Author: Kanayan Tamar

HRANT DINK’S LAWYERS DEMAND DETAILS OF PHONE RECORDS

Tert.am
29.12.11

During the 23rd court hearing of slain Armenian journalist Hrant Dink
case, one of the lawyers of Dink family said the phone conversations
that Telecommunications Directorate (TIB) provided to the court do
not include all the records from the area.

Suspect Yasin Hayal is under pressure not to disclose significant
information, Fethiye Cetin, one of the prosecution lawyers representing
the family of Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist assassinated
in 2007, said yesterday.

“When we consider the four-year-long trial process, it seems apparent
we have not made any progress, even though all the guilty parties
are manifest,” lawyer Cetin told the Hurriyet Daily News.

The 23rd hearing of the Dink trial began yesterday at 11:05 a.m.,
approximately two hours late due to the delayed arrival of suspects
Yasin Hayal and Erhan Tuncel. The hearing yielded no results, however,
and the case is still stuck in a deadlock.

“Yasin Hayal’s mental health is quite balanced. He can divulge a
lot of things, but he is under pressure from different quarters not
to talk. Nevertheless, he would be saying a lot if he could speak,”
Cetin said.

Cetin also said they had met with Bahattin Hayal, suspect Yasin Hayal’s
father, who had claimed to be in possession of important information
pertinent to the case. But he divulged nothing the prosecution did
not already know about, she said.

Meanwhile, a group of 200 people gathered in Istanbul’s BeÅ~_iktaÅ~_
district and marched toward the Istanbul’s Court for Serious Crimes
in protest of the apparent lack of progress in the case.

Demonstrators included Hrant Dink’s wife Rakel Dink and his brother
Orhan Dink, as well as Sezgin Tanrıkulu, the deputy leader of the
opposition People’s Republican Party (CHP), Levent Tuzel, an Istanbul
deputy of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), and other high-profile
figures.

“[Phone] records from the Telecommunications Directorate (TÄ°B)
dominated the public’s attention throughout this one year, and
especially since May. TÄ°B records were of course important, but it
should not be forgotten we are talking about thousands of records. The
truly important thing, we believe, was the silence of those caught
on camera footage on the day of the murder,” Cetin said.

The Dink family’s lawyers also raised an objection to the trial of the
suspects in the Black Sea province of Trabzon solely on the charge of
“dereliction of duty,” according to the Dogan news agency.

“These men have solely been tried on the charge of dereliction of
duty, whereas they are partners in manslaughter through dereliction,”
prosecution lawyer Bahri Belen said in relation to claims gendarmerie
commanders Ali Oz and Metin Yıldız had been notified about the
murder six months earlier by suspect CoÅ~_kun Ä°gci, Yasin Hayal’s
brother-in-law.

The Dink family’s lawyers had prepared a 200 page file connecting the
history of the Armenian issue with the murder and read the document’s
first half during the previous hearing.

While the first half of the file was primarily about the historical
dimension of the problem, the second half read a variety of other
topics, including indictments, the suspects’ testimonies and other
relevant assessments.

The Dink family’s lawyers also argued in favor of merging the two
separate case files in Istanbul and the Black Sea province of Samsun.

Dink, a Turkish journalist of Armenian origin, was the chief editor
for weekly Agos, a paper published in both Turkish and Armenian. He
was shot in front of his office in January 2007. Triggerman Ogun
Samast was sentenced to 22 years in prison last month for the murder.

PRIMATE RECONSECRATES HOLY CROSS ARMENIAN CHURCH IN AKHALTSKHA

hetq
11:25, December 27, 2011

Bishop Vazgen Mirzhakhanyan, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic
Church in Georgia, reconsecrated the 19th century Holy Cross Church
in Akhaltskha on December 25.

The church is located in the village of Pokr Pamaj, founded in 1829
by refugees fleeing the Western Armenian provinces of Torkom and Garin.

In 1881, a parish school was established and operated until 1932,
when it became a state school.

The church was renovated in 1993 by local benefactor Hovhannes
Manoukyan and reopened its doors in 1995.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : QUE S’EST-IL PASSE EN 1915-1916 ?
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
mardi 27 decembre 2011

La proposition de loi penalisant la negation des genocides dont le
genocide armenien continue de faire des remous. Mais que sait-on au
juste de cet evènement et pourquoi la Turquie rejette si fortement le
terme de genocide ? Nouvel echelon de tension dans la polemique sur la
proposition de loi reprimant les genocides, dont celui des Armeniens.

Valerie Boyer, la deputee UMP a l’origine de cette proposition,
declare avoir recu des menaces de mort et son site web a ete pirate.

Deja jeudi 23 decembre, le Premier ministre turc, reagissait très
violemment a la proposition de loi en accusant a son tour la France de
genocide en Algerie. Que s’est-il donc passe en 1915-1916 et pourquoi
la Turquie ne veut pas entendre parler de genocide ?

1. Un massacre debute au XIXe siècle

Le genocide armenien a eu lieu d’avril 1915 a juillet 1916 et a coûte
la vie a un million deux cent mille Armeniens, soit les deux-tiers
de la population armenienne vivant en Turquie a l’epoque. C’est l’un
des premiers genocides du XXe siècle. Mais les exactions contre les
Armeniens avaient commence dès la fin du XIXe siècle.

A la veille de la grande guerre, la decadence de l’empire ottoman
s’accelère. Pour consolider son pouvoir, le sultan Abdul-Hamid II
attise les haines religieuses, a l’instar des derniers tsars de Russie.

Entre 1894 et 1896, comme les Armeniens reclament des reformes et
une modernisation des institutions, le sultan en fait massacrer 200
a 250 000 avec l’aide des montagnards kurdes.

Un million d’Armeniens sont depouilles de leurs biens et des milliers
sont convertis de force. Des centaines d’eglises sont brûlees ou
transformees en mosquees… Le sultan tente de s’imposer en chef
spirituel des musulmans en tant que calife. Mais il est depose en
1909 par le mouvement des Jeunes-Turcs. Ces derniers lui reprochent
de livrer l’empire aux appetits etrangers et de favoriser les Arabes.

2. Des tueries poursuivies par les Jeunes-Turcs

Les Jeunes-Turcs installent au pouvoir un Comite Union et Progrès
dirige par Enver Pacha, et designent un nouveau sultan, Mohamed V. Le
nouveau pouvoir donne au pays une Constitution laïque… ainsi qu’une
devise empruntee a la France : “Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite”. Mais
leur ideologie s’appuie sur un nationalisme exacerbe et notamment le
“touranisme”.

Cette ideologie prône l’union de tous les peuples de langue turque
ou assimilee, partout dans le monde et jusqu’en Chine : Anatolie,
Azerbaïdjan, Kazakhstan… Cette doctrine s’appuie aussi sur une vision
racialement homogène de la nation turque. Dès 1909, les Jeunes-Turcs
s’attaquent aux Armeniens d’Asie : entre 20 000 et 30 000 d’entre
eux sont tues a Adana le 1er avril 1909.

La guerre declaree par le sultan le 1er novembre 1914 leur donne
l’occasion de mettre en place leur projet d’epuration ethnique. Sous
pretexte de deplacer les populations pour des raisons militaires,
les Armeniens sont deportes vers Alep (en Syrie) dans des conditions
telles que la plupart meurent en chemin.

Puis les massacres seront encore plus directement ordonnes. En 1914,
le ministre de l’Interieur Talaat Pacha ordonne l’assassinat des
Armeniens d’Istanbul puis des Armeniens de l’armee, avant de s’attaquer
aux Armeniens des sept provinces orientales. Le telegramme du ministre
a la direction des Jeunes-Turcs de la prefecture d’Alep est edifiant :

“Le gouvernement a decide de detruire tous les Armeniens residant en
Turquie. Il faut mettre fin a leur existence, aussi criminelles que
soient les mesures a prendre. Il ne faut tenir compte ni de l’âge,
ni du sexe. Les scrupules de conscience n’ont pas leur place ici.”

Une “loi provisoire de deportation” du 27 mai 1915 fixe le cadre
reglementaire de la deportation des survivants ainsi que de la
spoliation des victimes.

Lire la suite sur le site Quoi ? -ICI

LOI/GENOCIDE : C’EST UNE ERREUR, ON NE LEGIFERE PAS SUR LA MEMOIRE
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 27 decembre 2011

Dominique de Villepin, candidat a l’election presidentielle, a juge
dimanche que c’etait “une erreur” de legiferer sur la memoire, a
propos de la proposition de loi UMP votee par les deputes, reprimant
la negation des genocides dont celui des Armeniens.

Interroge au “Grand rendez-vous” Europe 1/Le Parisien-Aujourd’hui en
France sur ce vote de jeudi qui a declenche la colère de la Turquie, le
fondateur de Republique solidaire (RS) a estime que “la representation
nationale n’a pas bien fait”.

“Au-dela de la question turque aujourd’hui”, a-t-il enchaîne, “il
faut poser la question des lois memorielles dans notre pays, c’est une
erreur ! On ne legifère pas sur la memoire. Et chaque fois qu’on veut
le faire, on fige les choses, on complique les relations avec certains
Etats et on empeche meme des evolutions naturelles de se faire”.

L’ex-Premier ministre, ex-chef de la diplomatie francaise, a explique
avoir constate lors de nombreux sejours dans ce pays ces dernières
annees que la Turquie “est un pays qui bouge, c’est une societe qui
bouge, y compris (…) sur cette question de la reconnaissance du
genocide armenien”.

“Est-ce que c’est a la France de donner des lecons sur ce terrain ? Je
ne le crois pas”, a-t-il dit. “Il suffit de s’appliquer a nous-memes ce
que nous faisons sur d’autres terrains, est-ce que nous serions heureux
que le parlement algerien legifère sur la memoire ?”, a-t-il interroge.

Alors qu’on lui faisait remarquer que nier la Shoah est penalement
reprehensible en France, Dominique de Villepin a martele : “soyons
extraordinairement prudents !”

“Qu’on ait pu a travers la loi Gayssot (en 1990, ndlr) agir sur le
terrain de l’antisemitisme et du racisme a un moment où il y avait le
risque de montee de l’antisemitisme et du racisme, c’est une chose,
vouloir l’appliquer a d’autres domaines de l’histoire je crois que
c’est extraordinairement dangereux”.

“La Turquie a un chemin a faire, une reflexion a mener, un travail
en conscience a mener”, a-t-il ajoute. “Que par le travail de nos
propres historiens nous puissions contribuer a faire evoluer les
choses, très bien ! Que nous agissions sur le terrain politique avec
des arrière-pensees qui en cette periode electorale sont evidentes,
je crois que c’est très malsain et c’est une erreur, je souhaite
qu’on revienne sur des tels agissements”, a-t-il conclu.

LOI/GENOCIDE : LA TURQUIE MENACE TOUT LE MONDE ESTIME DEVEDJIAN (UMP)
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 28 decembre 2011

L’ex-ministre et depute UMP Patrick Devedjian a deplore mardi que
la Turquie “menace tout le monde” et affirme qu’elle “n’est pas le
pays des droits de l’Homme”, en revenant sur la proposition de loi
penalisant la negation du genocide des Armeniens.

“La Turquie est un pays qui menace tout le monde”, a declare l’elu
d’origine armenienne sur France Inter, citant “Israël, Chypre, la
Grèce”. “La Turquie, j’ai compte, en moins d’une annee a menace plus
de sept pays : est ce que vous croyez que c’est une bonne manière de
conduire les relations internationales ?”.

“Je crois beaucoup dans la societe civile turque. Malheureusement,
quand la Turquie a un prix Nobel brillant comme Orhan Pamuk (ndr :
litterature, 2006), elle le poursuit parce qu’il dit que le genocide
armenien est une evidence”, a poursuivi le depute des Hauts-de-Seine.

“Dans notre pays, nous demandons que la Turquie cesse de diffuser sa
propagande negationniste”, a-t-il insiste.

“Deux quotidiens nationaux ont publie des appels et des denegations
qui viennent evidemment de la Turquie”, lors du debat a l’Assemblee
nationale jeudi dernier, a-t-il rappele, denoncant “la demonstration de
violence que l’Etat turc a organise sur notre territoire a l’occasion
de ce debat”.

“C’est un acte politique : au moment où la Turquie veut entrer dans
l’Union europeenne, et apparaître comme un pays qui defend les droits
de l’Homme, cette loi permet de reveler l’atttiude de la Turquie sur
la scène internationale et montre bien que la Turquie n’est pas le
pays des droits de l’Homme”, a affirme M. Devdedjian en defendant la
proposition de loi UMP adoptee par l’Assemblee, et qui doit encore
passer au Senat.

ISRAEL DEBATES RECOGNIZING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

National Post

Dec 27 2011
Canada

Talks come after France defied Turkish demands by outlawing denial
of the Armenian genocide, a move Turkey decried as playing politics
and claimed was “based on racism.”

Relations between the countries were damaged last year when Israeli
forces killed nine Turks in a raid on a Turkish ferry, part of an
activist flotilla seeking to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

Not all in Israel’s government approve of the idea. Foreign ministry
representative Irit Lillian says their “relations with [Turkey] are so
fragile today, it is not right to push them over the red line. … Such
a recognition at this stage could have severe ramifications.”

JERUSALEM – An Israeli parliamentary committee held a landmark
discussion on recognizing genocide in Armenia on Monday, a move likely
to further strain already tense relations with Turkey.

During the discussion on the “Jewish people’s recognition of the
Armenian genocide,” as defined by the committee, lawmakers, historians
and members of the local Armenian community stressed Israel’s moral
obligation to officially recognize the Armenian tragedy as a genocide.

The committee did not, however, make any decisions or issue any
declaration, and will meet again on the issue in the future.

In past years, the Knesset held hearings on the subject, but only
behind the closed doors of its foreign and defence committee.

This was the first time such a discussion was open to the public.

QUAND LA MARINE NATIONALE VOLAIT AU SECOURS DES ARMENIENS
Par Jean Guisnel

Le Point

27 dec 2011
France

En 1909 et en 1915, la marine francaise a sauve des milliers
d’Armeniens persecutes en Turquie. Georges Kevorkian a consacre un
livre a ces interventions.

On le sait peu, mais a deux reprises au debut du XXe siècle, des
milliers d’Armeniens ne durent leur salut qu’a des interventions
musclees de la marine nationale francaise. Passionne par ces episodes,
Georges Kevorkian a enquete dans les archives historiques du ministère
de la Defense et auprès des descendants des marins ayant participe
a ces operations pour en faire un livre*. Entretien.

Le Point : En avril 1909, Stephen Pichon et Marie-Georges Picquart,
respectivement ministre des Affaires etrangères et ministre de la
Guerre du gouvernement Clemenceau, decident d’envoyer plusieurs
navires au secours des Armeniens de Cilicie sauvagement reprimes par
les Turcs. Pouvez-vous nous rappeler le contexte historique de cette
intervention ?

Georges Kevorkian : Les Jeunes-Turcs au pouvoir depuis 1908 ont
promulgue une Constitution qui introduit des reformes de progrès et
une orientation plus tolerante des rapports entre les differentes
communautes de l’Empire ottoman, notamment entre les Armeniens
chretiens et les Turcs musulmans. Les Armeniens adhèrent a ce
programme. Mais parmi ces Jeunes-Turcs, les nationalistes les plus
radicaux rejettent les “infidèles”. Les Armeniens sont accuses de
menees autonomistes en Cilicie. À la mi-avril 1909, des heurts entre
les communautes declenchent des represailles de la part des Turcs.

Tous les chretiens sont vises. Les puissances occidentales sont
averties de massacres dont sont principalement victimes les Armeniens
; elles craignent pour leurs ressortissants et leurs representants
consulaires. Du côte francais, on craint aussi pour la vie des jesuites
et des soeurs de Saint-Joseph-de-Lyon. Une force navale de plusieurs
pays est alors depechee.

À quelles operations ces navires francais seront-ils affectes et en
quoi aideront-elles les Armeniens ?

Le contre-amiral Louis Pivet, commandant l’escadre legère de
Mediterranee a bord du croiseur cuirasse Jules Ferry, recoit l’ordre
d’appareiller pour cette region. Outre le Jules Ferry, son escadre,
comprenant le cuirasse d’escadre Verite ainsi que les croiseurs
cuirasses Victor Hugo et Jules Michelet, se met en route pour arriver
en bordure du golfe d’Alexandrette le 23 avril 1909. Les marins
francais constatent que tout le quartier armenien d’Adana est en feu ;
il en est de meme des habitations chretiennes des localites proches.

Les refugies chretiens sont proteges avec le concours d’unites navales
europeennes (croiseur anglais Diana, croiseur italien Piemonte,
croiseur allemand Hambourg…). Le 27 avril, le paquebot francais
Niger, requisitionne, embarque 2 200 chretiens (en majorite des
Armeniens) de la baie de Bazit. Le Jules Ferry embarque, le meme jour,
1 450 refugies, dont deux tiers de femmes et d’enfants. Quant au Jules
Michelet, il protège par sa presence des chretiens refugies en bordure
de mer, en baie de Kessab. Le calme revenu, après concertation avec
les autorites ottomanes, les refugies rescapes reviennent dans leurs
quartiers devastes ; cependant, certains quitteront pour toujours
le pays.

En 1915, des Armeniens de la region du mont Moïse, sur le golfe
d’Alexandrette (aujourd’hui Iskenderun), sont accules par les Turcs.

Leur salut viendra de la mer et de la marine francaise. Pourquoi
est-elle intervenue ?

Fin octobre 1914, l’Empire ottoman se joint aux forces allemandes
et autrichiennes (Empires centraux) pour combattre le bloc des pays
de l’Entente (Grande-Bretagne, France et Russie). C’est ce qu’on a
appele le “theâtre oriental” de la Grande Guerre. En septembre 1915,
la 3e escadre de la flotte de combat francaise en Mediterranee, aux
ordres de l’amiral Gabriel Darrieus (qui vient de prendre le relais
de l’amiral Louis Dartige du Fournet devenant chef de l’armee navale
en Mediterranee), patrouille le long des côtes de Syrie, proches du
golfe d’Alexandrette et du mont Moïse (Musa Dagh). Le 10 septembre,
le croiseur Guichen apercoit des groupes d’hommes descendant de la
montagne vers la plage : plusieurs milliers d’Armeniens accules
a la mer fuient la barbarie des Turcs qui les pourchassent pour
les deporter (la mort leur etant promise), en application du crime
“genocidaire” decide par les autorites ottomanes. Ils brandissent
un pavillon de la Croix-Rouge, des pavillons francais, et (dit-on)
un drap sur lequel a ete dessinee la croix du Christ. La decision est
prise par l’amiral Dartige du Fournet, avant de quitter son escadre :
“Il faut sauver ces Armeniens chretiens (combattants, femmes, enfants,
vieillards) du joug des bachi-bouzouks, les Turcs, nos ennemis.”

Dans quelles conditions cette operation de sauvetage de grande ampleur
s’est-elle deroulee ? Quel en fut le bilan ?

L’accord demande aux autorites francaises de Paris tarde a venir,
mais l’organisation du secours est bien en place et sera executee
par l’amiral Darrieus du 11 au 13 septembre. Au total, le nombre
d’Armeniens sauves par cette operation navale s’elève, très exactement,
a 4 092, dont 8 blesses, repartis comme suit : le croiseur cuirasse
amiral Charner : 347, le croiseur cuirasse Desaix : 303, le croiseur de
3e classe D’Estrees : 459, le croiseur auxiliaire Foudre : 1 042, le
croiseur de 1re classe Guichen : 1 941. Ces refugies vont etre places
dans des camps situes a proximite de Port-Saïd, grâce a l’accord des
autorites anglaises qui les accueillent le 14 septembre.

Parmi ces refugies se trouvent des combattants dont certains
rejoindront la legion armenienne du general francais Julien Dufieux,
en 1920.

Ces episodes de l’histoire navale de la France sont peu connus.

Sont-ils commemores avec une intensite suffisante, a vos yeux ?

Ils sont connus par la plupart des Armeniens, grâce notamment au roman
Les 40 jours de Musa Dagh de Franz Werfel, paru en 1934. D’autres
ouvrages evoquent ces evenements et les actes heroïques des marins
francais. Les memoires des amiraux des escadres du Levant en font
etat. Ce qu’on doit retenir des ecrits de ces derniers, c’est le
decalage entre leurs actions de protection des chretiens d’Orient et
le recul (pour ne pas dire l’abandon) de la diplomatie francaise en
1922 et 1923 (desastreux traite de Lausanne). La France n’est plus dès
lors “protectrice des chretiens d’Orient”. La sortie de mon ouvrage
a favorise plusieurs commemorations. Le 5 mai 2010, un hommage a ete
rendu devant la tombe de l’amiral Dartige du Fournet a Saint-Chamassy
(Dordogne) en presence du maire du village, du sous-prefet de la
Dordogne et de descendants d’Armeniens sauves du mont Moïse. Le 15
octobre 2010, a Toulon, une ceremonie d’hommage a ete rendue a la
marine francaise par le secretaire d’Etat aux Anciens Combattants M.

Hubert Falco, maire de Toulon, en presence de l’ambassadeur d’Armenie
en France et d’autorites civiles et militaires, dont le prefet
maritime. Une plaque est posee au musee de la Marine, près de
l’Arsenal maritime.

La flotte francaise au secours des Armeniens (1909-1915), Marines
editions, 127 pages, 23,20 euros. ISBN : 978-2357430099

TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO AZERBAIJAN: FRANCE TAKES ARMENIANS’ SIDE IN NAGORNO KARABAKH PROBLEM

MilAz.info
Dec 27 2011
Azerbaijan

Hulusi Kilic: France discredits its co-chairmanship by this decision

APA’s interview with Ambassador of Turkey to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic
– How do you assess the adoption by the French National Assembly of
the bill penalizing denial of the genocides recognized by the law?

-I condemn the decision of the French National Assembly. The bill was
adopted with the participation of 55 members of the National Assembly,
which has 577 members. I think as the French parliamentarians, who
attended the meeting and voted for the bill, are not historians, they
will bear responsibility before the history. There are reports that
those who voted for the bill have material benefit. This is disrespect
not only for Turkey, but also for the entire Turkic people. All
should object to this decision. 68 percent of the French people do
not approve this decision. If the Senate passes the bill, France will
return to the period before revolution in 1789. Freedom of thought,
freedom of expression will be eliminated. The historians will not
be able to discuss independently the historical events. I think the
decision of the National Assembly is a blot on the reputation of
France, because the French people do not approve this decision and
the French people have always wanted freedom. I believe the French
Senate will act more sensibly. We do not want the politicians to do
the work of the historians.

-What do you think France’s goals are in passing this bill?

– I think with this decision Sarkozy counts on the votes of the
Armenian Diaspora in the presidential elections in France. This
decision is a political maneuver of Sarkozy.

– How this law will effect the Turkish-French and Turkish-Armenian
relations?

– First of all, it will have negative impact on the Turkish-French
relations. We will take additional steps if it is approved. Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already declared what steps
Ankara will take. This law will have no any effectiveness for the
Turkish-Armenian relations, on the contrary, it will negatively effect
these relations. Armenian president was first to welcome this decision,
which inculcates hate and enmity. I repeatedly say that this decision
will not effective for anyone.

– Do you think that by adopting such a law, France discredited
its mediatory mission in the OSCE Minsk Group? What steps shall
Azerbaijan take?

– I can’t say anything about the steps Azerbaijan will take. President
Abdullah Gul made a statement on this. Many parliamentarians and
intellectuals from Azerbaijan also expressed their opinions. The
problem of Karabakh has not been solved for 20 years. Thousands of
our brothers and sisters were displaced from their homeland. France
discredits its co-chairmanship by this decision. I also join these
opinions. The visit of French president Sarkozy to the region in
October showed that France takes side. He stayed in Armenia one day,
but spent only three hours in Azerbaijan. He didn’t visit Heydar
Aliyev’s memorial and Alley of Martyrs. But leaders of other countries
visit these sites during their visits to Baku. Sarkozy visited Baku
for the interests of France to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of
the French school. Both French parliament’s decision and Sarkozy’s
visit in October show that French leadership takes pro-Armenian stand.

– What joint steps can Turkey and Azerbaijan take in the current
situation?

– The policy of Azerbaijan and Turkey dovetail into one another. We
have common foreign policy. The decision on our further steps will
be passed in our high-level meetings. I hope that the Senate will
not approve this decision, and we will go on. Let the historians to
research the history.

I express gratitude on behalf of our country to the leadership of
the Azerbaijani Parliament, MPs, state and governmental officials,
Foreign Ministry, politicians, heads of the opposition parties,
public organization and everybody who protested this unfair decision
of France.

TURKEY’S FURY AND FRANCE’S FOLLY
AMANDA PAUL

Today’s Zaman
Dec 27 2011
Turkey

The vote in France’s lower house of parliament making it a crime to
deny that the mass killings of Armenians in 1915 was genocide and
penalizing those who deny it with a year in prison and a fine of up
to 45,000 euros has brought France’s relationship with Turkey to the
end of the road. The law is due to be debated in the senate in the
coming months.

Since 2001, when the French parliament passed a bill recognizing
the 1915 killings as genocide, there have been several attempts to
penalize denial of the genocide. In 2006, while a bill was passed by
the lower house, it was blocked by the senate, with assistance from
French President Nicolas Sarkozy. However, in 2007, the year of his
election, Sarkozy promised to adopt the document by the end of his
term. Moreover, with France’s economy in trouble, unemployment creeping
up and his popularity in the doldrums at some 34 percent (the lowest
of any president four months before an election), he is desperate to
improve his ratings. With up to 1 million ethnic Armenian citizens,
Sarkozy wants their vote. This is a very short-sighted policy which
will have far-reaching consequences. Sarkozy proves again that he is
no statesman. During his time in office I can think of no occasion
when he has really shined, other than during the Russia-Georgia war
of 2008 when he brokered a peace deal. But even then he failed to
get the Russians to fully implement it.

While Turkey and France have strong business links, relations between
the two leaderships were already sour. Sarkozy has staunchly opposed
Turkey joining the EU, even though his predecessor, Jacques Chirac,
supported opening membership talks. Moreover, during Sarkozy’s visit to
Armenia in October he accused Turkey of “brushing the genocide under
the carpet.” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu responded by
accusing Sarkozy of political opportunism, stating that France should
confront its own history, particularly in North Africa.

Turkish attempts to stop this bill going to parliament were charged
as “interference in France’s internal affairs” by Valerie Boyer, the
bills author. While Foreign Minister Alain Juppé called on Turkey
not to overreact, Turkey has responded in the strongest possible terms.

Ankara has threatened military and political sanctions against France,
and has cancelled all economic, political and military meetings
within the NATO framework, while also cancelling permission for French
military planes and ships to use Turkey’s ports or airfields. If the
bill is adopted, France will lose access to sectors of the Turkish
economy such as transport and arms, which could cost French business
around $40-50 billion.

Turkey has also indicated that it will move to undermine France’s
position in the Middle East, particularly Syria and Lebanon, where
France has the strongest links, and in the South Caucasus. Ankara
has complained about France’s role in the OSCE Minsk Group, which is
tasked with mediating a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Ankara believes the French move on
Turkey is an open display of biased behavior, with France showing that
it is strongly backing the Armenians because of significant pressure
from the Armenian diaspora. President Abdullah Gul has already asked
for France’s immediate withdrawal from the Minsk group.

While much of the international community has been shocked over the
French move, considering it to be counterproductive, there is also
a feeling that Ankara’s “going in with all guns blazing” approach
is also excessive, that Turkey is reacting too emotionally and not
thinking through how its reaction may affect its own foreign policy
and its relations with other international actors, particularly
cooperation vis-a-vis the Middle East and North Africa region.

For the EU it brings another headache in its relations with Turkey,
a key strategic ally and partner, at a time when relations are already
difficult with the Cypriot presidency looming on the horizon.

Meanwhile with tension in the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean
already high, having two NATO allies at loggerheads as well as further
tensions in EU-NATO cooperation is far from desirable.

Turkey is clearly aiming to prevent Paris increasing its role in
those countries in which France believes it has a strong influence.

Unfortunately this conflict will weaken the international communities’
position in this region and serves no useful purpose at all.

If the senate adopts the bill, it will damage relations permanently.

It could also create difficulties for Turks visiting France,
particularly academics and diplomats, as they may be asked the genocide
question and could face charges. There is also fear it could lead to
further legal actions, such as demands for reparations or territorial
claims. With its tough response, Turkey wants to send the message
to other countries not to copy the French, as the reaction will be
severe. With the Arab Awakening still unfolding, requiring a unified
front from Euro-Atlantic actors, Sarkozy’s timing could hardly have
been worse.

MEDIATOR HOPEFUL ON ARMENIA THAW

Hurriyet Daily News
Dec 28 2011
Turkey

Turkish-Armenian dialogue is currently in a deadlock but there is
still hope of reviving the Zurich protocols signed between the two
countries, according to Swiss Confederation President Micheline
Calmy-Rey, who mediated the talks

Micheline Calmy-Rey, the Swiss Confederation president who led the
mediation between Turkey and Armenia two years ago, said protocols
between the two countries appear to be in deadlock but there is hope
to continue if there is a will.

Calmy-Rey visited Turkey recently and told daily Hurriyet in an
exclusive interview that “the best thing to solve these issues is
dialogue.” Calmy-Rey, also the Swiss foreign minister, said there
was still hope the protocols could be ratified.

“The Zurich protocols are still there. If there is a common will,
then the dialogue can continue on these protocols,” she added.

After France accepted a bill penalizing the denial of Armenian genocide
allegations, Ankara was criticized for welcoming the president of
Switzerland, a country with a similar law.

“Now I am very surprised to hear public reaction today. It is not
correct. It does not reflect our position,” Calmy-Rey said.

There is no Swiss ‘Armenian genocide’ law: president

Switzerland does not have a law that would recognize the killings
of Armenians in 1915 as genocide, said Calmy-Rey, adding that their
stance is different than that of France.

“It is the respected courts that decide on the basis of Article 261,
which punishes acts of openly xenophobic character,” Calmy-Rey told
daily Hurriyet in an exclusive interview. “It is up to the courts to
say whether that action contains racism or entails discrimination. We
do not talk about genocide at all in the criminal code. It is a
general formulation.”

Responding to a question on Turkish politician Dogu Perincek’s
conviction in Switzerland for denying Armenian genocide claims in 2005,
she said it was up to the respective court to decide criminal cases and
Perincek was jailed in Turkey [from another conviction] at the moment.

Calmy-Rey said historians should do additional research to provide
findings for an open debate on the issue in Armenia and in Turkey.

She said Switzerland’s national council Dec. 23 rejected petitions
asking to recognize the acts perpetrated in 1915 against the Syriac,
Chaldean, Armenian and Greek populations as “genocide.”