Month: December 2008

ARMENIAN INTELLECTUALS SEND ‘GENOCIDE’ LETTER TO GUL

Today’s Zaman
Dec 12 2008
Turkey

A group of Armenian intellectuals have urged President Abdullah Gul to
recognize Armenian allegations of genocide, suggesting that such a move
would remove "a burden of history" resting on the shoulders of Turks.

The letter, signed by around 300 intellectuals according to Armenian
news reports, praised Gul for breaking a Turkish foreign policy taboo
by visiting Armenia to watch a soccer game in early September between
the national soccer teams of the two countries in the World Cup. The
visit paved the way for contacts between Turkey and Armenia, which
have had no formal ties since 1993.

The visit "proved that normalization of neighbor relations demand bold
and realistic action. It specifically refers to the Armenian Genocide
issue, which has divided the two nations since 1915," the letter was
quoted as saying in a report by earlier this week.

"Mr. President, it is an outrageous crime against the humanity which
has no time limitation. Its recognition is not a demand of the Armenian
people but a just expectation of the international community. The
Armenian Genocide is a crime against the values of modern civilization,
a crime that can’t be questioned. We all should accept that the
Ottoman Empire is guilty of the massacre of the Armenian people,
and modern-day Turkey bears hereditary responsibility for what they
consider a monumental crime against humanity. Present-day Turkish
diplomacy and propaganda machine can’t cover this dark page of
history," the letter continued.

"The historic memory of our nations is deep and restless. Your
generation of Turkish leaders must accept the undeniable truth
and recognize the fact of the Armenian Genocide. Recognition of
this indisputable fact is first of all essential for the Turkish
people. Relieving this burden of history, they can turn this dark
page and launch a sincere dialogue for true reconciliation," it
said. "Your visit to Armenia inspires hope for a new and realistic
political course in Turkey. However, these efforts can fail of your
state doesn’t take action to put an end to the current policy of the
Armenian Genocide denial."

The move from the Armenian intellectuals came days after a group
of Turkish intellectuals apologized for the "great disaster that
Ottoman Armenians suffered in 1915." A petition initiated by a group
of intellectuals, including professors Baskın Oran and Ahmet İnsel
and journalists Ali Bayramoglu and Cengiz Aktar, personally apologizes
for the events.

Turkey severed its diplomatic ties with Armenia and closed its border
in 1993 in protest of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh
in Azerbaijan. Ankara says the normalization of its relations with
Armenia depends on Armenia’s withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh and an
end to Yerevan’s support for the Armenian diaspora’s efforts to win
international recognition for claims that Armenians were subjected to
genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. But Gul’s September visit
broke the ice between the two countries. Officials have had talks on
the possible normalization of relations since that historic visit.

–Boundary_(ID_uaKMxIXHii3Xeiqjw1T7kw)–

SUMMIT HARD ON TURKEY IN EUROPE

Hurriyet
Dec 12 2008
Turkey

BRUSSELS – Turkish diplomats had a rough time in Brussels during a
foreign ministers meeting this week, with European Union President
France refusing to call the process "accession" talks, which would
imply the possibility of full EU membership for Turkey, as well as
its harsh criticism of Turkey’s relations with Cyprus and the slow
pace of its reforms.

French opposition to full Turkish membership in the European Union was
once again carved into an official document, as the final declaration
of the summit of heads of states, which started yesterday, made no
reference to "accession" as the final aim of the talks.

While Turkey has been enjoying a long holiday, Turkish diplomats
in Brussels have had a tough time ahead of the summit. Due to the
determination of the French presidency of the EU not to discuss
enlargement issues during the summit, the conclusions concerning
Turkey were sealed at the meeting of foreign ministers Monday.

The declaration, to be officially adopted today, reflects the
unpleasant nature of relations between Ankara and Brussels, as well
as the ongoing objection by France to the word "accession," which
implies membership to the EU.

France critical of Turkey France not only avoided labeling
Turkey’s process "accession negotiations" but also used the term
"Intergovernmental conference" instead of "accession conference," to
describe the event to be held next week to open two new negotiation
chapters.

Admitting that the insistence to omit the word "accession" is the
reflection of their President Nicholas Sarkozy’s well-known position
against Turkey, French sources said hopes for a different text during
the French presidency would only be unrealistic.

Although the French position is nothing new, a strong warning for
Ankara to refrain from threatening Greece and Cyprus in disputed seas
has added to problems. Turkey’s obstruction to the oil prospects
of Greek Cyprus in the Mediterranean found a considerable place in
the EU’s declaration. The wording conveyed a European perception of
Turkish naval activities as a source of threat to its neighbors.

Ports must be opened "Turkey needs to commit unequivocally to good
neighborly relations and to the peaceful settlement of disputes
in accordance with the United Nations Charter, having recourse, if
necessary, to the International Court of Justice. The Union urges the
avoidance of any kind of threat, source of friction or action which
could damage good, neighborly relations and the peaceful settlement
of disputes," the declaration read.

The Council also recalled its expectations of Turkey to open ports
and airports to Greek Cypriot vessels and added that "progress is now
urgently awaited." The European Union, which suspended negotiation
in eight chapters December 2006 due to Turkey’s refusal to open its
ports, will review the progress on the issue November 2009, which
marks a new consequential deadline for Ankara.

Disappointed by the harsh EU reaction in the document, Ankara argued
Brussels should acknowledge that Greek Cypriots tried to undermine the
ongoing peace talks on the island by undertaking unilateral activities,
ignoring the rights of Turkish Cypriots.

Meanwhile, French sources claimed that they saved the opening of
two new chapters with Turkey by penning a declaration favorable to
Greek Cyprus. During the technical preparations for the chapter on
free movement of capital, Ankara included an agreement signed with
the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, or TRNC, in the negotiation
framework document sent to Brussels.

Since Greek Cypriots were outraged with the use of the term TRNC, which
implies an independent state for Turkish Cypriots, they threatened
to veto the opening of the chapter. France, not wishing to fail
in its promises to open two chapters with Turkey before it hands
the presidency to the Czech Republic, intervened with a formula to
remove the agreement from the real document and annex it as a cover
letter. According to French sources this incident was an example of
Turkey not handling technical negotiations well.

Slow pace of reforms "Despite our efforts for a fair attitude
towards Turkey during our EU presidency and our support for Turkey’s
temporary seat at the United Nations Security Council, all we get is
nothing but complaints," a French diplomat said, on the condition of
anonymity. France wants Turkish permission for the participation in
military procurements and also the Nabucco pipeline project.

Ankara excluded Paris from all big-scale tenders after a lower house of
the French Parliament adopted a bill making it a crime to deny Armenian
genocide allegations in 2006. The European Union also noted with regret
that Turkey was making very limited progress on political reform.

"The Council is disappointed to note that over the year just passed
Turkey has made only limited progress, particularly in regards to
political reforms," read the summit declaration. Asking Turkey to
redouble its efforts to implement the measures so long awaited,
the European Union underlined that more needs to be done to reform
the judiciary, fight corruption and torture, guarantee freedom of
expression and religion, and protect minority rights.

Meanwhile, EU heads condemned all terrorist attacks and violence in
Turkish territory in the strongest terms and expressed full solidarity
with the people of Turkey. However, they also reiterated expectations
that Turkey must conduct its fight against terrorism with due regard
for human rights, fundamental freedoms and international law, while
preserving regional peace and stability.

MIXED FEELINGS FOR "GENOCIDE" PETITION

Hurriyet
Dec 12 2008
Turkey

ISTANBUL – Over 300 Armenian professionals, including representatives
from the media, nongovernmental organizations, academia and the
artistic community, have sent a message to President Abdullah Gul
calling on him to recognize the events of 1915 as an act of genocide.

The message said the painful events of 1915 were keeping the people of
the two countries apart and that acceptance of the events as genocide
was not just a request of the Armenian people but of the whole global
community. The message also said relations between Armenia and Turkey
would only be normalized by such a recognition.

Turkish intellectuals A group of Turkish intellectuals have also
recently started a similar campaign. "We reject ignoring the disaster
the Ottoman Armenians faced in 1915 and share in the emotion and pain
of our Armenian brothers," the petition states. Already a target of
debate and attack, the petition will collect signatures online from
New Year’s Day.

"More important than Gul’s response is that this letter shows the
Armenian people’s attitude towards the issue. This has become an entire
social movement," the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaksutyun
Bureau’s International Secretariat Director Giro Manoian, told the
Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review. He said relations between Turks
and Armenians would only normalize with the acceptance of the events
as genocide.

Brave but insufficient Stating the Turkish intellectual’s campaign was
"brave but insufficient," he said: "I say insufficient because any
imposition of genocide acceptance must be made directly by the state."

The oriental studies director from the Republic of Armenia National
Academy of Sciences Institute, Professor Ruben Safrastian, said Gul’s
response was important. "I hope that President Gul, known for his
intellectual leanings, will offer a different answer from those of
Turkey’s official statements."

Regarding the Turkish campaign, Safrastian said: "The Turkish people
want to know about their past and the genocide matter is a leading
issue. Turkish intellectuals, on their way to the European Union,
are able to approach these problems objectively."

TURKEY URGES 3RD PARTY COUNTRIES NOT TO INTERFERE ON ARMENIAN RELATIONS

Hurriyet
Dec 12 2008
Turkey

ANKARA – The Turkish Parliament urged the parliaments of third
party countries not to disrupt the process of rapprochement between
Turkey and Armenia with efforts to recognize the 1915-dated events
as "genocide". "Politicians and parliaments cannot judge history,
" said Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan.

"We have always warned the parliaments [of other countries] that
such moves will not help the Turkey-Armenia talks. All responsible
parliaments should now avoid hindering the ongoing process," Köksal
Toptan Parliament Speaker told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic
Review in an interview.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul was in Yerevan in a historic visit
in September, paving the way to normalize relations between the two
neighbors, who have had no diplomatic ties since the early ’90s. Barack
Obama’s victory in the presidential race and his decision to appoint
Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State worried Turkey, who fears a
possible recognition of the 1915 incidents involving Armenian as
genocide by the House of Representatives, because of the strong
support both have voiced towards the Urmenian lobby.

Toptan recalled that France decided to halt discussing historical
events in their parliament and praised the move as positive. "It’s
satisfactory to see that other parliaments have started to share
our views on the matter," Toptan stated. Having already recognized
the Armenian claims, France had been discussing whether or not to
prosecute those who denied the claims for the last two years.

Turkey not prejudiced Asked what the Turkish Parliament could do to
help the reconciliation process with Armenia, Toptan said Parliament
had no prejudices against Armenians and was ready to talk to them. "We
will do whatever we can do in terms of contributing to the ongoing
process," Toptan said.

Though he said they were not prejudiced against Armenians, Toptan
emphasized the fact that Armenia still occupied territories of
Azerbaijan. "I think Armenia’s withdrawal from the Nagorno-Karabagh
will surely have a positive impact on the process," he said.

There are 70,000 Armenian people working in Turkey and many Turkish
products are sold in Armenia, Toptan said, adding, "If we continue
in this direction, there will be no issues left for the Armenian
diaspora to abuse."

Toptan also had messages for his European counterpart who relentlessly
criticized Turkey for slowing down the reform process. Arguing that
the 2007 general elections reduced the country’s motivation but had
no negative impact on technical talks, Toptan said: "We are speeding
up … But the EU is not implementing its own obligations. It would
be unfair to put the blame on Turkey. This country has made enormous
reforms in recent years."

The EU harmonization packet, including 130 new laws, was brought to
the agenda of the Council of Ministers and Parliament discussed the
Turkish Trade Law, Toptan said.

–Boundary_(ID_v6epekTJUs67/JvAcSinog)–

ARMENIA JAILS CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS, DENIES RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM VIOLATION

Catholic Culture
Dec 12 2008

The government of Armenia denies that it is violating religious
freedom by jailing conscientious objectors, although all 80 men
current imprisoned under the policy are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Armenia
is ignoring a ruling by the human-rights commissioner for the
Council of Europe, who said that the country "does not provide for
a genuine civilian service" for those who object to military service
on religious grounds.

EU SEES TRUE REFORMIST IN TURKEY’S PRESIDENT
Thomas Seibert, [email protected]

The National
2/FOREIGN/544159767/1135/NEWS
Dec 12 2008
United Arab Emirates

December 11. 2008 10:50PM UAE / December 11. 2008 6:50PM GMT ISTANBUL
// As the reform drive of Turkey’s government has slowed almost to
a halt, the EU has been looking to Abdullah Gul, the president, as
the true supporter of change in Ankara, fuelling speculation about
a growing rift between Mr Gul and his friend Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
the prime minister.

Mr Gul used his traditional message on the Eid al Adha festival
on Monday to hammer home his core messages that Turkey needs more
reforms to improve living conditions for all its citizens and that
the country is strong enough to solve its inner conflicts, ranging
from the Kurdish question to tensions between religiously conservative
and secular groups.

"We are trying to lift standards in every respect in our country and
turn it into a state that is more respected around the world and into
an affluent society," the president said in his statement. "Turkey
is the representative of a civilisation formed by values like
accepting differences as richness, peace, love, tolerance and
brotherhood. Everyone who lives in this country as an equal citizen
is a partner in the country’s future, not only the past."

As a prime minister from late 2002 until he was replaced by his
political ally and long-term friend Mr Erdogan in March 2003 and as a
foreign minister from 2003 until 2007, Mr Gul made a name for himself
as the driving force behind many political reforms that pushed Turkey
closer to membership in the European Union.

"We will take steps that will shock the EU," Mr Gul famously announced
after his Justice and Development Party, or AKP, came to power in
Nov 2002 and kicked off a series of reforms that led to the start of
membership talks between the EU and Turkey in 2005.

Mr Gul’s election to the presidency last year, however, sparked bitter
protests from secularists and also weakened the AKP’s reformist wing.

With Mr Gul no longer in the cabinet, there is no one left in the
government with enough clout to keep Mr Erdogan on the reform track,
observers said.

"We wish he was still in government ensuring balance during these
critical times," the English-language newspaper Hurriyet Daily News
and Economic Review quoted an unnamed senior EU official as saying
about Mr Gul last month.

There is a marked difference between the pro-European image Mr Gul
still enjoys in Brussels and the perceived sluggishness of the reform
process under Mr Erdogan.

"While the new president played a positive role by calling for further
political reforms, the government did not put forward a consistent
and comprehensive programme of political and constitutional reforms,"
the EU said in a major report on Turkey’s progress as a candidate
for membership last month.

As president, Mr Gul is a largely ceremonial head of state who has
little concrete political power and who has largely to rely on speeches
and symbolic steps to influence events.

On his first trip after becoming president last year, he visited
Turkey’s Kurdish region, signalling the importance he attaches to
solving the Kurdish conflict that has led to the death of tens of
thousands of people in a war between Kurdish rebels and the Turkish
army since 1984. He wanted to spend this year’s Eid al Adha in the
Kurdish region but was prevented from doing so by an ear infection,
his office said.

In September, Mr Gul became the first Turkish president to visit
neighbouring Armenia, thereby starting a cautious process of
rapprochement with Yerevan. Press reports said he is planning a trip
to Iraq this month.

For all his initiatives, Mr Gul has not succeeded in winning over his
secular critics. The main opposition party as well as the strictly
secular leadership of the armed forces have limited their contacts with
the head of state to a minimum. For them, Mr Gul is an Islamist who
should not be in the office once occupied by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk,
Turkey’s founder. The fact that Mr Gul’s wife, Hayrunnisa, wears the
Islamic headscarf is one of the reasons for the rejection.

This summer, Turkey’s chief prosecutor asked the constitutional court
to ban Mr Gul from active politics along with Mr Erdogan and dozens of
other leading AKP politicians. The court narrowly rejected the demand.

Mr Gul and Mr Erdogan share a religiously conservative outlook and
years of co-operation in the AKP, and the president still refers to
the prime minister as a personal friend. But differences between the
two politicians have become more pronounced recently.

"The European Union addresses its idea that Turkey has not delivered
the expected reforms to Gul, whereas a sector [of society] that
believes the EU efforts are not urgent and even pose a danger
to national security and the immediate future of the country has
intensified its contacts with the government," Mehmet Ali Kislali,
a columnist, wrote in the daily Radikal.

The Kurdish conflict has also become an issue where Mr Gul and Mr
Erdogan seem to be at odds. The president has been stressing the
need for more democracy to solve the long-running problem, while Mr
Erdogan has been seen to take a much tougher line in recent weeks,
telling an audience last month that everyone who did not agree with
the idea of national unity could "go where they please".

Turkish media have said there is a growing coldness between the
president and prime minister.

"It has been noted that the pair that used to meet very often in
the past has even found reasons to cancel their weekly meetings,"
which are part of the routine between the head of state and the head
of government, the Milliyet newspaper reported last week.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN-CAPTURED AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER: "I THOUGHT MUCH AND DECIDED TO RETURN BACK TO MY MOTHERLAND AND MY MOTHER"

Azeri Press Agency
Dec 12 2008
Azerbaijan

Aghdam. Teimour Zahidoglu-APA. The contents of Armenian-captured
Azerbaijani soldier Rafig Hasanov’s letter have been publicized.

Parents of captive told APA Karabakh bureau that the letter was
written in Russian. Hasanov wrote:My best regards to my father, sister,
brothers, their wives, uncles and all residents of the settlement! Do
not worry about me! I thought much and decided to return back to my
motherland and my mother. Wait a little. We will meet soon", said in
a letter.

The captive’s mother has also sent a letter to her son.

"Rafig, I wait for you impatiently. Today is your birthday. We
congratulate you on your birthday and wait for your arrival", the
letter records.

Representative of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
wrote on behalf of the captive, because Hasanov cannot write or
read. Representatives of ICRC Office in Armenia visited Hasanov twice
this week.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ICRC REPRESENTATIVES MEET WITH ARMENIAN-CAPTURED AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER TWICE WITHIN A WEEK

Azeri Press Agency
Dec 12 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Kamala Guliyeva – APA. The representatives of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) met with soldier of Azerbaijani Army
Rafig Rahman Hasanov captured by Armenian servicemen on October 8,
spokesperson for ICRC office in Azerbaijan Gulnaz Guliyeva told APA.

She said ICRC representatives had visited Hasanov six times. The
captured soldier’s family and government agencies have already been
informed of the meeting. Guliyeva said Rafig Hasanov had been visited
twice within a week. The letter written by the captive on December
9 was delivered to his family.

ICRC representative said Rafig Hasanov had also received his
family’s letter. As regards Hasanov’s handover, Guliyeva said ICRC
representatives were having negotiations. But the negotiations were
confidential.

Soldier of the military unit of Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Hasanov
Rafig Rahman, 19, was captured by Armenian servicemen on the line of
contact in Gazakh region on October 8, 2008.

THE KOPALIAN FAMILY: BACK IN BUSINESS IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Examiner.com
Dec 12 2008

Foodies who remember when Chahe and Nanik Kopalian ran Araz restaurant
in Studio City some years back will want to know that they’re back in
business, this time in tandem with their sons Avo, Raffy, and Chris
at a new place, Mediterranean Bistro, in Porter Ranch.

Foodies will also be glad to know that, as the name of the family’s
new place suggests, Mediterranean Bistro specializes in a mix of
Lebanese and Armenian dishes, spiced up – if that’s the right phrase –
with the tastes of Syria as well. This includes the marinated quail
– grilled to perfection – that became Chahe Kopalian’s signature
dish at Araz, along with filet and chicken kebabs and, of course,
a host of appetizers including sarma (grape leaves wrapped around
rice, onions, pomegranate juice, and spices), soups, main dishes,
and Nanik Kopalian’s specialty desserts.

Chahe Kopalian sold Araz eight years ago, tried to go into retirement
but, according to Avo, kept getting up in the morning with only one
question on his mind: "What are we going to eat today?"

"He had been in the restaurant business for 30 years," Avo says,
"and we had to make him retire, my brothers and I. He got bored and
wanted to open up something new, so we told him we weren’t going to
let him do it on his own."

Mediterranean Bistro is the only place within miles where you can
get anything like Chahe Kopalian’s delicate quail, and when you go
there, be sure to ask Avo Kopalian about the manteh – spiced meat
in a ravioli-like dough – or kebbelebeniya, an exotic hot soup of
meatballs with cracked wheat, yogurt and mint, served in portions
large enough to make for a whole meal by itself.

The Kopalians tested the waters in Porter Ranch with these dishes
and similar dishes when they opened Mediterranean Bistro eight months
ago, all of them given special twists by Chahe Kopalian, and although
they aren’t on the menu right now, Avo Kopalian says they’re likely
to make it back, and in the meantime, if you ask, you stand a good
chance of getting them.

"Whatever I like, I like to give to other people," Avo says.

Mediterranean Bistro is definitely a family affair. Arrive a little
early for lunch and you might get a special treat – the sound of Avo
Kopalian, busy in the kitchen, singing along to Lebanese songs coming
from a CD player. Can he carry a tune? Who cares? The man can cook.

Mediterranean Bistro is at 19735 Rinaldi St., Northridge,
818-831-1122. Prices are moderate.

Another Unusual Mix

As long as we’re talking unusual mixes, let me tempt you with another
interesting place, La Cienaga Grill. It’s in West Los Angeles, not in
the San Fernando Valley, so if you live in the San Fernando Valley,
you have to drive.

Trust me, it’s worth the trouble.

Ignacio Hernandez, the native Oaxacan who runs the place, has a long
pedigree in the restaurant business hereabouts; fans of Cafe Bizou in
Santa Monica, for instance, will remember him as chef in that very
good place. He was at Cafe Bizou seven years, and he put in another
three at Il Sole in Westwood.

Hernandez opened La Cienega Grill only months ago serving up an
unusual mix of Mexican and American foods – for example, a Cajun
chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onions, bacon, guacamole sauce,
cheddar cheese, and a chipotle ranch dressing.

Who’d a thunk up that chipotle ranch dressing other than a man who
learned to cook serving Italian and French food for Americans?

Hernandez also serves a bistek Mexicano with a unique sauce of green
peppers, onions, and tomatoes and a Oaxacan specialty called clayuda,
a huge hand-made corn tortilla topped with beans, avocado, tomato,
cabbage, Oaxacan string cheese, and your choice of four meats –
chicken, chorizo, cecina or tasajo. One of those last two is thinly
sliced beef salted and laid out in the sun to cure, the other
thinly sliced pork also salted and laid out in the sun to cure –
both delicous, so don’t ask me which is which.

For my money, though, the best thing on the menu is Hernandez’s very
special Oaxacan mole, made sweeter and darker than most Mexican mole
sauces by the addition of more chocolate than usual. You don’t get
Oaxacan mole better than this anywhere this side of – well, Oaxaca.

La Cienega Grill Cafe is at 1663 La Cienega Blvd., West Los Angeles,
310-860-1165. Prices are moderate.

JOURNALIST OZGUDEN FACES THREATS IN BELGIUM

BÄ°
Dec 12 2008
Turkey

Belgian authorities are forced to put journalist Dogan Ozguden under
protection because of the violence and lynch threats he has found
himself facing due to the publications he made in his site against the
nationalist comments of Vecdi Gönul, the Minister of National Defense.

Belgium News Agency BELGA announced that Belgium authorities put
Dogan Ozguden, journalist and publishing director of Info-turk.be,
an independent internet site, under protection.

Ozguden had announced at his site Ä°nfo-turk.be National Defense
Minister Vecdi Gönul’s praise of the forced deportation of the
Greeks and Armenians right around the time the formation of the
Turkish national state in the 1920s.

The minister had stated his praise during a ceremony held at
the Turkish embassy at Brussels. According to the internet site,
in addition to Gönul’s speech, Ambassador Fuat Tanlay had read a
nationalist poem that had the Turkish flag through statements like
"I will dig the grave of one who does not look at you like I do,
I will destroy the nest of the bird that flied without saluting you."

"Ozguden’s file is at the Crisis Center Administration" Following the
critiques against the figures mentioned above, starting with Belturk,
many pro-government sites launched a campaign against Ä°nfo-Turk,
which eventually reached to the level of lynch announcements. Reacting
to the situation, Senator Josy Dubie questioned Patrick Deawael,
Minister of Interior, yesterday (December 11), asking him what they
were doing to protect Ozguden. Government’s answer was that they were
taking the necessary measures, but could not reveal them in order to
protect Ozguden.

On the other hand, claiming that he was facing violence and lynch
provocations, Ozguden went to the Royal Prosecutor’s Office to file
a complaint.

Belturk: We did not call the organization, we did not exert pressure
While sites like Belturk.be and gundem.be, which operate in Belgium,
have made news targeting Dogan Ozguden, one of these sites, belturk.be,
called the Journalists’ Association of Ankara and claimed that the
allegation did not reflect the reality, on the contrary, it was them
who were being targeted.

Newspaper "Yenicag" had pressured Turkish Journalists’ Association
Daily Yenicag attacked the Turkish Journalists Association (TGC)
for giving an award journalist Ozguden for his fiftieth year in
the profession.

The newspaper described giving an award to Ozguden against whom there
is a lawsuit for "denigrating the military" an "award scandal".

The newspaper used the expressions "There are more than 50 lawsuits
against him, he is running away from the law for 37 years" and "An
Armenian defender" for Ozguden, who had to leave Turkey in 1971 and
never returned again.

–Boundary_(ID_7a4S0Eu7ywjE0jV0Ud/hyg)–