Author: Tadevosian Garnik

American Thinker, WA
Feb 8 2009

Turkey’s Prime Minister Leads His Country Down a Destructive Path

By Joel J. Sprayregen

It is dismaying to see a country I have admired and worked for
propelling itself outside the mainstream of western civilization.
Epic statesman Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish republic,
replaced religiously ordered Ottoman society (the Sultan was caliph of
all Sunni Moslems) with pride in Turkishness. Secularism, protected
by the army, became a core value of the Turkish state in modernizing a
once great country which lagged behind European nations (Turkey
straddles Europe and Middle East).

Western-looking modernizations included replacing the Arabic alphabet
with the Roman, separating mosque from state, and elevating the status
of women. The culmination of the innovations initiated by Ataturk
(who died in 1938) was seen by many Turks in the late 1990s —
euphorically — as Turkey’s eventual entrance into the European Union.
But secular politicians in Turkey turned out to be corrupt and
dysfunctional. The country is now governed by the Islamist AKP
(Justice and Welfare Party) whose leader, Prime Minister Recip
Erdogan, is acting like the head of a Middle Eastern theocracy rather
than a secular republic.

A charter NATO member — based on shared democratic values — Turkey
anchored Europe’s southeast defenses throughout the Cold War and sent
troops to Korea and Afghanistan. In marked contrast, Erdogan is
pursuing an Islamic foreign policy featuring publicized meetings with
the most radical leaders in the Muslim world, e.g., the chiefs of
Iran, Sudan, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas. Erdogan welcomed Sudanese
President Omar al-Bashir to Istanbul at a time when the International
Criminal Court was seeking his arrest for mass murder in Darfur.

Turkey chairs the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) a
religious assembly currently promoting an international statute making
it a worldwide crime to criticize Islam. Ataturk would have kept his
distance from the OIC. Turkey’s embrace of terrorists undermines its
traditional close military-diplomatic-commercial-tourism ties with
Israel, which made Turkey’s 22,000 Jews — living among 70 million
Muslims — feel more secure.

The Ottomans welcomed Jews expelled from Spain in 1492, and for most
of the succeeding five centuries, Jews have fared better in Turkey
than in the heart of Europe. I have heard Erdogan call Jews "part of
the fabric of Turkish society." Populist anti-Semitism was rare in
Turkey. Today, "its seeds are being spread by the political
leadership," according to Soner Cagaptay, prominent Turkish-American
scholar.

A mosaic of tolerance being shattered

This mosaic of tolerance is being shattered in the wake of Israel’s
offensive against Hamas. Mass demonstrations and media vilification
threaten violence against Turkish Jews. A Turkish store exhibited a
sign proclaiming: "Jews and Armenians not allowed. Dogs are welcome."
A placard from AKP members proclaimed "I understand the value of
Hitler." Another said "Every Zionist is a target." Demonstrators,
including children, dress as Hamas gunmen and exhibit mock coffins
which they tell Jews to prepare to use. For the first time in 500
years, Turkish Jews — as they tell me in direct communications —
live in fear. Jewish-owned businesses are told to close. Jewish
physicians have removed nameplates from their offices. The Jewish
community issued a statement, revealing palpable anxiety and unease:

Anti-Israel rhetoric adopted by some local media as well as in mass
demonstrations…has unfortunately been slickly transformed into
anti-Semitism….We Turkish Jews are an inseparable part of the
Turkish Republic and are deeply distressed by the insulting,
humiliating accusations being maliciously targeted by some national
media.

The statement noted a recent speech in which Erdogan said he abhorred
anti-Semitism.

Prominent psychologist Leyla Navarro — whom I have seen on Turkish
television calming her countrymen after a devastating earthquake —
published an article replying to Erdogan’s reference to 1492:

Is it still a debt of mine that 500 years ago my ancestors were
accepted by the Sultan? Am I still regarded as a guest in this land
where I was born and raised, in which I fulfill my responsibilities as
a citizen and have actually contributed to its development? Shall I
walk with my head down? Am I a candidate for being threatened?

Navarro, whose views about the Mideast are dovish, said she is scared,
sad and anxious Commendably, Turkish President Abdullah Gul (whose
wisdom I praised in a newspaper column a year ago after meeting with
him) telephoned Navarro and reiterated condemnation of anti-Semitism.
But neither Gul nor Erdogan have called upon their political followers
and the media they control to stop threatening Turkish Jews.

Erdogan: Hamas rockets are harmless

It is legitimate that Erdogan criticizes some Israeli actions, as
European leaders — and many Israelis — do. But Erdogan’s rhetoric
apocalyptically fuses religious fervor with false assertions, e.g.,
"Allah would punish Israel" and bring it "destruction," calling for
Israel’s suspension from the U.N. and insisting "Hamas rockets are not
causing any casualties in Israel." Citizens take their lead from
their government concerning foreign affairs, thus there is a link
between Erdogan’s vilifications and the threats directed against Jews.

The Prime Minister misses no opportunity to escalate tensions. At the
Davos Economic Forum last week, when Israeli President Shimon
Peres-recipient of a Nobel Peace prize-responded to a blistering
attack from Erdogan, the Prime Minister lost it. He yelled "When it
comes to killing, you know well how to kill" and stormed off the
podium.

Ataturk always manifested dignity in public. Study the photographs
showing him fastidiously dressed, demonstrating Turkey’s place among
European nations. It used to be said that Turkey constituted a unique
bridge between Europe and the Middle East as well as between Islam and
Christianity. Under Erdogan, Turkey is becoming a bridge to Iran,
Syria and the Sudan. Cagaptay questions whether Turkey should still
be considered a western ally.

There are overlapping explanations for Erdogan’s conduct. When
Muslims are killed, pain clouds his judgment. I sat with him in a
small meeting in Washington in 2004 and saw overflowing visceral anger
leading him to characterize Palestinian suicide bombers as "boys
throwing stones."

But he is also a master politician conscious that Turkey holds local
elections in March. Tip O’Neill famously observed that "All politics
is local politics." Erdogan is agitating fervor among Islamists
forming AKP’s base. He may have concluded that the E.U. will not
admit Turkey and that he should vie for leadership of the Islamic
world. Erdogan may feel invincible because "reforms" fecklessly
demanded by the E.U. limit the power of the army to protect
secularism. He may see Turkey’s commercial relations with Russia and
Iran as more important those with Europe. This would be a major
economic mistake, but we will leave that for a separate article

Turkish headline: `Erdogan’s applause will not last long’

While Erdogan received plaudits from Iran’s president and Islamists
for his Davos tantrum, moderate Turkish press began to complain (one
headline: "The applause will not last long") that Erdogan’s behavior,
reminiscent of Khrushchev banging his shoe at the U.N., harmed his
country by diminishing its credentials as an E.U. aspirant and Mideast
interlocutor. Moderate Arab powers — Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan
— are discomfited to see Endogen act in tandem with
Iran. U.S. Special Envoy Mitchell cancelled his first visit to Ankara.

Bigoted rhetoric from a Turkish Prime Minister invites recollection of
the seamy underside of a great country, including Turkish treatment of
Armenians, Kurds and Protestants (Google "Turkey and Christians" and
you will be horrified). Current Turkish press tersely reports "700 PKK
(i.e., Kurdish separatists) Killed in 2008" as if Kurds were not human
beings. I acknowledge that the PKK is a terrorist organization, but so
is Hamas, and Erdogan is enraged by every casualty among Hamas gunmen.

Even in Arab countries and Iran, there have been no threats against
tiny Jewish communities. The Dreyfuss trial led to Vichy, and
Kristallnacht led to Auschwitz. The decay of the Soviet Union became
apparent when Soviet anti-Semitism was exposed. We do not know what
will follow from Erdogan’s incendiary rhetoric (Cagaptay says it
reaches "Islamist fever pitch"), but we can see it encourages dire
threats from members of AKP and allied media. Lethal bombings
(condemned by Turkey’s government) were directed against Istanbul
synagogues as recently as 2004. Erdogan is crying fire in a crowded
theater. Tragically, he is simultaneously diminishing the stature of
his country in the society of western nations.

Joel J. Sprayregen is a frequent visitor to Turkey where he has
published articles and spoken at symposia, is associated with two
Turkish think thanks.

rkeys_prime_minister_leads_h.html

Fresno Bee, CA
Feb 7 2009

Armenian museum mired in conflict
Donor, nonprofit battle over genocide center.

Friday, Feb. 06, 2009
By Michael Doyle / Bee Washington Bureau E-Mail

WASHINGTON — Another nasty fight is brewing around the Armenian
genocide, but this time it has nothing to do with diplomacy. It’s all
about money and control of a museum.

For years, plans have been in the works for the Armenian Genocide
Museum of America just two blocks from the White House. That alone
might be enough to make diplomats cringe. Turkey — a key U.S. ally —
regards the mere suggestion of genocide as an affront to its national
identity.

But this fight pits Armenian-Americans against one another. At issue
is a roughly $15 million pledge to help buy the four-story National
Bank of Washington building and four adjacent pieces of property.

Now the man behind the donation — retired millionaire businessman
Gerard Cafesjian — is trying to get his money back, saying he doesn’t
like how the project has proceeded.

The nonprofit organization behind the museum, meanwhile, says
Cafesjian has been trying to meddle with its project.

Each side has sued the other.

The dispute has been anything but diplomatic, and it shows no signs of
abating. On Friday, attorneys for the warring parties met again in a
District of Columbia courtroom.

"The clients are very hostile to each other right now," attorney
Arnold Rosenfeld told a federal judge last year, a court transcript
shows.

Rosenfeld represents the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial Inc.,
which wants to build what it describes as "the premier institution in
the United States dedicated to educating American and international
audiences about the Armenian Genocide."

The museum potentially has high appeal in the San Joaquin Valley and
other regions with large Armenian-American populations. It’s been
discussed since the mid-1990s, and planners say they want the
35,000-square-foot facility open before 2011.

Judge is ‘very irritated’

Armenian genocide discussions often provoke political disputes,
including denials from Turkish officials and discomfort within the
U.S. State Department. When completed, the museum will commemorate the
events between 1915 and 1923, when by some estimates upward of 1.5
million Armenians died during the final years of the Ottoman Empire
before Turkey was founded.

The competing lawsuits now resemble a bad divorce, as mutual rancor
feeds on itself and prior intimacies become potential vulnerabilities.

"I must say, I’m very irritated," U.S. District Judge Colleen
Kollar-Kotelly warned lawyers in August, a court transcript
shows. "These cases are not a good use of judicial resources and,
frankly, probably not of your client’s resources, either."

On Thursday, in a ruling that keeps the lawsuits alive, Kollar-Kotelly
nonetheless characterized them as "very unfortunate."

"If you’re disputing about money, it’s going to become bitter," said
Barlow Der Mugrdechian, coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program at
California State University, Fresno.

Der Mugrdechian speculated that the legal dispute may have slowed
progress and undermined the proposed museum’s public visibility in the
Valley. He said many people still haven’t yet heard of the proposal,
though he predicted many would support it once they did.

Architects already are designing the project for 14th and G streets in
downtown Washington. The city’s Historic Preservation Review Board
last year gave conceptual approval to use of the 83-year-old National
Bank of Washington building.

The Armenian Assembly of America initiated the museum planning and in
2003 secured an agreement with Cafesjian and the Cafesjian Family
Foundation.

NEW ‘FINDING’ OF TURKISH MASS MEDIA: ABDULLAH OCALAN IS ARMENIAN

ArmInfo
2009-02-06 11:57:00

ArmInfo. Anti-Armenian publications in the Turkish mass media are
not news.

Publications about "the Turks killed by Armenians", whose "bones"
are found in the different regions of Anatolia, appear in different
electron mass media from time to time. To be honest, it should be
noted that publications of such kind have lately become seldom.

However, the information titled "Kurdistan Workers Party (KWP)
exterminated the Turks", published in one of the Turkish electron
sites yesterday, has "filled" this "gap". It says, in particular:
heartrending details of how cruelly KWP members punish Kurd residents
who refuse to help them. ‘It seems that the Armenian organization,
appearing under the name of KWP, is trying to revenge on the Kurds for
1915’, the author of the publication said and added that the ‘Kurdistan
Working Party is the biggest terrorist organization in the world’.

The fact of the on-going anti-Armenian propaganda in the Turkish mass
media causes indignation, while the leaders of the two countries are
trying to settle the relations between them.

NEW SECRETARY OF "HERITAGE" FRACTION

Panorama.am
16:26 04/02/2009

Henceforth the secretary of the "Heritage" fraction of National
Assembly is Larisa Alaverdyan. The fraction held voting yesterday
and appointed Mrs. Alaverdyan as the secretary of the fraction. To
remind that earlier the secretary of the fraction was Styopa Safaryan.

Mrs. Alaverdyan says that possibly the current decision of the fraction
members is to make the activities of it more effective.

According to her, Mr. Safaryan is going to make a long business
trip. Mrs. Alaverdyan refused to detail the place and the mission of
the trip.

Science Letter
January 27, 2009

ASTROPHYSICS;
Studies from V.G. Gurzadyan and colleagues provide new data on astrophysics

"The Kolmogorov stochasticity parameter (KSP) is applied to quantify
the degree of randomness ( stochasticity) in the temperature maps of
the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation maps. It is shown that the
KSP for the WMAP5 maps is about twice as high as that of the simulated
maps for the concordance ACDM cosmological model, implying that a
randomizing effect exists that has not been taken into account by the
model," scientists in Yerevan, Armenia report (see also Astrophysics).

"As was revealed earlier, underdense regions in the large scale matter
distributions, i.e. the voids, possess hyperbolic and, hence,
randomizing properties. The degree of randomness for the Cold Spot
appears to be about twice as high as the average of the mean
temperature level spots in the sky, which supports the void nature of
the Cold Spot," wrote V.G. Gurzadyan and colleagues.

The researchers concluded: "Kolmogorov’s parameter then acts as a
quantitative tracer of the voids by means of the CMB."

Gurzadyan and colleagues published their study in Astronomy &
Astrophysics (Kolmogorov stochasticity parameter measuring the
randomness in the cosmic microwave background. Astronomy &
Astrophysics, 2008;492(2):L33-L34).

For additional information, contact V.G. Gurzadyan, Yerevan Physics
Institute, Yerevan 375036, Armenia.

Hürriyet, Turkey
Jan 31 2009

US Jewish group says PM actions fuel hatred

WASHINGTON – Despite the importance of Israeli-Turkish ties, Jews will
not remain silent over attacks on Israel, a Jewish leader says. ‘Prime
Minister ErdoÄ?an’s tantrum at Davos throws gasoline on the fire
of surging anti-Semitism,’ says the AJC’s Executive Director David
Harris in a statement.

A major U.S. Jewish group has accused Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an of launching a "vicious verbal attack" on Israeli
President Shimon Peres at Davos on Thursday, and that "this public
disgrace may well encourage further outrages against Israel and Jews."

ErdoÄ?an and Peres exchanged heated words during a panel on the
Gaza conflict held as part of the annual World Economic Forum meetings
in the town of Davos in Switzerland earlier Thursday.

Toward the end of the event, ErdoÄ?an stormed off the podium
complaining that the moderator would not allow him to complete his
remarks during the discussion.

The American Jewish Committee, or AJC, denounced ErdoÄ?an in a
written statement, saying: "’when it comes to killing, you know well
how to kill,’" ErdoÄ?an yelled at Peres, a recipient of the
Nobel Peace Prize.

"Prime Minister ErdoÄ?an’s tantrum at Davos throws gasoline on
the fire of surging anti-Semitism," said AJC Executive Director David
Harris, according to the statement. "ErdoÄ?an’s unjustified
remarks and disrespect of Israel’s president are yet another
demonstration of how criticism of Israel is becoming increasingly
virulent."

Rising anti-Semitism
Harris said the relationship between Turkey and Israel was a vital one
that has enjoyed the support of American Jews."But we cannot remain
silent in the face of such appalling rhetorical denunciations of
Israel, particularly when there has been a worrying surge of
anti-Semitism in Turkey in recent weeks," he said.

The leaders of five major U.S. Jewish groups, including the AJC’s
Harris, sent a letter to ErdoÄ?an last week, warning about what
they called rising anti-Semitism in Turkey and criticizing Ankara’s
policies on the Gaza crisis.

Israel’s military campaign targeting the radical Palestinian group
Hamas, ruling Gaza, took place between late December and mid-January
and killed nearly 1,300 Palestinians. About half of the those killed
were children and other civilians. Three Israeli civilians also died
in Hamas’ rocket attacks and 10 Israeli soldiers were killed in
action. Throughout the offensive Turkey strongly condemned the Israeli
action.Analysts say that in addition to rapidly worsening
Turkish-Israeli ties, Ankara’s relationship with the U.S. Jewish
groups, allies in a number of previous matters, has hit an all-time
low.

Consequence of worsening ties
As a result, U.S. Jewish groups, who mostly backed Turkey in the past,
are expected to sit out when a new "Armenian genocide" bill comes to
Congress, they say.

U.S. Armenians hope that this year they will obtain a formal
U.S. recognition of World War I-era killings of Armenians in the
Ottoman empire as genocide. President Barack Obama strongly backed the
Armenian position during the election campaign.

"There are serious indications that Israel and American-Jewish
organizations are no longer willing to support Turkey’s lobbying
efforts in Washington," said Harut Sassounian, a leading U.S. Armenian
figure and publisher of the California Courier, a bi-weekly Armenian
newspaper, in an article in the popular news site Huffington Post
Thursday.

Turkey is among the few countries with a majority Muslim population to
have ties with Israel. The two coutries have enjoyed a warm strategic
relationship that extends to almost every field, ranging from defense
to tourism.

Hürriyet, Turkey
Jan 31 2009

Worrying the AKP with gray, plodding details

ISTANBUL – The Republican People’s Party (CHP) threw a bombshell into
the run up to local municipal elections in March.

The CHP’s candidate is a little known bureaucrat who spent most of his
career working in various bureaucratic positions before becoming a
Member of Parliament – Kemal KılıçdaroÄ?l u.

His still photos don’t flatter him – grey hair, balding, rimless
glasses. He seems to be a typical bureaucrat. A mistake if you think
that. In person, he is well-spoken and well-educated, much more than
you might think when considering his early background as an accountant
and his rather subdued appearance.

KılıÃ&#xA7 ;daroÄ?lu was born in Tunceli Dersim in
1948. The people of the area are primarily Alevi and his mother’s name
was Yemus. That could be Greek or Armenian but he gives one the
impression that he respects her so much that it doesn’t matter what
his mother’s origin is. "I love my mother so it doesn’t matter," he
says. He has seven brothers and sisters and says that he loves his
wife who is his first cousin.

The country around Tunceli Dersim is mountainous, stark and snow
covered in winter. A charming old Seljuk or Ottoman Turkish bridge
still exists among the hills, reminding one of the centuries of change
and conflict in the area. His original surname was Karabulut (Black
Cloud) but was later changed to
Kılıçdaro&#xC4 ;?lu (Son of the Swordsman),
apparently after his grandfather who was said to have been a brigand.

The history of Tunceli Dersim must be a fascinating one, so much so
that KılıçdaroÄ?l u is thinking about
writing a book about the area.

Schooled in various cities of Anatolia
Kılıçdar oÄ?lu’s father was a bureaucrat and
moved around so he completed his primary and middle school education
in various provinces and districts of Anatolia, graduating in 1971
from the Ankara Economic and Commercial Sciences Academy. He was a
very good student even being asked to provide the questions for his
class. Later he passed the test for accountants and in the same year
he entered the Finance Ministry. After officially becoming an
accountant, he also spent a year in France. In fact he speaks French
rather than English. But when asked why he always sports a tie, he
said that it was because of his father who wore a tie as a member of
the bureaucracy.

He is actually of the generation of ’68 that upset the world with
their protests and demands for change whether it was in Berkley
(California) or Paris or Istanbul. He joined in the leftist student
movement in Turkey but not in a leading role and it did little to
damage his career.

Tax man
He continued to work as an accountant in 1983 but was then made office
supervisor of the Income General Directorate the same year. And later
he became the assistant general director of the General
Directorate. In 1991 he joined the Bag-Kur General Directorate and in
1992 the SSK General Directorate. For a short period of time he was
the assistant undersecretary in the Labor and Social Security
Ministry. And in January 1999 by his own wish he retired from the SSK
General Directorate. In the meantime he was accused of being Kurdish
or Alevi because of being from Tunceli Dersim.

Kılıçdar oÄ?lu continued to engage in a
variety of activities from heading commissions to teaching as a
faculty member at Hacettepe University and serving on the Turkish Is
Bank Executive Committee. He became a member of Parliament from
Istanbul and still is there.

On the personal side, KılıçdaroÄ?l u admits
to enjoying the works of the late Ruhi Su, one of the great Turkish
singers who used his operatic training to interpret folk music for the
modern era. Su was also a leftist but he was prevented from ever
working in the state operas and was always under a cloud of suspicion
for his political beliefs. KılıçdaroÄ?l u
also told the Daily News that he likes films and especially those by
Yilmaz Guney, the leftist cinema producer who even spent time in
prison for his beliefs and Metin Eksan who is also a movie
producer. It seems he also likes to watch award-winning films but as
he is so busy all the time, he watches them on CDs, which of course
allows him to spend time with his wife and three children.

Kılıçd aroÄ?lu also likes the theater, art
and reading, but it’s not surprising to find that he might only spend
two days out of the year on a holiday and you can bet he’s not really
relaxing when he does. He has released information about his personal
holdings. As of 2007 these include two houses, three cooperative
shares and eight paintings valued at 2,733 Turkish liras.

He also doesn’t care very much about money preferring to live rather
simply as these numbers show. His personality is one of a very calm
person and as he says, "I try to be calm with whomever I speak because
getting nervous doesn’t bring anything to the conversation."

Kılı&#x C3;§daroÄ?lu as CHP’s candidate
The CHP has traditional ties with middle and upper-middle classes such
as white-collar workers, retired generals, government bureaucrats,
academics, college students, left-leaning intellectuals and labor
unions such as DISK and well-to-do entrepreneurs.

While the CHP is supposed to be a center-left political party, in the
last general election it was judged to be further to the right as a
nationalist party than before. The party leaders and many leftist
grass root parties were the cause of this shift; in other words, the
party leaders turned to a more nationalistic line and the grass roots
parties turned against this, attracting voters in the center left away
from voting for CHP candidates.

Emerges as number one in Istanbul survey
The CHP conducted a survey in Istanbul and it was
Kılıçdaro&#xC 4;?lu’s name that came up as number
one. CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Gürsel Tekin’s name was
second and Kemal DerviÅ? was third. A further name in the ring
was Ercan KarakaÅ?. Tekin however seems to have been diverted
with the suggestion that he run for one of the local municipalities
rather than for municipal mayor.

Kılıçdaro Ä?lu is not very charismatic but
he achieved a certain amount of fame with his proving that two AKP
parliamentarians were engaged in illegal activities. This led to their
being expelled from the party.

He also ripped into Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek over
reports of irregularities in the delivery of natural gas. He has also
been involved in the absorbing ongoing investigation of the "Deniz
Feneri" or Lighthouse Case about money sent from Germany to the
coffers of the AKP.

There is a lot of surprised talk about the choice of
Kılıçdaro&#xC4 ;?lu to run for the metropolitan
mayoralty of Istanbul. There are many who would like him to stay
within the CHP rather than be Istanbul’s metropolitan mayor, which
would mean that he will have to spend all of his time and thoughts
there. If he stayed in the CHP, he might be much more useful because
of his abilities to catch irregularities in reports and accusations.

Some think that the very correctness and honesty that
Kılıçdaro&#x C4;?lu represents will be enough for
him to win the mayoral election while others who know Deniz Baykal,
the general chairman of the CHP, believe that he might see him as a
rival and be intent on getting rid of him as he has done with other
rivals in the past. Over the question of whether or not
Kılıçdaro&#xC 4;?lu would have to resign his
place in Parliament, it has been ruled that he need not unless and
until he becomes the metropolitan mayor of Istanbul. Asked what
Kılıçdaro&#x C4;?lu’s platform in the mayoralty
race, he believes that everybody should have a comfortable life the
way people who live in New York, Paris or Tokyo have and people with a
restricted budget should be able to live like humans. Transportation
should be at world standards while the environment, air, sea,
etc. should enjoy the best infrastructure.

In addition education and health would also be supported then they are
now. "Istanbul’s resources should be for Istanbul and should be spent
for Istanbul," KılıçdaroÄ?l u concluded.

COURT SITTING ON "CASE OF SEVEN" DELAYED FOR 7TH TIME

Noyan Tapan

Jan 30, 2009

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The court sitting on the "case of
the seven" that had been delayed on December 16 was again delayed
on January 30, this time until February 12. Like the previous times
the defendants did not stand up before the court. Judge Mnatsakan
Martirosian presiding over at the court sitting classed it as treating
the court with disregard and sent the defendants away from the court
hall. According to judge’s decision, the term until February 12 will
not be included, either in the measure of punishment to be used in the
future. Thus, the judicial enquiry was postponed for the 7th time and
defendants’ non-registered punishment term increased by a month. Hakob
Hakobian had not been brought to the court sitting. According to the
lawyers, his health condition has worsened.

According to Hovik Arsenian, Alexander Arzumanian’s lawyer, the reason
of judge’s delaying the sitting can be the expected amendments to
Articles 225 and 300, RA Criminal Code, by which the seven defendants
are accused.

It should be mentioned that by RA NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamian’s order a
working group has been created to work out the legislative amendments.

H. Arsenian refuted the possibility to hold the trial with defendants’
absence mentioning that according to the law, first instance courts
have no such right.

MAJOR AMERICAN-JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS MAY NO LONGER BACK TURKEY IN CONGRESS
By Harut Sassounian

AZG Armenian Daily
31/01/2009

International

There are serious indications that Israel and American-Jewish
organizations are no longer willing to support Turkey’s lobbying
efforts to block a congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide.

The dispute between the two strategic allies began with Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Erdogan harshly denouncing Israel’s incursion
into Gaza and accusing the Jewish state of committing crimes against
humanity. He suggested that Israel be barred from the United Nations
as mass demonstrations were held throughout Turkey with banners that
read: "Gaza will be a grave for Israel" and "Put Israel on trial for
war crimes." Israel’s Consul General in Istanbul, Mordehai Amihai,
told Milliyet that the consulate received hundreds of anti-Semitic
e-mails every day during the fighting in Gaza.

Initially, Israeli officials expressed their displeasure through
diplomatic channels. But as the anti-Israel rhetoric intensified,
Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister publicly warned Turkey that Tel
Aviv might retaliate by acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. Last
week, Israel’s Prime Minister Olmert invited the leaders of France,
Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic to dinner in
Jerusalem after their summit meeting in nearby Egypt. Significantly,
Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul, who also had attended the summit,
was excluded from the dinner.

American-Jewish organizations, which had for years supported Turkey’s
denialist agenda on the Armenian Genocide in the U.S. Congress, were
highly incensed by the Turkish condemnations of Israel. The American
Jewish Committee sent a letter to Erdogan on January 8, to express its
"grave concern over recent official statements" by Turkey’s Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister. On January 21, a second letter was
sent to Erdogan, this time signed by five leading American-Jewish
organizations, expressing their "profound concern over the current
wave of anti-Semitic manifestations in Turkey."

In their joint letter, the American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation
League, B’nai B’rith International, Conference of Presidents of Major
American Jewish Organizations, and Jewish Institute for National
Security Affairs complained about "gravely distressing" recent
incidents: "Protestors besieging the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul
have expressed their hatred of Jews. Billboards around Istanbul are
full of anti-Jewish propaganda posters. The door of a Jewish-owned
shop near Istanbul University was covered with a poster that said, ‘Do
not buy from here, since this shop is owned by a Jew.’ The defacing of
an Izmir synagogue has brought about the temporary closure of all but
one of that city’s synagogues." The American-Jewish groups also stated
that the Jewish community in Turkey feels "besieged and threatened. A
connection is clearly perceived between the inflammatory denunciation
of Israel by Turkish officials and the rise of anti-Semitism."

Ironically, Abraham Foxman, ADL’s National Director, who is now
complaining to Prime Minister Erdogan about anti-Semitism in Turkey,
had presented a prestigious award to him in 2005. Foxman conveniently
overlooked the fact that four days before he gave that award to
Erdogan, the Middle East Media Research Institute, based on a report
from Hurriyet, revealed that Erdogan in 1974 had written, directed and
played the lead role in a play called "Maskomya," an acronym for the
triple "evils" of Masons, Komunists (Communists), and Yahudis (Jews).

Having given Erdogan one of ADL’s highest awards, Foxman must have
been shocked by the Turkish Prime Minister’s recent criticisms of
Israel. Foxman told Milliyet last week: "Turkey was our friend. We were
friends. I still can’t believe it. I am very sad and confused. The
Jews in Turkey are threatened…. They feel encircled…. The Prime
Minister spoke very harshly. We were friends. How did we come to
this situation?" Jacob Isaacson, an official of the American Jewish
Committee, was also unhappy with the Turkish reaction. "Once you start
poisoning the well, you do not know where it leads," he said. Moreover,
an unnamed American-Jewish leader was quoted as saying: "This time,
we are going to face great difficulty. In the past, we defended the
Turkish position, not only because Turkey was right, but also because
we were friends." Yet another American-Jewish official, washing his
hands from further involvement in Turkey’s lobbying efforts on the
Armenian Genocide, told Milliyet: "Count us completely out of this
problem. We don’t believe Congress should deal with it. Let Armenia
and Turkey resolve it between them."

In another indication of diminishing support for Turkey among Jewish
circles, Prof. Benjamin Yafet advised this writer that he had "very
reliable information that all major American Jewish organizations
are now fed up with Turkey and are ready to support the Armenian
Genocide resolution."

It appears that this time around Israel and American-Jewish
organizations will not be as forgiving as they have been in the past,
in the face of persistent and vicious anti-Semitic attacks emanating
from Turkey. After the loss of lobbying support from American-Jews,
Pres. Obama’s election, and Democratic majorities in both houses of
Congress, Turkey is expected to have great difficulty in the coming
months to block a renewed attempt to pass a congressional resolution
on the Armenian Genocide. Faruk Logoglu, Turkey’s former Ambassador
to Washington, should know! He told Milliyet: "The Jewish lobby
is the strongest in the United States and the only one supporting
Turkey. Therefore, the letter of disappointment sent to Erdogan
[by 5 Jewish groups] is of great importance."

THEME OF RUSSIAN ARMS SUPPLIES FOR ARMENIA IS STILL OPEN FOR OFFICIAL BAKU

Azerbaijan Business Center
Jan 29 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Azerbaijan is still going to keep under control
the issue of alleged supplies of Russian weapons to Armenia.

Khazar Ibrahim, the head of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MFA) press service, claimed that "we received Russian side’s answer
to our inquiry on the occasion, but nevertheless intend to keep this
matter in the centre of attention and I would like to stress that
a fact of transfer of Russian arms to Armenia in 1996 forces us to
do that".

Information about alleged transfer of Russian weapons worth $800
million at Russian military base in Gumri appeared in the Azerbaijani
media. In this connection Russian ambassador Vasily Istratov to
Azerbaijan was invited to the MFA and he was handed over a relevant
note on behalf of Azerbaijani party. The Russian has already replied
to the note, informing of no official arms supplies for Armenia. Then
Istratov expressed bewilderment with further discussion about
"non-existing" supplies.

Milli Majlis (Azerbaijan Parliament) is going to conduct a special
debate on the theme during its spring session to start on 1 February.