their scale as it is a bigger disaster. The students were also interested in how the author acquired these archival materials. He preferred not to present this in detail. There was also a question about  the participation of Kurds in the Armenian Genocide. According to the author, in the pursuit of material gain, the Kurds actively participated in the implementation of the massacres.

 


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