Author: Badalian Vardan

TURKEY MAKES HISTORIC WARNING TO FRANCE ABOUT ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS

Anadolu Agency
Dec 16 2011
Turkey

Turkey’s prime minister sent on Friday a letter to French president
in order to warn the country about Armenian allegations regarding
the incidents of 1915.

In his historic letter of warning to Nicolas Sarkozy, Premier Recep
Tayyip Erdogan said common sense should prevail political concerns
in bilateral relations.

Erdogan said Turkish-French relations should not be harmed by demands
of third parties.

“This is a sensitive and serious issue, and it is important for common
sense to prevail over political concerns,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan’s letter came after a French resolution criminalizing rejection
of Armenian allegations pertaining to the incidents of 1915.

The premier said such initiatives would have grave impact on
multilateral relations between Turkey and France, and noted that
Turkey had exchanged views on several issues with President Sarkozy.

Erdogan said Turkey and France could not reach compromise on some
issues but signed agreements on some common issues.

Premier Erdogan quoted Sarkozy as saying during one of their former
meetings that after the French Parliament adopted a resolution
criminalizing denial of Armenian allegations, he did not bring it up
to the Senate and to make things more grave.

Erdogan said Turkey was disappointed with the new initiative, and
was closely monitoring the developments.

“This resolution directly targets at Turkish state, nation and
community living in France, and is hostile,” he said.

Erdogan said resolution on denial of Armenian allegations not only
violates freedom of thought and expression but also contradicts
principles supported by France.

“Adoption of such a resolution will seriously limit freedom of
expression of people who have a different perspective on the Armenian
issue. Moreover, such initiatives do not contribute to discussion of
this historical conflict between Turkey and Armenia through dialogue,
but instead it prevents efforts to reveal the realities,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan said Turkish diplomats and state officials were a target of
Armenian terrorism in France in 1970s and 1980s, and this was still
fresh in Turkish people’s memories.

“I sincerely hope that you will keep your promise that such resolutions
will not be concluded, and prevent steps that are impossible to be
compensated,” Erdogan also said.

A French parliamentary commission adopted a resolution on Armenian
allegations regarding the incidents of 1915 last week. The resolution
will be voted at the general assembly on December 19.

The resolution envisages “one-year prison term and 45,000 Euro fine
for those who deny genocide recognized by French laws.”

The French Parliament ratified a resolution saying that “France
recognizes the Armenian genocide of 1915” on January 29, 2011.

A SWEET STORY FROM CORK

Irish Times

Dec 17 2011

Our man in South SudanWeekly wisdomMade by an Armenian in the city
of Cork, Hadji Beys Turkish delight has a story that beggars belief,
writes MARIE-CLAIRE DIGBY

HADJI BEYS TURKISH DELIGHT, made in Cork city by an Armenian, Harutun
Batmazian, who arrived in the city in 1902 as an exile fleeing the
pogroms sweeping across the Ottoman empire, was once one of Ireland’s
most successful exports, selling in Harrods of London and Macy’s in
New York, and being supplied to Buckingham Palace.

The opulent pink and yellow boxes, embossed in silver, went back
on shop shelves last year when Newbridge confectionery maker Leo
Cummins re-established the brand, 40 years after Eddie Batmazian,
Harutun’s son, closed the business in Cork.

Hadji Bey Milseain na Tuirce i gCorcaigh is a TG4 documentary directed
by RoseAnn Foley and presented by her sister Catherine Foley, which
tells the story of Batmazian and his exotic sweetmeats. It is being
screened tomorrow at 9.30pm (repeated on Wednesday at 11.30pm).

The film includes rarely viewed footage of Cork city in the early
1900s by filmmakers Mitchell Kenyon, with contributions from historian
and writer Diarmuid Ó Drisceol, TV presenter and producer Pat Butler,
writer Prof Alan Titley, and Pol Ruiseil of Ionad na Gaeilge Labhartha,
the Centre for Oral Irish, at UCC.

Two of Batmazian’s grandchildren, Dolores Cunningham and Derek
O’Sullivan, also feature, and describe the difficulties their
grandfather and his wife Esther had to overcome in their early years
in Cork.

Having fled persecution in their homeland, the couple were mistakenly
identified as Turks by soldiers returning from the first World War,
and their shop on Lower Glanmire Road was burned down. When they
reopened on McCurtain Street, Batmazian had a legal document drawn up,
called Live and Let Live, which he hoped would explain his heritage
and protect his business. In the event, his superior confectionery,
made with ingredients imported from all over the world, spoke for
itself, and became a firm favourite in Ireland and beyond.

Hadji Bey: Milseain na Tuirce i gCorcaigh is on TG4 tomorrow at 9.30pm
and repeated Wednesday, December 21st, 11.30pm

ERDOGAN URGES SARKOZY TO BLOCK ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LEGLISATION

Bloomberg

Dec 16 2011

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked French President
Nicolas Sarkozy to block legislation criminalizing denial of the
Armenian genocide in 1915, according to state-run Anatolia news agency.

Passage of the measure would have “perilous” results for the two
countries’ political, economic and cultural ties, Erdogan wrote in a
letter to Sarkozy, according to the news agency. Erdogan said he hopes
Sarkozy will stand by promises to prevent the bill from becoming law,
the agency said.

The French parliament will vote Dec. 22 on a measure that would punish
people saying that the events of 1915 aren’t genocide by a year in
prison and a 45,000 euro fine ($59,000), the agency reported yesterday.

The Turkish government denies that any genocide occurred, saying tens
of thousands of ethnic Turks and Armenians died in clashes during World
War I under the Ottoman Empire after Armenian groups sided with Russia.

IRAN AND AJARIA AUTONOMOUS REP TO EXPAND COMPREHENSIVE RELATIONS

IRNA
December 16, 2011
BAKU

Baku, Dec 16, IRNA – Council General of IRI in a meeting in Batumi
with head of Georgia’s Autonomous Republic of Ajaria Friday surveyed
ways for comprehensive expansion of relations between two countries
in tourism, cultural and economic fields.

Ahmad-Reza Arzjani added in his meeting with His Eminence Levan
Varshalomidze, “Eighty-four years after the establishment of the Head
Consulate of Iran in Batumi, this is a turning point in expansion of
relations between Iran and Georgia.”

Emphasizing the need for the expansion of cultural ties between Iran
and Georgia, Arzjani said, “Beyond doubt the two countries cultural
and non-governmental cooperation would influence greatly the process
of expansion of friendly relations between Iran and Georgia.”

The Head of Georgia’s Autonomous Republic of South Georgia,
Varshalomidze, too, in the meeting expressed delight over the beginning
of tenure of the new Iranian Consul General in Batumi, reiterating,
“Georgia is ready for comprehensive expansion of ties with the Islamic
Republic of Iran is tourism, cultural and economic fields.”

The head of Ajaria Autonomous Republic also expressed hope that in
near future he would visit Iran’s East and West Azarbaijan Provinces
and have meeting with those provinces governor generals.

Islamic Republic of Iran’s Consulate General was established in
Georgia’s Batumi city last year, but Iran’s Council General Ahmad-Reza
Arzjani as appointed at the post recently.

Adjara, officially the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, is an Autonomous
Republic of Georgia.

Adjara is located in the southwestern corner of Georgia, bordered by
Turkey to the south and the eastern end of the Black Sea. Adjara is
a home to the Adjar ethnic subgroup of Georgians.

Adjara is located in the southwestern corner of Georgia, bordered by
Turkey to the south and the eastern end of the Black Sea. Adjara is
a home to the Adjar ethnic subgroup of Georgians.

Adjara is also known as Ajara, Adzhara, Ajaria, Adjaria, Adzharia,
Achara, and Acharia. Formerly Adjara was known as Acara under Ottoman
rule. It became the Adjarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
(Adjar ASSR) under the Soviet Union.

The collapse of the Soviet Union and the re-establishment of Georgia’s
independence accelerated re-Christianization, especially among the
young. However, there are still remaining Sunni Muslim communities in
Adjara, mainly in the Khulo district. According to the 2006 estimates
by the Department of Statistics of Adjara, 63% are Georgian Orthodox
Christians, and 30% Muslim. The remaining are Armenian Christians
(0.8%), Roman Catholics (0.2%), and others (6%).

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: ERDOGAN MENACE PARIS DE CONSEQUENCES “IRREPARABLES”

20minutes.fr

16 dec 2011
France

DIPLOMATIE – En cause: la possible adoption d’un projet de loi
sanctionnant la negation du genocide armenien et considere comme
“hostile” par la Turquie…

Le Premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a menace la France
de consequences “graves, irreparables” qu’aurait l’adoption d’un
projet de loi reprimant la negation du genocide armenien, appelant le
president francais a barrer la route a ce texte, a rapporte vendredi
l’agence Anatolie.

“Je souhaite exprimer clairement que si ces demarches arrivent a
terme, les consequences sur les relations politiques, economiques,
culturelles et dans tous les domaines avec la France, seront graves”,
a souligne Erdogan dans une lettre envoyee a Nicolas Sarkozy.

Erdogan, dont le pays a toujours refuse de reconnaître le genocide
armenien (1915-1917), evoque aussi l’impact “irreparable” sur les
relations franco-turques qu’aurait le vote de ce texte par le Parlement
francais, exhortant Nicolas Sarkozy a faire obstacle au projet.

Projet de loi “hostile” a la Turquie

“J’espère sincèrement que vous tiendrez votre promesse de faire echouer
des initiatives de ce genre et empecherez ainsi des demarches qui
auront des consequences irreparables” sur les relations bilaterales,
a dit le Premier ministre turc. Il a en outre appele la France a
faire preuve de “bon sens” et a empecher que les rapports bilateraux
deviennent “l’otage des revendications de tierces parties”, faisant
reference a l’Armenie.

“Ce projet de loi vise directement la republique de Turquie, la nation
turque et la communaute turque de France, et nous le considerons
comme hostile”, a ajoute Erdogan.

Le projet doit etre examine le 22 decembre par l’Assemblee nationale
francaise. L’ambassade de Turquie a Paris a deja averti qu’un vote
favorable jeudi prochain entraînerait le rappel pour consultations
de l’ambassadeur en France, Tahsin Burcuoglu, et le gel de toute
cooperation avec Paris.

1,5 million de morts

La Turquie reconnaît que jusqu’a 500.000 Armeniens ont peri dans
l’Anatolie ottomane au cours de la Première guerre mondiale, mais,
selon elle, ils n’ont pas ete victimes d’une campagne d’extermination
mais du chaos des dernières annees de l’Empire ottoman. Pour les
Armeniens, il s’agit d’un genocide, qui a fait plus d’un million et
demi de morts.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : LA FRANCE NE DOIT PAS RECULER FACE A LA TURQUIE, LORS DU VOTE DU 22 DECEMBRE 2011
ANDRE SILLAM

Le Post

16 dec 2011
France

Un texte, qui prevoit une peine d’un an de prison et une amende de
45 000 euros en cas de contestation du genocide armenien, doit etre
examine jeudi 22 decembre 2011 par l’Assemblee Nationale francaise.

A) Face a l’adoption probable de ce texte, on assiste a une triple
offensive turque : gouvernementale, diplomatique, parlementaire et
economique :

1. Dans une lettre envoyee au Chef de l’Etat francais, Recep Tayyip
Erdogan a indique, selon l’agence de presse officielle Anatolie,
le 16 decembre 2011 :

– “Si ces demarches arrivent a terme, les consequences sur les
relations politiques, economiques, culturelles et dans tous les
domaines avec la France seront graves”,

– “J’espère sincèrement que vous (…) empecherez ainsi des demarches
qui auraient des consequences irreparables” sur les liens bilateraux,

– Il a en outre appele la France a faire preuve de “bon sens” et
a empecher que les rapports franco-turcs deviennent “l’otage des
revendications de parties tiers”,

– “Ce projet de loi vise directement la Republique de Turquie,
la nation turque et la communaute turque de France, et nous le
considerons comme hostile”.

2. De son côte, l’ambassade de Turquie a Paris a deja averti
qu’un vote favorable jeudi 22 decembre 2011 entraînerait le rappel
pour consultations de l’ambassadeur en France, et le gel de toute
cooperation avec Paris.

Le Ministre des Affaires Etrangeres Turc, qui a accuse la France de
“mentalite moyenâgeuse” dans cette affaire, a convoque le 15 decembre
2011, les representants des entreprises francaises operant en Turquie,
et leur a demande d’intervenir auprès de leurs directions pour qu’elles
fassent pression sur le gouvernement francais.

3. Deux delegations turques : une parlementaire et une autre, composee
d’hommes d’affaires et d’industriels, se rendront en debut de semaine
(commencant le 19 decembre 2011) a Paris pour tenter de convaincre
les decideurs et elus francais de faire marche arrière sur ce projet.

B) La France ne doit pas reculer face a la Turquie pour les raisons
suivantes :

1. – Faut-il rappeler aux Turcs que la separation des pouvoirs existe
en France, qui n’a pas “une mentalite moyenâgeuse”, et que l’Executif
ne peut intervenir dans le domaine Legislatif ?

2. Les declarations actuelles des Turcs sont autant de negations
du genocide armenien ; lorsque le texte sera vote par le Parlement
francais, les Turcs pourront se voir appliquees les sanctions prevues
en cas de negation, en France, du genocide armenien.

3. – Faut-il : . que ce texte soit important pour la Turquie, . que ce
genocide d’1 million et demi de personnes soit lourd a porter, . que la
verite soit dure a admettre, . que la Turquie ait mauvaise conscience,
. que la Turquie veuille rayer et nier ce passe peu glorieux, . que
la Turquie reve de reconstituer, au XXIè siècle, l’Empire Ottoman sur
un plan diplomatique (par l’entreprise des pays arabes qui ont pris le
Parti AKP comme modèle politique), pour expliquer un tel deploiement :
d’interventions a tous niveaux, d’energie, de deplacements, de menaces,
de critiques, d’accusations et de consequences en tous genres !

4. – Qui pourrait croire, parmi les historiens, a la version immuable
Turque, d’une disparition de 500.000 armeniens, pendant la Guerre de
1914/18, liee, notamment, a leur alliance avec l’ennemi russe, quand
on voit que près d’un siècle après, la Turquie est prete a deployer
de telles menaces, pour tordre le cou a la verite historique, admise
par tant de pays Europeens ?

Enfin, cette action, tous azimuts, contre la reconnaissance du
genocide armenien, parmi d’autres, discredite la Turquie de vouloir
faire partie un jour de l’Union Europeenne.

RUSSIAN EXPERT: WAR IN IRAN NO SOLUTION TO KARABAKH CONFLICT

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 15, 2011 – 21:38 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian
Federation, political analyst Maxim Shevchenko advised Baku to refrain
from military solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict in case of a war
in Iran.

“Such a step is sure to have a negative impact on Azerbaijan’s economic
development,” Shevchenko stated, noting Armenia’s strategic partnership
with Iran.

Russian expert further called for peaceful resolution to the conflict.

TURKEY CALLS ON SARKOZY TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR ON HISTORY CONTROVERSY

AZG DAILY
16-12-2011

According to Turkish Zaman, in harsh response to recent remarks by
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who called on Turkey to face its
history and recognize the 1915 massacre of Armenians as genocide,
Turkey said on Friday that France should look in the mirror before
asking Turkey to revisit its history.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters after his meeting
with Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) on the
country’s foreign policy that he finds Sarkozy’s remarks as an example
of “political populism.” He said his statements were wrong and were
aimed for [France’s] domestic politics. … Any state or society who
has a colonial past and cannot face its own history does not have the
right to give lessons to Turkey. Those who want Turkey face its history
should look into mirror,” the minister said. Sarkozy on Thursday urged
Turkey to recognize the 1915 incidents as genocide, threatening to
pass a law in France that would make denying this a crime.

“The Armenian genocide is a historical reality. Collective denial is
even worse than individual denial,” Sarkozy told reporters.

“Turkey, which is a great country, would honor itself to revisit
its history like other great countries in the world have done,”
the French president added. On Friday, Sarkozy made further comments
on the issue, calling Turkey to “make a gesture of reconciliation,”
and warning that if Turkey refrained from taking any steps, France
would consider amending its legislation to penalize denial, Reuters
reported. Sarkozy did not give a date for such a move, but noted that
measures could be adopted “in a very brief time.”

Turkey’s Minister for European Union Affairs Egemen BagıÅ~_ was also
highly critical of Sarkozy’s remarks and called on the French president
to “think over how he would save his country from the economic turmoil
it has fallen into instead of assuming the role of historians.”

BagıÅ~_ told reporters in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he has been
for an official visit, that his remarks show that Sarkozy is concerned
about recent polls in his country, which show less support for him
in the upcoming presidential elections. “This can only be called the
exploitation of the upcoming elections. We can make no other comment,”
he said.

BAKU UNLIKELY TO START WAR AGAINST ARMENIA – RUSSIAN EXPERT

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 15, 2011 – 16:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The director of the Center for Military Forecasts
believes Russia’s military department is wary of Baku’s doubling its
military budget over the last 3 years to purchase inordinate amounts of
weaponry, thus causing a well-founded irritation with Iran and Armenia.

As Anatoly Tsygankov reminded, Baku increased the pressure on Moscow
demanding to up the rent for Gabala radar station use. “Still, even
considering the disputes between Iran and Azerbaijan over Caspian
oilfields, Baku is unlikely to support anti-Iranian military campaign
or start a war against Armenia,” the expert remarked.

COOPERATION BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND TURKISH ENTREPRENEURS WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO OPENING OF BORDERS: EXPERT

/ARKA/
December 15, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, December 15. /ARKA/. Increasing ties between Armenian and
Turkish entrepreneurs will reduce tension between the two nations
and eventually lead to the opening of the borders, Artush Lazarian,
the Armenian coordinator of the Caucasus Business Development Network
(CBDN) said to ARKA.

On December 14 The Gyumri Development Foundation launched the second
“Gyumri-Kars Economic Forum”. The three-day event is organized as
part of the “Support to Armenia-Turkey Rapprochement” project, and is
supported by the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) and implemented by the Consortium of the Eurasia Partnership
Foundation, the Yerevan Press Club, the International Center for Human
Development and the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers)
of Armenia. The Forum is co-supported by UK-based International Alert.

The second forum has brought together approximately 30 Armenian and
Turkish business owners from Gyumri, Vanadzor, and Kars, including
cheese makers, wine producers, specialists in meat and dairy
production, tourism and hospitality, and stone processing.

“The two countries have no diplomatic relations and we are trying
to fill in this gap. Our task now is to create an environment for
businesses in both countries,” Mr. Lazarian said in an interview
with ARKA. According to him, the closed borders is a huge impediment
to businesses.

“If the borders were opened the trade turnover between the two
countries would reach several billion dollars”, he stressed.

CBDN was founded in 2005 as an institutionalised network of regional
offices in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Tskhinvali, Sokhumi, Yerevan, Gyumri,
Baku, in Nagorno-Karabakh and in Istanbul. The scope of their
work ranges from training, consultations for local entrepreneurs,
sponsorship of business initiatives, research, and advocacy. The
network is an effective information exchange mechanism and ensures
coordinated work of the individual centers, timely assistance and
decision making. There are also bi-lateral, tri-lateral and regional
activities and events that are being carried out under the aegis of
the CBDN and International Alert in cooperation with local businesses
and business associations and international partners. CBDN supports
creation of new platforms to promote regional economic cooperation
(Caucasian Tea Producers’ Association, Women’s Economic Forum, etc)
and supports business initiatives that are for mutually beneficial
and promote positive change.