Author: nina hovnanian

NICOLAS SARKOZY TOUJOURS TOURMENTE PAR LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

L’Express

31 janvier 2012
France

Des parlementaires, dont des dizaines de droite, ont saisi le Conseil
constitutionnel pour faire annuler la loi penalisant la negation du
genocide armenien. “Vous ne me rendez pas service”, a commente le
chef de l’Etat. En effet.

La question du genocide armenien n’en finit pas de tracasser Nicolas
Sarkozy. Dix jours après l’adoption de la loi penalisant la negation
de ce massacre, le chef de l’Etat pensait clore le chapitre en
promulguant le texte. Il va pourtant devoir attendre l’avis du
conseil constitutionnel, saisi par plusieurs deputes et senateurs,
dont certains issu de son propre camp.

Le chef de l’Etat n’a pas cache son embarras face a cette saisine.

Devant les parlementaires de la majorite reunis a l’Elysee, il a
explique qu’elle ne “lui rendait pas service” et qu’il craignait
que l’annulation de cette loi n’ouvre la porte a une suppression de
l’article condamnant la negation de la Shoah.

Depuis la loi adoptee le 23 janvier dernier, la Republique francaise
reconnait deux genocides: ceux perpetres contre les Armeniens en 1917
et les Juifs en 39-45. Une annulation de la première par le Conseil
constitutionnel aurait de grandes chances d’entrainer un retour sur
la seconde.

Une saisine menee par l’UMP

L’annonce de ce recours est une très mauvaise nouvelle pour Nicolas
Sarkozy. D’abord parce qu’elle rouvre un debat très sensible. A chaque
etape de l’adoption de ce texte, la Turquie a menace la France de
mesures de retorsion. Si le Conseil constitutionnel rejette le recours,
Paris s’attend alors a une nouvelle colère noire d’Ankara.

En attendant cette saisine a eu au moins le merite de calmer le
gouvernement turc. Les relations entre les deux partenaires commerciaux
“vont se detendre, nous attendons maintenant la decision du Conseil
constitutionnel”, reagissait ainsi le porte-parole de l’ambassade
turque a Paris Egin Solakoglu.

En revanche, les relations entre Nicolas Sarkozy et sa majorite
risquent l’effet inverse. La loi sur le genocide armenien a
profondement divise la classe politique francaise. Preuve en est, le
recours a ete signe, en majorite par les radicaux de gauche au Senat,
et par de nombreux elus UMP a l’Assemblee, dont le souverainiste et
turbulent Jacques Myard. Sur les 65 deputes signataires, 52 sont UMP
ou Nouveau centre, 11 PS et deux Non inscrits. Côte Senat, sur les
77 soutiens, on compte 18 UMP et 12 centristes.

L’effet papillon

Ces saisines sont “une bombe atomique pour l’Elysee qui n’a rien
vu venir”, a declare le depute UMP Lionel Tardy a l’AFP. Pourtant,
Nicolas Sarkozy est bien mal a l’aise pour souffler dans les bronches
des frondeurs, vu qu’au sein meme de son gouvernement, les avis sont
très partages sur cette loi. Alain Juppe, le ministre des Affaires
etrangères lui-meme, y est oppose.

Mais, le recours a-t-il une chance d’aboutir ? Pour Jacques Mezard,
senateur radical de gauche, oui: “Le texte meconnaît, outre l’article
34 de la Constitution (portant sur le domaine de la loi, ndlr),
plusieurs principes fondamentaux du droit parmi lesquels ceux des
libertes de communication et d’expression” ainsi que “de legalite
des delits et des peines”.

A L’Express, la senatrice Europe Ecologie-Les Verts, Esther Benbassa
explique qu’elle partage le meme sentiment: “Les juristes avec qui
j’ai discute estiment que la saisine a des chances d’etre satisfaite.”

Avant d’ajouter: “Le Conseil risque egalement d’invalider, par le
meme coup, la loi de 2001 sur la reconnaissance du genocide armenien.”

L’effet papillon. Un battement d’ailes au Parlement francais, une
tempete de l’autre côte de la Mediterranee.

TEXTE BLOQUE SUR LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : BOYER “DECUE”

TF1

31 janvier 2012
France

La deputee UMP Valerie Boyer s’est dite mardi “decue” du recours depose
auprès du Conseil constitutionnel par des deputes et senateurs contre
sa proposition de loi visant a penaliser la

negation du genocide armenien, qui ne peut, de ce fait, etre
promulguee. “Meme si ce n’est pas une surprise”, Mme Boyer s’est
dite “decue de constater que certains parlementaires prefèrent le
legalisme a l’humanisme”, dans un communique transmis a l’AFP. “Pour
moi, la pression exercee par un Etat etranger negationniste ne doit
pas l’emporter sur une cause universelle, sur la defense des droits
de l’Homme et la grandeur de la France”, a-t-elle ajoute.

ENTRETIEN MICHEL MARIAN, ENSEIGNANT A L’INSTITUT D’ETUDES POLITIQUES DE PARIS : ” EN TURQUIE, LA QUESTION ARMENIENNE EST LIEE A UN COMBAT POUR LES DROITS DE L’HOMME ”

La Croix
Lundi 23 Janvier 2012
France

Michel Marian est l’auteur, avec l’intellectuel turc Ahmet Insel,
du Dialogue sur le tabou armenien (1). Il analyse l’evolution de la
societe turque sur la question armenienne et se prononce sur le debat
en France.

Michel Marian, enseignant a l’Institut d’etudes politiques de Paris :
Depuis la parution de votre livre, les intellectuels turcs ont-ils
evolue sur la question du genocide ?

Michel Marian : Ce livre etait une sorte d’acte politique qui a eu
un retentissement en France, dans les communautes armeniennes, mais
aussi parmi les Turcs. Il a ete traduit en turc et en armenien. Autant
d’occasions de mettre a l’epreuve notre capacite de dialogue, au-dela
des mots que nous avions soupeses pour les faire passer a l’ecrit. Il y
a eu entre Ahmet Insel et moi un rapport de confiance et d’amitie qui
a grandi. Au debut, les communautes armeniennes n’accordaient qu’un
credit limite a Ahmet Insel, dans la mesure où il ne souhaitait pas
utiliser le terme de genocide. Au fur et a mesure de nos rencontres
avec le public, son attitude et la facon dont il l’a explicitee ont
montre qu’il n’avait pas de gene intellectuelle par rapport a ce
concept. L’evolution est venue aussi de la petition de pardon aux
Armeniens lancee par 200 intellectuels turcs en 2009.

Aujourd’hui, en Turquie, la question armenienne est liee a un combat
plus large pour les droits de l’homme, ce qui lui donne une vraie
credibilite.

Ne faites-vous pas davantage confiance a la societe civile pour
maintenir le fil entre les deux communautes ?

M. M. : La modernisation de la societe civile s’est averee essentielle,
elle est a l’origine de ce mouvement. Depuis les annees 2003-2004,
elle fait preuve d’un souci croissant pour les droits de l’homme et la
question armenienne. Cela s’est manifeste par un colloque en Turquie,
les obsèques du journaliste d’origine armenienne Hrant Dink, assassine
en 2007, les poursuites contre l’ecrivain turc Orhan Pamuk ou encore
les rassemblements dans la rue a l’occasion du 24 avril, journee
de commemoration de la rafle, le 24 avril 1915, des personnalites
armeniennes intellectuelles et politiques de Constantinople.

Du côte individuel, les exemples de Turcs decouvrant leurs origines
armeniennes, illustres par le premier, puis le second livre de Fethiye
Cetin, se multiplient. Ce mouvement est irreversible. Par exemple,
dans les debats televises en Turquie, on prend soin d’inviter une
personne qui represente le point de vue, non pas forcement de la
reconnaissance du genocide, mais de l’importance du travail historique
sur la question armenienne.

Mais si les conditions politiques sont defavorables, la prise en compte
de cette question ne pourra avancer que lentement. Il y a des zones
entières du territoire turc, où les Armeniens avaient eu une presence
historique importante, comme dans le Nord-Est, qui sont quasiment
tenues a l’ecart de cette evolution. D’autres regions, a l’inverse,
sont sensibles a cette question, comme a Adana, où l’anniversaire du
grand massacre de 1909 a ete l’occasion d’un colloque en 2009.

Une loi francaise ne risque-t-elle pas de detruire ces avancees ?

M. M. : La position des intellectuels turcs est moins hostile au
projet de loi actuel qu’a celui de 2006. Personnellement, cette loi
me gene car elle penalise l’expression, c’est une loi de censure,
surtout dans la formulation, lorsqu’elle utilise des expressions
comme ” la minimisation outrancière “. Où est-ce que ca commence,
où est-ce que ca finit ?

Mais est-ce au parlement francais de se prononcer ?

M. M. : Une pression externe et politique n’est pas en soi illegitime.

Qu’elle se produise dans les deux principaux pays, France et
Etats-Unis, où les Armeniens ont trouve refuge et ont fait souche,
cela ne me choque pas. Il est bon que la classe politique francaise
rappelle a la Turquie son obligation morale, d’autant qu’elle est
candidate a l’entree dans l’Union europeenne. Mais j’aurais prefere
une resolution du Parlement francais ou europeen, ou une commemoration
du genocide armenien a l’occasion de la journee du 11 novembre.

(1) Paru en 2009, anime par Ariane Bonzon, Ed. Liana Levi, 150 p.,
15 EUR.

LA MYSTERIEUSE MALADIE D’ERDOGAN

nouvelobs.com

26 janvier 2012
France

“Avez-vous un cancer, monsieur le Premier ministre ?” “Non”, a repondu
Recep Tayyip Erdogan sur la chaîne de television Kanal D. Le chef du
gouvernement turc a assure que seuls des polypes – tumeurs benignes
– avaient ete retires de son intestin au cours d’une intervention
chirurgicale, le 26 novembre.

Cette interview, destinee a faire taire les rumeurs persistantes selon
lesquelles il souffrirait d’un cancer du côlon a un stade avance,
rassurera-t-elle sur son etat de sante ? Depuis son operation par
laparoscopie a l’hôpital de l’universite de Marmara, a Istanbul,
l’absence de bulletin de sante entretient le doute.

Des medias ont denonce le silence des autorites, qu’ils comparent a
un “syndrome Brejnev”. Les apparitions publiques du Premier ministre
turc ces deux derniers mois sont rares et ses traits, fatigues. Cette
longue convalescence, qui prendra fin en mars, a-t-il dit, bouleverse
le mode de fonctionnement du gouvernement.

Traditionnellement, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hyperactif et omnipresent
dans les medias, monopolise la scène politique. Son repos force le
contraint a lâcher la bride a ses ministres.

Jeanne Pasquier- Le Nouvel Observateur

EU REFORMS MADE TURKEY PROSPEROUS: MINISTER
By Francesca Astorri

Peninsula On-line

Feb 1 2012
Qatar

Doha: Egemen Bagis, the Turkish Minister for the EU Affairs and Chief
Negotiator, explained the latest developments of Turkey’s relationship
with the European Union and its wider implications in a conference
organised yesterday by the Brookings Doha Center.

“Today Turkey is democratic, wealthy and transparent thanks to EU
reforms,” said Bagis. “The process to get the EU membership is more
important than the end result,” he added.

Turkey-EU is a 52 year relation, but when analysing Turkey’s possible
EU membership the obstacles seem to be too many and too difficult
to overcome. Nearly 80 million Muslims: the problem is not that they
are Muslims because the European Union is not a Christian club, but
a political union, but the problem is that they are 80 million and
that they will have a huge weight in the European Parliament .

The border with Iraq: European countries will never want to expose
themselves to the possible immigration problems related to the
proximity, nor to the threats that come from the instable and violent
situation in Iraq. The furthest, the better.

Turkey is also responsible of the last wall existing in Europe: the
one dividing Cyprus. This issue has to be solved if Turkey wants its
membership to be approved.

The non-recognition of the responsibility of the Armenian genocide:
France has recently enforced a law that makes illegal to deny the
occurrence of the Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Turks.

“What happened in 1915 can’t be classified as genocide as far as
I’m concerned, but I was not around in 1915,” said Bagis when asked
Turkey’s position on the issue.

“I’m a politician, my job is to determine the future, not the past,”
he added, leaving the crowd perplexed as the events are well documented
while Aljazeera did a touching documentary on the Armenian genocide.

Europe had to deal with one of the most shameful genocides in the
world’s history, but no European country has ever tried to deny its
responsibility: the perpetrators were processed and condemned by the
Nuremberg’s court with which the continent established the justice
necessary to expiate its guilt. Genocide is not acceptable in Europe
and the fact that the Turkish government is still denying it makes
the EU membership impossible for Turkey.

There are some elements on the Turkish side that make its membership
still appealing to the EU: Turkey is a fast growing economy, has
a young population and energetic resources. Three things that the
European countries need desperately right now, but apparently not
desperately enough to convince them to overcome the issues that we
have just analysed against the Turkish membership.

Concluding, Bagis attributed the name “Europa” to a Turkish origin,
when all Europeans know that “Europa” was one of the lovers of Zeus,
a god of the ancient Greek mythology, as also the Ambassador of
Greece to Qatar, Helen-Elsa Zorbala, who attended the conference
told The Peninsula. You need to know the history of the continent,
before pretending to be part of it.

OP-ED: BREADCRUMBS TO NOWHERE
By Lorky Libaridian and Edgar Martirosyan

ianyan Magazine

Jan 31 2012

The recent passage of the French bill criminalizing genocide denial in
France has caused massive rejoicing across the Armenian nation both at
home and abroad. While the emotional reaction of Armenian communities
is understandable given Turkey’s continued state-sponsored decades
long revisionist policies, sadly, there is nothing tangible here
to rejoice. If anything, the Armenian Nation has yet again become a
thankful tool of foreign powers, and while there is an abundance of
appreciation towards Sarkozy and France, what exactly do we have to
be thankful for?

The law itself is fundamentally flawed insofar as it aims to undermine
a most basic tenet of democracy, will likely hamper the issue of
Genocide recognition as opposed to facilitating it, and is merely being
employed by France to address its own narrow self-serving political
ends. On its face, the purpose of the proposed law is to deter and
punish those who deny the historical fact of genocides, including
the Armenian genocide, and in doing so defend the moral interests and
honor of the victims. Sarkozy stated something similar to the latter
in his January 20th letter to Erdogan, writing that the intent of the
bill is to heal wounds and protect the memories of victims. In short,
the law, as its proponents would argue, helps restore “justice.”

But how, exactly, does it do that?

If anything, France’s passage of the genocide denial bill is nothing
more than a resounding endorsement of Turkey’s own notorious Penal
Code 301. Similar to that code, the French law paints in broad brush
strokes and does little to distinguish between a form of denial that
has an element of hate speech (which is the intended purpose of EU
framework decision 2008/913/JHA), and language that is purely denial
without the added quality of hateful or racist sentiments.

Over the past couple of decades there have been an increasing number
of meetings and conferences between Armenian and Turkish academics and
members of civil society seeking to openly discuss their mutual past.

Numerous Turkish scholars now openly accept that massive “atrocities”
took place in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, with a growing
number of Turkish intellectuals calling it genocide. Though in its
infancy, a movement is now noticeable within Turkey itself towards
eventual recognition and reconciliation; this is occurring within a
larger democratic movement within the country. Laws dictating what can
and cannot be said stifle and run contrary to the basic principles
of open forum and thought, and can arguably erode the progress made
by Turkish civil society as a whole by causing each side to hold on
more tightly to its “truth.” Such a bill has the potential to make
denial itself a patriotic, nationalistic act, moving us further away
from the discourse which has slowly but surely blossomed.

Sarkozy and France have their own political and socio-economic reasons
for passing this bill at this time. Moreover, France’s seemingly
gracious and honorable bill will now be used as political clout
for years to come when Armenian issues are raised. The favor, as it
were, has been called in; France is now considered the great friend
of Armenians. It will be harder now than ever to push France in its
myriad of councils and unions – from PACE to the EU to the UN which
make decisions regarding the Republic of Armenia – to help promote
democracy and justice within Armenia, because, well, the favor has
already been called in.

But it is these issues – democracy and justice – which are most
important to both the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian nation
today. What is the effect of such a bill in France, or say even all
of the countries of the world, if Armenia is neither safe nor secure?

One of the greatest problems facing Armenia’s viability today is the
massive emigration it is experiencing due to a myriad of reasons,
including political, economic, and social inequalities and upheavals.

Of course, France is entirely silent on those issues. Thus, France’s
genocide denial bill is nothing more than crumbs thrown to a struggling
people. We must stop feeding off such crumbs, and demand our rightful
place at the table.

In the end, nothing can bring back the 1.5 million souls that were
lost during the Armenian Genocide. What then, does healing entail?

Recognition by Turkey, and the world? What would best allow us to
honor and memorialize the victims of the Genocide? First, various
organizations and countries must stop using these crimes of humanity
as mere chess pieces in their own political and economic games.

Second, to bring about a world where such atrocities cannot and do not
take place, a more ethical, open and responsible world. And finally,
to have, in spite of our history and all which comes with it, a free,
strong and independent Armenia.

Yet nothing close to any of these will result from the French bill.

Instead, those who question and challenge aloud will be deemed
criminals. As much as this pains those of us who are descendants of
the victims of 1915, we must be able to look beyond that pain and
seek justice not by imposing restrictions similar to those forced upon
our ancestors 97 years ago, but by making sure such restrictions are
never again imposed on others, Turks or otherwise.

Edgar Martirosyan is a practicing Attorney in Los Angeles, California.

Edgar received his B.A. in Political Science from UCLA, and his Juris
Doctor degree from UCLA School of Law. He is a Fellow with Policy Forum
Armenia, and a member of the Board of Directors of ARPA Institute.

Lorky Libaridian is a practicing Physician in San Francisco,
California. Lorky received her B.A. at Yale College, majoring in
Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, and her M.D. at Yale University
School of Medicine. She has worked with various healthcare institutions
in Armenia for almost two decades.

MAN LINKED TO W.VA. MEDICARE FRAUD GETS PRISON

The Associated Press State & Local Wire
January 30, 2012 Monday 10:28 PM GMT

An Armenian citizen has been sentenced in West Virginia for his role
in a health care scheme intended to defraud more than $4 million
from Medicare.

A federal judge in Charleston on Monday sentenced the 42-year-old
defendant, Sargis Tadevosyan, to six years in prison. He was found
guilty in November on felony charges of conspiracy to commit health
care fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to the government, the charges stem from a scheme involving
“false front providers.” That involves a company posing as a Medicare
health care provider and unlawfully billing Medicare as a legitimate
service.

Investigators say they discovered seven false front providers
established in and around Charleston.

U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said Monday’s prison term was likely the
longest involving health care fraud in the state.

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER COMMENTS ON LATEST MEETING OF ARMENIAN, AZERI LEADERS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs website
Jan 30 2012
Russia

Text “Comments by Sergey Lavrov, minister of foreign affairs
of Russia, on the outcomes of the meeting of Dmitriy Medvedev,
president of Russia, with Ilham Aliyev, president of Azerbaijan,
and Serzh Sargsyan, president of Armenia” published in English by
the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website on 30 January

At the latest meeting [on 24 January] dedicated to the settlement
of Nagornyy Karabakh dispute, presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and
Armenia discussed the whole range of issues still pending agreement in
the context of draft basic principles for the settlement of Nagornyy
Karabakh issue. The presidents exchanged views on the most complicated
issues and arrived at a common conclusion about the need to continue
the work.

The Russian Federation as a state mediating the dispute and a
member of the OSCE Minsk Group together with the co-chairs from
France and the United States will continue its efforts to promote the
rapprochement between the parties. According to the leaders of Armenia
and Azerbaijan supported by President Dmitriy Medvedev, they reached
a common understanding of the fact that to enhance the progress
that had obviously been made they should not be maximalists. The
joint statement adopted by the presidents today also reflects the
willingness to accelerate the elaboration of basic principles to be
used at a later stage as a basis for a legally binding agreement.

Furthermore, the presidents for quite a long time were discussing
the compliance with the agreement reached right here, in Sochi,
almost a year ago, last March, when the presidents expressed their
interest in creating a mechanism for the investigation of incidents
along the ceasefire line.

At the end of that meeting last year the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group, including Russia, France and the USA, came up with a document
describing a mechanism for the investigation of incidents along the
ceasefire line. Such document was submitted to the presidents today.

They noted the work done and asked to continue it, bearing in mind
already the need to prescribe specific procedures for taking certain
actions to investigate incidents.

According to the joint statement, the presidents of Azerbaijan,
Armenia and Russia are also convinced that direct humanitarian,
cultural, educational and other contacts – contacts between people –
are essential to restore trust and to enhance it, as well as to create
the most favourable conditions for taking political decisions as well.

Baku and Yerevan asked Russia to initiate such contacts. President
Dmitriy Medvedev, of course, agreed. We have always been in favour of
such humanitarian relationships and will play our role of a mediator
in that area as well.

Press-service of the President of the Russian Federation

CONVERSE BANK IS THE SPONSOR OF THE FILM ‘IF ONLY EVERYONE…’

ENP Newswire
January 30, 2012 Monday

Release date- 26012012 – Sponsored by ‘Converse Bank’ CJSC, the film
‘If Only Everyone…’ dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Declaration
of RA Independence and establishment of the Army shall be screened
at the ‘Moscow’ Cinema on January 27.

On that occasion, specially for mass media representatives the film
sneak was organized on January 25, followed by a press conference of
the producers. General producer and major actor of the film Michael
Poghosyan said the film is the joint product of ‘Team’ Production
and Armenian National Film Center. It was produced under the high
patronage of the RA President, with the support of the NKR President
and RA Ministries of Defense and Culture.

Directed by Natalia Belyauskene, the film involves actors Yekaterina
Shitova, Vahagn Simonyan, Mher Levonyan, Karen Jangirov and others.

Father of the heroine in ‘If Only Everyone…’ is Russian soldier
Alexander Maslennikov, who was killed during the Artsakh war, when
defending the motherland of his beloved wife. Twenty years later his
daughter has come to plant a tree on her father’s grave to fulfill
his last wish, but finds the grave is on the other side of the border.

Besides Yerevan, the film is to be shown in Stepanakert and Moscow. It
may also participate in festivals. 70% of the film was shot in Artsakh,
30% in Yerevan.

Interestingly enough, title of the film ‘If Only Everyone…’ is very
consonant with the Converse Bank slogan ‘For everyone’.

As a reminder, being a socially responsible company, Converse Bank is
consistent in supporting cultural advance. The bank has also sponsored
the ballet ‘Spartak’, opera ‘Aida’, the ‘Open Music Festival’, the
Shakespeare festivals and many other cultural initiatives.

TURKISH COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TO DECIDE ON SANCTIONS AGAINST FRANCE

Vestnik Kavkaza
Jan 30 2012
Russia

The Turkish Council of Ministers, chaired by Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, will hold a session at 2 pm (local time), TRT reports.

Experts expect ministers to discuss sanctions against France for
criminalization of the Armenian Genocide. Ankara announced escalating
sanctions for passing of the French bill.

The session will also hold talks on the processes at the World Economic
Forum in Davos, which was attended by three Turkish ministers.