Germany & the Genocide

[Yervant1]

Sevim Dagdelen: Historic vote on Armenian Genocide will take place on June 2

00:37, 28.05.2016

YEREVAN. – A historic vote will occur in Germany's Bundestag on June
2, MP from the Left Party, member of the Bundestag's Committee on
Foreign Affais Sevim Dağdelen said in an e-mail interview with
Armenian News-NEWS.am.

What are your expectations from this vote?

This will be a historic vote. For the first time, a document that
clearly and unequivocally recognizes the Armenian Genocide will be
presented in Bundestag taking into account the views of the
overwhelming parliamentary majority. Thus, the demands of the Left
group have been taken into account. We have always been against ruling
coalition's false respect for denial policy pursued by the Turkish
government in relation to the Armenian Genocide .

It is a scandal, a large coalition in the Bundestag was not ready to
talk about the Genocide in order not to jeopardize close military
cooperation with Turkey within NATO. Now the term "genocide" is used
in the title of a draft resolution. This is a great success, the
victory of justice, the victory of enlightenment.

Why do you think Germany has not recognized the Armenian Genocide yet?

This resolution is also a victory over 101-year-old Germany's denial,
and first of all non-recognition of Germany's complicity. During the
last 100 years denial was practically the policy of the state
expediency in Germany.

Ever since MP Karl Liebknecht raised the issue of the Armenian
Genocide in Reichstag in 1916, it has been the policy of the state.
The then Chancellor Bethmann Hollweg had the motto: “We need to keep
Turkey with us until the end of the war, even if Armenians die because
of it.” Nowadays, the arms supplies to Turkey continue, even if the
Kurds are killed because of it.

Today the German Bundestag gives the green light to Turkey's Erdogan
by supplying weapons, knowing that the war against the Kurds is
carried out with these weapons. Bundestag stands next to its NATO
ally, despite the fact that they know that the Islamist terrorist
groups leave Turkey for Armenian-populated villages of Syria, for
example Kessab, and organize destruction of minorities. The Lefts have
long demanded to finally include the item on the complicity of the
German Reich.

In this sense, the vote of June 2, 2016 will be a historic one because
the state will put an end to the policy of expediency of denying
complicity of the German Reich on the Armenian Genocide.

Turkey and President Erdogan demand that Bundestag should not use the
term “genocide” in the resolution. How adoption of this resolution may
affect relations between Turkey and Germany?

Erdogan has turned himself into a mouthpiece of those who carried out
the genocide in 1915. Thus, he wants to keep control over the
Islamists and nationalists to make them approve his actions.

Erdogan uses jargon of those who carried out the genocide in 1915. He
calls terrorists all those who criticize him. The killed residents of
Kurdish-populated regions of Turkey appear to blame for their own
death. The same, he says, while referring to the Armenians. Genocide
deniers say that the Armenians are to blame; they died because they
are terrorists.

Genocidal thinking still exists in certain circles of Turkish society.
The purpose of this is to receive the support of the majority of
population to form a system of their overwhelming superiority. This is
the reason that making it clear is so important. Moreover, for this
reason it is important so that the Bundestag could not concede
Erdogan.

With regard to the relationship, it is possible that Mr. Erdogan will
resort to new attempts of exerting pressure. However, in the long
term, breaking of mythical stereotypes on concealing the fact of
genocide and Germany’s participation will strengthen the
Turkish-German relations. Only a frank recognition and enlightenment
can open the way to reconciliation and a shared future.

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[Yervant1]

Europe Online Magazine
May 28 2016


Turkish groups protest upcoming Armenia resolution in Berlin

Europe
28.05.2016
By our dpa-correspondent and Europe Online

Berlin (dpa) - Turkish activist groups demonstrated Saturday in Berlin
against a scheduled vote in the German Parliament that could see the
government categorize the killing of Armenians during the Ottoman
Empire as genocide.

In central Berlin, about 1,000 people carried Turkish flags and
chanted mottos about how the German government is not the correct
authority to make war crimes findings.

The German government is set to vote Thursday on whether to officially
condemn the displacement and killings of Armenians during the Ottoman
Empire as "genocide."

Armenia and 20 other countries refer to the deaths as a genocide, a
designation Turkey has routinely disputed when the question comes up
in other countries.

Between 800,000 to 1.5 million members of the Christian minority were
estimated to have died during the Armenian massacre in 1915. As the
successor to the Ottoman Empire, Turkey acknowledges some of the
killings, but vehemently denies that they constitute genocide.

Several members of the German Parliament, particularly those with
Turkish ancestry, have come under pressure to reject the upcoming
vote.

Cem Ozdemir, head of the opposition Greens, has reported several
instances of slander via Facebook and Twitter in which he has been
called a "traitor," "Armenian pig," "Armenian terrorist" or "Nazi."

The Turkish government has cautioned Germany against classifying the
Ottoman Empire campaign as genocide.

"Speaking about it without historical or legal proof is nothing other
than a misuse of political power," Turkish presidential spokesman
Ibrahim Kalin said two weeks ago.

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[Yervant1]

Germany braces for Turkish backlash as it votes to recognise Armenian genocide

MPs vote to approve motion describing massacre of Armenians by Ottoman
forces a century ago as genocide

A banner reading ‘Nuremberg says: The Bundestag is not a tribunal’ is
held aloft during a protest in Berlin against the German parliament’s
vote on the Armenian genocide. Photograph: Paul Zinken/EPA

Philip Oltermann in Berlin and agencies

@philipoltermann

Thursday 2 June 2016 11.44 BSTLast modified on Thursday 2 June 201611.54 BST

German MPs have approved a motion describing the massacre of Armenians
by Ottoman forces a century ago as genocide – a decision that Turkey’s
prime minister said would “test” relations between the two countries
at a sensitive time.

The five-page resolution, co-written by parliamentarians from the
Christian Democrats, Social Democrats and Green party, calls for a
“commemoration of the genocide of Armenian and other Christian
minorities in the years 1915 and 1916”. It passed with support from
all the parties in parliament. In a show of hands, there was one
abstention and one vote against.

Turkish governments have always rejected the use of the term genocide
to describe the massacre and expulsion of an estimated 1.5 million
Armenians and members of Christian minorities in the Ottoman empire.

Speaking before the vote on Thursday, Turkey’s prime minister
described the ballot as “a real test of the friendship” between his
country and Germany. “Some nations that we consider friends, when they
are experiencing trouble in domestic policy, attempt to divert
attention from it,” Binali Yıldırım said at a meeting of his Justice
and Development party. “This resolution is an example of that.”

On Wednesday he had gone further, saying the ballot was “ridiculous”
and arguing that the killings were an “ordinary” wartime event.
Yıldırım repeated the warning from the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan, that bilateral ties would be damaged by Germany’s decision to
call the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide.

“It’s a ridiculous vote,” Yıldırım said. “[This] was one of many
ordinary events that can happen in any country, in any society under
the conditions of world war one. We know that those who want Turkey to
pay the bill for it do not have good intentions.”

Yıldırım moved to allay fears that the EU refugee deal with Turkey,
championed by Angela Merkel, would be put under further strain by the
vote, saying: “We are loyal to the agreements we have made. The EU
should stand by its word in the same way. We are not a tribal state,
we are the Turkish republic, a country with a deeply rooted
tradition.”

The agreement to return migrants arriving on the Greek islands to
Turkey has in recent months reduced the number of refugees arriving in
central Europe, easing pressure on Merkel, the German chancellor. But
Erdoğan has since repeatedly questioned the conditions of the deal,
with members of his party threatening to cancel the agreement
altogether.

Opening Thursday’s debate, Germany parliament speaker Norbert Lammert
acknowledged that addressing historical events can be painful.

“But we have also seen that an honest and self-critical appraisal of
the past does not endanger relations with other countries,” he said.
“In fact, it is a precondition for understanding, reconciliation and
cooperation.”

He said Turkey’s current government is not responsible for what
happened 100 years ago, “but it shares responsibility for what happens
with it in the future”.

Some historians argue that Germany, a close ally of the Ottoman empire
during the first world war, was aware of the massacre at the time and
supported it politically. The Bundestag’s resolution contains a
passage acknowledging “the German Reich’s complicity in the events”,
as well as six references to the Holocaust.

Twenty governments, including those of France, Italy and Russia, have
in the past described the mass killings of Armenians as a genocide,
and Pope Francis referred to the killings as “the first genocide of
the 20th century” in 2015. The German president, Joachim Gauck, also
used the phrase in a speech in April last year.

Thursday’s vote was originally scheduled for last year, but was put on
ice due to pressure from Germany’s governing coalition, reportedly for
fear of destabilising Turkish-German relations. A revised draft of the
resolution was brought back to the Bundestag largely due to the
efforts of the Green party’s Turkish-German co-chair Cem Özdemir.

Merkel was not in the Bundestag for the vote because of other
commitments, including a meeting with the Nato secretary general, Jens
Stoltenberg.

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[Yervant1]

Armenia welcomes Bundestag’s recognition of Armenian Genocide

15:14, 02 Jun 2016
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Armenia welcomes the adoption of the resolution by the German
Bundestag on recognition of the Genocide committed against Armenians
and other Christian peoples.

“German President Joachim Gauck’s statement on the 100th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide, along with this Bundestag resolution, is a
valuable contribution not only to the process of international
recognition and condemnation of the Armenian genocide but also to the
fight for prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity,”
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in a statement.

“Germany and Austria, two former allies of the Ottoman Empire
acknowledge their share of responsibility in the perpetration of the
Armenian Genocide, while the Turkish authorities keep denying the
obvious fact of the genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire,”
Minister Nalbandian said.

“The international community has been waiting for Turkey to face its
history for 101 years,” the Foreign Minister said.

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[Yervant1]

The same song and dance routine, admit it and move forward if you can!

Turkey recalls Berlin envoy after Armenia Genocide vote

16:12, 02 Jun 2016
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Ankara called back its ambassador to Berlin in protest after German
MPs voted through a resolution to call the killing of Armenians by the
Ottoman Empire a genocide on Thursday.

The Turkish government has described the Bundestag’s approval of the
Armenian genocide bill “null and void,” the Hurriyet Daily News
reports.

“The fact that the German Parliament approved distorted and baseless
claims as genocide is a historic mistake. The German Parliament’s
approval of this bill is not a decision in line with friendly
relations between Turkey and Germany. This decision is null and void
for Turkey,” Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said.

“This is an issue that scientists and historians need to reach a
conclusion on, not politicians or parliaments. As Turkey, we will
surely give the necessary response to this decision in all platforms,”
he added.

Meanwhile, Turkish Ambassador to Berlin Hüseyin Avni Karslıoglu has
been recalled toAnkara for consultations over the decision.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavuşoglu took to Twitter to criticize the vote.

“The way to close dark pages in [Germany’s] own history is not to
defame the history of other countries with irresponsible and baseless
parliament decisions,” Cavuşoğlu tweeted.

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[Yervant1]

Turks can from now on be unafraid to admit Armenian Genocide - Krzysztof Jabłonka

19:27 • 02.06.16

The Armenian Genocide resolution adopted by the German Bundestag will help all the Turks opposing official Ankara and admitting the facts, Mr Krzysztof Jabłonka, Head of the East Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, told Tert.am.

Mr Jabłonka, as a historian, what is your opinion of the Armenian Genocide resolution passed by the German Bundestag?

We should not be surprised. It is a normal process. The crime committed in 1915 cannot be called anything but genocide. And it is especially important for Germany to specify its position on the Armenian Genocide as Germany was Ottoman Turkey’s ally in those years. Germany admitted the fact of the Jewish Holocaust and could not fail to recognize the Armenian Genocide. They faced up to history and could not deny historical truth.

Will this resolution influence Turkey’s policy toward the fact of the Armenian Genocide in any way? What needs to happen for Turkey to admit the Armenian Genocide?

As far as I am concerned, Turkey is seriously split over it. Some people admit the fact of the Armenian Genocide. It is time to accept the facts for this issue not to remain unsettled, and it is Turkey that primarily needs it. However, according Turkey’s official position, admitting the Armenian Genocide is a crime. But the resolution passed by the German Bundestag will help all those opposing official Ankara’s position. The Turks not opposing the truth will not fear to oppose the official lies. Reality must be accepted to get rid of all the problems.

Will German-Turkish relations worsen? Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Germany.

I do not think so. This is just the first response. Turkey cannot make a demarche because of a large Turkish community in Germany. Turks will just have one more occasion to face up to their history. Especially Turks living in Germany have to face up to it as the topic is being discussed and may overcome the fear to voice their opinions. Any lies at the state level must remain outside European borders.

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2016/06/02/poland/2038763

[Yervant1]

Deutsche Welle: Turks must face their own history

19:49, 2 June, 2016

YEREVAN, JUNE 2, ARMENPRESS. Alexander Kudascheff, editor-in-chief of
Deutsche Welle, has referred to the adoption of the resolution
recognizing and condemning the Armenian genocide by the Bundestag.
“Armenpress” reports, citing Deutsche Welle, Kudascheff noted that
there's nothing wrong with parliamentarians approving a symbolic
motion to label the genocide of the Armenian people a genocide. But he
wants to understand why the German parliament did that, and what the
reason was.

“Understanding that these mass killings were genocide, and accepting
that this genocide is part of your history, is something with which
the Turks have to come to grips. They have to face up to their past.
They're the ones who should have Franz Werfel's poignant novel about
the ordeal the Armenian people suffered during World War I, "The 40
Days of Musa Dagh," translated into Turkish. They should make the book
mandatory reading in schools”, Kudascheff wrote.

He added that the Turks must face their past and the German
parliament is not the one that should do it for them. “Germany may be
something of a role model for others when it comes to facing up to its
own past”, the author says.

The editor-in-chief of the DW mentions that the German parliamentary
resolution is a morally honorable gesture, as was that of the French
National Assembly a few years ago.

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[Yervant1]

Turks call Kurds traitors for their support to Armenians

00:04, 03.06.2016

The Kurds, who gathered together with Armenians in front of the German
parliament building, are traitors, the Turkish press writes.

Turkish media outlets present video materials and photos depicting not
only the Armenian tricolor but also the flags of the pro-Kurdish
Peoples' Democratic Party.

During the voting on the Armenian Genocide resolution in German
Bundestag, Kurds, Assyrians and Greeks also stood by the Armenians'
side in front of the parliament building.

The Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, on Thursday
formally recognized the Armenian Genocide.


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[Yervant1]

Unlike US papers Germany refused to publish Turkish denial propaganda!

Daily Sabah, Turkey

June 3 2016


German media rejects Turkish ads on 1915 incidents

ELIF PETEK SAMATYALI
ANKARA


According to a statement released by the Turkish-German Solidarity
Platform, the press release issued by Turkish nongovernmental
organizations protesting the "Armenian Genocide" resolution in the
German parliament on June 2 was rejected by German newspapers. While
German media outlets have criticized Turkey over freedom of
expression, the latest move, which included the omission of the
statement concerning 3 million Turks in Germany, drew strong
criticism.

Germany's leading newspapers, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung,
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Die Welt and Der Tagesspiegel refused to print
the press release, while Der Tagesspiegel initially agreed to publish
the statement but later indicated it will not be published. Metropol
FM, a popular radio channel broadcasting in Turkish, included an
announcement about the public meeting organized by the Turkish
community in the news section, but did not mention the protest
statement. The Berlin Metro also changed its mind about hanging
posters announcing the meeting in metro stations due to posters titled
"Genocide Lie."

The press release by the Turkish-German Solidarity Platform said the
bill regarding the "commemoration of the genocide of Armenian and
other Christian minorities in the years 1915 and 1916," which was
approved on Wednesday by the Federal Assembly of Germany, will be
unrecognized by the platform. The statement further stressed that the
Federal Assembly is not authorized to make a decision about such
historical debates, which has also been reflected by the European
Court of Human Rights. The press release indicated that the incidents
took place during World War I and needs to be evaluated in terms of
scientific, historical and legal terms as well as by an objective and
international organization instead of the German parliament. Stressing
that Turkey had already made a request about 10 years ago to launch an
investigation by an objective history committee and that Germany has
not taken any supporting actions thus far, the solidarity urged German
deputies to object to the resolution. The platform added that they
will not let such genocide debates cause hatred or hostility between
the Turkish and the Armenian nations.

The Turkish-German Solidarity Platform consisting of Turkish
nongovernmental organizations in Germany held a public meeting on June
2, with the participation of the Turkish artists Uğur Işılak, Cengiz
Özkan and Cem Çelebi.

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Edited June 7, 2016 by Yervant1

[Yervant1]

Yes, It’s Genocide – The New York Times

16:52 • 03.06.16

Below is an article by the Editorial Board of The New York Times

In what has become an almost annual exercise, Turkey has thrown a fit
because someone has spoken the truth about its dark past. This time,
it has pulled its ambassador from Berlin and threatened dire
consequences over a resolution, passed overwhelmingly by the German
Parliament on Thursday, declaring that the century-old massacre of
Ottoman Armenians was a genocide. That is what Turkey does every time
a foreign government dares to challenge its discredited claim that the
Armenians perished in the cruel fog of World War I, and not in a
premeditated attempt to eradicate a people. Germany’s claims to the
contrary, Turkish legislators huffed in a statement, are “based on
biased, distorted and various subjective political motives.”

No, it was a genocide, the first of the 20th century. Historians have
established beyond reasonable doubt that as many as 1.5 million
Armenians were deliberately killed or sent on death marches in 1915-16
by the disintegrating Ottoman Empire, fearful that they and other
Christian minorities could side with Russia in the war.

For Armenians, millions of whom were left scattered around the world,
gaining recognition that the slaughter was a genocide — a deliberate
atrocity, and not collateral damage — has been a long and passionate
national mission, which has resulted in formal recognition by more
than 20 countries.

The Armenians are fully justified in their quest for a historical
reckoning. But the more the world has recognized that, the more
aggressively Turkey has stormed and shouted. A couple of years ago,
when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was still a relatively
broad-minded prime minister, he seemed prepared to take a more
conciliatory stance on the Armenian issue. It never happened, and the
increasingly autocratic Mr. Erdogan warned Germany’s chancellor,
Angela Merkel, in advance that relations with Germany — “bilateral,
diplomatic, economic, trade, political and military” — would be
damaged by the resolution.

Mr. Erdogan’s threats are not without effect. Turkey is a crucial NATO
ally in the upheavals of the Middle East, and especially important to
Germany and the European Union as they try to stem the flow of Syrian
refugees. Ms. Merkel was not present for the vote, though she did not
oppose it. President Obama, who as a candidate in 2008 pledged to
recognize the events of 1915 as a genocide, has failed to do so.

The damage done to Turkey’s relations with the Armenians and its NATO
allies is the responsibility of that large majority of Turks who
refuse to acknowledge a dark blot on their history, not those who seek
to commemorate the tragedy. The Germans, who have admirably confronted
the terrible genocide in their own history, did the right thing in
defying Mr. Erdogan’s threats.

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[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.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.tert.am_en_news_2016_06_03_ispiryan_2039546&d=DQIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=IOv4T0WLjq_HVYOmNRsEODYh5T6CqsSo5mICH4ZSXP8&s=o4beo2lntRaIaMKqMHPb0Qap9RdCMnqwautqczWDnhw&e=

[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:
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__sputniknews.com_politics_20160603_1040757215_turkey-2Darmenian-2Dgenocide-2Dpolitical-2Dcommentary.html-23ixzz4AY1JQ6wM&d=DQIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=2TgFzfLJrrstmRi8PtLgo1XpvtGrknYQBKhJIer3CyU&s=M0yM1btM26PMTeRKn9N7Wtgcyg6UlxosU7h3z14U4hw&e=

[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.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__armenpress.am_eng_news_849656_spanish-2Dwriter-2Dsays-2Dthe-2Dentire-2Deurope-2Dmust-2Dreact-2Dto-2Dwhat-2Dis-2Dhappening-2Din-2Dartsakh.html&d=DQIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=S79KAaBzD2H-htbMN-AyVfdxTEtC_lieQqXQidiZCLw&s=hn5DR3qXUmXEsCxGtBlA5NjyVhunnvKmiVyGe3FiRB0&e=

[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

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__en.aravot.am_2016_06_08_177517_&d=DQIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=d8FN9DnC1t3mYqbJGo7xW-o4d0eaUVbCvJWFXGDTnNM&s=O8n5UaCj88kSI4nmT3BsSpmjX1cOno9JNb-D_ASdy9s&e=

[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."

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.arminfo.am_index.cfm-3Fobjectid-3D2125EDE0-2D2D7B-2D11E6-2D85670EB7C0D21663&d=DQIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=9-MoD7UOG0LLnlY2ZDP0-DK87JO8moGXp4WXrgifAu0&s=O7zVn2CPqZxtvz2K4VbNo6k9GVYVnf1H5SF4Zt3Kyyw&e=

[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!

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.tert.am_en_news_2016_06_08_turkey-2Dgermany_2044039&d=DQIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=qG8b0jNqAuL94U2q4h4yJvuzA9EZJPJ8OI_n7gVWxIE&s=gFXurBrp4v02bDj3CDnI2T9UWaMobivwnOtdA5vcnEI&e=

[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.

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[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.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.arminfo.am_index.cfm-3Fobjectid-3D12F87B60-2D2BDD-2D11E6-2D82110EB7C0D21663&d=DQIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=181ecRUZnOjScm76IJ0eSj35dM_VVwdXJC9DWnAltSw&s=Y3_D6IOvMQnHb4WsFIB83c7DQEFMhH4vwJugqrwO800&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.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.armradio.am_en_2016_06_06_turkey-2Dshould-2Drecognize-2Darmenian-2Dgenocide-2Dfor-2Dits-2Down-2Dgood-2Drussian-2Djewish-2Dcommunity_&d=DQIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=fe3YMCFUwNeiKGOpLpoU_dgBjzjNqgThXbvpWqlROsA&s=fmXGGsxclMJIf8Tvm9zg2KEz6pj3ocgX7N60aEThwDc&e=

[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.

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[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.

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[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.

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Edited June 10, 2016 by Yervant1