Author: nina hovnanian

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : 35 DEPUTES SIGNATAIRES D’UN RECOURS AU CONSEIL CONSTITUTIONNEL
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 26 janvier 2012

Trente-cinq deputes, essentiellement UMP, ont d’ores et deja decide
de signer un recours au Conseil constitutionnel contre le texte sur le
genocide armenien, a annonce a l’AFP un des initiateurs de ce recours,
Michel Diefenbacher.

“Trente-cinq de mes collègues se sont deja declares partisans d’un
recours au Conseil constitutionnel. Ils sont essentiellement UMP mais
aussi PS”, a declare M. Diefenbacher, depute UMP et president du groupe
d’amitie France-Turquie a l’Assemblee – qui compte quelque 70 membres.

Jacques Myard (UMP) avait indique mardi avoir entame, avec Michel
Diefenbacher, la collecte de signatures pour la saisine du Conseil
constitutionnel sur le texte penalisant la negation du genocide
armenien definitivement adopte lundi soir par le Parlement francais.

Le Conseil constitutionnel peut censurer une loi qu’il juge contraire
a la Constitution, s’il est saisi par 60 deputes, 60 senateurs, le chef
de l’Etat, le president de l’Assemblee nationale ou celui du Senat.

Le president UMP de l’Assemblee Bernard Accoyer, bien qu’oppose au
texte, a d’ores et deja prevenu qu’il ne deposerait pas de recours.

En revanche, au Senat, Jacques Mezard, president du RDSE (a majorite
radicaux de gauche), a deja reussi a reunir les signatures de plusieurs
de ses collègues appartenant aux six groupes du Palais du Luxembourg.

Selon M. Diefenbacher, les signataires du recours vont plaider
l’inconstitutionnalite du texte, arguant du fait que l’article 34 de
la Constitution n’accorde pas de competence au Parlement pour donner
une qualification juridique a des evenements historiques.

Ils vont aussi faire valoir que cette loi contrevient a la liberte
de pensee et d’expression.

“Le rôle de la France doit etre d’aider au rapprochement des peuples,
en l’occurence turc et armenien, pas de les diviser comme le fait ce
texte”, a aussi fait valoir M. Diefenbacher.

INT’L REACTION PILES UP, FRENCH BILL DRAWS CRITICISM FOR LIMITING FREEDOMS

Today’s Zaman
Jan 25 2012
Turkey

International reaction is piling up against a French Senate approval
of a bill that outlaws in France denial of “Armenian genocide,” on
the grounds that the bill, now waiting on a final signature from the
French president, goes against freedom of expression, a right the
French constitution says cannot be denied to any human being.

Amnesty International, an international human rights organization with
millions of supporters worldwide, championed a stream of reactions
on Tuesday, saying the French bill threatened freedom of expression.

“This bill, if implemented, would have a chilling effect on public
debate and contravene France’s international obligations to uphold
freedom of expression,” said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central
Asia Director at Amnesty International, according to a posting
on the organization’s website. “People should be free to express
their opinions on this issue — in France, Turkey and elsewhere,”
Duckworth also said, stressing the organization’s devotion to freedoms
and rights.

While the organization noted international human rights law would
allow for restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression in
certain cases, in order to protect rights and reputations, national
security or public order, it also noted none of these concerns applied
in the case of the French bill, and it would simply mean blocking the
expression of the view many Turks have regarding the 1915 incidents.

“The real issue at stake with this bill is not whether the large-scale
killings and forced displacement of Armenians in 1915 constituted a
genocide, but the French authorities’ attempt to curtail freedom of
expression in response to that debate,” added Duckworth.

The French Senate approval of the bill, which seeks to land a fine
of up to 45,000 euros and a prison sentence of up to one year upon
offenders, met with a similar reception from European liberals and
democrats, who deemed the move incomprehensible.

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff from Germany’s Free Democratic Party (FDP)
said in a statement the genocide-denial bill is an additional burden
on already strained Turkish-European relations, adding that apart
from a few, narrowly defined and politically justified exceptions,
assertions of historical facts should be left to historians and should
certainly not be made a crime.

Lambsdorff said the vote in the senate is all the more incomprehensible
because the alleged Turkish genocide of Armenians in 1915 is an
event in which France was not involved in any way. However, he
called on Turkey to show restraint, saying: “There is a risk that
Turkey might overreact, but for a country in the middle of accession
negotiations with the EU, it is important to react with moderation
and avoid adding to anti-Turkish sentiment. The lines must be kept
open between Ankara and Paris as this would inevitably impact wider
Turkish-European relations.”

Also on Tuesday, US State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said
the views of the US government were “very well-known,” and Washington
D.C., shared with Paris its view on how it has “chosen to handle the
issue.” Last April, when Armenians all over the world commemorated
the alleged Armenian genocide, US President Barack Obama gave a
much-expected speech in memory of the loss of Armenian lives in 1915
but stopped short of terming the killings genocide, in an attempt not
to harm the fragile balance between Turks and Armenians, both of whom
consider the events major building blocks of their national identities.

“Frankly, this is a matter between Turkey and France, and we want to
see good relations between them,” Nuland stated, concerned over the
friction between the two countries. “They are both allies of the US,
and that’s our message to both sides,” she said, without elaborating
on whether the US would take part in easing the tension between
the nations.

Meanwhile, Andrew Duff from the United Kingdom’s Liberal Democrats
said the French Parliament is wrong to play the role of a court. “The
definition of genocide is properly a judicial matter and should not
be reduced to the banality of party politics,” said Duff, who is also
a member of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Previously, Jean-Vincent Place, leader of the Green Party that opposed
the bill, had claimed there had been serious pressure on senators to
vote in favor of the bill. “[Main opposition] Socialist Group leader
Francois Rebsamen phoned all senators who would vote against the bill
and asked them to stay home,” Place told Today’s Zaman, elaborating on
the pressure on senators to vote in favor of the denial bill. Bariza
Khiari, senate vice president, also claimed senators opposing the
bill, including herself, were under serious pressure for the three
days leading up to the vote on Monday.

EUROPEAN LIBERALS, DEMOCRATS CRITICIZE FRENCH GENOCIDE LAW

Today’s Zaman
Jan 25 2012
Turkey

European liberals and democrats have slammed a French law that
makes it a crime to deny that the killings of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks nearly a century ago constituted genocide, saying the move was
“incomprehensible.”

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff from Germany’s Free Democratic Party (FDP)
said in a statement that the genocide-denial bill is an additional
burden on already strained Turkish-European relations, adding
that apart from a few, narrowly defined and politically justified
exceptions, assertions of historical facts should be left to historians
and should certainly not be made a crime.

The French Parliament approved the bill late Monday, risking more
sanctions from Turkey and complicating an already delicate relationship
with the rising power. Officials in French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s
government insisted the vote didn’t directly target Turkey.

Sarkozy — who personally supported the bill — plans to sign the
measure into law within the required 15-day period after the bill’s
passage on Monday, an official in the presidential Elysee Palace told
The Associated Press. Saber-rattling on Tuesday by Turkey, which has
not announced any sanctions against France as of yet, is interpreted
in Paris as a wish by Turkish leaders to buy time.

Turkey, which sees the allegations of genocide as a threat to its
national honor, has already suspended military, economic and political
ties with Paris, and briefly recalled its ambassador last month when
the lower house of French Parliament approved the same bill. For
some in France, the bill is part of a tradition of legislation in
some European countries, born of the agonies of the Holocaust, that
criminalizes the denial of genocide. Denying the Holocaust is already
a punishable crime in France.

Turkey asserts there was no systematic campaign to kill Armenians
and that many Turks also died during the chaotic disintegration of
the empire. It also claims that the death toll is inflated. Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the bill was a result of a
“racist and discriminatory” attitude toward Turkey.

Lambsdorff said the vote in the Senate is all the more incomprehensible
because the alleged Turkish genocide of Armenians in 1915 is an event
in which France was not involved in any way. However, he called on
Turkey to show restraint, saying: “There is a risk that Turkey might
over-react but for a country in the middle of accession negotiations
with the EU it is important to react with moderation and avoid adding
to anti-Turkish sentiment. The lines must be kept open between Ankara
and Paris as this would inevitably impact wider Turkish-European
relations.”

Andrew Duff from the UK’s Liberal Democrats said the French Parliament
is wrong to play the role of a court. “The definition of genocide is
properly a judicial matter and should not be reduced to the banality
of party politics,” said Duff, who is also the member of EU-Turkey
Joint Parliamentary Committee.

LET’S GET SOME FREEDOM FRIES
by Mustafa Akyol

Hurriyet Daily News
Jan 25 2012
Turkey

On Monday night, the French National Assembly did what it frequently
does: issued a new ban. This time, the prohibition was not on the
burqa, the headscarf or the cross. It was rather on an idea: the view
that the tragedy that befell Ottoman Armenians in 1915 did not amount
to “genocide.”

Accordingly, from now on, if you ever show up in France and dare to
“deny the Armenian genocide,” you will spend a year in jail and pay
a fine of 45,000 euros.

Most people here in Turkey are quite angry about this. I share a bit of
that sentiment, too, but not because the French Parliament “insulted
our nation” as many say. In my eyes, the French can certainly express
whatever they think about history. But they don’t have the right to
dictate official history and punish those who disagree. This is an
appalling attack on freedom of speech.

But who are we Turks to complain about freedom of speech, right? Are
we not punishing our own intellectuals for “insulting Turkishness”?

Are we, at best, a mirror image of France that puts people in prison
for not denying but confirming the genocide in question?

Well, not really. Yes, Turkey still has lots of authoritarian laws,
but on this particular issue of the fate of Ottoman Armenians,
freedom of speech has considerably expanded in this country in the
past five years.

Change began in 2006 when a conference was organized at Istanbul’s
Bilgi University in which, for the first time, the thesis of “genocide”
was explicitly defended by liberal academics. Nationalists protested
the conference, throwing tomatoes at participants, but then-Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul supported the meeting, giving it his official
blessing.

In 2008, the government also amended the law that bans “insulting
Turkishness,” which, at least in practice, blocked the zealous
prosecutors who used to sue liberal intellectuals for their views on
history, such as Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s only Nobel-winning novelist.

Since then, no one has been tried in Turkey for calling the ethnic
cleansing of Ottoman Armenians, as I prefer to put it, genocide.

(Since the beginning of the Ergenekon trial in 2007, no one has been
assassinated by ultra-nationalist gangs, too.)

Moreover, the intellectual landscape has changed. Books of historians
such as Vahakn Dadrian and Taner Akcam, who not only define 1915
as genocide but also refute the “Turkish thesis,” are translated
into Turkish and published freely. In liberal-leaning papers such
as Taraf, the “G-word” is used freely by most columnists. On TVs,
too, you can hear such views and at least a growing acceptance that
“something terrible” happened in these lands in 1915.

I am not saying that Turkey has become a beacon of freedom. We still
have silly thought crimes generated by draconian anti-terror laws.

(The Hrant Dink case has just become another icon in our hall of
shame.) But, well, we really are freer than France when it comes to
this particular issue of genocide. In Istanbul, you can say what you
think. In Paris, you risk going to jail for that.

So, here is my suggestion to my fellow Turks:

Let France go down its own illiberal path; let us focus on expanding
the liberty of our own. Let us, for example, organize more conferences
and debates in Turkey in which the fate of Ottoman Armenians can be
freely discussed by people from all views without any thought police.

If we want to boycott French products, let’s be lenient on Renault,
Citroen and Danone. There are much worse French products that we
have been unwisely buying for a century: assimilationism (instead
of pluralism), statism (instead of limited government) and laïcite
(instead of a liberal secularity). It is time to trash them.

Ultimately, unlike France, let us liberate minds from the dictates
of power. Let’s make Turkey a country in which no one goes to jail
for what he thinks. Unlike France, let us be free.

CHP LEADER PUTS DINK HIT BLAME ON THE RULING PARTY

Hurriyet Daily News
Jan 25 2012

Main opposition leader Kemal Kılıcdaroglu said yesterday the ruling
Justice and Development Party (AKP) protected officials involved in
the probe into the murder of ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink
and was directly responsible for the contentious verdict in the case.

“Favorite bureaucrats of the AKP destroyed evidence and kept it away
from the case file. The trial was conducted under the supervision
and guardianship of the AKP,” Kılıcdaroglu said yesterday at the
parliamentary group meeting of his Republican People’s Party (CHP).

He mentioned Muammer Guler, Istanbul governor when Dink was gunned
down outside his office on Jan. 19, 2007, who is now an AKP deputy,
and the city’s then-Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah, who has since
been promoted to the post of Osmaniye governor.

The court ruled last week that no illegal organization was behind
the self-confessed gunman, unleashing nationwide outrage. No public
officials have been charged in the case, even though intelligence of
an assassination plot against Dink was sent to Istanbul police months
before the murder.

“The judge decides according to evidence. Officials backed by the
AKP did not make this evidence available,” Kılıcdaroglu said.

DAVUTOGLU: EU HYPOCRISY

Milliyet
Jan 25 2012
Turkey

Interview by Fikret Bila in Moscow with Turkey’s Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was fuming at the EU countries and
all of Europe just as much as he was at France as we flew to Moscow.

Davutoglu already thought that the French bill making it illegal to
deny the Armenian claims regarding 1915 was insane, but he was just
stunned by the European Union’s silence.

Need To Rub It Into Their Faces

Davutoglu began our interview saying this: “If we or any other
country had made a decision like the one France has just imagine all
the condemnation that would have come from Europe. Yet, there is not
even one reaction. This is the EU’s, Europe’s hypocrisy. Someone has
to rub it into their faces.”

I Expect Them To Object

Stating that the EU ministers he had spoke to generally appeared to
understand Turkey, Davutoglu said, “But what I expect from them is
not understanding but for them to object.” He summarized his last
such meeting:

“One minister says to me, ‘I understand your position, your problem,
very well.’ I then said to the minister, ‘What I expect from you is
not understanding but for you to object’.”

EU Values Upside Down

Davutoglu said he had been invited to a meeting of EU foreign ministers
but that he had declined because of the vote in France: “I was invited
to a meeting of EU foreign ministers but I did not go, I said I could
not go. I told the person I was talking to that we were going to hold
an EU meeting there but that at the same time in a different place
(in France) a vote was going to be held that would turn European values
upside down. And France did indeed turn Europe’s values upside down.”

France Is Outmoded

This is what Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had to say about the
decision made by the French Senate: “This decision of France’s is not
in keeping with the age. It is anathema to freedom of thought. Indeed,
its own reasons are reasons that have been developed to create
polemic. Now, I ask, there are books in libraries in France that say
the events of 1915 were not genocide. So, what is France going to do?

Is it going to confiscate all those books and burn them like during
the Spanish Inquisition? This decision by the French Senate is an
outmoded one that does not tolerate thinking. An endeavour was made to
this effect last May. The Laws Commission found it unacceptable like
they did this time. Because of this it was not passed into law. So,
what happened that it has now become law? Because the Laws Commission
found it unacceptable this time too. What happened is the approaching
elections. This is a clear case of opportunism.”

Wait For The Council

The impression I got from our chat on the plane was that the upshot of
consultations between President of the Republic Gul, Prime Minister
Erdogan and Foreign Minister Davutoglu was that a path to a solution
would be found during the finalization process. In this respect,
they want to see how the Constitution Council plays out rather than
apply second-stage sanctions right now. There is the chance that
60 senators or parliamentarians will go to the Constitution Council
before President Sarkozy signs the law. Should such a representation
be made the law will not be presented to the president to sign
but will be suspended for one month while the Constitution Council
makes its decision. If the Constitution Council finds the law to
be unconstitutional it will be discounted. Under these conditions,
Ankara is going to wait for the process to play out.

Against The Spirit Of The Times

Davutoglu said this about the issue:

“We think an appeal will be made to the Constitution Council. Besides,
86 senators already voted against it. A centre party with 16 senators
made the decision to take the lead here. That is why we are guessing
this appeal will be made. Foreign Minister Juppe, whom I have a lot of
respect for, had already pointed out how wrong this law was. Th is law
goes against the spirit of the times; it goes against human nature.”

Turkey Of 2001 No Longer Exists

Davutoglu stated that if the process goes badly then Turkey will
implement second-stage sanctions on a permanent basis including the
recall of its ambassador that same day.

Davutoglu said: “There are people saying that Turkey has expressed this
kind of reaction in the past but that everything went back to normal,
like in 2001. The people saying this are mistaken. Any sanctions we
apply will be lasting. This is no longer the Turkey of 2001. Turkey
is not the Turkey of 2001; it is much more powerful and effective now.”

Turks In France

Davutoglu called on the Turks living in France asking them to think of
France’s future when those with French citizenship went to vote. He
asked them to look at which parties adopted which position over this
incident and to decide who to support. Davutoglu stated that the
Turks living in France were already playing their part and that it
was important they continue to do so.

Disrespect For Senators

Davutoglu replied to a question about Sarkozy having telephoned each
and every senator in turn: “This shows how insecure Sarkozy feels
about his own decision. This is a sign of a lack of self-confidence.

Furthermore, it is disrespectful of the senators’ own will.”

Our Leaders Are Civilized

Davutoglu spoke about the letter that Sarkozy had sent to President
of the Republic Gul. When asked, “Did you consider sending it back
unopened?” he replied: “Our leaders are civilized leaders. They answer
the phone; they open letters.”

Moscow Agenda

Davutoglu is going to hold an annual strategic meeting with Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. Top of the agenda is Syria. Both
foreign ministers are going to discuss the Arab League’s proposals for
Syria. In addition, Iran and Cyprus are also going to hold important
places during Davutoglu’s trip to Moscow.

Friendship With Al-Asad All In The Past

When asked, “Al-Asad used to be your closest friend, right?” Davutoglu
replied, “That he was.” He continued:

“If our friendship and contact is going to be used to legitimize
some attacks then we shall not make contact. I mean, if Al-Asad is
going to legitimize attacks saying we are in contact with Turkey,
we will not allow that contact.”

[translated from Turkish]

YEREVAN WOMAN’S GOLD NECKLACE, WITH CROSS, IS STOLEN

news.am
January 26, 2012 | 14:16

YEREVAN. – A 56-year-old woman called Yerevan Precinct of Armenia’s
Police Force, on Wednesday, informing that on the same day an
unidentified man had stolen, in public view and at the courtyard of
a building, her gold necklace, with a cross, and escaped, thereby
causing her 300,000-dram (approx. US$ 774) damage.

A SOLEMN EVENT DEDICATED TO THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF HEROIC BATTLE IN THE VILLAGE OF KARIN TAK

armradio.am
26.01.2012 16:10

On 26 January President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan
visited the Shoushi region and partook at Á solemn event dedicated
to the 20th anniversary of heroic battle in the village of Karin Tak.

The President mentioned that the defense of Karin Tak village, being
among first and fundamental victories, had its unique place in the
history of the national liberation struggle in Artsakh. “This battle
has proved that patriotism, faith and dedication are able to neutralize
quantitative advantage of the enemy and eventually defeat it,” he said.

Bako Sahakyan underlined that this and all other victories have been
achieved through blood and the best way to preserve the memory of our
martyrs is the development of the country, the Karin Tak village and
other settlements in the republic.

NKR high ranking officials, guests from Armenia and abroad participated
in the event.

AZERBAIJAN’S CENTRE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES EXPANDS ITS WORK

News.Az
Thu 26 January 2012 08:54 GMT | 8:54 Local Time

The Centre for Strategic Studies under the Azerbaijani President has
reviewed its work in 2011.

The centre published 182 academic articles, most of them in English,
drew up 108 reports and references and gave 38 interviews to the press,
the centre told Gun.Az.

Among its achievements in the past year, the centre listed the
establishment and publication of the academic journal Caucasus
International; the signing of agreements with leading think tanks in
Turkey, Russia, Italy, Argentina, Greece and Poland; the organization
of visits by foreign correspondents to Azerbaijan; the arrangement
of national discussions, conferences and a round table in the Twitter
conference format; competitions among students in Azerbaijan and abroad
to mark the 20th anniversary of state independence; the development
of multimedia material on the republic~Rs dynamic socio-economic
development; and joint publications with foreign think tanks.

The centre’s research work included social and psychological
measures in the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh; socio-political processes in 2011 in Armenia and
their future development; Islam in Azerbaijan; social, political
and economic aspects of the middle class in Azerbaijan; Azerbaijan’s
relations with Russia and Turkey in the past 20 years; and Azerbaijan
and Europe.

Another priority for the Centre for Strategic Studies is the
sustainable macroeconomic development of Azerbaijan, integration in
the global economy, energy policy and the development of renewable
energy sources.

ARMENIAN ARMY ENJOYS GREAT AUTHORITY ABROAD – OFFICIAL

news.am
January 26, 2012 | 14:18

YEREVAN. – Armenian Army enjoys great authority abroad, head of the
parliamentary commission on defense, national security and internal
affairs Hrayr Karapetyan said at a press conference on Thursday. The
press conference was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the
establishment of the Army, celebrated on Jan. 28.

According to him, Armenia deserved it as a result of participating in
peacekeeping missions in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Karapetyan said
that he had met with the NATO representatives, who once again made
appraisal of the Armenian peacekeepers. According to international
partners, the Armenian peacekeepers are known for exemplary behavior
and high professionalism.

He also said that Armenia successfully develops cooperation within
the framework of CSTO, where the Armenian Armed Forces again showed
best results. This is certified by our partners, he added.

Currently Armenia participates in a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo as
a part of Greek battalion and in Afghanistan under the German command.