Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ARMENIANS REJOICE AFTER FRANCE PASSES GENOCIDE BILL

International Business Times

Jan 24 2012

France approved Monday a bill making it illegal to deny that the
mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago was
genocide, raising the prospect of a major diplomatic rift between
two NATO allies.

Armenians rallied near the French embassy to celebrate France’s
approval of the bill.

Senators in the upper house voted 127 to 86 in favor of the draft
law outlawing genocide denial after almost six hours of debate. The
lower house had backed it in December, prompting Ankara to cancel
all economic, political and military meetings with Paris and recall
its ambassador for consultations.

The bill had been made more general so that it outlawed the denial
of any genocide, partly in the hope of appeasing the Turks. It now
goes to President Nicolas Sarkozy to be signed.

Turkey’s ambassador to France Tahsin Burcuoglu told reporters he was
“saddened” by the vote and warned there would be permanent measures
taken against France.

Armenia, backed by many historians and parliaments, says about 1.5
million Christian Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey
during World War I in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the
Ottoman government.

The Ottoman Empire was dissolved after the end of the war, but
successive Turkish governments and the vast majority of Turks feel
the charge of genocide is a direct insult to their nation.

From: Baghdasarian

TURKEY ACCUSES FRANCE OF RACISM

New Europe

Jan 24 2012

On 23 January, the French Senate approved a law criminalising the
denial of genocide committed by Turkey over Armenians from 1915 to
1916, making it punishable by as much as a year’s imprisonment and a
~@45,000 fine. Turkey rejected it as politicisation of history and a
“racist” attack on freedom of speech.

The bill had already sparked discontent in Turkey when it was first
adopted by the lower house of the French parliament in December 2011.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu lobbied against the
legislation by summoning executives of Credit Agricole SA and Groupama
SA, but with no result.

Turkey threatened a new round of sanctions and a further deterioration
in relations. Davutoglu “strongly condemned this decision” in an
emailed statement and pledged to fight it on “every platform”. He
accused France of acting on a sensitive issue without comprehending
“the essence of the matter”, or understanding Turkey and the Turkish
people.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the parliament
on 24 January with constraint and patience. He announced that Turkey
would wait to see if the law is ratified by French President Nicolas
Sarkozy before taking further steps.

After the December vote, Turkey acted immediately and introduced
sanctions to France and started an aggressive (yet somewhat
counterproductive) campaign of accusations of various ‘genocides’
committed by French colonising forces, especially in Africa.

This moderated approach, combined with French Foreign Minister
Juppe’s statement that the vote was “inopportune” may signify there
are some indications that the bill might not be immediately ratified
by President Sarkozy, though he is expected to sign it into law by
the end of February.

Erdogan did accuse France of pursuing “a kind of racism” and called
the bill a discrimination, and attack on the freedom of expression.

Erdogan reiterated that history should not be decided upon by
politicians in parliaments and that the bill is contrary to European
and French values alike.

Turkey has already decided to freeze all political and military actions
with France and the prime minister accused the French President Nicolas
Sarkozy and his centre-right UMP party of using this issue to rally
public support before all-important presidential elections in May.

“It’s incomprehensible for Sarkozy to push a verdict on a matter
historians should decide upon, just for his own political purposes,”
Erdogan said on 23 January, just before the vote in the French Senate.

Sarkozy is well known for his lasting opposition to Turkey’s membership
in the EU. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe urged Turkey to remain
calm following the vote. “Turkey and France need each other to work
together on many issues,” he said.

Some 20 states including Greece, Canada and Russia recognise the
ethnic cleansing of Armenians as genocide. Armenians claim that 1.5
million ethnic Armenians were systemically killed in couple of years,
while Turkey, on its part maintains that it was an armed conflict
with Armenian groups which joined the invading Russian army.

From: Baghdasarian

FRENCH PARLIAMENT VOTES TO MAKE IT A CRIME TO DENY 1915 KILLINGS OF ARMENIANS WAS GENOCIDE

Washington Post

Jan 23 2012

By Associated Press, Published: January 23PARIS ~W French parliament
votes to make it a crime to deny 1915 killings of Armenians was
genocide.

From: Baghdasarian

TURKEY’S SHRINKING MEDIA FREEDOMS

Al Jazeera

Jan 23 2012
Qatar

With 100 journalists in prison, many feel the governing AK Party has
broken its promises to defend liberties.

Hrant Dink, a Turkish editor and journalist who campaigned for
many years for the Turkish government to recognise the genocide
of Armenians, was murdered in 2007 in what many believe was a
police-related incident.

His is just one case concerning press freedoms which have lead many
in the country to believe the ruling Justice and Development Party,
or AK Party, has broken its promises to protect liberties.

According to recent accounts, nearly 100 journalists in Turkey are
in prison while 1,000 of the country’s 16,000 cases pending at the
European Court of Human Rights are related to media freedom.

In the first of a three-part series on reforms within the country,
Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Istanbul, takes a closer
look at the state of press freedom.

From: Baghdasarian

FRENCH SENATE DEBATES ARMENIAN ‘GENOCIDE’ DENIAL BILL AS TURKEY WARNS OF REPRISALS

Washington Post
Jan 23 2012

By Associated Press, PARIS – Turkey threatened more sanctions for
France if the Senate in Paris votes later Monday to make it a crime to
deny the 20th-century killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks constitutes
a genocide.

France’s lower house voted to make such denials a crime last month,
prompting Turkey to suspended military, economic and political ties.

If the bill passes the Senate, it will be on a fast track to becoming
law. If it fails, the National Assembly, France’s lower house, could
take it up again, starting the process over.

As the debate before the vote got under way, rival demonstrations –
one pro-Turkish and one pro-Armenian, kept apart by a large police
presence – gathered outside the upper house of parliament, waving
flags and blowing whistles.

On Saturday, thousands of Turks from across Europe marched through
the French capital, accusing French President Nicolas Sarkozy of
acting in the hope of securing French Armenians’ votes in this year’s
presidential elections.

An estimated 500,000 Armenians live in France.

While most historians contend that the 1915 killings of 1.5 million
Armenians as the Ottoman Empire broke up was the 20th century’s first
genocide, Turkey has vigorously denied that. It says that there was
no systematic campaign to kill Armenians and that many Turks also
died during the chaotic disintegration of the empire.

On Monday, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc, speaking during
a visit to Strasbourg, France, said: “What would happen if a thousand,
ten thousand or a hundred thousand gathered around Eiffel and said
‘there is no genocide’? What would the French justice do? Would it
be able to convict ten thousand or a hundred thousand people? I don’t
think so.”

But the most significant protest came from Ankara, Turkey’s capital,
where the foreign minister warned that he was ready to take new
measures against France if the bill passed.

“Turkey will continue to implement sanctions as long as this bill
remains in motion,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told
reporters ahead of the debate. “We hope however, that this won’t be
necessary and that common sense will reign in the French Senate.”

He did not spell out the measures Turkey would take.

The bill sets a punishment of up to one year in prison and a fine
of ~@45,000 ($59,000) for those who deny or “outrageously minimize”
the killings – putting such action on par with denial of the Holocaust.

France formally recognized the 1915 killings as genocide in 2001,
but provided no penalty for anyone rejecting that.

The bill strikes at the heart of national honor in Turkey, which has
argued that the bill would compromise freedom of expression in France.

“European values are under threat,” Davutoglu said Monday. “If each
parliament takes decisions containing its own views of history and
implements them, a new era of Inquisition will be opened in Europe.”

“Those who voice views that exclude this view of history will be
jailed,” he said. “It would unfortunately, be a great shame for France
to revive this.”

From: Baghdasarian

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT DMITRY MEDVEDEV, AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV GO SKIING

Today’s THV

Jan 23 2012

SOCHI, Russia (CNN) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev went skiing on Monday after
discussions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement in Sochi.

The unresolved territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia
saw the countries clash in armed conflict, resulting in thousands
of deaths.

The leaders took to the slopes after their morning talks with the
president of Armenia.

From: Baghdasarian

TURKEY “PREPARING MEASURES” AGAINST FRANCE

B92

Jan 23 2012
Serbia

ANKARA — Turkey is “preparing measures against France” should
the French Senate adopt a law criminalizing denial of the genocide
perpetrated against Armenians.

“We have decided in advance on a series of new measures to implement
in case the draft is eventually adopted. No one should have any doubts
about that,” said Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Davutoglu previously announced his presence at today’s meeting of EU
foreign ministers, that is focusing on Iran, but instead “decided to
stay in Turky and monitor the voting in the French Senate”.

He also asserted that “today’s Turkey is no longer the Turkey of 2001”
– when the French parliament recognized that the crimes committed
against Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were genocide.

“If someone thinks Turkey will impose sanctions and then later water
them down, they don’t know Turkey,” continued Davutoglu.

When the French Senate in December voted in favor of a proposed draft,
Turkey announced it would freeze military and political cooperation
with that country.

From: Baghdasarian

TURQUIE – VERDICTS SCANDALEUX DANS LE PROCÈS DES ASSASSINS DE HRANT DINK : ” TOUT NE FAIT QUE COMMENCER ”
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 24 janvier 2012

Reporters sans frontières est abasourdie par les verdicts prononces le
17 janvier 2012, a l’issue de la 25e audience du procès des assassins
presumes du journaliste Hrant Dink. ” Prononcer un verdict a ce
stade de l’enquete etait deja inacceptable. Mais les decisions du
tribunal sont absolument scandaleuses, a declare l’organisation. En
reduisant cet assassinat a l’oeuvre d’un petit groupe fanatise,
la justice ne fait qu’obeir a un reflexe de protection de l’Etat,
dont la responsabilite a pourtant ete etablie (…)

Reporters sans frontières est abasourdie par les verdicts prononces le
17 janvier 2012, a l’issue de la 25e audience du procès des assassins
presumes du journaliste Hrant Dink.

” Prononcer un verdict a ce stade de l’enquete etait deja
inacceptable. Mais les decisions du tribunal sont absolument
scandaleuses, a declare l’organisation. En reduisant cet assassinat
a l’oeuvre d’un petit groupe fanatise, la justice ne fait qu’obeir a
un reflexe de protection de l’Etat, dont la responsabilite a pourtant
ete etablie par toutes les enquetes independantes. ”

” Les juges se trompent s’ils pensent pouvoir ainsi desamorcer la
charge politique de cette affaire et faire l’economie d’une mise en
cause de l’Etat profond. L’onde de choc produite par l’assassinat de
Hrant Dink dans la societe turque les poursuivra jusqu’a ce qu’ils
acceptent enfin de faire leur travail. ”

Selon la 14e chambre de la cour d’assises d’Istanbul, l’assassinat
du journaliste turc armenien n’est pas l’~uvre d’une organisation
terroriste et n’a aucun lien avec des elements de l’Etat. Le crime
aurait ete commandite par le seul Yasin Hayal, avant d’etre execute
par le jeune tireur Ogun Samast.

La decision du tribunal et son raisonnement juridique seront publies
dans un mois. Les avocats de la famille Dink et le procureur Hikmet
Usta ont d’ores et deja annonce leur intention de faire appel. La
cour de cassation devrait statuer dans un an.

Yasin Hayal paie pour tous mais pourrait etre remis en liberte
provisoire

Le commanditaire presume Yasin Hayal a ete condamne a la prison a vie,
peine a laquelle s’ajoutent une condamnation a 3 mois de prison pour
avoir menace le Prix Nobel Orhan Pamuk, et a un an de prison et 600
livres turques d’amende pour ” possession illegale d’arme a feu “.

En depit de ces condamnations, il pourrait etre remis en liberte
provisoire en attendant la confirmation de sa peine par la cour de
cassation. En effet, Yasin Hayal a ete incarcere le 24 janvier 2007,
et l’article 102 du code des procedures penales (CMK) stipule qu'” un
detenu de droit commun ne peut etre maintenu en detention preventive
plus de 5 ans “. Selon certains avocats, le tireur Ogun Samast,
condamne a 22 ans de prison dans un procès separe, pourrait aussi
en beneficier.

Le second commanditaire presume, Erhan Tuncel, a ete remis en liberte
dès cette nuit. Acquitte dans ce dossier, il est condamne a 10 ans et 6
mois de prison pour un attentat perpetre dans un restaurant MacDonalds
de Trabzon (Nord-Ouest), qui avait blesse six personnes en 2004. Mais
la cour a tenu compte des cinq ans qu’il vient de passer en detention
provisoire et ordonne sa liberation en attendant la confirmation du
verdict en appel.

” Il ne s’agit evidemment pas de contester la limitation legale de
la duree des detentions provisoires. Mais les innombrables obstacles
dresses par les forces de l’ordre dans le deroulement de cette enquete,
la lenteur exasperante de la justice, expliquent pour une grande part
le peu de resultats obtenus en cinq ans. D’autre part, force est de
constater l’inegalite de traitements entre les assassins presumes d’un
symbole de reconciliation nationale, et des journalistes croupissant
toujours en prison pour avoir couvert une manifestation ou critique
les autorites “, a poursuivi Reporters sans frontières.

Les charges d'” appartenance a une organisation terroriste ” ont ete
levees contre Yasin Hayal, Erhan Tuncel, Ersin Yolcu, Ahmet Iskender,
Zeynel Abidin Yavuz, Mustafa Ozturk et Tuncay Uzundal. Les trois
derniers ont ete blanchis de l’accusation de ” complicite d’homicide
premedite “. Les prevenus Alper Esirgemez, Irfan Ozkan, Osman Alpay,
Erbil Susaman, Numan Sisman, Senol Akduman, Veysel Toprak, Salih
Hacisalihoglu, Yasar Cihan et Halis Egemen ont ete acquittes des
charges de ” collaboration avec une organisation terroriste “.

Ersin Yolcu et Ahmet Iskender ont ete condamnes a 12 ans et 6 mois
de prison chacun pour avoir aide le tireur a realiser le crime. La
cour, qui s’etait d’abord prononcee pour la perpetuite, a ensuite
reduit leurs peines pour ” bon comportement “. Iskender, proprietaire
de la papèterie de Trabzon où etait cachee l’arme du crime, a en
outre ete condamne a un an et 500 livres turques d’amende pour ”
possession illegale d’arme a feu “. Salih Hacisalihoglu a quant a
lui ete condamne a 2 mois et 500 livres turques pour ” possession
illegale de projectiles d’arme a feu “.

L’avocat Ismail Cem Halavurt a souligne que les acquittements prononces
par la cour d’assises d’Istanbul augurent mal du procès auquel Ogun
Samast fait face actuellement pour ” appartenance a une organisation
terroriste “, dans la mesure où l’existence de cette dernière n’a
pas ete etablie.

Indignation massive

A l’annonce du verdict, la salle a empeche l’interpellation d’une
observatrice qui avait crie au juge Rustem Eryilmaz : ” Brûlez vos
robes ! Nous n’attendions de vous que la justice ! ”

Très bouleversee, l’avocate de la famille Dink, Fethiye Cetin,
a denonce une parodie de justice : ” Ce procès n’a pas encore pris fin.

Ce qui s’est termine, c’est une comedie. Pour les amis de Hrant,
le procès vient juste de commencer “.

A l’issue de l’audience, des centaines de personnes, journalistes et
defenseurs des droits de l’homme, ont marche du palais de justice de
Besiktas aux bureaux de l’hebdomadaire Agos, fonde par Hrant Dink.

Reporters sans frontières se joint aux amis du journaliste assassine,
qui appellent a manifester sur la place Taksim d’Istanbul a
l’occasion du cinquième anniversaire de sa mort, le 19 janvier. ”
Plus que jamais, il faut denoncer haut et fort une justice incapable
de mettre en lumière l’aspect organise du crime et ses complicites au
sein de l’appareil d’Etat. Nous le repetons, le parquet a desormais
une responsabilite majeure : alors qu’il poursuit son enquete, il
doit imperativement s’assurer que tous les elements seront pris en
compte et susciter l’ouverture d’un second procès pour faire oublier
cette mascarade “, a conclu l’organisation.

From: Baghdasarian

NALBANDIAN : UNE JOURNEE ECRITE EN LETTRES D’OR
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
mardi 24 janvier 2012

Loi Contre la Negation du Genocide des Armeniens – reactions + videos

A la suite de l’adoption de la loi proposee par la deputee Valerie
Boyer, a l’Assemblee nationale puis au Senat, le 23 janvier 2012,
visant a condamner la negation de tous les genocides, dont celui des
Armeniens, les medias armeniens se gardent de tout triomphalisme.

La presse Turque titre ” Il a massacre la democratie” (Hurriyet),
faisant reference a Nicolas Sarkozy, ou “Le diable Sarkozy” (Today’s
Zaman)…

A Yerevan le Ministre des Affaires etrangères Edouard Nalbandian se
felicite du vote francais et exprime sa “gratitude au President de la
Republique francaise, le Senat, l’Assemblee nationale, le Gouvernement
et le peuple ami de la France. ”

Il note que “La decision d’aujourd’hui du Senat est la continuation
logique de la loi reconnaissant le genocide armenien adoptee par la
France en 2001.

Cette journee sera ecrite en lettre d’or, non seulement dans l’histoire
de l’amitie entre les peuples armenien et francais, mais aussi dans
les annales de l’histoire de la protection des droits humains dans
le monde entier, et nous permettra de consolider les mecanismes
existants de prevention des crimes contre l’humanite . La France
a reaffirme son rôle central en tant que defenseur des veritables
valeurs humaines universelles.

En Turquie, Ahmet Davutoglu, Ministre des Affaires etrangères,
denonce le “climat d’inquisition qui prevaut au pays de Voltaire”. “La
France perd un partenaire strategique”, a-t-il dit. Precisant qu”un
plan d’attaque est pret”, sous-entendant des retombees politiques
et economiques.

A Paris, Alain Juppe, Ministre francais des Affaires etrangères
appelle a la “retenue”.

A Washington, Arama Suren Hamparian, Directeur executif du Comite
National Armenien d’Amerique qualifie le vote des senateurs francais
de “courageux” et remercie la communaute armenienne de France. “Une
occasion”, dit-il ” d’exhorter la President Obama d’honorer sa promesse
de reconnaître le Genocide Armenien”. Il appelle la Chambre des
representants de permettre un vote sur la Resolution armenienne H.304.

From: Baghdasarian

FRANCE IGNORES TURKISH WARNINGS, PASSES ARMENIAN ‘GENOCIDE’ BILL

Today’s Zaman

Jan 24 2012
Turkey

French Senate voted late for Monday a controversial bill making
it a crime to deny the 1915 killings of Armenians was a genocide,
ignoring warnings from Turkey that passage of the legislation would
lead to new sanctions. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned
hours before the French Senate debate on the denial bill that runs
a high risk of wrecking Turkish-French ties that the bill could
provoke reactions from “hundreds of thousands” if it passes through
the senate, pledging Turkey would reciprocate a senate approval in
its own determined fashion.

“We see tens of thousands of our brothers, our kin, gathered in Paris,
which proves how strong a reaction the bill will receive [in the
event it passes as law],” Erdogan told reporters earlier on Monday,
referencing demonstrations in France over the weekend against the
bill. The bill seeks punishment for anyone who refuses to term the
killings of Armenians in 1915 by Ottoman Empire as genocide, on the
grounds that such a rejection is equal to making racist and xenophobic
remarks and can spark hatred in French society.

“This decision is very wrong,” Tahsin Burcuoglu, Turkey’s ambassador
to France, said minutes after the vote. “We are not responsible for
this. We did what we could,” he added, referring to impending damage
to Turkish-French ties.

Turkey already suspended military, economic and political ties when
the lower house of French parliament passed the bill last month.

Erdogan announced on Monday that Turkey had “decisions to make in
response to the decision the French Senate is going to make today,”
signaling Turkey is readying to counter the French move with
unspecified measures.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also had warned
France that Turkey is ready to take new measures against Paris,
in a last-ditch push to fend off the bill.

Turkey briefly recalled its ambassador to Paris and suspended military,
economic and political ties when the bill was passed in France’s
lower house last month. Forty-thousand Turks from all over Europe
gathered in Paris on Saturday to raise their voice against the Senate
debate, hoping the Senate might drop the bill off the agenda or vote
against it.

“The steps we will take in case the bill passes as law have already
been determined,” Davutoglu was quoted as saying by Anatolia, but he
did not elaborate on what those steps might include.

“Turkey will continue to implement sanctions as long as this bill
remains on the table,” Davutoglu stated. “We hope, however, this
won’t be necessary, and common sense will reign in the French Senate.”

The foreign minister had earlier voiced late Sunday evening Turkey’s
determination to respond to the bill, saying his country would take
“new and permanent” measures against France in the event French
senators do not reject the bill. His message appeared to be a
response to critics who claimed Turkey vowed measures against France
in 2001 when the French Senate recognized the incidents of 1915 as
“Armenian genocide” perpetrated by Ottoman Turks, but they didn’t
amount to anything. “Turkey is not what it was in 2001,” he noted,
with clear reference to his ruling Justice and Development Party’s
(AK Party) assumption of leadership of Turkish politics in 2003,
which changed the way the country behaved.

Similarly, AK Party Deputy Chairman Omer Celik said on Monday
measures against France would be permanent, not temporary, if the
bill passes. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag also stated, “It
is clear relations between Turkey and France will not be the same,”
Anatolia reported.

The measure now needs to be signed by President Nicolas Sarkozy,
whose party proposed it, to become a law, something seen by many a
mere formality.

Contrary to the French argument, Turkey has been fighting the bill,
saying that such a move would mean blocking freedom of expression in
France and take away Turks’ right to defend their ancestors against
the alleged crime of genocide, a claim Turkey takes as an insult to
its identity.

“The issue they [the French Senate] are debating now is foremost
in denial of freedoms France has laid a claim on up until today,”
Erdogan was quoted by the Anatolia news agency as telling reporters,
as he suggested the bill would also be contradictory to human rights
and could spark demonstrations from “hundreds of thousands of people,”
who would react to the French move.

Erdogan may not visit France if bill passes In response to reporters’
questions, Erdogan raised the possibility on Monday that his future
visits to France might fall under question due to passage of the
bill. A day prior to Erdogan’s remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent
Arınc speculated the French bill could jeopardize visits from
senior Turkish officials to France. Arınc rhetorically asked what
French officials would do if Erdogan said, “1915 is not genocide,”
during a visit to France. French President Nicolas Sarkozy noted in
a recent letter he sent to Erdogan that the law would only affect
French citizens and be applicable in France, to dismiss speculations
senior Turkish officials might fall victim to the controversial bill
during their visits to France.

‘A new era of Inquisition’ Meanwhile, the European Democratic and
Social Rally (RDSE) in the French Senate defined the bill as “dangerous
and unnecessary,” Anatolia reported on Monday. RDSE’s group chairman
Jacques Mézard and member Jean-Michel Baylet held a joint press
conference on Monday and said they would vote “no” on the bill.

The bill sets a punishment of up to one year in prison and a fine
of 45,000 euros for those who deny or “outrageously minimize” the
killings — putting such action on par with denial of the Holocaust.

France formally recognized the 1915 killings as genocide in 2001 but
provided no penalty for anyone who rejected it.

Turkey maintains there was no systematic campaign to kill Armenians
and that many Turks also died during the chaotic disintegration of
the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey has argued the bill would compromise freedom of expression
in France.

“European values are under threat,” Davutoglu said. “If each parliament
takes decisions containing its own views of history and implements
them, a new era of Inquisition will be opened in Europe.”

“Those who voice views that exclude this view of history will be
jailed,” he said. “It would, unfortunately, be a great shame for
France to revive this.”

From: Baghdasarian