onjig Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 http://asbarez.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/garopaylan.jpgGaro Paylan addresses reporters on recent incidences of hate speech in Turkey (Source: CNN Turk)ANKARA (Hurriyet Daily News)—Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul deputy Garo Paylan has urged prosecutors in Turkey to take action against recent incidences of hate speech that have gone unpunished, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.“Each hate speech crime going unpunished pushes people targeted by hate speech to the ‘dove’s skittishness’ and lays the ground for hate crimes,” Paylan said at a press conference at the Turkish parliament.“Dove’s skittishness” is a phrase coined by slain Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in his last article published in the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Dink founded, Agos, expressing his feelings of being terrorized just days before he was killed on January 19, 2007.“The recent discourses aiming to create hatred and enmity against the Armenian community in Kars and Ankara and LGBTI individuals in Ankara constitute a clear and imminent threat against the right to life,” Paylan said, also referring to recent attacks against Korean tourists in Istanbul mistaken by Turkish ultranationalists for Chinese nationals.“It is obvious that ‘poisoned’ phrases and discourses have prepared the ground for murders in Turkey’s recent history,” Paylan said, listing a number of incidents including the killing of Father Andrea Santoro in February 2006, who was murdered while he prayed in his church in the Black Sea city of Trabzon, as well as the killings at the Zirve Publishing House in Malatya in April 2007, where three missionaries were tied up and tortured before having their throats slit.Paylan also referred to four recent incidents, including statements made by Tolga Adiguzel, the head of a local branch of the far-right “Idealist Hearths”, which has close links with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Adiguzel indicated that his group would “hunt for Armenians” in Kars after world-renowned pianist Tigran Hamasyan performed a concert at the nearby ruins of Ani, on the border with Armenia.“What should we do now? Should we start a hunt for Armenians in the streets of Kars?” Adiguzel asked reporters on June 24, three days after the Hamasyan concert.Paylan said he would file a complaint against Adiguzel while also calling on prosecutors to take action against other incidences of hate speech.On July 2, Adana Mayor Huseyin Sozlu targeted three new Armenian members of parliament, who were elected on June 7, by referring to the late Turkish-Armenian brothel owner Matild Manukyan.“Manukyan’s nephew living in Adana must be happy. The children of their three aunts have also entered parliament from the AKP [Justice and Development Party], the CHP [Republican People’s Party] and the HDP [Peoples’ Democratic Party].”“No matter how proud they are now, it will never be enough,” Sozlu wrote on his Twitter account.Along with Paylan (HDP), two other Turkish citizens of Armenian origin were elected to parliament in the June 7 general elections: Markar Esayan (AKP) and Selina Dogan (CHP). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted December 22, 2017 Report Share Posted December 22, 2017 Garo has the courage of a lion, but I'm scared for his safety!News.am, ArmeniaDec 21 2017 Ruling party lawmaker tries to attack Armenian MP of Turkey at parliament12:32, 21.12.2017 Speaking at parliament, Garo Paylan, Istanbul Armenian MP from the opposition People’s Democratic Party (HDP) of Turkey, called on the minister of finance to investigate the offshore accounts of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his family.This call, however, was not to the liking of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy İlknur İnceöz, according to Demokrathaber website of Turkey. She said Paylan is the last person to give them lessons on ethics.“You’re not even the last person in this parliament,” İnceöz added.And when Paylan responded to her by saying, “Don’t be unethical!” she walked towards him in anger.But the parliament session was recessed to calm down the MPs.https://news.am/eng/news/427630.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted December 24, 2017 Report Share Posted December 24, 2017 News.am, ArmeniaDec 23 2017 Armenian member of Turkish parliament: Current climate in Turkey is same as in 191510:34, 23.12.2017 Garo Paylan, Istanbul Armenian MP from the opposition and pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) of Turkey, has reflected on the present-day situation in the country, and drawn respective parallels with 1915.Paylan told Gazete Duvar (Wall Newspaper) online newspaper of Turkey that he feels like as if it were 1915.“The current climate in Turkey is like the climate created by Talaat and Enver [*****s, the architects of Armenian Genocide],” he said. “In those times, too, the democratic demands of the Armenian people, the Armenian MPs were the same as the demands of the Kurdish party today.“At that time, the authorities responded to the Armenians’ [democratic] demands with genocide. One hundred years have passed, but it’s the same climate today in Turkey.“If there is a little intelligence left among the [present-day Turkish] authorities, they must stop all this. Otherwise, the rug will be pulled from under their feet.”https://news.am/eng/news/427858.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted December 26, 2017 Report Share Posted December 26, 2017 Garo needs to listen to Sevan and leave that hellhole! I'm extremely worried for his life, there is no such thing as democracy in Turkey even if the Western countries see it as the role model for the Muslim world when in reality the Muslim world don't see Turkey as their role model.Panorama, ArmeniaDec 25 2017 Nişanyan’s cautiousness over Paylan’s case realistic, turkologist saysThe current Turkish authorities are capable of anything, since they showed that they can apply punitive measures and repression neglecting the opinion of the international community and even the positions of their allies, an Armenian turkologist said on Monday, referring to Turkish-Armenian intellectual Sevan Nişanyan’s call to Garo Paylan to immediately leave the country.Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament representing the opposition People’s Democratic Party (HDP) warned on Wednesday that he has received intelligence about assassination plots targeting Turkish citizens living in Europe, among them Armenians, Alevis, Kurds, opposition politicians, intellectuals and reporters, who have left Turkey.“This Turkey-based structure mobilized certain people to carry out these assassinations,” he warned.In an interview with Panorama.am, Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the National Academy’s Institute of Oriental Studies, noted that having suffered at the hands of the Turkish authorities, Sevan Nişanyan gives such an advice to Paylan, clearing understanding who they are dealing with. “Thus, his cautiousness over Paylan’s case is quite realistic. The threat is real. Knowing that Paylan was Hrant Dink's junior colleague and continues to uphold his courageous principles, I find it hard to say whether he will follow Nişanyan’s advice. Anyways, we are dealing with a very courageous Armenian [political] figure, who could use a little bit of wariness,” he said.Ruben Safrastyan highlighted the Turkish authorities will target any figure, who dares to voice about any faulty phenomenon in that country.Turkish-Armenian intellectual, travel writer, entrepreneur, and researcher Sevan Nişanyan, who escaped prison and fled Turkey on July 14, 2017, has commented on Paylan’s assassination warnings, adding they deserve a special attention and study.“If I were in Garo’s place, I would immediately leave the country,” he wrote on Twitter, adding by releasing such information Paylan also puts himself at risk.https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/12/25/Ni%C5%9Fanyan-cautiousness-Paylan/1884194 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 13, 2018 Report Share Posted January 13, 2018 Panorama, ArmeniaJan 12 2018 Garo Paylan testifies at Ankara Prosecutor’s Office over assassination warningsGaro Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish parliament representing the opposition People’s Democratic Party (HDP), has testified at the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in connection with his statement over assassination plots, Ermenihaber reported.Speaking at a press meeting in the Turkish parliament on December 20, Paylan said he had received intelligence about assassination plots targeting Turkish intellectuals and public figures living in Europe, among them Armenians who have left Turkey.“There is Hrant Dink’s case in Turkey. He was my friend. He was constantly under target at that time. I wanted him to leave Turkey but he didn’t and was killed,” Paylan told reporters after leaving the prosecutor’s office.“At present, some people, including Can Dündar (the former editor-in-chief of the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet), as well as several HDP figures are also targeted by press. We received intelligence from Germany about plans of assassination against those people. I made a statement after receiving the information,” he said.https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2018/01/12/Garo-Paylan-testify/1889762 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 24, 2018 Report Share Posted January 24, 2018 The Armenian WeeklyJan 23 2018 NGO Suggests Garo Paylan’s Nomination for Nobel Peace PrizeBy Weekly Staff on January 23, 2018 MOSCOW—The Hamshenuhi International Women’s Association recently announced that it is calling for individuals and organizations to officially nominate Garo Paylan for a 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. The organization has also submitted a letter to the Nobel Prize Committee, suggesting Paylan’s nomination as an individual who has “devoted whole his life to protection of the rights of Armenians and other indigenous populations in the region.”Garo Paylan at the HDP Parliamentary office in Ankara (Photo: Rupen Janbazian)“He is one of the few who has assumed the responsibility to protect humanitarian rights, the rights of indigenous people, religious and national minorities,” part of the association’s statement reads, adding that Paylan’s efforts come despite persistent threats and pressures by Turkish nationalists and extremist forces backed by Turkish authorities.Founded in 2012, the Hamshenuhi International Women’s Association is a registered NGO, which works to foster the international cooperation of the Hamshen-Armenians and Armenian women.Paylan is a founding member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party of Turkey (HDP) and is a deputy representing the third district in Istanbul. Paylan is also a member of Turkey’s Armenian community and has long been an activist on human rights, Kurdish, and Armenian issues.It is important to note that the association itself cannot nominate an individual or organization for the prize. Only those who are qualified to nominate can submit a nomination. These include members of national assemblies and national governments and current heads of states; members of The International Court of Justice in The Hague and The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague; members of Institut de Droit International; university professors, professors emeriti, and associate professors of history, social sciences, law, philosophy, theology, and religion; university rectors and university directors; directors of peace research institutes and foreign policy institutes; persons who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; members of the main board of directors or its equivalent for organizations that have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; current and former members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee; and former advisers to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The Norwegian Nobel Committee is also responsible for selecting the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates.Prior to joining the parliament, Paylan served on the central committee of HDP and also served on the management of Armenian schools in Istanbul. He has long promoted bilingual education and minority rights in Turkey and has been actively engaged in raising awareness on discrimination towards minorities, the rights of the Armenian community in Turkey, Turkish-Armenian reconciliation, and especially on the Hrant Dink murder case. Mr. Paylan is from a family originally from Malatya and was elected to the Turkish parliament in 2015.Three weeks after his first election into Turkey’s Parliament on the HDP list, Paylan spoke to the Armenian Weekly about his path to parliament, and the challenges of being an Armenian in Turkey’s political scene.https://armenianweekly.com/2018/01/23/ngo-suggests-garo-paylans-nomination-nobel-peace-prize/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 2, 2018 Report Share Posted February 2, 2018 Armenpress News Agency, ArmeniaJanuary 31, 2018 WednesdayGaro Paylan, Emmanuel Macron discuss human rights in TurkeyYEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. Ethnic Armenian lawmaker of theTurkish Parliament Garo Paylan on January 30 discussed the issue ofhuman rights in Turkey with French President Emmanuel Macron, theEuropean Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy(EAFJD) reports.The meeting was held on the sidelines of the annual gala dinnerorganized by the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations ofFrance.Macron and Paylan discussed the operations of the Turkish armed forcesin Syria’s Afrin, calling on to show vigilance and expressing concernover the recent developments.Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo awarded Garo Paylan with a special medal (Lamédaille Grand Vermeil) for his contribution in fight for democracyand human rights.French President Emmanuel Macron attended the annual gala dinner ofthe Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France. The galadinner was also attended by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Lyon MayorGeorges Képénékian, Members of Parliament, ethnic Armenian lawmakerPatrick Devedjian, as well as the representatives of the Armenian andJewish communities of France. Ethnic Armenian lawmaker of the TurkishParliament Garo Paylan was an honorary guest of the gala dinner.During his remarks President Macron touched upon a number of issuesconcerning the Armenian community, including the Armenian Genocide andthe Nagorno Karabakh conflict. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted March 10, 2018 Report Share Posted March 10, 2018 News.am, ArmeniaMarch 9 2018 Garo Paylan says Turkish ruling party MPs attacked him09:45, 09.03.2018 Member of the Turkish parliament of Armenian origin Garo Paylan said he was attacked by the members of the ruling Justice and Development party.“Yesterday in the parliament AKP deputies tried to lynch us. They demonstrate their barbarism everywhere. We will resist the fascists everywhere and, of course, will win,” tweeted Paylan, MP from People’s Democratic Party.Kurdish MPs in the parliament accused the Turkish authorities of ethnic cleansing in Afrin which provoked anger of the president Erdogan’s supporters and they attacked Kurdish deputies. https://news.am/eng/news/440185.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted April 13, 2018 Report Share Posted April 13, 2018 Democracy and Turkey can't mix, one or the other! Public Radio of ArmeniaApril 12 2018 Ankara Prosecutor’s Office seeks to strip Armenian lawmaker of immunity19:40, 12 Apr 2018 http://www.armradio.am/en/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Garo-Paylan-1-620x300.jpgThe Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s office has prepared a summary of proceedings against eight deputies of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), inlcuding ethnic Armenia Garo Paylan on the grounds of “insulting the Turkish nation, the Turkish state, its army and police forces,” “acting against the law on political parties,” “making terror propaganda,” and “insulting the president,” the Hurriyet Daily News reported.The summary of proceedings said HDP deputies Osman Baydemir, Alican Önlü, Feleknas Uca, Sibel Yiğitalp, Nadir Yıldırım, Dilek Öcalan, Mizgin Irgat, and Garo Paylan had “praised” the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, in their speeches and publicly expressed condolences to the killed PKK militants, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on April 10.The summary of proceedings, asking for the removal of the parliamentary immunities of the eight deputies, have been sent to the Justice Ministry, the agency said.In May 2016, the Turkish Parliament approved a law stripping its members of immunity from prosecution, which allowed prosecutors to pursue members of parliament who face investigation.According to the HDP’s website, nine MPs in the party, including former co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, are currently behind bars, alongside many former deputies and mayors.Meanwhile, HDP lawmaker Burcu Çelik Özkan has been sentenced by an appeals court to seven years, three months and 10 days in jail on charges of “threatening public officials,” “making terror propaganda,” and “committing a crime for an armed terrorist organization,” stiffening her previous sentence of six years in jail.The appeals court in the eastern province of Erzurum on April 9 rescinded the sentence decided on Oct. 6, 2017 by the local court in the eastern province of Muş, where Özkan was elected as a deputy, on charges of “helping an armed terrorist organization despite not being a member.”She was also convicted by the Erzurum court for “threatening village guards,” who are deemed public officials, and given five years in prison. The verdict also included a sentence of one year and 10 days in jail for “committing a crime for a terrorist organization despite not being a member” and another sentence of one year and three months in jail for “making terror propaganda.”Özkan was arrested on April 19, 2017 over a speech she gave in Muş: “You will leave this land. We know very well how to direct those Kalashnikovs you point at us,” she said in the speech on June 8, 2015.In the indictment, she was also accused of attending the funeral ceremonies of two members of the PKK and giving speeches in favor of the organization.http://www.armradio.am/en/2018/04/12/ankara-prosecutors-office-seeks-to-strip-armenian-lawmaker-of-immunity/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted May 21, 2018 Report Share Posted May 21, 2018 News.am, ArmeniaMay 20 2018 Garo Paylan: Turkish president has to stand trial00:18, 20.05.2018 President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan may face trial after the presidential and parliamentary election set for June 24, Turkish MP of Armenian origin Garo Paylan said.Paylan said there was too much pressure during Erdogan’s tenure, and it is time for him to retire, Cumhuriyet reported.“We are speaking about a person whose political life is over. We demand a fair trial for everything that he did,” the MP said. https://news.am/eng/news/452169.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted May 22, 2018 Report Share Posted May 22, 2018 News.am, ArmeniaMay 21 2018 Armenian MP to run for Turkey parliament from Diyarbakır 16:45, 21.05.2018 Garo Paylan, Istanbul Armenian MP and vice-chairman of the opposition pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) of Turkey, and who was elected HDP MP from Istanbul, this time will run for parliament from somewhere else. During the parliamentary election slated for June 24, the HDP is going to nominate Paylan’s candidacy from the primarily Kurdish-populated Diyarbakır Province, reported the Kurdish Mezopotamya news agency. The party has considered Garo Paylan’s activities to be quite effective, and therefore it has stressed that he should continue to be an MP in the next Turkish parliament too. https://news.am/eng/news/452376.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted November 8, 2018 Report Share Posted November 8, 2018 News.am, ArmeniaNov 7 2018 Garo Paylan: Armenians are represented differently in Turkish schools18:41, 07.11.2018 Armenians are represented differently in Turkish schools, the Turkish deputy of Armenian origin Garo Paylan said in the Turkish parliament during the discussion of the budget for the Ministry of Education.According to Paylan, after studying in an Armenian preschool institution, he entered a Turkish school and experienced various cases over his Armenian origin, Ensonhaber reported.Once a history teacher told the class that Armenians stabbed the Turks in the back. After that, all the students turned to him, the deputy noted.Paylan also recalled one incident in the army, when his army friend, upon learning that he was Armenian, passed out.“Regaining consciousness, he said “You are a good person, I don’t think you are Armenian." Thus, Armenians are represented differently in the Turkish schools,” MP concluded.https://news.am/eng/news/479870.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted December 27, 2018 Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 Panorama, ArmeniaDec 26 2018 Politics 17:28 26/12/2018 Region Turkish parliament receives petition seeking to strip Garo Paylan of parliamentary immunityThe Turkish parliament has received a petition seeking to strip eight deputies, including Turkish lawmaker of Armenian descent Garo Paylan of parliamentary immunity.Ermenihaber reports, the petition was submitted to the parliamentary constitutional and justice commission on the grounds of "insulting the Turkish nation, the Turkish state, its army and police forces." Meanwhile, the summery of the proceedings prepared by the Ankara Chief Prosecutor's office says that Paylan is accused over an interview he gave in Canada in May 2017 for "public humiliation of the Turkish state and its president."https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2018/12/26/Turkish-parliament/2053074 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted January 22, 2019 Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 Gatestone InstituteJan 21 2019 Turkey's Unjust Justice System: Armenian MP Under Attackby Uzay BulutJanuary 21, 2019 at 4:00 amhttps://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13569/unjust-turkey Armenian member of parliament Garo Paylan has good reason to fear for his safety. In January 2007, the Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was shot and killed outside his newspaper's office in Istanbul. Dink, known for his outspokenness on the Armenian genocide, was prosecuted under Article 301, and received numerous death threats. It has been 12 years since Dink's murder, and the case has yet to be solved.Prosecutors are stepping up their efforts to have Paylan's parliamentary immunity removed, so that he can be tried for "insulting Turkey." This is a travesty of justice perpetrated by the very system charged with upholding justice.On January 13, US President Donald Trump warned Turkey of possible economic sanctions if it attacks Kurds in Syria following the American withdrawal of troops from the war-torn country. Washington would do well to apply similar pressure to Ankara, a member of NATO, to cease violating the human rights -- and endangering the lives -- of other ethnic minorities and critics, such as Paylan. Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of Turkey's parliament, was physically attacked by a group of lawmakers from President Erdogan's ruling AKP party, because he spoke out against Turkey's "ethnic cleansing" of the Kurds in Afrin, Syria. Pictured: Garo Paylan. (Image source: Armenian National Committee of America video screenshot) Turkish prosecutors have filed a motion to strip an Armenian lawmaker of his parliamentary immunity over his outspoken criticism of the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Invoking Article 301 of the Turkish penal code -- which states that "insulting the Republic of Turkey, the Turkish nation or Turkish government institutions" is punishable by a prison sentence -- the prosecutor's office of Diyarbakir began proceedings against Garo Paylan, who was elected in 2015 to Turkey's Grand National Assembly as a member of the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).Since that time, Paylan has been targeted by Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).Last March, for example, Paylan and fellow HDP members were physically attacked by a group of AKP lawmakers for speaking out against Turkey's "ethnic cleansing" of the Kurds in Afrin, Syria. The following day, Paylan tweeted:"Last night at the parliament, the AKP members tried to lynch us. They show their barbarism everywhere. We will continue to resist the fascists and we will win."In May 2017, Erdogan watched as 12 of his guards beat up protestors in Washington, DC. Last July, all but seven indictments against the guards had quietly been dropped.The assault on Paylan during a parliamentary session was not the first. In May 2016, after voting against a proposed bill to strip parliamentary immunity from some of his fellow MPs, Paylan was shoved, kicked and punched by angry AKP members calling him "Armenian bastard."Istanbul's Committee Against Racism and Discrimination of the Human Rights Association of Turkey (IHD) condemned the attack in a letter to the president of the parliament. The letter read, in part:"The physical assault by members of the Justice and Development Party against members of the Peoples' Democratic Party... which in fact left some members of the HDP injured, has thoroughly exposed the absence of the rule of law in this country."The perpetrators of the physical attacks, which are reminiscent of lynching, against HDP members of Parliament, have committed an egregious crime at a time when significant efforts are made to sideline the Peoples' Democratic Party from politics, to imprison the MPs, and to prevent the necessary conditions for the representation of a people."This crime is not only one of assault, battery, or injury. This is also a crime of racial hatred..."This act of racism directed against Garo Paylan under the roof of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey also violates international conventions, signed by the Turkish state, which prohibit racism and discrimination. For instance, Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights prohibits discrimination in no uncertain terms. Moreover, the state of the Republic of Turkey has signed the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action of 1993, which obligate the signatory states to take precautions against racism."A few months later, in January 2017, Paylan was censored and temporarily banned from parliamentary sessions after delivering a speech in which he said:"Between 1913 and 1923, we [Turkey] lost four peoples: Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, and Jews were lost. They were either exposed to major massacres and genocides or subjected to population exchanges and exiles..."We [Christians] used to account for 40 percent [of the country's population]. Now we are barely one out of a 1,000. It seems likely that something happened to us. I call it genocide. You can call it whatever you want."The Armenian people know very well what was done to them... I know very well what was done to my ancestors, my grandfather. To you, I am one of the 'leftovers of the sword' [a Turkish _expression_ often used to describe survivors of massacres against Christians]... to learn lessons... from the past, let's look at this together."Paylan's statements were greeted by angry shouts from AKP members. The deputy speaker of the Assembly, Ahmet Aydin, warned Paylan to "watch out for [his] behavior and attitude, and stop uttering words that offend the Turkish nation."The Turkish lawmakers then voted to ban Paylan from participating in the parliament for the next three sessions, and the section of his speech about the Armenian genocide was removed from the parliamentary minutes.The hysteria over Paylan's speech, however, did not remain in the confines of the parliament. As a result of the address, and of an interview Paylan gave to an Armenian publication in Canada, a former university rector filed a criminal complaint against him. The office of the chief prosecutor in Ankara accepted the complaint, and by the end of 2017, the Turkish Justice Ministry gave permission to open a formal investigation into Paylan, in accordance with Article 301.This kind of hostility to Armenians is widespread in Turkish society and, as is evident, protected by the government.During a pro-Erdogan rally in Trabzon in October 2016, in another example, the crowd started chanting, "Armenian bastards cannot deter us." Erdogan and the ministers there did not intervene.Paylan's lawyer then filed a criminal complaint against rally organizers and those who shouted the ethnic slurs. The complaint read in part:"The fact that Erdogan stayed silent and did not stop the slogans has facilitated the targeting of Armenians... Paylan has seriously been impacted by these slogans and has been exposed to threats and insults by people encouraged by [them]."Paylan has good reason to fear for his safety. In January 2007, the Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was shot and killed outside his newspaper's office in Istanbul. Dink, known for his outspokenness on the Armenian genocide, was prosecuted under Article 301, and received numerous death threats. It has been 12 years since Dink's murder, and the case has yet to be solved.It has been three years since Paylan was verbally and physically abused by Turkish parliamentarians. Not only has nothing been done by Turkish authorities to prevent Paylan from experiencing the same fate as Dink, but prosecutors are stepping up their efforts to have his parliamentary immunity stripped, so that he can be tried, under Article 301, for "insulting Turkey."This is a travesty of justice perpetrated by the very system charged with upholding justice.On January 13, US President Donald Trump warned Turkey of possible economic sanctions if it attacks Kurds in Syria following the American withdrawal of troops from the war-torn country. This was apparently Trump's way of leveraging the Erdogan regime to comply with US wishes. Washington would do well to apply similar pressure to Ankara, a NATO member, to cease violating the human rights -- and endangering the lives -- of minorities and critics, such as Paylan.Uzay Bulut is a Turkish journalist born and raised in Turkey. She is presently based in Washington D.C.https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13569/unjust-turkey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 23, 2019 Report Share Posted February 23, 2019 Panorama, ArmeniaFeb 22 2019 ‘Mother tongue is your honor’: Paylan tweets in ArmenianTurkish-Armenian MP Garo Paylan, representing the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), took to Twitter to make a post in Armenian on the International Mother Language Day marked on 21 February.In his post, the lawmaker called for native language improvement, stressing it is each person’s honor.“Mother tongue is peace.Mother tongue is justice.Mother tongue is solidarity, equality.Mother tongue is your identity, your honor… Improve your mother tongue!” he tweeted. https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2019/02/22/Paylan-mother-tongue/2076184Garo Paylan - Կարօ Փայլան ✔@GaroPaylan Մայրենին` խաղաղութիւն է։ Մայրենին` արդարութիւն է։ Մայրենին` համերաշխութիւն է, հաւասարութիւն։Մայրենին ինքնութիւն է, պատիւդ է... Զարգացո՛ւր մայրենի լեզուդ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 25, 2019 Report Share Posted February 25, 2019 News.am, ArmeniaFeb 24 2019 Garo Palyan attends opening of exhibition dedicated to Ani00:19, 24.02.2019 An Armenian MP of Turkish parliament Garo Paylan noted that he participated in the opening of the exhibition dedicated to Ani.Paylan tweeted about his participation in the opening of the exhibition “Ani: Poetry of Stones” in Ankara. Osman Kavala, who made a great contribution to inscribing Ani on the UNESCO World Heritage List, could not participate in the opening of the exhibition, as he is in custody.https://news.am/eng/news/498010.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted February 26, 2019 Report Share Posted February 26, 2019 Turkish hospitality at it's best! NOT!AHVAL NewsFeb 25 2019 Armenian Church in Istanbul vandalised in possible hate crime2019-02-25 Vandals have marked the Balat Surp Hreshdagabet Armenian Church in Istanbul with graffiti saying "You are finish", the Armenian newspaper Agos reported on Monday.The church foundation board in a statement said it had delivered all surveillance recordings to the police and filed a criminal complaint.Minority Foundations Representative Moris Levi condemned the attack, according to Turkish news site Sendika.org."These acts are a clear hate crime and our communities are still being subjected to such attacks," Levi said.Armenian opposition lawmaker Garo Paylan posted pictures of the graffiti on Twitter and said authorities should shed light on the people behind the attack."A hate crime has been committed against Balat Surp Hreshdagabet Armenian Church. Hate crimes against churches and synagogues take place several times every year. Not only the perpetrators but the powers behind (the attacks) should be addressed. Above all, hate-generating policies should be ended," said Paylan.Armenian writer Murad Mıhçı also commented on the attack on Twitter. Sharing the images of the church, Mıhçı said:"The walls and the door of the Balat Surp Armenian Church. Its entrance was built with the rocks from the historical church in İznik (Nicaea), where the council met. The church opens one day a year. It is believed to heal people. As they say, "ARE YOU FINISH?", there are no local people left. "New Turkey."https://ahvalnews.com/turkey-armenians/armenian-church-istanbul-vandalised-possible-hate-crime 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted April 13, 2019 Report Share Posted April 13, 2019 PanArmenian, ArmeniaApril 12 2019 MP proposes bringing Armenian Genocide issue to Turkey parliamenthttp://media.pn.am/media/issue/267/591/photo/267591.jpgApril 12, 2019 - 14:31 AMTPanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish-Armenian lawmaker Garo Paylan has weighed in on the recognition of the Genocide by Italy’s parliament and France’s decision to declare April 24 as a day commemorating the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.According to the MP, the issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide should be raised in the Turkish parliament too.“We should remove the issue of the Armenian Genocide from the parliaments of Italy, France or the United States and bring it to the parliament of Turkey, a country where the great catastrophe took place,” Paylan said in a tweet.“The Armenians of Turkey have been waiting for justice for 104 years now.”On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron signed an order declaring April 24 a day to commemorate the Armenian Genocide.Also, Wednesday, the Lower House of Italy's parliament approved a motion calling on the Italian government to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide and raise the profile of the issue at the international level.Armenians commemorate the mass killings on April 24 because on that date in 1915 a group of Armenian intellectuals was rounded up and assassinated in Constantinople by the Ottoman government. On April 24, Armenians worldwide will be commemorating the 104th anniversary of the Genocide which continued until 1923. Some three dozen countries, hundreds of local government bodies and international organizations have so far recognized the killings of 1.5 million Armenians as Genocide. Turkey denies to this day.http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/267591/MP_proposes_bringing_Armenian_Genocide_issue_to_Turkey_parliament Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onjig Posted May 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fimkg0tLj_8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onjig Posted May 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huZvEKtcuxU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onjig Posted May 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlpjNVL-UDw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted April 17, 2021 Report Share Posted April 17, 2021 DuvaR EnglishApril 12 2021 HDP MP Paylan asks if Erdoğan will apologize over 'infidel' remarks HDP MP Garo Paylan has said that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's use of the pejorative word “gavur” (meaning “infidel”) during a speech on April 11 amounted to hate crime. Paylan asked in a parliamentary question if Erdoğan will apologize for his remarks.Monday April 12 2021 05:29 pm Duvar EnglishPeoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Garo Paylan submitted a parliamentary question asking if President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will apologize for using the pejorative word “gavur” (meaning “infidel”) during a speech on April 11.Paylan noted the Turkish Language Association (TDK) in its official dictionary defines “infidel” as “a person without religion, a non-Muslim, someone without compassion and without mercy.”“As a deputy who has been several times exposed to hate attacks through the blasphemy of 'infidel,' it is unacceptable that this hate speech ... is used by the President,” Paylan said in his parliamentary question submitted to Vice President Fuat Oktay.“Don't you know that the word 'infidel' is a hate speech and used as blasphemy against your citizens for generations? Don't you know that the hate speech of infidel causes hate crimes? Aren't you aware that your use of hate speeches as the President will damage social peace? Are you going to withdraw your 'infidel' remark and apologize?” Paylan asked.Paylan's motion came a day after Erdoğan likened the opposition's criticism of the government to a “sword of the infidel swinging” at Turkey. “We are saddened when we see those who are coming on us by swinging the sword of the infidel as if to do opposition, although they have the Turkish Republic identity,” Erdoğan said on April 11, as he addressed a meeting of the women and youth branches of the Union of International Democrats (UID) in Istanbul. https://www.duvarenglish.com/hdp-mp-paylan-asks-if-erdogan-will-apologize-over-infidel-remarks-news-57051 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 May 7 2021 Armenian MP Paylan: I will never give up my fight for Turkey’s democratizationBy SCF -May 7, 2021 Garo Paylan, an Armenian deputy from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) who was threatened by far-right independent member of the Turkish Parliament Ümit Özdağ with facing the same fate as his ancestors, said “he will never give up my fight for Turkey’s democratization.”Paylan spoke to Alin Ozinian of Turkish Minute.In an April 24 statement remembering the massacre of Armenians in their indigenous land by the Ottoman Empire, US President Joe Biden said the word “genocide,” marking a historic moment for Armenians and Turks.Armenian communities across the globe have long been waiting for this step; however, the recognition brought a new wave of denial of the history and a renewal of the hatred of Armenians in Turkey.Turkish far-right independent lawmaker Ümit Özdağ threatened Garo Paylan, an Armenian deputy from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), with another genocide. Özdağ, who was sacked from the nationalist far-right İYİ (Good) Party last year, said in a tweet that Paylan should have a “Talaat ***** experience,” referring to the Ottoman politician who ordered the Armenian genocide in 1915.The knives were out for Paylan, who told Turkish Minute he would continue to fight for the democratization of Turkey and would never give up. “With his tweet, Ümit Özdağ admits the Armenian genocide they denied for 106 years. We know very well that these genocidal crimes went unpunished and therefore are still happening. We Armenians have always lived under ‘Talaat ***** oppression and fear’ in Turkey and have constantly witnessed the hate crimes that have been repeated,” said Paylan.On April 24 Paylan criticized the naming of streets in Turkey after Talaat ***** in a tweet.“We are walking on streets 106 years later named after Talaat *****, the architect of the genocide. We send our kids to schools named Talaat *****,” tweeted Paylan.“You shameless, provocative man. You can go to hell if you’re not happy [here]. Talaat ***** exiled traitors like you, not patriotic Armenians. You’ll go through a Talaat ***** experience when the time comes, and you should,” Özdağ tweeted on April 26 in response to Paylan’s criticism.Turkey’s Human Rights Association and Paylan filed a complaint under the penal code articles of “incitement of enmity,” “insults and threats” and “incitement to commit a crime” against independent lawmaker Özdağ for his tweet amid a heated social media debate on the topic in the days after Biden recognized the Armenian genocide by saying “Each year on this day, we remember the lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide.”Paylan said hate speech leads to hate crimes in Turkey and that he wants to expose this. “I filed a criminal complaint not because I had any hope from the politicized judiciary, but to make a note in history. I hope there will soon be changes in this country, and when that day comes, they will be held to account and answer for what they’ve done. That’s why I’m struggling today.”Paylan, who is frequently the target of insults and threats, knows his struggle for the truth is very dangerous but emphasizes that he will not give up.“We live in a climate of hate, and we are exposed to hate speech every day. This climate of hate and rhetoric causes hate crimes, but I still feel that I’m not alone. Millions of citizens who want Turkey to be a democratic country oppose the government and fight against racist Turkish policies. Regardless, I live with the awareness that this hate speech against me can lead to hate crimes, but this struggle never distracts me from my determination,” Paylan said.Turkey’s parliament on April 27 condemned Biden’s remarks. “As the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, we regretfully and strongly condemn US President Joe Biden’s remarks in a statement dated April 24, 2021 to adopt the Armenian lobbies’ claims on the events of 1915,” said a joint declaration by political parties in the legislature.The parliament called on Biden to correct his mistake by changing his remarks on the events of 1915 in the statement that was approved by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the IYI Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).Only the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) voted against it and called for justice for the Armenian genocide in the land in which it took place. “The great crime went unpunished, and discrimination and hate crimes became commonplace,” said the statement.According to the HDP, the Armenian genocide symbolizes the “politics of massacre” toward the Greek, Syriac, Chaldean, Kurdish, Alevi and Yazidi minorities of Turkey and that confronting this genocidal tendency.is the “sine qua non of a common life together.”Paylan thinks Armenians have been trying to continue living in Turkey since the genocide but says they always remain silent in racist environments. “We experienced a long silence that lasted for three generations, and this silence was broken only after the 1990s, with the struggle for democratization and Hrant Dink’s efforts. After this silence, we, a small number of Armenians who spoke out, introduced the 1915 Armenian genocide to the majority of Turkish society, and even though they were reluctant to use the word ‘genocide,’ they acknowledged this great catastrophe. This is progress that cannot be underestimated.”According to Paylan, the Armenian genocide took place in Turkey, and justice should be achieved again in these lands. Therefore, the first step should be to realize the pain of the Armenians.“We should be the narrators of our history and suffering because only a democratic Turkey can face the Armenian genocide. For this confrontation, we need to support our comrades who are struggling for democracy in Turkey. In the parliaments of the world, genocide is being recognized, but our wounds are not healing. We need to continue our struggle in Turkey where we belong.”Paylan is convinced there is a regression in Turkey today and that the country is in great darkness, but he believes this regression will come to an end and that Turkey will emerge from the darkness.“One thing that should not be forgotten is that millions of people in Turkey accept the Armenian genocide. In this respect the democratization movement should be kept alive in Turkey. I am fighting for democratization and paying the price; I will never give up and will continue my fight. I am not afraid, many people are standing by me. I never think of leaving Turkey. I hope I will not have to do that.”https://stockholmcf.org/armenian-mp-paylan-i-will-never-give-up-my-fight-for-turkeys-democratization/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted November 6, 2021 Report Share Posted November 6, 2021 News.am, ArmeniaNov 5 2021 Turkey FM finds self in awkward situation after Armenian MP's call in country’s parliament12:58, 05.11.2021 Armenian MP Garo Paylan’s call to Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu during budget debates in Turkey’s parliament has been widely covered in the Turkish press.In his speech addressed to the Turkish FM Garo Paylan, an Armenian lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), criticized Cavusoglu for his discriminatory statements against Turkish citizens, T24 reported.Paylan stressed that Cavusoglu should not use the phrase "dear kinsmen" in his speeches, as Turkish citizen Armenians, Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, and other nations also have equal rights in Turkey.The Armenian MP called on the Turkish FM to from now on use the word "countrymen" instead, and not the discriminatory word "kinsmen."According to the Turkish press, Mevlut Cavusoglu found himself in an awkward situation after Garo Paylan's aforesaid remarks.https://news.am/eng/news/670933.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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