Genocide armenien: l’ambassadeur turc au Canada rappele pour consultations
Agence France Presse
6 mai 2006 samedi 2:13 PM GMT
Ankara a rappele son ambassadeur au Canada “pour consultations”,
après des declarations du Premier ministre canadien Stephen Harper
sur le “genocide armenien”, rapporte vendredi le quotidien
montrealais The Gazette.
L’ambassadeur Aydemir Erman s’est rendu a Ankara pour discuter avec
les responsables turcs des mesures a adopter pour exprimer leur
mecontentement face a l’attitude d’Ottawa, selon un diplomate turc
cite par le journal.
Le retrait officiel de l’ambassadeur pourrait etre envisage, selon la
meme source.
Le ministère turc des Affaires etrangères s’etait dit “consterne par
les declarations du Premier ministre qui soutiennent (…) les
allegations armeniennes sans fondement”.
Il avait souligne que cette prise de position allait “affecter de
manière negative les liens turco-canadiens”.
Le chef du gouvernement canadien avait salue le 21 avril tous ceux
qui commemoraient le genocide armenien.
Les Armeniens estiment que jusqu’a 1,5 million des leurs ont peri
dans un genocide orchestre par l’empire ottoman entre 1915 et 1917.
Ankara soutient que 300.000 Armeniens et au moins autant de Turcs ont
ete tues au cours de troubles suscites par des soulèvements
d’Armeniens et leur ralliement aux armees russes en guerre contre
l’empire ottoman et lors des deportations qui ont suivi.
–Boundary_(ID_Sz62teWyLUcBYFqUvmotoA)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Genocide armenien: des historiens “choques” par la proposition de loi socialiste
Agence France Presse
6 mai 2006 samedi 1:44 PM GMT
PARIS 6 mai 2006 — Plusieurs historiens de renom se declarent
“profondement choques” par la proposition de loi recemment deposee
par le groupe socialiste qui vise a sanctionner penalement la negation
du genocide armenien, dans un texte transmis samedi a l’AFP.
Dans ce texte, les signataires, qui avaient deja lance en decembre une
petition – “Liberte pour l’histoire!” – s’opposant au vote de “lois
memorielles”, se declarent “profondement choques par la proposition de
loi deposee par le groupe socialiste qui devrait venir en discussion
devant l’Assemblee nationale le 18 mai”.
Cette proposition de loi complètera, si elle est adoptee, la loi du
29 janvier 2001 par laquelle l’Etat francais reconnaît le genocide
armenien de 1915 mais qui ne prevoit pas de sanction en cas de
negationnisme.
“Nous avions naguère mis en garde contre le vote et la promulgation
de verites officielles indignes d’un regime democratique”, poursuit
le texte.
Selon la proposition de loi, la negation du genocide armenien devrait
“etre punie des memes peines que la negation de la Shoah”. “Pareille
disposition, poursuit le texte des historiens, aggraverait les
atteintes a la liberte d’expression. Elle prendrait une nouvelle fois
les enseignants en otage. C’est affligeant”.
Les signataires du texte se declarent d’autant plus choques qu’ils
avaient rencontre, en decembre 2005, des responsables de groupes
parlementaires de l’Assemblee nationale “qui leur avaient assure a
demi-mot qu’aucune nouvelle disposition ne viendrait aggraver les
lois memorielles”.
Outre l’historien Jean-Pierre Azema, on trouvait parmi les signataires
de la petition “Liberte pour l’histoire”, des universitaires comme
Elisabeth Badinter, Marc Ferro, Jacques Julliard, Pierre Nora, Mona
Ozouf, Jean-Pierre Vernant, Pierre Vidal-Naquet.
Le vice-president UMP de l’Assemblee nationale, Eric Raoult, a depose
une proposition de loi similaire.
Dans leur petition “Liberte pour l’histoire!”, plus de 400
universitaires se declaraient notamment “emus par les interventions
politiques de plus en plus frequentes dans l’appreciation des
evenements du passe”. Ils demandaient en outre l’abrogation d’un
certain nombre d’articles de loi “indignes d’un regime democratique”
En ce qui concerne le genocide armenien, la Turquie rejette
categoriquement la thèse d’un genocide, estimant qu’il s’agissait
d’une repression dans un contexte de guerre civile où les Armeniens
se sont allies aux troupes russes qui avaient envahi l’empire ottoman.
Ankara evalue a 300.000 le nombre d’Armeniens massacres et affirme
qu’au moins autant de Turcs ont ete tues.
Les Armeniens affirment pour leur part que le nombre de morts durant
des massacres ou des deportations avoisine 1,5 million.
Recemment, a Lyon, des inscriptions en francais et en turc niant le
genocide avaient ete decouvertes sur des stèles du memorial qui lui
est dedie, quelques jours avant son inauguration.
–Boundary_(ID_l8VEgd6t6T7oeYuEz8Q8 Gg)–

Genocide armenien: appel de groupes turcs contre un projet de loi en France
Agence France Presse
5 mai 2006 vendredi 10:53 AM GMT
Des organisations turques ont lance un appel contre un projet de
loi francais visant a permettre des poursuites penales contre les
personnes niant le caractère genocidaire des massacres d’Armeniens
commis en 1915-17, dans une lettre ouverte publiee vendredi dans le
journal Le Parisien.
Cette proposition de loi, qui doit etre presentee aux deputes le 18
mai, vise a “empecher la discussion des evènements tragiques qui se
sont deroules dans l’Empire ottoman en 1915”, affirme cette lettre
signee par neuf organisations syndicales, patronales et economiques
turques.
Elles rappellent la recente polemique en France autour d’un article de
loi affirmant le “rôle positif” de la colonisation – qui a ete ensuite
retire – et affirment que “ce n’est pas a la loi d’ecrire l’histoire”
mais aux historiens.
Mercredi, Ankara a prevenu Paris d’un risque de degradation des
relations bilaterales si le Parlement francais votait cette proposition
de loi.
La Turquie rejette categoriquement la thèse d’un genocide, estimant
qu’il s’agissait d’une repression dans un contexte de guerre civile
où les Armeniens se sont allies aux troupes russes qui avaient envahi
l’empire ottoman.
Ankara evalue a 300.000 le nombre d’Armeniens massacres et affirme
qu’au moins autant de Turcs ont ete tues.
Les Armeniens affirment pour leur part que le nombre de morts durant
des massacres ou des deportations avoisine 1,5 million.
La Turquie a reconnu l’Armenie a son independance en 1991, mais sans
etablir de relations diplomatiques. Elle avait ferme sa frontière avec
l’Armenie en 1993 a la suite de la conquete par des forces armeniennes
de l’enclave du Nagorny Karabakh en Azerbaïdjan.
Il y un an, l’emissaire de l’Union europeenne dans le Caucase du sud
Heiki Talvitie avait estime que l’evolution des liens entre Ankara et
Erevan aurait une “influence” sur l’adhesion de la Turquie a l’Union,
tandis que le chancelier allemand de l’epoque, Gerhard Schroder,
refusait d’en faire un prealable.
–Boundary_(ID_q/OxUCvifI+yYYQ1AI6ACQ) —

Agence France Presse
5 mai 2006 vendredi 7:50 AM GMT
Genocides et crimes contre l’humanite : le partage des memoires
(PAPIER D’ANGLE)
Par Veronique BUTTIN
Genocide et crime contre l’humanite: un colloque a recemment debattu
a Lyon, a l’initiative du collectif Reconnaissance, de ces deux
grandes questions de l’Histoire en s’appuyant sur le partage des
memoires des peuples qui en ont souffert.
Intitule “Memoires partagees des genocides et des crimes contre
l’humanite”, ce colloque international a reuni des chercheurs, des
historiens et des universitaires qui se sont attaches pendant 48
heures (les 28 et 29 avril) a faire le point sur ces tragedies, en
particulier sur le plan juridique et politique.
L’originalite de la demarche de Reconnaissance, premier collectif du
genre en France, reside dans le partage de la memoire entre les
victimes ou leurs descendants, explique Daniel Meguerditchian, son
delegue general. “C’est un très bon outil”, ajoute-t-il, tout en
reconnaissant a chaque drame “son caractère unique et sa manière
propre de s’inscrire dans l’histoire”.
Pas question de preter le flanc a la “concurrence victimaire”,
rencherit Jules Mardirossian, president du collectif, dont le siège
est a Villeurbanne (Rhône) et qui regroupe 15 associations
“representant aussi bien le genocide des Armeniens que celui des
juifs d’Europe”, “l’ethnocide du Tibet” ou la “famine genocidaire
d’Ukraine”.
“Il s’agit au contraire de rassembler les empathie entre ces groupes
pour en faire une force”, souligne-t-il, rappelant qu’il avait fallu
“trois ans de preparation pour organiser le colloque” de Lyon.
Pendant les debats, les participants ont notamment travaille sur des
questions de terminologie et multiplie les interrogations.
Aujourd’hui au Darfour, en Ethiopie, au Zimbabwe ou au Congo,
recemment au Rwanda ou en Irak, hier en Armenie, en Ukraine ou au
Cambodge, les populations victimes de massacres ont-elles subi un
genocide ou ont-elles ete confrontees a un crime contre l’humanite?
Question qui se pose aussi pour l’esclavagisme et la colonisation.
Juridiquement, le genocide (du grec acien genos, la race, la tribu,
et du latin cide, qui tue) est la plus haute qualification retenue
pour un crime, les crimes contre l’humanite arrivant, selon le droit
international, en second.
“Ce qui differencie ces deux crimes, c’est, selon la juriste Sevane
Garibian, l’intention particulière specifique au genocide, soit
+l’intention de detruire tout ou partie d’un groupe national,
ethnique, racial ou religieux+”. C’est d’ailleurs precisement cette
notion “d’intention” qui pose des problèmes car, explique-t-elle,
elle est particulièrement difficile a prouver.
Autre sujet au menu du colloque : la prevention des genocides. “Il
existe des comite d’alerte”, rappelle M. Mardorissian, et “ce type de
prevention, comme le Genocide Watch, est necessaire”. Mais,
nuance-t-il, “il n’est pas suffisant et il faudrait une prevention a
moyen et long terme, car lorsque l’alerte est donnee, il est deja
trop tard”.
Lors du colloque, il a ete mis en place, precise M. Mardoussian, “un
comite de suivi, charge de faire des propositions concrètes devant
les instances internationales”.
–Boundary_(ID_TbsWlBNvSoeaj5cL qOxzPg)–

Genocide armenien: Serge Klarsfeld soutient la proposition anti-negation
Agence France Presse
3 mai 2006 mercredi 2:56 PM GMT
L’association Les Fils et Filles des Deportes juifs de France,
presidee par l’avocat Serge Klarsfeld, a annonce mercredi son soutien
a la proposition de loi socialiste visant a sanctionner penalement
la negation du genocide armenien.
“L’association des Fils et Filles des Deportes Juifs de France soutient
fermement la proposition de loi du groupe socialiste de l’Assemblee
nationale” en ce sens, selon un communique. “Nous esperons que cette
loi sera votee a l’unanimite”.
Cette proposition vise a completer la loi du 29 janvier 2001 sur la
reconnaissance du genocide des Armeniens de 1915 “en sanctionnant la
negation de ce genocide par l’application des memes peines que celles
applicables a la negation des crimes contre l’humanite”, rappelle-t-il.
La proposition de loi prevoit de punir d’un an d’emprisonnement
et 45.000 euros d’amende “ceux qui auront conteste l’existence du
genocide armenien de 1915”. Elle a ete deposee fin avril par le
groupe socialiste et sera discutee lors de la niche parlementaire de
ce groupe, le 18 mai.
Le vice-president UMP de l’Assemblee nationale Eric Raoult a indique
avoir depose une proposition de loi similaire.

Projet de loi francais sur le genocide armenien: avertissements d’Ankara
Agence France Presse
3 mai 2006 mercredi 10:58 AM GMT
La Turquie a prevenu mercredi la France d’un risque de degradation
des relations bilaterales si le Parlement francais votait un projet
de loi permettant des poursuites penales contre les personnes niant
le caractère genocidaire des massacres d’Armeniens commis en 1915-17.
“Dans nos rencontres (avec des responsables francais), nous
soulignons que l’adoption de ce projet de loi pourrait conduire a des
dommages incalculables dans les liens franco-turcs et que cela ne
doit pas etre permis”, a declare a la presse le porte-parole du
ministère des Affaires etrangères Namik Tan.
M. Tan a ajoute qu’Ankara et le gouvernement francais faisaient de
leur mieux pour bloquer l’adoption du projet de loi.
Le texte, qui doit etre vote dans le courant du mois, prevoit un an
d’emprisonnement et une amende de 45.000 euros (57.000 dollars) pour
les auteurs de declarations niant que les massacres d’Armeniens
commis en Anatolie sous l’empire ottoman soient un genocide, selon la
presse turque.
Il complète une loi votee en 2001 dans laquelle la France reconnaît
caractère genocidaire des massacres.
Les Armeniens affirment que jusqu’a 1,5 million des leurs ont peri
dans un genocide orchestre par l’empire ottoman entre 1915 et 1917.
Ankara soutient que 300.000 Armeniens et au moins autant de Turcs ont
ete tues au cours de troubles suscites par des soulèvements
d’Armeniens et leur ralliement aux armees russes en guerre contre
l’empire ottoman, et lors des deportations qui ont suivi.
–Boundary_(ID_jTxVhlx/YAwcv0deutkv2g)–

Turkish foreign minister rules out early elections, views fight against PKK
Anatolia news agency
7 May 06
Ankara, 7 May: “Early elections and presidential election do not
take place in our agenda. Rules and time schedule for elections are
clear. We will not waste our time with such things,” said Turkish
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul on Saturday
[6 May].
Speaking at a congress of the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) in Altindag town of Ankara, Gul said: “Since interest rates
dropped, we could save nearly 100 quadrillion Turkish lira in the
last three years. Now, we are able to allocate money to public
services. These are great achievements. But there are some circles
who feel uneasy about our achievements.”
“The terrorist organization PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] is also
uneasy about these. Therefore, it has given rise to its acts of
violence. Our security forces have been trying to do everything
in their power to prevent such acts. Also, we have been working on
new laws with the aim of providing a more influential fight against
terrorism. We will never make concessions from democracy, fundamental
rights and freedoms,” Gul added.

Azeri analysts warn of terrorist threat from Iran
Yeni Musavat, Baku
5 May 06
Text of Cavid Turan’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni Musavat on
5 May headlined “Iran might carry out terrorist attacks in Azerbaijan”
and subheaded “Experts say the authorities should take urgent measures”
Iran has no intention of backing down on its uranium enrichment
programme and is continuing to issue ultimatums to countries opposing
its nuclear ambitions. As has been reported, the mullah regime has
said it will carry out heavy strikes against countries in the sphere
of US and Israeli interests.
Iranian officials have openly said that they will attack Azerbaijan’s
oil fields, the Baku-[Tbilisi]-Ceyhan [oil pipeline] and some other
strategic facilities. We reported in our earlier issues that Iran’s
defence minister even gave a list of targets to [Azerbaijani President]
Ilham Aliyev during his visit to Baku.
Given that even the USA, a world superpower, is vulnerable to the
terrorist threat, there is no point in saying that Azerbaijan is
capable of preventing this threat.
Military analyst Azad Isazada says that every threat from Iran should
be taken seriously. Isazada does not rule out that such groups also
exist among the large number of Iranian citizens doing business in
Azerbaijan [as published]. He said that subversive acts are realistic.
The threat of subversive acts is extremely serious, Isazada said,
adding that Azerbaijan is not prepared for these acts. At this stage,
Armenians will also support Iran in order to bring Azerbaijan to its
knees. At the same time, Russian intelligence might carry out terrorist
acts as well in order to knock Azerbaijan out of the West’s orbit,
Isazada says.
Independent expert Zafar Quliyev believes that the terrorist threat
is realistic.
“I do not think that these acts might target Azerbaijani
citizens. On the contrary, Iran is trying to win the hearts and
minds of Azerbaijanis. Terrorist acts might target oil facilities,
government buildings and foreign embassies,” he said.
The analyst believes that Azerbaijan is not prepared enough to prevent
these acts.
“As the military option [between the USA and Iran] is becoming more
and more realistic, security measures should be stepped up. Both
Azerbaijan’s territory and the buildings of international organizations
should be protected.
“On the other hand, the US-led anti-Iran coalition should shoulder
this responsibility if Azerbaijan joins this coalition,” Quliyev says.
Lawyer Osman Kazimov also believes that Azerbaijan is going to face
a terrorist threat.
“Given that Iran is behind most of the terrorist acts carried out in
the world, terrorist acts on Azerbaijan’s territory are realistic if
a war breaks out,” he said.
Kazimov thinks that Azerbaijan is not capable enough of preventing
the terrorist threat.
“Because Iranian intelligence is very capable and experienced in
terrorist attacks. But Azerbaijan’s main special services, which
can prevent terrorist acts, have so far focused on the political
rivals of the authorities. We know from our experience that terrorist
organizations ‘exposed’ at various times had contacts with special
services. I mean these services bury their own ‘problems’ themselves.
“Therefore, our special services should give up their traditional
work style and focus on this in order to prevent the experienced
and professional Iranian intelligence service from carrying out
terrorist acts.
“We should work hard with people. Complex measures should be taken,
especially in regions bordering on Iran, and counterintelligence
work should be stepped up. Security should be tightened at strategic
facilities, oil pipelines, government buildings and public catering
facilities.
“Apart from that, we need to use the support of countries which are
really friendly with us. We should not hesitate to use the support
of the US special services,” Kazimov said.

Georgia considerably increases wine supplies to Turkey – PM
by Tengiz Pachkoria
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 6, 2006 Saturday 10:18 AM EST
Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said Georgia would considerably increase
its wine supplies to Turkey.
Nogaideli and Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen reached an agreement
to this effect in Batumi on Saturday.
“I know that Georgian wines are one of the best wines in the world.
As of today their supplies have been small, but I hope that Georgia
will considerably increase its wine supplies to Turkey,” the Turkish
minister said after the meeting.
Nogaideli told journalists he had discussed with Tuzmen “a series of
important issues related to trade and economic relations between the
two countries, including measures to increase Georgian wine supplies
to Turkey.”
Nogaideli and Tuzmen also attended a ceremony to begin the construction
of an international airport in Batumi. Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashavili also took part in the ceremony.
Turkey ranks the first among Georgia’s partners. Georgia’s foreign
trade accounts for 15 percent of trade with Turkey.
Sale of more than 1,000 litres of Moldovan and Georgian brandies
and wines has been halted in Moscow as a result of the inspection
conducted by the federal consumer rights protection service’s Moscow
department in 19 stores.
Russian consumer rights’ watchdog has no grounds for lifting the ban
from the import of Georgian and Moldovan wines, at least for the time
being, chief sanitary doctor Gennady Onishchenko said.
“We are keeping under permanent control all imported alcohol
products. All wines, not only those from Armenia, Abkhazia and
Azerbaijan, but also from Russia, are tested,” he said in an interview
on the Mayak radio station last Wednesday.
“Violations of sanitary norms are found in all wines, including
Russia-made ones. We have problems with some batches of wine from
Russia, Chile, Argentina and some other countries,” he said.
In his comments on the results of tests of Moldovan and Georgian
wines by a French independent laboratory, he said, “These tests from
the point of view of control are not of interest to us.” “Moreover,
when we got wine samples for preliminary control, they matched all
standards. But when we took alcoholic beverages from retail companies
for tests, violations were found.”
“If these tests have been conducted and the French are ready to
have these wines, they are welcome. This is of no importance for our
national control,” he said.
Rospotrebnadzor imposed the temporary ban on the import of wine
and wine products from Georgia and Moldova on March 27, as they
do not comply with Russia’s sanitary and epidemiological norms and
requirements.
Georgian parliament speaker Nino Burdzhanadze described the ban on
the imports of Georgian products slapped by Russia as “an attempt of
political and economic pressure”.
“We regard Russia’s decisions to ban the imports of crop production,
wines — and now the Borjomi mineral water — as Moscow’s attempt to
put political and economic pressure on Tbilisi,” Burdzhanadze told
reporters. “Russia’s decisions are assuming the character of economic
embargo against Georgia.”
The Georgian Glass and Mineral Waters, the leading producer of Borjomi,
released a report on Thursday, according to which Russia has accounted
for some 50 percent of Borjomi imports.
According to company representatives, “the mineral water from the
Borjomi valley is certified in accordance with the toughest European
requirements and meets them.”
Deliveries of Borjomi to Russia stopped from Friday.
Meanwhile, the mineral water of Georgian origin is still on sale at
Moscow supermarkets.
The water is available at the Ramstor and Perekryostok stores, and
a number of drugstores, and many retail outlets have not received
instructions so far to take Borjomi off their shelves.
On Thursday, chief sanitary officer Gennady Onishchenko urged head
of the Federal Customs Service Alexander Zherikhov to take measures
to stop the sale of Borjomi because of its poor quality.
In the course of the checks the Rospotrebnadzor Federal Service for
the Protection of Consumer Rights and Human Welfare has run pursuant
to the resolution on “tighter control over the production and sale
of mineral and drinking water,” it revealed numerous facts of sale
to the population of table water that did not meet the established
indicators of quality and safety while its labels did not confirm to
mandatory requirements for the information for consumers.
As of May 3, 2006, the Borjomi mineral water of Georgian origin made
up the bulk of the samples that showed negative results.
Rospotrebnadzor’s Moscow department reported that of the 69 Borjomi
samples analysed in April, and 68 /or 98.6 percent/ failed the
quality test.
Tests have revealed that 56 batches of inspected Borjomi containing
a total of 19,553 liters fail to conform, in various combinations,
to the established requirements for organoleptic indicators, ionic
composition, and safety norms (permanganate oxidation and fluorine
content).

Russian specialists try to identify big object on A-320 crash site
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 6, 2006 Saturday
MOSCOW, May 6 — Russian specialists are in the process of identifying
a major object measuring tens of meters, spotted on the sea bed in
the area of the Armenian A-320 jet liner’s crash near the Russian
Black Sea resort of Sochi, sources in the TETIS PRO Ltd. company
said with reference to its executive director, Sergei Biryukov,
who is running the underwater search work on the site of the disaster.
Biryukov commands the search operation from a tugboat with the use
of the experimental search and examination complex Kalmar, equipped
with a multi-beam sonar.
The company said “since the spotted object may prove a piece of rock,
several dives and the use of a small-size TV camera may prove necessary
to understand what exactly has been found.”
A TETIS PRO Ltd. official said the search complex Kalmar had been
developed under a contract with the Russian Navy.
“At the moment of the A-320’s crash an experimental sample of the
Kalmar complex was in Novorossisk, where it was undergoing preparations
for state certification tests before entering service in the Russian
Navy,” the company’s official said. “By agreement with the naval
command specialists joined the search for the fuselage of the A-320
liner.”
The Kalmar complex was designed to search for and examine underwater
objects at depths up to 600 meters.
It consists of a multi-beam sonar capable of spotting objects on the
seabed and a small-size remote-controlled underwater apparatus for
the visual examination of found objects.
Another deep sea diving apparatus created by the same company, the
Tiger, proved very effective in the operation to rescue the AS-28
mini-submarine off the Kamchatka Peninsula in August 2005.
TETIS PRO Ltd. was founded in 1991. The company is focused on the
development, manufacture and supply of equipment for professional
diving companies and service companies, including breathing
apparatuses, underwater communication equipment, divers supply
equipment, tools for commercial diving and some others.
TETIS PRO Ltd. products are manufactured according to state
standards. The company has a certificate of the Russian Shipbuilding
Agency for development, manufacturing and repair of military equipment,
including equipment for underwater technical jobs.