Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIA’S FIRST PRESIDENT ‘IN THE HABIT OF GOING DOWN’ – VICTOR SOGHOMONYAN

Tert.am
05.03.12

One completely lack in common sense if he claims Armenia’s second
president Robert Kocharyan is a “sunken ship,” said Victor Soghomonyan,
Head of Mr Kocharyan’s office.

In response to Mediamax (), Soghomonyan commented
on Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s statement at the
latest rally by the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC).

“I am not going into lengthy explanations. Robert Kocharyan’s
activities are a common knowledge: from the victory in the Karabakh
war to Armenia’s rapid economic development. Robert Kocharyan has
never lost elections – either in the NKR or in the Republic of
Armenia. For the present, he is the only Armenian president that
held the post for two presidential terms with tangible (more and more
tangible) success. It’s not clear what kind of “sinking” is meant,”
Soghomonyan said.

However, this metaphor of Ter-Petrosyan, which is obviously a poor
one, should be used in a new way, with the personality of its author
considered. In the context of this metaphor, Ter-Petrosyan’s political
biography shows him to be “in the habit of going down.” He “went down”
back in 1996 when he was an ignominious failure at the elections. In
1998, he had to “go down” to the bottom of politics with a brand of a
betrayer of national interests. He had been “gone down” for ten years.

Thereafter, he “went down” twice in 2008 – in the presidential
election and, later, in the Yerevan Mayor election, when he lost
to Gagik Beglaryan. It seems he just cannot continue “going down”
because he reached the bottom long ago, Soghomonyan said.

AKGUN: THE VIRTUE OF APOLOGIZING
By Mensur Akgun

March 5, 2012

The following article, translated for the Weekly by Ara Arabyan,
first appeared in its original Turkish in the Istanbul Star on Feb. 25.

Akgun teaches foreign policy at Marmara and Kultur Universities. He
is also the top foreign policy consultant at the Turkish Foundation
for Economic and Social Studies (TESEV), a think tank in Turkey.

Akgun: Perhaps for the first time in our history, the state apologized
to its citizens for the Dersim massacres in the 1930’s. Irrespective
of motivations, Prime Minister Erdogan took the first step toward
making Turkey a more livable place.

Speaking at a ceremony in Berlin on Feb. 23, German Chancellor Angela
Merkel apologized on behalf of Germany to the families of those Turks
who had been subjected to racist attacks. German newspapers published
this apology on their front pages, and Germany once again faced up
to its past and acknowledged its mistake.

That same day, President Barak Obama apologized to the Afghans-in
reality, all Muslims-for the burning of Korans on a U.S. military base
in Afghanistan. Germany’s offense was taking the murders of Turks in
Germany lightly and failing to see the racist violence behind it.

America’s was its attack on sacred values.

Nonetheless, the leaders of both countries exhibited great virtue and
common sense by apologizing. And now there will be one less problem in
U.S. relations with the Muslim world. In the meantime, Germany will
make peace with millions of Turks, some of whom are German citizens
and some guest workers, and will become a more livable place for both
Turks and Germans.

A similar process has been under way in Turkey. Perhaps for the
first time in our history, the state apologized to its citizens for
the Dersim massacres in the 1930’s. Irrespective of motivations,
Prime Minister Erdogan took the first step toward making Turkey a
more livable place.

His words have helped us to reopen the dark pages of Turkey’s history
and to understand the scale of the massacres that were committed.

Today, very few people can argue that what happened in Dersim was
a simple operation to suppress a rebellion. No one can argue that
disproportionate force was not used.

The state could have also acknowledged that the mindset that dreamed
of staging another coup only a few years ago-that had no compunctions
about killing its own people in order to realize such dreams, that
organized a raid on the Council of State and sponsored the bombing
of newspapers-also mistreated the Armenians in the early years of
the 20th century.

One would hope that the tragedy of 1915 could be discussed independent
of its legal label, and that the state would express its regrets for
what unfolded in post-empire Turkey, for taking these events lightly,
and, in particular, for offending the sensibilities of its Armenian
citizens during all these years.

However, the recent intervention of the French Parliament and
Senate reversed this process and resulted in the return of the prefix
“so-called” with every mention of the word “genocide.” Just when Turkey
had started to discuss its past, it slid back into denialism, and the
innocence of our ancestors are again reiterated at the highest levels.

Now, sky-high posters and announcements in newspapers on the occasion
of the 20th anniversary of the Khojali massacre attribute epithets
to Armenians that they do not deserve. Through some blanket analogy,
this campaign implies that all Armenians are liars; Turkey’s Armenians
are also incriminated for in the massacre.

The truth is that, just as I am not responsible for the crimes
committed by Mehmet Ali Agca or anyone else, it makes no logical
or legal sense to blame all Armenians for crimes committed by some
Armenians. It is true that a major massacre occurred in Khojali in 1992
and that the perpetrators of that act must be punished. However, that
does not require vengeance on or the incrimination of all Armenians.

Today, Turkey is one of the world’s most influential countries. It has
a say about the problems in its own neighborhood. Its political model
and process are used as examples. As such, Turkey has to make peace
with itself without delay and adopt a tone that befits its grandeur.

This is essential if Turkey wants to criticize others for their lies
and wants to be seen as credible when leveling criticism.

SERZH SARGSYAN SENT A CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO VLADIMIR PUTIN ON HIS ELECTION AS PRESIDENT OF RF

05.03.2012

Today, President Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulatory message to
Vladimir Putin on his election as President of the Russian Federation.

The message states:

“Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,
On behalf of the people of Armenia and my own behalf, I sincerely
and cordially congratulate You on Your election as President of the
Russian Federation.

Your convincing victory in the presidential elections testifies to
the wide and lasting support of the people of the Russian Federation
for Your policies aimed at Russia’s all-round development, its further
reformation and modernization.

Armenia and Russia have strong partnership, based on the friendship
of our two brotherly peoples which withstood the test of times.

The Armenian-Russian cooperation in recent years has achieved
considerable results and accumulated substantial reserves for the
future, and Your personal contribution to that is invaluable.

I am confident that development of our bilateral strategic partnership
will continue to work toward the preservation of peace, security
and stability in the South Caucasus and will allow not only to
implement long-term projects in the areas of economy, interregional
cooperation, culture and humanitarian activities but also to reveal
new possibilities for the interstate cooperation.

Dear Mr. Putin,

This year, when the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation
celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations, I invite You to conduct a state visit to Armenia.

Undoubtedly, Your visit will give a new impetus to the development
of the Armenian-Russian allied relations on all directions for the
benefit of our two nations.

I wish You, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, excellent health and new
achievements at this high state position, and I wish well-being and
prosperity to the brotherly people of Russia.

AHMET DAVUTOGLU REND VISITE AU PATRIARCHE ARMENIEN
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
mardi 6 mars 2012

Dans le cadre de ses efforts visant a etablir la paix religieuse dans
la region et au Moyen-Orient, le Ministre turc des Affaires etrangères,
Ahmet Davutoglu, a entame une serie de visites auprès des communautes
religieuses d’Istanbul, commencant par une rencontre avec l’archeveque
de la communaute armenienne Aram Ateshyan.

“Nous, au Moyen-Orient faisons face a une periode critique ; l’un de
nos principaux problèmes etant la mise en place d’une comprehension
mutuelle et sa reflexion en politique”, a declare le ministre.

Le prelat armenien a quant a lui releve que c’etait la première fois
qu’un ministre visitait le patriarcat depuis que l’AKP est au pouvoir.

Il a souligne l’importance du rôle de la communaute armenienne dans la
vie de la Turquie et exprime le souihait de voir des hommes de loi et
des ministres armeniens integrer le parlement et les organes executifs.

SANCTIONS MAINTENUES CONTRE LA FRANCE
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
mardi 6 mars 2012

Zaman rapporte ce matin que La Turquie a decide de ne pas lever les
sanctions contre la France, precedemment imposees dans le cadre
de l’adoption d’une loi criminalisant la negation des genocides
(y compris le genocide armenien), reconnue par la loi dans ce pays.

Le vice-Premier ministre Bulent Arinc a indique aux journalistes que
la decision a ete prise lors d’une reunion du Cabinet gouvernemental.

Il a egalement salue la conclusion du Conseil constitutionnel francais,
declarant la loi inconstitutionnelle en raison du fait que celle-ci
” viole la liberte d’expression.”

Selon Arinc, le ministre turc des Affaires etrangères Ahmet Davugotlu
a declare, au cours de la reunion du cabinet, que les sanctions et
les mesures prises contre la France devraient etre maintenues.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : DE L’IMPUNITE

Le Monde

5 mars 2012
France

par Sevane Garibian, docteure en Droit Enseignant-chercheur aux
Universites de Genève et de Neuchâtel

Le Conseil constitutionnel vient de declarer la loi Boyer
inconstitutionnelle. Celle-ci visait l’extension de la penalisation du
negationnisme a tous les “crimes de genocide defini a l’article 211-1
du code penal et reconnus comme tels par la loi francaise”. Les Sages
rappellent d’abord deux choses : d’une part, que le legislateur peut
edicter des règles concernant l’exercice de la liberte d’expression,
de meme qu’il peut “instituer des incriminations reprimant les abus
de l’exercice de [cette liberte] qui portent atteinte a l’ordre
public et aux droits des tiers” ; d’autre part, que ces limitations
doivent etre “necessaires, adaptees et proportionnees a l’objectif
poursuivi”. Les juges constitutionnels estiment ensuite qu’en reprimant
“la contestation de l’existence et de la qualification juridique
de crimes qu’il aurait lui-meme reconnus et qualifies comme tels,
le legislateur a porte une atteinte inconstitutionnelle a l’exercice
de la liberte d’expression”. Le Conseil precise en outre dans son
communique de presse, qu’il n’avait pas a se prononcer sur la loi
de 2001 relative a la reconnaissance du genocide des Armeniens
(“cette loi ne lui etait pas soumis et, a fortiori, il n’a formule
aucune appreciation sur les faits en cause”) ; ni non plus sur la loi
Gayssot de 1990 relative a la contestation de la Shoah, puisqu’elle
“ne reprime pas la contestation de crimes ‘reconnus par la loi'”.

Cet argumentaire est interessant. Si l’on comprend bien, il y aurait
donc deux types de negationnisme, et deux types de crimes contre
l’humanite : le negationnisme ayant pour objet des crimes “reconnus
par la loi” (tels que le genocide armenien), justifiable en France
au nom de la liberte d’expression ; et le negationnisme ayant pour
objet les autres crimes, non “reconnus par la loi” (tels que la
Shoah), injustifiable et penalement reprehensible au motif qu’il
correspondrait a un abus de cette meme liberte d’expression. Autrement
dit, des negationnistes peuvent etre alternativement proteges, ou non,
par la liberte d’expression, selon que les crimes contre l’humanite
dont ils contestent l’existence sont “reconnus par la loi” francaise,
ou… ou quoi ?

Quel serait donc l’element cle qui justifierait, ici, cette
differenciation entre les crimes, et leur negation ? Qu’ont-ils donc
de plus, ceux qui ne sont pas “reconnus par la loi”, ou qu’ont-ils
de moins ceux qui le sont ? La parole du juge, peut-etre ? Serait-ce
bien cela le non-dit, la cle, l’implicite contenu dans le raisonnement
des Sages ? L’absence de jugement ? En un mot : l’impunite ? Toute la
difference residerait-elle dès lors dans l’autorite qui “reconnaît” ?

A y regarder de plus près, cet implicite n’est pas sans evoquer
l’argument de Robert Badinter, selon lequel la loi Gayssot de 1990
serai justifiee par le fait qu’elle se refère a des actions criminelles
ayant fait l’objet de decisions judiciaires dotees de “l’autorite de
la chose jugee” en France, alors que le genocide des Armeniens reste
quant a lui un crime impuni. Un tel argument est deconcertant a plus
d’un titre.

D’abord, parce qu’il insinue que seule la parole du juge peut garantir
la verite des faits, sur la base de la presomption qui, bien que
discutable, constitue de jure l’un des effets de ladite autorite
de la chose jugee : mais alors quid du travail de l’historien qui
etablit et atteste le fait, constate, assume, par un legislateur ?

Ensuite, parce qu’il omet les raisons de l’echec de la mise en place
de la juridiction internationale initialement prevue a cet effet par
les Allies de l’Entente dans le Traite de Sèvres de 1920 (une première
historique) ; tout comme il omet le lien direct entre cette impunite
subie et l’ampleur de “l’industrie de la negation” (Taner Akcam),
unique en son genre, etatiquement organise depuis par la Turquie.

En outre, l’argument de l’impunite est partiellement faux, puisqu’un
certain nombre de responsables du genocide des Armeniens ont ete
condamnes lors de procès organises en Turquie (1919-1920), avant qu’en
1921 le regime kemaliste n’abolisse les juridictions competentes et
ne relâche les responsables n’ayant pas deja fui, puis qu’en 1923
soit prevue une amnistie generale des crimes. Les archives de ces
procès offrent une documentation d’une grande richesse, rassemblant
les preuves tant de l’intention d’exterminer la population armenienne
dans son integralite, que du plan concerte elabore a cet effet par
le Gouvernement jeune-turc.

Enfin, rien dans les travaux preparatoires de la loi Gayssot ne permet
d’affirmer que l’objet de ce texte fut de reprimer exclusivement la
contestation d’une decision de justice. Par ailleurs, la reference
a Nuremberg dans le texte de 1990 est dû a une raison pratique et
circonstancielle : les incriminations de crime contre l’humanite
et de genocide n’existaient pas a l’epoque dans le droit francais ;
elles seront introduites dans le Code penal lors de la reforme de 1994.

C’est cette evolution de l’arsenal juridique, et celle de la realite du
phenomène negationniste en France, qu’il s’agit de prendre en compte.

Quoi que l’on pense de l’opportunite de la loi Boyer, une question
demeure : comment comprendre l’aporie dans laquelle nous enferme
l’argument problematique de l’impunite ? L’impunite de crimes dont le
caractère imprescriptible plie pourtant devant l’absence du juge,
irremediablement causee par la Realpolitik, par l’amnistie, le
negationnisme d’Etat, et la mort des responsables. L’impunite, cet
“inachèvement indefini et sans consolation d’une sale histoire qui
se termine mal” (Veronique Nahoum-Grappe), est utilisee ici comme la
justification d’une nouvelle mise hors-la-loi des victimes et de leurs
familles. Au lieu d’etre, a l’inverse, apprehendee comme une raison
de plus de penser, pour le moins, le problème de la negation dans un
contexte mondial de “lutte contre l’impunite”, de “restauration de la
verite” et de “prevention des crimes internationaux les plus graves”,
selon les formules consacrees. Si la negation est un defi a l’histoire,
elle est manifestement aussi un defi au droit.

Sevane Garibian est aussi l’auteure de “Le crime contre l’humanite
au regard des principes fondateurs de l’Etat moderne. Naissance et
consecration d’un concept” (LGDJ, Schulthess, Bruylant, 2009)

SARKOZY NOT INVITED TO SYRIA SUMMIT IN TURKEY

Tourism Travel Vacation News

March 5 2012
Turkey

French President Nicolas Sarkozy allegedly will not be invited to an
international summit set to convene in Ä°stanbul to discuss Syria,
underscoring Turkish protests against the French leader for his
support of efforts to criminalize denial of Armenian genocide claims,
a Turkish news report said on Monday.

Turkey is preparing to host the second gathering of the “Friends of
Syria” group, which first met in Tunisia in late February.

Participants agreed at that meeting that the second gathering will
take place in Ä°stanbul.

Turkish organizers of the gathering plan to invite the heads of state
and governments and foreign ministers from about 70 countries.

However, France will receive an invitation only for the foreign
minister.

Meanwhile, a Turkish Foreign Ministry official has ruled out
allegations that Sarkozy would not be invited to Turkey’s Syria summit.

“The conference in Turkey, as the one organized in Tunisia on Feb. 24,
is to be attended by the country’s foreign ministries, so neither
Sarkozy nor any other government leaders will not participate”, said
one Turkish diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity. He
emphasized that Turkey has no discrimination against the French
President regarding the Syrian conflict.

Both houses of the French Parliament passed a bill criminalizing
denial of claims that Armenians were subject to genocide at the hands
of the late Ottoman Empire during World War I. Sarkozy supported and
reportedly even pressured parliamentarians to pass the bill, angering
Turkey, which sees the bill as an attempt by Sarkozy to secure support
from French-Armenians in the upcoming presidential election.

The bill was annulled by France’s Constitutional Council, which said it
was contradictory to the principles of freedom of expression enshrined
in France’s founding documents. Sarkozy expressed disappointment
at the Constitutional Council decision and asked the government
to prepare a new draft taking into account the decision of the top
constitutional body.

The second Friends of Syria meeting is now expected to take place
later this month, from March 20-26 given Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s scheduled foreign visits, the Sabah daily reported. Erdogan
will visit Germany on March 17, attend ceremonies commemorating the
anniversary of World War I-era events in Canakkale on March 18 and
will visit South Korea from March 26-27.

Turkey plans to invite Russia and China, two permanent members of the
UN Security Council who vetoed a Security Council resolution against
Syria and shunned the Tunisia gathering of the Friends of Syria.

Foreign ministers from more than 50 countries, including US Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu,
as well as representatives of the Syrian opposition attended the
first meeting of the Friends of Syria in Tunisia.

Sabah said the Syrian National Council, representing the political
wing of the Syrian opposition, is expected to be recognized as
the “sole legitimate representative” of Syria during the Ä°stanbul
gathering. The meeting is also expected to produce crucial decisions
regarding military aid to the Syrian opposition.

Foreign Minister Davutoglu met with representatives of the Syrian
National Council last week, discussing preparations for the Ä°stanbul
gathering of Friends of Syria.

TURKISH DEPUTY PREMIER SAYS GOVERNMENT DETERMINED TO SOLVE PROBLEMS OF MINORITIES

Cumhuriyet
March 2 2012
Turkey

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said that the government was
determined to solve the rest of the problems of religious minorities
in Turkey.

ANKARA- We believe, this can be fulfilled by mutual trust and
cooperation, added Arinc who wrote an article to “Project Syndicate”
web-site.

“After decades of official neglect and mistrust, Turkey has taken
several steps to ensure the rights of the country;s non-Muslim
religious minorities, and thus to guarantee that the rule of law is
applied equally for all Turkish citizens, regardless of individuals’
religion, ethnicity, or language,” said Arinc.

“Turkey’s religious minorities include Greek Orthodox, Armenian,
Assyrian, Kaldani, and other Christian denominations, as well as Jews,
all of whom are integral parts of Turkish society. As part of the
Turkish government’s new initiative to end any sort of discrimination
against these non-Muslim communities, President Abdullah Gul has
emphasized that message by receiving Bartholemew, the Greek-Orthodox
Patriarch of Istanbul, and by visiting a church and a synagogue in
Hatay – a first by a Turkish president,” he noted.

Arinc said, “in August 2009, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met
with leaders of religious minorities on Buyukada and listened to their
problems and concerns, a clear signal of his government’s intent to
buttress their sense of civil inclusion. As Deputy Prime Minister,
I met with representatives of religious minorities in March 2010, and
visited the Armenian and Greek Orthodox Patriarchies in 2010 and 2011.

Likewise, Turkey’s EU Minister Egemen Bagis, has met with these
communities’ leaders on several occasions.”

“Beyond establishing warm relations between the Turkish government
and the country’s religious minorities, official policy has been
changing as well. In May 2010, Prime Minister Erdogan issued an
official statement that warned public servants and citizens against
any discrimination against religious minorities, and that emphasized
the absolute equality of Turkey’s non-Muslim citizens,” he noted.

Arinc added, “but the groundwork for the initiative of recent years was
laid long before. In August 2003, the Erdogan-led government introduced
legal changes to resolve property-rights issues related to religious
minority associations. For the first time in the Republic’s history,
365 landholding and buildings belonging to the minority communities
were legally registered under their name. In 2008, the government,
despite fierce opposition from other political parties, changed the
Law of Associations and allowed religious-minority associations to
purchase real estate (and to receive contributions, regardless of size,
from abroad).”

“Then, in August 2011, an important amendment to the Associations
law mandated the return of more than 350 properties to religious
minorities. As part of these changes, the Greek-Orthodox Girls School
in Beyoglu, Istanbul, and the Jewish Community Center in Izmir have
been granted legal status, ending a century-old dispute,” he said.

“Even before that, in November 2010, the Greek-Orthodox Orphanage was
returned to the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchy. In order to facilitate their
religious duties, the Orthodox metropolitans were granted Turkish
citizenship. Furthermore, the Associations Council, the country’s
highest authority on religious associations, now includes for the first
time a non-Muslim member representing minority faiths,” said Arinc.

He noted, “moreover, the Directorate-General of Associations has
been charged with the task of renovating houses of worship used by
religious minorities, including the historic Aya Nikola Church in
Gokceada Canakkale, and the Assyrian Catholic Church and Greek Catholic
Church in Iskenderun. A number of other churches and synagogues are
also under renovation.”

“The authorities have taken many other historically and symbolically
important steps as well. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has
renovated the Sumela Monastery, a 1,600-year-old church in Trabzon
on the Black Sea coast. The first mass in decades was held in August
2010, led by Bartholomew and attended by hundreds of worshippers from
Greece, Russia, Georgia, Europe, the United States, and Turkey,” said
Arinc, adding “another milestone was the renovation and opening of the
1,100-year old Armenian Akdamar Church in March 2007. The first mass
in 95 years was held in the church, led by the Armenian Archbishop
Aram Atesyan and attended by thousands of worshippers.”

“These measures have been taken to address the long-standing problems
of Turkey’s non-Muslim religious minorities. Turkish Muslims have
lived with Jewish and Christian communities for centuries and treated
them with respect and compassion. We are determined to solve their
remaining problems, and we believe that we can do so through mutual
trust and cooperation. Turkey’s Jews and Christians are full citizens
with equal rights, and we will work to ensure that this reality is
recognized in all areas of the country’s life,” said Arinc.

BRADTKE: VISIT OF THE OSCE MINSK GROUP TO BAKU IS RELATED TO THE SOCHI DECLARATION ON NK

Vestnik Kavkaza
March 5 2012
Russia

The visit of the OSCE Minsk Group including Robert Bradtke (USA),
Jacques Faure (France), Igor Popov (Russia) and Personal Representative
of the OSCE Chairman Andrzej Kasprzyk (Poland) to the region is
associated with the implementation of the Sochi declaration proclaimed
by Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia, the co-chairman of
the US Ambassador Robert Bradtke said, Novosti-Azerbaijan reports.

“We met in Yerevan with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. At the
end of the week there we meetings in Nagorno-Karabakh,” – Bradtke said.

He added that in Baku he will meet with the president of Azerbaijanm
Ilham Aliyev, and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar
Mammadyarov.

On January 23, 2012 on the initiative of the President of Russia
a trilateral meeting between Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Russian Federation were held in Sochi. Following the meeting, the
conflicting sides (Azerbaijan and Armenia) recognized the need to
move away from extreme positions and called for continued efforts on
the approximation of their positions.

THE TURKEY’S OPPOSITION CLAIMED THAT THE NEW CURRENCY SYMBOL LOOKS TOO MUCH LIKE THE INITIALS OF TURKISH PM ERDOGAN

Balkans.com

March 5 2012

Turkey announced a new symbol for its struggling lira last week,
to predictably mixed reviews.

The country’s opposition claimed that the new currency symbol looks
too much like the initials of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan. Others criticized the symbol because it looks very similar
to the symbol of Armenian Dram.

The new lira symbol has even reportedly caused some confusion among
Bulgarian and Greek tourists visiting Turkey’s northwestern province
Edirne because it looks slightly similar to the euro symbol. Hence,
local merchants in the Edirne bazaar have stopped using the symbol
in stores.

“We really liked the new symbol for the lira and wrote it on our
price tags immediately,” says Yasem Erem, a local fisherman. However,
he stopped using the symbol as many tourists confused the symbol with
the euro sign, reports Hurriyet Daily News.

Turkey’s central bank held a contest to decide on the new lira symbol.

Around 8,000 contestants took part in the competition and participant
Tulay Lale’s design was selected as the winner of the contest. Lale’s
design is a double-crossed “L,” shaped like an anchor. According to
Central Bank Governor Erdem Basci , the anchor represented a “safe
harbour” while the upward facing lines represent its rising prestige.

The symbol was originally supposed to be released on February 22, but
a press conference scheduled to make the announcement was canceled
only few hours before for unknown reasons. Erdogan later personally
revealed the new lira symbol on March 1.

“It was a great shortcoming that our currency did not have a symbol.

However, considering the past, when the lira was among the world’s
least valuable currencies, perhaps not having a symbol may not be
considered as a bad thing,” said an anonymous Justice and Development
Party (AKP) deputy told daily Today’s Zaman.

The lira has been struggling with rising inflation for the past
months. The currency was ranked as the world’s least valuable currency
in 1995, 1996, and from 1999 to 2004 by the Guinness Book of Records.

In 2005, the currency went through a revaluation. Six zeroes were
removed from the lira and a new currency officially labled as the
Yeni Turk Lirasi (new Turkish lira) was created.

“We did not pay attention to pessimists and negative comments and
completed the process of removing six zeros with almost no problem.

Our people and institutions quickly adapted to the new lira,” Erdogan
told reporters when revealing the symbol.

In 2009 the word Yeni, or “new,” was removed from the currency’s name
and the it was called was again called, simply, the lira. Since then
it has been performing slightly better. However, in 2011, the lira
continued to decline steadily. It rose at the beginning of 2012,
but concerns over the currency’s stability remains.