The Armenian version of well-known Turkish intellectual Pinar Selek’s book “Because They Are Armenian” has been released. In his book, Selek mainly presents his views on the Armenian Genocide and the Turkish society’s approach to the issue, writes armradio.am. The French version of the book was presented in Strasbourg in February 2015.

Pinar Selek is in Yerevan and gave a press conference today. “In the book, I wrote about what it means to be an Armenian in Turkey, the meaning of denial, which forms the basis of this country’s ideology,” the Turkish intellectual said during the press conference.

In 1998, Pinar Selek was acknowledged as guilty for the explosion that took place at the Egyptian market in Istanbul, but was acquitted by the Court of Heavy Crimes of Istanbul 16 years later. The intellectual and human rights activist has been assaulted and persecuted several times and currently lives in France due to political persecutions.

In February 2015, the book “Because They Are Armenian” by Turkish sociologist, feminist and writer Pinar Selek was presented in Strasbourg. The book is about the Armenian Genocide, the Turks’ attitude towards it, dialogue, as well as various approaches to the Kurdish and Armenian issues in Turkey. The book also reflects on the events that took place prior to and after the murder of Hrant Dink. “For 50 years, I have read several books devoted to the Armenian Genocide, but Pinar Selek’s book truly shocked me, and that’s why I decided to translate it and invite Selek to Armenia,” says French-Armenian Manoug Pamougchian, who translated Selek’s book into Armenian.

“My book has been translated into various languages, but the Armenian version of the book is something else,” the Turkish writer confessed in Yerevan.

“Speaking as an eyewitness means taking responsibility to say I saw it, heard it and experienced it. It is with that responsibility that I write to say that I deeply felt the devastating consequences that still exist on the land that has been crippled from the genocide. Although I was raised in an environment in which there was no ultranationalism, I learned about the annihilation of the Armenians in Turkey in 1915 later in life. It obviously concerns me. There can be nothing more precious than fighting for the truth,” Selek writes in the preface of his book.

Today he confessed that the main motive for writing the book were his Armenian friends living in Turkey who are no longer with us and died for different reasons. “Those friends of mine can’t speak now, and I’m speaking for them,” Selek says.

“I also have a problem with justice and am leading my own struggle for justice. That’s why I know how important each eyewitness account is for achieving justice. I broke the “glasses” that they had made me wear and was able to see more with my own eyes. Pinar Selek adds: “Believe me, I’m not alone. I represent an entire generation that is now questioning several truths that we were taught in Turkey.”