Author: Kanayan Tamar

DINK LAWYER SAYS EVIDENCE BEING WITHHELD
Fethiye Cetin

asbarez
Thursday, January 12th, 2012

ISTANBUL–Five years after the assassination of journalist Hrant Dink,
evidence related to the real perpetrators of the crime is still being
covered up, the Dink family’s lawyer, Fethiye Cetin, who has been
the chief attorney in the case, said.

“Long ago, in 2008, we demanded the records of phone calls made in
the vicinity of the assassination on the day of the murder. We were
only able to have those records in court recently, a week before
the case is going to be closed. Moreover, police provided misleading
information to the court about the phone records,” Cetin told Today’s
Zaman following the 24th hearing of the trial, which took place on
Monday at the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court.

The late editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, Dink
was shot dead by an ultranationalist teenager outside the offices of
his newspaper in broad daylight in Istanbul on Jan. 19, 2007. The
investigation into his murder stalled as the suspected perpetrator
and his accomplices were put on trial, but those who masterminded
the plot to kill him have yet to be exposed and punished.

Cetin said that contrary to the police investigation, which found no
phone conversations among the suspects on the day of the murder, the
Dink family attorneys found with their limited resources at least five
cell phone numbers belonging to people who were present at the crime
scene on the day of the murder that were directly connected to Mustafa
Ozturk and Sahil Hacısalihoglu, two suspects in the investigation.

The Telecommunications Directorate (TÄ°B) told the court that 6,235
phone conversations took place in the vicinity at the time of the
murder and that 9,300 people were carrying cell phones in the area. It
also said their records showed no link to any of the cell phones.

“TIB’s statement is not true,” Cetin said, adding that one of the
numbers assigned to a cell phone present in the area at the time of
the murder was used in 19 calls to suspect Mustafa Ozturk between the
dates Oct. 22, 2005 – about two years prior to the murder – and Jan.

She accused the Istanbul Police Department of misleading judicial
institutions, obscuring evidence and attempting to keep the truth
from coming out.

Asked about what she expects out of the court’s judgment next week when
it is likely to end the case, Cetin said they demand life sentences
with no possibility of parole for the instigators of the murder.

“It is up to the court to rule. The court is willing to reach a
judgment soon because of a possibility of discharge since the suspects
have been on trial for almost five years now,” she said.

According to the Dink family’s lawyers, bureaucracy and institutions
resist solving the murder in its entirety because there is a lack of
political will to move the investigation along.

After the finalization of the case by the Istanbul 14th High Criminal
Court, the Dink case is supposed to go to the Supreme Court of Appeals.

“The Istanbul court demanded the prosecution examine the TIB records
more thoroughly. If there is new evidence, the case could be reopened
with an additional indictment,” Cetin said, Today’s Zaman reported.

ARMENIAN PARTIES UNVEIL THEIR ECONOMIC PLATFORMS AHEAD OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

/ARKA/
JANUARY 13, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, January 13. /ARKA/. Senior members of some Armenian political
parties disclosed today the economic sections of their election
programs during a conference organized by the Armenian Center for
National and International Studies with the supported of the U.S.-based
National Democratic Institute (NDI).

“Economic platforms of parties are actively touted ahead of every
elections in an attempt to attract voters, and today we decided to
provide this opportunity to some political forces to unveil economic
sections of their election programs,” Ruben Mehrabian, head of THE
Armenian Center for National and International Studies, said.

The economic platform of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia
was introduced by parliament member Vardan Ayvazian, who said the
authorities’ main task is to ensure steady economic development.

Artsvik Minasian from the opposition Armenian Revolutionary
Federation/Dashnaktsutyun, said his party advocates growing role of the
government in market relations, which stems from the party’s ideology.

“The economic crisis has shown that governments should play a larger
role in regulating economy The market does not have to regulate all
economic processes in the country, it must serve the society and
citizens,’ Minasian said.

Vahagn Khachatryan from the out-of-parliament opposition Armenian
National Congress said Armenia needs now drastic reforms. He also
stressed the importance of eliminating oligarchy, monopolies and
corruption.

Tatevik Minasian from Free Democrats said their party’s economic
policy is based on boosting private sector.

“We believe that the priority is to create a favorable taxation system,
and reduce the shadow economy,’ she said.

The next parliamentary elections in Armenia will be held in May
2012.

ARMENIAN INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT IN 2011 AMOUNTS TO OVER 900 BILLION DRAMS: VAZGEN SAFARIAN

/ARKA
JANUARY 13, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, January 13. /ARKA/. According to preliminary data, Armenian
industrial output in 2011 amounted to over 900 billion drams, Vazgen
Safarian, chairman of the Union of Armenian Commodity Manufacturers,
told a news conference today. He said when the figure is finalized
it will constitute 25% of Armenia’s GDP last year and described it as
‘unprecedented.’

According to Armenian National Statistical Service (Armstat), in the
first 11 months of past year the industrial output was 889.5. In 2010
it was 824.3 billion drams. In 2010 the industrial output, including
energy, constituted 14.8% of the overall GDP.

Vazgen Safarian also said the government-designed strategy to boost
export-oriented industries may prompt it to increase its financing
of local manufacturing companies.

The strategy commissioned by the World Bank was developed by a group
of experts with the assistance of the ministry of economy focuses on
building an advanced industrial system, which in turn is supposed to
stimulate production of high quality products meeting international
standards, to help Armenian companies win new foreign markets and
create new jobs. The strategy specifies what the government seeks to
achieve by 2020. More specifically, exports are supposed to double
by 2015 and reach $3 billion by 2020. To implement this strategy the
government will set up Industrial Council to be chaired by the prime
minister of Armenia, as well as establish sub-councils to coordinate
projects in 11 chosen sectors.

Vazgen Safarian said also Armenian embassies abroad should step up
monitoring of Armenian sales abroad.

According to official data, in the first 11 months of 2011 Armenian
exports grew by 31.1% year-on-year to $1.206.7 billion while imports
upped by 12.3% to $3.751.1 billion.

CATHOLICOS ARAM I RECEIVES LEBANESE AMBASSADOR TO KAZAKHSTAN VAZGEN KAVLAKYAN

ARMENPRESS
JANUARY 13, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, ARMENPRESS: Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia Aram I received Friday Lebanese Ambassador to Kazakhstan
Vazgen Kavlakyan.

During the meeting the ambassador thoroughly presented to His Holiness
issues concerning Kazakhstan, as well as referred to the results of
the implemented work, press service of the Antelias Catholicosate told
Armenpress. His Holiness Aram I highly assessed the ambassador’s work
and stressed that his service brings high honor both to Lebanon and
entire Armenian nation.

The ambassador also told Aram I that the Catholicos will be
solemnly invited to the international inter-religious assembly due
in Kazakhstan.

Vazgen Kavlakyan is the first Lebanese ambassador in Kazakhstan and
is in service already 4 years. During his term he has managed to make
outstanding contribution to development of the political and economic
relations of Lebanon and Kazakhstan.

FIRST ‘UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE’ CONTEST TO BE HELD IN ARMENIA

Panorama.am
13/01/2012

In the frames of Armenian Robots Open Championship (ArmRobotics)
the Union of Information Technologies Enterprises (UITE) announces
registration for the ‘Unmanned Aerial Vehicle’ (UAV) contest. The
participants of this contest must design and prepare robots which must
recognize the navigation signs and send pictures of the area online,
find the specially assigned tee, flop down a burden of 300 grams and
fly back to its original place of flight.

The robots may have any type of construction including: – VTOL
(Vertical Take-Off and Landing) – CTOL (Conventional Take-Off and
Landing) – STOVL (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing) etc.

The take-off and landing can be non-autonomous.

For participation to this contest participants need to register at
from 13/01/12 to
12/03/12 inclusive.

ArmRobotics is established by UITE, the main sponsor is VivaCell-MTS,
technical equipment was provided by Artin Varoujan company, supporters
are the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia and Microsoft
Innovation Center of Armenia.

KARABAKH PREVENTS AZERBAIJAN TO RECOGNIZE NORTHERN CYPRUS – TURKISH LAWMAKER

Tert.am
13.01.12

Turkey Does Not Want Azerbaijan To Recognize The Independence Of
Northern Cyprus because of Nagorno- Karabakh, Sinan Ogan, a member
of the Turkish Grand National Assembly has said.

The Azerbaijani news website Salamnews.az has quoted the Turkish
lawmaker as saying that the country’s recognition by Azerbaijan would
cause Nagorno-Karabakh to gain the status of an independent statehood.

“But in case Turkey asks for recognition, Azerbaijan will do that.

Turkey is sure to create a united state one day,” he said.

DAVUTOGLU TO VISIT NAKHICHEVAN THIS MONTH

Panorama.am
13/01/2012

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is due to visit Nakhichevan
in January, Trend quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Selcuk Unal
as saying.

Davutoglu will visit Nakhichevan on January 17 to attend a tripartite
meeting of Azerbaijani, Iranian and Turkish Foreign Ministers, the
source said.

PUTIN ATTENDS LEGENDARY ARMENIAN SPY’S FUNERAL

Tert.am
13.01.12

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has attended legendary Soviet
intelligence agent Gevrog Vardanyan’s funerals in Moscow, Life News
reported.

Director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service Mikhail Fradkov
is also said to have been present at the ceremony in Moscow’s
Troyekurovskoye cemetery.

After laying flowers at Vardanyan’s grave and talking to his relatives,
Putin submitted to them his condolence message which read as follows:
“Gevorg A Vardanyan’s life was bright and full of heroic events. He
helped create numerous legendary pages in our history intelligence. The
memory of the real patriot and strong man will always be alive in
our hearts.”

Vardanyan died in a Moscow hospital on January 10 at age 88.

LOI SUR LES GENOCIDES : LE RDSE (A MAJORITE PRG) VOTERA CONTRE LE TEXTE DE LOI
Stephane

armenews.com
vendredi 13 janvier 2012

Le groupe RDSE (a majorite radicaux de gauche) du Senat a annonce
jeudi dans un communique qu’il voterait contre la proposition de loi
visant a penaliser la negation de tous les genocides, dont celui des
Armeniens de 1915.

Cette proposition de loi de la deputee UMP Valerie Boyer deja votee
le 22 decembre par l’Assemblee nationale sera examinee le 23 janvier
par le Senat.

Le groupe du Rassemblement democratique et social europeen (RDSE)
“sans oublier la souffrance du peuple armenien” “considère qu’un tel
texte n’est pas de nature a permettre l’apaisement des relations
entre la Turquie et l’Armenie, deux pays amis de la France et qui
doivent le rester”.

Pour lui “le legislateur n’a pas vocation a se substituer aux travaux
des Historiens et a ecrire (ou a reecrire) l’Histoire”.

Les seize senateurs du RDSE estiment qu’en leur qualite de
parlementaires et de senateurs de la Republique il n’appartient pas
au legislateur de s’immiscer dans ce type de debat et pas davantage
d’envisager des sanctions penales”.

Le texte prevoit de punir d’un an de prison et 45.000 euros d’amende
la negation d’un genocide reconnu par la loi francaise.

Ils soulignent que le 4 mai dernier le Senat avait deja rejete
un texte similaire “après que plusieurs senateurs, parmi lesquels
Robert Badinter et Jean-Jacques Hyest (UMP), (eurent) mis justement
en evidence les faiblesses juridiques et en premier lieu le caractère
inconstitutionnel d’un tel texte”.

Le groupe ecologiste s’est egalement prononce contre. Une majorite
de senateurs socialistes, du CRC (communiste) et de l’UMP devraient
cependant voter pour. Une partie des opposants au texte notamment
a l’UMP ont indique qu’ils ne prendraient pas part au vote. La
proposition de loi, dans cette configuration, a de grandes chances
cette fois d’etre votee par le Senat.

ALGERIAN PRIME MINISTER’S CALL ON TURKEY
by Abdullah al-Ahsan*

Today’s Zaman
Jan 13 2012
Turkey

It was shocking to see the Algerian prime minister’s call on
“Turkish authorities to stop referring to Algerian history under
French colonial rule as part of Turkey’s quarrel with France over
genocide allegations,” (Today’s Zaman, Jan. 7, 2012).

The Algerian prime minister expressed his views in the context of
the Turkish prime minister’s reference to French atrocities committed
in Algeria which, in turn, was mentioned in the context of a French
decision to pass “a bill that would make it a crime to deny that
mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago
constituted genocide.” As Today’s Zaman reported, “Turkey’s prime
minister then accused the French of [committing] ‘genocide’ during
France’s 132-year colonial rule in Algeria.” I don’t want to discuss
killings in Armenia at the beginning of the 20th century; I would,
rather, like to comment on the call by the Algerian prime minister. I
will also comment on the history of the French-Turkish relationship.

Clearly the Algerian prime minister does not want to see his country
getting involved in a row between its former colonial power and
Turkey. But is his resistance because he does not want his country to
be troubled concerning a controversy between two independent sovereign
states? Or is the issue of the killings of innocent civilians under
French colonial rule in Algeria no longer a matter of agitation for
him? Or does he want to dump that part of history into the trash? Or,
in the worst case scenario, maybe he wants to please his country’s
colonial power in order to gain political support? If the last scenario
is the case, he should remember that one year ago France denied asylum
to Tunisian fugitive Ben Ali when he was desperately seeking refuge.

But even if the Algerian prime minister dumps part of his country’s
history, should the Turks accept it? This question arises because,
when France occupied Algeria in 1830, Algeria was part of the Ottoman
state. It should be noted that the Ottomans never invaded Algeria;
Khairuddin Pasha (known as Barbarossa and Hayrettin in Turkish),
who was born on a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, organized forces
to liberate the area from the Spaniards around A.D. 1525. After
defeating Muslims in Spain, the Catholics were on a mission to capture
territories on the Mediterranean coasts. Khairuddin, of course, sought
and received Ottoman assistance for this purpose. Had the Ottomans
not assisted the people of Algeria at that moment in history, the fate
of Algerians today would have been similar to that of Spanish Muslims.

How could the Algerians forget this part of their history? Years
later when Catholic Spain sought a truce with the Ottomans, the
territory became part of the Ottoman state. Therefore, if Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is making a reference to French
atrocities in Algeria, he has a reason to.

The Turkish prime minister was referring to the killing of Algerians
by French troops in the middle of the 20th century. But one might find
a more pathetic picture from the early days of French occupation in
Algeria. According to an official French census report by the Service
de la Statistique Generale, the Algerian Muslim population in 1830
was about 3 million. The number declined to 2.6 million in 1845, to
2.307 million in 1856 and to 2.134 million in 1872. Did these people
emigrate? No. They were all massacred by invading French troops.

Algerians fought under the leadership of Abdul Qadir al-Jazairi until
1847. Then the revolt continued in the area of Kabylia until 1870.

Were these killings not genocide? Those Algerians who survived moved
to rural areas; Islam became a rural phenomenon and the French imported
European settlers to populate the cities.

In this context one should recall the earliest phase of the
French-Ottoman relationship — a relationship that goes beyond the
first treaty between Francis I (1494-1597) and Suleyman the Magnificent
(1494-1566) in 1536. Under the treaty the Ottomans granted the French
privilege to conduct business in the prosperous Mediterranean region —
a privilege the British also sought but were denied. But the French
forgot this favor and invaded Egypt in 1798, violating the treaty. It
seems one also needs to remind the Algerian prime minister the excuse
France used to attack and occupy Algeria in 1830. In other words, the
Algerian prime minister should be rather careful in making statements,
particularly at a time when many Arab countries are experiencing
an awakening.

*Abdullah al-Ahsan is a professor of history and deputy dean at the
International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC)
at the International Islamic University of Malaysia.