Month: February 2012

TURQUIE : LES SANCTIONS CONTRE LA FRANCE ENTRENT PEU A PEU EN VIGUEUR
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 16 fevrier 2012

Les sanctions promises par Ankara contre la France après l’adoption
d’une loi qui punira la negation du genocide de 1915, que la Turquie
ne reconnait pas, commencent a se concretiser. Ainsi par exemple
l’administration du Premier ministre a commence a remplacer ses
voitures de fonction, jusque-la des Renault, par des Ford. Et puis ce
sont les transits de vehicules militaires qui sont desormais bloques
par les Turcs.

Avec notre correspondant a Istanbul, Jerôme Bastion

La France ne demandera plus l’autorisation de survol ou d’escale
en Turquie pour ses avions et navires militaires jusqu’a ce que le
sort de la loi penalisant les genocides soit scelle dans le sens
de l’apaisement des relations franco-turques, c’est-a-dire quand
ce texte sera censure par le Conseil constitutionnel. Car a deja
trois reprises ces autorisations ont ete refusees a deux navires
et un avion, qui ont dû changer leur route et leur programme. C’est
ce qu’indique l’ambassadeur de France en Turquie, qui explique donc
tirer les consequences de ce triple refus.

La chancellerie s’abstient de preciser les dates de ces refus et la
nature des navires et avions impliques, mais ajoute que le survol du
territoire turc par l’avion d’un ministre francais a en revanche ete
autorise. Il est fort possible donc que le vol detourne soit celui
qui ramenait les corps des soldats francais tues en Afghanistan le
20 janvier, alors que la visite a Kaboul du ministre de la Defense,
Gerard Longuet, le 21 janvier a pu se faire en survolant la Turquie.

La fin des autorisations automatiques pour les escales et survols
francais avait ete decidee après le vote de la loi Boyer a l’Assemblee
nationale, alors que l’interdiction de transit visant les responsables
politiques de l’hexagone n’a ete promise, après le vote du Senat,
que si ce texte entre en vigueur.

FRENCH BILL AUTHOR’S ADVISOR DISCUSSES GENESIS OF RESOLUTION

asbarez
Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

Our sister publication, The Armenian Weekly published this interview
with Garo Yalic, a politician from Marseille, France, and one of the
writers of the French law criminalizing Armenian Genocide denial,
which passed in the French Senate on Jan. 23. The interview was
conducted before the passage of the Senate bill. It is translated
from its original Turkish.

Several weeks have passed since the law criminalizing genocide denial
passed in the French National Assembly, and later the French Senate.

Since then, it has become a very special topic on Turkey’s foreign
policy agenda.

The dominant topic in Turkish newsrooms has been the reaction of
the Armenian community in Turkey, which has formed a hostile bloc
against France. The bill has made the massacres of Uludere, and the
arrests of hundreds of journalists and their prosecutions seem almost
insignificant.

Yet, Armenians in Turkey have, through their writings and comments,
attempted to avoid becoming the whipping boys of Turkey’s foreign
policy at all costs.

The following interview with Garo Yalic aims to better understand the
Armenian Diaspora. I met Yalic a few years ago. He knows Turkey well,
and travels to Istanbul and Van as much as he can. He is Armenian,
and a very sociable person. He was forced to migrate to France, and
is now a fellow of French MP Valerie Boyer, with whom he drafted the
law criminalizing denial.

His words, below, are full of instructions and initiate a common path
for Armenians and Turks.

ARIS NALCI: Can you tell us about your work and your involvement in
the French political system?

GARO YALIC: I’m a member of the UMP [Union for a Popular Movement].

I’ve been in politics since I was 17. I started at the RPR [Rally for
the Republic] and then moved to the UMP. At present time, I am the
Urban District Adviser for the 13th/14th Urban District of Marseille
with Boyer.

A.N.: You participated in the preparation of this law. Can you give
us more details about that process?

G.Y.: First, I’d like to say that there is a total lack of information
or misinformation on the Turkish side. They don’t understand at all
what we wanted to do here. And on the French side, some deputies and
politicians close to Turkey say nothing and anything. Some historians,
on the other hand, think that this law is against freedom of speech.

In reality, it is only aimed at ensuring public order.

We’ve all been sensitive about the law when it was rejected by the
Senate a few months ago because of its possible unconstitutionality
and potential annulment by the Supreme Court.

Valerie Boyer and some people close to her-including myself-continued
the work started by a lawyer in Marseille, Mr. Krikorian, regarding the
transposition of a European Council-framework decision. We worked on
the basis of the Council-framework decision 2008/913/JAI on combating
certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of
criminal law, which was adopted by the Council of the European Union
on Nov. 28, 2008.

What does that directive say? Article 1 of the Council-framework
decision says the following are punishable by means of criminal law:
intentional conduct in or publicly condoning, denying, or grossly
trivializing crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war
crimes as defined in Articles 6, 7, and 8 of the Statute of the
International Criminal Court, directed against a group of persons
or a member of such a group defined by reference to race, color,
religion, descent, or national or ethnic origin when the conduct is
carried out in a manner likely to incite violence or hatred against
such a group or a member of such a group.

Furthermore, Article 3 declares that each member-state shall take the
necessary measures to ensure that the conduct referred to in Article
1 is punishable by criminal penalties of at least between 1 and 3
years of imprisonment.

In France, several national texts already define and punish genocides,
war crimes, and crimes against humanity: On Jan. 29, Law Number 2001-70
implemented the official recognition by France of the 1915 Armenian
Genocide. On May 21, Law Number 2001-434 established the recognition
of slavery and slave trade as a crime against humanity.

The law we are talking about today is only the punitive part that is
necessary for the law to have real legal value.

To conclude, we are only complying with European directives on the
basis of the aforementioned Council-framework decision. That law
[criminalizing genocide denial] has been carefully thought through
and it will be adopted because it constitutes a protection of the
social peace.

We wanted to remind all countries that come to recognize the
genocide that they also have to do that compliance work, no matter
which genocide we are talking about. Some people think the law will
not pass, but that would be an aberration, as it is complying with a
European directive. And we thought very much about it: It is in our
national interest and in the interest of social peace in the fight
against discrimination and hatred based on race.

A.N.: The passing of this law seems precious to the Armenian Diaspora.

As a diasporan yourself, what does the law represent to you?

G.Y.: I was born in Turkey, but I am French with Armenian origin,
so I first think about my actual country: France. Of course, this
law is significant for French people with Armenian origin. Nowadays,
you cannot tell the difference between a French-Armenian and a
French-French, especially if s/he does not have a family name ending
with “ian.” As the Turkish prime minister has reminded us, there are
also about a million French people of Turkish origin that will show
their weight in the electoral balance. But that declaration will not
change parliament’s position, as the law unites all the political
movements of the majority and of the opposition.

During the debates in the National Assembly, a deputy argued for the
necessity of the law by relating what had happened in his district,
in Sarcelles: A French-Turkish association was preparing a public
demonstration to defend the murderer of Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink, but it was forbidden in order to prevent public disorder.

That kind of demonstration cannot take place in France, and the law
reaches its full potential by preventing that kind of propaganda on
our territory.

A.N.: In Turkey, we have received very different information about
the content of the law. It already passed once in the French Senate,
but it didn’t cause such a big emotional uproar before. Why has it
become such a big issue this time?

G.Y.: The over-blown reactions of the Turkish leaders show two
things to me. First, Mr. Erdogan wants to attract his population’s
attention against France, as he did in the case of Israel. Second,
I think this law is essential for Turkey if it wants to be included
in the European Union tomorrow, since it will have to adopt these
kind of laws. The aim of the law is to prohibit incitement to hatred.

A.N.: During the French National Assembly vote [on Dec. 23], you were
in Paris, as were many Turkish officials who were there to prevent
the passing of the law. You know many of them. When you left the
Assembly, you said you experienced a very uncomfortable moment. What
did you mean?

G.Y.: I don’t want to go into details, but you know my point of view.

I want that law for several reasons, but first for the sovereign
interest of France and of Turkey. Also, politically, I think it’s
time for Turkey to accept France’s position about the genocide. I’d
like the relations between the Armenian Diaspora and Turkey to become
more peaceful. The recent declaration by the prime minister of Turkey
regarding the events that took place in Dersim gives me hope that
Turkey will act the same way regarding the 1915 genocide.

A.N.: According to some, this law taken center stage because Sarkozy
is trying to get Armenian votes in France. What do you think? How
many French citizens from Armenian origin are there in France? Do
the Armenians have such a strong influence on French politics?

G.Y.: I was telling you to watch the TV debate with Mr. Eric Raoult,
the deputy in Raincy, where there are more Turks than Armenians. Mr.

Raincy has voted for the law and some of our deputies really defend
the republic’s values, while the president has just reminded us that
there is a penal and legal hole in our laws regarding the law of 2001:
“France publicly recognizes the Armenian genocide.” There is a legal
and penal hole that we have to fill in.

Ok, there are more Turks than Armenians in France, officially. But we
are not able to know who is from Armenian descent in France, as they
started to arrive in the 1890’s and early 1900’s, and with all the
mixed-marriages, we are not able to know their exact numbers… Take
[Helene] Segara, [Patrick] Fiori, [Charles] Villeneuve, [Pascal]
Legitimus, etc., as examples. They are of Armenian origin, but from
such a long time ago…

A.N.: Why do Turks living in France not have as big an influence as
Armenians in France?

G.Y.: I don’t think it’s a Turkish problem, even if they are involved
in the political life. Today I’m like you. The UMP has voted the law,
and tomorrow at the Senate, it will be the PS [Socialist Party]. So,
I’m asking you: Are you going to tell the Turks to not vote for Sarkozy
or not vote for [Francois] Hollande? Or, are you going to tell them
to vote for the FN [National Front] because they adore Turkey, like
Mrs. [Marine] LePen does? … As [Charles] Aznavour said, “We are
100 percent French. Show us if there are Turks who died for that
country. But we also carry Armenia in our hearts…”

A.N.: Lastly, how do you feel about Turkish reactions to the passing
of the law?

G.Y.: Let me finish by saying one thing: I love Turkey. I have plenty
of Turkish friends that I adore. But I think that Turks deserve a
better leader than Mr. Erdogan, who thinks that he is at a football
match by [his language as he] talks about our president and trying
to legitimate the genocide. It’s not politics anymore! I just want
to tell him: ‘Mr. Erdogan, you are putting your intellectuals (like Mr.

Zarakoglu) in jail, your journalists, more than 5,000 Kurds, you
have that 301 Article [of the Turkish penal code], and let’s not talk
about the Hrant Dink case, etc.”

There is a big dynamic in Turkey, but Turkey has to pay attention
and not jeopardize its population’s life. There are more than 100,000
people working for French organizations. Each year, French tourism in
Turkey brings in more than one million euros. Each year, there are
more than one million euros in aid from France to Turkey… Turkey
forgets to talk about that…

So, I think that if we don’t send electric shocks about that question,
Turkey will never have the courage to take a look back and view its
history honestly. Together, we have to build up the future. Almost
a hundred years of denial-it’s enough. Neither Turks nor Armenians
deserve this.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CANADA ANC CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO EDUCATE DIPLOMATS ABOUT GENOCIDE POLICY

asbarez
Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

OTTAWA-The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) supports
Jim Karygiannis’ call for an investigation into actions by Canadian
Ambassador to Turkey Mark Bailey’s efforts to promote the Turkish
government’s denial of the Armenian Genocide.

In March 2011, Ambassador Bailey met with Senator Nancy Ruth and,
according to a trip report filed by Senator Ruth, asked her to work
with other Senators to “drop the speeches on Armenian Genocide Day”
as they were “an impediment to [Canada’s] relations with Turkey”.

The Armenian Genocide has been recognized by the Senate, the House
of Commons and the Government of Canada as a historical fact and an
unpunished crime. The Senate stated that the Government of Canada
should “…condemn any attempt to deny or distort any historical truth
as being anything less than a genocide, a crime against humanity.”

The ANCC calls upon the Department of Foreign Affairs to ensure
that all Canadian diplomats are aware of Canada’s recognition of
the Armenian Genocide and to educate diplomats on their clear
responsibility to promote Canadian interests abroad and combat
genocide denial.

Dr. Girair Basmadjian, ANCC President stated “While we respect
Ambassador Bailey’s dedicated and able service to Canada, he has a duty
as our representative abroad to promote our government’s policies and
to combat denial of the Armenian Genocide. He should not be lobbying
to have Canada adopt Turkey’s denialist stance. Instead Ambassador
Bailey should be lobbying Turkey to accept the historical truth of
the Armenian Genocide.”

The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and
affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances
the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range
of issues.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIANS PROTEST UYGUR TALK AT DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION

asbarez
Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

The protesters turned their backs to Cenk Uygur

SAN DIEGO-Genocide denier and co-founder of the progressive Internet
talk radio show, The Young Turks, Cenk Uyger was greeted by a group
of protesters during his recent appearance at the California State
Democratic Party convention. The event was the Progressive Caucus’
scheduled meeting and panel discussion held at the convention in San
Diego under the auspices of the California Democratic Party.

Prior to the demonstration, the Armenian National Committee
of America-Western Region and the Southern California Armenian
Democrats had lodged complaints with the California Democratic Party
for providing a platform to known Genocide denier. Caro Avanessian of
the California Armenian American Democrats also wrote a formal letter
expressing the concerns of the statewide charter organizations with
the speaker.

Torie Osborne, a candidate for CA State Assembly 50th district (Santa
Monica), removed herself from the panel of speakers due to the efforts
of Southern California Armenian Democrats (SCAD) and the ANCA-WR. Her
voluntary removal increased the pressure on the Progressive Caucus
to cancel Uygur’s appearance.

Issues were raised by Armenian and Greek delegates to the party with
the name of Uygur’s program which referenced the Young Turks – the
popular name of the Committee of Union and Progress which was the
political party led by the orchestrators of the Armenian Genocide of
1915 – 1923. Concerns were also expressed about an article that Mr.

Uygur wrote while a student at the University of Pennsylvania in
which he made the following statement:

“The claims of an Armenian Genocide are not based on historical facts.

If the history of the period is examined it becomes evident that in
fact no such genocide took place.”

The chair of the Progressive Caucus reaffirmed her organization’s
support of the Congressional resolutions on the Armenian Genocide
but refused to cancel the speaking engagement of Cenk Uygur, which
led to the collective demonstration at the Progressive Caucus meeting.

Members of Southern CA Armenian Democrats (SCAD), ANCA, CA Armenian
American Democrats Organization (CAAD), Armenian Council of America
(ACA) and San Gabriel Valley Armenian Democrats (SGVAD) passed out
literature on Uygur’s record of denial.

Uygur opened his prepared remarks with comments indicating he had
no harmful intent when selecting the name of his program – the Young
Turks. He further stated that he does not hate Armenians. His co-host
on the program is an Armenian, Ana Kasparian.

His refusal to directly address his previous comments led to the
peaceful demonstration by the Armenian-American groups with some
walking out on the speaker while a large contingent turned their
backs to the speaker for the duration of his comments.

Many officials expressed their support for the demonstration, including
Assemblymembers Chuck Calderon (D-Montebello) and Congresswoman Janice
Hahn (D-San Pedro).

HAYASTAN FUND’S FRENCH AFFILIATE BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF VOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN SHUSHI

armradio.am
16.02.2012 12:37

The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s French affiliate has launched the
construction of a vocational school in the city of Shushi. The future
institution will be named after French-Armenian benefactor Yeznik
Mozian, whose bequest has provided the necessary funds for the project.

With a total area of 4,050 square meters, the future school will
accommodate up to 225 students. It will offer a three-year certificate
program in various specialties as well as a broad spectrum of general
academic subjects.

The two-story campus will feature all required amenities
including fully appointed classrooms, workshops, labs, and a
library. The facility will also be equipped with central heating
and air-conditioning, and comprise storage space for educational
materials. Currently construction crews are laying the building’s
foundations.

“On the model and standards of similar French professional institutions
our architects and consultants have designed this school to practice
the most effective educational methods. School professors and
instructors will be selected and trained accordingly”, says the
Mozian familiy reprentative Robert Aydabirian, who is the overall
project coordinator.

Graduates of the Yeznik Mozian School -who will be certified
variously as locksmiths, metalworkers, painters, roofers, carpenters,
electricians, tilers, plumbers, and other specialists – are expected
to enter the local job market, helping fill the shortage of trade
professionals.

“The school will welcome students from all over Karabakh as well
as Armenia, being equipped with dormitory facilities and aimed at
becoming the most advanced school of this kind in the region”, points
out the chairman of the Hayastan Fund French affiliate Bedros Terzian.

“Today Artsakh is in dire need of highly skilled professionals
in the construction sector,” says Kajik Khachatryan, head of the
Shushi District Administration. “The Yeznik Mozian School will mean
a wonderful opportunity for young people who wish to specialize in
a particular trade and become accomplished specialists.”

“The establishment of the Yeznik Mozian School is an unprecedented
initiative in the history of our organization,” said Ara Vardanyan,
executive director of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund. “We are confident
that, thanks to the contribution of our French-Armenian benefactor,
the socio-economic development of Shushi will be further boosted by
an educational institution poised to produce generations of highly
qualified professionals.”

The Yeznik Mozian School is being constructed in Shushi’s eastern
neighborhood, which continues to be developed as the city’s educational
quarter. It is already home to several music and liberal-arts schools
as well as the Agriculture Department of Artsakh State University.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN FAMILY BECAME HOMELESS BECAUSE OF TURKISH DRIVER

news.am
February 16, 2012 | 12:10

TBILISI. – An Armenian family, the Muradyans, is left homeless in
Georgian Akhaltsikhe region because of a Turkish driver.

The Turkish trailer crashed and completely destroyed the house,
Georgia Online reports.

The family demands that the Turkish driver should rebuild the house,
while the driver claims he crashed it because of icy road in Georgia.

An investigation is underway.

I AM PURE, BUT YOU ALL ARE SATAN! – ARMENIAN POLICE CHIEF – NEWSPAPER

NEWS.AM
February 16, 2012 | 09:25

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan recently gathered
the Police Force employees and gave them new instructions to improve
the service, Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun daily writes.

“According to our sources, Gasparyan spoke very roughly with those who
were gathered. ‘I am pure, but you all are Satan!’, the Police Chief
said in anger. Incidentally, it is known that Vladimir Gasparyan is a
fanatical follower of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and in his public
statements he often makes references to God and some Biblical terms,”
Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun writes.

TURKISH INTELLECTS FILE LAWSUIT AGAINST JOURNALIST WHO PORTRAYED DINK’S KILLER AS HERO

news.am
February 16, 2012 | 11:03

Turkey’s “Say No to Racism and Nationalism” Movement has filed a
lawsuit against Okan Bas, a journalist of Statuko monthly of Samsun
city, who had depicted as a hero Ogun Samast, the killer of Hrant
Dink-the founder and former chief editor of Istanbul’s Agos Armenian
bilingual weekly, who was gunned down in 2007 in front of his office
building.

In the lawsuit, which is signed by renowned Turkish historian and
publicist Baskin Oran, former MP Ufuk Uras, and other intellectuals,
Okan Bas is accused of praising the crime and the perpetrator,
insulting the memory of a person, and encouraging the committing of
the crime.

In the January 2012 issue of Statuko, Okan Bas wrote an article
entitled “He killed someone called Hrant Dink. Did he do something
bad?”, in which he praised Ogun Samast and portrayed Hrant Dink’s
Armenian identity in an offensive manner.

HOW DID SPEED-MEASUREMENT DEVICE “MYSTERIOUSLY” DISAPPEAR FROM YEREVAN STREET?

news.am
February 16, 2012 | 11:24

YEREVAN. – The speed-measurement device, which was installed at
Armenian capital Yerevan’s Myasnikyan Avenue, is no longer there for
several days.

The aforesaid device was removed on February 11 by the Security
Dream Company, which carries out services for the Police Force’s
video cameras and speed-measurement devices, in order to correct the
mechanical defect in the attachment detail of the device. The latter
will be reinstalled at the same location by the end of the week,
Police Force informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA’S PARLIAMENTARISM CENTER PRESIDENT DEMANDS PROSECUTION OF MPS

Tert.am
16.02.12

Armenia’s Special Investigation Service is considering a complaints
lodged by Mr Ruben Torosyan, President of the Center of Parliamentarism
of Armenia (CPA).

Torosyan demands prosecution of a number of members of the Republican
Party of Armenia (RPA). According to Mr Torosyan, the RPA members
Gagik Melikyan, Hermine Naghdalyan, Areg Ghukasyan and Ara Babloyan
violated the law by voting in place of others.

At the latest four-day session, following the voting, Larisa
Alaverdyan, a member of the Heritage parliamentary group, addressed
the parliament leaders and stated that the MPs in had question voted
in place of others.

“The three MPs’ voting would have caused essential damage if it had
influenced the results,” the lawyer Hovik Arsenyan told Tert.am.

The lawyer Seda Safaryan does not share this opinion. She believes
that the MPs’ actions can be interpreted as “near to abuse of office.”

Tert. am also asked the MPs in question. Gagik Melikyan said that
“nothing of the kind”ever happened.

Areg Ghukasyan refuted the reports, saying, “They have reported I
allegedly voted in place of Vardan Aivazyan. But Mr Aivazyan was in
the assembly hall at that moment.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress