Araks weekly newspaper, 23.06.2010: At 10 am today, a press conference was held in the hall of the Primacy of the Armenian Episcopate of Tehran by Turkish intellectual, Clark University instructor Professor Taner Akçam.  Professor Akçam expressed gratitude for the invitation to Tehran and said that he was proud that his book had been translated to Farsi.  He added, "A Shameful Act is about the Armenian Genocide, a dark chapter buried in the folds of Turkey's history." The professor said, "My only hope is that Turkey faces this part of its past and it is only after this that relations between Armenia and Turkey can improve peacefully.  The Armenian Genocide is a real Genocide, not a massacre, a slaughter or anything else.  I would go so far as to say that if we do not call what happened in 1915 a Genocide, we should say that no genocides have occurred in human history.  I believe that we should call things by their real names so that we can deal with them properly.  When we speak of the past, our intention is to reach reconciliation and peace, not animosity." Taner Akçam said that the efforts to get the Genocide recognized in the parliaments of other countries must continue, adding, "I used to consider the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by foreign parliaments wrong.  I used to think that this foreign interference could cause more hatred by Turkish society towards Armenians.  Now I believe that without this external pressure Turkey will never accept this fact and this is the only option open to Armenians now.  They must raise this issue in the halls of foreign parliaments." According to the author of A Shameful Act, information about historic events will serve to bring people closer.  He also added, "Turkey does not just have issues with Armenians today but with other neighboring nations as well – the Kurds, the Greeks, the Alevis and others.  The solution to these issues begins with being informed about these problems."