Author: Khoyetsian Rose

Des milliers de Turcs demandent "pardon" aux Arméniens
LE MONDE | 19.12.08 | 16h02 . Mis à jour le 19.12.08 | 19h52
ISTANBUL CORRESPONDANCE

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En quatre jours, plus de 13 000 Turcs ont signé la pétition lancée, lundi 15
décembre, sur Internet. "Ma conscience ne peut pas accepter que l’on reste
indifférent et que l’on nie la "grande catastrophe" subie par les Arméniens
ottomans en 1915, dit le texte d’introduction. Je rejette cette injustice et,
pour ma part, je partage les sentiments et les peines de mes frères et soeurs
arméniens. Je leur demande pardon."

Ces excuses adressées aux victimes du génocide de 1915 ont été formulées par
quatre intellectuels issus de la gauche turque : l’économiste Ahmet Insel, le
professeur de sciences politiques Baskin Oran, le spécialiste des questions
européennes, Cengiz Aktar, et le chroniqueur, Ali Bayramoglu. Le mot génocide
n’apparaît pas, l’expression "grande catastrophe", utilisée par les Arméniens,
lui a été préféré.
Mais cette initiative inédite de la société civile est un pas supplémentaire
dans le rapprochement entre Turcs et Arméniens, opéré ces derniers mois,
notamment depuis la visite à Erevan du président de la République, Abdullah Gül,
en septembre. "Cela montre qu’il y a au moins 13 000 personnes qui ne croient
pas dans la propagande officielle, constate Cengiz Aktar. Mais il faut y aller
doucement. Sur ces terres où ont été commis des massacres, la mémoire a été
gommée et remplacée par le négationnisme."
Sans surprise, les réactions haineuses ont fusé de toutes parts à l’annonce de
cette campagne. "Une blague", selon Ertugrul Özkök, le rédacteur en chef du
quotidien nationaliste Hürriyet, voire "un acte de trahison", pour la députée du
Parti républicain du peuple (CHP, kémaliste), Canan Aritman. Une soixantaine de
diplomates à la retraite ont estimé, eux, qu’il s’agissait d’une initiative
"inacceptable, fausse et défavorable aux intérêts de la nation. Une telle
tentative, incorrecte et partiale est irrespectueuse pour notre histoire et
revient à trahir notre peuple", ont-ils écrit. Pour le député du Parti de
l’action nationaliste (MHP), Deniz Bölükbasi, "si quelqu’un doit s’excuser, ce
sont les intellectuels et les Arméniens. Ils devraient s’excuser pour les
atrocités dont ont souffert des milliers d’Anatoliens".
Le premier ministre, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, n’a pas été le moins virulent. "Je ne
l’accepte pas, je ne la soutiens pas. Nous n’avons commis aucun crime, donc nous
n’avons pas besoin de nous excuser", a-t-il riposté, mercredi. Certains
intellectuels, tels Nuray Mert ou Murat Belge, critiquent eux aussi cette
logique de repentance.
Plus mesuré, le président Abdullah Gül, loin de condamner la pétition, a estimé
que chacun était libre de donner son opinion. Même tonalité au ministère des
affaires étrangères : "Nous n’avons pas à réagir contre cela", répond un
porte-parole, mettant en évidence des divergences au sein du gouvernement.
Les intellectuels à l’origine de ces excuses publiques reçoivent, eux, depuis
quelques jours, des tombereaux d’insultes et de menaces de mort. Pas de quoi les
décourager pour autant. "C’est une ligne de crête en Turquie, souligne Cengiz
Aktar. Ce qui est nouveau, c’est que ce qui n’était qu’un débat d’intellectuels
devient les prémices d’un débat public."
Baskin Oran souligne, lui, la nécessité pour la fière Turquie de se doter d’une
"culture du pardon". Un mot encore difficile à entendre. "C’est une chose qui
n’existe pas chez nous, admet Uraz, un étudiant qui envisage de signer la
pétition. Mais on vit sous ce régime qui n’accepte pas la réalité historique et
si cela ne change pas, c’est un peu de notre faute."

Guillaume Perrier
Article paru dans l’édition du 20.12.08

RUSSIA CONDEMNS GENOCIDE OF ARMENIANS, SERBS AND OTHER NATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.12.2008 14:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia condemns genocide of Armenians, Serbs and
other nations, a State Duma member said.

"We tried to dissuade Europe from applying double standards as it
was in case with Kosovo," Gavriil Popov, member of United Russia
faction said, reminding that thousands of civilians were killed in
South Ossetia during several days.

Member of Just Russia party Boris Guseletov stressed the necessity of
close collaboration with all Diasporas throughout the globe to prevent
the crime of genocide. "We condemn any nationalistic aggression,"
he said.

"Genocide is a complicated topic for discussion not only for Russia
but for the entire international community," said Natalya Velikaya,
head of ideology and public policy of Just Russia party. "This problem
can be resolved through a continued public dialogue," she said,
reported Yerkramas, the newspaper of Armenians of Russia.

PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS OVER TV AIR CONTENTS AND TV ADVERTISEMENTS HELD

Noyan Tapan

Dec 19, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. Parliamentary hearings over TV
air contents and TV advertisements legislative regulation were held
on December 19 at the National Assembly. Representatives of the
Television and Radio National Committee, State Language Inspection,
Public Television of Armenia and private TV companies, advertisement
companies, NGOs, professional unions, and experts were invited to
the hearings.

Hearings’ initiator Armen Ashotian, the Chairman of the NA Standing
Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports
Affairs, said that a number of bills on electronic media activity,
telecommunication and advertisement spheres are circulated at the
parliament at present. In consideration of many problems in these
spheres and their public resonance, the committee considered it
expedient to hold as wide discussions on the above mentioned subjects
as possible.

A. Ashotian said that a legislative package on advertisement activity
will be discussed at the parliament soon, and the committee is ready
to take into consideration and to involve the hearings participants’
proposals and opinions, as well.

Saying that the issue of membership to the European Convention on
Transborder Television will be discussed at NA next year, the NA
Standing Committee Chairman attached importance to the necessity to
bring Armenia’s legislation in line with European standards in this
sphere. In his words, the committee is going to organize parliamentary
hearings on this issue, as well as the issue of telecommunication
digitalization.

BLOOD IS SILENT
By Ergun Babahan

Turkish Press
Dec 19 2008

SABAH- Yesterday we unfortunately neglected a statement by Canan
Aritman in which the Republican People`s Party (CHP) Izmir deputy
linked President Abdullah Gul`s statement about the `apology campaign`
concerning Armenians to his mother`s ethnicity. This is a clear example
of fascism. This mentality, which attributes a person`s criticism of
unfair treatment to ethnicity alone, also claims that the group the
critic feels attached is given a free pass on mistakes. But people
espousing all sorts of ideologies live in countries. When one of these
people comes to power and makes a mistake, the whole nation can`t be
held responsible, because the person holding state power monopolizes
all sorts of power.

The deportation of Armenians (during World War I) is something which
happened in this land, just like the capital tax, the Thracian
incidents, the massacre in Kahramanmaras, etc. To confront these
incidents, one doesn`t need to be an Alawite, Greek Cypriot, Jewish
or communist, but rather a democrat, someone who believes in the rule
of law and defends human rights and dignity. A member of a Turkish
party which calls itself `social democrat` and which claims to be
promoting reconciliation through welcoming members wearing chadors
thus questioned a historical incident through a racist stance. Aritman
linked the stance about the Armenians` deportation to having Armenian
blood in one`s veins.

Our nation has people of many different ethnicities. We shouldn`t
judge a person by the ethnicity of their grandparents, but on their
humanitarian stance and position on racism. Being a human requires
questioning the mass deportation of a group of people. Whether it was
right to do this is another question. But it`s disgraceful to fail
to acknowledge the right to question it, along with a racist stance
towards people who respect this right. We can say only one thing to
Mrs. Aritman: Blood is silent, but the conscience speaks volumes.

ARMENIA’S BLOCKADE AND PRO-TURKIC PROJECTS TO KILL GEORGIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.12.2008 13:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Samtskhe-Javakhk-Tsalka is a historical region, which
has a profound influence on political development of the Transcaucasia,
says a statement issued by Mitq analytical center.

The authors of the documents remind that the number of Meskhetian
Turks in the region has increased greatly with the help of Azerbaijan
and Turkey.

"The figure has reached 500 thousand. This makes their presence in
the Armenian-inhabited region impossible.

Mass settlements of Turks will cause clashes and escalation of tensions
in the Caucasus.

We call on the Georgian authorities to understand that Armenia’s
blockade any anti-Armenian program imposed by Azerbaijan and Turkey
will kill Georgia and lead to unpredictable consequences," says the
statement obtained by PanARMENIAN.Net.

HAKOBYAN BECAME WORLD CUP HOLDER

A1+
[01:45 pm] 15 December, 2008

Armenian boxer Andranik Hakobyan (75 kg) won the World Cup
after winning over his Venezuelan contender Alfonso Blanco in
Moscow. Andranik’s victory was notable as Armenia hadn’t had world
cup holders for 14 years. Nshan Munchyan was the last to win the
world title in the ring in 1994.

Misha Apoyan (Russia) won the world title in the 51 kg weight category
beating Cuban Lafita Ernandes.

Only Armenia, Philippines, Russia and Cuba had winners in eleven
weight categories.

Note that successful sportsmen of different international tournaments
participate in the world cup competitions.

Turkish academics in apology to Armenians

Intellectuals break taboo to acknowledge genocide by Ottoman Turks

By Nicholas Birch in Istanbul

Monday, 15 December 2008
Independent.co.uk Web

Around 200 Turkish intellectuals and academics are to apologise on the
internet today for the ethnic cleansing of Armenians during the First
World War, in the most public sign yet that Turkey’s most sensitive
taboo is slowly melting away.

"My conscience does not accept the denial of the great catastrophe that
the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in 1915," the text prepared by
the group reads. "I reject this injustice and … empathise with the
feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers. I apologise to them."

Turkey accepts that many Armenians were killed during the collapse of
the Ottoman empire, but insists they were victims of civil strife and
that Muslim Turks also died. Most Western historians agree that the
ethnic cleansing that killed roughly 700,000 Armenians amounted to
genocide.

The academics are inviting Turks to sign a petition and add their
voices to the apology. "Our concern is being able to look at ourselves
in the mirror in the morning … freeing ourselves by finally facing up
to the past," said the political scientist Baskin Oran, one of the four
organisers of the initiative.

However, nationalists have reacted angrily to the internet apology
before it has even gone live, saying it is a national betrayal. Counter
campaigns refusing to apologise have sprung up. The head of a
nationalist party with 70 seats in parliament described the initiative
as an example of the "frightening extent to which degeneracy and
corrosion have spread".

The public apology coincides with a diplomatic rapprochement between
Turkey and Armenia, whose shared border has been closed since the
Nagorny-Karabakh war in 1993 and who have been locked in almost 100
years of hostility. President Abdullah Gul made history in September
when he became the first Turkish leader to visit Armenia, and the two
countries have been talking about restoring full diplomatic relations.

Publicly talking about what happened in 1915 remains a sensitive issue
in Turkey. The Nobel Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk was prosecuted
in 2005 for saying a million Armenians had died. In January 2007, the
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was gunned down by a nationalist
teenager for advocating a more humane debate on the issue.

Yet, while almost every Turkish town has a street named after the chief
organisers of the massacres, the taboo surrounding the Armenian issue
is nowhere near as total as it was a decade ago. Bookshops sell books
by Western and Armenian historians alongside texts written by defenders
of the official Turkish thesis. Universities organise conferences on
the issue. Istanbul galleries run exhibitions of postcards showing the
central place Armenians had in the life of the late Ottoman Empire. And
a 2005 memoir, My Grandmother, in which an Istanbul lawyer recounts her
discovery that the woman who brought her up was born an Armenian,
sparked widespread and sympathetic debate.

One of the first Turks to break the taboo was the historian Halil
Berktay, who received death threats for months after telling a Turkish
newspaper in October 2000 that he believed the Ottoman Empire committed
genocide. Today, he is convinced the space for intelligent debate is
growing. "Beneath the bluster," he says, "the Turkish establishment
position is crumbling."

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
December 12, 2008 Friday 6:00 PM EET

Tajikistan, Belarus, Armenia to join Eurasian Development Bank

MOSCOW Dec 12

The council of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has approved
Tajikistan, Belarus and Armenia joining the bank, EDB’s press office
said Friday.

The three countries will contribute a total of U.S. $15.6 million to
the bank by purchasing newly issued shares.

The EDB was established by Russia and Kazakhstan in 2006 to boost
investment across the former Soviet Union.

NEXT MEETING OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS MIGHT TAKE PLACE IN EARLY 2009

Today.Az
9532.html
Dec 12 2008
Azerbaijan

The next round of talks between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and
Armenia on the resolution of the Karabakh problem might be held
in early 2009, said chief of department of external ties of the
presidential administration of Azerbaijan Novruz Mamedov, according
to Interfax-Azerbaijan.

"It seems to me that the next meeting of the presidents might be held
in early next year", noted Mamedov.

He said the world community is interested in the resolution of the
Karabakh conflict in the framework of the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan.

"On the whole, in the result of intensification of regional processes
and world community, Russia, Turkey, the United States, EU and
other international organizations – all of them are interested in
the resolution of the conflict in the framework of the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan and Baku’s position in this direction has
consolidated.

Therefore, I consider that the resolution, adopted by each
international organization in this direction, must help us", noted
the representative of the presidential administration.

As for Russia’s role in the resolution of the conflict, Mamedov
noted that he does not consider that Moscow has occupied an opposite
position in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict in the framework
of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

"I think Russia attaches greater importance to the resolution of this
conflict in the framework of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
and norms of international law", noted Mamedov.

ARMENIAN DRIED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES IN GREAT DEMAND IN EUROPE

Noyan Tapan

Dec 12, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Chir company produced 500 tons
of dried fruit and vegetables this year, with 20% of its production
being exported to European countries. The production of dried fruits:
plums, apricots, peaches has grown by 20% as compared with last year,
and most of these products were sold in the domestic market, while the
dried vegetables and spices have been mainly exported, NT correspondent
was informed by Sandro Abovian, the chairman of the Assosiation of
Dried Foodstuff Producers, a Candidate of Technical Sciences.

He said that dried tomato is in especially great demand in
international market. However, because of prices it is not profitable
for the company to produce large number of dried tomatoes, and
this year the company had reduced the purchase of tomatoes and the
production of dried tomatoes due to the appreciation of the Armenian
dram. At the same time, it was mentioned that the company has reached
an agreement with foreign partners on establishing a new price of dried
tomato. Besides, dried egg-plants and red peppers will be exported.

The number of companies engaged in the production of dried fruit and
vegetables has increased in the country in recent years, and local
producers have reached great success in this sector. According to
S. Abovian, the sector is considered one of the most promising branches
of Armenian agriculture, while market relations presuppose production
of a large number of dried foodstuffs in line with international
qualitative indices. With this aim, as S. Abovian pointed out, state
assistance is needed in the provision of loans at low interest rates.

In his words, this sector started developing in Armenia in the
1990s. There are more than 220 solar drying houses in 9 Armenian
marzes. 500-1,200 tons of dried fruit and vegetables is produced by
using various methods in Armenia annually, which is enough for only
a small part of the population for consumption.