Armenian Rebirth: The Last Plight
Guest speaker: Garo Paylan
6:30 PM, OCTOBER 16, 2023
Humanities Gateway 1030
611 Humanities Quad, Irvine, CA 92697
Garo Paylan is a leading opposition voice and a human rights defender in Turkey. He has served in the Turkish parliament for 8 years (2015 to June 2023) and is internationally recognized for his struggle for democracy and minority rights in Turkey, as well as his support for peace in the Caucasus.
Paylan was among the very few Armenians to be elected to the Turkish parliament and was the first lawmaker to submit an amendment for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey. He continued to highlight the need for Turkey to face this historic tragedy throughout the time he served in the parliament but was legally prosecuted for his amendments and statements.
Paylan has been a vocal critic of discrimination against Turkey’s Christian and Jewish minorities and has consistently used his public position to highlight abuses and policies that affected minority communities.
Prior to entering parliament, Paylan served as a coordinator for Armenian schools in Turkey and is among the founders of “Friends of Hrant Dink” – a group that has sought justice for the 2007 killing of the Armenian journalist and has been organizing commemorations for the Armenian genocide.
Garo Paylan is widely recognized as one of Turkey’s leading democracy advocates and has been the recipient of several international awards for his work on democracy.
Parking Instructions:
Complimentary parking will be available in Lot 7 at the intersection of Mesa Road and West Peltason Drive. A parking attendant will be present to assist you from 5:15 to 7:15 pm.
