Author: Badalian Vardan

TURQUIE
Le parti MHP voit les condoléances aux Arméniens comme des « excuses
pour le génocide »

La présentation récente du Premier ministre Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an de
condoléances aux petits-enfants d’Arméniens tués dans la Première
Guerre mondiale par les forces ottomanes a été critiqué par les partis
d’opposition et notamment le Parti du Mouvement Nationaliste ( MHP )
la décrivant comme « une apologie du génocide » .

S’adressant au groupe parlementaire de son parti le 29 avril , Devlet
Bahçeli le président du MHP ad écrit les paroles d’Erdogan comme « non
– nationales » . « Dans son message , qui a été écrit dans son
intégralité avec un regard non – national , le Premier ministre
ErdoÄ?an a parlé d’une « attitude juste et de conscience » et
comprendre les griefs de cette époque indépendamment des racines
religieuses et ethniques » a déclaré Devlet Bahçeli .

« Mais l’hommage du Premier ministre est une sorte d’excuses pour le
génocide » a-t-il ajouté .

D’autre part , le co-président du Parti démocratique du peuple ( HDP )
Sebahat Tuncel a déclaré que l’ ouverture des archives de l’Etat
concernant les événements de 1915 , comme promise par ErdoÄ?an tôt dans
la journée , serait une « étape importante mais insuffisante » .

« Une Commission vérité et justice doit être fondée et il doit être
faire face au passé », a déclaré Tuncel lors de la toute première
réunion parlementaire groupe de HDP , qui a maintenant le nombre
requis de sièges pour former un groupe après 19 députés du parti Paix
et la démocratie (BDP ) aient rejoint le parti le 28 Avril .

vendredi 2 mai 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

ARMENIE
Les privilèges des Arméniens en Russie comportent des risques démographiques

Un document a été signé entre les services de migration de l’Arménie
et de la Russie au cours de la récente visite du Secrétaire du Conseil
national de sécurité arménien Artur Baghdasaryan à Moscou. Les détails
de ce document ne sont pas encore connus, il est seulement indiqué
qu’il aidera à coordonner le séjour et le travail des migrants
arméniens en Russie.

Depuis le 1er Janvier 2014 les conditions de séjour en Russie pour les
travailleurs étrangers avaient été revus avec la réduction de la durée
de leur séjour dans le pays à trois mois sans droit au retour pour les
trois prochains mois. La direction arménienne a déclaré qu’elle avait
l’intention d’obtenir des privilèges pour les migrants arméniens et
que l’Arménie et la Russie sont des alliés stratégiques.

En 2013, 670 000 citoyens arméniens sont allés en Russie. En 2012, ce
nombre s’élevait à 540 000. Cela a été rapporté par le représentant de
l’ambassade de Russie en Arménie en charge de la politique de
migration Svetlana Stepanova. Après le durcissement de la loi russe,
plus de 170 000 migrants arméniens se sont retrouvés dans la zone dite
de risque. Selon Stepanova, « ce sont les citoyens qui ont dépassé la
durée de séjour autorisée en Russie et qui après avoir traversé le
passage à la frontière ne pourraient plus revenir ».

On ne sait pas exactement ce que la Russie a proposé pour les migrants
arméniens. Cependant, il n’est pas exclu que les citoyens arméniens se
verront offerts une procédure simplifiée pour l’obtention de la
citoyenneté russe. Récemment, le président russe Vladimir Poutine a
promulgué une nouvelle procédure de délivrance des passeports russes,
qui peuvent maintenant être obtenus en seulement trois mois, notamment
par les citoyens de l’Arménie. Mais pour cela, il faudrait renoncer Ã
la citoyenneté arménienne et passer à celle de la Russie.

D’ores et déjÃ, selon le chef du Service des migrations de l’Arménie
Gagik Yeganyan, 10 pour cent des citoyens arméniens ont des passeports
russes. Ce sont surtout des migrants qui ont la double nationalité.
Toutefois, si la Russie propose une procédure simplifiée à la
condition de répudiation de la citoyenneté arménienne, de nombreux
migrants sont susceptibles de répondre à cet appel.

L’émigration est un problème majeur en Arménie où la taille de la
population est en baisse constante. Ã l’heure actuelle la population
de l’Arménie fluctue d’environ 3 millions de personnes, mais la
migration de main-d’Å`uvre, la politique russe de stimuler la
relocalisation des citoyens arméniens en Russie, ainsi que le soutien
dans cette affaire de la direction arménienne pourrait sérieusement
affecter la démographie de l’Arménie.

Les autorités arméniennes n’ont jamais appelé les travailleurs
migrants de l’Arménie à rentrer chez eux et n’ont pas créé les
conditions pour cela. En outre, le volume des envois de fonds cblés Ã
la maison par les Arméniens travaillant à l’étranger est comparable au
budget de l’Etat du pays et pour le gouvernement c’est de l’argent
facile. Peut-être le nouveau gouvernement, qui doit être formé
prochainement, aura un regard différent sur la question de
l’émigration. Bien que, la sécurisation des privilèges en Russie pour
les migrants arméniens peut être la preuve que les dirigeants
arméniens entendent poursuivre la politique de promotion de
l’émigration, permettant ainsi la poursuite de la raréfaction de la
population du pays.

Par Naira Hayrumyan

ArmeniaNow

vendredi 2 mai 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

ARMENIA SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS WILL BECOME INSARAG MEMBERS – EMERGENCY MINISTRY

April 29, 2014 | 12:54

YEREVAN. – Major earthquakes have taken place and will take place in
Armenia, and therefore the country’s population should be prepared,
and we need to collaborate with international organizations.

Armen Yeritsyan, Minister of Emergency Situations of Armenia, stated
the above-said at a press conference on Tuesday.

In his words, following the devastating earthquake that hit Armenia in
1988, the international organizations decided to set up special units
to carry out rescue work. As a result, the INSARAG (International
Search and Rescue Advisory Group) was formed, whose members are
specially trained teams primarily from Europe.

“In 2012, we submitted an application so that our three groups
likewise become members in this organization. I believe our three
groups already will become members by 2015.

“We also have applied to the ambassador of Great Britain and our
British colleagues, with a request to organize an English-language
teaching course,” Yeritsyan stressed.

Accordingly, an English-language teaching course for the Armenian
Ministry of Emergency Situations International Search and Rescue
Squad members will kick off in May and continue for six months.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

GEOPROMINING’S INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA TOTAL $400 MILLION – KHUDOLIY

YEREVAN, April 29. /ARKA/. Total investments by GeoProMining (GPM)
group of companies in Armenia amounted to about 400 million dollars,
GPM president Roman Khuloy told reporters.

Direct investments in technology and production alone totaled about 200
million dollars, he said at the commissioning of ‘Albion” technology
at Ararat Gold Recovery Factory.

The president said investments in modernization of the factory totalled
35 million dollars and the new line based on ‘Albion’ technology cost
140 million dollars.

The commissioning ceremony held on April 28 was attended by Armenia’s
president Serzh Sargsyan. The Albion technology, developed by
Australian Xstrata Technology and Core Process Engineering companies
will significantly increase extraction of metal from refractory
sulfide ores in Sotk gold field.

GPM has enterprises in Russia and Armenia. GeoProMining owns two
assets in Armenia – the Agarak Copper and Molybdenum Combine and GPM
Gold. The latter is developing the Sotk gold mine and runs the Ararat
Gold Recovery Factory. -0-

– See more at:

FIDE RANKING: ARONIAN COMES 2ND AFTER MAGNUS CARLSEN

14:24 â~@¢ 01.05.14

Armenian chess grandmaster Levon Aronian ranks as the second world
player on FIDE’s latest list.

The Armenian chess star is behind only Norway’s Magnus Carlsen who
keeps remaining the planet’s sole champion.

The top 100 list also includes also Gabriel Sargsyan (2684), Sergey
Movsesyan (2672) and Vlardimir Hakobyan (2667).

Elina Danielyan and Lilit Lazarian rank as the 33rd and 38th,
respectively on the world’s top 100 female chess-players’ list.

The young players’ list includes three Armenians, Karen Grigoryan
(2577), Hovhannes Gabuzyan (2537) and Robert Aghasaryan (2502).

The ranking for young female players includes one Armenian
representative, Maria Gevorgyan (2181).

On the team ranking, Armenia is the sixth.

Armenian News – Tert.am

U.S. AMBASSADOR: RELATIONS BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND UNITED STATES ARE NOT SO ROSY

15:25 01/05/2014 ” IN THE WORLD

Relations between Azerbaijan and the United States are very important
and powerful, but not everything is rosy, stated the U.S.

Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar, as reports the
Azerbaijani news agency “Turan”, speaking in Washington on the eve
of the conference entitled “Azerbaijan: Looking into the Future.”

According to him, the situation in Ukraine, proves the importance of
resolving the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, which creates instability
in the region.

“Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan need to undertake concrete
steps to resolve the conflict. This would be impossible without the
full co-operation with Russia. We also support efforts directed to
strengthening confidence-building measures and dialogue between the
peoples of Azerbaijan and Armenia, which may help to prepare the two
nations to reach peace,” said Richard Morningstar.

The Ambassador also expressed concern about the arrest of the famous
Azerbaijani journalist Rauf Mirkadirov and about the investigation
started against the human rights activist Leyla Yunus and her husband
Arif Yunusov.

“All of them have been active participants in the process of promoting
dialogue and confidence-building measures. The activities of the
Azerbaijani authorities have chilling effect on any contacts that
appear between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. We believe this is wrong,”
he said.

At the briefing held on April 29
() Jen Psaki the
spokesperson of the State of department called on the Azerbaijani
authorities to respect the free and pluralistic media. Touching upon
the case of Avaz Zeynalli, the editor of the Azerbaijani independent
paper Khural Psaki noted that Zeynalli’s reporting exposed corruption
within the government and human rights and media freedom. She called
on the authorities to release the journalist. Committee to Protect
Journalists spoke in defense of the journalist too.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE-RELATED DEMANDS FOR JUSTICE DO NOT EXPIRE AFTER 100 YEARS

BY STAFF
– POSTED ON APRIL 30, 2014

By APPO JABARIAN
Executive Publisher / Managing Editor USA Armenian Life Magazine
(English-language edition) Hye Kiank Armenian Weekly (Armenian-language
edition)

Several years ago, very few friends and acquaintances used to ask me
whether it was true that the Armenian Genocide-related demands for
justice will lose validity after the lapse of 100 years. I answered
that, “according to my awareness of the legal community’s position,
there was no such statute of limitations on any crime against
humanity.”

And now, as we get closer to the 100th year anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, it seems additional individuals have fallen victim
to such misconceptions, and similar questions have resurfaced with
more frequency.

Very recently a friend wrote on her social media page: “May we get
justice for all our families before the 100th genocide anniversary
I just hope the truth is known.”

Another friend wrote: “I would love to see justice also. Sadly,
I don’t believe it will happen.”

Based on what I had learned from legal experts, I answered: “Contrary
to what Turkey is trying to achieve by misguiding Armenians into
thinking that the Armenian Cause will expire at the end of 100 years
— there is no expiration date for Justice regarding crimes against
humanity.”

In order to shed renewed light on this most important issue,
I contacted Frank V. Zerunyan, J.D., Professor of the Practice of
Governance, Director of Executive Education, USC Sol Price School of
Public Policy saying “There is a number of Armenians who have asked me,
‘Is it true that the Armenian Genocide-related demands for justice
will expire at the end of 100th year?’ I keep on telling them, ‘To
my knowledge, there is no such thing. It can very well be Turkish
government propaganda. Any crime against humanity does not have
statute of limitations and therefore there are no expiration dates
as long as they are not settled through justice.'”

Professor Zerunyan responded: “You are generally correct. I am not
an expert on this but a student. However, what I know is that on
an international level there are General Assembly resolutions and
treaties within the UN and the Council of Europe that clearly exclude
the crime of genocide from any statutes of limitation. A number of
countries including France for example in the Barbie case accepted
this as part of their customary law. There is no doubt in my legal
judgment that this should be the case otherwise perpetrators of the
crime current and future will simply wait the time to escape justice.

That cannot be a policy response for a crime of human proportions.

This is not a simple murder or robbery case. I think most legal
scholars will agree with this.”

He continued: “The problem on this issue is the question of
ratification of these treaties. One of the problems that Turkey still
has in attempting to join the EU is precisely the impediment with the
Council of Europe treaty on this issue. So my guess is that Turkey
would argue that it never ratified these treaties therefore this
commonly accepted exclusion of the statute of limitation does not
apply to it. I believe this is the misconception about the statute
of limitation. In other words not that there is one but that there is
none in generally accepted international law which Turkey presumably
rejects.”

Turkey has not been and shall not be given preferential treatment on
this most crucial. Turkey shouldn’t be allowed to escape justice. If
anything, time is running against Turkey as a growing number of Turkish
new generation members recognize Turkey’s guilt in the century-old
massive crime against humanity.

Through vigilance and activism Armenians must keep the pressure on
for as long as it is necessary and keep educating others in order to
achieve justice through restitution by Turkey by way of

1) Returning the forcibly occupied ancestral lands in Western Armenia
and Cilicia to their rightful owners, the Armenians;

2) Compensating the Armenians for massive illegal confiscation
of their parents’, grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ real and
personal properties;

3) Compensating the Armenians for the blood money for the one and
one half million victims of the Armenian Genocide;

4) Compensating the Armenians for the massive dispossessions and
forced deportations illegally inflicted upon the victims and the
survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

Hardly a day goes by without witnessing the emergence of young members
of the millennial Armenian generation as newly mobilized activists.

One such new activist is a reader of USA Armenian Life Magazine in New
York metro area. She wrote a few days ago: “An event was held at Times
Square this afternoon regarding the victims, the remembrance day of
the Armenian Genocide. I was so touched. So many people were there;
so many non-Armenians, tourists; and Congressmen that had excellent
messages. … I had made 6 different posters which were given to
people that were there.”

I wrote back: “Because of the fact that you’re so driven and determined
in pursuit of your people’s aspirations for Justice like a growing
number of members of today’s generation, our people’s Cause will
remain alive until the day when we will all achieve Justice. I am
a firm believer- it’s not a matter of ‘if;’ it’s a matter of ‘when’
it’ll be realized.”

Another member of the millennial Armenian generation who has recently
emerged as a newly mobilized activist is a close French-born very
young relative studying in a city in southern France several miles
away from Marseilles, home to a sizable Armenian community.

On April 24th, taking time out from his busy schedule as a university
student, he rode the bus all the way to Marseilles to participate
in the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. On the 27th he sent
me several photos depicting the ceremony and the protest march from
the church grounds to the Armenian Genocide memorial monument in
Marseilles. He noted how spiritually renewed he felt as a result of
his active participation.

I wrote to him saying, “Great mission! May you and your family,
(future) children, (future) grandchildren and (future) great
grandchildren receive the blessings of our one and one half million
Martyrs!”

No matter how many years or even centuries go by, succeeding Armenian
generations will achieve justice as long as they keep their faith
intact; remain vigilant and steadfast in their pursuit of their
people’s Just Cause.

Like the saying goes, “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I
have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.”

I remember vividly my New Yorker friend’s statement as she wrote:
“I’ll pray for that sunny day when all the miles will be achieved!”

ZARDUSHT ALIZADEH TO ATTEND TWO EVENTS ALONG WITH ARMENIANS

APA, Azerbaijan
April 30 2014

[ 30 April 2014 13:27 ]

“We are not the carriers of state secrets and trust in our minds only”

Baku. Ramiz Mikayiloglu – APA. Politician Zardusht Alizadeh will
participate in an event to take place in Istanbul within the
framework of “Impact of the three states on the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict” project implemented by Chairman of the
Analytical Centre of Globalization and Regional Cooperation of Armenia,
political scientist Stepan Grigorian with the support of Friedrich
Ebert Foundation.

Alizadeh told APA that he also takes an active part in the “Takali
process” carried out with the support of chairman of the Caucasus
Center of Peace-Making Initiatives, Georgi Vanyan. Member of Divan
of Musavat Party professor Niyazi Mehdi, writer Seymur Bayjan,
representative of Azerbaijan National Committee of Helsinki Citizen’s
Assembly in Gazakh region Khamis Mammadov, Leader of the Greens Party
Mayis Gulaliyev are also involved in this process. The “Takali process”
aims at creating a peace market with the participation of Azerbaijanis,
Georgians and Armenians.

Zardusht Alizadeh said the Constitution of Azerbaijan or any other laws
do not forbid “public diplomacy”. He also noted that he had played an
active role in public diplomacy since 1989, when Karabakh War began,
and that he had regularly been attending events in Russia, Georgia,
and Armenia.

He named a number of the meetings he attended and added that his
articles had been published by Georgi Vanyan’s newspaper, and on
reqnum.ru which is known to serve Armenian interests. The politician
said they are not the carriers of the state secrets and trust in their
minds only. He then stressed that the main purpose is to persuade
the Karabakh Armenians to live in Azerbaijan and reach a peaceful
resolution of the conflict.

THE INTERNATIONAL POLITICS OF ARMENIAN HISTORY

Daily Sabah, Turkey
April 30 2014

For the genocide industry, the labeling of the Armenian tragedy as
genocide is a matter of life and death: If the Armenians did not
suffer a genocide, then many genocide scholars would be unemployed

by Tal Buenos

Published : 29.04.2014 20:37:37

In addition to asking how one feels about what happened to many
innocent Armenians in Anatolia during World War I, one might find it
an interesting and cerebral exercise to ask: Why is the history of
these events immersed in political controversy to this day, especially
on April 24?

Edward A. Freeman, who was appointed at the recommendation of Prime
Minister Gladstone to chair the University of Oxford’s prestigious
Regius Professorship of Modern History in the late 19th century,
famously announced it as true “that history is past politics and
that politics are but present history.”He embodied both history
and politics. While Freeman failed in his three political bids for
parliament, as a historian he was the progenitor for a long line of
Turcophobic historians and politicians in Britain, including James
Bryce and Arnold J. Toynbee, authors of the wartime propaganda that
serves as the basis for the Armenian narrative today.

Freeman taught that “the Turk and the Jew are leagued against the
Christian,” and that Europe is “the common possession of Aryan blood
and speech.” He tirelessly incited all Ottoman Christians to rebel
against the Turks whom he considered to be strangers in Europe and
unfit to rule, and proclaimed that “every nation has a right to get
rid of strangers who prove a nuisance, whether they are Chinese in
America, or Jews in Russia, Serbia, Hungary, and Romania.” Freeman
also held the conviction that America would be a better place “if
every Irishman should kill a negro and be hanged for it.”This is the
man who intensified the calls for “the Turkish horde” to be “driven
back to its native deserts, or else die out” in the 1860s, before
inspiring Gladstone’s Bulgarian Agitation and, yes, before tutoring
Bryce into first problematizing the Ottoman Armenian condition in 1876.

To a great extent, Freeman, whose influence is vastly understudied,
is responsible for the fact that the Armenian issue, as a subplot of
Britain’s Eastern Question, was fated to be a case of politicized
history.However, when considering the current map of international
politics, why is the history of the Armenian tragedy still politicized
rather than remembered?

For Britain, the unraveling of the Armenian narrative would mean
an embarrassing review of a British historiography that is based on
interpersonal ties to Liberal leaders, unchecked prejudice, and the
pretense of “moral” imperialism. A long list of revered politicians,
scientists and historians in the late Victorian era would have to be
viewed in a different light in order to fully contextualize the spirit
of anti-Semitism and Turcophobia among the Liberal opposition during
Benjamin Disraeli’s premiership from 1874 to 1880. Understanding
why certain Armenian representatives in Europe were empowered to
perpetuate conflict with the Ottoman state and jeopardize the lives of
many Armenian communities in Anatolia would necessarily cast a dark
shadow on the memory of Gladstone, who was elected to lead Britain’s
government more times than any other in the kingdom’s history.

Moreover, an examination of the Armenian narrative would not only
call into question the accuracy of Britain’s wartime reports but
reveal a clear British motivation to organize Armenian rebellion in
World War I for the very purpose of having it result in bloodshed
and effective propaganda.

For France, the position on the Armenian narrative is mainly dictated
by the political commitment to please an Armenian population
that is largely concentrated in certain electoral districts, and
this has led to a draconian bill that was designed to force the
public into accepting a biased narration of history.For instance,
it is no coincidence that the main supporters of the notorious
genocide bill represent Armenian constituents, be it Valerie Boyer of
Bouches-du-Rhône in the National Assembly (2011) or Herve Marseille of
Hauts-de-Seine in the Senate (2012). Passing such a bill is tantamount
to robbing Turks of the freedom to speak about their own history,
all because of French domestic politics.

For the EU, the demand that Turkey should recognize the Armenian
tragedy as genocide is one of several political options through which
Brussels may deny Turkish membership and still make it seem as if it
is Turkey’s own doing. Thus, Turkey will be made to appear as stubborn
and non-cooperative while certain European governments will continue
to harbor their Islamophobic denial of Turkish progress.

In truth, had there not been an Armenian issue, there likely would
have been another European pretext to block Turkey out of Europe.

For Russia, the politicization of the Armenian narrative is an
indirect manner of dancing around the next round of cold-warring with
the West. As evidenced by Russia, Today, a TV news network owned by
Russia, and The Independent, a London newspaper owned by a Russian,
the Armenian issue seems to resurface every time there is need to
harass Turkey in hope of disrupting its NATO alliance with the West
and tilting the balance of power in the Middle East.

For the U.S., when considering Turkey’s pivotal role in several
regions, the Armenian issue is a leverage better kept than discarded.

In this fashion, the U.S. is balancing a convenient push and
pull:Turkey’s compliance with American interests is procured by
both incentives and pressures. While there are plenty of carrots in
U.S.-Turkey relations, the Armenian issue is one clear stick that
the U.S. is waving at Turkey. This is achieved by the constant threat
of officially labeling the Armenian tragedy as genocide in Congress
or the U.N. It should seem odd that in the U.S. more scholars and
politicians talk about genocide in the Armenian context than in
the context of both slavery and America’s indigenous population;
it would only be odd if politics were not involved. Throughout this
practice, Turkey is made to appear as if it was “saved” by the White
House from the ramifications of international condemnation that a
genocide label entails. Along these lines, it is made to appear as if
the Turks are taking advantage of American pragmatic considerations
of foreign policy, and as if the reason to support genocide labeling
is a moral one.

For the genocide industry, the labeling of the Armenian tragedy as
genocide is a matter of life and death: If the Armenians did not suffer
a genocide, then many genocide scholars would be unemployed.These
centers and organizations, which are dedicated to “genociding” most
cases of mass deaths from famine to tsunami, may have the appearance
of nonstate actors but are closely aligned with the interests of
state institutions. They are programed to deny the uniqueness of the
Holocaust in order to weaken Turkey’s position in the international
political system.For Armenia, the genocide narrative is the foundation
of its obsession with playing the role of victim.Since the 1990s,
the constant networking to associate Armenians with suffering has
had the deliberate effect of diminishing the level of international
criticism on Armenia’s vicious annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the
displacement of nearly one million Azeris. In other words, for Armenia
to successfully cover up its offenses against Azerbaijan it has been
enough to keep parading the genocide claims as a symbol of Armenian
victimhood without even having to prove that what happened in World War
I corresponds with the U.N. definition of genocide.Sadly, as in the
days of Armenian rebellion against the Ottoman state, decisions that
affect the common Armenian in the Caucasus are made by the diasporic
Armenians of power and wealth. For the Armenian Americans, the genocide
extravaganza is not only a source of identity, but the source of
their political participation and relevance in Washington, D.C.

And for Turkey? Why are there calls for genocide recognition in
Turkey? Many Turkish scholars and journalists, who continuously search
for opportunities to showcase their Euro-lust, hear the persisting
calls against their Ottoman predecessors and jump on the genocide
bandwagon. Their wish to be accepted by Western intellectuals, in
keeping with their imagined society, has led them to choose the cheap
semblance of liberalism over the study of facts and the demonstration
of loyalty to their own people’s history. Should the quest for European
acceptance mean that Turkey has to accept lies and derision?

Truly progressive intellectuality would have the Turk debate other
Europeans, equal among equals, historiography to historiography,
rather than yield to political dictations of history.

* PhD candidate, University of Utah

TURKEY EXPECTS US TO EXTRADITE FETHULLAH GULEN

Turkish Press
April 30 2014

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Turkey’s PM Erdogan says Gulen threatened Turkey’s national security,
had attempted a civil coup against the Turkish gov’t

ANKARA – Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday
that he expected the U.S., as Turkey’s strategic partner, to extradite
U.S.-based scholar Fethullah Gulen because Gulen threatened Turkey’s
national security.

Erdogan, speaking with PBS’s Charlie Rose, said that bureaucrats and
officials linked to Gulen had tapped the phones of top officials of
the government, including prime minister and government ministers,
in an attempt to make a civil coup against the elected government.

Erdogan claimed that Gulen-linked elements had seized power through
Turkey’s security forces and judiciary. “We were aware of their
efforts, but we were blindfolded and did not expect any bad faith,”
Erdogan said.

Erdogan said that his Justice and Development (AK) Party and the
Gulen movement had good relations leading up to the 2010 referendum
to amend the Turkish constitution.

Erdogan added that the first step that the Gulen movement took against
the government was the release of records of an Oslo meeting between
agents of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and
Kurdish separatists, working towards the resolution process.

“The Oslo talks were steps in good faith, and the intelligence agency
of any country can be expected to take such steps if they lead to
peace,” Erdogan said.

In response to a question about his condolences to Armenians for
the events of 1915, Erdogan said that the relocation of Armenian
communities by officials in the late Ottoman Empire cannot be defined
as “genocide,” as there are still Armenians living in Turkey, either
as Turkish citizens or refugees fleeing the Armenian state.

When asked about the normalization of Turkish-Israeli relations,
Erdogan thanked U.S. President Barack Obama for arbitrating between
the two states and urged Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to apologize
to Turkey for the attack by Israeli forces on the Mavi Marmara
humanitarian aid ship, which killed eight Turkish citizens and a U.S.

citizen of Turkish origin.

“There remain two conditions for normalization, compensations for
the Mavi Marmara attack and for Israel to allow humanitarian aid to
be delivered to Palestinians from Turkey or through Turkey,” Erdogan
told Rose.

Erdogan added that the first step for normalization would be the
appointment of ambassadors.

Responding to allegation of authoritarianism in Turkey, Erdogan asked
how he could be considered a dictator given that he received 45.5
percent of the votes in the municipal elections, while opposition
parties received only 27 percent or 15 percent.

Erdogan said that in a dictatorship, no-one can insult the dictator,
while in Turkey opposition party leaders, journalists and social
media users regularly insult the prime minister, whom they describe
as a dictator.

Concerning the ban on Twitter, Erdogan said that since Twitter did
not have an office in Turkey and does not pay taxes in Turkey, and
hadn’t obeyed Turkish court decisions, the state had to take actions
against it.

“Just as the Twitter pays taxes within the U.S. or other countries,
and obey the laws of other countries, it has to obey those of Turkey
as well,” said Erdogan.

Stating that the Turkish constitutional court had broken the law by
choosing to lift the Twitter ban, Erdogan said that the court had
ruled before the other judicial options were exhausted.

“We obeyed the decision, but we criticized as well. The decision was
not in accord with the law but was political,” added Erdogan.

Referring to the speech last week by constitutional court president
Hasim Kilic, criticizing the government, Erdogan said that Kilic had
tried to lecture the president, prime minister, parliament speaker
and other cabinet members, and was clearly out of his depth.

Asked about the 2013 Gezi Park protests, Erdogan said that protests
and demonstrations are common around the world including in the U.S.,
England, Germany, Ukraine and Spain, but resorting to violence with
the provocation of some illegal groups is problematic.

Stating that most of the people who died during the protests in Turkey
were not killed by guns, Erdogan said that the government would not
accept violence, vandalism and terrorism, even if they disguised
themselves with the mask of peaceful demonstrations.

Stating that external forces were involved in last years’ protests
in Turkey, and also in Ukraine and Egypt, Erdogan said that some
elements in the U.S. may have been involved in these events, but he
would never accuse the U.S. government for instigations in Turkey.

Concerning Turkey’s campaign for full membership of the EU, Erdogan
said that Turkey could be a bridge between Europe and Islamic world
and added that despite accepting this, the EU has not acted sincerely
towards Turkey.

Stating that global developments were pushing Turkey to turn away
from the EU, Erdogan said that there are other organizations in the
world with which Turkey may consider membership.

Addressing the Syrian civil war and saying that Turkey has hosted
more than 700 thousand refugees, Erdogan said that Turkey has spent
about $3.5 billion on housing refugees.

“Around three million people are displaced and 200 thousand people
have been killed, but we haven’t seen any concrete step by the UN
Security Council. Geneva talks have also failed,” Erdogan complained.

When asked what Erdogan sees as a solution to the crisis, he pointed
to Libya and argued that Syria also needs international intervention
to end the bloodshed.

Erdogan said that the world opposes the use of chemical weapons while
they remain silent about the use of conventional weapons, adding,
“While 2,000 people were killed by chemical weapons, 200 thousand
people have been killed by conventional weapons.”