Understanding The Turkish - Armenian Controversy Over 1915

Mustafa Serdar Palabıyık
Beta Yayınları, 2015, 9786053332084 132 pp.
Foreword by Jeremy Salt

The description offered by Eren Bookstore for this brand new book reads as follows:

This study tries to answer the question whether the 1915 relocation fits into the genocide definition of the Genocide Convention. In doing that, it intends to remain within the confines of the Convention, while it compares Turkish and Armenian narratives on this legal basis. It argues that while the Armenian relocation had unintended tragic consequences for the Ottoman Armenians, legally, the genocidal intent argument is subject to legitimate debate. Questioning the validity of the Armanian genocide allegations never means the denial of the suffering of the Armenians durng the relocation. Such a questioning is only done to criticize the presentation of "Armenian genocide" as a sole and undisputable truth an to facilitate academic, not political, debate in a way to allow alternative readings of the 1915 relocation.
 

This succint overview of the issue written by a scholar for the layman is a good read for the one who wants to understand what this issue is all about briefly. I know that it was a challenge for the author to be able to keep it that short. Dr. Palabıyık, who has completed his MSc and PhD degrees at the Middle East Technical University, is currently working as Assistant Professor at the  Department of International Relations, TOBB University of Economics and Technology. In his Foreword, Jeremy Salt, visiting Associate Professor in Middle Eastern History and Politics at Bilkent University,  points out that the "study deals with several critical aspects of the 'Armenian question' as it has developed from the late 19th century."

The book is available at Eren Books and several other Turkish bookstores such as Idefix and D&R together with its Turkish version titled 1915 Olaylarını Anlamak - Türkler ve Ermeniler.