Schmidt’s Deposition: ‘We Shouldn’t Forget the Past’

A. (Perusing document.)

Q. Okay. Mrs. Schmidt, what is Today’s Zaman?

A. I believe it’s a periodical in Turkey.

Q. Okay. It’s a — it’s a newspaper in Turkey. That would be your understanding?

A. Periodical, newspaper, something that is read by Turkey’s citizens.

Q. Okay. And on June the 4th of this year you – you were published in Today’s Zaman in Turkey; is that correct?

A. Yes.

Q. You wrote an editorial?

A. Yes.

Q. And that was to coincide with President Obama’s visit to that country; is that correct?

A. Well, it coincided with his visit, yes.

Q. That wasn’t the purpose of it to coincide?

A. No. It wasn’t the purpose but it did coincide.

Q. Did you write this editorial?

A. Yes.

Q. You did? These are your words?

A. Yes.

Q. Did anyone else help you to write it?

A. I had it edited by my chief of staff.

Q. And did any outside persons, such as [Schmidt attorney Bruce Fein] or anyone else, help to write this?

A. No.

Q. You had it edited, but the original draft came off of your word processor or pen; is that right?

A. Well, I don’t use a word processor.

Q. Okay. So the original draft was a handwritten version from you?

A. Actually, it was an oral version to my chief of staff.

Q. You dictated this to him?

A. The ideas of it, yes.

Q. Okay. And in this you talk about the Armenian Genocide Resolution, right?

A. Where are you putting this in here so I know what you’re referring to.

Q. Well, we could start with the bold headline that says: “US Congress should not debate the Armenian genocide resolution.”

A. Okay.

Q. Were those your words or was that something the Daily Zaman added?

A. That I’m not sure of.

Q. Okay. Now, in the — in the very last paragraph of that it says, “What happened in 1915 must never be forgotten.” Do you see that?

A. Yes.

Q. What — what are you referring to that happened in 1915 that must never be forgotten? –

A. Well, there obviously was an incident that happened in 1915.

Q. And what was that incident?

A. Well, there was something that went on in Turkey that involved Turks and Armenians.

Q. Okay. And what is it that you remember about or that you know or have an understanding of about those events?

A. Well, I don’t remember them because I wasn’t there.

Q. Right.

A. And I’m still trying to have a complete understanding of those events.

Q. I understand that. But you told all the people of Turkey that we shouldn’t forget these events. I’m asking you: What is it that we’re
supposed to remember?

A. Well, we shouldn’t forget the past.

Q. And what is it about the events of 1915 that we’re supposed to remember.

A. When I become a scholar of this, I’ll let you know.

Q. Okay. But when you wrote this on June the fourth of 2009, you had no understanding at all of what happened in Turkey in 1915; is that right?

A. I said I had limited understanding.

Q. Okay. And I’ve asked you four times this morning to tell us what that limited understanding is, and you’ve told me nothing.

Q. Events happened. And what were those events?

A. People got killed on both sides. How many people? I don’t know.

Q. And that’s your total sum and substance of your understanding of that event?

A. That’s about the basic understanding, yes.