Author: Kajoyan Gevork

BURNING EYES – REVIEW

Guardian Weekly

Guillaume Perrier
Tuesday 17 May 2011 14.01 BST

Antoine Agoudjian’s photographic exhibition at Depo, Istanbul,
tackles the taboo subject of the Armenian genocide

Ninety-six black and white photographs hang on the spotless walls of
this Istanbul cultural centre, one for each year since the start of
the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman empire, on 24 April 1915.

The Burning Eyes exhibition is divided into five parts, corresponding
to the five vilayets (provinces) formerly decreed as Armenian by the
empire – Van, Erzurum, Bitlis, Diyarbakir and Harput – and are now
part of eastern Turkey. These provinces bear the imprint of a crime
that the photographer Antoine Agoudjian, the grandson of genocide
survivors, has been investigated for the last 15 years.

His travels have taken him to all the Armenian communities scattered
across the Middle East, but also along the trail leading to deportation
and massacre, from the west of Turkey to the Syrian desert of Deir
ez-Zor, in search of memories that have been denied and repressed but
never wholly effaced. These memories of the genocide, coded into the
DNA of survivors, are etched into Agoudjian’s photographs. “Denial
is what keeps the genocide topical and photographic truth helps bring
things to the surface,” he says.

His work, which plays on light and contrasts, draws us into the
torments of the Armenian soul and its culture. Under a heavy sky the
ghosts of genocide victims haunt the villages, ruined churches and
petrified communities of Anatolia. Agoudjian tells the story of his
people’s deportation, exodus and martyrdom, including the funeral of
the journalist Hrant Dink, who was murdered in 2007. Death inhabits
each survivor, but a glimmer of hope still remains.

Above all, by bringing Burning Eyes to a Turkish audience, Agoudjian
has achieved much more than a mere exhibition. He has contributed
to a bridge-building process, which started some years ago. For the
Turkish state the genocide is still a taboo, but civil society has
started its work of reappraisal.

“The process has been gathering speed since the death of Hrant Dink,”
says the writer Ahmet Insel. “The exhibition fits into this context.

We have already had several cultural events in Turkey devoted to
the Armenian question,” he adds. “Osman Koker organised a very
important exhibition drawing on a collection of period postcards
which showed quite clearly that the Armenians were here before 1915,
then disappeared.”

Some time ago the Armenian community’s Agos newspaper, founded by
Dink, published a series of pictures by Agoudjian. A few months later
he travelled to Istanbul to meet Osman Kavala, a business man and
one of the driving forces in cultural exchanges between Turkey and
Armenia. Together they decided to mount an exhibition at the Depo,
an arts centre in Istanbul.

A collection of Agoudjian’s photographs, originally published in France
(Les Yeux Brûlants, Actes Sud, 2006), has also come out in a bilingual
(Turkish and Armenian) version in Turkey, as part of a collection of
history books launched by Koker. Exhibiting in Turkey is also the
culmination of a personal quest for the photographer. “Many people
think it’s daft, maybe even thoughtless, but I’m increasingly aware
that this story is not just an Armenian concern. It is of interest
to anyone who longs for truth,” he says.

The events in Istanbul to commemorate the genocide on 24 April,
organised by writers and human rights campaigners, confirmed
Agoudjian’s convictions. “I hope this will open the way for other
exiled Armenians who want to work here,” he adds. But the topic is
still very sensitive in Turkey. Some ultra-nationalist militants tried
to barge into the exhibition opening, but were quietly kept at a safe
distance by the police.

Burning Eyes is at Depo, Istanbul, Turkey until early June

This article originally appeared in Le Monde

SEEPAN PARSEGHIAN TO WORK WITH UN CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR RWANDA
Seepan Parseghian

asbarez
Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

LOS ANGELES-When USC Law student Seepan Parseghian graduates this week,
he won’t immediately take a job at a law firm or a position with
the U.S. Attorney’s office. Instead, Parseghian will be preparing
to travel this summer to work with judges and legal staff at the
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania.

Parseghian is one of six USC Law students selected to take part in
the school’s new International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC), which
for the past several months, has been working remotely from Los
Angeles with the judges on trials involving charges of genocide,
crimes against humanity and war crimes. All of the defendants were
high-level government ministers and politicians allegedly responsible
for planning and ordering the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which resulted
in approximately 800,000 deaths within a period of two months.

“It will be an incredible experience to meet face-to-face with the
judges and legal staff on these historic trials. This is the kind of
legal education I dreamt of entering law school,” said Parseghian,
24, who earned his undergraduate degree in political science in 2007
from Stanford University.

Fighting genocide is important to Parseghian because his grandparents
were survivors of the Armenian genocide a century ago. Parseghian has
been an active member of several Armenian-American organizations,
having served as president of the Stanford Armenian Students’
Association, Executive Director of Fast for Armenia, a student-led
charity, and as an intern with the Armenian National Committee of
American in Washington, DC.

“As a descendant of survivors of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, I have
throughout my life advocated for recognition of the Armenian Genocide
and prevention of future crimes against humanity,” he said. “When I
came to USC Law, I was yearning for an opportunity to use my legal
skills to solve real world problems on the international stage.”

Now Parseghian looks forward to working on cases addressing genocide
perpetrated against victims a world away.

“When I learned about the clinic, I realized that it not only fulfilled
that desire, but also represented the most effective way to honor the
memory of my grandparents – by applying my legal education to work
on cases that seek justice for crimes against humanity that occur
through to the present day,” he said.

Under the supervision of Prof. Hannah Garry, director of the IHRC,
this USC Law clinic has partnered with judges and legal staff on cases
before the ICTR. These partnerships are the first of their kind with
an American law school.

“This has been an incredible and unique opportunity for USC Law,”
Garry said. “Students such as Seepan with a passion for enforcing the
most fundamental human rights norms are gaining the knowledge and
skills required for addressing mass atrocities under international
law. They are also providing critical support to tribunals established
to bring justice to the millions of victims and their families who
have suffered unspeakable horrors in these parts of the world.”

For the past several months, Parseghian and fellow third-year law
students Jamie Hoffman and Shannon Raj worked remotely with the ICTR
Karemera et al. and Bizimungu et al. Trial Chambers under the close
supervision of Prof. Garry, assisting the Chambers with wrapping up
the trials and rendering the final judgments.

In addition to providing research and specialized advice on diverse
substantive and procedural legal issues arising under international
law, Parseghian reviewed and analyzed evidence submitted at trial
in order to assist with the drafting of judicial documents. and
co-authored reports updating the Trial Chambers on relevant
jurisprudence.

After taking the California Bar Exam in July, Parseghian will travel to
Arusha, Tanzania, where he will continue to assist with the rendering
of the Karemera et al. and Bizimungu et al. judgments as well as work
on other pending cases before the Tribunal. He will also travel to
genocide memorial sites and speak with survivors in neighboring Rwanda.

“Working with the Clinic and the ICTR has been an immensely gratifying
and educational experience, both on a personal and professional level,”
Parseghian added. “I look forward to working on-site in Arusha with
the ICTR to witness firsthand how the law advances international human
rights norms and brings justice to those who have had to endure the
most evil forms of violence.”

JOURNALISTS SıK, MAVIOGLU ACQUITTED IN TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 16, 2011 – 15:52 AMT

Turkey’s Kadıköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance acquitted
journalists Ahmet Å~^ık and Ertugrul Mavioglu of charges of
“violations of the confidentiality of an investigation” stemming from
their two-volume work entitled “Understanding the counter guerrilla
and Ergenekon” and “Who is who in Ergenekon”.

Hundreds of people joined a protest march towards the court house
on the Asian side of Istanbul before the hearing. They lead the
demonstration with a banner reading “We touch [certain issues]
even if we get burned”. They chanted slogans like “For my pen, my
book, my honor”, “Ahmet will get out and write again” or “Immediate
freedom now”.

A number of public figures supported Å~^ık and Mavioglu, among them
Press Institute Association President Ferai Tınc, Orhan Dink and
Arat Dink as relatives of slain Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

Å~^ık stated that the trial lacked a legal basis. “The two volumes as
subject to the trial are based on public sources. They were written
after a thorough investigation of the indictment and additional
evidence regarding the prosecution of the deep state. The books are
based on our experience in journalism,” he said.

Mavioglu also claimed that they did not violate the confidentiality
of the investigation and that the prosecution knew this as well at
the stage of interrogation before the trial was opened.

“Ahmet Å~^ık and I are not journalists who obtain information from
MÄ°T [National Intelligence Agency], the police, the special authority
prosecution, the CIA or from the other side of the ocean. We wrote
this book by relying on public sources. The Prime Minister or the
Chief of General Staff are not among our sources either. I request
my acquittal”.

Thereupon, defense lawyer Fikret Ä°lkiz rejected charges of “violation
of confidentiality” and demanded to drop the charges. Judge Gulden
Filiz Tuysuz decreed for a lack of element of crime and decided for
the acquittal of both journalists, Bianet reported.

AMNESTY 2011 : L’AZERBAIDJAN ET LA TURQUIE EPINGLES

Source/Lien : Amnesty International

Info Collectif VAN – – Le monde entier a assiste,
ebahi, a la chute des regimes repressifs en Tunisie et en Egypte. Et
maintenant on entend le mecontentement qui monte de toutes parts, de
l’Azerbaïdjan jusqu’au Zimbabwe. L’Azerbaïdjan, la Chine et l’Iran,
entre autres gouvernements repressifs, font tout actuellement pour tuer
dans l’~uf toute revolution analogue sur leur territoire. Loin des
projecteurs de l’actualite internationale, des milliers de defenseurs
des droits humains ont ete menaces, emprisonnes, tortures et tues,
notamment en Afghanistan, en Angola, au Bresil, en Chine, au Mexique,
en Ouzbekistan, en Russie, en Thaïlande, en Turquie, au Viet-Nam et
au Zimbabwe.

Amnesty International

(Paris) L’essor des mouvements en faveur de la liberte et de la justice
au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord ainsi que le developpement des
medias sociaux offrent une occasion sans precedent de faire progresser
le respect des droits humains. Mais ces changements sont sur le
fil du rasoir, a declare Amnesty International lors du lancement,
a la veille de son 50e anniversaire, de son rapport annuel sur la
situation des droits humains dans le monde.

” Cinquante ans après que la flamme de la bougie d’Amnesty
International a commence de mettre en lumière la repression dans le
monde, les droits humains connaissent aujourd’hui un moment decisif.

Nous sommes a l’aube de changements majeurs, a affirme Geneviève
Garrigos, la Presidente d’Amnesty International France.

” Des hommes et des femmes courageux, souvent menes par des jeunes,
se mobilisent en faveur de la liberte et de la justice et defient
les balles, les coups, les gaz lacrymogènes et les tanks. Associe aux
nouvelles technologies utilisees par les militants pour dejouer les
man~uvres des regimes qui cherchent a etouffer la liberte d’expression
et repriment brutalement l’opposition pacifique, ce courage envoie
aux gouvernements repressifs le message que leurs jours sont comptes.

” Le mouvement se heurte toutefois a une violente riposte de la part
des forces de repression. La communaute internationale doit saisir
cette occasion et faire en sorte que 2011 voit se confirmer les
changements amorces. ”

Une bataille decisive est en train de se derouler pour le contrôle de
l’accès a l’information, aux moyens de communication et aux reseaux
sociaux. Ces derniers nourrissent en effet des actions militantes
que les gouvernements s’efforcent de contenir. On l’a vu en Tunisie
et en Egypte : les tentatives des gouvernements de bloquer l’accès a
Internet ou de couper les reseaux de telephonie mobile peuvent avoir
le resultat inverse de celui escompte. Il reste que les Etats font
tout pour reprendre la main et utiliser eux-memes ces technologies
a l’encontre des militants.

La contestation s’est propagee a travers le Moyen-Orient et l’Afrique
du Nord, où l’on assiste a la mobilisation des populations en faveur de
la fin de la repression et de la corruption. Temoins de l’aspiration
fondamentale des hommes et des femmes de vivre a l’abri de la peur
et a l’abri du besoin, les mouvements permettent a ceux qui n’avaient
pas de voix de se faire entendre.

Le monde entier a assiste, ebahi, a la chute des regimes repressifs
en Tunisie et en Egypte. Et maintenant on entend le mecontentement
qui monte de toutes parts, de l’Azerbaïdjan jusqu’au Zimbabwe.

Cependant, malgre la determination toute nouvelle qui se dresse face
a la repression, malgre l’extension du terrain de l’action en faveur
des droits humains grâce aux nouvelles technologies numeriques, la
liberte d’expression – droit essentiel en soi, mais aussi en tant
que moyen d’accès a d’autres droits humains – est battue en brèche
partout dans le monde.

En Libye, en Syrie, a Bahreïn et au Yemen, les autorites n’hesitent
pas a tuer, mutiler ou frapper pour se maintenir au pouvoir. Après
la chute des dirigeants, il faut encore demanteler les institutions
sur lesquelles ils se sont appuyes : le travail des militants est
loin d’etre acheve. L’Azerbaïdjan, la Chine et l’Iran, entre autres
gouvernements repressifs, font tout actuellement pour tuer dans l’~uf
toute revolution analogue sur leur territoire.

Le Rapport 2011 d’Amnesty International recense des restrictions
specifiques a la liberte d’expression dans 89 pays, des prisonniers
d’opinion dans 48 pays, des cas de torture et d’autres mauvais
traitements dans 98 pays et des procès inequitables dans 54 Etats.

On retiendra aussi quelques moments emblematiques de l’annee 2010,
notamment la remise en liberte d’Aung San Suu Kyi, au Myanmar,
et l’attribution du prix Nobel de la paix au dissident chinois Liu
Xiaobo – bien que le gouvernement chinois ait tout fait pour saboter
la ceremonie.

Loin des projecteurs de l’actualite internationale, des milliers de
defenseurs des droits humains ont ete menaces, emprisonnes, tortures
et tues, notamment en Afghanistan, en Angola, au Bresil, en Chine,
au Mexique, en Ouzbekistan, en Russie, en Thaïlande, en Turquie,
au Viet-Nam et au Zimbabwe.

Bon nombre de ces militants exprimaient leur position sur les
questions de droits humains comme la pauvrete, la marginalisation de
secteurs entiers de la societe, les droits des femmes, la corruption,
la brutalite et l’oppression. Dans toutes les regions les evenements
ont montre l’importance de leur rôle ainsi que la necessite de les
soutenir grâce a la solidarite internationale.

Le rapport annuel d’Amnesty International met aussi en lumière les
elements suivants : ~U Une aggravation de la situation dans certains
pays, et notamment celle des militants en Ukraine, au Belarus et au
Kirghizistan ; l’escalade de la violence au Nigeria ; et une crise
de plus en plus grave resultant des insurrections armees maoïstes
dans le centre et le nord-est de l’Inde.

~U Un certain nombre de tendances regionales, notamment
l’intensification des menaces contre les populations indigènes dans
les Ameriques, la deterioration de la situation legale des femmes qui
choisissent de porter le voile integral en Europe, et la determination
croissante des Etats europeens de renvoyer des personnes vers des
pays où elles risquent d’etre persecutees.

~U Des conflits qui provoquent des ravages en Colombie, en Irak,
en Israël et dans les territoires palestiniens occupes, en Republique
centrafricaine, en Republique democratique du Congo, dans le Caucase du
Nord (Russie), en Somalie, au Soudan, au Sri Lanka et au Tchad, autant
de situations où les populations civiles sont bien souvent prises
pour cibles par les groupes armes et les forces gouvernementales.

~U Des signes de progrès, notamment le recul constant de la peine de
mort, des situations qui s’ameliorent un peu dans le domaine de la
sante maternelle (par exemple en Indonesie et en Sierra Leone) et la
comparution en justice de certains responsables presumes de crimes
de droits humains commis dans le passe sous les regimes militaires
en Amerique latine.

” Les grandes puissances ont sous-estime l’aspiration profonde
des peuples du monde entier a la liberte et la justice, a declare
Geneviève Garrigos. Elles doivent desormais appuyer les reformes et
non retomber dans leur cynique soutien politique a la repression. Le
veritable test de l’integrite de ces grandes puissances sera leur
appui a la reconstruction d’Etats qui respecteront les droits humains
mais ne seront pas necessairement des allies, et leur determination,
par exemple dans le cas de la Libye, a deferer les pires auteurs de
violations a la Cour penale internationale lorsqu’aucune autre voie
de justice n’est possible “.

La repression brutale qui a fait des centaines de morts depuis le
mois de mars en Syrie, et l’absence de toute action concertee face
a la repression de la contestation pacifique au Yemen et a Bahreïn,
mettent en lumière la necessite d’une politique coherente de la part
du Conseil de securite des Nations unies, qui doit mettre en ~uvre
la tolerance zero pour les crimes contre l’humanite.

Les Etats du Moyen-Orient et de l’Afrique du Nord doivent avoir le
courage d’aller de l’avant avec les changements, dans un environnement
des droits humains en pleine evolution. Ils doivent respecter les
droits a la liberte d’expression et d’association et garantir l’egalite
pour tous, en particulier en supprimant les obstacles qui empechent
la pleine participation des femmes a la societe. Les polices secrètes
et les forces de securite doivent etre mises au pas, les homicides
et les violences doivent cesser et les responsables d’atteintes aux
droits humains doivent etre amenes a rendre veritablement compte de
leurs actes, de manière a ce que les victimes obtiennent la justice
et les reparations auxquelles elles aspirent depuis longtemps.

Les fournisseurs d’accès Internet, les entreprises de telephonie
mobile, les sites des reseaux sociaux et tous les professionnels
des communications et medias numeriques doivent respecter les droits
humains. Ils doivent veiller a ne pas devenir des outils aux mains
de gouvernements repressifs qui cherchent a etouffer la liberte
d’expression et espionner la population, et encore moins a devenir
leurs complices.

” C’est la première fois depuis la fin de la guerre froide qu’autant
de gouvernements repressifs voient leur emprise sur le pouvoir remise
en cause, a declare Geneviève Garrigos. La mobilisation en faveur
des droits politiques et economiques, qui se propage dans toute la
region Moyen-Orient et Afrique du Nord, montre que tous les droits
sont d’une importance egale et constituent une aspiration universelle.

” Une revolution des droits humains a eu lieu durant les 50 annees
qui se sont ecoulees depuis qu’Amnesty International a ete creee
afin de proteger les droits des personnes detenues en raison de leurs
opinions pacifiques. L’appel en faveur de la justice, de la liberte
et de la dignite s’est transforme en une mobilisation mondiale qui
se renforce de jour en jour. Un vent nouveau s’est leve et les forces
de la repression ne peuvent le faire retomber. ”

Europe et Asie centrale – Liberte d’expression

La region Europe et Asie centrale se targue d’etre un modèle en matière
de liberte d’expression, mais la realite est tout autre pour bien des
personnes qui veulent lever le voile sur les violations des droits
humains, emettre des avis divergents ou amener les gouvernements et
les autres acteurs a rendre compte de leurs actes.

Les libertes d’expression et d’association subissaient toujours des
attaques et les defenseurs des droits humains etaient eux-memes pris
pour cible.

En Turquie, si l’on a constate que des sujets jusqu’alors tabous
etaient evoques de facon plus ouverte, il reste que de nombreuses
personnes ont ete poursuivies au titre du Code penal après avoir
exprime une opinion divergente – notamment pour avoir critique
les forces armees, la situation des Armeniens et des Kurdes dans
le pays ou bien des procès en cours. Outre differents articles
du Code penal, les dispositions de la legislation antiterroriste
prevoyant des peines d’emprisonnement plus lourdes et entraînant des
placements en detention provisoire ont frequemment ete utilisees dans
le but de museler le droit legitime a la liberte d’expression. Les
journalistes, les defenseurs des droits humains et les militants
politiques kurdes figuraient parmi les personnes le plus souvent visees
par des poursuites. Les pouvoirs publics ont de nouveau impose des
restrictions arbitraires et bloque l’accès a certains sites web. La
publication de plusieurs journaux a en outre ete suspendue. Les
personnes qui exprimaient ouvertement leurs opinions ont, cette annee
encore, ete menacees de violences.(…) Des pratiques similaires
ont ete observees en Azerbaïdjan, où les autorites utilisaient des
dispositions du Code civil et du Code penal reprimant la diffamation
pour faire taire les critiques.(…)

En Turquie, la ministre chargee de la Condition feminine et de la
famille a declare que l’homosexualite etait une maladie et devait etre
soignee.(…) En Turquie, les modifications apportees a la Constitution
et a la legislation antiterroriste ont certes represente un pas en
avant pour le respect des droits humains, mais des procès iniques
ont de nouveau eu lieu en vertu de la legislation antiterroriste. Les
autorites utilisaient de plus les dispositions relatives a la lutte
contre le terrorisme, qui prevoient des peines d’emprisonnement plus
lourdes et entraînent des placements en detention provisoire, pour
museler le droit legitime a la liberte d’expression.

En Russie, la situation dans le Caucase du Nord restait precaire et la
Tchetchenie, l’Ingouchie, le Daghestan et les regions voisines etaient
en proie aux violences. Les autorites gouvernementales ont reconnu
publiquement que les mesures prises pour combattre la violence armee
etaient inefficaces. Un grand nombre de civils et de responsables de
l’application des lois ont ete tues dans des attaques menees par des
groupes armes.

Les groupes armes – notamment ceux bases en Grèce, en Espagne et en
Turquie – ont egalement fait des victimes et entraîne des destructions
dans d’autres pays d’Europe et d’Asie centrale.

(…)

Un important jugement a ete toutefois rendu en Turquie :
19 representants de l’Etat (dont des policiers et des gardiens de
prison) ont ete reconnus coupables d’implication dans les actes de
torture infliges au militant politique Engin Ceber et ayant entraîne
sa mort, en octobre 2008, a Istanbul. Quatre de ces fonctionnaires
ont ete condamnes a la reclusion a perpetuite. C’etait la première
fois dans l’histoire de la justice turque que des representants de
l’Etat se voyaient condamnes a une peine aussi lourde pour avoir
inflige des actes de torture ayant provoque la mort. Ce jugement se
demarquait helas fortement d’autres affaires de torture imputables
a des agents de l’Etat, dans lesquelles les informations judiciaires
et les poursuites n’ont pas abouti.

Europe et Asie centrale

Lire aussi :

Turquie : violations flagrantes des droits de l’homme

Amnesty : Rapport 2011 sur la Turquie

Retour a la rubrique

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT: PRINCIPLE OF TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY DOESN’T MEAN IMPERISHABLE BORDERS

Panorama
May 16 2011
Armenia

The principle of territorial integrity doesn’t mean imperishable
borders; otherwise new states wouldn’t appear in the world, while
dozens of them have appeared during the last decades, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with “Moscow news”.

“The conflict can be resolved only through concessions. During
all those years we’ve been trying to reach concessions. But a red
line exists – Nagorno-Karabakh must own its fate, must have all the
opportunities to live on its historic land,” President said adding that
the OSCE Minsk Group deals with the conflict and that Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev puts forth efforts, which is greatly appreciated.

Serzh Sargsyan has underscored that Minsk Group has recommended the
document which is called Madrid Principles. It suggests resolution
of the conflict based on three principles: non-use of force or armed
threat, peoples’ right to self-determination and the principle of
territorial integrity.

“We’re quite aware of what that document says. Azerbaijani have
also said “yes” after long meditations, but it seems they have their
own understanding over the principles. Azerbaijani authorities still
threat to start a war, which is violation of the first principle. Both
of us understand the principle of territorial integrity, while
Azerbaijan understands the right to self-termination only in the
scopes of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. Until Azerbaijan
tries to understand the meaning of that principle, the resolution
of the conflict will be difficult to reach. Karabakh achieved its
independence in a bloody and cruel war, in hardest conditions, and
it would be naïve to think that people of Karabakh would agree to
return what they achieved,” President said.

$20 MILLION WORTH WEAPONS SOLD BY TURKEY TO AZERBAIJAN JANUARY-APRIL 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 16, 2011 – 20:56 AMT

Turkey sold weapons and munitions worth $20 million to Azerbaijan
in January-April this year, says the report issued by the Central
Anatolian Exporters Union.

Turkish companies exported weapons and munitions worth $20 million
to Saudi Arabia and munitions worth $10 million to the US in the
first quarter of this year. Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia and US are in
the top three in the list of export of weapons and munitions, they
are followed by Lebanon, Russia, Belgium, Pakistan, Italy, United
Arab Emirates and Portugal.

Turkey’s Machine and Chemistry Company (MKEK) issued a statement
saying that the company exported weapons and munitions worth $ 299
505.2 to Azerbaijan in 2010, APA reported.
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Content-Description:

MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
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From: Mihran Keheyian
Subject: $20 million worth weapons sold by Turkey to Azerbaijan January-April 2011

$20 million worth weapons sold by Turkey to Azerbaijan January-April 2011

May 16, 2011 – 20:56 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Turkey sold weapons and munitions worth $20 million to Azerbaijan in
January-April this year, says the report issued by the Central
Anatolian Exporters Union.

Turkish companies exported weapons and munitions worth $20 million to
Saudi Arabia and munitions worth $10 million to the US in the first
quarter of this year. Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia and US are in the top
three in the list of export of weapons and munitions, they are
followed by Lebanon, Russia, Belgium, Pakistan, Italy, United Arab
Emirates and Portugal.

Turkey?s Machine and Chemistry Company (MKEK) issued a statement
saying that the company exported weapons and munitions worth $ 299
505.2 to Azerbaijan in 2010, APA reported.

EDUCATORS SPARK CONTROVERSY BY USING ARMENIAN ISSUE

Today’s Zaman
May 16 2011
Turkey

Recent practices by some educators who discuss the Armenian issue in
their lectures have caused controversy since some of their explanations
pass certain judgments and carry elements of hate speech.

One recent example occurred at Dicle University in Diyarbakır,
where the lecturer, Assistant Professor Yılmaz Polat, had a mid-term
question in May for about 380 students, as he told Today’s Zaman.

The question in the multiple-choice exam, which had “correct” and
“wrong” choices, asked:

“The Ottoman state did not commit Armenian genocide. Some of the
disloyal Armenians, who cooperated with Russians and backstabbed the
Ottoman Army, died because of starvation, illness and cold during the
forced emigration [tehcir], which was suggested by Germans, and some
went away with Russians because of their disloyalty, and that’s why
the Armenian population in Turkey has been reduced.”

News about this question first appeared in the Dicle News Agency
(DÄ°HA) and was reprinted in some Internet news portals and newspapers
on Monday.

Contacted by Today’s Zaman, the professor said that he is not passing
or forcing any judgments on the students and none of them complained
of such a thing. He referred to the writings of former head of the
Turkish Historical Society (TTK) Yusuf Halacoglu who had been removed
from office by a Cabinet decision in 2008, following media attention
surrounding his controversial remarks. Halacoglu has been a strong
denier of allegations that Armenians were the victims of genocide at
the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War I, and in conferences and
panel discussions organized by his organization, he said that claims
of genocide were completely false and that the TTK has 100,000 pages
of archived documents that serve as proof of this and refute the
allegations that Armenians faced genocide in 1915.

Polat said he exerts efforts in the classroom to prevent animosity
against Armenians because of historical facts but also would like to
convey “all the facts” to the students to prevent the “unjust treatment
of Turkey in the international area because of the genocide claims.”

Polat claimed that this issue has been brought to the media’s
attention by a lecturer in the philosophy department as part of a
campaign against him because that person is facing investigation
related to his activities on campus in connection with the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and, Polat said, he has been placed
as a member in that investigation committee.

In another event, which occurred at Ä°stanbul’s Burhan Felek High
School, national security teacher Col. Sinan Oz showed photographs
of dead bodies described as being the “Turkish children who were
massacred by Armenians” during World War I.

According to the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, some students wanted
to leave the lecture which was given in the week of April 24, the
commemoration day of Armenian killings of 1915 in Ottoman lands. The
weekly reported that the lecturer also claimed, “Only Turks and
Muslims live in Turkey.”

As a state policy, Turkey categorically denies the charges, saying the
death toll is inflated and that Turks were also killed as Armenians
revolted against the Ottoman Empire in collaboration with Russian
forces for an independent state in eastern Anatolia. Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for the formation of an
international historical commission to reveal facts about the issue.

TESTS AT TURKISH UNIVERSITY CONTAIN ANTI-ARMENIAN WORDINGS

news.am
May 16 2011
Armenia

Policy of enmity and hatred against Armenians is pursued in educational
institutions of Turkey.

The examination tests for spring session included questions of racist
character, which caused discontent of most of the students of history
department, Dicle University. One of these questions contained
anti-Armenian wordings, such as “traitor”, “enemy collaborator”,
“stabbing in the back”, reports Turkish DIHA news agency.

The question alleged that no Genocide ever occurred in the Ottoman
Turkey and half of Armenians died of illnesses during resettlement to
“safe territories”. It is mentioned that some Armenians just chose
to leave Turkey themselves. Students are offered to choose the right
and wrong answers.

Some students say they only chose the “right” variant lest they should
fail the exam.

“We know the history was different. The racist questions are aimed
to achieve certain goals,” the students complain.

In his interview with DIHA the editor of Armenian-Turkish Agos
newspaper Rober Koptas noted that these expressions of racism are
not surprising.

“As a result of this ideology of enmity and hatred, there are many
people in Turkey who want to kill Christians, Armenians and Kurds,”
said the editor of an Armenian descent.

EVERYTHING HAS AN INCUBATION PERIOD
ARMAN GALOYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 19:36:10 – 16/05/2011

Interview with Member of Parliament Vardan Bostanjyan, Bargavach
Hayastan

What is the attitude of the Bargavach Hayastan Party toward the
Congress-government dialogue and is it favorable for the Bargavach
Hayastan Party?

It is a very important issue for our country. If you remember,
when we signed the coalition memorandum we had one purpose ~V to
strengthen the government in its correlation with the world. We signed
the memorandum for this purpose, and it fits in the framework of this
issue. In fact, a considerable part of the society has its approaches
toward acceleration of reforms and solution of a number of unsolved
issues, and presents them to the government. What is bad about the
government~Rs ability to solve these problems? Not only the political
forces but also the members of the society who have common sense must
welcome this dialogue.

And what prevented this dialogue for three years?

It means this problem was not perceived by the solver in this volume
and quality. Everything has a period of incubation. At the moment the
situation of our country, the current developments directly presuppose
these moves.

In other words, does it mean the government has no other way out and
has to take this step?

There is no need to make abrupt statements. The government always
has a solution for every situation. Whether the way out is good or
bad is another issue. The government has an alternative, it tries
to address different issues because these are not the issues of the
government but the country.

In your opinion, what will the dialogue lead to if the main purpose
of the Congress is snap elections?

If they wish to hold snap elections, let them do. However, the snap
elections must have their logic and expediency. In particular, if one
year is left to go before the parliamentary elections, it will not
be logical if we agree on snap elections in the result of the dialogue.

That would boost tensions. If one year is left to go before the
elections, what is the purpose of holding snap elections? I cannot
consider it as highly expedient.

In your opinion, why are the contenders of the third force worried
about the dialogue?

In any case, I am inclined to think that the political forces do not
have the right to harm the stability of our country in pursuing their
minor aims.

LES ARMENIENS DE JERUSALEM SONT MAINTENANT CONFRONTES A UN AVENIR INCERTAIN
Stephane

armenews.com
lundi 17, mai 2011

Ils sont les gardiens d’un ancien monastère et les heritiers d’une
histoire tragique et d’une presence obstinee et continue en Terre
Sainte vieille de 1600 ans. Mais les Armeniens de Jerusalem sont
aujourd’hui moins d’un millier, sous la houlette d’un patriarche
nonagenaire, ce qui laisse craindre la disparition pure et simple de
la communaute, coincee entre juifs et musulmans dans ce Proche-Orient
en train de se vider de ses chretiens.

” Il ne restera presque plus personne ici si ca continue comme ca “,
constate Kevork Kahvedjian. Dans le quartier armenien de la Vieille
ville, il vend des photos anciennes d’une Terre Sainte en noir et
blanc. La boutique a ete fondee en 1949 par son père, qui etait
arrive a Jerusalem enfant, après avoir perdu ses parents lors du
genocide perpetre pendant les dernières annees de l’empire ottoman
(1,5 million de morts selon les Armeniens, des massacres que la
Turquie actuelle refuse toujours de qualifier de genocide).

Aujourd’hui, Kevor Kahvedjian a des frères et soeurs etablis au Canada
et aux Etats-Unis, un fils a Washington, et une fille qui envisage de
s’y installer bientôt. La presence armenienne a Jerusalem, sous une
forme ou un autre, remonte au Ve siècle de notre ère, et le quartier
armenien est l’un des quatre quartiers historiques de la Vieille Ville.

Peu après l’adoption du christianisme comme religion d’Etat par
l’Armenie, en 301, dans son royaume autour du biblique Mont Ararat
(dans l’est de la Turquie actuelle), les Armeniens envoyèrent des
pretres a Jerusalem. Et ils y sont restes depuis, au travers de siècles
de fureur et de devastation : ils ont vu passer les conquerants arabes,
les armees perses, les archers turcs, les Croises, l’Empire ottoman,
les Britanniques, les Jordaniens, et finalement les juifs.

Aujourd’hui, le monde restreint des derniers Armeniens de Jerusalem se
recroqueville autour de son monastère, dont la modeste porte en fer est
fermee chaque soir a 22h30. La plupart des Armeniens vivent dans des
logements appartenant au patriarcat, qui gère aussi une bibliothèque,
des etablissements sociaux et sportifs, et l’ecole armenienne, dont
chaque classe ne compte plus que six ou sept elèves.

Le monastère, dont le coeur est la cathedrale Saint-Jacques, garde
jalousement ses tresors. Parmi eux, l’une des plus importantes
collections au monde de manuscrits armeniens anciens, 4000 textes a
l’abri dans une chapelle qui n’est ouverte qu’une fois l’an. Et aussi
la Bible de Keran, manuscrit aux enluminures dorees qui porte le nom
d’une reine d’Armenie, conserve en un lieu tenu secret, ou encore le
bâton d’ambre du roi Hetum, qui n’est devoile aux regards des fidèles
que quelques minutes, chaque annee en janvier.

Si les pretres de la communaute, dirigee par le patriarche Torkom
Manougian, 94 ans, co-gardiens des Lieux saints chretiens dans la ville
aux trois religions, resteront, ainsi que les bâtiments religieux et
les reliques, la communaute elle-meme risque de disparaître.

En 1948, lorsque Jerusalem fut divisee entre le nouvel Etat hebreu et
la Jordanie, les Armeniens de Jerusalem, principalement des refugies
du genocide en Turquie et leurs descendants, etaient plus de 25000.

Ils etaient pour la plupart commercants ou artisans, dont les mosaïques
et ceramiques reputees ont impose leur marque sur le decor urbain.

Lorsque la Vieille ville passa sous contrôle jordanien, la plupart
des Armeniens quittèrent Jerusalem pour rejoindre les communautes les
plus florissantes de la diaspora, comme en Californie ou a Toronto,
au Canada.

Ils n’etaient plus environ que 3000 lorsqu’Israël prit le contrôle
des secteurs historiques de Jerusalem en 1967, lors de la guerre
des Six-Jours.

Tout comme leurs voisins arabes de Jerusalem-Est, les Armeniens ont
le statut de resident en Israël, et certains ont depuis demande
la nationalite israelienne pleine et entière. Mais la communaute
en tant que telle a cherche a rester neutre dans le conflit
israelo-palestinien. Au prix de tensions tant avec les Israeliens
qu’avec les Palestiniens…

Le ministère israelien de l’Interieur ne dispose d’aucun chiffre
sur la communaute armenienne de Jerusalem. Mais le consul honoraire
d’Armenie Tsolag Momjian pense qu’elle compte desormais moins d’un
millier d’âmes.

Le declin des Armeniens de Jerusalem fait echo a la lente erosion de la
presence historique des chretiens au Proche-Orient. Depuis un siècle,
les chretiens d’Irak, du Liban, d’Egypte et d’ailleurs s’en vont peu
a peu, fuyant la pauvrete, l’intolerance religieuse, les violences…

Les jeunes Armeniens de Terre Sainte, eduques, anglophones, et supposes
se marier au sein de la communaute, sont tout particulièrement
candidats au depart. La diaspora armenienne est estimee a 11
millions de personnes dans le monde, et compte au moins une dizaine
de sites de rencontres en vue mariage, comme Armanians Connect ou
armenianpassion.com.

D’autres sont plus optimistes. Comme Ruppen Nalbandian, 29 ans,
diplôme en neurobiologie d’une universite israelienne, qui signale
que des onze ecoliers de sa classe a l’ecole armenienne, seuls deux
ont quitte le pays. Il ajoute que dix hommes de sa connaissance se
sont trouve des epouses en Armenie, et les ont ramenees a Jerusalem.

Certains soulignent aussi le dernier episode migratoire – inattendu
et inespere – venu renforcer la communaute : ces chretiens d’Armenie
arrives lors de la grande migration des juifs d’URSS dans les annees
90, accueillis en Israël car ils avaient un conjoint juif…

” Nous avons vecu ici pendant 1600 ans, et nous continuerons a vivre
ici “, conclut M. Nalbandian.

The Canadian Press