Author: Kanayan Tamar

ADOPTION OF FRENCH “GENOCIDE” LAW CAUSED BY COMPLEXES – TURKISH FM

Trend
Dec 26 2011
Azerbaijan

26 December 2011, 02:12 (GMT+04:00) Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu reacted to adoption of a law by French Senate that penalizes
denying of the so-called “Armenian genocide” saying that it is a
complex before Turkey’s rising power, TRT English reported.

Criticizing French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Davutoglu said that
the bill is not a matter of principle.

Davutoglu, who attended a program on TRT-1 television, referred to
President Sarkozy.

“If 5, 10 or 50 thousand Turks take to the streets and unfurl banners
reading “We do not recognize this law” will you arrest them all?

Passing this law has no humanitarian or principled aspect. It is
totally utilitarianism and a complex before Turkey’s rising power”,
Davutoglu said.

On Thursday, the French parliament adopted a bill criminalizing denial
of the so-called “Armenian Genocide”.

A member of the French president’s party, the Union for a Popular
Movement (UMP) which has the parliamentary majority, presented the
bill to the legislative committee of the National Assembly earlier
this month.

Some 45 out of 577 French MPs participated in the voting, 38 of which
voted for, while 7 voted against the adoption of the bill.

The bill envisages about one year imprisonment and a fine worth 45,000
euros for denial of the so-called “Armenian genocide”.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of Turkey –
Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against the Armenians
living in Anadolu and to date has achieved recognition of the “Armenian
Genocide” by the parliaments of some countries.

Davutoglu also expressed clearly the attitude to be assumed by Turkey
regarding the upcoming assuming of the EU term presidency by Greek
Cypriots in July 2012.

“If a [conflict] settlement is reached by June 30, this is the ideal
way. Turkey will be pleased to see a unified Cyprus and not the
Southern Greek Cypriot sector as the EU term president and will have
relations at the best level but if the President of such a Cyprus
will be Greek Cypriot its Foreign Minister should be Turkish”,
Davutoglu said.

THE EMBASSY OF KUWAIT WAS OPENED IN YEREVAN

noyan tapan
2011-12-26

On December 26, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received the Kuwaiti
Ambassador Bassam Muhammad Alqabandi on the occasion of handing the
copies of credentials.

Welcoming the guest, Minister Nalbandian wished success to Ambassador
Alqabandi in his mission, noting that the establishment of the
diplomatic mission of Kuwait in Yerevan will give new impetus to
bilateral cooperation, and the Ambassador will have his particular
contribution in it. Armenian foreign minister also added that the
Armenian-Kuwaiti relations have risen to a qualitatively new level
after the visit of President Serzh Sargsyan to Kuwait in 2009, which
marked the active increase of political dialogue, establishment of
diplomatic representations, expansion of the legal framework.

Expressing gratitude for the wishes, Ambassador Alqabandi stressed that
the state of Kuwait attaches great importance of the strengthening
and expanding of the relations with Armenia and the establishment of
the embassy in Yerevan is a proof of it. The Ambassador assured that
he will do his best for the deepening of bilateral cooperation.

The sides refereed to the process of implementation of the agreements
reached during the first session of Armenian-Kuwaiti intergovernmental
commission which took place in Yerevan on October.

Minister Nalbandian and Ambassador Alqabandi stressed the importance
of the recent visit of the Armenian Development Agency to Kuwait and
the memorandum of understanding signed with the Kuwaiti Investment
Company during that visit, expressing belief that it would serve as
an incentive in deepening cooperation in that area.

The meeting agenda also included issues concerning the activation of
cultural exchanges.

During the meeting bilateral issues, developments in the Middle East
were discussed.

VLADIMIR ZHIRINOVSKY: INCIDENTS OF APRIL1915 THE MOST TERRIBLE PAGE IN THE HUMAN HISTORY

arminfo
Monday, December 26, 15:43

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
faction in the State Duma, has commented on the developments around
the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial.

Zhirinovsky’s statement posted on the official website of the party
says: ” LDPR has been stressing the necessity of recognizing the
Armenian genocide yet long ago. We welcome the decision of the French
parliamentarians. Around half a million of people fell victims to
the tragic incidents of 1915, and it is aweless closing eyes on that.”

He says that Turkey ought to recognize that crime. Armenia’s original
lands should be return to it. “The incidents of 1915 was the most
terrible page in the human history. There had been no such vicious
killings in any other European or Asian country. Almost a century
ago people were killed openly for their nationality. Now when the
world speaks of democracy the entire world community must recognize
the Armenian genocide,” Zhirinovsky says.

On December 22, 2011, French National Assembly passed a bill
criminalizing public denial of the Armenian Genocide. If passed
and signed into law by the Senate, the bill would impose a 45,000
euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France who denies this
crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire. Turkish Prime
Minister recalled the Turkish ambassador to France and threatens with
breach of all military and economic projects with France.

ARMENIANS WERE A ‘FIFTH COLUMN’ AND TURKS DECIDED TO EXPEL THEM: DEBATE IN ISRAEL’S KNESSET

epress.am
12.26.2011

The Israeli parliamentary Education, Culture and Sports Committee
today was debating the issue of recognizing the Armenian Genocide of
1915 in Ottoman Turkey. Epress.am was closely following developments
that took place earlier today.

1:15 pm: Board member of the Azerbaijan-Israel International
Association Yana Salman: “Israel shouldn’t recognize the genocide of
the Armenians. Armenians are using events that took place a century
ago for political purposes. I do not dispute the fact of the death
of many Armenians in the Ottoman Empire , but it was a war, and many
Armenians were the de facto ‘fifth column’ and so the Turks decided
to expel them from their homes.”

1 pm: Georgette Avagian, representative of the Hay Dat (“Armenian
Cause”) in Israel: “If Israel recognized the Armenian Genocide,
Turkey would begin to have more respect for Israel – because Israel
would prove its independence and strength. I hope that the genocide
will be recognized, so that I can be proud of my country – Israel.”

12:45 pm: Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin (Likund): “Differences between
Ankara and Yerevan shouldn’t erase historical facts, because the fact
of the massacre of the peaceful Armenian population 96 years ago cannot
be disputed. Recognition of this fact has no connection to Turkey today
– we are talking of a historical event. Despite the fact that I don’t
hide my views, Turkey never thought to declare me a persona non grata.”

12:30 pm: Meretz MK Zahava Gal-On: “The Armenian Genocide should be
studied in schools; the Jewish people should be the first to recognize
the tragedy of the past. I hope that recognition of the genocide will
not ruin relations with Turkey.”

ISRAELI LAWMAKERS DEBATE WHETHER TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Dec 26, 2011, 13:26 GMT

Jerusalem – Israeli legislators met Monday to discuss whether they
consider the World War I death of numerous Armenians by Turkish
troops to be genocide, despite concerns that the debate would lead
to a worsening of already dire ties with Ankara.

Although the majority of legislators attending the debate in the
Knesset (parliament) Education Committee called for Israel to recognize
the Armenian genocide, no vote was held at the end of the discussion.

However, the committee chairman promised to hold additional hearings
on the issue.

Ankara denies that Ottoman Turkey carried out genocide against the
Armenians in World War I. Armenia has long lobbied for recognition
that the Ottomans massacred 1.5 million people.

France’s National Assembly on Thursday approved a bill making it
a crime to deny that Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of
Ottoman Turks during World War I.

The vote sparked a diplomatic crisis between France and Turkey.

Israeli Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin told Israel Army Radio that
Monday’s discussion was not political, or aimed at Turkey, whose
prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is a vocal and frequent critic
of the Jewish state.

‘We have a moral obligation to remember and honour the tragedy which
befell the Armenian people,’ Rivlin said.

However a Foreign Ministry official who attended the meeting read
out a statement, which noted that, while Jews and Israels had ‘a
special sensitivity and even an ethical obligation to recognize human
tragedies, including the massacres against the Armenian population
during World War I,’ any formal recognition would ‘constitute taking
sides along political lines.’

Opposition legislator Othniel Schneller was more blunt, criticizing
the parley as ‘irresponsible’ and saying Israel had to do everything
in its power to improve relations with Turkey.

Relations between Israel and Turkey, once close allies, have been on
a downward spiral for years, and reached their nadir in May 2010,
when Israeli commandos, intercepting a flotilla bound for the Gaza
Strip, killed nine people on board the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara.

Earlier this year Turkey downgraded its ties with Jerusalem, after
Israel refused to apologize for the flotilla incident.

The downgrade, and Israel’s refusal to apologize, came after a UN
report found that Israel used ‘excessive and unreasonable force’ in
taking over the ships, albeit after facing ‘significant, organized
and violent resistance’ from passengers on board the Mavi Marmara.

AZERBAIJAN STRONGLY FOR STATUS QUO – ARMENIAN EXPERT

Tert.am
26.12.11

Azerbaijan’s approach has become obvious this year – it is the
staunchest supporter of the status quo, Karen Bekaryan, Head of the
European Integration NGO, told journalists Dec. 26.

In the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, Bekaryan said
that the Kazan meeting and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s
interview, when his threatened with a war, prove the above-said. This
year, Azerbaijan has acquired “two platforms” for raising the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem – the UN Security Council and Non-Aligned
Movement.

EL PARLAMENTO ISRAELÍ DEBATE POR PRIMERA VEZ EN PABLICO SOBRE EL GENOCIDIO ARMENIO

El Mundo

26 dic 2011
Espaia

Las deterioradas relaciones entre Turquía e Israel viven hoy otro
capítulo que mezcla historia, diplomacia e intereses estrategicos. Si
el primer ministro turco Recep Tayyip Erdogan, aparca por un momento
sus numerosos frentes abiertos en Europa y Oriente Proximo, habra
sido informado de que el Parlamento israelí ha debatido por primera
vez a puertas abiertas (Comision de Educacion y Cultura) sobre el
genocidio armenio. Y se habra enterado que la sesion ha acabado
sin decisiones ni anuncios oficiales lo que quizas evite una de sus
habituales reacciones dialecticas.

De la Knesset de Jerusalen no ha salido esta mañana un proyecto
de Ley como el aprobado en Francia hace unos días y tampoco el
reconocimiento oficial del Holocausto armenio o una fecha para su
conmemoracion oficial pero la tension con Turquía es tan sensible
que el primer ministro israelí, Benjamin Netanyahu, intento sin exito
aplazar la sesion.

De hecho, el viceministro de Exteriores, Danny Ayalon, anulo su
participacion en un debate que ha inaugurado el presidente del
Parlamento, Reuven Rivlin. “Como miembro del pueblo judío que sufrio el
Holocausto, no puedo obviar la discusion sobre el genocidio armenio”.

Una obligacion moral “Nuestro deber moral es permitir hablar al
respecto”, explico Rivlin aclarando: “No tenemos nada contra el
Gobierno turco ni contra Turquía. No queremos realizar este debate
como consecuencia de algún acontecimiento de la actualidad ni para
ajustar cuentas ya que desde hace muchos años intentamos llevar a cabo
esta sesion. Pero cuestiones diplomaticas no justifican la negacion
del Holocausto armenio”.

El debate estaba previsto desde hace meses y se debe a la colaboracion
puntual y sin precedentes de la diputada izquierdista Zehava Gal-On
y Arie Eldad, de la derecha radical. “Como hija de supervivientes
del Holocausto perpetrado por los nazis, tengo la obligacion moral e
historica de reconocer el genocidio armenio”, afirmo Gal-On. Según
ella,”el recordatorio de las matanzas contra el pueblo armenio no
tiene como objetivo atacar a Turquía, con el que debemos reconstruir
las relaciones diplomaticas”.

“Las relaciones con Turquía son tan sensibles que es muy problematico
en estos momentos hacer un reconocimiento oficial. Estamos sentados
en la línea roja y debemos actuar con inteligencia para no provocar
un daño estrategico”, comento la representante enviada por Exteriores
antes de ser interrumpida por el diputado Eldad:”¿Cuando cree usted
que sera el momento adecuado? ¿De verdad cree que Erdogan mejorara
sus relaciones con Israel si no reconocemos oficialmente el genocidio
armenio?”.

El reconocimiento del genocidio Pese a las reiteradas peticiones
armenias, ningún Gobierno israelí ha reconocido oficialmente el
genocidio padecido en 1915. Basicamente por la presion de Ankara y
no poner en peligro la estrategica alianza con Turquía. Una alianza
deteriorada desde el 2008 y hundida tras el asalto israelí al barco
Mavi Marmara en la Flotilla que acabo en el 2010 con la muerte de
nueve civiles turcos.

Tras no recibir la excusa oficial del Gobierno israelí-satisfecho con
las conclusiones del Informe Palmer (ONU)- Erdogan ordeno devolver
a su embajador en Tel Aviv y suspender las relaciones comerciales
y militares. Desde entonces, el primer ministro islamista se ha
convertido en uno de los principales críticos de Israel.

Hace unos días, el ministerio israelí de Defensa anulo la venta
de equipamiento tecnologico a Turquía, valorado en 141 millones de
dolares. El temor de Israel era que el material militar de moderno
espionaje aereo acabara en manos de Iran.

MICHELINE CALMY-REY EN TURQUIE POUR SON DERNIER VOYAGE OFFICIEL

Romandie.com

26 dec 2011
France

La presidente de la Confederation Micheline Calmy-Rey a evoque lundi
a Ankara la question des evenements de 1915-1917 contre la population
armenienne lors de sa dernière visite officielle. Elle a rappele
que, contrairement a la France, la Suisse ne disposait pas d’une loi
specifique contre la negation des genocides.

Devant la Conference annuelle des ambassadeurs turcs, elle a reaffirme
la politique de la Suisse sur les evenements de 1915-1917 contre la
population armenienne, a dit a l’ats un porte-parole du Departement
federal des affaires etrangères, Raphaël Saborit. Le Conseil federal,
qui parle de “tragiques deportations et massacres”, est d’avis que
les historiens doivent faire la lumière sur ces evenements.

Mais Mme Calmy-Rey a egalement signale les petitions refusees
la semaine dernière au Conseil national. Elles demandaient la
reconnaissance de genocides dont ceux perpetres en 1915 contre
les populations assyro-chaldeo-syriaques, armeniennes et grecques
pontiques.

Gul et Davutoglu rencontres

Le discours de Mme Calmy-Rey devant les ambassadeurs turcs a par
ailleurs porte sur les grands axes de la politique etrangère de la
Suisse, notamment la mediation, et sur les elements communs avec la
Turquie, autre pays qui n’est pas membre de l’UE.

La presidente de la Confederation, en Turquie jusqu’a mardi matin,
a egalement ete recue par son homologue Abdullah Gul et le chef de la
diplomatie Ahmed Davutoglu. En dehors de la polemique liee a la France,
ils ont notamment discute de la mediation suisse entre la Turquie et
l’Armenie, qui avait abouti en 2009 a deux protocoles signes a Zurich
par Ankara et Erevan et visant a normaliser leurs relations.

Dernière visite

Le processus a ete gele au printemps 2010 par Erevan, le president
armenien Serge Sarkissian accusant Ankara de poser des “conditions
inacceptables” pour sa ratification. Les deux pays s’achoppent sur
les evenements de 1915-1917, qualifies par les historiens de genocide,
et que la Turquie refuse de voir qualifies comme tels.

Cette visite officielle etait la dernière de Mme Calmy-Rey avant de
quitter le Conseil federal.

NOUVEL INCIDENT DANS UNE UNITE MILITAIRE DU HAUT KARABAGH
Stephane

armenews.com
lundi 26 decembre 2011

L’ensemble des quotidiens fait etat d’un incident survenu le 14
decembre dans l’unite militaire ” Yeghnikner ” deja mise en cause. Un
sous-officier aurait frappe au visage un conscrit avec une chaîne
de fer après que celui-ci a refuse d’executer un ordre. Suite a une
intervention chirurgicale, le soldat a perdu l’~il. Le sous-officier
a ete arrete. Le Ministre de la Defense, Seyran Ohanian, a note que
l’auteur sera puni avec toute la rigueur de la loi. Dans un entretien
avec Haykakan Jamanak le père de la victime reclame la demission
du Ministre de la Defense ” qui ne maîtriserait pas la situation ”
et se dit stupefait que, dans l’armee armenienne, des sous-officiers
de 22 ans dirigent des conscrits de 18 ans.

Ambassade de France en Armenie

Service de presse

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Dec 24 2011

Why France is so illiberal?

by Mustafa Akyol

`I do not think I have ever met a Frenchman who was a liberal,’ the
late French literary critic Émile Faguet once ironically remarked. If
he lived today, he could have preserved his pessimism, especially in
the light of the latest work of the French National Assembly: A new
law which penalizes `the denial of the Armenian Genocide’ with a year
in prison and a heavy fine.

Before getting into the trouble with France, though, let me tell you
what I think about what really happened to the Ottoman Armenians in
1915. I do not go as far as using the G word, but I think that this
tragic episode well deserves being called an `ethnic cleansing’ – and
a very gruesome one which killed at least half a million innocent
souls. I also think that we Turks have made a big mistake for decades
by refusing to see the great suffering of the Armenians, who used to
be our good neighbors for centuries before the venom of ethnic
nationalism befell all of us. I therefore not only believe in, but
also push for, a more honest and compassionate attitude in Turkey to
what is called here `the Armenian issue.’

That is why I would not be offended by any declaration by the French
National Assembly, or any other parliament in the world, that
expresses grief for the Great Catastrophe of 1915. I in fact hold that
parliaments should not legislate history, but if they wish to express
an opinion, that would be their call, and I would not object.

Now let’s come to France. Here, the first thing I would say is that it
is only hypocritical for this county give lessons to others about the
sanctity of human life: the more than 1.7 million innocent souls that
the French colonizers brutally killed in Algeria is enough of a reason
for France to remain shamefully silent when it comes to history and
humanity. But countries do have double standards, and nations tend to
see other’s crimes rather than their own. So, let me be lenient on
that.

What I am not lenient on, though, is the shocking illiberalism that
lies behind the new French law. It not only proclaims that 1915 was
genocide, but it also penalizes all other opinions, launching a clear
attack against freedom of speech.

Needless to say, such laws about `genocide denial’ (including the most
unacceptable of all, Holocaust denial) exist in France and some other
continental European states, but not in the United Kingdom or the
United States. For the latter Anglo-Saxon countries are the beacons of
classical liberalism, while France certainly is not. (For the same
reason, France has recently imposed a ridiculous ban on the burqa,
which would be unthinkable in Britain and America.)

The roots of this illiberalism lie, I believe, in the two main pillars
of French political thought, as it evolved since the bloodbath called
the French Revolution: rationalism and laicite. These two principles
can well curb individual freedom. For rationalism gives the state the
power to figure out and impose `the truth,’ whereas laicite gives it
the power to oppress religion. Hence comes thought-policing and
burqa-policing.

British thinker Tony Judt once expressed this problem well, noting,
`To speak of natural rights, or rights against society, or about
rights against state interference, was never a favorite topic in
France.’ He also observed that the French `displayed a strong
propensity toward a strong executive power that in turn engendered a
particular type of liberalism through the state, not against the state
as in the Anglo-American liberal tradition.’

Unfortunately, we Turks can’t do much to help heal these problems in
French political thought. We just need to de-Frenchize ourselves, by
further expanding freedom of speech and freedom of religion, which
were both tragically shrunk during our past French-wannabe century.
And, of course, we need to reach out to the Armenians to establish a
historic reconciliation in which no arrogant third party can
interfere.

* For all of Mustafa Akyol’s works, including his recent book, `Islam
without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty,’ visit his blog,
TheWhitePath.com. On Twitter, follow him at @AkyolinEnglish.
December/24/2011