Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
International Conference on Social Science Research ICONSR, Prizren, Sırbistan, 05 Eylül 2018, ss.39
Introduction: “An Armenian Sketchbook” (published in Turkey with “Taşlar Ülkesine Yolculuk” / which
means “Journey to the Stones Country” name) work by Vasily Grossman, consists of travel notes on events and
situations observed by the author during his travel to the Armenian Soviet Republic in the course of his
translation work there. Despite the fact that it can be regarded as a successful work in terms of reading pleasure,
it is understood that the book is written with some ideological prejudices. During the journey to the Armenia of
the author, whose mind was constantly engaged with Turkey and Turkish people, he often makes sentences
alleging that the Turks carried out genocide to the Armenians during the First World War depending on the
many cases he encountered. However, there are no concrete findings to support the author's allegations of
genocide.
Material and Methods: In this study, the baseless Armenian genocide allegations revealed by Vasily Grossman
in his "An Armenian Sketchbook" book were compared with the historical research data and the consistency and
inconsistency between allegations and historical findings were tried to be determined from an objective point of
view.
Results: Scientific studies obtained through an impartial approach reveals that the Ottoman administration did
not have a destruction plan for Armenia in the First World War years however some unwanted events involving
deaths occurred during the relocation of the Armenians due to various security reasons on war conditions. These
events, mostly occurred in the eastern and southern regions of the Ottoman Empire during the First World War,
were often judged by the Western world not with historical documents but on some stereotypical prejudices. The
period of which the baseless Armenian genocide allegations began to be put forward that turned into some of the
Western countries' political oppression mechanism to Turkey over time is actually seen that the same period
when Vasily Grossman took the journey to Armenia in the beginning years in 1960s. In this context, it is
understood that in a literary work reflecting Vasily Grossman's personal impressions, the presentation of socalled
genocide allegations like a great truth, and the sounding of these allegations with well-known authors, is a
part of the project for convincing the world public opinion that about the reality of the Armenian genocide.
Discussion: Bringing the allegations of the so-called Armenian genocide to the foreground in literary works,
films or parliaments prejudicially, often serving the purpose of defamation the facts revealed by historical
sources. Actually, the Republic of Turkey repeatedly offered opening all historical archives and an examination
of the issue by experts with an objective approach in the highest level. It is expected that the allegations about
the so-called Armenian genocide be proved with the concrete evidence and documentary evidence by those who
claim. Otherwise the issue is regarded as a perception management and as a deliberate smears campaign brought
forward against Turkey.
Keywords: Vasily Grossman, An Armenian Sketchbook, Armenia, Turkey, the Armenian question, the genocide
allegations.