Author: Andres-Papazian

EXPERT: U.S. DEEMS AZERBAIJAN “SECOND FRONT” AGAINST IRAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 5, 2012 – 13:52 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – War against Iran isn’t a desired development for
the U.S., Armenian political analyst said.

“The U.S. currently possesses no potential for a successful war,”
Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan said, adding that the U.S. failed to offer
a final solution to the problem in Iraq and achieve quality changes
in Afghanistan.

Dwelling on Iran’s problem, the expert noted that the U.S. enjoys
observing Azeri militarization.

According to Mr. Melik-Shahnazaryan, the U.S. perceives Azerbaijan as a
“second battlefront against” Iran also in the context of destabilizing
the situation in the country.

“Through her visit to the South Caucasus region, U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton pursued the goal to familiarize herself with
the countries’ stance on the issue,” the political analyst said.

From: A. Papazian

THE STATEMENT AND THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF THE MINISTER NALBANDIAN DURING THE JOINT PRESS-CONFERENCE WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES HILLARY CLINTON

04.06.2012

Dear Secretary of State,

It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you again in Armenia. Your
last visit to Yerevan coincided with July the 4th, the National Day of
the United States of America. This visit coincides with the twentieth
anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between our
countries. The coincidence contains a positive symbolism.

Less than two years have passed since your previous visit to Armenia,
but during this period we have had several opportunities to meet in
Washington and different cities in the frameworks of international
conferences. Independent of the month of the year or the place
those meetings were held, they were exclusively warm, meaningful and
fruitful, containing important and positive messages. Your visit to
Armenia, to the region testifies to the United States authorities’
special attention to the South Caucasus. The meetings between the
Armenian and American leaderships, I would underscore the Washington
meeting between Presidents Sargsyan and Obama in April 2010, reflect
our strong will to deepen our relations.

More than a century-long friendship between our two nations, in which
the American-Armenian community has had a special role, was naturally
reflected in the two decades long interstate relations.

Madam Secretary, the mutual trust and understanding existing between
our two countries thanks to our common efforts, thanks to your
personal, invaluable input, are the best pillars for expanding our
friendly partnership.

The bilateral cooperation between the United States and Armenia, which
has reached the highest point in its history, concerns such important
domains as institutional reforms, deepening of democracy, rule of
law, modernization of economy. We have also close interaction in the
international arena covering regional and international security,
non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, fight against all
forms of terrorism, peacekeeping operations from Kosovo to Afghanistan
and other global challenges.

The United States, as a Co-Chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group,
has provided its permanent support to the process of the peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This process has been
under the constant attention of the President and State Secretary of
the United States of America. Together with the two other Co-Chair
countries, the United States, deployed intensive efforts and adopted
several high level important joint statements on the settlement of
that issue.

Dear State Secretary, more than once we have expressed our common
approach on the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations. That
position has been and remains the normalization of relations
without preconditions. You have made an exclusive contribution to
this process. Unfortunately, the ball continues to remain in the
Turkish court.

20 years ago Secretary James Baker noted that free, democratic,
independent Armenia, as the United States of America, shares the same
values – democracy, liberty, market economy, defense of human rights.

During those 20 years the United States has strongly supported
Armenia. Today humanitarian assistance is gradually turning into
development projects and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Dear Secretary, we express our gratitude to the President Obama’s
administration and to you personally for your commitment and
remarkable contribution in the strengthening of Armenian-American
friendly partnership. I hope that the celebration of the twentieth
anniversary of diplomatic relations will open new, wider horizons in
bilateral relations.

I would like once again to welcome you, dear State Secretary, and
your delegation to Armenia.

The floor is yours. Please.

Yerkir Media TV. Madam Secretary, last year Azerbaijan failed
the achievement of an agreement over basic principles of the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue. By making belligerent statements, multiplying
its military budget, every day threatening to start a war Azerbaijan
poses a threat to regional security. Today, on the eve of your visit
as a result of attacks by Azeri subversive groups there are dead and
wounded. Don’t you think that the time has come to restore the 907
section of Freedom support Act and as a co-chair of Minsk Group, what
steps should be taken to prevent further escalation of the situation?

And the second question to Minister Nalbandian, Mr. Minister, Turkish
high-ranking officials are claiming that there somewhat negotiations
are being conducted on Armenian-Turkish normalization. Are those
claims corresponding to the reality?

Edward Nalbandian: Negotiations are not conducted, negotiations cannot
be conducted, as the negotiations are over and they had resulted
in signing of the protocols, which Turkey refuses to respect and
implement, trying to put forward preconditions. Turkey has no right
to put preconditions in this issue. This position is shared by the
international community.

I want to add on the first question that we strongly condemn the
violent provocations that are organized by the Azerbaijani side on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan border which, unfortunately, resulted in victims
and wounded, and that Azerbaijan is not satisfied by the fact that
every day there are violations by Azerbaijanis on the line of contact
of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh. They are trying to transfer the
tension, to sharpen the situation onto the border between Armenia
and Azerbaijan which greatly undermines the negotiation process, as
well as it is threatening the regional stability. The responsibility
of all the possible consequences of all this lies on Azerbaijan.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN ACTIVIST: LIKELIHOOD OF WAR HIGHER THAN EVER TODAY

tert.am
05.06.12

The likelihood of a renewed war over Nagorno-Karabakh has reached
its maximum level since the signing of ceasefire, Zhirayr Sefilyan,
a member of Sardarapat Movement and a former commander of a special
battalion in Shoushi, told Tert.am.

Speaking of the recent cross-border tensions between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, the activist said that the violence may eventually lead
to a larger-scale armed conflict or the resumption of war.

Asked to comment whether yesterday’s armed attack against two villages
in Tavush region was really linked to US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton’s visit, he said: “Lethal cross-border incidents ahead of such
high-ranking officials’ visits have increased in number recently. That
could be a signal that the Azerbaijani authorities instruct their
armed forces command to launch such military operations.”

As for possible developments around Nagorno-Karabakh, Sefilyan said
that the advantages Armenia could have today thanks to regional
developments are neutralized by the ruling authorities.

“The regional context of the Karabakh conflict is now characterized
by an increasing tension, given the West’s hard line on Iran. But the
special status of the Armenian-Iranian relations is comprehensible
to both the United States and the entire West. Such circumstances
objectively increase Armenia’s significance, but a subjective
factor such as the feebleness of the dependent regime which links
its legitimacy with foreign [forces] neutralizes that advantage,
making Armenia very vulnerable,” he noted.

From: A. Papazian

WHY ‘THE 40 DAYS OF MUSA DAGH’ WAS NOT ON SCREEN
Jean Eckian, Paris

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 10:08:10 – 05/06/2012

American director Edwin Avaness presents a documentary film project
about the interferences of Turkish state in the United States to
impede the production of the film, based on the book by Franz Werfel,
The 40 Days of Musa Dagh.

In 2006, actor Sylvester Stallone had expressed a desire to direct a
film from the novel. But following a campaign by the powerful Turkish
association ASIMED, Stallone had to give, besides as did Mel Gibson
in 2009.

In France, Henri Verneuil himself had tried to edit the film. For
this exceptional project of universal historic significance, the
designer and director Edwin Avaness needs the financial support of
the community to complete which is the first demonstration of the
Turkish state denial.

The names of generous donors will be credited to the screen. The funds
will be collected by the association, nonprofit, Friends of Armenian
Cultural Treasures.

Website link

From: A. Papazian

L’OFFENSIVE NEGATIONNISTE : AUX URNES CITOYENS !

armenews.com

mardi 5 juin 2012

La campagne des legislatives lancee, surfant sur la decision du Conseil
constitutionnel qui a abroge la loi Boyer visant a criminaliser la
negation du genocide des Armeniens, certains sites francais d’origine
turque appellent, sans ambages, la communaute turque a se prononcer
aux elections legislatives des 10 et 17 juin pour les candidats s’etant
distingues contre la dite-loi et de defaire les pro-armeniens, et ce,
sans distinction d’appareil politique. L’un de ces sites pousse le
vice jusqu’a stigmatiser ” Quelques noms & visages de la turcophobie
en France “, citant nommement Patrick Devedjian, Francois Pupponi,
Eric Raoult, Francois Rochebloine, Jacques Remiller et Dominique
Souchet, comme soutenant les ” nationalistes armeniens “.

Les qualificatifs qui leurs sont attribues ne manquent pas de sel :
Francois Rochebloine serait ” complètement dans la main des groupes
armeniens les plus nationalistes ” et qui aurait ete battu aux
cantonales de 2011 ” grâce au vote des electeurs d’origine turque “.

Qu’on ne s’y trompe pas et qu’on se le dise, les mois qui nous
separent de 2015 vont etre les plus eprouvant pour la communaute
armenienne. Raison pour laquelle une mobilisation de toutes les forces
qui constituent la communaute se doivent d’etre dès aujourd’hui sur
le pont. En disant ” les forces “, il ne s’agit pas seulement de nos
organisations et associations, dont l’investissement a de toujours
ete emerite, meme dans les heures troubles ; mais bien du sens civique
des citoyens.

Fore est de constater que, face a la vague etoilee pointant a
l’horizon, les francais d’origine armenienne ne sont pas assez
investis en politique en quelque bord que ce soit. Ce deficit sera a
moyen terme un handicap penible a surmonter. Le reveil risque d’etre
brutal et douloureux si l’on n’y prend garde quand on sait que le
Vice-Premier ministre turc Bekir Bozdag appelle au lancement de “la
diaspora turque”, avec le soutien de l’Azerbaïdjan ; encourageant ses
ressortissants a adopter la double citoyennete afin de “jouir de la
totalite de leurs droits.” Effectivement, c’est parti !

Quand le Premier ministre turc Erdogan, a l’occasion de l’investiture
de Francois Hollande a la Presidence de la Republique, l’incite,
a l’issue d’une conversation telephonique de 12 minutes, a ” se
debarrasser des ‘problèmes artificiels’ qui ne conviennent pas a ce
passe commun “, relatifs aux profondes relations franco-turques,
on comprend bien de quoi il retourne dans l’esprit de celui qui,
fort de son nouveau leadership dans la region, brandissant l’arme
economique comme moyen de pression, entend faire plier a nouveau la
France sur la question du genocide des Armeniens. A ce propos le
gouvernement turc reunira, Jeudi et Vendredi, environ 500 leaders
d’organisations, fondations et federations turques du monde entier a
Ankara, dans l’objectif avoue de lutter contre la reconnaissance du
genocide des Armeniens.

Dans cette bataille d’un autre temps, les rangs doivent se resserrer,
hors clivage, autour des politiques portant les valeurs de justice.

Les 10 et 17 Juin seront determinant dans la suite du combat de la
cause armenienne.

Devant l’enjeu de la consultation cet appel doit etre transmis au
plus grand nombre et par tous les moyens de communication offerts
par l’internet.

Aucune abstention. Aux Urnes Citoyens !

J.E

Ci-dessous, deux documents PDF emis par Radio MIT (communaute turque)
appelant a “Bannir” ou “soutenir” tel ou tel depute francais. Sans
commentaire…

From: A. Papazian

500 TURKISH DIASPORA GROUPS TO COME TOGETHER ON THURSDAY

Today’s Zaman
June 4 2012
Turkey

Representatives of Turkish citizens living in different parts of the
world will come together for the first time in Ankara on Thursday
to establish a group called the Turkish Diaspora. During the first
meeting of the Turkish Diaspora the target will be to define the
problems of Turkish people living abroad and how to solve them.

Currently nearly 6.5 million Turkish citizens are living abroad, and
for the first time their representatives will come together under the
auspices of the Turkish government. Representatives of approximately
500 federations, trusts and associations will be involved in the
meeting organized under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister
Bekir Bozdag.

During the meetings held in Ankara over June 7-8 Turkish citizens
living abroad will discuss their problems in detail as well as
common ways forward on the basic issues concerning Turkey. Also, a
common stance will be determined on the issues such as the so-called
Armenian genocide allegations raised in France, the growing racism in
Europe, Turkey’s EU membership, the removal of visa requirements for
EU travel and Islamophobia, and common strategies will be identified
for acting collectively.

Other ministers will also attend the meeting. After the opening speech
by Bozdag the ministers will get the chance to meet the representatives
of expatriates.

Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arınc, Labor Minister Faruk Celik,
Minister of Education Omer Dincer, Customs and Trade Minister Hayati
Yazıcı, Family and Social Policy Minister Fatma Å~^ahin and Youth
and Sports Minister Suat Kılıc will join the meeting to discuss the
problems and to propose solutions. During the meeting many issues
concerning citizens living abroad including trade, social security
and family and youth issues will be discussed.

From: A. Papazian

TURQUIE : DESAVOUER L’HERITAGE DU GENOCIDE DES JEUNES-TURCS

Publie le : 06-06-2012

Info Collectif VAN – – “La Turquie est a la
croisee des chemins et les Turcs sont en face d’un dilemme. D’une part,
ils se sentent de plus en plus contraints de ne concevoir le futur
qu’après avoir expie leur crime. D’autre part, il realisent les effets
d’un lavage de cerveaux organise par l’Etat pendant des decennies,
poussant sous le tapis les pages noires de leur passe genocidaire. Les
ouvertures recentes du ministre turc des Affaires etrangères, Ahmet
Davutoglu, en direction des Armeniens, ont amplifie ce debat interne
turc. Passer d’une situation où ils ont sur les bras un genocide,
a celle où il s’agit de gerer les consequences de ce genocide, donc
de se liberer de la charge d’un passe criminel, devient pour eux une
necessite. Et cela peut se produire en ce moment : des Turcs vertueux,
qui sont deja eux-memes parvenus a la paix interieure en reconnaissant
le genocide des Armeniens, leur donnent des eclaircissements et les
inspirent.” Le Collectif VAN vous propose une traduction de Gilbert
Beguian d’un article en anglais mise en ligne sur le site de NAM
(Nouvelles d’Armenie Magazine) le 2 juin 2012.

Les Turcs doivent avoir le droit de desavouer l’heritage du genocide
que les Jeunes-Turcs leur ont laisse

Par Appo Jabarian

Directeur de la Publication / Responsable de l’Edition USA Armenian
Life Magazine

31 mai 2012

La Turquie est a la croisee des chemins et les Turcs sont en face d’un
dilemme. D’une part, ils se sentent de plus en plus contraints de ne
concevoir le futur qu’après avoir expie de leur crime. D’autre part,
il realisent les effets d’un lavage de cerveaux organise par l’etat
pendant des decennies, poussant sous le tapis les pages noires de
leur passe genocidaire. Les ouvertures recentes du ministre turc des
affaires etrangères Ahmet Davutoglu en direction des Armeniens ont
amplifie ce debat interne turc.

Passer d’une situation où ils ont sur les bras un genocide a celle où
il s’agit de gerer les consequences de ce genocide, donc se liberer
de la charge d’un passe criminel, devient pour eux une necessite. Et
cela peut se produire en ce moment : des Turcs vertueux qui sont deja
eux-memes parvenus a la paix interieure en reconnaissant le Genocide
des Armeniens, leur donnent des eclaircissements et les inspirent.

Aucun etre humain ne devrait etre force de s’enfermer lui-meme dans
la negation simplement parce que son propre gouvernement nie depuis
près d’un siècle.

Les Turcs doivent s’encourager mutuellement a prendre leurs distances
avec les criminels Jeunes Turcs et desavouer l’heritage du Genocide.

Les Turcs d’aujourd’hui, specialement ceux de la nouvelle generation,
devraient prendre le droit de condamner le regime criminel et
l’ideologie des Jeunes Turcs a la vitesse de la lumière ; et imiter
en cela Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (père de la Turquie) :

Dans une entrevue d’août 1926 au Los Angeles Examiner, Ataturk avait
declare que ceux qui avaient appartenu au gouvernement Jeune Turc
devraient etre tenus responsables des Genocides des Armeniens, des
Grecs et des Assyriens. ” Ceux qui, anciens adherents du Parti Jeune
Turc, auraient dû etre tenus responsables des millions de nos sujets
chretiens brutalement chasses de leurs maisons et massacres en masse,
sont aujourd’hui inquiets sous le regime republicain “, a-t-il dit.

Dès lors, comment le processus que la Turquie devra engager pour
mettre en lumière les faits du Genocide Armenien peut-il s’accorder
avec les demandes urgentes armeniennes de Restitution, de Reparations
et de Retablissement ?

Pendant des siècles avant le Genocide, plusieurs peuples souverains
tels les Syriens, les Libanais, les Grecs, les Bulgares, les Serbes,
les Arabes, les Kurdes, les Syriaques-Assyriens et les Armeniens
ont ete forces de faire a l’Empire Turc Ottoman des concessions
territoriales et de lui payer un tribut humain. Lorsque le processus
de decomposition de l’Empire a commence, plusieurs peuples, sujets
ottomans, sont parvenus a la liberation totale de leurs territoires.

Des terres occupees par les Turcs ont ete retournees a leur
proprietaire en droit. Mais tous n’on pas eu cette chance.

Et en consequence de ce processus incomplet de decomposition de
l’Empire Turc Ottoman, les Kurdes, les Armeniens, les Grecs, les
Assyriens et les Syriaques-Assyriens se voient refusee la liberation
de leurs terres ancestrales. – les Kurdes et les Syriaques-Assyriens
des regions de Mardin et de l’ancienne Mesopotamie ; les Armeniens de
l’Armenie de l’Ouest et de Cilicie ; et les Syriens de ” Al-Iskenderun
” (appelee ” Hatay ” sous l’occupation truque) ; tandis que les
Grecs continuent de souffrir du maintien de l’occupation turque de
la grecque Constantinople, de la grecque Smyrne et du Pont grec.

Tandis que le gouvernement turc a interdit toute possibilite de
discuter librement du Genocide, l’ancien Secretaire de la Commission
des Droits de l’Homme des Nations-Unies, le professeur Alfred de
Zayas, de l’ Ecole de Diplomatie de Genève, a declare recemment :
” Du fait du caractère perenne du crime de genocide, en termes de
fait et de droit, la reparation par restitution n’a pas ete forclose
par le passage du temps. Ainsi, les survivants du genocide subi par
les Armeniens, individuellement et collectivement tout a la fois,
sont fondes a revendiquer la restitution. Cela a ete le cas avec les
survivants juifs de l’Holocauste, qui ont obtenu la restitution de
biens confisques par de nombreux Etats où ils se trouvaient. Chaque
fois que cela est possible, le ‘restitutio in integrum’ (restitution
totale, restauration aux conditions precedentes) devrait etre accorde,
en sorte que soit retablie la situation telle qu’elle existait avant
que la violation n’ait ete commise. ”

Pour en revenir aux developpements les plus recents qui ont eu lieu :
si de serieuses negociations devaient se tenir entre la Turquie et
les Armeniens, ” la delegation mixte armenienne pourrait demander a
la Turquie, pour attester de sa bonne foi, de :

– 1) Dedommager toutes les victimes du Genocide ; – 2) Reconstruire et
restituer tous les sites religieux au Patriarche Armenien d’Istanbul ;
– 3) Restituer tous les biens prives et ceux de la communaute a leur
proprietaire armenien ; – 4) Donner a la Republique d’Armenie un
accès special au port turc de Trebizonde a des fins commerciales ; –
5) Donner aux Armeniens un droit sans visa d’entrer en Ararat, a Ani,
et aux autres sites historiques armeniens en Turquie ; – 6) Lever le
blocus contre l’Armenie ; – 7) Mettre fin a la politique officielle de
la Turquie de negation du Genocide des Armeniens et annuler l’article
301 du code penal turc ; – 8) S’abstenir de toute politique hostile
dirigee contre l’Armenie et contre l’Artsakh (Karabagh), ” ecrivait
Harut Sassounian editeur du California Courrier.

L’article de Sassounian represente un magnifique plan d’action et
une plateforme realisable pour toutes les parties concernees.

Le 29 mai, l’ecrivain et editeur Ragip Zarakolu a reitere ses critiques
envers la politique turque de negation : ” Ma generation savait ce
qui c’etait passe et s’est efforcee de le cacher. Mais les nouvelles
generations doivent croire a ce mensonge, dans une atmosphère encore
pire. … La Turquie est devenue aveugle et sourde.

… Mon pays s’est transforme en un cimetière de muets, ” a declare
Zarakolu avant d’ajouter que la Turquie doit parvenir a comprendre que
reconnaître le Genocide et demander pardon est devenu une condition
prealable a l’installation d’une societe democratique dans le pays. ”
La Turquie doit accepter la verite historique. C’est la seule facon
pour elle de retrouver la verite en elle-meme. Reconnaissance, pardon
et restitution – cela ne fera jamais revenir tout ce qui a ete perdu,
” a-t-il note.

Un abandon absolu de l’ideologie Jeune turque, accompagne de
restitutions et d’une expiation collective peuvent transformer
la Turquie.

Traduction Gilbert Beguian pour Armenews

From: A. Papazian

TURQUIE : CRIMINALISATION DES DéFENSEURS DES DROITS DE L’HOMME

Publié le : 06-06-2012

Info Collectif VAN – – Le 5 juin 2012,
l’Observatoire pour la protection des défenseurs des droits de
l’Homme, programme conjoint de la Fédération internationale des
droits de l’Homme (FIDH) et de l’Organisation mondiale contre la
torture (OMCT), a publié un rapport intitulé “Turquie : Présumés
coupables, la criminalisation des défenseurs des droits de l’Homme”,
qui analyse la situation des défenseurs des droits de l’Homme en
Turquie. ” Au début de l’année 2012, 105 journalistes, 44 avocats,
au moins 16 membres d’organisations de défense des droits de l’Homme
et 41 syndicalistes étaient toujours emprisonnés, principalement
au titre d’accusations de terrorisme. Les cas les plus emblématiques
tels que ceux de la sociologue Pınar Selek, poursuivie depuis 1998,
de l’avocat Muharrem Erbey, détenu depuis décembre 2009, et de
l’éditeur Ragıp Zarakolu détenu pendant plus de cinq mois, ne sont
que la partie visible de cette situation déplorable qui prévaut en
Turquie ”. Le Collectif VAN diffuse ici le communiqué de presse de
la FIDH et de l’OMCT.

COMMUNIQUÃ~I DE PRESSE – L’OBSERVATOIRE

Turquie : présumés coupables, criminalisation des défenseurs des
droits de l’homme

Publication d’un rapport d’une mission internationale d’enquête

Le rapport est disponible en anglais aux liens suivant :

Paris-Genève, le 5 juin 2012. L’Observatoire pour la protection
des défenseurs des droits de l’Homme, un programme conjoint de
la Fédération internationale des droits de l’Homme (FIDH) et de
l’Organisation mondiale contre la torture (OMCT), publie aujourd’hui un
rapport intitulé “Turquie : Présumés coupables, la criminalisation
des défenseurs des droits de l’Homme”, qui analyse la situation des
défenseurs des droits de l’Homme en Turquie.

En dépit des réformes et des avancées majeures de cette dernière
décennie, dans la Turquie d’aujourd’hui, ceux qui dénoncent les
violations des droits de l’Homme dans des domaines ” sensibles ”
sont la cible d’une intense politique de criminalisation. Ces sujets
” sensibles ” incluent la promotion du droit a la différence
(droit des minorités religieuses ou ethniques, en particulier la
question kurde, et droit des minorités sexuelles), et la critique de
l’Ã~Itat et des institutions (le fonctionnement de ces institutions,
notamment l’indépendance de la justice ou l’impunité de l’Ã~Itat
et de l’armée en matière de violations de droits de l’Homme). Des
secteurs clefs de la société civile, active en matière de
défense des droits de l’Homme, sont touchés par cette politique :
des membres d’organisations non gouvernementales (ONG) mais aussi
des avocats, des syndicalistes, des journalistes, des intellectuels
et des universitaires, des écrivains, des défenseurs du droit a
l’objection de conscience ou des membres des familles des victimes
de violations graves, etc.

La criminalisation de leurs activités est rendue possible par
l’existence de pratiques administratives et de dispositions
pénales répressives, que les différentes réformes n’ont pas
supprimées, notamment dans le Code pénal (Turkish Penal Code –
TPC) ou la Loi anti-terrorisme (Anti-Terrorism Law – ATL). De plus,
les autorités chargées de l’application de la loi, les procureurs
et les juges, depuis longtemps habitués a limiter les droits et
libertés, continuent a interpréter et a appliquer la loi de manière
répressive. Ces dernières années, l’ATL, qui implique l’application
de règles procédurales moins protectrices des droits de la défense,
est ainsi de plus en plus utilisée contre les défenseurs des droits
de l’Homme. La définition vague du terrorisme et son interprétation
par les tribunaux ont permis aux procureurs et aux juges de considérer
que la simple critique des autorités et de leur action en matière de
droits de l’Homme pouvait, en soi, être considérée comme un soutien
a des groupes terroristes ou comme une preuve de l’appartenance a ces
groupes. Le recours a de longues périodes de détention préventive
est fréquent et peut être percu en soi comme une forme de peine,
indépendamment du résultat des procès.

“Une révision approfondie du système judiciaire turque est,
aujourd’hui, plus que nécessaire afin d’améliorer l’environnement
déterminant l’action des défenseurs des droits de l’Homme. La justice
est utilisée comme une arme pour réprimer, intimider et punir les
défenseurs des droits de l’Homme, au travers de procédures pénales
violant de manière flagrante le droit a un procès équitable.

Aujourd’hui, de telles pratiques autoritaires doivent prendre fin”,
a affirmé Mme Souhayr Belhassen, présidente de la FIDH.

Au début de l’année 2012, 105 journalistes, 44 avocats, au moins
16 membres d’organisations de défense des droits de l’Homme et 41
syndicalistes étaient toujours emprisonnés, principalement au titre
d’accusations de terrorisme. Les cas les plus emblématiques tels que
ceux de la sociologue Pınar Selek, poursuivie depuis 1998, de l’avocat
Muharrem Erbey, détenu depuis décembre 2009, et de l’éditeur
Ragıp Zarakolu détenu pendant plus de cinq mois, ne sont que la
partie visible de cette situation déplorable qui prévaut en Turquie.

“Nous craignons que ces poursuites pénales continues finissent
par mener la société civile a développer un certain degré
d’autocensure, précisément au moment où une communauté de
défenseurs des droits de l’Homme forte et dynamique, opérant sous la
protection de la loi, est nécessaire”, a ajouté M. Gerald Staberock,
secrétaire général de l’OMCT.

L’Observatoire appelle respectueusement les autorités turques
a attacher la plus grande des attentions a ses recommandations, a
entreprendre les démarches nécessaires a la création et au maintien
d’un environnement sÔr et propice permettant aux défenseurs des
droits de l’Homme d’opérer librement et efficacement dans le pays,
notamment en reconnaissant pleinement le rôle légitime joué par les
organisations de défense des droits de l’homme, en libérant tous
les défenseurs détenus du fait de leurs activités en matière de
droits de l’Homme, en mettant fin au harcèlement judiciaire et en
menant des enquêtes effectives sur les abus commis a l’encontre des
défenseurs des droits de l’Homme.

**************************************************************

Version anglaise

PRESS RELEASE – THE OBSERVATORY

TURKEY: Human Rights Defenders, guilty until proven innocent

Publication of an International fact-finding Mission Report

The report is available in English at the following links:

Paris-Geneva, June 5, 2012. The Observatory for the Protection of Human
Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for
Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT),
publishes today a report entitled “Turkey: Human Rights Defenders,
guilty until proven innocent”, which analyses the situation of human
rights defenders in Turkey.

Despite major reforms and progresses over the past decade, in today’s
Turkey, those who speak out on “sensitive” human rights issues remain
the target of an intense criminalisation. “Sensitive” issues include
promoting the right to alternative identities (ethnic and religious
minorities’ rights, particularly the Kurdish issue, and sexual
minorities), and criticising the State and its institutions (the
functioning of the institutions, including the independence of the
judiciary and the impunity of the State and the army for human rights
violations). Key categories of civil society active in the defence of
human rights are affected by this policy: members of non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) but also lawyers, trade unionists, journalists,
intellectuals and academics, writers, advocates of the right to
conscientious objection and family members of victims of serious
violations, etc.

Criminalisation is made possible by the existence of repressive
administrative practices and criminal provisions left unchanged
by reform packages, notably in the Turkish Penal Code (TPC) and
the Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL). Furthermore, law-enforcement bodies,
prosecutors and judges, long-accustomed to limiting freedoms and
rights, continue to interpret and apply the law in a repressive
manner. The ATL has been increasingly used against human rights
defenders over the past years, which entails the application of
a set of rules less protective of the defence’s rights. The vague
definition of terrorism and its interpretation by the courts have
made it possible for prosecutors and judges to consider that the
mere criticism of the authorities’ human rights record may in itself
be construed as a form of support to terrorist groups or evidence
of membership in terrorist groups. Prolonged pre-trial detention is
used very frequently and may be seen as a form of punishment per se,
independently of the outcome of the trial.

“A comprehensive overhaul of the Turkish legal system is today more
than needed to improve the environment of operation of human rights
defenders. Justice is used as a weapon to repress, intimidate and
punish human rights defenders, through criminal proceedings that
blatantly violate the right to a fair trial. Today such authoritarian
practices have to come to an end”, says Ms. Souhayr Belhassen,
FIDH President.

At the beginning of 2012, 105 journalists, 44 lawyers, at least
16 members of human rights organisations and 41 trade unionists
were in jail, mostly under terrorism charges. The emblematic cases
of sociologist Pınar Selek prosecuted since 1998, lawyer Muharrem
Erbey, detained since December 2009, and publisher Ragıp Zarakolu,
detained during more than five months, are only the tip of this
deplorable situation.

“We fear that these continuous proceedings may lead the civil society
to develop a certain degree of self-censorship, precisely at a time
when a strong and critical human rights community that operate under
the protective reach of the law is needed”, added Mr. Gerald Staberock,
Secretary General of OMCT.

The Observatory respectfully urges the authorities of Turkey to pay
the utmost attention to its recommendations, take the necessary steps
to create and maintain a safe and conducive environment for human
rights defenders to operate freely and efficiently in the country,
including by fully recognising the legitimate role played by human
rights organisations, releasing all human rights defenders detained
for exercising human rights activities, ending judicial harassment
and fully investigating abuses faced by human rights defenders.

Retour a la rubrique

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN FM THANKS CLINTON FOR 20-YEAR-LONG US ASSISTANCE

news.am
June 04, 2012 | 21:36

YEREVAN.- Twenty years of diplomatic relations between Armenia and
U.S. serve as a good basis for further development of negotiations,
strengthening and expanding the partnership, Armenian FM Edward
Nalbandian said during joint press conference with Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton in Yerevan.

According to Nalbandian, the previous visit of Secretary Clinton
in Armenia on July 4, 2010, coincided with the U.S. Independence
Day and this year is marked by the 20th anniversary of Armenia-US
diplomatic relations.

“Coincidence attaches positive symbolism to bilateral relations.

Moreover, between the previous and present visits we met several
times on the margins of different international forums,” Nalbandian
said adding that this visit speaks about Washington’s exceptional
attitude towards the region.

Speaking about warm Armenia-US relations, Nalbandian underscored
important role of the Armenian community in U.S. and thanked Hillary
Clinton for personal contribution to strengthening bilateral ties. He
gave appraisal of Armenia-US cooperation in the struggle against
international terrorism within peacekeeping missions aimed to protect
peace and strengthen security.

Foreign Minister expressed gratitude to Secretary Clinton for
assistance to development of democratic institutions in Armenia and
for exceptional contribution to normalization of the Armenian-Turkish
relations.

Nalbandian pointed out U.S. efforts as a co-chairing state of the
OSCE Minsk Group on settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

From: A. Papazian

TURKISH, ARMENIAN JOURNALISTS WANT BORDER OPENED

Today’s Zaman
June 3 2012
Turkey

A group of Turkish and Armenian journalists traveling through Turkey,
Armenia and Georgia between May 24 and June 6 in order to gain
first-hand insight into their neighbors say that the closed border
between Turkey and Armenia is negatively affecting relations between
the two countries, advocating the opening of the border.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity with
Azerbaijan after Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of
Azerbaijan in 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Arsen Kharatyan from Voice of America has told Today’s Zaman that
the closed border is a symbolic issue. “The day we stop reaching each
other’s countries via other countries, both societies will understand
each other more closely. Passing through Georgia to Armenia shows
that every level of relations is mediated by third parties,” said
Kharatyan, adding that constructive, sincere and honest dialogue on
both the government and civil society level would contribute positively
to the future of relations.

The group of 15 journalists visited six locations in Turkey: Ä°stanbul,
Malatya, Kayseri, Cappadocia, Ankara and Kars. The group then traveled
to Armenia, where they are spending a week visiting cities and villages
across the country, including Gyumri, Goris, Sevan and Yerevan.

The Turkey-Armenia Media Reporting Bus Tour is organized by the
Global Political Trends Center (GPoT) of Ä°stanbul Kultur University,
in partnership with the Yerevan-based Eurasia Partnership Foundation
(EPF), as part of the Support to Armenia-Turkey Rapprochement (SATR)
project and is funded by the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID). The tour aims to establish a network for future
reporting on Turkish-Armenian relations.

“If someone wants to understand the present, he or she must deal with
the past and perceive it with their own eyes, rather than hearing it
from the outside,” said Kharatyan, adding that the tour was a journey
of self-discovery for the journalists.

When asked his assessment of possible future relations between
both countries in the future, Kharatyan replied that currently the
discussions between Turkey and Armenia were stuck on the level of
intellectual discourse, adding that sustainable peace could only be
achieved by maintaining honesty between the nations. “I hope there will
be a time in our lives when we openly have many discussions. I agree
with Turkish officials that we have to solve this problem instead of
leaving it to our children,” said Kharatyan.

Speaking to Today’s Zaman, Andranik Ispiryan from the Yerevan-based
news agency News.am stated, “The border between Turkey and Armenia is
the only closed border in the 21st century,” suggesting that closed
borders prevent relations from improving between the countries.

“I believe the closed border affects relations negatively, not only on
the diplomatic level but also on the societal level,” said Ispiryan,
proposing that if the border were open the two societies would have
an opportunity to learn about the culture of the other nation, which
would also help to reduce misconceptions on both sides.

Agreeing with Ispiryan, Zafer Opsar from the Bursa-based news portal
Bursaport.com told Today’s Zaman that the closed border does not
contribute positively to relations between the countries, adding that
both sides would benefit from the opening of the borders.

“I am hopeful for the future, and I believe our trip will contribute
to the future of relations. But I think the word ‘genocide’ blocks the
development of relations. Both countries can overcome the problems by
empathy only,” he said, adding that the tour was of great importance
in improving relations.

“Journalists are the voice of the public. We [Turkish and Armenian
journalists] have the opportunity to observe the neighboring country
without the involvement of third parties,” said Opsar.

Susae Elanchenny, representative of GPoT, told Today’s Zaman that the
goal of the tour was to facilitate Turkish and Armenian journalists’
understanding of their neighboring countries and peoples. “Given
the current impasse in official relations, I believe that the media
can play a particularly important role in moving the normalization
process forward,” said Elanchenny.

“Of course, we [GPoT] don’t expect to solve the entire issue on this
two-week bus tour with these 15 journalists, but I believe that thanks
to civil society projects, like this one, the biases, stereotypes
and misunderstandings that hinder dialogue are decreasing and will
hopefully only further decrease in the future,” she added.

Speaking about the closed border, Varya Meruzhanyan, representative of
EPF, told Today’s Zaman that before the borders can be opened people on
both sides will need to make an effort to open their mental borders,
stating, “We are hopeful that this bus tour will serve as a small
step towards achieving that goal.”

She also added that with the current deadlock in official relations
between the nations it is important that people from both countries
continue to receive information about the other.

From: A. Papazian