Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

TURQUIE : COMMENT FORCER LES ALEVIS A RENONCER A LEUR FOI ET LEUR CULTURE

Publié le : 13-02-2015

Info Collectif VAN – – “Le quotidien turc Hurriyet
Daily News du 11 février 2015 rapporte qu’une directive du Directoire
chargé de l’éducation religieuse du ministère turc de l’Education
précise que seuls les élèves de confession chrétienne ou juive
seront dispensés des cours obligatoires sur l’islam sunnite. Cette
directive est essentiellement dirigée contre la communauté alévie
de Turquie.

Rappelons que l’alévisme regroupe des membres de l’islam dits
hétérodoxes et revendique la tradition universelle et originelle de
l’islam et plus largement de toutes les religions monothéistes. Il
s’agit d’un large syncrétisme qui donne une approche très libérale
de la religion. L’alévisme constitue la seconde religion en Turquie
après le sunnisme. Si officiellement ils constituent les 10 et 15 %
de la population turque, les sources alévies estiment qu’ils sont
entre 20 a 25 % de la population.” Nota CVAN : Les Alévis peuvent
être indifféremment Turcs ou Kurdes. Dans le Dersim, nombreux sont
les Alévis a avoir caché et sauvé des Arméniens, avant de périr
a la fin des années 30, sous les bombes de l’aviation de Mustapha
Kemal. Malgré cela, et en réaction a l’islam sunnite de l’AKP, de
nombreux Alévis s’affichent aux côtés du CHP (kémaliste), certes
laïque, mais surtout nationaliste et bien peu enclin a défendre
les droits des minorités…

Le Collectif VAN vous propose de lire cette information mise a ligne
sur le site de Diaspora Grecque le 12 février 2015.

Légende photo: Manifestation pour la défense des droits des Alévis,
Ankara

Diaspora Grecque

le 12/2/2015 13:12:40

L’enseignement religieux en Turquie ou comment forcer les Alévis a
renoncer a leur foi et leur culture

Le quotidien turc Hurriyet Daily News du 11 février 2015 rapporte
qu’une directive du Directoire chargé de l’éducation religieuse
du ministère turc de l’Education précise que seuls les élèves
de confession chrétienne ou juive seront dispensés des cours
obligatoires sur l’islam sunnite.

Cette directive est essentiellement dirigée contre la communauté
alévie de Turquie. Rappelons que l’alévisme regroupe des membres
de l’islam dits hétérodoxes et revendique la tradition universelle
et originelle de l’islam et plus largement de toutes les religions
monothéistes. Il s’agit d’un large syncrétisme qui donne une approche
très libérale de la religion. Les alévis sont musulmans mais n’ont
pas l’obligation des cinq prières quotidiennes ni du pèlerinage a
La Mecque, ils boivent de l’alcool et les femmes ne sont pas voilées.

Leur lieu de culte n’est pas la mosquée mais le cemevi, (cem evi) qui
signifie, en turc, maison ou lieu du rassemblement. Pour les alévis,
les textes relatifs au foulard des femmes n’ont aucun caractère
universel et ces textes sont, selon les conditions sociales et de
vie d’aujourd’hui, caduques.

L’alévisme constitue la seconde religion en Turquie après le
sunnisme.

Si officiellement ils constituent les 10 et 15 % de la population
turque, les sources alévies estiment qu’ils sont entre 20 a 25 %
de la population.

Néanmoins, comme cette religion n’est pas reconnue par l’islam
officiel turc, l’établissement des statistiques précises est
impossible. En outre, la répression dont les alévis ont été
victimes durant la période ottomane, répression qui a continué sous
la République turque, a provoqué chez eux un sentiment de peur ; ils
se sentent rejetés et mis au ban de la société par les autorités
turques, religieuses et politiques.

Rappelons également que la Turquie a été condamnée par la Cour
européenne des droits de l’homme en 2014, a propos du non-respect
de la liberté religieuse.

Plus précisément, la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme dans
une décision du 16 septembre 2014, sur une requête introduite par
des parents d’enfants alévis dit : ” Violation de l’article 2 du
Protocole n° 1 (droit a l’instruction) de la Convention européenne
des droits de l’homme a l’égard de Mansur Yalcın, Yuksel Polat et
Hasan Kılıc.

Dans cette affaire, les requérants, qui sont de confession alévie,
une branche minoritaire et hétérodoxe de l’islam, soutenaient que
le contenu des cours obligatoires de culture religieuse et morale a
l’école était axé sur l’approche sunnite de l’islam.

La Cour constate en particulier que, en matière d’enseignement du
fait religieux, le système éducatif turc n’est toujours pas doté
de moyens appropriés pour assurer le respect des convictions des
parents. La violation de l’article 2 du Protocole n° 1 que la Cour
constate a ce titre tire son origine d’un problème structurel,
déja identifié dans l’affaire Hasan et Eylem Zengin. La Turquie
doit sans tarder y remédier, notamment avec la mise en place d’un
système de dispense de cours de CRCM (” cours obligatoire de culture
religieuse et de connaissances morales ”), dont les parents puissent
bénéficier sans avoir a dévoiler leurs convictions religieuses ou
philosophiques. ”

Dans la même décision, la Cour précise : ” Par ailleurs, le fait
que le système turc n’offre une possibilité de dispense du cours
de CRCM qu’aux élèves chrétiens et juifs donne nécessairement a
penser que l’enseignement dispensé en la matière est susceptible
d’amener ces élèves a faire face a un conflit entre l’instruction
religieuse dispensée par l’école et les convictions religieuses ou
philosophiques de leurs parents.

La Cour note a cet égard que la quasi-totalité des Ã~Itats membres
offrent au moins un moyen permettant aux élèves de ne pas suivre
un enseignement religieux, en prévoyant un mécanisme de dispense,
en donnant la possibilité de suivre une matière de substitution, ou
en laissant toute liberté de s’inscrire ou non a un cours de religion.

La Cour conclut que le système éducatif turc n’est toujours pas
doté des moyens appropriés pour assurer le respect des convictions
des parents, et, par conséquent, qu’il y a eu violation de l’article
2 du Protocole n°1 a l’égard de Mansur Yalcın, Yuksel Polat et
Hasan Kılıc.

”

Charalambos Petinos,Historien / écrivain

Dernier livre paru : ” Turquie : entre nostalgie ottomane et mythe
européen ”, Editions Variations, 2015.

Lire aussi :

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Diaspora Grecque

From: Baghdasarian

GAGIK TSARUKYAN: I AM TAKING ON THE CHALLENGE THROWN TO ME AND WILL BE FIGHTING TILL FINAL VICTORY

by Nana Martirosyan

Friday, February 13, 15:14

Leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Gagik Tsarukyan in his
speech at the PAP Political Council ‘unveiled’ the real reasons of
President Serzh Sargsyan’s anger and criticism at him. The president
harshly criticized Tsarukyan at the February 12 meeting of the
Republican Party Council.

“I want to play hand and be honest. The reason of the known person’s
surge of emotions is my refusal to accept his numerous suggestions
implying assistance in retention of power and his government-for-life
through a constitutional referendum. I was offered many options of
cooperation – which were quite favorable for me – including the post of
the president after the constitutional reform, subject to my assistance
in his endeavors to retain power. I rejected that anti-national offer,
because a man who has brought the country to a social and economic
regress cannot have such ambitions. This is what made him violate all
the human and political norms. This is the reality,” Tsarukyan said.

As for his exclusion from the National Security Council, Tsarukyan
said he had not worked there de-facto for already 6 months and did
not leave officially just because Sargsyan asked him not to leave.

“Now, you are free to assess yesterday’s performance. As for RPA’s
initiative to deprive me of the deputy mandate, I’d like to say that
I care for the people’s confidence and I have that most important
mandate for me,” Tsarukyan said.

He believes that Sargsyan’s goal is to liquidate him as an obstacle
from his way towards lifetime government. “I am taking on his
challenges and will be fighting till final victory,” he said.

From: Baghdasarian

10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Ten Facts You Must Know About the Armenian Genocide The Armenian
Genocide occurred during World War I, from 1915 to 1922 in the Ottoman
Empire. Although the present Turkish government denies that the
massacres constituted a “genocide”, scholars and historians maintain
that the systematic slaughtering of 1.5 million Armenians by the
Young Turks and their […] Written by: Tracy Dye 2015/01/26 4:39 AM

Ten Facts You Must Know About the Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide occurred during World War I, from 1915 to 1922
in the Ottoman Empire. Although the present Turkish government denies
that the massacres constituted a “genocide”, scholars and historians
maintain that the systematic slaughtering of 1.5 million Armenians
by the Young Turks and their militant organization can irrevocably
be considered one of the world’s first holocausts.Much like the
Holocaust in Nazi Germany during World War II, the origins of this
genocide stemmed from religious bias and the desire to “cleanse”
and “exterminate” a specific population.As these subjects are of a
very sensitive nature, it is prudent to note that the intentions of
the following list is in no way meant to insult religious views or
affiliation. That being said, the anecdote of bringing awareness to
past events in order to avoid “history repeating itself” could not
be more prominent in the dissemination of information regarding the
late Ottoman’s Empire atrocities inflicted on an entire people. The
utilization of religious bias as a vehicle for hate and violence
was evident in the Armenian Genocide and the massacres preceding
the genocide.

Today, Armenians and family members of Armenians who were subject
to the atrocities continue to suffer due to the history of their
ancestors and lack of acknowledgement from the Turkish government.

Armenian citizens, advocates and those whose ancestors were subject
to the genocide note that denial of genocide (the eighth stage of
genocide) perpetuates the pain and injustice felt by the Armenian
culture as a whole.

10. The Turkish Government Denies the Genocide

<img class=” wp-image-12841″
src=””
alt=”Turkey’s Government Denies the truth of the Armenian Genocide.

ListLand.com” width=”504″ height=”437″ />

Turkey’s Government Denies the truth of the Armenian Genocide.

Today, the Turkish government still denies that the massacre of
approximately 1.5 million Armenians constituted it as a “genocide”.

This is in spite of the fact that a litany of scholarly articles
and proclamations from revered historians have posed evidence that
the events leading up to the mass killings–along with the manner in
which Armenians were assassinated–irrevocably makes this point in
history one of the first holocausts.

According to History, the Turkish deny the genocide by saying, “The
Armenians were an enemy force…and their slaughter was a necessary
war measure.”

The “war” being referenced is World War I, and the events preceding
the Armenian genocide–which were paramount in the holocaust’s
fruition–predate WWI by over 20 years.

One notable Turkish politician, Dogu Perincek, came under fire for
his denials of Armenian Genocide while visiting Switzerland in 2008.

According to The Telegraph, a Swiss court fined Perjncek after he
called the genocide “an international lie.” He appealed this charge
in 2013 and it was determined by the European Court of Human Rights
that the Swiss court’s charges had “violated [Perjncek’s] right to
freedom of expression.”

Currently, Amal Clooney (yes, the new Mrs. George Clooney) has joined
a legal team that will be representing Armenia in a challenge of
that appeal. According to The Telegraph, Clooney will be joined by
her head of chambers, Geoffrey Robertson, QC, who is also the author
of the Oct. 2014 book, “An Inconvenient Genocide: Who Now Remembers
the Armenians?”

Publishers from Random House have stated that the book, “…proves
beyond reasonable doubt that the horrific events of 1915 constituted
the crime against humanity that is now known as genocide.”

The irony in Perjnek’s outrage over the charges made against him
are evident; Perjnek is an advocate of Turkey’s current laws which
condemn citizens from speaking about the Armenian Genocide.

9. In Turkey, Discussion of the Armenian Genocide is Illegal

<img class=” wp-image-12840″
src=””
alt=”It is illegal in Turkey to discuss the Armenian Genocide.

ListLand.com” width=”504″ height=”336″ />

It is illegal in Turkey to discuss the Armenian Genocide.

In Turkey, discussion of the Armenian genocide is considered an
offense punishable by imprisonment. In 2010, Turkish prime minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan actually threatened 100,000 Armenians with
deportation in response to an Armenian Genocide Remembrance Bill
presented to the House of Commons.

Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Damien McElroy, detailed the events
in an article. Erdogan made this statement–later referred to as
“blackmail” by Armenian MP, Hrayr Karapetyan–following the issuance
of the bill:

“There are currently 170,000 Armenians living in our country. Only
70,000 of them are Turkish citizens, but we are tolerating the
remaining 100,000…If necessary, I may have to tell these 100,000
to go back to their country because they are not my citizens. I don’t
have to keep them in my country.”

“The statement once again proves that there is an Armenian genocide
threat in present Turkey, thus world community should pressurize
Ankara to recognise [the] genocide,” was Karapetyan’s response to
Erdogan’s subtle threats.

8. America Has Been Hesitant to Label the Events as a Genocide

<img class=” wp-image-12839″
src=””
alt=”Uncle Sam says I don’t want to touch this thing with a ten foot
pole.” width=”505″ height=”775″ />

Uncle Sam says I don’t want to touch this thing with a ten foot pole.

Although American government and media have labeled the slaughtering
of 1.5 million Armenians as “atrocities” or “massacres,” the word
“genocide” has seldom made its way into U.S. vernacular when describing
the events that occurred from 1915 to 1923. It was not until 2004 that
the words “Armenian Genocide” appeared in the New York Times. Peter
Balakian, a professor of humanities at Colgate University, and Samantha
Power, a lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, composed
a letter to the Times’ editor which was subsequently published.

In the letter, Balakian and Power chastise the Times’ and other media
outlets for their failure to label the atrocities that occurred during
1915 as a genocide.

“The extermination of the Armenians is recognized as genocide by
the consensus of scholars of genocide and Holocaust worldwide. The
failure to acknowledge this trivializes a human rights crime of
enormous magnitude,” reads one passage of the letter. “It is ironic
as well, because in 1915 The New York Times published 145 articles
about the Armenian genocide and regularly used the words ‘systematic,’
‘government planned’ and ‘race extermination.'”

Currently, recognition of the 1915 events as a genocide by America is
being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives. The resolution
proposed is coined “Armenian Genocide resolution” for short but its
official title is “H. Res 106 or the Affirmation of the United States
Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution.”

7. Religion’s Role in the Armenian Genocide

<img class=” wp-image-12838″
src=””
alt=”Islam played a terrible role in the Armenian Genocide” width=”505″
height=”332″ />

Islam played a terrible role in the Armenian Genocide

The religious origins of the Armenian Genocide date back to the 15th
century when Armenia’s rule was absorbed by the Ottoman Empire.

Leaders of the Ottoman Empire were primarily Muslim. Christian
Armenians were considered minorities by the Ottoman Empire and though
they were “allowed to maintain some autonomy,” they were largely
treated as second-class citizens; i.e., Armenians were denied the right
to vote, paid higher taxes than Muslims, and were denied a plethora
of other legal and economic rights. Resentment and bias was prevalent
in the leaders of The Ottoman Empire, as unfair treatment toward the
Armenians elevated into violence toward the Christian minorities.

In the early 1900’s, The Ottoman Empire was dismantled and taken
over by the Young Turks. The Young Turks initially framed themselves
as leaders who would guide the country and its citizens to a place
that was more democratic and constitutionally sound. Armenians were
initially overjoyed at this prospect, but later learned that the Young
Turks’ revamping would include extermination as a means to “Turkify”
the new state.

The rule of the Young Turks would be the catalyst in what is now
known to be one of the world’s first genocides.

Religion’s role in this genocide was prominent, as Christianity was
perpetually viewed as a justification for the holocaust carried out by
militant followers of the Young Turks. Similarly, the extermination
of Jewish citizens was considered a justification to Nazi Germany
during World War II.

6. Lead-up to the Armenian Genocide: “Box on an Ear” Comment

<img class=” wp-image-12842″
src=””
alt=”The Young Turk’s Box on an Ear. Understatement of all time.”

width=”506″ height=”557″ />

The Young Turk’s Box on an Ear. Understatement of all time.

The “box on an ear” comment was one that could be considered a grim
foreshadowing of the Armenian Genocide. According toHistory, Turkish
dictator Sultan Abdul Hamid II made this sinister threat to a reporter
in 1890:

“I will soon settle those Armenians,” he said. “I will give them a
box on an ear which will make them…relinquish their revolutionary
ambitions.”

Before the Armenian Genocide in 1915, these threats were realized
during a massacre of thousands of Armenians between 1894 and 1896.

According to the United Human Rights Council, the pleas from Christian
Armenians for reform led to “…over 100,000 inhabitants of Armenian
villages [being] slaughtered during widespread pogroms conducted by
Sultan’s special regiments.”

The Ottoman Empire’s ruler was overthrown by a group called the Young
Turks. Armenians hoped this new regime would lead to a fair and just
society for their people. Unfortunately, the group became expeditors
of the Armenian genocide during World War I.

5. The Young Turks

<img class=”wp-image-12837″
src=””
alt=”Turkish Soldier Terrorizing young Armenians” width=”504″
height=”374″ />

Turkish Soldier Terrorizing young Armenians

In 1908, a group of “reformers”calling themselves “The Young Turks”
overthrew Sultan Hamid and gained leadership in Turkey. The aim of the
Young Turks initially seemed to be one which would lead the country
to a place of equality and justice, and the Armenians hoped for peace
amongst their people in light of the changes.

However, it quickly became evident that the Young Turks’ goal was to
“Turkify” the country and eliminate the Armenians. The Young Turks
were the catalyzers of the Armenian Genocide which occurred during WWI
and was responsible for the slaughter of nearly two million Armenians.

Many wonder why the crimes of the Young Turks are not viewed as
prominently as the crimes of the Nazi party during the Holocaust.

Scholars and historians note that part of the reason for this could
be the lack of accountability that was taken on by the Young Turks
for their crimes. After the Ottoman Empire surrendered in 1918, the
leaders of the Young Turks fled to Germany, where they were promised
to be exempt from any type of persecution for their atrocities.

>From this point forward, the Turkish government–alongside several
allies of Turkey–has denied that a genocide ever took place. In 1922,
the Armenian Genocide came to an end, leaving only 388,000 Armenians
remaining in the Ottoman Empire.

4. Why Were the Events Considered a Genocide?

<img class=” wp-image-12835″
src=””
alt=”The Armenian Genocide. When was the term Genocide coined?”

width=”504″ height=”479″ />

The Armenian Genocide. When was the term Genocide coined?

The term “genocide” refers to the systematic mass killing of a specific
group of people. The name “genocide” was not coined until 1944 when
Polish-Jewish lawyer, Raphael Lemkin, used the term during trials to
describe the crimes committed by the top Nazi leaders. Lemon created
the word by combining the Greek word for “group” or “tribe” (geno-)
and the Latin word for “killing” (cide).

In a 1949 CBS interview, Lemkin stated that his inspiration for the the
term came from the fact that systematic killings of specific groups of
people had “happened so many times in the past,” as with the Armenians.

3. Similarities between the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust

<img class=” wp-image-12834″
src=””
alt=”Many Similarities between the Holocaust and Armenian Genocide”
width=”506″ height=”339″ />

Many Similarities between the Holocaust and Armenian Genocide

There are several pieces of evidence which are indicative of the fact
the the Armenian Genocide was an inspiration to Adolf Hitler before he
led the Nazi party in the attempted extermination of an entire people.

This point has been the subject of many heated debates, particularly
in reference to an alleged quote Hitler made regarding the Armenians.

It was declared by many genocide scholars that a week before the
invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, Hitler asked, “Who speaks
today of the extermination of Armenians?”

According to a 2013 Midwestern Quarterly article by Hannibal Travis,
it is indeed possible that–as many have argued–the quote from Hitler
did not actually happen or was embellished in some way by historians.

Irregardless, Travis notes that the several parallels between the
Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust are transparent.

Both utilized the concept of ethnic “cleaning” or “cleansing”.

According to Travis, “While the Young Turks implemented a ‘clean
sweep of internal enemies–the indigenous Christians,’ according to
the then-German ambassador in Constantinople…Hitler himself used
‘cleaning’ or ‘cleansing’ as a euphemism for extermination”.

Travis goes on to note that even if Hitler’s infamous quote about
the Armenians never actually transpired, the inspiration he and the
Nazi party gained from the various facets of the Armenian Genocide
are undeniable.

2. What Happened During the Armenian Genocide?

<img
src=”//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Armenians_marched_by_Turkish_soldiers%2C_1915.png”
alt=”Armenians marched by Turkish soldiers, 1915″ width=”512″ />

The Armenian Genocide officially began April 24, 1915. During
this time, the Young Turks had recruited a deadly organization of
individuals that were sent to persecute the Armenians. The makeup of
this group included murderers and ex-convicts, among others. According
to History, one of the officers instructed called the atrocities
about to occur, “…the liquidation of the Christian elements.”

The genocide played out in the following ways:

Armenians were forcibly removed from their homes and sent on “death
marches” which involved treks through the Mesopotamian desert without
food or water. Marchers were often stripped naked and forced to walk
until dropping dead. Those that stopped for reprieve or respite were
shot Drowning of Armenians in rivers Forcing Armenians off of cliffs
Crucification and burning

The only Armenians spared were those subject to conversion and/or
abuse. Some children of genocide casualties were kidnapped and forced
to convert to Islam; these children were to be raised in the home of
a Turkish family. Some Armenian women were raped and forced to serve
as slaves in Turkish “harems.”

1. Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide

<img class=” wp-image-12832″
src=””
alt=”The 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will take place
April 23-24 in 2015. This is the Armenia Genocide Memorial in Yerevan,
Armenia” width=”505″ height=”681″ />

The 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will take place April
23-24 in 2015. This is the Armenia Genocide Memorial in Yerevan,
Armenia

Asaf Eliason / Shutterstock.com

The 100th anniversary of the brutal holocaust that took place in
1915 is approaching, and international efforts to commemorate the
victims and their families are being made. According to ARMENPRESS,
the first official event commemorating the 100th anniversary will
be held at Florida Atlantic University in southern Florida. The
event will include Boston’s Sayat Nova Dance Company as a VIP guest
in Boca Raton. ARMENPRESS states that the company’s mission is to
“…preserve Armenian culture and foster its dissemination.”

On the west coast, Los Angeles councilman Paul Kerkorian will be
accepting art submissions for an art contest commemorating the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian genocide. according to West Side Today,
Kerkorian stated that the contest “…is a way to honor the history of
the genocide and to highlight the promise of our future.” He continued,
“I hope artists and students who care about human rights will
participate and help commemorate the Armenian people’s resilience.”

Abroad, the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Australia has
officially launched its #OnThisDay campaign, which will focus on
honoring those affected by the Armenian Genocide. According to Asbarez,
“ANC Australia has compiled an extensive catalogue of these newspaper
clippings from Australian archives, including from the Australian,
the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Argus and other notable
publications of the day, and will be releasing them on a daily basis
via ANC Australia’sFacebook page.”

ANC Australia’s Executive Director, Vache Kahramanian, noted that
the information being released will include a litany of articles
detailing the “horrors” of the Armenian Genocide along with reports
on Australia’s humanitarian efforts during that time.

According to Today’s Zaman, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
“…sent invitations to the leaders of 102 states whose soldiers
fought in World War I, inviting them to attend an event commemorating
the anniversary that is scheduled to take place on April 23-24,”
the same time that the Armenians will gather to commemorate the 100th
anniversary of the genocide experienced from the Ottoman Empire. The
invitation was met with offense by Armenian citizens who viewed it as
“ill-natured,” “a joke,” and a “political maneuver” on Erdogan’s part.

From: Baghdasarian

IRAN HELPS AZERBAIJAN TO SETTLE THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 12 2015

12 February 2015 – 3:54pm

Cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan will contribute to a peaceful
settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
Iran’s Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Azerbaijan
Mohsen Pak Ayeen said.

Emphasizing Iran’s commitment to a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict through peaceful means, Pak Ayeen said that the strengthening
of the relations between the two countries will contribute to peace,
stability and development in the region, Trend reports.

The Iranian minister said that Azerbaijan’s Minister of Communications
and High Technologies Ali Abbasov will pay a visit to Tehran on
February, 23-24 to take part in the meeting of the Non-Aligned
Movement.

The diplomat noted that during this visit the Azerbaijani minister
will hold a number of meetings with Iranian officials, emphasizing
that this visit will allow the relations between Iran and Azerbaijan
to be strengthened even more.

From: Baghdasarian

TURKISH PRESIDENT ERDOGAN PRESENTS CUBA MOSQUE PROJECT TO CASTRO

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Feb 12 2015

HAVANA

Although Cuban officials have already agreed with Saudi Arabia for
the construction of a mosque in Havana, Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan has told Cuban President Raul Castro that Ankara would like to
conduct its own project similar to Istanbul’s iconic Ortaköy mosque
in another Cuban province.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with Castro in Havana on Feb. 11,
Erdogan said Cuban officials had already made an agreement with Saudi
Arabia for the construction of a mosque in Havana.

“We want to build the mosque ourselves. We don’t want a partner. If
you find it appropriate, we would like to build it in Havana. But if
you have promised a Havana mosque to other people, then we can build
our Ortaköy Mosque in another Cuban province,” Erdogan quoted himself
as saying to Castro.

Mustafa Tutkun, the vice general manager of Turkey’s Directorate of
Religious Affairs (Diyanet), announced in November 2014 that Ankara
had been negotiating with Cuban officials to build a mosque on two
hectares of land in Havana’s historic center. The Diyanet had proposed
the construction of a mosque similar to the picturesque Ortaköy
Mosque in Istanbul, which was built by Ottoman Armenian architects
Garabet and Nigogayos Balyan in 1856.

Erdogan added on Feb. 11 that “Cuban officials have no negative
attitude” regarding the issue, stressing that the Turkish Cooperation
and Coordination Agency (TÄ°KA), as well as the Diyanet, will finalize
the deal.

He also said he recommended combining Cuba’s culture and tourism
ministries to Castro, like Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development
Party (AKP) did. “Then, Cuba’s tourism revenues can be used in
cultural projects,” Erdogan said, adding that Castro agreed with him,
but jokingly responded that he was actually thinking about abolishing
both ministries.

The mosque that ‘Columbus saw’

The Turkish president hit international headlines in November when
he claimed that Christopher Columbus had seen a mosque in Cuba when
the first European explorer discovered the New World in 1492.

“Muslim sailors arrived at the shores of America in 1178. In his
diaries, Christopher Columbus referred to the presence of a mosque on
top of a mountain in Cuba,” Erdogan said on Nov. 15, 2014, speaking
at the closing ceremony of the first Latin American Muslim Leaders
summit in Istanbul.

Dr. Youssef Mroueh of the as-Sunnah Foundation of America had
publicized the claim about a pre-Columbian mosque in Cuba, writing
in 1996: “Columbus admitted in his papers that on Monday, Oct. 21,
1492 CE while his ship was sailing near Gibara on the north-east
coast of Cuba, he saw a mosque on top of a beautiful mountain.”

Some Muslim scholars aside, the same diary entry is widely understood
as a metaphoric reference to a protuberance on the summit of a mountain
that resembled a mosque’s dome or minaret.

February/12/2015

From: Baghdasarian

THE OSCE MG SUPPORT ARMENIA – ROUNDTABLE

Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijan
February 10, 2015 Tuesday

There is not any progress in the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict, and the OSCE Minsk Group is not a mediator, but a
messenger. This idea sounded a refrain on 10 February roundtable on
the topic: “The OSCE Minsk Group: hopelessness or limited mandate”,
organized by the Society of Humanitarian Studies.

“The settlement of the Karabakh conflict is a hostage of the OSCE
Minsk Group. It operates under a UN mandate, but does not comply with
UN Security Council resolutions, said political scientist Mubariz
Ahmedoglu.

Experts consider it important to change the format of the Institute
co-chairing the Minsk Group and its composition. There was a need for
representation in the OSCE Minsk Group in Germany and Turkey. The
agenda of the settlement of the conflict should be determined in
accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.

“The activities of the OSCE Minsk Group is only aimed at reducing
the risk of war,” said Ilgar Velizade. According to him, the Minsk
Group is unable to change the status quo. “If it cannot do this,
it must change the format of the OSCE Minsk Group,” said the head
of the Society for Humanitarian Studies Avaz Hasanov. However, some
experts believe that the change in MG format will not work.

“The Minsk Group is managed by three countries – the US, France and
Russia. If these countries do not want to settle, then there is no
point in changing the format, increasing the number of co-chairs,
” said a member of parliament, political scientist Rasim Musabekov.

“After the meeting of the presidents in Kazan (June 2011) there
are not any new proposals. Now there are no negotiations, and
conversations. Azerbaijan wants to specific line-item discussion on
the peace agreement. However, it implies territorial integrity and
liberation of the occupied territories. Therefore, Armenia delays
the talks,” said the analyst.

Political analyst Zardusht Alizadeh believes that Armenia is supported
by countries co-chairs: ” from Russia – the military support , from
America – financial, and from France – political. And Azerbaijan is
offered to compromise with Armenia,” said Alizadeh.

“International law – are the UN resolution. Within the country it
provides for the recognition of voting rights, freedoms. You cannot
win surrendering native lands, and

be engaged in trade oil and gas in Baku. It is impossible to liberate
Karabakh by the current information policy, the current programs
of Azerbaijani television. Azerbaijan does not want to settle
the conflict. If this were the case, then the NGO’s would not be
suppressed,” said Alizade. -03C-

From: Baghdasarian

PASSPORT DILEMMA FOR GEORGIANS AND ARMENIANS IN JAVAKHETI

Georgia Today, Georgia
Feb 12 2015

by Zaza Jgharkava

In the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of southern Georgia the passport issue
has become something of a hot topic. When ethnic Armenians with dual
citizenship received notification from the Ministry of Justice recently
which cancelled their Georgian citizenship, they found themselves being
forced to choose between keeping the citizenship of their historical
homeland or permanently taking on that of the country to which they
became citizens upon their application several years previously. For
the 2009-2013 (June 30) period, the number of such citizens is 2380.

The situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti increased in intensity last year
when the Georgian government tightened the visa policy about citizens
of foreign countries and restricted the permitted period of presence
in the country to 180 days. The government explained the stricter visa
policy as a consequence of the signing of the Associaiton Agreement
between the European Union and Georgia. However, before the signing of
the Agreement, the Law on the Citizenship of Georgia already stated
that a person should give up citizenship of Georgia when taking on
another foreign citizenship. Thus, the passport dilemma in Javakheti
has nothing to do with the EU Association Agreement and in fact began
much further back.

On February 26, 2007, the Parliament of the Armenian Republic adopted
a legislative pack on dual citizenship. Many ethnic Armenian citizens
of Georgia used the law to take Armenian passports, allowing them to
easily cross the Russian border where they found work illegally.

Sarkis Merabyan, residing in Diliski village of Akhalkalaki
district, already has Armenian citizenship. To achieve that,
he filed an application in Yerevan, provided copies of birth and
wedding certificates certified in Georgia, then gave evidence of
his history, his work contract and eight photos to the Foreign
Ministry. Following that, he paid the official fee in a bank and
received Armenian citizenship two months later. “I was interested in
receiving Armenian citizenship since it makes it easier to get into
Russia. My friends left this way and easily entered Russia [There
is no-visa regime between Yerevan and Moscow]: they simply bought a
ticket at the airport, got their visa in their passport and that was
it. This is why I want dual citizenship,” Merabyan told Guria Moambe.

The law adopted in Yerevan did not only have ethnic grounds,
something which became clear after the law was adopted following
the 2008 August War. Alex Nebadze from Akhaltsikhe expressed his
wish to receive Armenian citizenship. He applied to the Ministry of
Justice in Yerevan but was rejected. “I lived in Russia illegally
for 14 years. I arrived in Georgia before the August events [2008]
and now I cannot return there. I received an invitation from my wife
twice but the situation between the two countries is very tense. I
tried to register in Armenia but I was rejected. They told me that
citizenship can only be granted to the Armenian citizens of Georgia,”
Nebadze told Guria Moambe.

After the occupation of the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine, the Kremlin
made it easier for non-Georgians wanting to go to Russia to get there.

Through the Embassy of Switzerland in Georgia, a simplified process of
issuing Russian citizenship documents to ethnic Armenians living in
Samtskhe-Javakheti and other Russian-speaking populations of Georgia
began. Many experts openly state that handing Russian passports to
ethnic Armenians in Javakheti is a sign that after stabilizing the
situation in Ukraine, the Kremlin will try to ignite a large-scale
conflict between Georgia and Armenia. Political analyst Soso Tsintsadze
is certain that if not for the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin would start
military actions in Javakheti. “This is a classic example of justifying
occupation. This is what Hitler did when he granted passports to
Sudeten Germans before World War II, and then asked the Czechs to
give up the territory. Our case is similar. I find the presence of
thousands of Russian citizens on Georgian territory very dangerous,
as several doctrines of Russia directly envisage the deployment of
troops in order to protect their citizens. A small simple provocation
would be enough to be considered as harmful to an ethnic Armenian
citizen of Russia and as a justification for Russia to bring down
its army to protect its citizens,” Tsintsadze told news agency GHN.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that, for many
Armenians living in Javakheti, rejecting Russian citizenship means
rejecting the small income that they might make in Russia. Therefore,
the Georgian Dream government should look for the solution to this
dilemma from an economic perspective. Otherwise, it will face mass
protests in Javakheti, with unpredictable results.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA TO BE REPRESENTED BY NEW GROUP AND IN NEW FORMAT AT EUROVISION SONG CONTEST-2015

21:33, 11 February, 2015

YEREVAN, 11 FEBRUARY ARMENPRESS. Eurovision Song Contest-2015 will be
held in Vienna with the slogan “Building Bridges” on May 19th, 21st and
23rd. Staying true to the slogan for this year, inspired by the idea
of the Forget Me Not (symbol of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide) and guided by the desire of several Diaspora Armenians who
have always supported Armenia’s representatives at Eurovision Song
Contest, the creative group at Armenian Public Television decided to
present a new format at the contest.

As the Department of Public Relations of First Channel told
“Armenpress”, attaching importance to the idea of peace, unity and
tolerance, the creative group at Armenian Public Television has decided
to bring together representatives of the new generation of Armenians
scattered across five continents (Europe, Asia, America, Africa,
Australia) in 1915. The group will include five Armenian singers. The
number goes along with the five petals of the Forget Me Not flower,
and another participant will join the group and bring the “petals”
together. The group to be formed for the contest will be called
“Genealogy”, including 6 artists, 6 destinies and 1 story.

The song is entitled “Don’t Deny”. The name of the first member of
the group “Genealogy” will be announced on February 16th.

From: Baghdasarian

NEWLY APPOINTED US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA: FIRST DAY IN OFFICE

10:27, 12 February, 2015

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS: The newly appointed US Ambassador
to Armenia Richard Mills is already in Armenia and got to his
responsibilities in the office. Armenpress reports that the Embassy
of the United States of America congratulated in its twitter blog the
Ambassador on the occasion of the first day in the office. “First day
of the Ambassador Mills in the office. Welcome”, – says the Embassy
in its twitter blog.

The graduates of the exchange programs of the US Government
sent a welcome video message to Richard Mills. Via its Facebook
page the Embassy suggests not missing the opportunity to dine
with Mills, preparing a 30-second video, continuing the sentence
“Barev (Hello), Rick Mills. Together we can…” and sending it to
[email protected].

As it was earlier reported by Asbarez, President Barack Obama nominated
Richard M. Mills, Jr. as his pick to become the US Ambassador to
Armenia, the White House announced. If confirmed by the Senate,
Mills replaced Ambassador John Heffern. Mills was Deputy Chief of
Mission at the U.S. Embassy Beirut, where he began his tour in 2012.

Richard Mills assumed the role of Charge d’Affaires of the U.S.

Embassy in Malta, ad interim, in June 2011. Since August 2010, he
had been serving as the Deputy Chief of Mission for the Embassy.

Mills joined the Foreign Service in 1988, serving at Embassy Paris as a
consular officer, then as staff aide to the Ambassador. He returned to
Washington to join the Soviet Desk, eventually becoming desk officer
for the newly independent Armenia and Azerbaijan, followed by a tour
as a political officer at the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia.

>From 1996-98 Mills served in the Executive Secretariat, followed by a
tour as economic officer at Embassy Dublin from 1998-2001. Subsequent
tours included Political Advisor at the U.S. Mission to the UN;
Deputy Political Counselor at Embassy Islamabad; and Energy Attache
and Acting Economic Counselor at Embassy Riyadh. Rick was Political
Counselor at Embassy London from 2006-2009.

Immediately prior to his Valletta assignment, Mills served as the
Senior Democracy Advisor at Embassy Baghdad, where he managed $325
million in State Department democracy and human rights programs.

Mills is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign
Service. He also holds a law degree from the University of Texas School
of Law and received a Masters Degree in International Security Affairs
from the National Defense University in 2005. Prior to joining the
Foreign Service, Rick practiced law in Washington D.C.

Mills is married to Leigh Carter, a retired Foreign Service Officer.

Rick’s foreign languages are French and Russian.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION MP’S LAND PROPERTY BILL REJECTED

11:47 * 12.02.15

The Armenian cabinet on Thursday rejected an opposition lawmaker’s
bill raising land property demands.

In the draft law proposed, Zaruhi Postanjyan (Heritage parliamentary
faction) condemned the occupation of Armenian lands by Turkey and
the Great Dispossession of Armenians.

Justifying the executive’s position, a deputy minister of foreign
affairs, Shavarsh Kocharyan, described the initiatives as untimely.

The bill will be sent to the National Assembly for further
consideration.

From: Baghdasarian