![People take part in a commemoration ceremony to mark the anniversary of the 1915 mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire at the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, April 24, 2011. Armenia, backed by many historians and world parliaments, says some 1.5 million Armenians died during the upheavals that accompanied World War I and labels the events as genocide. On the other hand, Ankara rejects the term genocide and says large numbers of both Christian Armenians and Muslim Turks were killed. REUTE](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/08/arm.jpg/arm.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=wPPVV7kw)
Yasemin Çongar has been a journalist since 1984 and is the author of four books in Turkish, among them Artık Sır Değil (No More a Secret), a detailed analysis of the US diplomatic cables on Turkey first made public by WikiLeaks. A former Washington bureau chief for Milliyet (1995–2007) and a founding deputy editor-in-chief of Taraf (2007–2012), Çongar is currently based in Istanbul and is a columnist for the Internet newspaper T24.
![People take part in a commemoration ceremony to mark the anniversary of the 1915 mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire at the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, April 24, 2011. Armenia, backed by many historians and world parliaments, says some 1.5 million Armenians died during the upheavals that accompanied World War I and labels the events as genocide. On the other hand, Ankara rejects the term genocide and says large numbers of both Christian Armenians and Muslim Turks were killed. REUTE](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/08/arm.jpg/arm.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=wPPVV7kw)
![Visitors leave the "Tracing Istanbul", an exhibition of works by Greek artists, at the Greek Orthodox seminary in Heybeliada island near Istanbul September 4, 2010. An Istanbul seminary closed in 1971 is hosting its first public event in 40 years, raising hopes it may shortly be reopened by Turkey and once again educate priests for the Greek Orthodox community. The European Union and the United States have pressed EU membership hopeful Turkey to reopen the historic school, which occupies a beautiful and com](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/08/Halki.jpg/Halki.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=N1ziA4FU)
![Yasemin Çongar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Yasemincolor.jpg/Yasemincolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=tW_4KVAd)
Yasemin Çongar
![Fans of Besiktas (Black-White), Galatasaray (Yellow-Red) and Fenerbahce (Yellow-Blue) pose during an anti-government protest at Taksim Square in central Istanbul June 2, 2013. Days of anti-government protest in Turkey have achieved one feat that has eluded the authorities for years: uniting the fiercely rival and sometimes violent supporters of Istanbul's "Big Three" football clubs. Besiktas, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce fans have come together in new-found solidarity during five days of demonstrations agains](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/08/Turkish%20socce.jpg/Turkish%20socce.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=9NyYQeJb)
![Yasemin Çongar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Yasemincolor.jpg/Yasemincolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=tW_4KVAd)
Yasemin Çongar
![Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit (R) waves beside his doctor
Professor Mehmet Haberal at the entrance of the Baskent University
Hospital, in Ankara, June 26, 2002. Officials announced that, Ecevit,
77, will have a detailed check-up. Ecevit, was hospitalized twice in
May for intestinal problems, a broken rib and vascular infection and
has been recovering at home for the past month. REUTERS/str
WS - RTR6VWK](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/08/Mehmet%20Haberal.jpg/Mehmet%20Haberal.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=96mMCrn5)
![Yasemin Çongar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Yasemincolor.jpg/Yasemincolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=tW_4KVAd)
Yasemin Çongar
![Gay rights activists carry a rainbow flag during a protest at Taksim Square in Istanbul June 23, 2013. REUTERS/Marko Djurica (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST SOCIETY) - RTX10Y6Y](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/08/RTX10Y6Y.jpg/RTX10Y6Y.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=ig8rQOOP)
![Yasemin Çongar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Yasemincolor.jpg/Yasemincolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=tW_4KVAd)
Yasemin Çongar
![A worker checks cable drums at a factory in the city of Kayseri, central Turkey, June 27, 2006. The confident mood in Kayseri contrasts to the anxiety in Ankara, as they believe Turkey will weather the turbulence rocking its economy, resolve the tension between secularists and Islamists and stay the course to European Union membership. Picture taken June 27, 2006. To match feature TURKEY CRISIS REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY) - RTR1F0MZ](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/08/1-RTR1F0MZ.jpg/1-RTR1F0MZ.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=ITtCJOgf)
![Yasemin Çongar](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/Yasemincolor.jpg/Yasemincolor.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=tW_4KVAd)
Yasemin Çongar
![Supporters of Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan wave flags, hold banners and shout slogans as they wait for his arrival at Esenboga Airport in Ankara June 9, 2013. Still by far the country's most popular politician, Erdogan has pressed ahead with government business as usual. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX10HD0](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/07/Erdogan.jpg/Erdogan.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=rtqaTmNH)
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Yasemin Çongar