114 replies to this topic

[Yervant1]

Blackmail on Turkish president’s part most contributed to Armenian
Genocide resolution – experts

15:13 • 03.06.16

Turkish President Recep Erdogan actually greatly facilitated the
resolution on the Genocide of Armenians and other Christian peoples
that was almost unanimously passed by the German Bundestag, expert in
Turkic studies Andranik Ispiryan (far left in the picture) told
reporters on Friday.

“I can stress that Erdogan’s activities in Europe, his steps toward
Germany and the recent refugee deal and Turkey blackmailing Germany
and Europe,” he said.

This is the answer to the question as to why it has happened now, but
not in 2015, when Armenia was commemorating the Armenian Genocide at
the state level, and the leaders of the two world powers, as well as
the president of Cyprus, arrived in Armenia.

Germany was waiting for a convenient moment. Turkey has got a
resounding slap in the face, with the Bundestag members of Turkish
descent voting for the resolution.

According to Mr Ispiryan, it was a political decision as history shows
that moral aspects do no play a decisive role until a political
decision has been made.

Doctor of political sciences Hayk Martirosyan (second left in the
picture) said that it was a decision in Germany’s domestic interests
and no one has yet done anything for Armenians.

“It was done before April 24, but it is normally done before April 24.
That it, it was the right moment for Germany. Why now? Because Germany
needs it now,” Mr Martirosyan said.

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[Yervant1]

Turkey 'Should Get Its Head Out of the Sand' Over Armenian Genocide Vote

© AP Photo/
POLITICS
21:36 03.06.2016(updated 22:09 03.06.2016)

On Thursday, the German parliament voted to recognize the mass
killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as genocide. Discussing
the reaction to the decision inside Turkey, Turkish politicians Selina
Dogan and Faruk Logoglu told Sputnik that it's time for the Turkish
leadership to 'get its head out of the sand' and to recognize the
truth.

© FLICKR/ HERNÁN PIÑERA
German Parliament Recognizes Ottoman Crimes Against Armenians in 1915
as Genocide
The German parliament passed a resolution Thursday recognizing the
1915-1916 massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as genocide. The
resolution was voted on following an hour-long debate, and passed
nearly unanimously, with only one lawmaker opposed and one abstention.

Ahead of the vote, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim called the
vote "absurd and wanton," and warned that the resolution would damage
German-Turkish relations.

After the vote, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Germany, and Yildrim
said that "Turkey is not going to accept the decision of the German
parliament on the subject."

Commenting on the decision by German lawmakers, Selina Dogan, an MP
from the opposition Republican People's Party, told Sputnik Turkey
that it was long past time for Ankara to agree with the international
community's opinion that the massacre of Armenians was a crime against
humanity.

A member of the Turkish parliaments' Committee on Relations with the
European Commission, and an ethnic Armenian herself, Dogan insisted
that her party "is insisting on the formation of a special
parliamentary commission to investigate this crime against humanity."

"Unfortunately," the politician noted, "at the moment this initiative
does not have a strong basis. Our country has neither a
well-functioning parliamentary system, nor freedom of speech."

© REUTERS/ SERTAC KAYAR
Berlin Should Not Stand By Turkey Committing Crimes Against Ethnic Minorities
As far as the country's leaders reactions are concerned, Dogan
emphasized that "the problem of the tragedy of 1915 and the
recognition of these events as genocide is not a topic which can be
reduced to a condemnation of the German parliament's decision and the
withdrawal of the ambassador, nor to bravado in the spirit of 'saying
no to German Mercedes cars.'"

The lawmaker pointed out "the content of the German resolution differs
from other bills which were discussed earlier. The present resolution
contains a recognition of Germany's own responsibility for this
tragedy. This country, which has lived through fascism, has prepared
the text of a bill which proposes facing up to and accepting the
truth. Germany has extensive archives filled with documents, and the
admission of its own responsibility was the result of active work by
researchers in the German archives."

In this sense, Dogan suggested, "it's time for Turkey to stop hiding
its head in the sand on this issue. The deportation was a crime
against humanity; it was for this reason that many European countries
have joined the conventions on the need to prevent genocide. The
parliaments of these countries have committed themselves to
implementing the provisions of these conventions."

© SPUTNIK/ VLADIMIR FEDORENKO
Bundestag's Vote on Armenian Genocide Delayed Over Policy on Turkey
"If we are talking about the legal side of the issue, and respect for
the letter of the law, let Turkey turn to the International Criminal
Court, or the Court of Human Rights in The Hague – let the court
decide on the matter. But we must take some steps. Simply condemning
the decision of the German parliament makes no sense."

For his part, Faruk Logoglu, the former First Deputy Foreign Ministry,
ex-MP and former Turkish Ambassador to the United States, told Sputnik
that he believes that the timing of this particular resolution has to
do with the foreign policy of Turkey's current leadership.

"In my opinion, the main responsibility for the adoption of this
resolution is held by the current government," Logoglu said. "Today
Ankara is carrying out a failed foreign policy, which fails in
literally every direction. And this resolution is the price to pay for
our foreign policy failures."

According to Armenian estimates, about 1.5 million ethnic Armenians
were systematically killed, and over 600,000 more driven from their
homes, by the Ottoman government during and after the First World War.
Modern-day Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire, has refused to
use the word genocide to refer to the massacre, saying that Turkish
nationals we also among the victims. The massacre has been recognized
as genocide by 27 countries around the world, including Russia.

Read more:
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[Yervant1]

Spanish writer says the entire Europe must react to what is happening
in Artsakh

19:13, 3 June, 2016

YEREVAN, JUNE 3, ARMENPRESS. The world must face the historical
reality and recognize the Armenian Genocide. It also should not wait
for a century for reacting to what is going on in Artsakh. The world
must do it immediately, Spanish writer and author of 4 books on
Armenian themes Gonzalo Guarch told the reporters.

“I saw the happiness among Armenians over the Bundestag adoption of
the resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The recognition of
1915 events as genocide by Germany is of key importance. It should be
regarded as a progress, as nothing could have happened. But here I
would like to add something else: if after years Germany remains a
country that has merely recognized the genocide I will say that it is
too little”, “Armenpress” reports Gonzalo Guarch saying.

“Germany accepts its part of guilt 101 years later. Is that enough to
face only historical realities? Isn’t there a necessity to give real
assessments to what is happening in Karabakh? For example for the
murder of civilians in Talish. Or 100 years is necessary for that?” To
this remark of the journalist the Spanish writer noted that the
reality is always unjust.

“Not only Germany but the entire Europe must react to all that is
happening in Artsakh. We know that young people are killed on the
border and we all know that Azerbaijan does not respect the ceasefire
and many know about the deep ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan. When
one understands and does not initiate anything, it is called inaction.
Today the European politics is in the phase of inaction”, Gonzalo
Guarch said.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan awarded him with the Movses
Khorenatsi medal in 2013. He has written 4 books on Armenian theme and
has advocated the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

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[Yervant1]

Political analyst predicting war in April predicts war in August too

June 8 2016

“Germany’s message was quite powerful. With the help of this message,
Germany made the Turkish migrants understand that its patience is
over. After the events of Cologne, German society’s concerns have
reached their peak, and that is why the German Parliament tried to
curb the migration crisis by the force of law. Germany made the
immigrants understand that they must obey their laws, otherwise the
road is open, they can leave,” – said political analyst Karine
Gevorgyan at the “Mirror” Club, claiming that the resolution adopted
by Germany was in favor of Armenians but only based on their
interests.

The political analyst told that he has heard only denial statements on
the Armenian Genocide from the Turkish participants to all conferences
in which he had also attended, “I am saying them that several dozens
of scientists put a balm to your heart, saying that there was no
genocide, but the Armenian side can invite hundreds of experts who
would prove that genocide occurred.” Mrs. Gevorgyan also spoke about
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying that she had predicted the war
in April beforehand, “According to my calculations, a short war will
be waged in August too. Azerbaijan will attack Armenia. It is
inevitable. Today, Russia is in confusion, as the anti-Russian
sentiments became more obvious in Armenia after the April war. The
deferred status would be the ideal option for Nagorno-Karabakh in this
situation. The Artsakh Diocese Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan must and
can represent Karabakh’s rights in the international organizations, as
the Armenian Church as a full member of all possible international
organizations. While, the factor of this high-rank priest is not
used.”

Arpine SIMONYAN

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[Yervant1]

Prosperous Armenia Party faction demands Catholicos of All Armenians
to degrade Archbishop Aram Atesyan from priesthood

by Nana Martirosyan

Wednesday, June 8, 18:15

Head of the Prosperous Armenia Party parliamentary faction Naira
Zohrabyan demands Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II to degrade
Archbishop Aram Atesyan, the general vicar of the Armenian patriarch
in Turkey, from priesthood over his recent letter to the Turkish
president. Zohrabyan called the incident shameful and equal to
treason.

Ter Vahram Melikyan, the head of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
press-office, in turn, said Atesyan might be pressed to write such
letter. Ter Vahram Melikyan said he was disappointed to learn about
the letter. "I do not try to justify anyone, but do not forget in what
country and in what conditions they live," he said.

Archbishop Aram Atesyan, the general vicar of the Armenian patriarch
in Turkey, sent a letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
slamming the German Parliament's June 2 adoption of an Armenian
Genocide resolution, saying that the Bundestag's decision "about the
events [that] happened during the tragic times of World War I caused
regret in our nation." "t is unacceptable that a parliament, which was
formed by the votes of German citizens and has the duty of
establishing laws for the peace, prosperity, and security of their
nation, expressed its opinion, though it has no right to do so. It is
unacceptable that this parliament legalized its decision on behalf of
the entire German nation and considers itself a judge," Atesyan wrote
in his letter. "Unfortunately, this historical pain of the Armenian
nation is considered as a tool for accusing and punishing Turkish
state and nation. And because of this ugly mentality, sub- and
supra-identities of Turkish Armenians are harmed. The ones who are
willing to see the truth can realize how [the] Armenian nation has
been abused by imperialist powers," Atesyan wrote.

In response to Atesyan's letter, the Turkish-Armenian weekly newspaper
Agos wrote a critical letter to the archbishop condemning his praise
of Erdogan, despite the president's gross violation of human rights,
anti-Armenian and racist policies, and denial of the Armenian
Genocide. "Please regard this letter as the voice of those members of
that society who disagree with the content and style of your letter.
You define the systematic and almost complete annihilation of a people
by the decision of the state itself as "the events happened during the
tragic times of World War I;" this is an affront to the ancestors,
victims and the survivors in the eyes of the society to which you also
belong," Agos writes. "Since you said that "the role of German Reich
is slid over by a few sentences," we see that you have failed to
comprehend the content of the resolution. Almost 80% of this
resolution, which declares German Reich as the accomplice to the
genocide, consists of Germany's confrontation with its own history.

Let us continue: you said, "using this tragedy that traumatized the
Armenian nation in international politics causes sorrow and pain."
Indeed, the oppression that led you to write this letter causes sorrow
and pain. Also, the sub- and supra-identities of the Armenian society
in Turkey is not harmed by this resolution, but by your words. Above
all, your words on "abuse of Armenian nation by imperialist powers"
are recorded as an example to the denialist discourse; not by the ones
who will take advantage of your usage of the official state discourse,
but by your own people. In the near future, we will see who will
appreciate your discourse with "enthusiastic applause."

On this occasion, borrowing your style in your letter, we once again
express our sorrow, uprising, and anger, and pray to God for you; may
God bestow sense, intelligence, and comprehension on you. We also
pray to God for giving you a dignified attitude, which you obviously
lack, since you said that "you pray to God for making the state
dignitaries, who work for the good of people, succeed in their
services" in a time when tens of people are being killed every day in
a civil war."

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[Yervant1]

Don’t panic Berlin: Everything will come up roses – Turkish columnist

16:52 • 08.06.16

Burak Bekdil

Re-published from Hurriyet Daily News

What can possibly justify this columnist’s unusual optimism over the
crisis with Berlin at an exclusively very bad time, when Turkish
threats have forced the German security apparatus to assign bodyguards
to a Turkish-German MP? There are two very good signs: Turkey has
recalled its ambassador to Berlin and it has warned of “serious
consequences.” There are also other good signs that point to brighter
Turkish-German relations.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused a “superior mind” [and we don’t
know if that superior mind is German or not] for the Armenian genocide
resolution that passed in the Bundestag last week. Mr. Erdoğan also
linked the near unanimous vote for the resolution to Islamophobia in
Europe – the same Islamophobia that recently elected a Muslim man as
the mayor of London. Then one of the Turkish Pravdas posted a picture
of ChancellorAngela Merkel with her name printed above her upper lip
in block letters made to look like Hitler’s “toothbrush” mustache.

There is nothing seriously wrong on the Berlin-Ankara axis over things
that Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım says were just “ordinary events
that could take place in any society or any country.” Never mind if
those “ordinary events” were hundreds of thousands of people
perishing…

But the biggest safety valve for the healthy future of Turkish-German
relations is Turkey’s customary “bark and bite” problem. Let me
explain.

Before the French legislature recognized the Armenian genocide in
2001, Turkey threatened to freeze all economic, political and military
ties with the country, including defense contracts. In response, the
French parliament recognized the Armenian genocide. And Turkey’s
bilateral trade with France rose from $4 billion in 2001 to $15
billion a decade later. The German crisis will most probably have the
same “positive trade effect” – or even more.

However, a decade later, Turkey was threatening France again: This
time, all economic, political and military ties would be frozen if the
French legislature criminalized denial of Armenian genocide. Then
foreign minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said the French bill, if passed,
would “dishonor our country and nation.”

Having learned from past experiences how punishing Turkey’s wrath
could be, the French legislature passed the genocide denial bill. A
few months later, France’s Supreme Court overturned the bill. So in
the end “our country and nation were not dishonored.” In June 2012,
Mr. Davutoğlu cheerfully announced that Turkey and France could now
live happily ever after.

That introduced a new Turkish jurisprudence on the Armenian genocide
dispute. Between 2001 and 2012, Turkey moved from threatening
countries whose legislatures recognized the genocide to living happily
ever after with such countries as long as their denial laws did not go
into effect.

As I wrote here in March 2015: “Turkey’s deterrence-through-$$$
policy on the Armenian genocide issue embarrassingly collapsed in
2012. With the French precedent, no country will take ‘Turkey’s wrath’
seriously because it does not exist.”

Turkish jurisprudence over the Armenian genocide dispute will surely
be carefully examined by countries that have not yet recognized the
genocide.

It is difficult to keep track of the flight itineraries of Turkish
ambassadors recalled over genocide rows before being sent back. There
is no doubt that the Turkish ambassador to Berlin, now in Ankara,
bought a two-way ticket – after all, they are cheaper!

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[Yervant1]

Deutsche Welle, Germany
June 7 2016


Merkel rejects Turkey's 'incomprehensible' comments amid Armenian genocide row

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has rebuked Turkey over accusations
made against German lawmakers of Turkish origin. Ankara hit out after
Berlin passed a resolution declaring the 1915 Armenian massacre,
"genocide."

Speaking during a joint news conference with Azerbaijan's President
Ilham Aliyev (pictured above, left) in Berlin on Tuesday, Chancellor
Angela Merkel reiterated comments made by her spokesman Steffen
Seibert on Monday, saying that lawmakers in Germany's lower house of
parliament are "freely elected without exception."

"The accusations and statements which have been made by the Turkish
side are incomprehensible," Merkel said.

"It was clear with the passing of the resolution that there is a
difference of views between the majority of the Bundestag and the
Turkish side," said Merkel, stressing that she would push for direct
talks between Turkey and Armenia.

Death threats

The chancellor's comments on Tuesday came just a day after German MPs
with Turkish roots called on Merkel to take a stand against Ankara.
Several of them received death threats for supporting the Armenian
genocide resolution.

Green Party member Özcan Mutlu said that "as an MP, insults and
threats have started to become normal."

"But this takes things to a new level," he said.

Turkey denies 'genocide'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan first lashed out at the German
parliament last week after the Bundestag - the lower house - passed a
symbolic resolution which refers to the 1915 Armenian massacre under
the Ottoman Empire as "genocide."

As the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, Turkey officially denies
that the events amounted to genocide. Ankara officially claims that
ethnic Armenians represented a fifth column backed by Russia during
World War I, and that the mass deportation and accompanying deaths of
some 1.5 million Armenians were neither premeditated nor intentional -
a key requirement in the legal definition of genocide.

After recalling the Turkish ambassador from Berlin on Thursday,
Erdogan suggested that passing the resolution was hypocritical of
Germany.

"First you need to answer for the Holocaust, then for the murder of
100,000 people in Namibia," Erdogan said.

Erdogan demands 'blood tests'

The Turkish president went on to launch a personal attack against the
11 German MPs with Turkish roots who backed the resolution, accusing
them of supporting "terrorism" by the banned Kurdish Workers' Party
(PKK). Erdogan sparked yet more outrage by demanding that the 11
should take "blood tests" to see "what kind of Turks they are."

Ankara's mayor, Ibrahim Melih Gökcek, fueled the row further by later
tweeting a collage of the 11 politicians, with the hashtag
#TheTraitorsMustLoseTheirCitizenship, claiming that they had "stabbed
us [Turkey] in the back."

The co-leader of the Greens Party and instigator of the resolution,
Cem Özdemir, was among the 11 MPs targeted by Ankara. After receiving
death threats from a number of Erdogan supporters, Özdemir has since
been placed under police protection.

Merkel's diplomatic relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan has come under fire on several occasions in recent months,
with critics accusing her of ignoring Turkey's human rights record and
worsening press freedom in order to win Ankara's cooperation in the
implementation of the EU refugee deal.

Earlier on Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the
German government should make clear that it did not share parliament's
view on the Armenian issue, adding that Turkey would have to suspend
its deal with the EU to stem the flow of migrants to Europe if there
was no agreement on granting visa-free travel to Turks.

https://urldefense.p...VFq4aaHKgLsw&e=

[Yervant1]

Merkel to Erdogan: We will not dance to Turkey's tune

by Marianna Mkrtchyan

Monday, June 6, 16:51

Germany was obliged to recognize and condemn this genocide, such
things can not be ignored, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated in
an interview to German mass media commenting on the adoption of
resolution on Armenian Genocide by Bundestag.

Unfortunately Germany was the Ottoman Empire's ally in that war but
nowadays Germany is different it will do everything possible to
prevent such crime, Merkel stated.

Touching upon problems in relations between Turkey and Germany caused
by this resolution Merkel emphasized that no one can influence on
European values.

Our values are above everything. If Turkey considers itself a
civilized state it should admit them and follow Western vector of
development. We should not divide the nations on primary and secondary
ones. We want good relations with Turkey but this does not mean that
we will dance to its tune, German Chancellor summarized.

https://urldefense.p...vwJugqrwO800&e=

[Yervant1]

Turkey should recognize Armenian Genocide for its own good – Russian
Jewish community

11:21, 06 Jun 2016
Siranush Ghazanchyan

The president of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia
(FJCR), Alexander Boroda, has criticized Turkish authorities for
reacting to Bundestag’s recognition of the Armenian genocide in the
Ottoman Empire with accusations against Germany, Interfax-Religion
reports.

“In this particular instance, Turkish authorities have stepped on
their own tail. The way Bekir Bozdag [Turkish justice minister] spoke
about it, this was done completely unnecessarily. The German approach
is different from the Turkish one in that Germany did not disclaim its
responsibility for the Holocaust; moreover, it drew the right
conclusions from the past,” Boroda was quoted by the FJCR spokesperson
as saying.

He was commenting on the Turkish justice minister’s remarks on the
resolution that Turkey, unlike Germany, had nothing to be ashamed of,
whereas the Germans who “once burnt Jews in their furnaces, are now
slandering the Turkish people by accusing them of some genocide.”

Germany too has had relapses of nationalism and fascism, but neo-Nazi
groups are present in almost any country, and Germany generally
“understands what it has done,” Boroda said.

“I think today the Germans do have the moral right to point out to
Turkey, which never recognized the genocide, its ‘wrong assessment of
the history’ and the events that took place in the Ottoman Empire.
Having made many mistakes in the past, Germany understands that
keeping mum on one genocide unfortunately can easily lead the world to
another, and for that reason it wants to caution Turkey against
further keeping mum on history, which could lead to greater
tragedies,” the FJCR president said.

“Things should be called by their names. The truth will help first and
foremost Turkey proper, and most importantly, will keep the world away
from new possible manifestations of genocide,” Boroda said.

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[Yervant1]

EP President rebuks Erdogan for threats against German MPs

14:00, 09 Jun 2016
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Martin Schulz, a member of Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) and
President of the European Parliament has strongly rebuked Erdogan
forth the threats against German lawmakers of Turkish origin after the
Bundestag last week passed a resolution declaring the 1915 massacre of
Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide, Spiegel Online reported.

“Members of parliaments that take positions within their mandates,
irrespective of differences of opinion should under no circumstances
be linked to terrorists,” Schulz said in a letter to Erdogan.

Following the resolution there have been death threats and verbal
attacks against German politicians with Turkish roots.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said German lawmakers of Turkish
origin who voted for the resolution have tainted blood and that their
blood must be tested in a lab.

https://urldefense.p...n555wSsYv49I&e=

[Yervant1]

Threaten one MP and you're attacking the whole parliament, Lammert tells Turkey

13:52 • 09.06.16

Germany's speaker of parliament has sharply criticized Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following threats against
German-Turkish MPs. Nobert Lammert said top Turkish politicians had
fuelled the fire, Deutsche Welle reports.

Norbert Lammert expressed the outrage in Germany's lower house of
parliament, the Bundestag, on Thursday, over comments made by Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Lammert also denounced the "sometimes
hate-filled threats and smears" targeting the 11 German lawmakers with
Turkish heritage.

"I would not have thought it possible in the 21st century, that a
democratically elected head of state would criticize members of the
German Bundestag by voicing doubts on their Turkish heritage, by
labeling their blood as impure," Lammert told parliament on Thursday.

He was criticizing Erdogan's reaction to last week's contentious
Bundestag resolution, which repeatedly referred to the killings of
Armenians in Ottoman-era Turkey during World War I as genocide. Turkey
disputes this definition of the massacre of Armenians.

Erdogan had said that the German-Turkish parliamentarians were a
"mouthpiece for the PKK," the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party
seeking an independent Kurdish state. The president also suggested
that the 11 lawmakers should undergo blood tests, to see "what kind of
Turks they are."

"Also, I reject in all its forms the insinuation that members of this
parliament are terrorist mouthpieces," Lammert said.

German-Turkish MPs have since reported a wave of criticism, trolling
and even death threats in the wake of last week's vote. Some have been
placed under police protection. Sevim Dagdelen of the Left party told
DW on Wednesday that she had been told to "take a holiday in
Buchenwald," the World War II concentration camp, with another saying
there was a bounty on her head.

Lammert told parliament that these threats and smears had in some
cases been encouraged by "high-ranking Turkish politicians."

"We will face up to any criticism, we will even tolerate personal
attacks and polemics," the house speaker said. "But anybody who tries
to exert pressure on a parliamentarian using threats must know this:
They are attacking the entire parliament."

Lammert said that all party leaders in parliament had appealed to him
"to voice our collective position once again, unequivocally."

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, the next to speak after Lammert,
thanked his CDU ally "most sincerely" for his "clear words."
Chancellor Angela Merkel had faced criticism for her response to the
issue on Tuesday, when she described the threats against German MPs as
"incomprehensible."

Critics argued that Merkel should have formulated a more emphatic
rejection of the behavior. Turkey and Germany have been in close,
tense consultations in recent months over measures to deal with the
so-called refugee crisis.

The Bundestag had initially scheduled a special debate at the request
of the Left party, to address this issue later on Thursday. The Left
subsequently withdrew its request, saying Lammert's statement had
satisfactorily covered the issue.


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[Yervant1]

Erdogan’s rhetoric sparks outrage in Germany’s Turkish community: Anto
Aznavurian

June 9, 2016 11:13

Director of the Armenian National Committee of Germany Anto Aznavurian
said Germany is taking on some obligations with its recent
acknowledgment of the German responsibility in the Armenian Genocide.

STEPANAKERT, JUNE 9, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: According to Aznavurian,
Armenians can correctly define this obligation and demand moral,
political and economic assistance from Germany.

“As you can see there are serious works to be done in the diplomatic
area, significant work should be done in the community. The Bundestag
resolution says Germany must provide material support for cultural,
scientific and political discussions, in order to have dialogue
between Armenians and Turkish residents of Germany, and for the public
to have clear perception of what happened in 1915. We must stress that
these discussions are not connected to the committee of historians.
The upcoming discussions will be aimed at public awareness,”
Aznavurian said.

He says Germany’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide must contribute
to the recognition by other countries.

“Many countries were viewing Germany as an accomplice. As long as
Germany was not recognizing the Armenian Genocide, it would have been
a reason of silence for other countries. Now, when Germany has
recognized the Genocide, presumably other countries will easily join
Germany”, he added.

As for Germany’s Turkish community’s reaction, Aznavurian says to some
degree a polarization is taking place. According to him, the Turkish
community was against the Armenian Genocide resolution; however,
recent announcements by Turkish President Erdogan are changing
sentiments within the community. Especially the fact that Erdogan said
the ethnic Turkish MPs of the Bundestag should give a blood test.

“This caused the Turkish community to protest, claiming these are
unacceptable disgusting methods. The community is openly against
Erdogan’s announcements. We can say these announcements are polarizing
the Turkish community,” he said.

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[Yervant1]

09/06/2016 Swedish Lawyer Ove Bring says Bundestag Decision on Armenian Genocide is Positive but it won’t Translate into Government Policy  

Professor Ove Bring, Sweden’s leading expert in international law, commenting German Bundestag resolution which unanimously recognized the Armenian Genocide on 02 June, regretted that the German government was absent from the vote, reminding that it is the government that makes decisions on foreign relations and not the parliament.

 

“On the one hand it is positive that the German Bundestag has lined up with many other Parliamentary Assemblies in recognizing the Genocide of 1915. On the other hand, it is clear that, like in many other such cases, the Parliamentary recognition will not translate into Government policy. Angela Merkel kept herself absent when the vote was taking place. And it is the Government, not the Parliament that conducts foreign policy and directs diplomacy”, – he said in the interview with Panorama.am.  

 

Referring to the fact that Turkey responded to this in a diplomatic way, with frustration, Dr. Bring noted that such behavior of Turkey invites Germany to respond in some way. “It remains to be seen whether the recognition will affect bilateral diplomacy between the two countries”, – he added.  

 

Dr. Bring has many times stated that what happened in the Ottoman Empire with the Armenians clearly constitutes the crime of Genocide under the international law; that it was a systematic state policy of extermination of Armenians and not simply ‘deportation’ or ‘resettlement’, as claimed by Turkey. He has also urged the international community to be more active in recognizing and condemning the crime of Genocide and to take serious measures for genocide prevention today.

 

Dr. Ove Bring is a Professor Emeritus of International Law at Stockholm University and Swedish Defence University, Director at Dalhelm International Law AB.

 

Interview by Nvard Chalikyan

[Yervant1]

Foreign Policy: Turkey Is Having a Rough June — and Erdogan Is Making it Worse

13:19 • 09.06.16

By Megan Alpert

Between getting accused of genocide by a major ally and suffering
repeated bombings by Kurdish militants, Turkey is having a pretty
tough June — and it’s only been eight days. Bizarre and in some cases
offensive comments from Turkish leaders and pro-government journalists
aren’t making things any better.

On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dubbed women who
choose careers over having babies “deficient” and “half persons.”
Working women can presumably safeguard their femininity by following
Erdogan’s recommendation to have at least three babies.

On Tuesday, the pro-government newspaper Gunes accused Germany of
secretly using an unspecified terrorist network to carry out Tuesday’s
car bomb attack in Istanbul that killed six police officers and five
civilians. The ostensible reason, according to the state-friendly
outlet? Berlin’s anger over a recent German resolution labeling the
mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 a genocide.

The German parliament approved the measure on June 2. Turkey responded
by recalling its ambassador to Germany the same day.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said in a speech following the
vote that a “racist Armenian lobby” was behind the resolution.

Gunes claimed that Turkey’s strong response had provoked Germany.
“Falling into panic, it has gone back to its old habits,” the cover of
the newspaper read. It went on to accuse Germany of having “the
terrorist organizations that it uses like marionettes carry out a
bloody attack in Istanbul.”

Erdogan blamed Turkish militants for the attacks.

On Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu kept the
anti-German insults flying by asserting that the country’s free press
was not actually free.

“In Germany, nothing is left to chance,” he reportedly told the state
news agency TNT, “None of the headlines hostile to Recep Tayyip
Erdogan are random. In Germany, the press is not free.”

This week, a Turkish mayor also covered the Mercedes logo on his car
with a black cloth to protest the vote, according to the website
Turkish Minute, which was formed in March after the Erdogan regime
took over the once-independent English-language newspaper Today’s
Zaman.

https://urldefense.p...zD8ttUKvl-HM&e=


https://urldefense.p...JvMN-kHcIdBM&e=

[Yervant1]

As usual petty and childish attitude that only a turk can do!

Daily Sabah, Turkey

June 7 2016


Tokat council to strip Turkish-German deputy Özdemir from fellow townsmanship

DAILY SABAH
ANKARA


The hometown of the Turkish-German politician Cem Özdemir in the Pazar
district of the province of Tokat will withdraw Özdemir's title as
fellow townsman and instead offer honorary citizenship to German
deputy Bettina Kudla, the only deputy in German parliament who voted
against the resolution that defined the 1915 event concerning Ottoman
Armenians as genocide.

Özdemir, a co-chair of the German Greens, introduced the Armenian
genocide resolution that recently passed in the Bundestag. The
symbolic resolution has already caused damage to Turkish-German
relations and has solicited a reaction in Özdemir's hometown in Tokat.
Şerafettin Pervanlar, mayor of Tokat's Pazar district, told the Tokat
Association of Journalists: "We won't recognize the German
parliament's decision about the [resolution]. The decision doesn't
have international validity and it is an arbitrary decision."

Pervanlar said that the people in Tokat are sorry about all of the
deputies of Turkish descent that voted in favor of the resolution. He
added: "One of them is Cem Özdemir, whose parents had lived in Tokat
and then moved to Germany. Until today, we had been supporting him
because he is a fellow countryman. However, from now on there is no
one named Cem Özdemir in Tokat and we will register this decision in
the council." He also said that the municipal council would meet very
soon.

The municipality council is going to give honorary Tokat citizenship
to Bettina Kudla. She is the only Christian Democratic Union deputy,
and also the only deputy in parliament, who voted against the
resolution.

https://urldefense.p...M-m4M554ESWo&e=

 

Edited by Yervant1, 10 June 2016 - 09:07 AM.

[Yervant1]

The blame game started, two guilty parties pointing fingers at each other!

Daily Sabah, Turkey

June 9 2016


Germany's role in the 1915 incidents

HILAL KAPLAN


People protesting in front of the German Consulate in Istanbul,
Turkey, June 2, 2016, against German parliament's decision to adopt a
resolution on the 1915 Armenian incidents.

German parliament should have left the 1915 Armenian incidents to
historians who are able to back their arguments with evidence rather
than to some politicians who use history as a political tool


Historian Serdar Dinçer, who scrutinized thousands of documents in the
German Foreign Ministry archives, collected his research in a book
titled "Alman-Türk-Silah Arkadaşlığı ve Ermeniler" (German-Turkish
Brotherhood of Arms and the Armenians). Dinçer touches on significant
points in the book, which was published in Turkey in 2011.

According to Dinçer, it is a clear fact that German staff officers
organized Ottoman military units in many places. He says a German
military mission of 800 army officers and some 25,000 soldiers went to
the Ottoman state in 1914 and lays bare the acts of these missions
with documents.

One example is Lieutenant Colonel Eberhard Graf Wolfskeel von
Reihenberg's attacks on Armenian gangs in the Zeytun region of
Kahramanmaraş. Another one is that Karl Anton Johann Eduard Sylvester
Boettrich, who was in charge of the deployment of soldiers by rail,
signed the order regarding the deportation of Armenians who were
forcefully employed in the construction of railways.

It is said that economic interests had a place at this point. For
instance, certain companies such as Deutsche Bank, Krupp, Erhardt and
Hollzman construction company, which worked on the Baghdad Railway,
supported politicians and soldiers who influenced the attitude toward
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire at the time. It is said Holzmann
forcefully employed Armenians and Greeks.

Vahakn Dadrian agrees with historians like Tessa Hoffman and Wolfgang
Gust that Germany had an impact on the execution of the 1915
incidents. He argues that a German military officer commanded the
Ottoman troops who besieged Armenian gangs hiding on the Musa Dagh.

I touched on this as the Bundestag voted to recognize the 1915
incidents as genocide. The resolution presents it as if the Germans
just plotted the incidents and played no other role. Furthermore, it
is obvious that the draft resolution was passed by the first
commission in Germany last year, but it was not brought to the floor
for a subsequent vote because of the Turkey-EU Readmission Agreement
about refugees. Germany passed the resolution this year in order to
pressure Turkey after the Readmission Agreement collapsed. So, as an
individual who regards the 1915 incidents as a painful event in the
history of World War I, I must note that Germany's attitude is immoral
in all respects.

Furthermore, Turkey has taken all necessary steps in this regard. It
opened its archives for examination and invited Armenia and relevant
parties to negotiate the 1915 incidents. In April 2014 and the
following years, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a historic and
official condolence to the descendants of Armenians who suffered from
the 1915 incidents on behalf of the Turkish state. He said some
practices were inhumane and called on Armenians to relieve their pain
through dialogue with Turkey.

This chapter has been closed for Turkey. Any made in foreign
parliaments will not affect this attitude. If Armenia and the Armenian
diaspora respond to Turkey's olive branch, the Turkish state and
public are open to writing a new chapter with Armenians.

The rest does not mean anything beyond the exploitation of a historic
pain that is being used as an instrument for cheap political
calculations.

Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who lost his life as a result
of an abominable assassination, said: "The Turkish and Armenian public
will treat each other through dialogue. The decisions to be made by
the French Senate [and] the U.S. Senate will not help this dialogue. I
said this to European Christian Democrat [German Chancellor Angela]
Merkel because she wanted to pressure Muslim Turkey through a
Christian perspective. I said: 'Like many Turks, we Armenians also
want to enter the European Union. But we do not want this because
Europe is Christian. And if you build the European Union on Christian
doctrines, we do not want it.' "Turkey is not a country that can be
regulated by decisions made in European parliaments. Turks are a
people at least as proud as Germans. If their attitude is to pressure
Turkey through such decisions, not only Erdoğan, but also a large
majority of the Turkish public will tell the EU to go their own way
and we will go ours. It is certain that the number of Turks who say so
must have increased after Germany's recent decision.

https://urldefense.p..._GcBV9z4_eJI&e=

 

 

[Yervant1]

Wow Russian media run by Armenians? Please at least make your lies a bit believable.

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey

June 7 2016


Turkish minister says Russian media run by Armenians, German media not free

ISTANBUL

Russia’s media is run by a group of Armenians, while the German media
is not free, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has claimed.

Speaking during an interview with Turkish broadcaster TRT Haber,
Çavuşoğlu said the Russian media was run by Armenians, who held key
positions in the press, and were trying to poison the Russian nation
against Turks.

“They especially try to poison the Russian nation against the Turkish
nation but as can be seen, they haven’t been very successful,”
Çavuşoğlu said June 7.

Turkey and Russia have been at odds since the former downed a warplane
of the latter on Nov. 24, 2015, on the grounds of an airspace
violation on its border with Syria.

Çavuşoğlu said the Russian media was putting forth a picture as though
Turkey had downed the Russian jet inside Russian territory and was
thus conducting black propaganda.

The foreign minister also commented on the media in Germany, declaring
it be unfree.

Giving an example of German newspapers from various political lines
choosing headlines that were critical of Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan, Çavuşoğlu said this was proof that the German media
were not free.

“No media is free in Germany. If so, how could [various newspapers
from different political lines] make anti-Erdoğan headlines?” he
asked.

Çavuşoğlu said everything was systematic in Germany and that a recent
bill recognizing the World War I-era killings of Anatolian Armenians
at the hands of Ottomans as “genocide” was also a part of this
systematic approach.

Turkey recalled its ambassador to Germany for consultations after the
bill was passed on June 2.

June/07/2016

https://urldefense.p...QMYwfUEfkOIM&e=

 

 

[Yervant1]

Nothing but bark, the only thing that they can do well!

Daily Sabah, Turkey

June 9 2016


Erdoğan: If Germany does not correct its mistake, steps to be taken by Turkey

ANADOLU AGENCY
ANKARA

Turkey has outlined its possible moves if Germany does not correct its
"mistake" following the Bundestag's non-binding resolution recognizing
Armenian "genocide" claims, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.

In remarks made to reporters late Wednesday at Ankara Esenboğa Airport
prior to his visit to the U.S., where he will be attending Muhammad
Ali's funeral, Erdoğan said a high-level security meeting had
discussed the issue Wednesday.

"We specified a number of possible steps that could be taken during
our meeting. We will take those steps if Germany does not correct its
mistake," he said.

He also called on Germany to desist from what he termed the "wrong steps."

"If it [Germany] does not desist from these incorrect proceedings, our
steps will be different. In other words, the process will not be as it
is now," he added.

He also noted that nearly 3.5 million Turkish people live in Germany.

The president has slammed the German resolution several times.

Earlier, he had warned: "The decision taken in the German parliament
will seriously affect our relationship."

On June 2, the lower house of the German parliament approved a
non-binding resolution recognizing Armenian claims of "genocide"
during the 1915 events.

The resolution accused the Ottoman government of 1915 of allegedly
carrying out "systematic genocide" against Armenians, as well as other
Christian minorities.

Turkey denies the alleged Armenian "genocide," but acknowledges that
there were casualties on both sides during the events which took place
in World War I.

According to Turkey's viewpoint, the deaths of Armenians in eastern
Anatolia in 1915 occurred after some sided with invading Russians and
revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians
resulted in numerous casualties.

Turkey describes the 1915 events as a tragedy for both sides.

Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of
historians from Turkey and Armenia along with international experts to
tackle the issue.

https://urldefense.p...VhsBKvkQSxfs&e=

 

 

[Yervant1]

From one thief to another, I wonder how in hell they got those Armenian paintings?

Yeni Safak, Turkey

June 8 2016


Turkish police recover stolen Ottoman-era artefacts


(Yeni Safak Online) - Dozens of historic artifacts, worth an estimated
20 million dollars, have been seized by Turkish police during an
undercover sting on a residence in Atasehir region of Turkish province
of Istanbul.

The operation was held by the anti-smuggling and organized crime
department of the Istanbul police office on a tipoff.

Posing as buyers, the policemen arranged a meeting so that they could
seize the smugglers.

They were acting on a notice that the smugglers intended to sell
artifacts to rich Arabs, according to the Turkish daily Haberturk
newspaper.

During the operation police seized paintings, a reading desk and
calligraphy plaques.

Eighteen of the total paintings seized were discovered to be by Nazmi
Ziya Guran, a 20th century painter, and various Armenian and Greek
painters after examination by the authorities.

The smuggling suspect was detained and taken to a police station.

 

[Yervant1]

Germany's recognition of Armenian genocide criticised News - National | 2016-06-10 by Ndanki Kahiurika

 

GERMANY has been accused of racism for dragging its feet on recognising the Nama/Herero genocide, although they did so concerning Armenians and Jews.

This statement comes after Germany passed a resolution recognising the Armenian killings as genocide last week, something which was fiercely rejected by the Turkish government, who have since recalled their ambassador to Germany in protest.

“The truth is that genocide perpetrated against Armenians is as bad as the German genocide perpetrated against the Nama and Ovaherero in the then-South West Africa,” said Bob Kandetu, spokesman for the Ovaherero Traditional Authority in a statement.

He said Germany has been indecisive on the plight of the Nama and Ovaherero, and the Bundestag thus owes the world an explanation why Germany could not legislate in favour of calls from the Left Party in parliament on 17 March 2016 when government had the opportunity to do so.

“Was this an act of better wisdom, or of racism for the fact that Armenians differ in pigmentation from Nama and Ovaherero?” he asked.

Kandetu said Germany has an obligation to make public that what they did to the people of South West Africa was genocide, and that they are remorseful and shall engage the descendants of the communities they exterminated in discussions for restorative justice.

“Anything short of this will escalate the inevitable, protracted struggle for reparations,” he stressed.

Kandetu’s views were echoed by the Ovaherero Genocide Forum’s chairwomen, Utjiua Muinjangue, who said what Germany has done and continues doing is indeed unfair and unjust.

“The same German government accepted the Holocaust, and it is now accepting the Armenian killings as genocide. But in my view, our black people the Nama and Ovaherero are denied this justice. We are nothing in their eyes,” she stated.

Muinjangue said the Nama/Herero genocide is unique because there was an intent and an order for extermination. Thus, Germany should explain why they are so afraid to recognise the genocide for what it was.

According to her, the excuse that the genocide took place before the 1948 genocide convention makes no sense as the Armenian genocide also took place before that convention.

The Namibian a week ago reported on the visit of the German Bundestag’s parliamentary committee on economic cooperation and development. 

During this visit, the German ambassador to Namibia Christian Schlaga told the media that they hope the genocide negotiations will be completed by the end of this year, or early next year.

On this note, Muinjangue said it was unfair that the negotiations will be concluded when the German government does not even know what the affected communities are demanding.

“You cannot tell us that there is special envoy Zed Ngavirue when he is a government employee,” she said, adding that the German government can use the same model which was used to compensate the Jews, where they had 23 groups representing the Jews sit at the table with both the Israeli and German governments.

“I think that both governments should go back to the drawing board with all stakeholders. They need to come together and level the playing ground,” she added.

http://www.namibian....ised/41569/read