Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

‘GENOCIDE’ BILL PASSES DESPITE LOW TURNOUT

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Dec 23 2011

French lawmakers in the lower house yesterday adopted a draft law
to ban the denial of Armenian genocide allegations despite fierce
warnings from Turkey of a diplomatic crisis and economic consequences.

There was no official vote count since lawmakers simply voted by
raising their hands. The measure now goes to the Senate, where its
fate is less clear. There were only 50 deputies out of 577 present
in Parliament’s lower house during the vote.

Lawmakers denounced what they called Turkey’s propaganda effort in a
bid to sway them. “Laws voted in this chamber cannot be dictated by
Ankara,” said Jean-Christophe Lagarde, a deputy from the New Center
party, as Turks demonstrated outside the National Assembly ahead of
the vote.

The bill’s author said she was “shocked” at the attempt to interfere
with Parliament’s work. “My bill doesn’t aim at any particular
country,” said Valerie Boyer, a deputy from the ruling conservative
Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party. “It is inspired by European
law, which says that the people who deny the existence of the genocides
must be sanctioned.”

She called on French businesspeople not to take “Turkey’s threats”
into consideration. Boyer said their goal was not to deteriorate the
relations between the two countries but to protect French citizens,
daily Hurriyet reported yesterday.

“We’re not trying to write history but to make an indispensable
political act,” Patrick Devedjian, a UMP lawmaker of Armenian
descent, told Parliament. He noted that several Turkish writers had
been prosecuted for the reverse offence of “affirming the existence”
of the 1915 genocide and claimed that Turkey had recognized in 1919
that crimes had been committed, Agence France-Presse reported. “Now,
Turkey is falling into revisionism and denies its own history,”
he said to general support from his colleagues.

The law penalizes the denial of any massacre recognized as genocide by
the state, but so far this list only includes the Holocaust and the
Armenian genocide – and Holocaust denial is penalized under French
law. France in 2001 became the first large European state to follow
suit through a law stating that “France publicly recognizes the 1915
Armenian genocide,” without stating that the Turks were responsible.

The resolution approved yesterday would penalize anyone who refuses
to label the mass killings of Ottoman Armenians in 1915 as genocide.

Boyer “blamed Turkey’s diplomatic threats.” She said, “Some countries
committed the crime of denying the incidents of 1915. Half of the
Armenian population of 1914 were deported or massacred. I expect
your support [to this resolution],” she said during her speech in
Parliament before voting the resolution.

A total of 17 deputies addressed Parliament before the vote. More
than one member of the UMP spoke against the law, which also has the
support of some opposition Socialists. “It’s in no one’s interests
to pour oil on the fire in this fragile, sensitive and strategic
region,” said Michel Diefenbacher, head of Parliament’s Franco-Turkish
Friendship Committee, Agence France-Presse reported. “What would we
say, we French, if some other country came and told us what it thinks
about the Vendee massacre?” he said, referring to mass killings in
the 1790s in western France in the wake of the French Revolution.

Diefenbacher said he would vote against the bill saying that
“Parliamentarian role is not to write history.” Diefenbacher, member
of the ruling UMP party, said the resolution was against the French
constitution. He urged that if the resolution goes to constitutional
court following possible objections, then the law approved in 2001
recognizing the Armenian “genocide” might be in danger too. “This
resolution is not in favor of Armenians too,” he said.

Francois Bayrou, the centrist Democratic Movement’s candidate for
presidency, also spoke against the resolution. “There have been
massacres in Cambodia, Rwanda and Vendee. Are these going to come
[before us] too? I think you are entering into a dangerous road,”
said Bayrou, according to Hurriyet. French MP Patrick Ollier said the
bill did not target Turkey and praised the relations between Turkey
and France during his speech before the vote.

From: Baghdasarian

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 16-22, 2011

HIGHLIGHTS:

“E-CLUB” CYCLE: INTERNET BANKING

“PRESS CLUB+” ON THE AIR OF “LAST” TV OF GORIS

SEMINAR ON MEDIA SELF-REGULATION WILL BE HELD IN AGHVERAN

“ARMAVIA” AND “CHORRORD INKNISHKHANUTIUN” CONCLUDE AN AMICABLE AGREEMENT

“ZHAMANAK” APPEAL ON THE SUIT OF TATUL MANASERIAN REVOKED

“ASPAREZ” WILL PRESENT RESULTS OF ANOTHER STAGE OF MONITORING THE PTA FIRST
CHANNEL ADVERTISING

JOURNALISTS UNION OF ARMENIA CONFERRED “AZDARAR” 2011 AWARD

“E-CLUB” CYCLE: INTERNET BANKING

On December 20 the year’s last program from “E-Club” weekly cycle went on
the online broadcast of “A1+” TV company (). The “E-Club” is
produced by Yerevan Press Club in cooperation with “A1+” TV company under
“Alternative Resources in Media” project, supported by USAID.

The program was devoted to E-banking: opportunities for making transactions
through Internet, advantages and disadvantages of E-Dram pay system
(), etc. The news bloc of “E-Club” told about the Hackathon
Yerevan Innovation Programs’ Festival, which was created for developing
innovative solutions for Armenia’s capital and was held on December 17-18,
2011, for the first time. The other news dealt with the “Let It Snow”
Christmas application of Google and the special iPen for iPad. The ratings
of online sources and headlines of last week were presented by blogger
Isabella Abgarian. The web sources’ top list was headed by Gmail, while the
most popular topic was the alleged information on the shut down of Facebook.

“PRESS CLUB+” ON THE AIR OF “LAST” TV OF GORIS

In the evening of December 21 the season’s last talk-show of “Press Club+”
cycle went on the air of “Last” TV company of Goris. The program
participants – journalists, media experts, NGO representatives – discussed
the role of new media in disclosure and prevention of electoral and other
frauds. The “Press Club+” is produced by Yerevan Press Club in cooperation
with regional TV companies under “Alternative Resources in Media” project,
supported by USAID.

SEMINAR ON MEDIA SELF-REGULATION WILL BE HELD IN AGHVERAN

On December 23-25 in Aghveran, a seminar “The Current State and Perspectives
of Media Self-Regulation in Armenia” will be held. The event is organized by
Yerevan Press Club under “Alternative Resources in Media” project, supported
by USAID. The seminar will be attended by Media Ethics Observatory members,
heads, representatives of media and journalistic organizations, including
the ones who support the YPC initiative on establishing a self-regulation
system in Armenia. During the seminar the following themes will be
considered: the application practice of the RA defamation legislation, the
public awareness on the Armenian media self-regulation mechanisms, the
complaints addressed to the Media Ethics Observatory, as well as
organizational issues.

As it has been reported, Media Ethics Observatory (MEO) was formed on March
10, 2007 (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, March 9-15, 2007). The MEO mission
consists in considering the complaints-appeals regarding the violation of
the Code of Conduct of Media Representatives and rendering judgments on
them. Currently the Code of Conduct and its addendum, the Declaration on
Election and Referendum Coverage Principles, are signed by 41 entities,
representing 44 media; the initiative is supported by 9 journalistic
associations.

“ARMAVIA” AND “CHORRORD INKNISHKHANUTIUN” CONCLUDE AN AMICABLE AGREEMENT

On December 15 court of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash
administrative districts of Yerevan continued hearing the suit of “Armavia”
company versus the “Chorrord Inknishkhanutiun” daily founder, “Trespassers
W.” LLC. As it has been reported, the reason for the suit was the editorial
“Did ‘Armavia’ Supply Weapons?”, published in the newspaper on September 15,
2011. The article, particularly, quoted General Yuri Dominik, Commander of
Moldovan National Army, who told that the airplane “IL-76”, which had
arrived from Libya to Moldova for a new set of weapons, belongs to “the
Armenian civic air company”. The piece was reprinted in “Chorrord
Inknishkhanutiun” from , which had published it on September
14, 2011 under the title “Did the Armenian Air Company Supply Libya with
Weapons?”, referring to the Russian “Echo of Moscow” radio station and
“Interfax” Russian news agency. The plaintiff demanded to refute the
information as contained in the “Chorrord Inknishkhanutiun” piece and
discrediting its business reputation, and pay off a compensation of moral
loss damage of 2 mln AMD (about $ 5,400). The court hearings started on
November 1 (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, October 28 – November 3, 2011).

At the session of December 15 the parties negotiated an amicable agreement,
the text of which was published in “Chorrord Inknishkhanutiun” on December
16. The agreement particularly stresses that the plaintiff abandons his
financial claims towards the newspaper founder, while “Chorrord
Inknishkhanutiun” commits publishing the refutation within a month since the
court ruling comes into effect.

The amicable agreement is to be approved on the December 28 court session.

“ZHAMANAK” APPEAL ON THE SUIT OF TATUL MANASERIAN REVOKED

On December 15 RA Civil Court of Appeal upheld the ruling of the court of
general jurisdiction on the suit of protecting the honor and dignity of Pr.
Tatul Manaserian, former Advisor to RA National Assembly Chairman, Doctor of
Economics, versus the founder of “Zhamanak” daily, “Skizb Media Kentron”
LLC. As it has been reported, the dispute matter became the piece, “Criminal
Proceedings versus the Advisor to NA Chairman?”, which was published in
“Zhamanak” on September 29, 2010 and alleged that criminal proceedings were
instituted versus Tatul Manaserian on a charge of usury. On the same day,
Tatul Manaserian called to the daily’s editorial office demanding to refute
the information discrediting him. The next day, on September 30, “Zhamanak”
published an article “Mr. Manaserian Haven’t You Lent $40,000 at Interest?”,
which explained that criminal proceedings were instituted not versus Tatul
Manaserian, but on the case of usury. On October 29, 2010 Tatul Manaserian
addressed the court of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash
administrative districts of Yerevan, demanding to bind the newspaper with
publishing a refutation, paying off 2,5 million AMD (about $ 6,800), from
which 2 million – as a compensation for the damage caused by defamation,
while the 500,000 – court expenses. On September 20, 2011 the court secured
the suit partially, obliging the founder of “Zhamanak” to publish a
refutation and pay off the plaintiff 510,000 AMD: 300,000 – compensation for
moral loss, 200,000 – court expenses, and 10,000 – state duty for filing the
court (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, September 16-22, 2011).

On October 24, 2011 the founder of “Zhamanak” appealed the aforesaid ruling,
demanding to abolish it and render the case for a new consideration by the
court of first instance. The hearings at the Civil Court of Appeal were held
on December 7.

The December 15 decision of the Civil Court of Appeal grounded the
revocation of the complaint particularly by the fact that “Zhamanak” had not
duly refute the information discrediting the plaintiff.

“ASPAREZ” WILL PRESENT RESULTS OF ANOTHER STAGE OF MONITORING THE PTA FIRST
CHANNEL ADVERTISING

On December 23 at “Congress” hotel in Yerevan “Asparez” Journalists Club of
Gyumri will present the results of another stage (July, October 2011) of the
monitoring of advertising volume and its distribution on the air of First
Channel of Public Television of Armenia. The study covers a year-long period
(since March 2011) and is conducted under a project of “Asparez” supported
by Open Society Foundations-Armenia and Counterpart International Armenia.
The monitoring data are available on

JOURNALISTS UNION OF ARMENIA CONFERRED “AZDARAR” 2011 AWARD

On December 16 at the Journalists Union of Armenia “Azdarar” 2011 Award
ceremony was held. The Award was established in 2004 by the Journalists
Union of Armenia and JUA “Gold Pen” Awardee Club on the Day of Armenian
Press.

“Azdarar” 2011 was conferred to: “168 Zham” newspaper, program cycle “Hayots
Harts” (“Armenian Issue”) of First Channel of Public Television of Armenia
(author and host – Artur Bakhtamian); freelance journalist Hrachik
Matevosian; Vahram Atanesian, correspondent of “Azg” daily in Mountainous
Karabagh; “Alik”, Armenian language newspaper published in Iran.

N.B. Dear readers, please note that the YPC Weekly Newsletter will next be
issued in January 2012. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.

You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]

Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]

Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
____________________________________________
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
0002, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 10) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:

From: Baghdasarian

FRENCH DEBATE WITH TURKISH ACCENT: GENOCIDE DENIAL BILL PASSES TO SENATE AMID PROTESTS IN PARIS

22.12.11 | 17:18

Lawmakers in Paris have convincingly passed a bill that would
criminalize denial of the Armenian Genocide. The show of hands vote
was not tallied, but was overwhelmingly in favor of the bill, which
now goes to the Senate.

If the bill becomes law, it would make genocide denial by a subject of
France punishable by up to a year in prison and 45,000 euro ($59,000).

The bill does not specifically address the Armenian Genocide, but,
rather, applies to any act of genocide that has been officially
recognized by France – where the Armenian Genocide was recognized by
the state in 2001.

“By adopting the law France has reaffirmed its reputation of the
cradle of human rights and has once again proved its commitment to
pan-human values,” said Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan
in a statement to hail the news from Paris.

Today’s debate drew crowds of pro-Turkey protestors along the Seine
River, following threats from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan who on Wednesday said his government plans a three-stage
retribution against France if the bill is approved.

After the French lower house of parliament approved the bill (in 2006),
Erdogan vetoed participation by a French gas company in ownership of
the Nabucco gas pipeline – an estimated 7.9 billion euro deal.

Members of the French parliament were angered by Turkey’s threats,
as reflected in statements made during debate.

“I am stunned that at a moment when Turkey is knocking on Europe’s
door, this great country encourages its citizens to protest against
this bill,” Parliament Deputy Valerie Boyer said as debate began.

While Erdogan has called the timing of the vote a political ploy ahead
of French elections, it is also being viewed as a way for France to
force Turkey’s hand on human rights issues, as Turkey courts membership
in the European Union.

From: Baghdasarian

[DOES ANYONE BELIEVE IN FREE SPEECH?] POLITICAL CORRECTNESS FRENCH STYLE
by Christopher Vasillopulos

Today’s Zaman
*.html
Dec 22 2011
Turkey

“I hold that the Sun is located at the center of the revolutions
of the heavenly orbs and does not change place, and that the Earth
rotates on itself and moves around it.”– Galileo

The short answer to my question is, “No,” although nearly everyone
in the West, especially governments, would say, “Yes.” “Of course,
there is free speech,” countless officials would say, “but…” What
comes after the “but” would vary; the meanings nevertheless would be
distressingly similar. Free speech must be regulated in the interests
of the state or society. The meaning of free speech has of course
been controversial, even in the US where it has been enshrined in it
founding document, the Constitution: “Congress shall make no law…

abridging the freedom of speech… ” Naturally, various American
administrations have tried to limit these words, often conflicting with
the Supreme Court. Generally speaking, as I, an admitted natural rights
advocate, would have it, free speech means that unless words can be
tied to inevitable action, they cannot be restrained or punished by
government. In brief, this means unless words provoke an immediate
act, like a riot or a panic, that is, unless words become in effect
acts, they cannot be restricted. Even when speech is alleged to have
provoked unavoidable acts, this charge must be made in a court of law
and subjected to the provisions of due process. The Roman Catholic
Inquisition was not bound by such niceties. So Galileo’s opinion,
backed up with scientific evidence to the contrary notwithstanding,
ran afoul of the authorities. Galileo was convicted of heresy and
confined to house arrest for 12 years until his death in 1642, a long
time ago, as the Roman Church is at pains to point out. Yet the war on
free speech continues, as anyone who works in a politically correct
American university can attest. One can be fired for expressing
opinions, even if true, which might cause offense to a protected
minority, even by state universities that can be considered extensions
of government. In my view political correctness when backed up by the
coercive authority of the state is unconstitutional, but the Supreme
Court does not agree with me.

What has all this to do with the French law that makes it a crime
to deny the Armenian Genocide. First of all, let me make clear that
the French state can make any law it likes so long as it does not
violate its constitution. It does not matter how stupid or foolish it
is or how much it insults the people of another nation. This is not
the question. The issue is rather one of hypocrisy or pandering to
political correctness French style. How many times have the French
and other Europeans criticized others for not living up to the UN
Charter or the European Convention on Human Rights. How many times
have the Turks been the principal target? There is no question
that Turkish history has not been unblemished. There have been,
as in nearly every other country, violations of human rights. This
record has been decried, not denied, by the current government,
as some of its leading members have been jailed for their views. I
refer the reader to the remarks of Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu,
as reported in Today’s Zaman of Dec. 21, 2011.

Free and open debate

Let me be precise. My point deals with free speech, not what happened
to thousands of Armenians during World War I. Let me be personal, as I
have confronted this issue head on in front of a Turkish audience. On
my first visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC),
as a keynote speaker, itself controversial among the Greek-American
community, I confronted a Turkish-Canadian professor who essentially
denied that anything happened to the Armenians. He received a standing
ovation from the Turkish audience. As a group of international scholars
sat stunned, I angrily asked if he thought thousands of Armenians
went away for the weekend and never came back? Now everyone was angry,
and the conference had to adjourn. I do not know what happened to the
Armenians during a war that was filled with atrocities and millions
of civilian casualties. And it is often forgotten by the West that
the majority of Armenians, Ottoman citizenship notwithstanding,
supported the Russians against the Turks. The truth may never be
known to the degree that it will satisfy ordinary Turks and Armenians,
to say nothing of their ideological extremists.

Certainly, it is premature to assign the label “genocide” to those
tragic events. Conflicting opinions on this, as on all emotionally
charged issues, will persist even if the facts ever become
established. Nevertheless, free and open debate and free and open
inquiry remain the indispensable tools with which to build the truth
or at least as much of it as can ever be ascertained. Unfortunately,
most political leaders are not interested in free inquiry or the
truth. There are, however, a few precious exceptions.

That evening, at an official dinner, I was introduced to then-President
Rauf DenktaÅ~_. I fully expected to be excoriated.

Without recanting my words, I told him that I apologized to my
colleague for my tone. DenktaÅ~_ said, in that case, “What’s the
problem?” No problem indeed, if free speech is respected. Of course,
DenktaÅ~_ is a great man and Sarkozy is a Lilliputian, but more is at
stake than an assessment of politicians. Without free expression there
is no possibility of democratic government. Of course this means a lot
of nonsense will have to be tolerated. Don’t people tolerate a lot of
nonsense from politicians? A second point needs to be made. How can
the deep cleavages of the world be healed, how can pressing global
economic crises be confronted, how can political hatreds be assuaged
if the leaders of the world’s most important nation-states pander to
the worst prejudices of their most ill-informed people? Free speech is
absolutely critical to dealing honestly and frankly with the world’s
problems. Let me quote Foreign Minister Davutoglu: “In the Europe of
the 21st century, expression of ideas that do not incite violence
should not be criminalized simply because they are not liked.” And
further: “Freedom of expression does not obliterate the memories of
the past but allows the establishment of historical truth.” Thomas
Jefferson could not have said it better.

*Christopher Vasillopulos, Ph.D., is a professor of international
relations at Eastern Connecticut State University.

From: Baghdasarian

TURKEY ANNOUNCES SANCTIONS AGAINST FRANCE

Dec 22 2011
Turkey

Turkey, in addition to recalling ambassador to France is also halting
official contacts, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said.

Turkey has announced a set of sanctions on France after the French
National Assembly passed a bill to make it a crime in France to have
different views on 1915 Armenia incidents.

Erdogan told a news conference in Ankara on Thursday that Turkey is
cancelling all economic, political, military meetings with France
over the bill.

He also said Turkey cancels permission for French military planes to
land, warships to dock in Turkey.

From: Baghdasarian

TURKEY AND FRANCE IN DIPLOMATIC ROW OVER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL

Daily Telegraph
22 Dec 2011
UK

Turkey halted military co-operation with France and suspended political
visits in retaliation for a French bill making it a criminal offence to
deny the 1915 mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks was genocide.

About 3,000 French nationals of Turkish origin demonstrated peacefully
ahead of the vote Photo: AFP/GETTYBy Henry Samuel, Paris

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, said the vote,
which received cross-party support in France’s National Assembly –
its lower house – would open “very grave and irreparable wounds”
in bilateral relations.

Turkey, a Nato member, is a key ally of France, and the pair have
worked closely together on tackling crises from Syria to Afghanistan.

Ankara had been piling on pressure for the law to be scrapped in
recent days, threatening grave consequences.

Mr Erdogan said he was recalling his ambassador in Paris to Ankara
for consultations.

“As of now, we are cancelling bilateral level political, economic
and military activities,” he said. “We are suspending all kinds
of political consultations with France” and “bilateral military
co-operation, joint manoeuvres are cancelled as of now.”

Related Articles Armenian genocide is a ‘fact of history 21 Dec 2011
‘The river flowed with blood’ 18 Oct 2007 Turkey could expel 100,000
over ‘genocide’ row 17 Mar 2010 Turkey ‘recalls French ambassador’ over
Armenian genocide bill 22 Dec 2011 This means French military planes
have no authorisation to land and warships to dock in the country.

Turkey categorically rejects the term “genocide” to describe the
deaths of up to 1.5 million Christian Armenians in the First World
War in what is now eastern Turkey. Many Armenians and historians say
that the Ottoman government pursued a deliberate policy of genocide.

But the vast majority of Turks and their politicians take the term of
genocide as an insult to their nation, arguing that there was heavy
loss of life on both sides during fighting.

The bill – which still must be approved by the French Senate – was
put forward by members of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s ruling party,
and while the government insists it did not propose it, the bill
needed Mr Sarkozy’s tacit consent.

Many French legislators insist the law – which will impose a 45,000
euro (£37,000) fine and a one-year jail term on genocide deniers –
is an overdue measure to protect what is a “historical fact”.

But it has split the French Right. Alain Juppe, the French foreign
minister, slammed the vote as “useless and counterproductive”.

“It’s counterproductive as that’s not the way to make the Turks move,”
he said. “The Turks are a proud people.”

Relations between Mr Sarkozy and Turkey were long frosty due to his
strong opposition to its entry into the European Union, but ties had
thawed since Mr Juppe’s arrival at the foreign ministry.

The minister said the vote went against a growing consensus that
“the duty to remember was better done by historians than MPs”.

That said, he added: “Turkey should refrain from exerting undue
pressure. That’s enough”.

France passed a law recognising the killing of Armenians as genocide
in 2001. Turkey sought to exert pressure back then but it had little
effect on trade.

The French lower house first passed a bill criminalising the denial
of an Armenian genocide in 2006, but it was rejected by the Senate
in May this year.

The new bill was less specific, partly in a bid to appease the Turks,
outlawing the denial of any genocide.

It could theoretically be completed before parliament is suspended at
the end of February ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections.

Ankara considers the bill, blatant electioneering by both French
conservatives and opposition Socialists – an attempt to win the votes
of 500,000 ethnic Armenians in France in next year’s elections.

It also claims the measure limits freedom of speech.

The French have questioned whether Turkey could impose unilateral
trade sanctions as a member of the World Trade Organisation.

France, which only recently recognised its role in wartime
collaboration with the Nazis, had been pushing Turkey to own up to
its history.

France should instead revisit its role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide
and its colonial past in North Africa, Turkish officials responded.

From: Baghdasarian

FEDERATION OF ARMENIAN ORGANISATIONS WELCOMES FRENCH LAW

noyan tapan
2011-12-22 19:54:36

The Hague, 22 December 2011 – The Federation of Armenian Organisations
in the Netherlands (FAON) is glad that the French Parliament in
large majority has adopted a bill, which makes denial of the Armenian
Genocide a crime. Denying the holocaust has been a crime in France
since 1990.

The Armenian Federation believes that with such a provision a dam is
raised against denial propaganda of the Turkish government, which is
painful for the Armenians.

Based on the prohibition of discrimination in the Dutch Penal
Code, such statements are in principle already punishable in The
Netherlands. This is not only concerning the denial of the Holocaust,
but it makes also the denial of the Armenian Genocide punishable,
as indicated the former Minister of Justice at the time.

The bill introduced by the Christian Union MP Mr. Voordewind aims to
improve the legislation, in the sence that it makes the prohibition
explicitly clear, so that it should not be possible in the Netherlands
to deny systematically the genocide by public statements with the
intention to offend the people or discriminate them.

The fact that the denial (by the prohibition of discrimination)
is punishable in Dutch law, was so far for most factions in Dutch
Parliament the main argument to not support the bill by Christian
Union, as it was clear from the parliamentary debate this year.

The fact is, however, that despite frequent denials from both on the
Internet sites and elsewhere, while at the same time the Armenians
are often jeered as liars what the Genocide concerns, the the Public
Prosecution Service in the Netherlands has never prosecuted against
these offenders.

The Armenian Federation FAON hopes that the French law is a reason
for both the Dutch parliament and the the Public Prosecution Service
to consider closely an effective approach to the denial of genocide
in the Netherlands.

From: Baghdasarian

VIVACELL-MTS EDUCATION FUND PROJECT TO COVER TUITION FEES FOR 200 STUDENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 22, 2011 – 17:28 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – In Education Fund Project framework, VivaCell-MTS
will cover tuition fees for 200 1st and 2nd year students from
economically vulnerable families.

VivaCell-MTS scholarship program aims to provide students with a
supported access to university education by covering their educational
fees during the whole period of their study. The outreach program will
help boost their educational attainment and improve their social and
psychological conditions.

“The scholarship will be provided to 200 of the most socially
vulnerable students to support their access to education. This
project is being implemented as part of our efforts to help our
country eradicate poverty by giving young people an opportunity to
gain professional knowledge and skills,” VivaCell-MTS General Manager
Ralph Yirikian said.

From: Baghdasarian

TURKEY IS RECALLING AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE OVER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL

Global News

Dec 22 2011

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey’s state-run TV says the country is recalling
its ambassador to France in retaliation fore a vote in French
Parliament making it a crime to deny the WWI-era mass killings of
Armenians amounts to genocide.

The bill was passed Thursday in France’s lower house. It still must
be approved in the Senate.

Turkey vehemently rejects the term “genocide” to describe the killings
and had campaigned to get France to abandon the legislation.

TRT television says ambassador Tahsin Burcuoglu would be withdrawn.

Foreign Ministry officials would not immediately confirm the report,
saying an announcement would be made by the prime minister.

Canadian Press

From: Baghdasarian

TURKEY WARNS FRANCE OVER GENOCIDE VOTE

Ghana Broadcasting Corporation

Dec 22 2011

A row is brewing between France and Turkey over a parliamentary vote in
the French lower house which is expected to outlaw denial of genocide.

Although not named in the bill it will cover the controversial killing
of Armenians in 1915 at the end of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey denies the deaths amount to genocide.

MP Patrick Devedjian of Armenian decent supports the bill and said:
“The fact Turkey is sending delegations to France and threatening us
because we want to consider a law which would be introduced in France
only, and not in foreign states, shows that Turkey is acting in bad
faith. ”

The vote has provoked protests outside the French embassy in Ankara.

Many in the country view the move as a political ploy by President
Nicolas Sarkozy to win the support of 500,000 ethnic Armenians living
in France.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned of boycotting French
goods and cancelling significant construction contracts. He said,
“the preposterous step Sarkozy is taking to win votes will harm
relations between Turkey and France. ”

More than 1. 5 million Christian Armenians were killed in what is
now eastern Turkey during World War One in what some allege was a
deliberate policy of genocide. Ankara says many Turks and Kurds were
also killed as Russian troops invaded the region.

From: Baghdasarian