Author: Andres-Papazian

Algerian Islamist party backs Turkey over genocide row
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10 Jan 2012

An Algerian Islamist party on Sunday sprang to the defence of Turkey’s
prime minister after Algeria’s leader criticised Ankara for exploiting
France’s oppression of Algerians during the colonial period.

Bouguerra Soltani, head of the Social Movement for Peace (MSP) party,
backed Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he was criticised
by Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia.

Turkey has accused France of hypocrisy for pushing a bill that would make
it a crime for anyone to deny that the 1915-17 killing of Armenians by
Ottoman Turks amounted to genocide.

Erdogan has argued that France is turning a blind eye to its own
colonial-era killings in Algeria, at the end of World War II and during the
north African nation’s struggle for independence between 1954 and 1962.

“An estimated 15 percent of the Algerian population was massacred by the
French from 1945 onwards,” Erdogan has said. “This is a genocide.”

Ouyahia implicity rebuked him in remarks Saturday.

Every country had the right to defend its interests, he said, but “nobody
has the right to make the blood of Algerians their business”.

Ouyahia noted that Turkey had been a member of NATO during the independence
war in Algeria and as such had provided material support to France.

“We say to our (Turkish) friends: Stop making capital out of Algeria’s
colonisation,” he added.

But Soltani said Sunday: “We don’t accept anyone saying that Erdogan is
making the blood of Algerians their business,” he told reporters.

“We have a historic cause,” he added.

“Colonialism killed 5.5 million Algerians, 1.5 million of them during the
(1954-1962) liberation war…,” he said, referring to the legacy of French
occupation from 1830.

When someone spoke up about your cause, he added, you should thank them
rather than criticising them.

Erdogan had asked nothing of Algeria, he added.

“He just told France ‘You say that Turkey exterminated the Armenians in
1915, I am reminding you that you exterminated the Algerians’.

“We support all those who call for France to officially acknowledge the
crimes of colonial France and to apologise to and compensate the victims,”
he added.

He denounced Ouyahia’s comments as “a service rendered to France”.

Algerian historians say that a French crackdown on a protest in the east
Algerian city of Setif on May 8, 1945, to call for an end to French
colonial rule, left 45,000 people dead.

Western researchers put the death toll at between 8,000 and 18,000.

The French lower house approved the genocide bill December 22 and the
Senate is expected to vote on it by the end of January.

If it is enacted, anyone denying that the 1915-1917 massacre of Armenians
by Ottoman Turk forces amounted to genocide, could face jail time.

From: A. Papazian

SYRIE
Assad : Les accrocs entre la Turquie et la Syrie sont temporaires

Samedi, lors d’une rencontre avec Mustafa Kamalak, leader turc du
`Parti islamique du bonheur ` (SP), le Président syrien Bachar el
Assad a déclaré que les deux pays doivent sauver ce qu’il appelle les
« relations fraternelles entre les deux nations … pour vaincre ce
processus avec un minimum de dommages aux liens bilatéraux`. Le
Président a également assuré que le processus de réformes se poursuit
dans le pays, en dépit de toutes les difficultés. Il a également
souligné que la Syrie aura une nouvelle constitution en Février ;
notant qu’il était difficile de comprendre la position du gouvernement
turc. Il a cependant exprimé l’espoir que les deux pays surmonteront
la crise actuelle. « Nous vivons dans une maison. S’il y a un incendie
dans une pièce, il s’étendra à d’autres pièces. C’est pourquoi nous
devons éteindre ce feu ensemble » a -t-il conclu.
dimanche 8 janvier 2012,
Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

Agence France Presse
January 7, 2012 Saturday 6:04 PM GMT

Algeria PM tells Turkey to stop citing French colonisation

ALGIERS, Jan 7 2012

Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia urged Turkey Saturday to stop
trying to make political capital out of France’s killing of thousands
of Algerians during the colonial period.

He made the call as Turkey continued to assail Paris ahead of a French
Senate vote on a bill that would make it a crime for anyone to deny
that the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks 1915-17 amounted to
genocide.

Turkey has accused France of hypocrisy for its own hand in killings
committed in its former colony, Algeria, in 1945 and during the north
African nation’s struggle for independence between 1954 and 1962.

“An estimated 15 percent of the Algerian population was massacred by
the French from 1945 onwards,” Erdogan has said. “This is a genocide.”

Ouyahia said every country has the right to defend its interests, but
“nobody has the right to make the blood of Algerians their business.”

French forces cracked down on a protest in the east Algerian city of
Setif on May 8, 1945, to call for an end to French colonial rule,
leaving 45,000 people dead, according to Algerian historians.

Western researchers put the death toll at between 8,000 and 18,000.

Ouyahia noted that Turkey had been a member of NATO during the war in
Algeria and as such had provided material support to France.

“We say to our (Turkish) friends: Stop making capital out of Algeria’s
colonisation,” Ouyahia said at a press conference.

The French lower house approved the genocide bill December 22 and the
Senate is expected to vote on it by the end of January.

If it is enacted, anyone denying that the 1915-1917 massacre of
Armenians by Ottoman Turk forces amounted to genocide, could face jail
time.

ad-abh/wat/mlr

From: A. Papazian

Live Fight
Jan 8 2012

Rumour: Vic Darchinyan to enter MMA ?
08.01.12

By @livefight

Australian-based Armenian Vic Darchinyan is rumoured to be considering
stepping into the octagon following his fall from grace in the boxing
ring.

The 36-year old has a strong wrestling background in Armenia as a
youth. And recently the UFC have announced that they are set to debut
a flyweight division, which has apparently got the big puncher
thinking about it.

Darchinyan (37-4, 27ko) was routed by scores of 107-120 against WBA
champion Anselmo Moreno in California last month.

From: A. Papazian

Standart News , Bulgaria
Jan 8 2012

Armenians Choose Godfather to the Holy Cross

Photo: Father Kirkor served the festive liturgy on Armenian Christmas
in St Sarkis church in Varna

Photo arminbg Hundreds of Armenians from the community in Varna on the
Black Sea coast thronged in St Sarkis church to celebrate Christmas.
After the festive liturgy served by Father Kirkor, the chairman of the
church trusteeship, Antranik Shakarian was chosen the godfather of the
Holy Cross. He will hold this title till January 7th, 2013. The
godfather of the Holy Cross, as the Armenian tradition requires,
brings the cross that has been sanctified on Christmas liturgy to his
home and keeps it there for a week. Then it is returned to the church.

After the birth of Christ was announced for the Armenians on Friday,
Christmas singers set off in the streets of Plovdiv to sing for health
and longevity. About 5000 Armenians live in Plovdiv and many of them
were happy to have these late guests in the early hours of Saturday.
The youngest Christmas singer who went out to spread the news for the
birth of Christ was only four years old. The oldest was 70.

Eli Kumanova

From: A. Papazian

news.az, Azerbaijan
Jan 7 2012

Azerbaijani envoy sends letter to Security Council, UN Secretary General
Sat 07 January 2012 11:17 GMT | 13:17 Local Time

Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN has submitted a
12-page letter to UN Secretary-General and the Security Council.

According to the letter, during the months of October and November,
102 cases of violations of the ceasefire by the military forces of
Armenia have occurred.

As a result of these violations, five servicemen of the armed forces
of the Republic of Azerbaijan were killed and one civilian was
wounded’ noted Amb. Mehdiyev. `According to the annexed information,
during the reporting period, the armed forces of Armenia continued
intensive fire on both the military and civilian objects in
Azerbaijan, not only from their positions in the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan but also from the territory of Armenia’.

Ambassador Mehdiyev also raised his concern over the information
circulated by the Armenian side at the UN on a regular basis on the
alleged violations of the ceasefire by the armed forces of Azerbaijan.

`Similar to all previous documents of the same nature and content, the
most recent communications from the Permanent Representative of
Armenia to addressed to the Secretary-General [last month] leave no
doubt as to the deliberate attempts of the Government of Armenia to
mislead the international community and to draw its attention away
from the main problems caused by the continuing aggression of Armenia
against Azerbaijan’, Mr. Mehdiyev mentioned adding, `indeed, the
efforts of Armenia’s propaganda machine aimed at distorting the
reality are a priori inappropriate, to say the least, against the
background of the continuing illegal occupation by Armenia of the
sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, its unconcealed annexationist
intentions and apparent disrespect for the Charter of the UN and
international law’.

`Additionally, the information on the alleged ceasefire violations
annexed to the letters from the Permanent Representative of Armenia
contains a number of apparent inaccuracies, factual mistakes and
inconsistencies’, he emphasized arguing, for example, according to
Armenia’s allegations, from 1 August to 30 November 2011, the armed
forces of Azerbaijan violated ceasefire 4,825 times and used various
types of weaponry. The Armenian militaries contrived even to count 460
shots allegedly fired in their direction from sniper weapons. However,
against the background of the above-mentioned total number of
imaginary violations and the claimed use of sniper weapons, the
authors and compilers of such awkward fabrication did not give
themselves the trouble of throwing light on the suspicious lack of
casualties among the Armenian military personnel.

`Another example of unskillful falsification is definitely the unique
`ability’ of Armenian militaries to count from their positions in
trenches the exact number of firearm bullets allegedly shot by the
adverse side’, Mr. Mehdiyev noted, adding. `We are confident that the
Government of the Republic of Armenia will be obliged to cease its
aggressive and provocative policy, to put an end to the occupation of
the territories of Azerbaijan and to respect international law’.

News.Az

From: A. Papazian

news.az, Azerbaijan
Jan 7 2012

‘Turkey will be near Azerbaijan in case of war in Karabakh’
Sat 07 January 2012 05:34 GMT | 7:34 Local Time

Military option might be applied if the Karabakh issue is not solved
in a peaceful way.
The statement came from Turkish MP from Istanbul Ali Ozgunduz while
explaining his opinion that Turkey will be near Azerbaijan if the war
is unleashed in Karabakh, Gun.Az reports.

‘When Azerbaijan launches military operation to liberate the occupied
territories, Turkey will be near Azerbaijan and no one should doubt
it. I would like to add that the Karabakh issue cannot be deferred for
too long and it will find its settlement sooner or later. As long as
the conflict is protracted, many other problems can occur in the
region’, Ozgunduz said.

The MP said that Turkey will always support Azerbaijan and never leave
it alone in the battlefield.

‘Today Armenia should duly analyze the situation in the region and
understant that in case of war, Armenia’s economy and the whole
infrastructure may perish. Armenian politicians should perceive it
well’, the MP stressed.

News.Az

From: A. Papazian

Tert.am, Armenia
Jan 7 2012

Turkey’s FM says Ankara has no hidden war with Tehran

18:20 – 07.01.12

Turkey’s foreign minister has said that Turkey does not have a hidden
war with Iran, Turkish Weekly reported.

Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey-Iran relations were not a relationship
that was a reflection of Shiite-Sunni competition.

“We do not have a hidden war with Iran,” Davutoglu told a televised interview.

Davutoglu said there was nothing more natural than two countries
situated in the same geography to have cooperation and also
competition.

“In some issues you cooperate and in some others you compete,” he said.

On developments in Syria, Davutoglu said Turkey was supporting Arab
League’s initiative and there was no change in Turkey’s stance.

Davutoglu said the situation in Syria had been threatening public
order and the critical threshold had been exceeded.

Under these circumstances, all possibilities should be used and change
should be ensured, but this change should not turn into an internal
clash, Davutoglu said.

He also said Turkey did not want any international intervention in the region.

“We do not want any resolution like Nato on one side and Syria and
Iran supporting the Syrian administration on the other side. This will
bring a cold war equation, which we do not want to see in the region,”
he said.

Davutoglu said Turkey wanted regional mechanisms like the Arab League
and Organization of the Islamic Cooperation to increase pressure on
Syria and help complete the process as soon as posible.

“It is not possible for an administration that has been in tension
with its own people to go on ruling the country,” Davutoglu said.

“The administration will either seek ways to restore peace with its
people, and clearly show its will for peace and show that it is ready
to hand over the administration, or it will lose its international
legitimacy gradually and even countries supporting it will see that it
does not have any chance to survive or they will realize that they can
no more back this country,” Davutoglu said.

From: A. Papazian

Palestine News & Information Agency (WAFA)
January 6, 2012 Friday

Orthodox Christians Celebrate Christmas

BETHLEHEM, January 6, 2012 (WAFA) – Orthodox Christians celebrate
Friday Christmas Eve with the annual procession for the Greek Orthodox
Patriarch from Jerusalem to Bethlehem’s Church of Nativity. The
Patriarch, Theophilos III, will lead the procession from the Greek
Orthodox Patriarchate in the Old City of Jerusalem at noon to
Bethlehem, where he will be received upon arrival at Manger Square by
Palestinian officials as well as by boy and girl scouts and marching
bands and hundreds of people. Theophilos III will later lead the
Midnight Mass at the Church of Nativity, which will be attended by
President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian and international
officials. The Greek Orthodox community in Jerusalem will celebrate
Christmas day on Saturday and the New Year on January 13. Other
communities, most notably the Armenians, will celebrate Christmas on
January 17. M.S.

From: A. Papazian

MacLean’s Magazine, Canada
Jan 6 2012

Monks with brooms fight in Jesus’ birthplace

The tussle at Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity is only the latest in
a long series of turf disputes

by Patricia Treble on Friday, January 6, 2012 5:40pm

It was a spectacle that should put smiles on women’s faces: dozens of
men fighting for the privilege to do housework. Yet in this case, it
wasn’t a light-hearted holiday fracas but a religious contretemps,
sparked in one of the holiest seasons, in the birthplace of Christ:
Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity.

Some 100 Greek and Armenian Orthodox clerics attacked one another with
brooms and �sts while cleaning the 1,700-year-old church in the West
Bank last week in advance of the Jan. 7 Orthodox Christmas (and after
the Western Christmas). While the exact spark of the crisis is
unknown, its origin can be traced back to a centuries-old system known
as the Status Quo. Promulgated by the Ottoman Turks, who ruled
Palestine from the 1500s to the First World War, it was meant to end
physical battles over control of all of the area’s holy sites by
preserving forever the existing rights of those Christian churches
that occupied the buildings. So whoever dusted a particular area of
floor, cleaned a specific chandelier or used a particular area on a
particular feast day, owned that right forever.

While those rules have reduced the bloodshed, they also resulted in
churches fiercely protecting their rights, since letting anyone take
over a responsibility, however slight, resulted in the loss of
ownership of that right. In 1853, a dispute involving a golden door
key and whether Catholics could put a silver star over the manger
escalated until several Orthodox monks were killed and Russia had the
excuse it needed to start the Crimean War against Turkey. And in 2006,
the Greeks were doing their traditional dusting of chandeliers in an
Armenian-controlled part of the church when they tried to move their
ladder from its mandated spot. `They had to know this was like waving
a red rag in front of a bull,’ Raymond Cohen, a professor at
Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, told Smithsonian magazine. Several
clerics landed in hospital.

Since the custodial churches can’t agree on how to fund and carry out
repairs’crucial ownership rights are at stake’it’s no surprise that
major repair jobs have piled up. The roof is now so rotten that water
is leaking onto priceless paintings and mosaics. The Palestinian
Authority is trying to negotiate a settlement but history shows that
could take time. After an earthquake badly damaged Jerusalem’s Church
of the Holy Sepulchre in 1927, it took a decade for its churches to
hammer out a repair agreement.

From: A. Papazian