STATUE COMMEMORATING MASSACRE OF ARMENIANS STOLEN FROM PARIS SUBURB CANADIAN PRESS
Canadian Press
Oct 15 2006
CHAVILLE, France (AP) – A statue commemorating the First World War-era
massacre of Armenians in Turkey was stolen, an official said Saturday,
two days after French legislators approved a bill that would make it
a crime to deny that the killings amounted to genocide.
The bronze monument, installed in front of the train station in the
Paris suburb of Chaville in 2002, disappeared between Friday night
and Saturday morning, said authorities for the Haut-de-Seine region.
The police have not ruled out the possibility that the statue, which
weighs several hundred kilograms, was stolen to be sold as scrap metal,
said Stephane Topalian, who serves on the board of the local chapter
of the Armenian church.
However, Topalian stressed the timing of the robbery, which came after
France’s lower house of parliament on Thursday passed a bill that make
it a crime to deny the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks
around the time of the First World War amounted to genocide. Under
the bill, those who contest it was genocide would risk up to a year
in prison.
The legislation, which infuriated Turkey, passed 106-19.
President Jacques Chirac’s government opposed the bill, although it
did not use its majority in the lower house to vote it down. Instead,
most ruling party legislators did not vote on the text that was
brought by the opposition Socialist party.
It still needs to be approved by the French Senate and the president
to become law.
Armenia accuses Turkey of massacring Armenians during the First World
War, when Armenia was under the Ottoman Empire. Turkey says Armenians
were killed in civil unrest during the collapse of the empire, and
strongly objects to the killings being called genocide.

STATUE COMMEMORATING WORLD WAR I ERA MASSACRE OF ARMENIANS STOLEN
Focus News, Bulgaria
Oct 14 2006
Paris. A statue commemorating the World War I era massacre of Armenians
was stolen, local authorities said on Saturday, two days after French
lawmakers approved a controversial bill that would make it a crime to
deny that mass killings of Armenians in Turkey amounted to genocide, AP
reported. The bronze monument, installed in front of the train station
in the Paris suburb of Chaville in 2002, vanished between Friday night
and Saturday morning, said authorities for the Haut-de-Seine region.

TWO SHOTS FIRED FROM ARMENIAN
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 14 2006
Armenian soldiers on the Armenian border have reportedly opened
harassment fire on Turkey’s side of the border.
According to a statement posted on the website of the General Staff of
Turkey, “A group of soldiers from an Armenian border unit committed
a violation by shooting twice toward Turkish soil with no casualties
or loss of property.”
The incident has been reported to the foreign ministry for the
appropriate action to be taken.

NOBEL WINNER PAMUK POSTPONES UNIVERSITY LECTURE
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 14 2006
Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk, who was announced as the winner of the
2006 Nobel Prize in literature, has put off a lecture he was scheduled
to give at the University of Minnesota on Monday.
“Orhan Pamuk … must postpone his trip to the University of Minnesota
until later in the year because of all the notoriety surrounding the
announcement of the prize,” according to a statement posted on the
official web site of the university, where he was going to give a
lecture on Turkish literature.
The lecture entitled “On Making the Other Talk” was originally
scheduled to be held at the Cowles Auditorium in the Minneapolis
campus of the university.
The Arsham and Charlotte Ohanessian Chair in CLA,the Institute for
Advanced Study, the Institute for Global Studies and the Center for
Holocaust and Genocide Studies are the co-sponsors of the lecture.
On Oct. 12, Pamuk, arguably Turkey’s most renowned contemporary writer,
was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in literature, becoming the first
Turk to claim the most prestigious award in the world.
However, some claim that politics was involved in the decision of
the Nobel jury, since Pamuk won the prize on the same day as the
French National Assembly adopted a bill criminalizing the denial of
the so-called Armenian genocide.
In October 2005, Pamuk said in an interview with a Swiss newspaper
that one million Armenians and thirty thousand Kurds had been killed
in Turkey and that nobody had the courage to talk about it except
him. He then faced a trial in Istanbul last December for insulting
Turkishness, but the court eventually dropped the charges.

WHAT ILLEGAL ARMENIAN WORKERS REMIND US
By Kadir Dikbas
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 14 2006
Wishing to protect the “genocide” lie with a law, France keeps
insisting on its hostile attitude. The bill was passed in the French
parliament yesterday. The next step is the Senate, and Turkey is now
discussing what should be done about the bill.
One of the suggestions put forward is to deport illegal Armenian
citizens, estimated to be 40,000-70,000, who are working in Turkey.
This issue, that had not been discussed very much previously, flared
up after the French parliament began discussing a bill to penalize
those who deny the events of 1915 as genocide.
It is hard to understand why the illegal immigration issue had been
disregarded until now, despite a systematic campaign to portray Turks
as perpetrators of the so-called Armenian genocide and France trying
to distort history through political means. Now we are rightly asking
why this issue of illegal employment has been overlooked when it is
extremely difficult for our citizens to find a job. However, there
are also some who think these poor workers should not be disturbed.
The truth is that Turkey is facing serious illegal labor problems.
The problem is not only limited to Armenians. Many people from
neighboring countries come to Turkey and work in all kinds of
businesses. Coming as tourists, workers from Eastern Europe, the
Middle East and some Asian countries usually work in small and
middle-size enterprises, particularly in construction, molding and
casting, leather, textiles, plastic, agriculture, shipping, loading
and unloading, cleaning, sales and the hotel industry.
Because they work illegally, they earn very low wages under difficult
conditions and may be exploited. Apart from these workers, other
illegal aliens are engaged in prostitution, smuggling and drugs.
Turkey began to import labor officially after 1960, but the country
first confronted the inflow of illegal labor on a large scale after the
disintegration of the USSR. Today, illegal immigration has reached
huge dimensions. These people come to Turkey as tourists with a
one-month or three-month visa but do not return to their respective
countries. Some renew their visas and continue business as usual.
Others enter Turkey illegally.
Nobody knows the exact number of illegal workers in Turkey but it
is estimated to be one million. The most noteworthy report on this
issue is the one prepared by the Turkish Labor and Social Security
Ministry, entitled “Informal Employment and Employment of Illegal
Foreign Workers.” The following lines attract attention in the 2004
report: “As no clear data could be obtained on the number of illegal
foreign workers in our country, there is no official figure on the
anticipated extent of illegal foreign employment in Turkey.
Nonetheless, it is estimated that illegal foreign employment in Turkey
has reached very serious dimensions, and the numbers are clearly in
the hundreds of thousands.” This figure is estimated to be between
500,000 and one million, according to the Confederation of Turkish
Trade Unions, the report said.
Even though the dimension and the damage caused by illegal foreign
employment cannot be fully determined, ordinary citizens living or
spending their holidays, particularly in Istanbul and tourist regions,
can clearly see the scope and negative effects of illegal labor.
We all know that unemployment is one of Turkey’s biggest problems
today. With 2.2 million people currently out of work, our unemployment
rate stands at 8.8 percent.
Illegal foreign workers employed for low salaries do not only increase
the number of unemployed Turkish citizens but also decrease revenue
for insurance premiums and taxes. Another dimension of the issue
is the transfer of income. We think many foreigners registered as
tourists bring foreign currency to the country but in fact it is just
the opposite. Even if we calculate on the basis that every illegal
worker transfers an average of $1,000 a year — at least — to his
country, the total amount is around $1 billion.
Even Northern Cyprus fines Turks working illegally in the country
and returns them to Turkey. Does Turkey, which should give priority
to its own unemployed citizens, have the luxury of disregarding a
million illegal foreign workers?

N. MAMMADOV: “FRANCE SHOULD TRY NOT TO PUT ITS ACTIVITY IN OSCE MG UNDER SUSPICION”
Today, Azerbaijan
Oct 14 2006
“We should be patient with the measures against France Parliament’s
decision. There is no need to hurry,” Novruz Mammadov, the President’s
Office International Relations Department chief told journalists.
He said this decision can damage international relations, APA reports.
“I regret that some French parliamentarians fell under Armenian’s
influence. I cannot believe that any citizen denying the historical
event which happened 100 years ago can be punished in France,” he said.
Mammadov said that Armenians bring false genocide to a focus though
France has recognized it.
Touching upon French co-chair activity in OSCE MG Mammadov said
that France should be careful in its activity for not to its neutral
position under suspicion.
URL:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MONUMENT DESTROYED IN FRANCE
Reuters, UK
Oct 14 2006
PARIS (Reuters) – A bronze monument near Paris commemorating the
1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks has been destroyed just
two days after France’s parliament passed a bill that would make it
a crime to deny the genocide.
A local member of the Armenian church in Chaville, a town near Paris,
said the heavy bronze sculpture was wrenched off its pedestal late
Friday night or early Saturday morning.
“Police say it might have been stolen for the metal, but it seems
too much of a coincidence that this should have happened just after
parliament voted the Armenia bill,” said Stephane Topalian, a member
of the Armenian church council.
Ankara denies accusations that some 1.5 million Armenians perished in
a systematic genocide during World War One, saying large numbers of
both Christian Armenians and Muslim Turks died in a partisan conflict
raging at that time.
Turkey has protested against Thursday’s lower house vote, which
establishes a one year prison term and 45,000 euro ($57,000) fine
for anyone denying the massacres.
The bill still needs to be approved by the upper house Senate to
become law.

ANKARA CONTINUES TO CRITICIZE GENOCIDE BILL
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 14 2006
Turkey continues to express outrage over the approval of a bill
making it a crime to deny the so-called Armenian genocide in the
French National Assembly.
Regarding the decision as “a black stain on French history,” Turkish
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said that there were unfortunately
people whose minds are tied in comprehending the fight for freedom,
especially some politicians in France.
At his speech for the dedication of Turgut Ozal Boulevard, Erdogan
commented on a placard that said “France be Clever” and said France,
which had criticized Turkey on Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code,
has now banned the freedom of expression in its own country.
The prime minister said that the value of trade relations between
France and Turkey amounted to $10 billion, which is only 1.5 percent
of France’s exports.
Erdogan encouraged the 500,000 Turkish citizens living in France to
be as strong as the Armenians living there. Having paid an official
visit to Berlin, EU Top Negotiator Ali Babacan said that Turkey had
the potential with its recent political reforms to become a model
for Europe.
ANAP Deputy Asks to Change his French Car
Motherland (Anavatan) Party deputy Suleyman Saribas has applied to the
Turkish parliament, asking to swap his French Peugeot official car,
which was assigned to him, for a different one.
Feeling ashamed of driving a French car, Saribas said French cars
should not be used by the state government.

EXPAT TURKS HAVE HIGH NUMBERS, LOW INFLUENCE
By Sezai Kalayci, Istanbul
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 14 2006
Armenians and Turks living abroad are equal in population but unequal
in influence.
Armenians have made 18 countries recognize the alleged Armenian
genocide whereas Turkey, which lacks a strong lobby, cannot defend
its own national causes.
The indifference of the Turkish state, lack of education and economic
weakness are Turkey’s main obstacles for a strong lobby.
The genocide bill passed by the French parliament has once again
underlined the importance of lobbying.
Nearly five million Armenians living in different countries can get
what they want through effective lobbying.
However, Turkey fails to bring its citizens abroad together.
Five million Turks living in 118 different countries cannot lobby as
efficiently as other nations.
The main reason for this is the lack of a common goal, authorities say.
Having conducted intensive research on the issue, Professor Tayyar
Ari complains that the Turkish state cannot form a policy on lobbying.
Ari described the organizational activities of Turks abroad as
insufficient.
German Green Party Deputy Cem Ozdemir stated the social power of the
Diaspora was more important than its numerical magnitude.
Turkish-origin deputies emphasized that artists and academics were
not close to the people.
Citizens of Turkish origin who can influence the agenda of the society
in which they live usually choose to act independently.
Another reason for inadequate lobbying is incompetence.
Low education levels and economic insufficiency make it hard for
Turks living abroad to express themselves.
Diplomatic representatives abroad are accused of not cooperating
enough with Turkish non-governmental organizations.
Turkey has a large amount of its population living abroad.
According to official figures more than five million Turks live abroad.
The number of Turks living in France is 359,000, according to data
from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
This figure is 450,000, according to the French Interior Ministry.
However, Turks can not defend their national causes for several
reasons.
Authorities think the man reason for this that the Turks migrated to
Europe in the recent past.
Most Turks abroad are second-generation immigrants and their lack of
career advancement in economic and social terms makes it impossible
for them to influence the society in which they live.
The situation in Europe is not as bad as in the United States, but
the result is terrible when compared to the population potential.
There are over four million Turkish citizens in Europe and some of
them have already managed to take a position in the parliaments of
the countries in which they live.
Some Turks have even become members of the European Parliament.
Considering the lack of education as the biggest problem of the Turks
living in Germany, Cem Ozdemir said: “We have to bring this issue
to the agenda as frequently as possible. Turkey could be a part of
the solution.”
Associate Professor Talip Kucukcan from Foundation for Political,
Economic, and Social Research (SETA) believes minorities can be
efficient in the country they live in only by means of NGOs they
establish among themselves. Kucukcan emphasized Turks were weak in
regards to demanding their democratic rights.
Associate Professor Ahmet Kavas from Istanbul University said,
“We should first help our people to be useful for the society they
live in.” Kavas also thinks Turkey should stop the efforts to educate
Turks abroad with teachers and imams appointed from Turkey. He thinks
they should raise teachers, imams, lawyers and doctors from among
themselves.
Dutch Socialist Party Deputy Emine Bozkurt warns that if Turks
establishing associations abroad it could negatively affect their
integration into society. Bozkurt thinks this risk may be reduced to
a minimum if Turks’ are active in the society.
5 million Turks Live Abroad
According to the Foreign Ministry, the number of Turks living abroad
is 4,782,348.
The unofficial figure, however, is one million more.
The country with the largest Turkish population is Germany.
Two and a half million Turks live in Germany according to official
data.
There are 500,000 Turks in France, 351,000 in the Netherlands, 250,000
in the United States, 200,000 in Austria and 138,000 in Australia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

US AMBASSADOR TO AZERBAIJAN HOSTS IFTAR
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Oct 14 2006
US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mrs. Anne Derse hosted iftar in her
residence, on October 13. She invited the religious figures and heads
of the diplomatic corps.
Mrs. Derse said that Ramadan is the holiest month for the hundred
millions of world Moslems, including US ones. The governments and
religious communities should join efforts to combat with the forces
trying to violate stability and turn civilizations against one another,
Ambassador said.
Mrs. Derse stated that there were many Moslem organizations in the
United States, and the US government highly respects their opinion.
Azerbaijan is an example of ethnic and religious tolerance just like
the United States. Over the ages, Moslems, Christians and Jews live
side by side here in tranquility. Azerbaijan as an active member of
the Organization for Islamic Conference (OIC) advocates peace and
stability in the region.
Head of Caucasus Moslems Clerical Office Sheykh-ul-Islam Haji
Allahshukur Pashazade, in his turn, noted that Azerbaijan has a great
prestige both in the Moslem world and Europe. It once again testifies
the tolerance of our nation. I’d like the holy month to become a month
of armistice for the world Moslems, and stop the war and terrorism.
Sheykh said that Azerbaijani society wants the United States to become
more active in the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict
resolution efforts.
Haji Allahshukur Pashazade condemned those, who use the religion to
kill the people, commit terror acts and try to break the dialogue
between the civilizations. He stressed that humiliation of Islamic
values in some countries may pose a threat. He also criticized the
bill adopted October 12 in the French parliament making a crime the
statements denying so called “Armenian Genocide”, which may bring to
the grave consequences.