Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIE
Le téléphérique de Tatev va reprendre ses activités

Le téléphérique de Tatev téléphérique a été fermé pour maintenance du
18 janvier au 31 Janvier et a repris ses activités le 1er Février.

La maintenance préventive a été réalisée pour assurer le
fonctionnement de la remontée mécanique et la sécurité des passagers.

Le téléphérique long de 5,7 km transporte les visiteurs du village de
Halidzor à travers la gorge Vorotan vers le village de Tatev.

Le téléphérique a été officiellement enregistré par un représentant du
Guinness World Records comme le plus long téléphérique du monde
construit pour transporter les visiteurs.

samedi 1er février 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

Génocide des Arméniens
Le Président de la République Tchèque identifie le crime ottoman comme
un génocide

RFE-Radio Liberty rapporte que lors d’une rencontre avec la Président
arménien Serge Sarkissian, le 30 janvier, Ã Prague, le président
tchèque Milos Zeman -élu l’année dernière- a déclaré que « L’année
prochaine 100 ans ce seront écoulés depuis le génocide du peuple
arménien en 1915, quand 1,5 million d’Arméniens ont été tués`.

Le sénateur tchèque Jaromà – r StÄ?tina s’est félicité de la déclaration
du président de la République tchèque sur le génocide arménien.

Dans une conversation avec Armenpress, Jaromà – r StÄ?tina a dit qu’il a
l’intention de présenter une déclaration sur la reconnaissance du
génocide arménien aux Affaires étrangères et de la Défense du
Parlement tchèque à l’approche du 100e anniversaire du génocide
arménien.

` La déclaration sera introduite en 2015 avant le 100e anniversaire du
génocide arménien. Je voudrais que le Sénat tchèque rejoigne les
parlements civilisés qui ont reconnu le génocide arménien. Les travaux
préparatoires de la déclaration seront lancés à la fin de cette
année`, a déclaré Jaromà – r StÄ?tina. Il espère vivement que la visite
officielle prévue par le Président de la République tchèque en
Arménie, Ã l’invitation du Président arménien contribuera grandement Ã
l’adoption d’un projet de loi sur la reconnaissance du génocide.

samedi 1er février 2014,
Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

ARMENIA: PRESIDENTIAL HEALTH STORY “LEAKED”

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
IWPR Caucasus Reporting #721
Jan 31 2014

Serzh Sargsyan’s foes want to portray him as weak and not in control
of his own security service, commentator says.

By Armen Karapetyan – Caucasus

Politics-watchers in Armenia are buzzing with news that President
Serzh Sargsyan has undergone stem cell therapy in South Korea.

The fact that the news was leaked rather than announced officially
suggests that factions within the governing elite are already jostling
for position in the next presidential race, even though the election
is not until 2018.

The Armenian Times newspaper reported that medics had to be called
on November 5, when Sargsyan heard that police had clashed with
protesters. On January 16, it reported that Sargsyan had gone to
South Korea for medical treatment, rather than going on holiday as
had been announced.

A government spokesman denied both reports, calling one of them a
“stupid lie”.

But on January 24, the South Korean website Chosun.com reported that
Sargsyan had spent a week in the country on a stem cell therapy
programme designed to help him lose weight and delay the ageing
process.

After this, presidential spokesman Arman Saghatelyan was forced
to confirm that Sargsyan had indeed been undergoing treatment, but
insisted it had been preventive only, and that he paid for it out of
his own funds.

David Shahnazaryan, a former head of Armenia’s National Security
Service, is more interested in how the story was leaked.

It would not have been in the clinic’s interests violate such
a high-profile client’s privacy. Instead, Shahnazaryan suspects
a covert campaign designed to portray the president as “not only
unhealthy and weak, but also unable to control Armenia’s security
systems and the mechanisms of power in general”.

Shahnazaryan notes that on returning home, the president sacked Armen
Sargsyan, who is the ambassador in Seoul and also a brother of Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan, as well as Romik Harutyunyan, deputy head of
the National Security Service. There have been no official explanations
of the dismissals.

Armen Badalyan, an analyst with the Centre for Political Studies,
suspects the leak has do with the increasingly bitter battle for
succession, led by former president Robert Kocharyan.

“Of course the president has to explain why his spokesman lied. He must
also explain where he got the money to afford an anti-ageing course in
South Korea,” Badalyan told IWPR. “But there’s also the other side of
the coin. This is Serzh Sargsyan’s last term, and a real competitor
has emerged. We can’t rule out that as the end of this president’s
term draws near, [Kocharyan’s] circle wants to prepare the ground
for his return.”

At the next election in 2018, Sargsyan will have to step down since
presidents are constitutionally limited to two consecutive terms.

In December, Kocharyan issued strong criticisms of the government
and prime minister, leading many observers to suspect he was already
planning a return to the top job.

When his own second term ended in 2008, Kocharyan, then 54, said,
“I do not intend to be the youngest pensioner.”

Many observers predicted that Sargsyan and Kocharyan, who fought
together in the Karabakh war of the early 1990s, would attempt to
replicate the model used in Russia, where Vladimir Putin and Dmitry
Medvedev swapped posts as president and prime minister, but retained
power between them.

The arrival of Tigran Sargsyan as prime minister derails the chances
of that happening.

“It appears that Serzh Sargsyan has raised the possibility of Tigran
Sargsyan taking over as president,” Ashot Manucharyan, an adviser
to Levon Ter-Petrosyan told IWPR. Ter-Petrosyan was Armenia’s first
post-independence president and is now an opposition politician.

“Tigran Sargysan has also decided to create political groups loyal
to him. That worries Kocharyan. He realises he has a competitor.”

Manucharyan noted that unlike many opposition politicians, Kocharyan
has both the financial resources and the connections within the elite
needed to make a bid for power.

“He has even managed to unite a large number of opposition figures
around him. This is Serzh Sargsyan’s last term, and the Armenian elite
is going to have to choose. It’s an unprecedented situation…. This
is where scandals like the South Korean one are coming from.”

Another government-related scandal has emerged from the case Paylak
Hayrapetyan, a famous businessman who went bankrupt after lending
11 million US dollars to an individual who was planning to invest in
gold and diamond mining in Sierra Leone, but then disappeared.

Hayrapetyan has told police that he had confidence in the arrangement
because the prime minister took part in the discussions on several
occasions.

Prime Minister Sargsyan has denied any connection to these matters. He
remains in his job, but Manucharyan sees this as just the beginning
of what could be a dirty battle for the top job.

“I don’t think these will be the last such scandals,” he said.

Armen Karapetyan is a freelance journalist in Armenia.

SARKISIAN DEFENDS CUSTOMS UNION DECISION

Thursday, January 30th, 2014

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian (right) and Czech President Milos
Zeman in Prague, Czech Republic. Jan. 30, 2014.

Czech President Milos Zeman Recognizes Armenian Genocide

PRAGUE–President Serzh Sarkisian, during an official visit to Prague
Thursday, defended Armenia’s efforts to quickly expedite Armenia’s
membership into the Customs Union, but pledges his country’s commitment
to cooperation with Europe.

Speaking at a press conference with his Czech counterpart Milos
Zeman, Sarkisian said: “If we decided to join the Customs Union,
then we must do that as quickly as possible. Why should we slow down?”

“If our decision is based on our national interests,” Sarkisian said
“then it must be put into practice as soon as possible.”

Sarkisian dismissed a suggestion from an RFE/RL reporter that Armenia
should not have joined the Customs Union, since Russia continues to
supply arms to Azerbaijan.

“I want to remind you that the Customs Union is a primarily economic,
rather than military, structure,” he said. “And it is wrong to call
into question Russian-Armenian strategic cooperation.”

“True, the Russian side is cooperating with Azerbaijan as well, but
that doesn’t mean that we have the right and capacity to block that
cooperation,” he added.

Sarkisian also added that the Russian-Armenian security pact has
contributed to Armenia’s ability to ward off Azeri incursions and
attacks at the border.

The Armenian leader stressed that cooperation with Europe remained
a priority for Armenian foreign policy.

“It was here five years ago that Armenia assumed the commitment
to develop deeper cooperation with the European Union, which we
reiterated at the Vilnius Summit in November,” said Sarkisian at the
press conference.

“We are resolute to continue to develop and expand our relations with
the European Union and anticipate comprehensive support from friendly
countries, including the Czech Republic,” said Sarkisian.

He also hailed the Czech Republic’s constructive position on the
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying that “prospects
for a conflict resolution do not seem realistic, unless Azerbaijan
stops its bellicose propaganda, arms race and the vicious policy of
provocations at the ‘Line of Contact.'”

“It’s time for Azerbaijan to adopt a constructive policy towards the
resolution of the issue exceptionally in a peaceful way. Here we expect
unbiased support from the international community,” said Sarkisian.

Czech President Recognizes Genocide In his remarks during the press
conference, Zelman referred to the events of 1915 as genocide,
acknowledging the upcoming centennial in 2015.

“Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. In
1915 1.5 million Armenians were killed,” said Zelman.

In response to a question from a Hailour reporter about Turkey’s
membership in the European Union, Sarkisian said that the decision to
admit Turkey in the Union is a decision that European Union members
can make, adding however, that Armenia would like to have a democratic
state as its neighbor.

“For Armenia, Turkey’s membership in the European Union, first and
foremost means the opening of the border,” said Sarkisian, whose
administration signed the dangerous Turkey-Armenia protocols, which
Turkey is not ratifying by pre-conditioning a pro-Azeri resolution
to the Karabakh conflict.

“Of course, it would be much easier for us to deal with a democratic
state. Becoming a member of the European Union means exactly that,”
added Sarkisian.

ARMENIA’S VOROTAN HYDRO COMPLEX SOLD TO CONTOURGLOBAL

Water Power Magazine
Jan 30 2014

30 January 2014

US power generation firm ContourGlobal has agreed to acquire the
405MW Vorotan Hydro Cascade on the Vorotan River in Southern Armenia
for US$180M.

The company signed an agreement with the Government of Armenia to
acquire and modernize the complex, which consists of a series of three
hydroelectric power plants.. The cascade is one of the largest and
most flexible power generating facilities in Armenia and the Caucuses.

This acquisition represents the largest single US private investment
in Armenia’s history and the first US investment in Armenia’s energy
sector. The Vorotan Hydro Cascade accounts for roughly 15% of the
installed capacity of Armenia’s electricity system and provides
sufficient energy to power 250,000 homes.

Under the terms of the agreement, ContourGlobal Hydro Cascade, a
direct and wholly owned subsidiary of ContourGlobal, will own and
operate the three hydroelectric facilities located on the Vorotan
river and will supply power to the Armenian grid under a long-term
power purchase agreement. ContourGlobal will also invest $70M over
the next six years in a refurbishment program to modernize the plants
and improve their operational performance, safety, reliability, and
efficiency. ContourGlobal expects the modernization to create 150
near-term jobs in addition to the 150 long-term technicians employed
at the plants.

“Our signing of this agreement is the culmination of approximately
two years of fruitful collaboration with the Government of Armenia
and its agencies,” said Joseph C. Brandt, ContourGlobal’s President
and Chief Executive Officer. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity
to play an integral role in the Armenian power system and to make a
significant and lasting contribution to a key part of the country’s
infrastructure. I look forward to working together with the Government
of Armenia towards a successful conclusion of this transaction.”

The acquisition will add to ContourGlobal’s growing presence in
Eastern Europe, where it owns power generation facilities in Bulgaria,
Ukraine, Romania, and Poland, and will contribute to ContourGlobal’s
renewable energy portfolio, which currently comprises approximately
1000MW of hydro, wind, solar and biogas production in Latin America,
Europe and Africa.

RUBEN VARDANYAN: TRANSPORT PROBLEM OF ARMENIA ONE OF KEY OBSTACLES TO DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMY

by Emmanuil Lazarian

Friday, January 24, 15:27

Every country has an obstacle to development of its economy, in Armenia
it is the transport problem. Ruben Vardanyan, Russian businessman,
the founder and the head of IDeA Foundation, made such statement in
an interview with the Shant TV when commenting on the reasons of his
participation in development of “open skies” project together with
the international consulting firm McKinsey.

To make the people in Armenia live better and have more opportunities
to use their potential, it is necessary to settle the tasks that
are prior for development of economy, he said. First of all,
it is necessary to persuade the Armenian elite that we need more
air companies and more links to Yerevan. In this light, the opens
skies concept will make that possible, he said. “At the same time,
a question arises as to whether we need a national air carrier. I
think, the country needs a national air carrier that would fly in
‘open skies’ at the same time competing with other airlines on market
terms, which is not so easy to do in practice.

It is a very complicated model. However, if we want to have 2
million tourists instead of 700,000, which would be a good impetus
for development of economy, tourism infrastructure and for opening of
additional 20,000 jobs, we must do it. So we must be ready to have open
skies, various air lines with more resources and richer experience. In
this light, it will not be easy for new Armenian airlines to enter the
market. It is necessary to foster this process, but it is necessary
to do it in market terms and not through monopolization and other
encumbrances. Otherwise, it is impossible to change Armenia in
long-term outlook, he said.

To recall, in the middle of 2013, Armavia national air carrier,
the monopolist in the Armenian aviation market, announced bankruptcy
finding itself in a debt hole. Taking advantage of that circumstance,
foreign airlines even more increased the prices of their unreasonably
expensive tickets. With Air Armenia company entering the market of
passenger transportation, the situation has fundamentally changed
and ticket prices were fairly reduced. Previously, Air Armenia was
engaged in freight activity. However, the open skies concept McKinsey
consulting firm has prepared for the Armenian Government sets too
tough terms and requirements to air companies, which seriously impedes
establishment of national civil aviation in the country.

PRESS RELEASE
Date: January 29, 2014

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
Contact: Taniel Koushakjian
Telephone: (202) 393-3434
Email: [email protected]
Web:

MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK APPOINTS ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY BOARD
MEMBER RACHEL KAPRIELIAN AS STATE SECRETARY OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly)
congratulates board member Rachel Kaprielian on her new appointment as the
Massachusetts State Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development. “I am
thrilled that Rachel has agreed to take on this new role, and I am
confident that she is prepared to continue the difficult work of getting
our residents back to work, and preparing both our workers and employers
for the jobs of the 21st century economy,” Governor Deval Patrick said in a
statement.

Throughout her life, Rachel Kaprielian has been a leader – whether serving
as a Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives or within the
Armenian-American community. Throughout her career, Rachel has been a
tireless advocate of Armenian Genocide affirmation and education. From
working with the Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA) to
playing an integral role in the establishment of the Armenian Heritage Park
in Boston, Kaprielian’s dedication and enthusiasm is contagious. Joining
the board of the Armenian Assembly of America in 2007, Rachel continues her
service for the betterment of all Armenians.

In 2008, Kaprielian was first appointed by Governor Deval Patrick as the
Registrar of Motor Vehicles. Kaprielian previously served as State
Representative for Massachusetts’ 32nd District (Middlesex) from 1995-2008,
and as Watertown Councilor at-large from 1992-1995.

“Rachel is someone that the entire community and especially the Assembly is
proud of,” said Assembly Board President Carolyn Mugar. “We know she will
do a great job and wish her every success.”

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and
awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt membership organization.

###

NR# 2014-06
Available online:

MEDIA CENTER
30 Saryan str., Yerevan
Tel: +37460 505 898
+37499 755 898
Email: [email protected]
Web:

30/01/2014

Media Center, January 30: `Everything depends on decisions. Being
dependent on external forces, Armenia and Azerbaijan are not the
countries that may choose war’, political scientist Manvel Sargsyan
claimed at the discussion entitled `Recent Incidents along
Armenian-Azerbaijani border: Expert Opinion’ initiated by the
Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) at the Media Center.

Sergey Minasyan, political analyst and deputy director of The Caucasus
Institute, said that recent incidents along Armenian-Azerbaijani
border aimed to raise the profile of the military operations.

Manvel Sargsyan assures the philosophy that negotiations should be
held in tension and not in peacetime had been reflected along
Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

`The conflict along Armenian-Azerbaijani border is permanent. I see
nothing extraordinary, the information is misinterpreted and
exaggerated by mass media’, said Kenan Guluzade, the Editor of
=80=9CBaku Post’ (Bakupost.az) Newspaper, who joined the discussion
via video-call. He doesn’t see connections between recent incidents
and the change of Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, although the new
minister introduces a new policy.

Avaz Hasanov from International Working Group for the Release of
Prisoners and Hostages and the Head of the Society for Humanitarian
Research in Azerbaijan added in his turn that the political
authorities realized that peace slogans had no affect on society.

`Our previous minister was quite inert’, Kenan Guluzade noted, `the
recent incidents can be considered for the new minister as a ways to
improve the image of inaction formed in the society. The public mood
is not peaceful. Azerbaijan is ready for war’.

On January 30 a discussion on `Recent Incidents along
Armenian-Azerbaijani border: Expert Opinion’ took place at the Media
Center. The speakers of discussion were Sergey Minasyan, political
analyst and deputy director of The Caucasus Institute, Manvel
Sargsyan, political scientist and director of the Armenian Center for
National and International Studies, Kenan Guluzade, Editor of Baku
Post Newspaper and Avaz Hasanov, head of the Society for Humanitarian
Research in Azerbaijan.

About the Public Journalism Club

The Public Journalism Club is an Armenian NGO and the representative
of the Hacks/Hackers organization functioning in the US.

Our mission is to promote the freedom of speech, support diversity and
diversity of views in Armenia by developing bridges between
participatory and public journalists, civil and professional media
journalists, news agencies, information technology social network
specialists and experts of informational and social disciplines in
general.

Our platforms are aimed to change the common trend of information
consumption and give everyone a possibility to be an active
contributor.

About the Media Center The Media Center is a new platform, the purpose
of which is to bridge civil society and media in Armenia, particularly
during the election season.

Our main mission is to create efficient channels of communication
between non-governmental organizations, leading media organizations
and the advocacy groups that monitor elections and uncover violations.

The `Media Center’ is coordinated by Public Journalism Club and is
supported by the Open Society Foundations – Armenia and the Embassy of
Great Britain.

All the Media Center events broadcasts are available live at MC .
Copyright © 2013 Media Center, All rights reserved.

This email aims to update you on Media Center latest events.

BETTER TO KEEP TURKEY CLOSER TO EUROPE

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Jan 28 2014

MURAT YETKÄ°N

The relations between France and Turkey had turned into a mess under
Nicholas Sarkozy. Replacing him, Francois Hollande has been the first
French President to officially visit Turkey after 22 years.

The visit alone is an indication that the potential is there to develop
relations further, without actually changing the basic policies for
both sides, but simply highlighting joint interests, not problems.

For example, the main reason why Ankara and Paris were at odds under
Sarkozy was the Armenian issue. As Sarkozy had endorsed a bill to
criminalize saying there was no Armenian genocide in the Ottoman
Empire circa 1915, before the Constitutional Court had nixed it (on
the basis of violating freedom of expression), on top of blocking
five Chapters of the European Union (EU) negotiations with Turkey,
Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) government
became furious and blacklisted French companies from government tenders
in Turkey. The share of French companies in the Turkish market was
halved from 6 to 3 percent between 2009 and 2012.

Hollande did not change his or France’s policy regarding the
Armenian issue. To make that a point, he included in his schedule
a meeting today, Jan. 28 in Istanbul with Rakel Dink, the widowed
wife of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink who was murdered by an
ultranationalist mob back in 2007. But Hollande announced he would not
make the issue a problem in relations with Turkey and lifted the block
on one (but only one) EU chapter. Turkey annulled the black list and
French, together with Japan, won the tender to build Turkey’s second
nuclear power plant in Sinop, by the Black Sea coast.

It would be wrong for both Turkey and France to see the dynamics of
this relationship as EU steps in return for government contract steps.

Because, as the recent example on Turkey’s government-judiciary crisis
that started with the Dec. 17, 2013 graft probe showed, the EU can
still play a constructive role on Turkish democracy, and of course,
economy. When Erdogan heard the properly worded message from the
EU on the judiciary bill to have more political control over judges
and prosecutors, combined with pressure from within, Erdogan froze
the bill to give another chance for a conceptual Constitutional
amendment package.

Getting closer with the EU’s democratic and economic standards is
good for Turkish people and keeping Turkey closer to Europe, that
is to say, the West, is good for European people because it keeps
Turkey away from the centrifugal forces trying to drag it to its East;
the current quagmire of the Muslim geography.

When Turkish President Abdullah Gul said in the joint press conference
yesterday that Turkey wanted to have more steps toward Europe, implying
the existing French block on the remaining chapter, Hollande said for
a transparent democracy and independent judiciary EU could help Turkey
to transfer itself better. That topic, in a way, refers to the 23th and
24th Chapters of negotiations in which France can indeed lead the way.

Hollande’s visit to Ankara, especially since he was escorted by a
number of key ministers and investors, gives a unique opportunity
to enhance both political and economic relations, not only between
Turkey and France, but Turkey and the European Union as well; this
opportunity should not be missed.

January/28/2014

FRANCE WANTS NEW CHAPTERS FOR DEMOCRATIZATION, RULE OF LAW IN TURKEY

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Jan 28 2014

French President Francois Hollande addresses a Turkish-French business
forum in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014. Hollande is in
Turkey for a two-day state visit. (Photo: AP, Emrah Gurel)

28 January 2014 /Ä°STANBUL, TODAY’S ZAMAN French President Francois
Hollande said on Tuesday that France supports the opening of talks on
new EU chapters, especially on the separation of powers and the rule
of law for democratization in Turkey, comments that came amid the
government’s ongoing attempts to control the judiciary in response
to a major corruption investigation.

“The negotiations [accession talks between Turkey and the EU] can be
additional instruments for democratization, the rule of law, freedom
and modernization [in Turkey]. That’s why France wants new chapters
to be opened, especially the chapters on the separation of powers and
the rule of law,” Hollande said, adding, “Without thinking about what
will happen in the end.”

Hollande’s watchful support for Turkey on the opening of new chapters
on law, freedom and human rights follows a corruption scandal that hit
Turkey’s agenda on Dec. 17 with a wave of high-profile detentions,
including those of three Cabinet minister’s sons. The EU has warned
Ankara several times that it should uphold the principles of the
separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary after the
government responded to the corruption probe by reassigning scores
of judges, prosecutors and police officials, including those involved
in the investigation, as well as by restricting the body responsible
for appointments, promotions and removals in the judiciary.

President Abdullah Gul also said on Tuesday that Turkey is very aware
that it won’t become a full member automatically after fulfilling
the requirements of the accession chapters and that first it wants
to finalize its accession process successfully. He added that for
Turkey to become a member of the EU requires a referendum in France
as well as in Turkey; however, that is not the issue of today.

After noting that he agreed with Holland’s remarks on the focus of
the new chapters, Gul called on Hollande to lift the block on four
of the 35 chapters, but the French President is so far maintaining
his silence on that particular issue.

“Everyone was thinking that — and it was actually real, but you
changed this reality after becoming president — France imposed
a political block on many chapters, on five of the chapters. You
removed one of the blocks on a chapter [Chapter 22], but say that you
also lifted others. Turkey may complete them or not. This is another
story, as it [Turkey completing all the chapters] will happen when
Turkey fulfills its duties, not you,” Gul said and called on France
to lift the other blocks in order for Turkey to be able to do its
part for accession.

When speaking at the francophone Galatasaray University on the second
day of his visit to Turkey, Hollande also noted that his long-awaited
visit to Turkey was the first presidential visit to Turkey from France
in 22 years, saying, “Twenty-two years may seem long; however, when we
consider that relations date back to the 16th century, it is not that
much. I came to here to save time, as we have a lot to do together.”

Francois Hollande is the first French President to visit Turkey since
former President Francois Mitterrand’s visit to Turkey in 1992.

Although former French President Nicholas Sarkozy came to Turkey
on the sidelines of the G20 summit in 2011, it is not considered a
presidential visit between the two countries as it was not bilateral.

Hollande also mentioned the events of 1915. He said two countries
sometimes have disagreements on historical issues because they haven’t
talked each other in a frank manner for a long time.

“You know the stance of France and I won’t say anything different
than I say in France,” said Hollande, who believes that there was an
Armenian genocide committed by Turks and has promised in the past to
pursue efforts to criminalize the denial of claims that Armenians were
subjected to genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire. He also
stated that if the Turkish nation were to face up to its own history,
it would make it a more admired and grander nation.

Ankara denies that the events of World War I amount to a genocide,
saying there were killings on both sides when Armenians revolted
against the Ottoman Empire in the hope of establishing an Armenian
state in eastern Anatolia. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)
ruled last month that denial of the Armenian genocide claims cannot
be criminalized because it is a matter of free speech.

Later in the day, the French president met with Rakel Dink, the widow
of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was killed in 2007.

While he was at the university, Hollande also awarded the well-known
singer Candan Ercetin, who sings in French as well as Turkish, with
the title Knight of Arts and Literature and the Ordre des Arts et
des Lettres medal.