Author: Kanayan Tamar

FRANCE OPPOSES OPENING TURKISH CONSULATES

Today’s Zaman
Feb 24 2012
Turkey

France has opposed the opening of Turkish consulates in the French
cities of Bordeaux and Nantes as Turkey has suspended political and
military ties with France in the face of the approval of a bill by
the French Parliament penalizing the denial of the “Armenian genocide.”

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Ä°stanbul Deputy Osman Koruturk
submitted a motion concerning the establishment of Turkish consulates
in Bordeaux and Nantes to the Parliamentary Speaker’s Office to be
answered by Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Wednesday.

Koruturk recalled that in addition to Turkish consulates in Paris,
Lyon, Marseille and Strasbourg, Turkey decided to open two consulates
in Nantes and Bordeaux cities to facilitate transactions for Turkish
citizens, and the talks between Turkish and French officials were
almost completed.

“Is it true that Turkey officially applied to France for the
establishment of the consulates in Bordeaux and Nantes before the
French Constitutional Council announces its decision on the denial
bill, and it has been rejected by the French government?” Koruturk
asked “Why has the government applied to France for the establishment
of consulates that means improvement of bilateral relations after
announcing that Turkey will impose political sanctions on France?”

Underlining that this stance contradicts statements coming from the
government, Koruturk claimed that this situation proves that the
government’s sanctions on France are just claptrap.

WHO KILLED DINK ACCORDING TO DDK? THE DEEP STATE, OR…

Hurriyet Daily News
Feb 24 2012
Turkey

One of the most interesting aspects of the State Supervisory Council
(DDK) report on the murder of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant
Dink was that it entered the ongoing public debate on the feature of
the incident.

There are two main views in the media and public opinion about the
Dink murder. One of them is based on the opinion that the murder could
just well be an isolated incident carried out by a group of fanatical
nationalist youth on their own. In sentencing Yasin Hayal last month,
an Istanbul court’s verdict statement that there was no presence of an
organization found in the murder strengthens this opinion. However,
this verdict of the 14th Specially Authorized Court drew reaction
from a significant segment of the public.

The second opinion is based on the acceptance that the murder was
an operation directly organized by the “deep state.” There are many
opinion leaders who attribute absolute precision to this thesis.

Government spokespeople, on the other hand, say it was them who were
targeted in this murder.

This debate emerges in the DDK report.

‘Clumsiness in this murder’

At the end of the “conclusion,” the part of the report which was
publicized, DDK head Cemal Boyalı and the other four members of the
board said they found it necessary to “express some points on the
nature and manner of the incident.”

The DDK said, after this entry, that “at a first glance, it can be
concluded that the incident is an act as defined at the trial court,”
referring to the first opinion and the verdict of the Istanbul court
announced Jan. 17.

There are three factors supporting this view, according to the DDK:
The first of these is the “long time slot that passed between the
moment the first intelligence was received and the time the murder
was committed.” It is true that the date was Feb. 17, 2006, when
Trabzon police informed Istanbul and Ankara that a murder targeting
Dink was being planned. The gendarmerie intelligence learned about the
preparation in July 2006. The murder was committed much later on Jan.
19, 2007.

The second factor is that “the perpetrators were demonstrating clumsy
behavior during the time leading to the murder.” When court documents
are reviewed, it can be seen that Yasin Hayal did not hide it from his
circle of friends in Pelitli in Trabzon that he was making preparations
to kill Hrant Dink.

In the third factor, the DDK points out the difficulties the
perpetrators went through while obtaining the weapon.

This is not cited openly but all of this emphasizes the sense that
“this is an amateur job.”

Turkey’s plentiful experience

Let’s move onto the second thesis. After the DDK conveys the first
opinion, right after that it says “However…” and turns the spotlight
on the other side of the coin; in other words, the thesis arguing
that the murder was the product of a structure formed inside the state.

Within this framework, the DDK emphasizes that “Our country’s plentiful
[beyond measure] experience in incidents similar to the Hrant Dink
murder, as well as both the responsibility in the inability to
protect Dink’s right to life and mistakes in practice, wrongdoings
and deficiencies” should also be taken into consideration.

The board sheds light on what it means by “plentiful experience”
with this listing:

“The Malatya Zirve Publishing House and Priest Santoro murders, the
‘Kafes’ [Cage] Action Plan, Ergenekon, Revolutionary Headquarters,
OdaTV, ‘Balyoz’ [Sledgehammer], the Action Plan to Fight
Fundamentalism, Å~^emdinli, the Murder at the Council of State and
cases on unresolved murders…”

According to the DDK, it is not only the existence of these cases,
but also the “actions attributed to public employees in these cases
and, in some cases, the aims, types of actions and methods [used],
as well as signs related to the connection of some defendants with
the process and actions leading to Hrant Dink’s murder” should be
taken into account.

In this context, we may give the example that Ergenekon defendants
such as Veli Kucuk and Kemal Kerincsiz appear in campaigns led against
Hrant Dink.

Well, which one is right?

After drawing this framework, the report emphasizes “The murder should
be examined by integrating it with the period starting with making
Hrant Dink a target by otherizing him and the period he was being
threatened.” It goes on: “It is a must that negligence and the other
actions of suspected public employees be investigated and [that they
be] tried directly or within the context of the main murder case.”

To sum up, the DDK gives the message that “At first sight it looks like
an isolated incident but it is also a high probability that it is an
illegal structure inside the state. In order to reveal this, the main
case and the cases of the faulty public employees should be joined.”

We need to wait for the Dink case to be reopened for the truth to
come to light with all its dimensions.

Sedat Ergin is a columnist for daily Hurriyet in which this piece
appeared Feb 23. It was translated into English by the Daily News
staff.

DEATH SENTENCE FOR PASTOR: SIGN OF IRAN’S RENEWED ANTI-CHRISTIAN CRACKDOWN?

Assyrian International News Agency

AINA Press Release
Feb 23 2012

Iran remains unfazed by widespread protests from the international
community over the execution order against the Christian pastor Youcef
Nadarkhani for renouncing Islam.

Reports from Iran indicate that the repressive regime is aiming at
a renewed crackdown on its Christian population.

Ten Christian converts from Islam were arrested recently during
a church meeting in a residential building, their homes searched
thoroughly and their Bibles confiscated, the Assyrian International
News Agency reported, citing sources in Iran.

Maasis Mosesian, an Armenian Christian and elder at a Church in
Tehran, which is an affiliate of the Assemblies of God, was also
arrested at his workplace and taken to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj,
Farsi Christian News Network reported.

The arrested Christian converts, including a family of three, have
been barred from contacting their relatives or friends and are
detained in an undisclosed location. “The authorities herded the
entire congregation, including children, into two buses that had
been brought specifically for this purpose,” Christian Solidarity
Worldwide said in a press release.

“The majority were interrogated, threatened and eventually released.

However, the church’s senior pastor, Pastor Farhad, remains in
detention,” the statement said.

Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence has ordered the Emmanuel Protestant
Church and St. Peter’s Evangelical Church, the last two officially
registered churches holding Friday Farsi-language services in Tehran,
to suspend them, according to a Baptist Press report.

The restrictions have had the effect that the authorities desired,
as it cut attendance by half.

Iranian authorities are reportedly pushing employers to fire people
who are Christians or Christian converts.

Christians have alleged that the new government tactic is meant to
scare away people from converting to Christianity. “If I have too many
difficulties in my life, I won’t have time to be involved in church,
and people will see how difficult it is to be a Christian,” an Iranian
Christian who wished to remain anonymous told Compass Direct News.

“This is not a good face for the Christians. The others see and say,
‘Oh, they became Christians and God stopped His blessing to them,'”
he said.

Iran’s anti-Christian Crackdown is believed to be in accordance with
the Islamic principle that the number of non-Muslims need to be kept
under constant check in a predominantly Islamic society.

“The issue has little to do with perceptions of how Christianity might
respond, but rather with the obligation under Islamic doctrine to
put and keep (non-Muslims) in their ‘place’ within Muslim society,”
Clare Lopez, a senior fellow with the Center for Security Policy,
told World Net Daily.

“The forces of Sharia Islam are in the ascendant all over the Middle
East these days and with the new-found sense of empowerment combined
with what is perceived as Western complicity and weakness in the face
of that situation, it is to be expected that all religious minorities,
especially Christians and Jews, increasingly will feel the brutality
of Islamic supremecism,” Clare said.

By Amrutha Gayathri

TOP DIPLOMATS OF S. KOREA, ARMENIA HOLD TALKS IN SEOUL

Qatar News Agency
February 23, 2012 Thursday 6:26 AM EST

Seoul, February 23 (QNA) – The foreign ministers of South Korea
and Armenia held talks in Seoul Thursday to discuss how to increase
substantive cooperation in economic, trade, development and cultural
exchanges, officials said.

Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and his Armenian counterpart Edward
Nalbandian, who arrived in Seoul Wednesday for a two-day visit, also
signed a visa-free agreement for diplomats and government officials,
South Korea’s news agency (Yonhap) reported.

During the talks, Kim and Nalbandian exchanged a wide range of views
on other matters of mutual concern, including the situation on the
Korean Peninsula and in the Caucasus, the ministry said in a statement.

It was the first time in 13 years an Armenian foreign minister has
visited South Korea, officials said.

The visit by Nalbandian will “serve as a significant opportunity to
review the bilateral relationship during the past 20 years since the
establishment of diplomatic relations, and to discuss ways to further
develop ties,” a ministry official said.

This year, South Korea and Armenia mark the 20th anniversary of
establishing diplomatic relations. (QNA)

OSCE REPORTS FEWER TENSIONS AROUND NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Vestnik Kavkaza
Feb 24 2012
Russia

The OSCE has concluded monitoring of the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact
line of forces at the Myarzili Village of the Agdam District of
Azerbaijan, 1news.az reports.

Andrzej Kasprzyk, personal representative of OSCE chairman in
Nagorno-Karabakh, said that monitoring was peaceful, although certain
violations were registered.

The official said that conversations with locals convinced him that
the situation became less tense. Investigations of every incident,
according to a joint declaration of Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian
presidents, continue.

Monitoring from the Azerbaijani side was carried out by Anrzej
Kasprzyk, Peter Ki, coordinator of the OSCE office, and Antal Herdic,
field assistant of the personal representative of OSCE chairman.

TEHRAN READY FOR CONSTRUCTION OF ARMENIA-IRAN RAILWAY

news.am
February 24, 2012 | 17:18

YEREVAN.- The Iranian side is ready for the construction of
Iran-Armenia railway and expects necessary financing, Ambassador to
Armenia Seyed Ali Saqqaiyan said.

Addressing the Yerevan University students, Ambassador recalled the
recent meeting of the working group with the participation of the
Russian, Iranian and Armenian deputy ministers of transport.

“Head of the Russian Railways also expressed positive attitude
to the project during his recent visit to Yerevan. The project is
expensive and the experts determine figures amounting to several
billion dollars. However, we are determined to participate,” he said.

According to preliminary assessment, the project was estimated
at $1.5-2 billion. In 2010 Armenia submitted an application on
construction to the EurAsEC Anti-Crisis Fund. The possibility of
China’s participation was discussed as well.

SOME PAGES OF TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL WATCHDOG REPORT ON DINK MURDER CENSORED

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 24, 2012 – 18:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The undisclosed sections of a report prepared by the
State Audit Institution (DDK) regarding the murder of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink openly accuse police and intelligence officials
of negligence in the murder and call for the investigation of certain
individuals, Today’s Zaman reported, citing Haberturk daily.

The presidential watchdog announced its report earlier this week on
the Office of the President’s website. The report said mistakes were
made in the investigation of public officials who were suspected
of having acted negligently in preventing the murder, adding that
a sequence of negligent acts by public officials was not examined
as a whole and that no investigation was launched separately into
different state institutions.

However, six pages of the long-expected report were censored,
reportedly due to state secrecy concerns, arousing curiosity among
the public over what information they contained. Haberturk, claiming
to have obtained the full report, said on Friday, Feb 24 that the
censored sections level serious and explicit accusations against
police and gendarmerie officers and the Istanbul Governor’s Office.

The six pages also reportedly say there is sufficient evidence to file
charges of negligence against certain officials in the Ä°stanbul and
Trabzon police departments. The report adds that prosecutors failed to
file charges against members of the National Intelligence Organization
(MÄ°T) who reportedly “warned” Dink to be careful when writing his
articles prior to his assassination in 2007.

Haberturk also reported that the full DDK report underlines that
the Trabzon Police Department sent a notice to the Istanbul Police
Department on Feb. 17, 2006, warning them about an assassination
plot against Dink based on intelligence received from Erhan Tuncel –
a police informant in Trabzon. The report also said this information
was not shared with the Trabzon Gendarmerie Command, although the
plot concerned individuals in the town of Pelitli, which fell under
the gendarmerie command’s jurisdiction. Despite this information no
action was taken to prevent the murder, and a fake report was prepared
following Dink’s assassination, the report said.

The DDK also reportedly discovered that information about a possible
assassination plot against Dink was received by the Trabzon Gendarmerie
Command from other sources. Although there was clear intelligence that
those plotting to kill Dink were obtaining arms, the gendarmerie did
not give any importance to this information and did not share it with
any judicial body, the report puts forth.

CRIMES AGAINST INDIVIDUALS UP IN ARMENIA

Tert.am
24.02.12

Crimes against individuals grew by 2% in Armenia last year, making
up 21% of the total number of crimes committed, according to reports
by the General Prosecutor’s Office.

Meeting in a board session earlier on Friday, the top prosecutors
summed up their 2011 accomplishments, noting that crimes like murders,
intentional infliction of (serious) health damage and battery had
particularly high rates.

The records suggest that among the persons who committed crimes last
year, 182 were minors, 679 – women, 68 – foreign nationals and 100 –
individuals with previous convictions.

Deputy General Prosecutor Aram Tamazyan said in his report that the
disclosure of murders and attempted murder has decreased to 71.6%,
which is 2% less compared to the previous year.

ANCA URGES ARMENIAN AMERICANS TO ASK CONGRESS TO PRESS CLINTON FOR ANSWERS ON ARMENIAN ISSUES

armradio.am
25.02.2012 15:04

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in the wake of her offensive
dismissal of the Armenian Genocide “as a matter for historical debate,”
will testify and answer questions before four separate U.S. House and
Senate panels this coming week.

The Armenian National Committee of America calls on Armenian Americans
to call on their Senators and Representative to ask Secretary Clinton
questions about her offensive remarks and on the full range of other
issues of special importance to Armenian American voters.

AZERI EXPERT: RUSSIA NOT INTERESTED IN KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 25, 2012 – 12:27 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russia is not interested in fair resolution of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, director of the Atlas strategic research
center said.

Elhan Sahinoglu said if Russia were interested, it “would exert
pressure on Armenia”, SalamNews reports.

“Very little time is left before Dmitry Medvedev’s presidency is over.

Most likely, Vladimir Putin will come to power in Russia, and Putin
will not make much effort to settle the conflict. Even some kind of
confrontation is expected in Russia, so our northern neighbor may be
distracted by its own affairs. Therefore, official Moscow is expected
to show certain activity in Karabakh conflict resolution during the
summer,” he said.

The political expert noted that the talks over Karabakh conflict
resolution have reached a deadlock now.