Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ERDOGAN SPEAKS AGAINST RACISM, XENOPHOBIA AND ISLAMOPHOBIA IN EUROPE

Anadolu Agency
Feb 1 2012
Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkey
would not remain silent towards racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia
which was insidiously escalating in Europe.

The current scene in France is the manifestation of this stealthy
danger in Europe, added Erdogan who spoke at his Justice & Development
(AK) Party meeting in Ankara on Wednesday.

Recently, French Senate adopted a law which penalizes the denial of
Armenian allegations regarding 1915 incidents during Ottoman Empire
period. Under the law, people, who deny the Armenian allegations,
are sentenced to one year in prison and 45,000 euro fine. On Tuesday,
77 senators and 65 parliamentarians in France applied to French
Constitutional Council for the annulment of the law. The Council will
announce its decision within a month.

Erdogan thanked those senators and parliamentarians, and said that
they launched an important initiative to prevent a historic mistake.

He noted that this racist and separatist law, which limited freedom
of thought and expression, would harm both Turkish-French relations
and France’s own values.

Erdogan expressed belief that the French Council would act with common
sense and make a decision which would not be against the values of
France and the European Union.

Everybody admitted that this initiative in France is not for clarifying
1915 incidents, said Erdogan, adding that French President Nicolas
Sarkozy was trying to gain advantage ahead of the upcoming elections
in his country.

There is a racist approach and mentality under this law, said Erdogan,
adding that Turkey would not remain silent towards the rising racism,
xenophobia and Islamophobia in Europe.

Erdogan said that seeing this danger and taking measures against it
should be on the top of the agenda of the European Union.

From: Baghdasarian

LE TABOU SUR LA QUESTION ARMENIENNE SE CRAQUELLE EN TURQUIE

par Delphine Nerbollier

La Croix
Mardi 24 Janvier 2012
France

À l’egard du massacre des Armeniens en 1915, le mot meme de ” genocide
” reste tabou en Turquie. Mais une multitude d’initiatives font
progresser la prise de conscience.

ISTANBUL – Près d’un siècle après les massacres commis contre les
Armeniens, la Turquie oscille entre la poursuite d’une politique
officielle de negation du genocide et une multitude d’initiatives qui
ont reussi a faire eclater le tabou. Officiellement, comme l’ont
rappele les responsables turcs ces dernières semaines, la position
etatique reste inchangee : la Turquie n’a commis aucun genocide. Ces
allegations sont meme qualifiees de ” mensonges ” emis par la diaspora
armenienne.

Quant aux manuels scolaires, ils evoquent les faits par le seul biais
de la ” sedition ” et de la ” trahison ” des Armeniens qui, en pleine
Première Guerre mondiale, apportèrent leur soutien a l’armee russe.

Les ecoliers turcs apprennent donc que le gouvernement Jeune Turc de
l’epoque fit deplacer la population armenienne de l’est de l’Anatolie
pour des ” raisons de securite militaire “.

Cet exode vers la Syrie engendra des morts (Ankara rejette le bilan de
1,5 million de victimes avance par les Armeniens), mais il n’est pas
question de reconnaître une quelconque volonte politique d’exterminer
ce groupe ethnique. En revanche, la rhetorique officielle fait la part
belle aux ” martyrs ” turcs tues par des Armeniens (notamment par la
legion armenienne de l’armee francaise) a partir de 1916.

Ce discours officiel, toujours d’actualite et virulent en cette
periode de tension avec la France, tend toutefois a se craqueler.

Tournant majeur, l’assassinat en 2007 du journaliste armenien Hrant
Dink a jete dans les rues des centaines de milliers de manifestants
qui ont scande ce slogan longtemps improbable : ” Nous sommes tous
armeniens ! ” Deux ans auparavant, une conference avait reuni a
Istanbul universitaires et intellectuels turcs autour de cette
question. En 2006, 300 personnalites ont adresse une lettre d’excuses
a leurs ” frères et soeurs armeniens ” et employe le terme de ” grande
catastrophe “, moins polemique que celui de genocide.

” Ce mot, je l’ai utilise dans les annees 1970, mais je ne l’utilise
plus car il est devenu un terme de jargon legal, une balle de tennis
entre des raquettes qui ont des programmes politiques et ideologiques.

Cela gène l’universitaire que je suis “, explique l’historien Ahmet
Kuyas, de l’universite Galatasaray. Rejete en Turquie pour plusieurs
raisons, le mot ” genocide ” est percu par de nombreux intellectuels
turcs comme un frein au timide debat qui a eclos dans le pays. Le defi
est donc de mener ce travail de memoire sans employer ce mot tabou via
des expositions, des debats et des livres. Plusieurs associations
soutiennent certains citoyens convertis ou assimiles a reaffirmer leur
identite.

” La societe civile turque fait son travail de memoire, estime le
journaliste Aris Nalci. D’ici a 2015, centenaire du genocide, on peut
envisager que les dirigeants presentent des excuses “. Quant a Ahmet
Kuyas, il se dit optimiste lorsqu’il observe les evolutions de la
Societe d’histoire turque, fer de lance de la propagande
anti-armenienne. ” Elle est aujourd’hui en avance par rapport a
l’opinion publique et reconnaît la mort de centaines de milliers
d’Armeniens. Cette version va se frayer un chemin dans les manuels
scolaires. On ne parlera pas de genocide mais la responsabilite de
certains dirigeants ottomans sera ecrite noir sur blanc “.

From: Baghdasarian

L’ARMENIE JOUE LA CARTE IRANIENNE

Slate.fr

27 janvier 2012
France

Ingrate, l’Armenie? Alors qu’elle recoit “chaque annee des dizaines
de millions de dollars d’aide americaine”, l’Armenie ne s’aligne
pourtant pas sur la politique de sanctions americaines et europeennes
a l’egard de l’Iran. C’est meme tout le contraire qui se passe:
Erevan se rapproche actuellement de Teheran. L’Iran constitue une
“bouee de sauvetage” pour ce petit pays auquel “deux de ses quatre
voisins, la Turquie et l’Azerbaïdjan” ont impose un blocus “depuis
le debut des annees 1990”, explique Eurasianet.

La très officielle agence de presse de la Republique islamique d’Iran
rendant compte de la visite le 23 decembre 2011 du president Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad au president armenien Serge Sarkissian, evoquait d’ailleurs
la declaration conjointe dans laquelle l’Armenie et l’Iran s’etaient
prononce ensemble sur “le droit de toutes les nations a l’utilisation
pacifique de l’energie nucleaire”.

Les responsables armeniens ont explique, ecrit toujours Eurasianet,
que l’embargo international contre l’Iran n’empecherait pas Erevan de
poursuivre les projets communs avec Teheran. Et plus particulièrement
la construction, censee debuter en 2012, d’un oleoduc long de 365
kilomètres, de Tabriz (Iran) a Yeraskh (Armenie). En acheminant “1,5
million de litres de gaz et de diesel”, cet oleoduc devrait permettre
a l’Armenie d’economiser 30% de ses depenses d’energie, chaque annee.

L’Armenie est deja en partie approvisionnee par “un gazoduc de 140
kilomètres en provenance” d’Iran. “Deux projets, l’un hydroelectrique,
l’autre de chemin de fer, dependant tous deux d’un financement iranien,
sont aussi a l’etude”.

Selon le Service statistique national armenien, cite par Armenews,
“l’Iran ne representait que 6,1% du commerce exterieur de l’Armenie
en 2011. L’Union europeenne represente en comparaison 33,6% et
les actions russes 20% au total. Pourtant, la moyenne des echanges
commerciaux avec la Republique islamique a augmente de plus de 21%
pour atteindre 241,7 millions de dollars cette annee”.

Certains observateurs armeniens pensent que “Washington fermera les
yeux sur la possible construction de cet oleoduc entre Tabriz et
Yerakh”. D’ailleurs un telegramme diplomatique revele par Wikileaks
avait, dès 2006, indique qu’il serait “”extremement difficile”
pour l’Armenie d’accepter des sanctions americaines contre l’Iran,
“etant donne les liens energetiques cruciaux entre les deux pays et
la situation geopolitique de l’Armenie””.

Et puis, l’Armenie se tourne vers l’Iran pour prendre ses distances
avec la Russie, ce qui en revanche convient plutôt bien aux Etats-Unis.

Reste que la decision europeenne, le 23 janvier, d’imposer de nouvelles
sanctions a l’Iran a partir de juillet 2012 pourrait empecher Teheran
de financer ses projets communs avec l’Armenie.

Il n’est alors pas exclu que les responsables iraniens demandent de
l’aide a la Chine et a l’Inde. Ces deux pays s’opposent aux sanctions
americaines contre l’Iran. Et leurs interets dans le Caucase du sud
vont “croissant”.

From: Baghdasarian

LA PREMIERE DAME DE TURQUIE BOUDE LA FRANCE

L’Orient-Le Jour

27 janvier 2012
Liban

La Première dame de Turquie, Hayrunnisa Gul, a refuse d’inviter
l’epouse de l’ambassadeur de France a une reception qu’elle organisait
hier, pour protester contre l’adoption en France de la loi penalisant
la negation du genocide armenien, a-t-on appris auprès de son
entourage. La presidence turque a intentionnellement omis Sabine Bili
de la liste des participantes a un dejeuner au palais presidentiel,
auquel ont ete conviees l’ensemble des ambassadrices en poste a Ankara
ainsi que les epouses des ambassadeurs. Laurent Bili, l’ambassadeur
de France, a confirme cette information mais a minimise l’incident
en affirmant, en turc : ” Oui, nous n’avons pas recu d’invitation,
mais ma femme ne vit pas en Turquie. ”

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LAW DELAYED IN FRANCE

About – News & Issues

Jan 31 2012

Much to the delight of Ankara, some French lawmakers have gathered
enough signatures to spark a constitutional court review of the law
passed last week by the French Senate that would make a crime denial
of the killing of some 1.5 million Armenians during World War I as
genocide. More:

The court is expected to make its decision within a month. If it
finds the law unconstitutional, the legislation will be rejected.

Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, welcomed the
development.

The bill, which the French Senate approved last week, makes it a
crime to deny that the mass killings of Armenians by Turks nearly
100 years ago were genocide.

Under the bill, anyone who says the killings of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks is not genocide faces a $60,000 fine and up to one year in jail.

France has already recognized the events as genocide, but this adds
criminal penalties to denial. The United States is among the countries
where genocide recognition has not passed its Congress.

From: Baghdasarian

ERDOGAN WARNS FRANCE OVER REWRITING HISTORY

Kuwait News Agency

Jan 31 2012

ISTANBUL, Jan 31 (KUNA) — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
made strong warning to France, stressing that Turkey would not accept
the practice of manipulative policy to gain votes in the upcoming
French elections.

In his monthly televised speech, Erdogan expressed exasperation
over French Senate’s adopting a bill that criminalizes the denial of
Armenian genocide of 1915 during Ottoman rule.

“France forgot the part it played in the 1915 incidents, where it
provided support to criminal groups back then,” Erdogan noted.

He urged for opening the archives in order to prevent any forging or
“rewriting” of history.

“We do not intend to cover up anything. And, we are not against
shedding light on historical facts. However, we are against rewriting
history,” the Turkish Prime Minister further voiced out.

In his speech, Erdogan also highlighted the situation in Syria by
saying that “Turkey’s stance to what is happening in Syria stems
from humanitarian solidarity,” adding that his government would keep
supporting the Syrian people until all injustices were resolved.

Finally, he drew attention to the gravity of sectarianism in Iraq
and that all sectors should practices some self-control to achieve a
sense of general stability in the country. (end) ta.nfm KUNA 311540
Jan 12NNNN

From: Baghdasarian

TURKEY WELCOMES FRENCH SENATORS’ MOVE TO BLOCK GENOCIDE BILL

Deutsche Welle
,,15705119,00.html
Jan 31 2012
Germany

A week after France passed a bill making it a crime to deny the
Armenian genocide of 1915, a group of French senators has taken the
law to the Constitutional Council. Turkey welcomed the senators’ move.

A group of French senators has appealed to France’s Constitutional
Council to block a law that would punish anyone who denied the massacre
of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1917 by Ottoman Turks.

France has considered the massacre as genocide for some time, but
last week, the French Senate angered Turkey when it passed a law
criminalizing denial of the Armenian genocide.

On Tuesday, however, a group of left-wing senators said they had
collected enough signatures to force the measure to undergo a review
of its constitutionality. Sixty signatures are needed to bring a
law before the Constitutional Council. The senators said they had
collected over 70.

Law could be rejected

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised the senators’ move.

“This move is in keeping with what we would expect from France. I
hope the Constitutional Council will do what is necessary,” Erdogan
was quoted as saying on the private NTV station.

When the law was passed on January 23, Erdogan called the measure
“discriminatory and racist.” Ankara cancelled all economic, political
and military meetings with Paris in response.

France’s Constitutional Council has up to a month to reach a decision
on the law’s constitutionality, which could result in a rejection of
the law.

As it currently stands, the law punishes deniers of the Armenian
genocide with up to a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros
($57,000).

Author: Matt Zuvela (AFP, Reuters) Editor: Gregg Benzow

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA BILL TO BE APPEALED TO FRENCH TOP COURT

Jan 31 2012
Turkey

Sufficient number of senators signed to carry an Armenian bill adopted
at the French Senate to the French constitutional court.

Sufficient number of senators signed to carry an Armenian bill adopted
at the French Senate to the French constitutional court.

Application will be made on Tuesday.

The council is now expected to examine whether the law, passed in
both houses of the French parliament, violates the French constitution
and its founding base of freedom of expression.

The law needs to be approved by French President Nicolas Sarkozy,
who backs it, but the constitutional council may now annul it before
it goes to Sarkozy.

From: Baghdasarian

ASCH SEMINAR: NARRATIVE AND RECONCILIATION IN THE KARABAKH CONFLICT EVENT TYPE: LECTURE

Bryn Mawr Now

Pennsylvania

Location: Carpenter Library Room B21
Time: Monday, January 30, 2012
4:15 PM – 6:00 PM
Calendars: Events,Featured Events
Contact: Ann Ogle
[email protected]
Department: Peace and Conflict Studies
The Solomon Asch Center for Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict presents

Narrative and Reconciliation in the Karabakh Conflict

Dr. Garagozov is Leading Research Fellow, Center for Strategic
Studies, Baku, Azerbaijan; 2001-2011 Head of Social Psychological
Studies Department, International Center for Social Research, Baku;
and 2011-2012 Fulbright Fellow, Washington University, St. Louis. His
presentation will discuss ways in which historical narratives and
especially textbooks promote the Armenian – Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagorno Karabakh.

Dr. Garagozov will also be available noon to 1:30 Tuesday, Jan. 31,
at the Haverford Dining Center (“Smith Room”) for conversation about
Stalin nostalgia and politics of the Caucasus.

Event Description:Asch Seminar featuring Rauf Garagozov

From: Baghdasarian

PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS HELP ARMENIAN WOMEN CREATE SMALL BUSINESS; SELL HANDMADE TOYS

States News Service
January 27, 2012 Friday

The following information was released by the Peace Corps:

Peace Corps volunteers John Hart of Fayetteville, Ark., and Caroline
Lucas of Cary, N.C., helped launch a women-owned small business in
Armenia selling and producing handmade stuffed bears. Since the Berd
Bear project started in March 2011, the women have sold 230 bears,
and generated thousands of dollars.

“Soon after conceiving the idea, we began producing handcrafted Berd
Bears non-stop, including personalized accessories and clothing,”
said Hart, a graduate of the University of Arkansas. “This project
has been so successful, and I directly attribute that success to the
dedication of the women.”

When Hart arrived in northeastern Armenia in 2010, he worked with his
new community to identify income-generating projects for local women.

Hart soon helped create the Berd Women’s Resource Center Foundation
(BWRCF) for women to knit stuffed bears and sell them regionally.

Each stuffed bear is handmade from start to finish by members of the
group. The bear’s head, body, legs and arms are created using Armenian
knitting techniques and assembled by a group of women who stuff and
sew it together. Button eyes, a nose, and a mouth are then added,
and the bear is dressed in either standard or traditional Armenian
clothing. Male bears wear knitted sweaters and hand-sewn slacks,
and females wear hand-sewn dresses. In total each Berd Bear requires
about 18 hours of labor.

“The women of Berd are incredibly talented and hardworking. They put a
lot of pride into their craft, which is evident in each carefully and
lovingly handmade bear,” said Lucas, a graduate of Chapman University.

“As sales of the Berd Bear increase, more local Armenian women are
able to work in full-time positions with the BWRCF.”

Additional income generated by sales of the Berd Bear is used to
provide members of the foundation with training classes in basic
computer skills, business development and other topics.

“Aside from the financial benefits generated by bear sales, the women
are also gaining business and leadership skills,” continued Lucas.

“Now, these women can help support their families.”

From: Baghdasarian