'Apricot' festivals stir debate between Turkey and Armenia"

'Apricot' festivals stir debate between Turkey and Armenia"
Thursday, August 26, 2010

VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

A larger crisis over fruit and film awards appears to have been avoided after it was revealed that sections of the Turkish press gave the incorrect name of a Malatya film festival, suggesting it shared the same name as a more-established Yerevan movie event.

“Our festival’s name is ‘The Malatya International Film Festival,’ and only the name of the prize we award is the “Golden Apricot.’” Malatya Gov. Ulvi Saran told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, in explaining the apparent confusion.

A mainstream Turkish newspaper had earlier called the event the “Golden Apricot International Film Festival,” causing repercussions in the Armenian press since there is a festival of the same name in Yerevan that has been held for seven years every July.

Explaining the choice of name, Saran said, “We named the prize “Golden Apricot” with reference to the delicious apricots that grow in our [eastern Turkish] province.”

Suzanna Harutyunyan, the artistic director of the International Golden Apricot Film Festival in Armenia, told the Daily News in a phone interview that they had not contacted the Malatya governor’s office, but rather learned of the story from the Turkish press.

Harutyunyan said they had sent a press statement to festival and nongovernmental organizations in Turkey with whom they are in contact.

“We are very sorry about these developments,” Harutyunyan added.

Responding to Saran’s statements to the Daily News, Harutyunyan said the story in the Turkish media might be speculative, but in this case it should be announced that the newspaper released an inaccurate story.

“We do not want to have any problems. The reactions in Armenia are increasing,” said Harutyunyan, adding that they did not yet plan to file a lawsuit in the case.

“We said if they use the name of our festival then we will use our legal rights. Because the name ‘Golden Apricot’ is a registered trademark,” Harutyunyan said.

Saran told the Daily News in a previous interview that there was no obstacle between the two cities cooperating, noting that Yerevan and Malatya, on cultural issues, are often quite similar.

Asked whether the two festivals might make a bridge between the two cities, Saran said in an interview that took place a few weeks ago, “Art is not a sphere to develop depending only on a geographical area. It is very important for the cities to carry their experiences into the world’s agenda by sharing their historical and cultural heritages.”