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Press release on the law workshop titled “Tarihin Tartışmalı Dönemlerinin Siyasallaştırılmasına Yönelik Gayretlerin Uluslararası Hukuk Bakımından Değerlendirilmesi” (“Evaluation Of The Efforts Towards The Politicization Of Controversial Historical Periods Within The Scope Of International Law”) held on 2-3 November 2021 in the Istanbul Kültür Üniversitesi's (İKÜ, İstanbul Culture University) Şirinevler Campus with the cooperation of İKÜ Ceza Hukuku Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi (CEHAMER, Criminal Law Application and Research Center) and Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM)

In the Law Workshop held with the participation of prominent academics, experts and researchers in the field of international law, political actions, such as legislative regulations, congressional resolutions, and executive statements adopted in certain countries regarding controversial historical periods such as the 1915 events, were evaluated in light of the rules of international law, and such actions’ incongruity with the principles and rules of international law were discussed from a scholarly perspective.

During the Workshop, in which recent developments in the field were also addressed, the mentioned unlawful transactions of third countries were reviewed within the framework of them constituting subjects of dispute in relation to relevant international conventions and court decisions and in terms of measures that can be taken with respect to such actions.

In addition, the Law Workshop emphasized the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the international court rulings within this scope. A jurisprudence assessment was conducted, such as regarding the verdicts of the European Court of Human Rights, within the context of the invalidity of legal regulations aiming to restrict freedom of expression regarding controversial periods of history.

On the second day of the Law Workshop, the theoretical foundations of the crime of “genocide denial” were elaborated and the subject’s dimension regarding freedom of speech was analyzed within the context of international court precedents.