Author: Hambardsumian Paul

Azeri police disperse rally protesting at Hungarian sentence on officer
ANS TV, Baku
14 Apr 06
The Azerbaijani police have broken up a rally in Baku in protest
against the life sentence handed down by the Hungarian court on
Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, the Azerbaijani private TV channel
ANS reported on 14 April. Safarov was charged with killing Armenian
officer Gurgen Markaryan during a NATO course in Budapest in February
2004.
In remarks to ANS TV on 14 April, the chairman of the Karabakh
Liberation Organization, Akif Nagi, who was among the protesters,
said: “Our position is that an injustice has been done to Ramil
Safarov, Azerbaijani citizen. Armenians bought the Hungarian court
with money. We demand that the unfair sentence handed down on Ramil
Safarov be changed. We will continue our protests.”
Police officer Sarvar Huseynov told the TV that “the police must
prevent any illegal protest. If they had permission, we would
guarantee their security”.
Protesters gathered in central Baku on the morning of 14 April,
demanding the repeal of the sentence and chanting freedom to
Safarov. However, they met with resistance from the police. Akif Nagi
and another person were detained.

TMCNet
April 14 2006
Canceled USC event featuring Turkish ambassadors draws controversy
(Comtex Business Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)LOS ANGELES, Apr 13,
2006 (Daily Trojan, U-WIRE via COMTEX) –An event at the University
of Southern California Center for Public Diplomacy featuring two
former ambassadors from Turkey was canceled late March, days before
its scheduled date, amid complaints and controversy about its
intended subject. Former Turkish ambassadors Gunduz Aktan and Omer
Lutem were scheduled to speak at USC to coincide with their visit to
Los Angeles, Calif., for an event at the Los Angeles World Affairs
Council.
The event was canceled, however, after administrators at the USC
Center for Public Diplomacy realized that the original topic of the
event had been changed, said Joshua Fouts, director of the center.
“When we first scheduled the event, it was described as an event
about Turkish civil society and Armenian relations,” Fouts said. “The
final description that was e-mailed described the event as a
discussion about the genocide.”
But despite the official reason given by USC, members of both the
Turkish and Armenian communities in Los Angeles expressed differing
opinions regarding USC’s decision.
Days before the event was scheduled to occur, members of the Armenian
community, including the Western region office of the Armenian
National Committee of America, sent a letter to Fouts encouraging the
university to cancel the event.
In the letter, Steven Dadaian, chairman of the ANCA Western region
office, wrote that the event would provide a forum for the Turkish
ambassadors to make false statements and deny historical facts about
the Armenian genocide.
“(Genocide) denial is a deliberate misrepresentation of fact and a
scientific fraud which must not be tolerated by the university,”
Dadaian wrote. “This panel will undoubtedly be considered an
extremely offensive event which disrespects the rights and dignity of
not only your students but to all the hundreds of thousands who are
the victims and surviving children of the Armenian Genocide.”
The letter went on to warn Fouts that “if USC chooses to proceed with
this program, our organization will be forced to take further action
to protest the University’s complicity in providing a forum for
genocide deniers.”
The letter to the university was written because “we didn’t want
these (genocide) deniers to have this platform in front of students,”
said Armen Carapetian, director of the ANCA-Western Region.
“(Aktan and Lutem) were going to talk about the Turkish perspective,
but the world community has already acknowledged that the Armenian
genocide occurred. All they have to do is throw a shadow of doubt
into it and confuse people,” Carapetian said.
One former student, who is Turkish, responded to the cancellation
with an e-mail of his own.
In the e-mail sent to USC administrators March 30, Evren Ugurbas,
former president of the USC Turkish Students Association, accused the
university of violating free speech and buckling to political
pressure for canceling the event during which the ambassadors were to
discuss Turkish-Armenian relations.
In the e-mail, Ugurbas wrote that the cancellation of the event,
which had been planned and scheduled by the USC Center for Public
Diplomacy, “was a grave and embarrassing mistake (the university)
made by cowardly resorting to censorship under partisan pressure by
local activists.”
The Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles scheduled the event with the USC
Center for Public Diplomacy, which “enthusiastically welcomed our
efforts,” said Engin Ansay, Consul General of Turkey in Los Angeles.
The purpose of the event, Ansay said, was to promote positive
relationships between the Turkish and Armenian communities by
discussing the long-debated Armenian genocide and “how best to remedy
the situation and shed light on this dark period in history.”
Turkish Consul General Ansay said, “It was not an exercise in Turkish
propaganda. We’re just trying to find a dialogue. There can be a
fruitful cooperation between the Turkish and Armenian communities,”
he said.
Ansay said that the consulate was surprised to hear from USC
informing it of the cancellation.
“We were astonished, flabbergasted, because where is the freedom of
speech? It was a big blow to everyone who heard about it. USC is a
respectable institution but we regret that it happened,” he said.
But Carapetian said that USC had been misinformed about the event.
“I think that they had heard from one side, and it was our
responsibility to let our community know and weigh in on the subject.
It was freedom of expression on our side,” he said.
In a press release posted on ANCA’s Web site, the organization
applauded the university for the cancellation, stating that “(t)he
quick action to draw attention to this issue by many groups and
individuals resulted in the ultimate cancellation once USC officials
were made aware of the real intent of the event.”
But Fouts said the Armenian community’s efforts had no bearing on the
center’s ultimate decision to cancel.
Instead, the reason behind the cancellation dealt with the relevance
of the intended discussion to the Center for Public Diplomacy’s
mission, he said.
“We have a great relationship with the Turkish Consulate, but we
can’t afford to host an event not central to public diplomacy,” he
said. “At the same time that we realized this, the Armenian community
was contacting us about it. As much as the Armenian community would
like to take credit for (the cancellation), it was just a
coincidence.”
Regardless of the reasons behind the cancellation, Armenian students
were satisfied with USC’s decision.
“They tried to change the topic before anyone realized it,” said
Nerses Ohanyan, a senior majoring in aerospace engineering and a
member of the Armenian Student Association. “But I’m very glad that
this event didn’t happen regardless of the reasons.”
Ugurbas, the Turkish former student who wrote the e-mail to
administrators, expressed concern that opposing viewpoints could not
be considered.
“(The Armenians) are talking, and we are listening. But we also want
to reflect our opinion. In a community like this we should understand
each other,” he said.
72137.htm

IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE WILL BE BUILT IRRESPECTIVE OF WHICH COUNTRY IT WILL BELONG TO: ARMENIAN PM
Yerevan, April 12. ArmInfo. Iran-Armenia gas pipeline will be built
irrespective of which country it will belong to, Armenian Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan said at the Parliament, Wednesday.
He said the CJSC ArmRosgazprom is to supply gas to Armenian consumers
irrespective of its form of ownership and belonging. The prime
minister assured parliamentarians that the sale of the 5th power unit
of Hrazdan TPP and the construction of Iran-Armenian gas pipeline
are not related. The first line of this gas pipeline from Meghri to
Kajaran is currently built, the construction of the second one from
Kajaran to Yerevan is planned for the current year as well. The funding
of the second line is currently under consideration. The capacity of
Iran-Armenian gas pipeline will amount to 2.2 billion cubic meters of
gas annually, which is adequate to the Russian gas supply to Armenia,
the prime minister said.
In his turn, Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan assured parliamentarians
that the gas pipeline Iran-Armenia will remain the property of
Armenia. As regards the price of the 5th power unit of Hrazdan TPP –
$250 million – it depends on the technical and economic parameters
of the unit’s construction project. A gas turbine will be installed
on the unit, and its capacity will amount to 440 megawatt. It will
reduce the use of fuel equivalent to 250 grams. For example, the
minister said that the operating four power units of Hrazdan TPP were
transferred to Russia for $31 million as they use 400 grams of fuel.
In his turn, Serge Sargsyan, Minister of Defense, Armenian
Co-chairman of the Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission, told
parliamentarians that starting from 2000, Russia was setting touch
conditions for construction of the 5th power unit of Hrazdan TPP. In
particular, Russia demanded the sale of the electricity generated by
the unit or repayment of the investments within few years. It was
unfavorable for Armenia, which was delaying the transaction. This
year, Russia set no conditions and Armenia agreed to sell the power
unit to Gazprom, S. Sargsyan said.

CIA ACKNOWLEDGED EXISTENCE OF SECRET OVERSEAS JAILS
PanARMENIAN.Net
14.04.2006 21:13 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ CIA Director John Negroponte has for the first time
publicly acknowledged the existence of CIA ran secret jails where Al
Qaeda terrorist are kept. In an interview with Time Magazine Negroponte
said that three dozen or so of the worst al-Qaeda terrorists held in
secret CIA prisons are likely to remain in captivity as long as the
“war on terror continues.” He added, “These people are being held.
And they’re bad actors. And as long as this situation continues,
this war on terror continues, I’m not sure I can tell you what the
ultimate disposition of those detainees will be.”
To remind, the information on the existence of CIA secret overseas
jails appeared last September in the Washington Post. According
to the newspaper, the CIA keeps there the suspects in ties with
al-Qaeda. Later the European Parliament has formed a special commission
for investigating the fact. The commission concluded that the planes
conveying the suspects in terror have crossed Europe. They made
intermediate flight stops in the European airports, specifically in
the UK, Germany, Spain, Poland and Romania. Then the criminals were
taken to the third states where the jurisdiction of the U.S. and
Europe is invalid.
According to European Parliament representative, the number of the
CIA flying jails reaches hundreds or even thousands. However, it’s
very hard to fix them.
It should be noted that the conclusions of the commission coincide
with the data furnished by some legal organizations including Amnesty
International, reported Golos Rossii.

ARMENIAN PRODUCTION EXHIBITION AND ARMENIAN-IRANIAN BUSINESS FORUM TO BE HELD IN MAZANDARAN ON MAY 12-14
Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. An exhibition of Armenian production
and an Armenian-Iranian business forum will be organized in the Iranian
province of Mazandaran on May 12-14. Executive Director of the RA
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) told NT correspondent about
it. In his words, the business forum participants will discuss issues
of setting up joint ventures for fish food production, agricultural
machinery assembly, dried fruit equipment, agricultural produce
processing, building material production, tourism, public catering and
consumer services. With the aim of promoting the activities of such
joint ventures, he underlined the necessity to create intermediary,
information investment infrastructures, which will allow to form
a system for implementation of Armenian-Iranian microecnomic
programs. S. Hovakimian noted that the second Armenian-Iranian
economic forum will be held in Yerevan on June 13-14, during which
it is envisaged to discuss issues related to terms of setting up a
joint investment fund and measures aimed at softening the mutual trade
terms. Executive director of the RA CCI said that the Armenian side
received an invitation to participate in an international universal
exhibition to be held in May in the port of Enzeli that was declared
a free economic zone. The Iranian side expressed a willingness
to allocate free pavilions of 500 square meters for 10 Armenian
enterprises. Besides, the Armenian side was offered to occupy a
total exhibition area of 5 thousand sq.m. during this event. The RA
CCI has chosen 50-60 enterprises in information technologies sector,
agricultural processing, machine-building, fishing industry and other
spheres for participation in this exhibition.

MARTIN SARGSIAN RE-ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Noyan Tapan
Apr 13 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues related to elections of the
management of the RA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), amendments
to the CCI Regulations, and approval of the 2006-2010 strategy of
its activities were on the agenda of the 3rd special congress of
the RA Chamber of Commerce and Industry that took place on April
12. CCI Executive Director Samvel Hovakimian told NT correspondent
that the program on construction of a new exhibition center of the
RA CCI to be built in Yerevan, as well as program measures, were
presented during the congress. According to S. Hovakimian, Martin
Sargsian was re-elected Chairman of the RA Chamber of Commerce and
Industry at the congress. Head of the RA CCI Staff Kim Galoyan said
that the amendments to the CCI Regulations were made in compliance
with the new edition (June 2005) of the Law on Chambers of Commerce
and Industry in the RA. According to the new Regulations, the RA CCI
may have honorary members who participate in its activities with
the right of deliberative vote. Besides, it was stipulated that
the RA CCI chairmanship may express no confidence in the regional
CCI chairmans and chairmanships in the event they break their
regulations. In such cases, a congress shall be convened within
two months after no confidence is expressed, with new elections of
chairman and chairmanship to be held. K. Galoyan noted that under
the new edition of the Law on Chambers of Commerce and Industry
in the RA, regional chambers of commerce and industry are reserved
the right to open their offices abroad. Regional CCI may also have
their courts of arbitration, just as the RA CCI. The regulations
and file keeping orders of arbitration courts are approved by the RA
CCI Chairaman. According to the law, term of office of chairmen and
chairmanships of the RA CCI and regional CCI is 5 year instead of the
previous 3-year term of office. Congresses of the RA CCI and regional
CCI shall be convened at least every 5 years instead of every 3 years
as was required previously.

APPOINTMENTS FOR US VISA INTERVIEWS NOW MADE BY PHONE
ArmRadio.am
13.04.2006 14:03
Applicants for non-immigrant visas to the United States may now
save time by scheduling their non-immigrant visa interviews by
telephone, instead of making a trip to the Consular Section of the
US Embassy. Visa applicants may call (374-10) 49-46-86 any workday
between the hours of 3:00 and 5:00 pm to schedule their non-immigrant
visa interview, effective immediately. Applicants do not have to
make the call personally, but the person calling must have all needed
information available.
When scheduling an interview appointment by phone, callers should
have the applicant’s passport in hand and be ready to provide
the applicant’s name, passport number and passport expiration
date. Interview appointments will not be given to those whose passports
will not be valid for a minimum of six months from the date they
plan to enter the United States. Likewise, applicants must have
an Armenian exit permit valid for three months in order to receive
an interview time. Applicants must present a completed application
form at the time of their interview Beginning May 1, interviews can
be scheduled only by telephone, and it will no longer be possible to
make an appointment in person at the embassy. No visa applicants will
be interviewed without appointments.

BILL ENVISAGING TO ERECT MONUMENT TO ENVER-PASHA IN BAKU SQUARE SUBMITTED TO AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 11 2006
ISTANBUL, APRIL 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Kudret
Hasankuliyev, one of the leaders of the People’s Front opposition
party of Azerbaijan, submitted a bill to the country’s parliament
demanding that a monument to one of the chief organizers of the
Armenian Genocide, Enver-pasha be erected in Baku square. According
to the “Marmara” daily of Istanbul, the Azeri parliamentary deputy
“motivated” his proposal saying that it was Enver-pasha who saved
the Azeri people “from the genocide committed by the Armenians”. The
Azerbaijani parliamentarian demanded that the country’s government
remove the monuments to Lenin and other Soviet leaders in Baku and
erect a monument to Dede Korkut in their place. Oktay Asadov, Speaker
of the Azerbaijani parliament, submitted the proposals for discussion
to the respective parliamentary commission.

PARLIAMENT HEARINGS ON KARABAKH CONFLICT PLANNED IN STEPANAKERT
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2006 00:53 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Hearings on the Karabakh Issue: Prospects of
Settlement will be held at the National Assembly (NA) of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic (NKR) on April 21, reported Chair of the NKR NA
Standing Commission on External Relations Vahram Atanesyan. In
his words, the parliamentary hearings are due to the latest
activation of international mediators on settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh issue. Under the current conditions all political forces
that are represented in the NKR Parliament need to present their
clear stand over the matter of resolution of the issue, Atanesyan
remarked. Invitations to take part in the session are sent to Chair
of the Armenian NA Standing Commission on External Relations Armen
Rustamyan, a number of political scientists and experts of Armenia,
reports De Facto.

The AKP and Other Turkish Islamists Attempt to Block Secular General
From Top Military Post
MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE (MEMRI)
April 11, 2006
Special Dispatch Series – No. 1136
Despite three military coups in the past decades, the Turkish military
is the most respected and trusted institution in the country, as the
guardian and guarantor of the legacy of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk – a
pro-Western, secular Turkish republic.
But in the view of Turkey’s Islamists, a strong and hawkish chief of
general staff would pose a threat to their efforts to move Turkey from
secularism to Islamism.
Turkish military commander Gen. Mehmet Yasar Buyukanit, an outspoken and
tough-on-terrorism anti-Islamist, is expected to become the next chief
of general staff in August 2006. Since last year, a campaign has been
waged to tarnish Gen. Buyukanit’s reputation, in order to block him from
this post.
First in this campaign were allegations, spread through various
websites, that Gen. Buyukanit was not a “pureblood” Turk, but had
Sabbatean Jewish elements in his family tree. It was claimed on these
websites that, in accordance with the traditions of Sabbateans, he had
wed his daughter to a “certified” Sabbatean. One Islamist website posted
a long list of names and citizenship identification numbers of members
of Gen. Buyukanit’s family tree, to “prove” that he was not a “real”
Turk. [1] The site’s homepage heading challenged Gen. Buyukanit: “If you
have any courage, prove to us that you are not a Jewish donme [i.e. a
crypto-Jew; Sabbatean convert to Islam]!” [2]
Then, in early March 2006 came an indictment against him in the matter
of the November 9, 2005 bombing of a bookshop in the mainly Kurdish town
of Semdinli, owned by a former Kurdish member of the PKK. [3]
The charges against Gen. Buyukanit were prepared by the assistant
district attorney for the city of Van, prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya who in
October 2005 had charged and incarcerated Professor Yucel Askin,
president of Yuzuncu Yil University (YYU) in Van [4] who was known for
stopping the Islamist activities in the university.
The charges against Gen. Buyukanit created a political storm in Turkey.
The military called the charges an assault by a certain sect of
Islamists on the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), and hinted that the
followers of Turkish Islamist leader Fethullah Gulen [5] and some AKP
members were involved.
Subsequently, on March 23, the Turkish media reported on the removal of
Turkish Security Directorate intelligence chief Sabri Uzun for
statements inferring that the military was behind the Semdinli events.
Then, a Justice Ministry investigation of Prosecutor Sarikaya found that
the charges against Gen. Buyukanit did not have “the required basis” for
prosecution.
The following are excerpts from the Turkish press’ coverage of the crisis:
“First the Rector, Now the General”
Columnist Bekir Coskun of the secular mainstream Turkish daily Hurriyet
wrote: [6] “The rift is deepening between the [AKP] government and all
the concepts and institutions that are defending the secular republic.
Now the lines are clearer, the attitudes are stronger, [and] the attacks
are more frequent. The religionist [i.e. the Islamist] has abandoned his
calm, softer attitude. The game is over. […] ‘First the rector, now the
general…’ Accusations directed at Gen. Yasar Buyukanit – who is expected
to become chief of general staff in the coming period – is where we have
got to, following the [AKP government’s] purge of thousands of secular
Ataturk followers from government positions. It seems that the armed
forces commanders are next in line.”
In an op-ed titled “The Goal is to Wear Gen. Buyukanit Down,” columnist
Mehmet Y. Yilmaz of Hurriyet wrote: [7] “[…] First they spread lies
about the ethnic origins of Gen. Buyukanit’s family [alleging
Sabbatean/Jewish ancestry]. […] Now on the agenda is the Van
prosecutor’s charge that ‘Buyukanit attempted to influence the
judiciary.’ They base their accusation on what Gen. Buyukanit said about
a soldier allegedly involved in the Semdinli incident: ‘I know him, he
is a good guy.’ The rest of Buyukanit’s statement, ‘Whether he is guilty
or not will be determined by the investigation,’ has been omitted for
some reason. […]”
Columnist Meric Koyatasi of the secular, mainstream daily Aksam wrote:
[8] “[…] Even if it was not heard directly from the mouth of the
government, it is known that circles close to the [AKP] government are
trying to block Gen. Buyukanit. […] The prosecutor is famous for his
previous indictment of the rector of the university at Van [YYU
Professor] Yucel Askin, who had not permitted shari’a [advocates] to
organize on campus. […]
“Everybody already knows that certain circles want to peck at and erode
our military. These [circles] have worked and organized, secretly and
tirelessly, since the [1923] founding of the Republic [of Turkey] […]
Prejudice [in the judiciary] based on ideologies, beliefs, culture, and
form of education is very, very dangerous. […]”
In an article titled “Politics Meddle with the Military,” columnist Ali
Sirmen of the center-left, secular daily Cumhuriyet wrote: [9] “[…] It
is well known that in the process of re-shaping Turkey according to its
own ideology, the AKP government is targeting the military […] Gen.
Kemal Yavuz once clearly said, ‘The military has always been the
ultimate target of any government that based its existence on religion.’
[…]
“Let me underline some strange coincidences. It is well known that the
AKP government is not pleased with universities, especially Yuzuncu Yil
University at Van and its rector, Yucel Askin. Therefore, Van prosecutor
Ferhat Sarikaya appears onstage and prepares the indictment [against
Askin], which was rejected by most legal authorities. […] Everybody also
knows that some circles close to AKP feel uncomfortable with [future
chief of general staff] Gen. Buyukanit […]. [So, again, prosecutor]
Sarikaya prepares a terrible indictment against Buyukanit […]”
The Behind-the-Scenes Role of the AKP and Islamists
The question of who is behind the efforts to block Gen. Buyukanit from
the top military post has been on the Turkish media agenda since the
Semdinli indictment became public in early March 2006. The following are
excerpts from articles by Turkish columnists on this question:
“AKP Members are Overjoyed”
“Some AKP members were overjoyed with the Van prosecutor’s indictment
[of Gen. Buyukanit], which he [i.e. the prosecutor] sent to the military
prosecutor of the Office of General Staff for examination and investigation.
“The AKP MP from Adiyaman, Faruk Unsal, said: ‘[…] The indictment
prepared by the office of the Van prosecutor has done what we were
unable to do.’
“The AKP MP from Manisa, Hakan Tasci, said: ‘What we left unfinished is
now completed by the Van prosecutor.[…] He is right.” [10]
“The AKP and the Turkish Military”
“[…] Prime Minister Erdogan says, ‘This is a matter between the military
and the judiciary, to which the AKP is not a party in any way.’ […] In
reality, statements by AKP MPs show that AKP sides with the indictment
and with the prosecutor [who prepared it], and that they are happy about
the charges [against Gen. Buyukanit]. It would seem that anything that
wears down the armed forces makes the AKP happy. […] The reason the Land
Forces commander’s name appears in the indictment is the testimony
before the parliamentary investigation commission [investigating the
Semdinli incidents] by Diyarbakir businessman Mehmet Ali Altindag. [11]
Altindag was invited to testify before the commission by AKP MP Cavit
Torun of Diyarbakir. Cavit Torun was also formerly Altindag’s attorney
[when Altindag was accused of affiliation with Hizbullah].
“When the [Van] prosecutor demanded [only] the records of Altindag’s
testimony before the commission [out of the testimony of some 40
witnesses], it was again an AKP MP, Musa Savcioglu – chairman of the
Semdinli Commission – who [secretly] sent the confidential records to
the Van prosecutor [without informing the rest of the commission].[…]” [12]
Is the Investigation Against Gen. Buyukanit an AKP Retaliation for His
1983 Action [Against Islamist Leader Fethullah Gulen]?
“In 1983, [then-] Colonel Yasar Buyukanit was commander of the Kuleli
Military High School. [At that time] the newly organized community of
[Turkish Islamist sect leader] Fethullah [Gulen] – which is now very
widespread – managed to infiltrate [the Kuleli School, enrolling] 80 of
their students in it. These students would have become future
commanders! […] A disciplinary committee, of five officers headed by
Buyukanit, expelled all 80. […]
“Now, after the Van indictment, one cannot help asking: ‘Is this
retaliation [for Gen. Buyukanit’s 1983 action], by some Fethullah
followers who have been placed in high public positions by the AKP?'” [13]
“Fethullah Followers Who Targeted Gen. Buyukanit are Under AKP Umbrella”
“What could be the aim of the circles that want to wear down Gen. Yasar
Buyukanit? To create confusion in public opinion about Buyukanit, who is
a follower of [the principles of] Ataturk and a patriotic soldier…[…]
“The plot was led by Fethullah’s daily newspaper Zaman, and religionist
[i.e. Islamist] and divisive [separatist] websites… […] Some years ago,
Fethullah Gulen targeted [another military leader,] Air Force commander
Gen. Ahmet Corekci – because Gen. Corekci had identified, one by one,
Fethullah’s officers and NCOs in the Air Force… […]
“In those days in the residences of the Air Force base at Eskisehir, NCO
wives were wearing black burkahs, and a lieutenant colonel was kissing
the hands of his NCO because of the latter’s high position within the
[Fethullah] sect… Later it was Maltepe Armored Corps commander Gen.
Silahcioglu’s turn to be targeted.; Fethullah’s Zaman had reported
[falsely] that ‘Commander [Silahcioglu] destroyed the minarets of the
mosque…’ Gen. Silahcioglu was a follower of Ataturk, and a patriotic
soldier… Therefore, Fethullah [followers] were uncomfortable with him.
“Aren’t all the followers of the religionist baron [i.e. Fethullah
Gulen] who targeted Land Forces Commander Gen. Buyukanit – with no
evidence – under the umbrella of the AKP government? The Fethullahists
have the political power to influence the judiciary, direct the media,
and even intimidate bank owners by threatening that their followers
might withdraw all their funds from their banks… It is a fact that
Fethullahists know how to use their political and economic power very
well. They are experts in inserting their influence into the judiciary,
the police, politics and the economy [of the country] […]” [14]
Opposition Leader Baykal: “This Operation [Against the Military] was
Planned at the PM’s Office by his Staff Director”
“At a press conference, CHP (Republican People’s Party) Chairman Deniz
Baykal was asked to evaluate rumors that Omer Dincer, the staff director
of the office of Prime Minister Erdogan, was behind the Semdinli
indictment [i.e. of Gen. Buyukanit]. Baykal said: ‘The mentality of the
staff director of the Prime Minister’s Office is not one that respects
Turkey’s secular, democratic republic – as evidenced by his own
publications and acknowledgement. For some time in Turkey, there has
been an intentional and ongoing assault against the Republic’s
institutions and achievements. This operation is being planned at the
offices of the prime minister and his staff director.’ [15]
Justice Ministry for Disciplinary Action Against Prosecutor
“Justice Ministry inspectors sent to investigate Van prosecutor Ferhat
Sarikaya following his allegations against Gen. Yasar Buyukanit have
completed their report. The inspectors have called for disciplinary
action against Sarikaya, noting that his charges against Buyukanit ‘did
not have the required basis.'” [16]
NOTES
[1] (meaning in Turkish: nationaltreason.com).
[2] In Turkey, no member of a non-Muslim minority serves in uniform,
either in the military (beyond compulsory military service) or in any
security or police force. No non-Muslim is a member of the judiciary
(such as prosecutors, judges etc.) or holds any high-ranking position in
any government ministry (Eg. there is not a single non-Muslim Turkish
diplomat).
[3] PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party), a separatist Kurdish organization
which is listed in the U.S. list of terrorist organizations. Turkey’s
fight against PKK terrorism during the last three decades has resulted
in the death of over 30,000 Turkish citizens. Recently the PKK violence
has escalated in many towns in the mainly Kurdish Southeast of Turkey
and in Istanbul resulting in daily casualties.
[4] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 1014, “The AKP Government’s Attempt
to Move Turkey From Secularism to Islamism (Part I): The Clash With
Turkey’s Universities,” November 1, 2005,
amp;Area=turkey&ID=SP101405 .
[5] Fethullah Gulen is known to be a sworn proponent of shari’a and a
caliphate in Turkey, but has in recent years been a relatively moderate
voice advocating for interfaith dialogue (which is regarded as taqiyyah
by Turkey’s secularists and by many Western experts on Islam). Following
his indictment in Turkey for Islamist activity against the secular
regime, he fled to the U.S., where he has lived since 1999. His sect
owns many media organs in Turkey, including Zaman, Samanyolu TV, many
magazines, and radio stations. Many of his followers occupy positions in
Turkish government ministries, police, and military. There are thousands
of Islamic-Turkish Fethullah Gulen schools in Turkey and hundreds more
in over 70 countries worldwide, including Ukraine, Indonasia, South
Africa, Sudan, Australia, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Europe, Russia, and
the U.S.; the schools are built by his many foundations and the source
of their funding is unknown. In March 2006, two additional schools were
opened, one in Argentina and the other in Sudan; AKP Cabinet Minister
Kursad Tuzmen attended the inaugural ceremony in Sudan. It is believed
that during the last years of the communist Soviet Union, Fethullah
Gulen supporters created unrest in the Muslim communities in the north
of the Black Sea, against the Soviets.
[6] Hurriyet (Turkey), March 7, 2006.
[7] Hurriyet (Turkey), March 6, 2006.
[8] Aksam (Turkey) March 6, 2006.
[9] Cumhuriyet (Turkey), March 7, 2006.
[10] Hurriyet (Turkey), Mehmet Yilmaz, March 7, 2006.
[11] According to the Turkish media, the charges against Gen. Buyukanit
were based solely on Mehmet Ali Altindag’s testimony for the
parliamentary probe of the Semdinli events. Altindag (AKA “Hadji”), a
businessman from Diyarbakir owns a local newspaper and a local TV
channel, and has many times been charged for his alleged ties first with
the terrorist organization PKK and then with the Islamist Hizbullah. He
has been called Hizbullah’s “financier.” He has also won many government
tenders for multi-million government projects (see reports in Hurriyet,
March 20, 2006; Cumhuriyet, March 7, 2006).
[12] Yenicag (Turkey), Umit Ozdag, March 11, 2006.
[13] Hurriyet (Turkey) Emin Colasan, March 12, 2006. The article also
said: “Their investigation revealed that all these students had been
educated in Fethullah’s ‘houses of light,’ and while the brightest were
directed to universities to study law and political sciences to become
future judges, prosecutors, and bureaucrats, others were sent to
military high schools with the goal of [eventually] holding positions in
the Turkish Armed Forces. The Kuleli [School] then determined the
addresses of the said ‘houses of light’ and informed the police; the
police took no action. (Today, there are tens of thousands of such
houses of light all over Turkey. They house and feed their students,
[and] assign them ‘mentor brothers’ to educate them. All for free. Their
source of funding is unknown!)
“Then the investigation also showed that the students whom they [i.e.
the Fethullah followers] sent to [entrance] exams at Kuleli had each
been instructed to memorize five questions to be added to a question
bank, for future use by student candidates [taking entrance exams for
military schools ].”
[14] Cumhuriyet (Turkey), Hikmet Cetinkaya, March 7, 2006.
[15] Hurriyet (Turkey), March 25, 2006.
[16] Hurriyet (Turkey), March 29, 2006.