Issues of Concern to the Turkish Lobby, Advocacy Groups &
Turkey
POSITION / SUBJECT OF DEBATE
or CONTROVERSY:
WHAT RESPONSES HAVE BEEN TAKEN?
WHAT RESPONSES CAN BE TAKEN?
OTHER ISSUES:
Assimilation
LANGUAGE & PROPOSED CITIZENSHIP TESTS / CARTOON CRISIS: Review
Section
NOTE 1: Genocide (soykırım): The deliberate and systematic destruction of
a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group by means of murder, serious
bodily harm, or mental harm. Genocide was defined as
a crime by the United Nations General Assembly in 1951 (the international legal
definition of the crime of genocide is found in Articles II and III of the 1948
United Nations Convention on the Prevention & Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide). As a consequence of the Nuremberg trials (conducted by an
international tribunal), in which top Nazi leaders were tried for "crimes
against humanity," the UN drew up a treaty defining and criminalizing genocide.
The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly on December 9, 1948, and came
into effect on January 12, 1951.
NOTE 2: Hot
pursuit (sıcak takip): A legal doctrine that permits the pursuit
of persons (suspected of criminal conduct) escaping from one state to another
(by land or by sea). Since the mid-1980’s, hot pursuit has enabled Turkey to
conduct cross-border operations into northern Iraq as part of a fight against
terrorism (and to stop infiltration into Turkey from this area where PKK
terrorist bases are located). Turkey is eager to conduct further unilateral and
joint operations with U.S., Iraqi and other security forces.
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Turkey Embraces 'Hot Pursuit' in Northern Iraq
By Owen Matthews - Newsweek International
May 8, 2006 issue - Could another front be opening
in the Iraq war? Over recent weeks, some 200,000 Turkish troops, backed by
tanks and helicopter gunships, have massed along the mountainous border with
Iraq. Trucks passing from Turkey, ferrying the imported goods and foodstuffs
that are the lifeblood of the Kurdish economy, have slowed from 1,000 a day
to just a couple of hundred. The Turkish military says its troops are there
only to prevent armed insurgents of the Kurdish PKK rebel group from
crossing into Turkey from their bases on Iraq's Kandil Mountain. But last
week, according to angry Foreign Ministry officials in Baghdad, Turkish
commandos briefly crossed 15 kilometers into Iraqi territory in pursuit of
PKK rebels—a move that could signal dangerous new frictions to come.
Compared with the rest of the country, Iraqi
Kurdistan has been a haven of stability—still subject to insurgent bombings,
but generally free of the kind of sectarian violence that has racked Baghdad
and other major cities in recent weeks. But tensions are rising. Shia
militiamen from Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army have begun moving into oil-rich
Kirkuk, claimed as part of Kurdistan. In neighboring Iran last month some
10,000 troops attacked PKK-affiliated rebels who defy Tehran's rule in the
region. And the Turks have grown increasingly frustrated with the 5,000
guerrillas holed up at Kandil. Over the last two months, the PKK and its
political affiliates have stepped up violence inside Turkey to levels not seen
in a decade. At least eight government troops were killed in a series of
ambushes in Turkey's southeast; two bombs linked to the PKK were planted in
Istanbul and, last month, 14 civilians were killed as Kurdish cities all over
the southeast erupted in violence.
Ankara is losing patience with the United States,
which has promised to deal with the PKK problem. Last week Gen. Hilmi Ozkok,
chief of the politically powerful General Staff, claimed that Turkey had the
right to defend itself under the United Nations Charter, hinting strongly that
the military was seriously considering hot-pursuit cross-border raids. (Before
Saddam was toppled in 2003, Turkish troops used to cross the border regularly
chasing the PKK, often with the connivance of local Iraqi Kurdish groups which
had their own differences with the PKK.) And Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in Ankara last week to try
to defuse the crisis, that "we expect the U.S. to do more and to be more
active." In reply, Rice warned that any cross-border operations would have "a
destabilizing effect" on Iraq's fragile security.
Washington is caught between two allies—NATO member
Turkey, its closest friend in the Muslim world, and the Iraqi Kurds, its
closest ally within Iraq. By rights, of course, dealing with the PKK "should
be the responsibility of the Iraqi government," as a senior Iraqi official
puts it, not wishing to speak publicly on security matters. "We will not allow
any PKK attacks on [Turkey] from our soil. But the limits on the central
government are obvious. According to one U.S. official, also not wishing to be
quoted on such a sensitive topic, Washington has been trying to pressure
Iraq's Kurds to crack down on the PKK themselves, before Ankara steps up its
campaign. U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad has several points of leverage. One
is that the Kurds are desperate to have a more or less permanent American
military base on their territory as insurance against a future anti-Kurdish
regime in Baghdad. Another is that the Kurds will need U.S. help to contain
any Shia designs on oil-rich Kirkuk. Also, they need Washington's support in
any deal on the parceling out of the country's future oil revenues.
So, the big question is why the Iraqi Kurds aren't
cracking down on the PKK insurgents, with whom, after all, they once used to
clash. One reason is that, under Saddam, the precarious autonomy of Iraq's
Kurds was largely dependent on the good will of Ankara. That was ample
incentive to keep the PKK in check. But today, Iraqi Kurds are much more
confident. For the first time, they have their own nation in all but name—and
are thus more willing to support the nationalistic aspirations of their 14
million countrymen living in Turkey. In words widely interpreted in Ankara as
a veiled threat to support a Kurdish insurgency inside Turkey if the
cross-border raids continue, Massoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Regional
Government, warned last week that if Turkey tries "to stop our people from
profiting or progressing," then Turkey's own "stability and security" would
suffer. That kind of talk is likely to reinforce Turkey's determination to
stamp out the PKK once and for all—and take their war inside Iraq if
necessary.
With Sami Kohen in Istanbul, John Barry in
Washington and Scott Johnson in Baghdad
© 2006 Newsweek, Inc.
Thousands march in Brussels
Marchers call on EU to push Turkey to give Kurds more rights
BRUSSELS - The Associated Press with TDN Thousands of Kurds took
part in a protest march Saturday to demand the European Union do more to
promote Kurdish rights in Turkey and push Ankara to ease tensions.
Belgian media reported some 5,000 demonstrators from Belgium and Germany
took part in the march, however police could not confirm that number.
Many protesters held posters of Abdullah Öcalan, the chieftain of the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) who was captured in 1999 by
Turkish forces and currently serving a life term at the Imralı prison. The
demonstrators called for more political rights for Kurds in Turkey.
The EU last month said it was concerned by recent deadly clashes
between ethnic Kurdish protesters and security forces in southeast Turkey.
The most violent clashes in decades between Turkish security forces and
ethnic Kurdish protesters recently left 12 civilians dead, while fighting has
escalated between PKK terrorists and the Turkish military.
The 25-nation EU, which last year opened entry talks with Turkey has
repeatedly called on Ankara to give more rights to its Kurdish minority.
Turkish Parliament speaker urges French deputies
Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc yesterday sent a letter to his French
counterpart, asking him not to take sides in the controversial Armenian
genocide matter.
Underlining that judging history should be left to historians, not
parliaments, Arinc said that the French bill, which stipulates punishing those
who deny the Armenian genocide claims, is anti-freedom of expression and
thought, referring to the leading role played by France in the implementation
of basic human rights on the international stage.
Armenian organizations in France announced last week that a bill stipulating
prison sentences would be brought by the Socialist Party (PS) to the French
Parliament's floor for debate on May 18. Later last week the bill also won the
support of 100 deputies in the government, which increased the possibility of
Parliament's approval. In accordance with the French Parliament's 2001
recognition of the Armenian genocide claims, the law could punish
"genocide" deniers with up to a year behind bars.
In related news, the Turkish press reported Monday an exchange of words
between Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and his French counterpart
Philippe Douste-Blazy on the sidelines of last week's NATO foreign ministers
meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria. According to reports, Gul asked Douste-Blazy
whether he would be punished for denying the genocide claims. "What if I or
the Turkish president were to visit France and state 'the Armenian genocide is
a lie'? What would you do? Would you put us in prison?" asked Gul, the press
reported.
ABHaber 02.05.2006
France's Double Standard on 'Genocide'
The French Parliament is preparing to pass a new bill next month under which
people who question the Armenian genocide claims would face up to five years
behind bars.
The French parliamentarians' controversial move coincides with a warning from
Foreign Minister Douste-Blazy to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika not
to "overuse" the term genocide in regards to France's former role as a
colonial power in his country.
Last Monday, two days before arriving in France for a medical visit,
Bouteflika said the French colonization was a form of "genocide" for Algeria's
identity and traditions. The Algerian government claims that the 1954-62 war
of independence cost the lives of 1.5 million Algerians.
The French Parliament adopted a controversial motion in 2001 recognizing the
Armenian genocide claims, resulting in a major political crisis between France
and Turkey.
The Armenian diaspora accuses the Ottoman Empire of deliberately massacring up
to 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1919. Turkey stresses that these
figures are inflated and says that far fewer Armenians died, due to civil
unrest under the conditions of World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman
Empire. Turkey also claims that during the ethnic conflict, thousands of Turks
were also killed by Armenian militants.
Late last year a group of prominent French academics asked politicians leave
history to scholars, and to avoid making decisions about history at
Parliament.
Parliament to discuss 'genocide' denials next month
Armenian organizations in France announced on Monday that a new bill proposing
prison time for those who question the so-called Armenian genocide will be
brought by the Socialist Party to Parliament's floor for debate on May 18.
In accordance with the French Parliament's 2001 recognition of Armenian
genocide claims, the law could punish those who question the claims with up to
five years behind bars.
According to the French Constitution, the government is responsible for the
preparation of laws, but political parties can make limited suggestions during
special gatherings a few times a year. On May 18 it will be the Socialist
Party's turn to outline the agenda of gathering. These special gatherings are
also called window meetings.
The Socialist Party has reportedly assured the Armenian lobby that it will
bring the issue up for debate during its window gathering.
President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, whose
images are tattered following riots against controversial labor law reforms,
are not expected to take a firm stance on the bill, which may boost its chance
of being passed.
Diplomatic sources told The New Anatolian that Turkish Foreign Ministry
officials are warning their French counterparts that passage of the bill would
seriously damage bilateral relations. Turkish officials argue that writing
history should be left to the historians and that Ankara's recent efforts to
normalize relations with Armenia shouldn't be undermined.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last year sent a letter to
Armenian President Robert Kocharian suggesting the establishment of a
committee of Turkish and Armenian historians to study the claims. But
Kocharian refused Erdogan's proposal, saying that the two countries must first
establish diplomatic relations and that committees could be formed only within
the process of normalizing relations.
'Genocide' monuments in Lyon, Marseille
Monuments to honor victims of the Armenian genocide claims were inaugurated in
the French cities of Lyon and Marseille on Monday.
French Transportation Minister Dominique Perben, the socialist mayors of Lyon
and Marseille and socialist Senator Gerarad Collomb participated in the
inauguration ceremony along with Armenians.
Security was tight during the ceremonies to prevent provocation after the
monument in Lyon was spray painted with graffiti last week. The graffiti said,
"There was no genocide."
ABHaber 26.04.2006
Algerian Genocide -
Genocides in History
Between 350,000 and 1.5 million
Algerians died during the
Algerian War of Independence
[2]. Algerians argue that the massacres should be named as
genocide and France must apologise to the Algerians
[8]
[9] However the French do not accept the claims. Algeria's President
Abdelaziz Bouteflika says that French colonization of his country Algeria
was a form of genocide
[10]
[11]
[12]. In memoirs, some French officers have described torture of
Algerians during the war. Edouard Sablier, for instance, one of the soldiers
who took part in the repression, later described the situation: “Everywhere
in the towns there were camps surrounded by barbed wire containing hundreds
of suspects who had been arrested… Often, when we set out to inspect an
isolated hamlet in the mountains, I heard people say, ‘We should punish them
by taking away their crops’.”
[13] A paper called Ohé Partisans, published by the French Trotskyists,
described Sétif as an “Algerian Oradour”. Oradour was a French town where
the Nazi occupiers had murdered over 600 people, including children.
[14]However France has never accepted its responsibility in tortures
and massacres in Algeria. Paris says that the past should be left to
historians. French President Jacques Chirac, upon harsh reactions to the law
encouraging the good sides of the French colonial history, made the
statement, "Writing history is the job of the historians, not of the laws."
Writing history is the job of the historians" According to Prime Minister
Dominique de Villepin, "speaking about the past or writing history is not
the job of the parliament."[3]
The Algerian president
Abdelaziz Bouteflika said in a speech in Paris on
17 April 2006 "Colonisation brought the genocide of our identity, of our
history, of our language, of our traditions".[4]
Algeria first became a colony of France in 1830. When the Algerian
people rioted against the French colonial rule, the French dispatched
400,000 troops to pacify the anti-colonial uprising.[15]
The French colonial forces launched an air and ground offensive against
several eastern cities, particularly Setif and Guelma, in response to
anti-French riots. The crackdown lasted several days and according to the
Algerian state left 45,000 people dead. European historians put the figure
at between 15,000 and 20,000
[16]. French attacks continued not only in Algerian territories but in
France as well. The Paris massacre of 1961 was the most vivid example: On
October 17 the French police attacked an unarmed demonstration of Algerians,
who demanded the freedom of their country from French colonial rule. How
many demonstrators were killed is still unclear, but estimates range from 32
to 200 people. The incident had not been officially confirmed until 1999 as
the French Governments hide the truth.[17]
[18]
[19]
There were executions and widespread arrests during the War of
Independence. "Many European lawyers refused to defend the accused. Villages
were bombed from the air and a town was shelled from a cruiser at sea. The
attacks were more or less random. The point was not so much to punish the
original rioters as to teach the whole Muslim population to know their
place. Settlers set up their own unofficial death squads and killed hundreds
of Muslims. German and Italian prisoners of war were released to take part
in the massacre."
[20]
Abdulkerim Gazali, editor of the Algerian newspaper La Tribune, likens
France's occupation of an independent and sovereign Algeria to Nazi
Germany's occupation of many European countries and claimed this was racism.[21]
After a war which ended in Algeria's independence in 1962, eight million
Algerian residents were deprived of French nationality and hundreds of
thousands of 'pieds noir' (French who settled in Algeria and were re-patriated
at the end of the war) were forced home to a place which was not home.
Ahmed Ben Bella also argues that the
French committed a genocide against the people and Algerian culture:
"Algeria's indigenous population was decimated in the early years of French
settler colonial rule, falling from over four million in 1830 to less than
2.5 million by 1890. Systematic genocide was coupled with the brutal
suppression of Algerian cultural identity. Systematic genocide was coupled
with the brutal suppression of Algerian cultural identity. Indigenous
Algerians were French subjects, but could only become French citizens if
they renounced Islam and Arab culture. A ruthless policy of acculturation
followed, and the remaining Algerians were forced to cease speaking their
native Arabic and use the French of their colonial masters instead. The
indigenous Muslim population of Algeria was not permitted to hold political
meetings or bear arms. They were subjected to strict pass laws that required
indigenous Muslim Algerians to seek permission from the colonial authorities
to leave their hometowns or villages."[22]
Algeria called on
France to apologise in 2005 for crimes committed during the colonial era
[23].
Amar Bakhouche, speaker of the Algerian Senate, similarly reacted that
France did not apologize for massacres it committed in Algeria
[24].
The
1945 Massacres was one of the most tragic massacres French committed in
Algeria. As Le Monde put it, "as France celebrated victory in Europe on 8
May 1945, its army was massacring thousands of civilians in Sétif and Guelma
- events that were the real beginning of Algeria’s war of independence."[25]
Bouteflika also urged the
Paris Government to admit its part in the massacres of 45,000 Algerians
who took to the streets to demand independence as Europe celebrated victory
over Nazi Germany in 1945
[26] . French authorities then responded by playing down the comments,
urging "mutual respect". French Foreign Minister Barnier told Algeria in an
official visit to make a common effort to search history "in order to
establish a common future and overcome the sad pages". Giving interview to
El Vatan, an Algerian newspaper, Barnier said that "Historians from two
sides must be encouraged to work together. They must work on the common
past".[27]
The archives in France on the issue have been kept closed till now. The
French collected all documents regarding the massacres and genocide. For
many, the closed archives are another signs of the Genocide in Algeria. Amar
Bakhouche, the speaker of Algerian Senate, reacted that France keep the
archives related to that period closed. He says the greatest majority of
archives related to that period were brought to France and they were kept
closed. They are not open for French and Algerians. We urged to immediately
open them for public" he said.[28]
Source: Wikipedia, 2 May 2006
Genocides in History
Turkey, France
and revisionism
Nazlan Ertan
02 May 2006
www.thenewanatolian.com
Turkey and France have had a long history of intense and turbulent
relations for the last six centuries. This has, not surprisingly, included
times of cooperation, strategic balancing, intense trade and cultural exchange
and war. There have been moments, such as on the eve and in the wake of the
1997 Luxembourg summit of the European Council, that Turkey regarded France as
one of its key partners in its drive towards the European Union. There have
been others, as we've heard lately, before Sept 3, 2005, when France appeared
to be an obstacle to Turkey's EU ambitions, both in terms of accession and
Cyprus.
For a few months, Turkey has been living through a French spring in the field
of culture, but alas not in politics.
While art lovers are enjoying performances in Ankara, Istanbul and around
Turkey by French masters of their art, diplomatic and political circles are
deeply pensive about the possible damage that would be inflicted on relations
if France passes a new bill on the Armenian "genocide" this month.
The French socialists will almost certainly bring a new bill proposing
penalties to those who question the so-called Armenian genocide to the floor
of the French National Assembly this month during a "window session."
Armenians in France have already welcomed the law, which will come to the
floor for debate on May 18, one of the limited times when the opposition is
allowed to propose laws.
If accepted then it would be a crime -- punishable for up to five years in
prison -- to "deny that the Armenian genocide" took place.
This will be the second time that a debate in the French Parliament on the
Armenian "genocide" has poisoned Turco-French ties. The French Parliament
adopted a controversial law in 2001, which says, in a single line, that
"France publicly recognizes the Armenian genocide of 1915."
When this law, penned by the Socialist Party (PS), was first discussed in
1997, there were various proposals: Some groups suggested that a clause on
revisionism be added to the law, while others wanted to change the date to
1915-1921, when the modern Turkish state was also established.
Then, after three years of being buried in the Senate, the law was finally
passed and signed by President Jacques Chirac. Both French diplomatic and
political circles quickly verified the law didn't contain "revisionism."
The text, said Parisian policy-makers, diplomats and academics, was greatly
different from that of the Loi Gayssot, which made denial of the Holocaust
punishable under the law.
The Turks were unpersuaded. Ankara was certain that once this first law was
passed, a negationism clause would follow sooner or later.
Time, it seems, has proved Ankara right.
In the wake of the conflict around monuments that aimed to "honor" victims of
the Armenian genocide claims dedicated in the French cities of Lyon and
Marseille, the fertile atmosphere for that new law was created.
Many French politicians have judged the graffiti scribbled on the monument to
be a mere act of vandalism, which fed pressure from the strong and
well-organized Armenian lobby on French politicians to "do something."
I'm reluctant to get into a debate on how and under which conditions
historical revisionism (or "negationism") can be reconciled with freedom of
expression, if at all. To me, any negationism reminds me of its most famous
example in literature, George Orwell's "1984."
Nor will I discuss the differences between what constitutes a "genocide" and
what constitutes a "massacre" or wonder out loud whether the international
tendency to shout "genocide" is a factor that, in fact, diminishes the gravity
of other crimes against humanity.
Looking at the situation between Turkey and France, it seems highly probable
that the law will be passed. Take the existing sympathies in the country
toward the Armenian diaspora, the well-organized Armenian lobby and its power,
and all the negative factors against Turkey. Add to this the dialogue of the
deaf between Ankara and Paris on this issue. No Turkish diplomat can be
sufficiently convincing for the French audience on the Armenian question, no
matter what they say, and, vice versa, no French diplomat can explain and make
Turks "understand" the French dilemma on the Armenian question. The civil
societies of both countries don't have a sufficiently developed relationship
with each other to be a serious element in the equation. One hopes, however,
that credible and nonpartisan groups on both sides will come together and
discuss the issue in the coming days.
What makes one uneasy is think that French lawmakers will vote for the new law
without fully realizing what it means. They will know, of course, that
opposing it may border on political suicide. Most will surely think of the
Armenian question itself and conclude, easily and without much of a dilemma of
the conscience, that since France passed a law recognizing genocide five years
ago, why not add another one on revisionism? After all, they might ask, do we
want graffiti on monuments?
Will any of them see the inconsistency when their country's foreign minister
asked Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika not to "overuse" the term
genocide in regards to France's former role as a colonial power in his
country? Will he remember remarks uttered by ex-Prime Minister Lionel Jospin,
who in 2001 rejected a proposal to investigate French "massacres" in Algeria,
saying they should leave judgements on the issue to historians?
Will the same deputies also think that by passing this law, France -- which
was considered an intellectual and academic capital -- can no longer play a
meaningful role on any Turkish-Armenian platform to build a relationship?
Would the same country be better off supporting joint academic studies or a
"Truth" commission on the same question?
A senior diplomat maintained that Turco-French ties, which have been intense
for centuries, will withstand it, but he added, "I'd be sorry to see them
deteriorate in my time."
Hopefully, he won't be the only one to think that, neither in Ankara nor in
Paris, and particularly not in the National Assembly.
Turkish Tourism
Resorts to Master Plan
By Aslihan Aydin, Hamit Calis, Urgup
Published: Sunday, April 16, 2006
www.zaman.com
The Master Plan that will enable the Turkish
tourism sector to act more professionally and systematic is expected to be
completed next September.
Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Atilla Koc said he is uncomfortable
with Turkey being seen as “Sea water” only and added with the master plan to
be completed Turkey’s historical and cultural heritage will also be used.
Koc said they are trying to solve the problems of the sector in cooperation
with the private sector and added, “but since we do not have a master plan our
efforts do not meet the targets.”
Participating in activities in Urgup in the frame of Tourism week in
Turkey, Koc said this particular region is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage
List and emphasized the importance of alternative tourism areas.
“The main reason behind the problems of the tourism sector is the lack of a
master plan,” said Atilla Koc and made some explanations about the studies of
his ministry on this issue.
The Tourism Minister asserted that the majority of the problems in tourism
will be solved after the master plan is completed next September and added.
“75 percent of the Turkish tourism sector serves to sea tourism and the
other 25 percent serves to alternative tourism. And culture, winter,
history and congress tourisms, though more important, constitute only 25
percent. We are trying to develop the 25 percent part even further without
neglecting sea tourism. Antalya and Capadoccia should be connected to each
other. We want to realize this.”
OIC recognizes Northern Cyprus as ‘Turkish State of Cyprus'
The Parliamentarians of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC)
countries, following an earlier step by their respective governments,
yesterday officially recognized the Turkish Cypriots as the "Turkish State of
Cyprus."
The parliamentarians took the decision during a two-day Istanbul Conference of
the Parliamentarian Union of the OIC (PUIC) which ended yesterday. Forty-seven
parliaments of OIC states were represented at the highest level during the
conference.
The OIC, at Turkey's request, changed the official name of the Turkish
Cypriots from "Muslim Community on Cyprus" to "Turkish State of Cyprus" during
the ministerial meeting of the organization in fall 2004, again in Istanbul.
In the Istanbul declaration, the PUIC stated that it "encouraged efforts of
the United Nations secretary-general's good office missions to find a
comprehensive settlement to the problem of Cyprus on the basis of Annan plan
and established parameters such as the political equality of the two sides on
the island."
A call on the international community to take "concrete steps, without further
delay, to end the inhumane isolation" of the Turkish Cypriots was also
included in the final document. The PUIC also stated that it welcomed the
action plan announced by Turkey this January containing a proposal for the
simultaneous removal of embargoes against the Turkish and Greek Cypriots by
different parties.
Final declaration
The parliament speakers of OIC member states also approved a final statement
entitled the "Istanbul declaration" at the end of the meeting. All the member
countries tried to include reflections of their foreign policies in the
declaration. While the Iranian delegation insisted on including the "right of
every state to the peaceful use of nuclear technology," Turkey and the other
countries pressed for and succeed in the inclusion of a phrase that refers to
the need for "effective control" of such activities by the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and in line with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
and inspection protocol.
At the insistence of the Iranian delegation a phrase calling on "the UN
Security Council [UNSC] and the IAEA to declare the Middle East region free of
all weapons of mass destruction [WMDs], especially nuclear weapons" was also
included in the declaration.
Another problematic paragraph of the declaration was about the Middle East
peace process. The Arabs and Iranians together insisted on a strong
condemnation of the European Union's recent declaration of possibility of
imposing economic sanctions on the Palestinian government formed by Hamas
which won the majority in the Palestinian Parliament in January's elections.
While the decision was taken by consensus at the PUIC, efforts by Turkish
diplomats to soften the paragraph didn't work. And at the very end of all the
debates, the parties were only able to reach the agreement that the
Palestinian delegation would write the paragraph. In the end, the paragraph
was passed as follows:
"The PUIC condemns the threats of the EU and U.S. to cut off assistance and
aid to the Palestinian people and its elected authority, and considers these
threats as collective punishment of the Palestinian people for their
democratic option and sabotages the basis and principals upon which democracy
is built."
But in response to such a tough statement, the Turkish delegation intervened
and succeeded in having another phrase added, referring to international
efforts to find a solution to the problem: "Given the importance of the
sustainability of moral and material support to the Palestinian people, calls
on the international community to continue its help to them for achieving a
comprehensive, just and durable settlement through negotiations, based upon
relevant international resolutions, signed agreements, the Beirut Arab Summit
Plan, the roadmap and land for peace principle." Again, as a result of the
Turkish delegation's intervention, a request from "members of the Quartet" --
the U.S., Russia, the EU and UN -- "to reactivate their efforts to resume
peace process without further delay" was included in the final document.
As in almost all the final declarations of gatherings of Muslim states, a
paragraph condemning Israeli aggression against the Palestinians was also
included in the Istanbul declaration.
Terrorism paragraph Turkey couldn't change
Another important part of the final declaration for Turkey were the paragraphs
related to terrorism. The need for international solidarity was accepted
unanimously by all PUIC members. But despite efforts by the Turkish
delegation, a sentence on a "distinction between the legitimate right of
people to resist aggression and foreign occupation and criminal acts of
terrorism" was included in the declaration. While the Arabs and Iranians
insisted that this paragraph refers to Palestinian resistance against Israel,
the lack of reference to any specific problem worried Turkey as it could be
used one day in relation to Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorism. Despite
the Turkish delegation's resistance, another related paragraph also was added:
"The PUIC is convinced that terrorism cannot be fought only by security and
military means but also by realizing peaceful and just solutions to the
political root causes of terrorism."
Islamophobia problem
The paragraph of the PUIC's Istanbul declaration on concerns over "Islamophobia
and defamation of Islam around the globe" was accepted, on the other hand,
unanimously. "The PUIC deplores the association of Islam with violence and
underlines the obligation of all governments to make a strong commitment to
tackling Islamophobia at the local, regional and international level," said
the declaration. The PUIC also emphasized the "responsibility of the
international community, both at the institutional and civil society levels"
to ensure respect for all religions and combat their defamation by applying
the relevant legislation equally to attacks on all religious beliefs and
convictions.
The Turkish delegation also succeeded in having a paragraph included
expressing the PUIC's support for the Alliance of Civilizations initiative,
co-sponsored by Turkey and Spain. ABHaber 14.04.2006
CHP Deputy
and US Ambassador Argue over PKK
By Salih Boztas, Ankara
Published: Tuesday, April 11, 2006
zaman.com
An argument erupted over the PKK (Kurdish Workers' Party) terror network at a
dinner last night hosted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly for the guest
of honor, Turkish-American Friendship Group co-President and US Congressman
Robert Wexler.
US Ambassador Ross Wilson harshly reacted to main opposition Republican
People's Party (CHP) Deputy Sukru Elekdag when he declared that the United
States did not provide sufficient support in the fight against the PKK.
Elekdag mentioned the fight against the PKK in his speech at the beginning
of the evening in which he reminded how the PKK continues to take lives every
day. "You promised to conduct an operation 2.5 years ago against the PKK, but
you did not keep it. The PKK has been encouraged by this and has increased its
activities."
Ambassador Wilson who listened patiently to these criticisms responded, "We
made no promise of conducting an operation."
Another US diplomat intervened, making the criticism, "Mr. Elekdag, the
person you criticize is the greatest friend of Turks in the US."
When Elekdag retaliated: "You did promise; is it so hard to cut the
logistic support to the PKK? You have so many troops there," Wilson replied:
"This is nonsense. It is ridiculous that you are making such a connection."
Following the CHP deputy's reproach, Wilson stepped back and said, "These
are just emotional reactions."
Wilson tried to ease the tense atmosphere developing with Elekdag by
saying, "You are a friend of the US. Let’s talk about your concerns in
private"
The disagreement dissipated as Elekdag replied, "I certainly am a friend of
yours, and I would like to meet and talk about this in private."
Washington and its 'awkward partner' AK Party
Ayhan Simsek 11 April 2006
www.thenewanatolian.com
Is the Bush administration withdrawing its support from the Justice and
Development (AK) Party government? Are we going to face swift developments in
domestic politics in the coming months, in the wake of a possible U.S.
operation against Iran?
These might sound like naive questions to some observers, but nowadays they
are often heard in the Turkish capital among political circles. Recently
published articles of prominent U.S. security analysts like Alex Alexiev and
Frank J. Gaffney accusing the AK Party of having a hidden Islamic agenda and
betraying the U.S are being seen as signals of a sea change in Washington's
attitude towards the AK Party. Last week's visit to Washington of Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's two senior advisors, where they faced highly
critical questions by Pentagon officials on the AK Party's recent foreign
policy orientation, have only added fuel to these discussions.
But what's really going on between the Bush administration and the AK Party?
It's clear that there are concerns about controversial AK Party steps such as
direct talks with Hamas and critical words about U.S. foreign policy, but
would calling them a deep crisis between Washington and the AK Party be an
exaggeration?
My answer would be yes, at least for the time being and for at least three
reasons.
First of all, we have to see that when talking about Washington we're talking
about the State Department, the Pentagon, the Congress, various lobbying
groups, think tanks and so on. While any statement by a prominent figure
representing any of these is generally perceived in Turkey as a signal of the
administration, this is in fact not the case.
While the U.S. Jewish lobby harshly reacted to the Hamas invitation of the AK
Party for example, the State Department gave a more cautious response, though
it was also uncomfortable with various aspects of that. In addition, the
disagreements among the State Department and the Pentagon about the AK Party
government, with some in the latter still angry with its rejection back in
March 2003 for Turkey to allow U.S. troops here in the leadup to the Iraq
invasion, is evident to many observers.
Secondly, we have to see that critical articles on the AK Party's "hidden
Islamic agenda" appearing in the U.S. press are attracting more interest in
Turkey than the U.S. Their influence on the U.S. administration seems to be
more limited than it is thought to be, and it is really doubtful whether they
are signals of uneasiness within the Bush administration. The political
opposition in Turkey is masterfully using these pieces to create a climate to
show that AK Party's support is falling sharply.
Finally, we should understand that AK Party has entered an elections
atmosphere. In the past Turkish political parties used to practice economic
populism, promising people big wage hikes, cheap housing and easy car loans,
etc. Now the AK Party seems to be going with another line, populism through
foreign policy. Erdogan wasn't able to satisfy his Islamic grassroots on the
issues of ending headscarf restrictions, expanding religious vocational imam-hatip
schools and so on. His recent shift to an Islamic solidarity rhetoric in
foreign policy and his critical words against some policies of the U.S. seem
to represent more practical steps towards such an aim.
Can the U.S. still count on such a partner? Well, when one looks at the broad
spectrum of U.S.-Turkish relations, there are still more areas of common
interest than differences. Iraq, Afghanistan, the Caucasus and Central Asia,
Cyprus and Turkey's EU process are some of the main topics along these lines.
Even on the Iran issue, recently Turkey has showed stronger support to the
international community's initiatives asking Tehran to cease its sensitive
nuclear activity. Turkey, as a secular, democratic country with a
majority-Muslim population, is still the only example for the Middle East
region showing that democracy can co-exist with Islam. And here the AK Party,
which claims to be a moderate conservative party, has a special role.
The rhetoric of being "strategic partners" is certainly not relevant in
Turkish-US relations any more, but the U.S. administration still needs its
"awkward partner" the AK Party for some more time.
EU concerned by violence in Turkey
31 Mar 2006 Source: Reuters By Ingrid Melander
BRUSSELS, March 31 (Reuters) - The European Union expressed serious concern
on Friday over violent clashes which have killed six people, including two
children, in southeast Turkey and urged Ankara to improve the rights of Kurds in
the region.
Stone-throwing Kurds have been clashing with riot police in Diyarbakir since
Tuesday, turning the city of one million people on the River Tigris into a
battle zone.
It is the worse violence in the Muslim nation since it began accession talks
with the 25-nations European Union last October.
"We are very concerned by the latest tensions in the southeast of Turkey and
the violence which have resulted in casualties," said Krisztina Nagy,
spokeswoman for the EU's Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.
"We are aware of the serious terrorist problem in the region but it is a much
wider problem than just a security issue."
More than 30,000 people, most of them Kurds, have been killed since the
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) took up arms for a Kurdish homeland in Turkey in
1984.
Turkey, the European Union and the United States all see the PKK as a
terrorist organisation, but the EU has also repeatedly urged Ankara to grant
greater cultural and linguistic rights to its 12 million Kurds. Under pressure,
Turkey's government has passed some reforms, but implementation has remained
patchy.
Nagy urged the Turkish authorities to address "urgently" the lack of economic
development and cultural rights in that region.
"The region needs peace, economic development and real exercise of cultural
rights for Kurds," Nagy said, adding that this was not a new problem and was
raised constantly by the European Commission in its talks with Turkey.
Asked whether the EU executive was critical of Turkish police actions, Nagy
said she was worried by the whole situation.
The clashes first erupted on Tuesday after funeral ceremonies for 14 PKK
rebels killed by troops last weekend.
An eight-year-old child died overnight in hospital. A man and a child were
shot dead on Wednesday and a second man was crushed under a police armoured car.
It was not immediately clear when or how the other two people died.
Political analysts say the clashes reflect local anger over high
unemployment, poverty and Ankara's refusal to grant more autonomy and cultural
rights to the mainly Kurdish region.
Police spokesman Ismail Caliskan said the PKK was behind the violence.
U.S.: 'Roj TV Must Be Shut Down'
The United States urged Denmark to shut
down the PKK-supported Roj TV channel. Roj TV has encouraged the recent riots
in south-eastern Turkey. Some of the manegers of the Roj TV are high-ranked
PKK members.
Matthew Bryza, the US State Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for
southeastern Europe and Central Asian affairs, has commented on the
controversial separatist Kurdist television channel Roj TV, which is currently
broadcasting out of Denmark.
Said Bryza, "The US wants Roj TV to be shut down." Bryza made this statement
at a press conference following a meeting with his counterparts in the Turkish
Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Bryza also commented that the US would be cooperating with both EU countries
and Turkey in trying to block mechanisms-media and otherwise-that were working
to support the PKK in Europe.
PKK has offices in Denmark and Belgium. The PKK is a terrorist organisation
according to the EU, UK and US laws. Turkey accuses Denmark of supporting
terrorism. The PKK killed more than 20.000 Kurds and Turks in 25 years.
Melahat TUZCU JTW, 7 April 2006
www.turkishweekly.net
Ankara Closely Following All PKK Media Activities
Turkey's expectation of the
eradication of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from neighboring
Iraq is adequately clear, Foreign Ministry spokesman Namık Tan said on
Wednesday, while calling on the international community as well as U.S.
and Iraqi authorities to take the necessary initiatives.
Tan said during a weekly press conference
that “a process is currently going on” concerning Ankara's demand of
closure of the Copenhagen-based Roj TV, which Turkey says provoked deadly
clashes in southeastern Anatolia.
Roj TV has been a source of tension
between Turkey and Denmark for the last two years. Only late last year
Denmark launched an investigation into whether Roj TV has links with the PKK
-- classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and
the United States -- and refuses to take action until the investigation
is complete.
The Danish Radio and Television Board
ruled last year that the station's programming could not be considered
inflammatory but said it had asked police to look into alleged ties between
Roj TV and the PKK.
Turkey had previously succeeded in
ensuring the closure of two other European-based Kurdish television
stations. MED-TV had its license revoked in Britain, while France refused to
grant a license to its successor, MEDYA-TV.
The closure decisions in Britain and
France were made by administrative courts, whereas the Roj TV issue was
being handled by a criminal court in Denmark, Tan noted and added Turkey
timely sent all evidence concerning the issue to the Office of Denmark's
Chief Prosecutor.
Turkey has been closely following all the
PKK's activities, including those related to the media, Tan said when asked
about allegations that a pro-Kurdish news outlet -- Fırat News Agency,
which is believed to have links with the PKK -- has been broadcasting from
Dallas.
Roj TV
denies stoking Turkish violence:
A day before Tan's recent remarks on the
issue, Roj TV head Manouchehr Tahsili Zonoozi denied in an interview with
the Reuters news agency Turkish accusations it was stoking street violence
in the Southeast of the country and said it sought only to give a voice
to people Ankara refused to heed.
Zonoozi said he planned to set up a
24-hour Kurdish language news station -- a proposal likely to further anger
Ankara.
Zonoozi, sitting before a map showing
borders of a projected independent Kurdish state embracing parts of
southeastern Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria, told Reuters he had no links to
the PKK though its members had contacted the station during phone-ins.
“We give voice to people they [the Turkish
government] don't want to hear,” he said in the interview at his office in
the center of the Danish capital.
“They say we are fully responsible for
driving people on to the street; they think of us as the enemy.”
Zonoozi says his channel, a mix of news,
culture and entertainment with a Kurdish theme, provided objective
uncensored journalism. Denmark had effectively backed this, he said, in
turning down Turkey's demands to shut the broadcaster.
“We don't support either side, but it's
all happening to the Kurds.”
He said it was only a matter of time
before he added a 24-hour news channel to his media outlets, which
include a radio station and music TV channel.
He said the Danish government had
already given him the license and he just has to find the extra cash.
Google
Alert for: Turkish lobby March 24, 2006
Kurdish Quest for Independence and Prospects
for Statehood
KurdishMedia - UK
http://www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=11737
... Northern Kurdistan and mentioned the legacy and birth of the
Turkish state that ... Kurdish American community to become more
active and to lobby their government ...
18th Annual KNC
Conference, March 17-19, 2006 – Gaithersburg (North Washington DC)
The Kurdish National
Congress of North America concluded its 18th annual conference on Sunday March
19th. The focus of this year’s conference was to encourage in-depth discussions
on all four parts of Kurdistan and to bring political leaders, intellectuals and
independent activists from East, West, North and South together. As in the past
17 years, the 18th Annual Conference got under way with the raising of the
Kurdish flag. Dr. Wafa Khorsheed welcomed the attendees on Friday by briefly
mentioning the last year’s achievements and encouraged everyone to fully
participate in the three day events.
Mr. Shwan Karim, KNC board member and chair of the Youth Committee introduced
the first panel by listing some of the activities of The Kurdish American Youth
Organization (KAYO), a KNC affiliate, and pointed out the importance of youth in
the future of our nation. Subjects ranged from runaway youth and honor killings
to inter-racial and arranged marriages. Panel members included Ms. Aryan Akrayi,
Ms. Sheinei Saleem, Mr. Nezar Ahmed Tovi, Mr. Ara Alan and Mr. Butan Amedi. Much
emphasis was given to young Kurdish women’s rights and the value of
communication between parents and their children who have been raised outside
Kurdistan. Goran Sadjadi, the president of KAYO also spoke of the organization’s
web site and the services they provide including a place for youth to publish
their own articles and opinions.
Several guest speakers followed with a diverse set of topics. Dr. Jaques Wilson
of Kurdish Human Rights Watch (KHRW) listed many projects in Southern Kurdistan
that are in process and answered questions on status and focus of these
projects. Dr. Kamal Artin highlighted the importance of unity to achieve
independence, which has been described by some leaders as wishful thinking. He
argued wishful thinking of other oppressed nations as well as noble ideas of
anti slavery movement, woman’s rights activists, and many others who have made
an improvement in people’s lives have come true. He differentiated between ideas
and behaviors that serve humanity and those that are against it. He concluded
that Kurdish dream of independence is just a matter of time and achievable with
unity among Kurds and support from international community, since it is a noble
and humanistic idea or “wishful thinking”. Dr. Kirmanj Gundi focused his talk on
Northern Kurdistan and mentioned the legacy and birth of the Turkish state that
resulted in banning of Kurdish culture as well as denial of its existence and
attempts to obliterate the Kurdish identity. He followed by saying that: “In the
1980s, our people saw another terminology added to describe their identity, the
so-called Good Kurds, Bad Kurds”. He followed by discussing the role of the
United States’ government, for coining the term “Good Kurds” for the Kurds in
Iraq, who assisted the U.S. in its war to remove Saddam Hussein’s regime. And
that: “The term “Bad Kurds” the U.S. has graciously applied to describe our
brethren in Turkey”. Mr. Bakhtyar Zuhdi, stressed that Kurdish independence can
only be secured by economic independency. He reminded us that, our rural areas
should be revitalized and become more productive and that our light industries
need to grow to a level of providing sustainability in case economic blockade is
imposed on an independent Kurdistan. He believes that we are a long time away
from economic independency in Southern Kurdistan.
Chairman of the 18th Annual KNC Conference, Mr. Thomas Ver Ploeg opened the
Saturday sessions by welcoming attendees and guests and touching on the current
events of Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Kurdistan. He stated that
these are times of great change and that this has been said for the past 18
years which is testament to rapidly changing political climate in the Middle
East. He also repeated the emphasis of this year’s conference on different parts
of Kurdistan and encouraged all attendees to engage in discussions that were
planned specific to each occupied region as well as the free region in Southern
Kurdistan.
Sherkoh Abbas of the Kurdish American Committee for Democracy in Syria chaired a
panel on Western Kurdistan and gave a report on the formation of the Kurdish
Front for Promoting Democracy & Freedom in Syria. He followed by reading the 13
points issued by the participating political parties of the Washington
Conference held the previous week. The panel consisted of political party
representatives and independent Kurdish leaders such as Mr. Mobarak Al-Khaznawiand
and Mr. Abdel Baqi Yousif from Yeketi. Panel members discussed their desire for
regime change in Syria to a democratic one that would recognize a federal
Kurdish state. Kurdish parties are taking a leadership role in creating a
formidable opposition to the Baath Party instead of following behind their Arab
counterparts. Also, the newly released report from Refugee International,
“Buried Alive” about the stateless people of Western Kurdistan was mentioned
several times and praised.
The panel on Eastern Kurdistan was diverse and included five representatives
from Kurdish political parties. Ms. Soraya Serajeddini introduced the topic by
recounting the victimization of Kurds in Iran and the need for Kurds to take a
leadership role in the Middle East. She stressed that while we should not allow
the world to forget the atrocities committed against Kurds, it is time now to
act as leaders and not victims. Panelists discussed their desire and
accomplishments towards forming a political front in Eastern Kurdistan. Mr.
Hamid Bahrami of Komala Party stressed the need to stop the Iranian nuclear
program and gave reasons why this move by the current regime in Iran is
destabilizing the world and the Kurds’ responsibility at this junction in time.
Mr. Shamsi of Komala articulated the long history of Kurdish national struggle
and its unique characteristics in relation to other ethnic groups in Iran. He
recounted his party’s role in promoting civil groups in Iran struggling to
achieve a better life and tied it to the national struggle of Kurds and their
resistance movement. During the question and answer session, Dr. Morteza
Esfandiari of KDPI stressed that his party included many Shiaat Kurds such as
himself. He also stressed the need for the Kurdish opposition to work closely
with other ethnic groups in Iran. Aref Bawajani of the newly formed Party
Serbasti pointed out the failed attempts at federalism and limited self
determination for Kurdistan and presented his views of independence for Eastern
Kurdistan from Iran as the only viable option. Zagros Yazdanpanah, North
American representative of the Revolution Union of Kurdistan followed by
mentioning that his party believes in an independent Kurdistan but will work
within the platform of a Federal Democratic Iran for the time being.
KNC paid a special tribute to Professor Dr.Ahmad Ali Uthman delivered by his
long time friend, colleague, and KNC past-president Dr. Hikmat Fikrat. Professor
Uthman passed away on December 14, 2005 leaving a great void in the heart of all
his friends and associates who had the pleasure of knowing him. Dr. Uthman was a
professor of Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine at New York State University in
Buffalo and a past Dean of the Dental College of the University of Baghdad. He
was a true Kurdish patriot. He had a real passion for the causes of his beloved
people and that of the subjugated Kurdish nation at large. Ahmad Uthman was one
of the founding members of KNC and a past executive vice president and general
secretary of the organization as well as a founder and past president of the
Kurdish-American Medical Association (KAMA). As KNC members said their final
farewell to him, they vowed to keep his legacy alive and follow his footsteps in
the service of their nation. (A full text of the memorial address in addition to
photos of Dr. Uthman can be found on the KNC website). A letter from Dr.
Uthman’s family thanking KNC for the special tribute was read to the audience.
Dr. Saman Shali, KNC president, addressed the attendees describing the past year
as one filled with optimism as well as frustrations. He noted that the call for
independence has increased in the region and for the first time in our history,
an opportunity has opened up to demand that our right to self-determination be
respected. He added that Kurds have worked very hard to implement the process of
democratization in Iraq and have participated actively in all the elections and
have become the glue to hold Iraq together. In conclusion he called on the
international community to recognize the rights of the Kurdish people equally in
all parts of Kurdistan, and to stop labeling the Kurds as “Bad Kurds and Good
Kurds”. He also urged the international community and organizations to conduct a
national referendum throughout Kurdistan, asking the Kurdish people for once
what they want and to stop the policy of making decisions for them behind doors.
Dr. Asad Khailany opened the discussion on Northern Kurdistan by pointing out
major changes in the U.S foreign policy. He continued that while in the past
decades, the U.S was willing to work with dictatorships and sacrifice democracy
for stability the current line of thinking is shifting towards achieving
stability through the promotion of democratic governments. Mr. Christopher
Hitchens, the renowned journalist and political analyst spoke of the U.S
government’s realization that Kurds are an ally once the Turks denied US forces
of using their bases to launch an attack on Saddam’s regime. Mr. Brusk Reshvan
stressed the necessity of forming a unified front for representing all political
parties and personalities in Northern Kurdistan and the creation of concrete
solution proposals for the Kurdish question so that everyone would know what
Kurds want. Ara Alan of KAYO stated the need for dialogue between the US and the
European Union and the Kurdish parties in Turkey. The panelists further
expressed their skepticism about EU’s role and motivation re-iterating that EU
is mainly interested in keeping the Kurdish problem away from its borders. It
has not announced any solution proposals to the Kurdish question so far and is
unlikely to do so in the future. The Kurdish question for the EU is a sub-topic
under the Copenhagen Criteria. On the solution to the Kurdish question in the
North, the U.S can play a more effective role; the southern experiment is
unfolding currently and it is highly expected that both in West and East the U.S
might be a great factor. They also mentioned the need for the Kurdish parties of
the North to have a clear Kurdish message and not to continue their failed
strategy of trying to be pluralistic democracy parties with diluted programs.
Mr. Jeff Klein of KurdishMedia.com concluded the panel by recounting the
positive effects of Turkey’s bid to join the European Union and recounted his
experiences before and after the reforms in Amed. He told the audience that the
towns and villages and the people are expressing their identity more freely and
while Turkey’s EU membership is not be the whole answer, it has helped the
struggle in Northern Kurdistan.
Dr. Najmaldin Karim introduced the panel on Southern Kurdistan, mentioning the
achievements as well as disappointments of the last few years. He mentioned the
lost opportunity of adding Kirkuk to the Kurdish controlled region and
declaration of independence in 2003. Dr. Liam Anderson, an expert on
constitution documents opened his talk by listing some of the shortfalls of the
draft Iraqi constitution. He expressed reservations that the process for a
democratic constitution would succeed in Iraq and even if it did, whether the
spirit to implement a democratic constitution exists in Iraq. Christopher
Hitchens participated in this panel as well and re-iterated that the
relationship between Kurds and the United States and the West in general has
changed forever because of the war in Iraq. Qubad Talabani, PUK representative
in Washington DC, mentioned accomplishments and much work ahead for the KRG. He
explained that while independence is ideal, we need to build our infrastructure
such as a bank. During the question and answer session, Mr. Talabani appealed to
the Kurdish American community to become more active and to lobby their
government on behalf of Kurdistan. He also denounced the burning of the Halabja
monument which was the overwhelming opinion of the conference attendees.
Later on Saturday evening, KNC honored Dr. Najmaldin Karim, co-founder and past
president of KNC and current president of the Washington Kurdish Institute with
its annual “Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr. Karim’s contributions to the
Kurdish struggle were chronicled in a slide show prior to the banquet and
included his tremendous effect in promoting the Kurdish plight both in the
United States and in Kurdistan. The award ceremony continued with presenting the
first KNC “Kurdish Artist Appreciation” award to Zuhdi Sardar, a longtime KNC
member and supporter. Mr. Sardar has promoted the Kurdish cause through his art
for decades and is a well-known painter and sculpture in the United States and
the world.
Mr. Nijyar Shemdin, the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) representative in
North America and the UN, addressed the conference on Sunday with a message of
support from Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister of Kurdistan. Mr. Shemdin stated
that the Prime Minister wishes success for the conference and appreciates what
KNC is doing for Kurds and Kurdistan. He also relayed to the members the great
efforts of the Kurdistan Regional Government in trying to keep Kurdistan safe
and prosperous by way of fighting the spirits of evil who do not want a secure
and safe Kurdistan. He followed by saying that the Prime Minister asks all
international organizations including KNC to support the KRG in this effort.
The KNC 18th annual conference concluded with the election of the Board of
Directors and a committee to review the organization’s bylaw. The newly elected
KNC Board then met and selected the KNC Executive Committee. Results from the
elections are as follows:
Dr. Saman Shali President
Ms. Soraya Serajeddini Vice President
Mr. Buland Baban Treasurer
Mr. Tom Ver Ploeg Secretary
Dr. Wafa Korsheed Board Member
Dr. Kamal Artin Board Member
Mr. Shwan Karim Board Member
Miss Lana Salih Board Member
Mr. Brusk Reshvan Board Member
The conference ended with calls and recommendations to the International
community and the Kurdish leaderships:
Call for Unity among Kurdish organizations and parties for the creation of a
common strategy and National Agenda.
The conference attendees emphasized the new realities and opportunities in
Western and Eastern Kurdistan for gaining Kurdish right to self-determinations.
The importance of Turkey to be a part of the European Union while recognizing
the cosmetic nature of many of the reforms implemented up to this point.
Conference attendees call on the European Union to accept Turkey to the union
only when real democratization takes place in Turkey.
The Kurd in Southern Kurdistan facing challenges starting with the new
constitution to the possibility of the civil war. The conference called on the
Kurdish parliament to be prepared for establishing a Kurdish state and to
lobby for support of the US, UN and other allies especially if civil war breaks
out. No one can blame the Kurds of breaking away from Iraq because the
Kurds did everything in their power to keep Iraq together.
Speed up the re-unification of the two Kurdish Regional Governments in Southern
Kurdistan.
Call on UN to conduct a national referendum in Southern Kurdistan.
KNC must aggressively lobby the U.S State Department, the Senate, and the
Congress to change its policy with regards to the Kurdish issue and equally
promote democracy and Kurdish rights in all parts of the Middle and Near East
including the occupying governments of Iran, Syria and Turkey.
Public Relations & Media Contact: Soraya Serajeddini (408) 834-5557
The Kurdish National Congress of North America
P.O. Box 545
Millersville, MD 21108
Tel: 408-834-5557
USA
P.O. Box 1663,
Lake Forest, CA 92630
USA
www.kncna.org
Tel/Fax: 949-583-1417
Public Relations & Media Contact: Soraya Serajeddini (408) 834-5557
Assyrian Universal Alliance-Australia
Chapter
CLICK TO SEE FULL TEXT
ASSYRIAN PETITION
FOR RECOGNITION OF ASSYRIAN GENOCIDE
TO THE NSW LOCAL GOVERNMENT
for recognition
of the genocide perpetrated against the Assyrian people during 1914-1918 and
onwards.
The Assyrian people fell victim to
the genocide against Christians in the Ottoman empire and its aftermaths and
today is continuing to face state sponsored denial causing the truth to be
distorted and history to be rewritten as an arbitrary fable which systemically
prevents mankind from taking any shielding lessons from history which only can
preclude the demons of genocide from having their sway ever again.
Whereas
the Assyrian genocide is either forgotten or even still unknown in the world and
at any rate not recognised,
Whereas
the Assyrian people in its historical homeland in Iraq, Syria, Iran and Turkey
suffers from attacks on its very existence and national identity by way of
disenfranchisement, oppression, expulsion as well as forced imposition of
dominant majority cultures in the sense of ethnocide;
Whereas,
the Assyrian community in
Australia enjoys the recognition of its unique national character and a
dedicated promotion of its cultural rights by the Australian Government;
We
herewith appeal to the
Australian government and the competent institutions of the Australian state for
an express act of official recognition of the Assyrian genocide.
For more information:
Assyrian Universal
Alliance-Australia Chapter
http://www.aua.net/assyrian_genocide.htm
Genocides
Against the Assyrian Nation (612 B.C. - 1999 A.D.)
http://www.aina.org
ALLEGED GENOCIDE CLAIMS 1 -
Armenian
ALLEGED GENOCIDE CLAIMS 2 -
Hellenic/Pontus
ALLEGED GENOCIDE CLAIMS 3 -
Assyrian
ALLEGED GENOCIDE CLAIMS 4 -
Kurdish
AKTAN: ''ERMENI IDDIALARININ ABD'DE TANINMASI CIDDI TEHDIT''
WASHINGTON - Emekli Buyukelci Gunduz Aktan, Ermeni soykirimi iddialarinin
ABD'de taninmasinin, Turk-Amerikan iliskilerine ciddi bir tehdit
olusturacagini soyledi.
Emekli Buyukelci Omer Lutem ile birlikte ABD'de Ermeni iddialariyla
ilgili bir dizi konferans vermek uzere bulunan Aktan, Turk-Amerikan
Dernekleri Asamblesi'nin (ATAA) ABD Kongresi'nin calisma binalarindan
Rayburn'de duzenledigi toplantida konustu.
Aktan, ''Eger ABD Kongresi, sozde soykirim iddialarini kabul ederse
veya ABD Baskani George Bush 'soykirim' sozunu kullanirsa, bunun bizim
iliskilerimiz uzerinde kesinlikle siyasi etkisi olacak. Bu, iliskilerde
ciddi tehdide yol acacak'' dedi.
Gunduz Aktan, parlamento ve devlet baskanlarinin soykirim iddialarini
tanimasinin yasal yukumlulugu bulunmadigini, ornegin Fransa'da bu
iddialarin kabul edildigini, ancak sonra unutuldugunu soylemekle birlikte,
''Asil sorun, siyasi ve psikolojik. Turk insani, boyle bir seyin olduguna
inanmiyor'' diye konustu.
Aktan, baska ulkelere gore ABD'nin ''biraz daha onemli'' oldugunu
soyledi.
Turk-Ermeni Uzlasma Komitesi'nin uyelerinden oldugunu hatirlatan
Aktan, Ermenileri soykirim olmadigina ikna etmenin imkansizligina isaret
etti. Soykirimin kanunla tanimlandigini belirten Aktan, bu yuzden konunun
mahkemeye goturulebilecegini kaydetti.
Aktan, Ermeni iddialariyla Yahudi soykirimini da belli acilardan
karsilastirdi ve ''Yahudiler, Yahudi olduklari icin olduruldu. Kimse
Turkiye'de Ermeni karsiti degildi. Yahudiler, dusmanla isbirligi yapip
Almanya'dan toprak almaya calismiyordu'' dedi.
Emekli Buyukelci Omer Lutem de, ozellikle Ermeni diasporayi ikna
etmenin imkansiz gorundugunu belirtti ve bundan Ermenistan Cumhurbaskani
Robert Kocaryan'in doneminde Ermeni kamuoyunda soykirim iddiasi fikrinin
derinlestigini soyledi. Kocaryan'in aktif sekilde bu iddiayi
destekledigini belirten Lutem, 8 yil once bu konuyla bas etmenin daha
kolay oldugunu kaydetti.
Ote yandan iki emekli buyukelcinin Los Angeles'taki Guney California
Universitesi'nde verecekleri Ermeni soykirimi iddialarina iliskin
konferans, universite yetkilileri tarafindan hicbir gerekce gosterilmeden
iptal edildi. Iptalle ilgili aciklama, Turkiye'nin Los Angeles
Baskonsoloslugu tarafindan yapildi.
24 Mart 2006 www.turkishforum.com
AB
İslam' ve 'terör'ü yan yana getirmeyecek
AB
ülkeleri resmi açıklamalarında "İslam'ı kötü amaçlarına alet eden terörist
tarafından yapılan eylemler" ifadesini kullanacak
Avrupa Birliği (AB), özellikle 11 Eylül'den sonra dünya gündemine oturan "İslami
terörizm" ifadesini, dini ve kültürel hassasiyetleri göz önüne alarak
yumuşatmak için kolları sıvadı. AB üyesi 25 ülkenin diplomatları tarafından
desteklenen yeni çalışmalar kapsamında AB yetkilileri, "köktendinciliği
tartışırken kullanılacak, hassasiyet yaratmayacak bir terminoloji" bulmaya
çalışıyor. Gözden geçirilecek kelimeler arasında "köktendinci" ve "cihat" da
bulunuyor.
"Hassasiyeti anlıyoruz"
Brüksel'deki AB yetkilileri, kullanılması hukuki açıdan zorunlu olmayacak bu
yeni ifadelerin, AB hükümetlerinin yanı sıra Avrupa Komisyonu ve Avrupa
Parlamentosu gibi Avrupa kurumları tarafından kabul edilmesinin beklendiğini
kaydediyorlar. Konuyla ilgili ilk belgenin Haziran'da yapılacak zirvede
benimsenmesinin umut edildiğini dile getiren bir AB yetkilisi, vazgeçilmesi
planlanan "İslami terörizm" ifadesiyle ilgili açıklamasında, şöyle dedi:
"Bu, kesinlikle kullanmayacağımız bir söylem. Burada asıl söz ettiğimiz, 'İslam'ı
kendi kötü emellerine alet eden teröristler.'Ne dediğimizi anlamamıza ve hata
yapmamızı engellemeye yardımcı olacak bu dil, AB kurumlarının ve üye ülkelerin
de rehberi olacak. Bu, belli bir dilin kullanılmasının yarattığı hassasiyetten
haberdar olma girişimidir." İsmi açıklanmayan AB yetkilisi ayrıca, teröristlerin
kullandığı "cihat" kelimesiyle ilgili olarak da, "Cihat, senin, benim
için başka; bir Müslüman içinse başka bir anlam taşır. Cihat, kendi içinizdeki
kötülüklerle mücadelenizi anlatan tamamıyla olumlu bir kavramdır" diye konuştu.
VATAN'a konuşan bir AB yetkilisi de AB'nin terörizmle ilgili yeni stratejisini
şöyle açıkladı: "AB Devlet Başkanları'nın 17 Aralık 2005 zirvesi sırasında,
terörizmle mücadelede yeni strateji oluşturulmasına karar verilmişti. Bu yeni
stratejide açıklanan amaçlardan bir tanesi de, teörizmle mücadele ederken,
insanlar arasında ayrılık duygusu yaratılmaması olarak açıklandı. Bu nedenle
terörizmden bahsederken, kullandığımız sözcüklere çok dikkat etmeye karar verdik.
Bunun için AB'nin 25 ülkesinin uzmanlarından bir çalışma grubu oluşturuldu.
Terörizmle ilgili yeni bir jargon üretecek. AB ülkelerine rehber niteliği
taşıyan bu yeni terörizm terminolojisi, zirvede rapor halinde, devlet
başkanlarının önüne sunulacak."
13.04.2006 www.vatanim.com.tr
A Saddening View In Washington D.C.
Asli Aydintasbas, a columnists of the Sabah daily who was in attendance at the
annual meeting of the American-Turkish Council (ATC) in Washington D.C.,
explained her impressions in her column on Wednesday.
''For the first time in my life, I was engulfed in sadness when I entered the
conference hall. ATC meetings are not ordinary events. In fact, those meetings
were used to be held with the participation of leading figures from the
Turkish government, business circles and the General Staff. American senators,
military officials, bureaucrats and executives of giant companies were used to
attend the ball prior to the meetings. Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline project was
shaped during those meetings. But this year, the conference hall was half
empty.
Of course it is not a problem of bad organization but is the sign of
'confidence crisis' in bilateral relations. I talked to a high-level American
official at dinner and he told me that everybody was fed up with talking about
Turkish-American strategic partnership. He also said that there were obvious
problems. He did not attend the ATC meetings, but complained about the movie
''Valley of Wolves-Iraq'', the visit (to Ankara) of Hamas delegation,
distressing developments at the (Turkish) Central Bank and the possibility of
legalization of the Koran classes by the government. He was afraid of Turkey's
metamorphosis into a new Malaysia.
This was the sad view I observed in Washington D.C. in the spring of 2006.
I asked another high-level American official whether he would attend the ATC
meetings. He told me that he rather prefer to go to a dinner to be hosted by
the Armenian National Congress.
As usual, the resolution on the so-called Armenian genocide will be on the
agenda in April. Turkey do not rely on support of the Jewish lobby in
Washington D.C. any longer. Some say that the resolution might have a coercing
impact on U.S. senators. In that case, we will have to forget about 50-year
Turkey-US friendship.''
Opposition to Turkey's denial of Armenian Genocide growing
24.03.2006 http://www.yerkir.am/eng/index.php?sub=news_arm&id=22456
YEREVAN (YERKIR) - “While it is hard to compare the
strength of lobbies that are working on very different issues, it is clear that
the Armenian lobby is strong and growing stronger, confident in the knowledge
that as Armenians - in the homeland and the Diaspora - we are collectively the
authors of our own destiny,” Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
Executive Director Aram Hamparian stated in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net.
“Here are just a few examples of our progress. We launched the pioneering
California-Armenia Trade Office to increase bilateral trade and create jobs in
the U.S. and Armenia. In just the past two years, due in large part to our
efforts to normalize U.S.-Armenia trade relations, Armenian exports to the U.S.
rose from $37.6 million (2003) to $45.8 million (2005). The growth of our local
ANCA chapters to more than fifty - particularly in non-traditional states such
as Nevada, Arizona, Florida, and Texas. The increased level of assistance to
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, which has amounted to $1.6 billion since 1991 -
and especially the new $235 million Millennium Challenge grant to Armenia.
The growing opposition to Turkey's denial of the Armenian Genocide in the U.S.
Congress, the media, and academia. For example, within the past year the
Armenian Genocide Resolution passed a key Congressional committee by a vote of
40 to 7, a dramatic increase over the 24 to 11 vote on a similar measure in
2000. Also, 38 of the 50 U.S. states have recognized the Armenian Genocide,” he
said.
Turks in Germany, France protest Armenian claims
March 20, 2006
www.turkishweekly.net
Some 5,000 Turks rallied under the slogan "Take your flag and come to Berlin"
over the weekend in Berlin to urge the German Parliament to reverse its
decision to acknowledge Armenian genocide claims.
The Talat Pasha movement, responsible for the rally, was initiated by Workers'
Party (IP) leader Dogu Perincek and former Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) President Rauf Denktas. Many representatives from Turkish political
parties and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) participated.
The participants in the rally marched from Berlin's An der Urania Street to
Ernst Reuter Square chanting "Long live Turkish-German friendship," "We didn't
commit genocide, we defended the country," and "The genocide lie is a U.S.
game." While they carried signs showing photos of Turkish diplomats killed by
Armenian terrorists, they also called on the German Parliament to denounce the
genocide claims.
During the rally, the crowd stopped at Steinplatz where Talat Pasha was
assassinated in 1921 and sang the Turkish national anthem.
Delivering a speech to the crowd, Perincek said, "Nobody can bring us to our
knees by accusing our nation of massacre." He also lashed out at the decision
of the German Parliament making Turks out to be "butchers," saying, "The
German Parliament has stabbed Turkish-German friendship in the back with this
decision." He also urged the Parliament to annul the earlier recognition.
Stressing that an erroneous decision by Germany should not be included in
German textbooks, Perincek said, "Don't put hatred and antagonism in
textbooks. Don't make Turks and Germans enemies."
Perincek also lambasted German Chancellor Angela Merkel's undertakings to ban
the rally, saying, "Merkel should speak in German, not in American." The IP
leader also claimed that the Armenian genocide claims serve the U.S.' Greater
Middle East Initiative (GME), adding that the recognition of the claims is not
for the benefit of Germany.
At the head of the rally, Denktas laid flowers where Talat Pasha was
assassinated. Sunday, a general assembly to commemorate Talat Pasha was held
in Berlin. Last year, the same group held another demonstration to mark the
82nd anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne. During that rally, Perincek lashed
out at a decision by Switzerland to punish those who deny the Armenian
genocide claims, saying, "The Armenian 'genocide' is an international lie,"
after which the prosecutor from Winterthur opened an investigation into
Perincek and the incident turned into a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and
Switzerland.
Turks in Lyon protest inauguration of Armenian monument
Turkish associations in Lyon, France organized a rally over the weekend to
protest the Lyon Municipality's decision to dedicate a monument commemorating
the so-called Armenian genocide.
The rally began at Place Bellcour with the members of various Turkish
associations participating while carrying Turkish and French flags. Some 1,500
Turks participated in the rally and chanted slogans against the inauguration
of the monument. The rally ended at the Lyon Municipality Building, where
protestors laid a black wreath at the front door.
French police used teargas to disperse a number of Armenians who were trying
to provoke protesters as a means of preventing a dangerous escalation of
tension between Turks and Armenians.
The Lyon Municipality made its decision in 2004 to dedicate a monument to
commemorating the alleged Armenian genocide. They also decided to make a
45,000 euro contribution towards the total cost of 130,000 euros for the
monument and ceremony.
Certain French NGOs together with UNESCO opened a lawsuit against the
construction of the monument, claiming that it will violate the district's
aesthetics. Some 150,000 Armenians live in Lyon.
In 2001, the French Parliament recognized the Armenian genocide claims, a move
which created a diplomatic row between Ankara and Paris.
The New Anatolian
Turkish NGO's to protest France's
'genocide' recognition
ABHaber 13.03.2006
Turkish groups in France are set to join forces in Paris today to work to
overturn the French Parliament's recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide.
For the first meeting of an umbrella committee spearheaded by local offices of
the Anatolian Culture Centers and Kemalist Thought Association, some 300 Turkish
associations in France were invited.
Today's meeting is going to be held to exchange ideas for the goals and work of
the committee. A public statement after the meeting is planned to announce how
the committee will campaign against the legislative recognition.
At a press conference last week, the groups organizing the committee meeting
demanded that Parliament's recognition of the "genocide" in 2001 be reversed,
saying that judging history was up to the historians, not lawmakers.
March Against 'Genocide' Monument in Lyon
By Ali Ihsan Aydin, Paris
Published: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
zaman.com
Having
been a matter of political discussion for the last two years, the construction
of the so-called Armenian genocide monument has started in Lyon,
France.
Opposition associations
in Lyon, claiming it would distort the historical fabric, failed prevent the
construction of the monument in the historical center of the city, which is
included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Associations resorted to
the court to overturn the decision.
Turkish citizens
protesting the Lyon Municipality and the construction of the monument will march
in Lyon after Paris.
The
Council of Turkish Culture Associations in
Rhone-Alpes returned empty handed from the municipality in its
efforts to stop the construction.
Though they showed
pictures proving that the monument was being constructed solely for the
so-called Armenian genocide, the association voiced that the municipality
parried their demand by saying that the
monument was being built for all genocides.
Turkish
associations asked for a demonstration permit, notifying that Turkish people in
and around Lyon would
march on March 18.
The French, who built
Komitas genocide monument in a UNESCO protected area in 2001, has not been able
to find an appropriate place to build the statue of Ataturk, despite Turkey's
efforts for years.
Turkish Diaspora forms New
Platforms Against Armenian Genocide Claims
The Turkish diaspora is stepping up efforts to rescind recognition of Armenian
genocide claims and to win support against its proponents ahead of April 24, the
date Armenians say is the anniversary of the so-called genocide.
While Turkish associations in
France
joined forces under an umbrella committee to overturn the 2001 French law
recognizing the Armenian genocide claims, the Workers' Party (IP) gathered over
the weekend in
Istanbul
to outline plans for the Talat Pasha Movement, which will include a mass rally
in
Berlin
on Saturday to denounce the Armenian claims.
The Turkish groups' decision to put forward a unified response to French
recognition of Armenian genocide claims came during a meeting on Sunday with the
participation of representatives from 10 associations under the leadership of
the
Anatolian Culture Center
and the Kemalist Thought Association.
Besides starting an initiative to bring about the repeal of a the French law
that recognizes the Armenian genocide, the umbrella committee decided to launch
an initiative to give concrete answers "based on historic realities to foreign
claims that aim at damaging Turkish independence." They also decided to conduct
programs to inform and inspire Turkish society against Armenian claims and to
inform French society about the realities of the issue.
Representatives of Turkish associations in
France
stressed at the meeting that they are not against the existence of Armenians but
aim at making the historic realities supported by documents an issue of
discussion for French citizens.
Turkish associations also stated they will give priority to the publishing of a
book in French. They also announced that they will gather again next month to
view strategies and activities that will be followed during the campaigns.
At a press conference last week, the groups organizing the committee meeting
demanded that the French Parliament's recognition of the alleged genocide in
2001 be reversed, saying that judging history was up to historians not
lawmakers, making reference to an earlier statement by French President Jacques
Chirac.
As part of the activities to overturn Armenian claims, the organizers of the
Talat Pasha Movement met over the weekend in
Istanbul
to finalize preparations to launch the movement in
Berlin
beginning on Saturday.
A mass demonstration aimed at denouncing Armenian genocide claims, to be held in
Berlin
under the slogan "Take your flag and come to
Berlin,"
has caused tension between
Turkey
and
Germany.
Flyers announcing the movement read, "If Western capitals don't want to be
burned like
Paris,
unjust treatment towards Turkey
must end."
IP leader Dogu Perincek and former Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
President Rauf Denktas will lead the planned demonstration with the
participation of many representatives from Turkish political parties and
European non-governmental organizations (NGOs) within the framework of the Talat
Pasha Movement. The main aim of the group is to put pressure on the German
Parliament to remove official recognition of the Armenian genocide claims. The
movement also aims to attract some 5 million supporters, including some 1,000
from
Turkey.
Denktas is expected to lay flowers at the place in
Berlin
where Talat Pasha was assassinated on
March 15, 1921
by an Armenian, and an assembly will gather in a memorial for Talat Pasha on
Sunday.
In an effort to hamper these efforts, the German Embassy in
Ankara
turned down yesterday visa applications for some who might be intending to
participate in the demonstration.
The same group last year also held a demonstration to mark the 82nd anniversary
of the Treaty of Lausanne. At that demonstration Perincek lashed out at a
decision by
Switzerland
to punish those who deny the Armenian genocide claims, saying, "The Armenian
genocide is an international lie," after which the prosecutor from
Winterthur opened an investigation into Perincek and the incident turned into a diplomatic
crisis between
Turkey
and
Switzerland.
ABHaber 14.03.2006
Excerpt from
The New Anatolian March 2006
Czech President Vaclav Klaus stressed on Sunday that stirring up and bring the
past events back to the agenda of the international community is useless,
saying, "Who will benefit from Turkish recognition of the Armenian 'genocide'?"
Speaking to German daily Der Spiegel, Klaus questioned the necessity of facing
the past, saying, "The past is the past. Nowadays the European Parliament is
urging Turkey
to recognize the Armenian genocide claims. Who will benefit from this
recognition? Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the suppression of
the
Prague
spring reform process by harsh methods in 1968, saying that his country takes
moral responsibility for the events of 1968. This was a gesture for the
Czech
Republic
but I don't think that we have to discuss with Putin the things a former Soviet
leader did to us. In other words Putin is not the inheritor of Leonid Brezhnev
and I am not the inheritor of the communist regime that took power in 1948 in my
country."
Activities to be held in Berlin against
genocide allegations:
ANK – Turkish Daily
News
Germany-based Kemalist
Thought Association and the National Channel Berlin Representation are expected
to hold a series of activities between Match 15-19 to counter allegations of an
Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in the last century. Ali
Çelik, head of a group called “Berlin Talat Pasha Movement,” said they would
hold a demonstration on March 18 as part of activities against alleged genocide
claims.
He went on to say that
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and former President Süleyman Demirel also
extended support for their activities and noted that former Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (KKTC) President Rauf Denktaş would travel to Berlin to
participate.
Çelik said the goal of
the activities was to abolish a political resolution adopted by the German
parliament in favor of the alleged genocide as well as to prevent any attempt to
include accusations against Turks in school textbooks in Germany.
GERMAN AUTHORITIES BAN
PLANNED BERLIN
DEMONSTRATION DENYING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Press Release- European Armenian Federation March 2006
BERLIN, GERMANY - The German government has stepped in to prohibit a
planned March 18th demonstration in Berlin by Turkish organisations that
deny the Armenian Genocide.
The prohibition, announced on March 13th, is based on Article 189 of the
German penal code, which prohibits offensive acts against the deceased. In
their press release, German authorities mentioned "people killed in 1915,"
but without precisely noting the historical context of the Armenian
Genocide.
The planned demonstrations in Berlin were to be the first large-scale
initiative of the "Talaat Pasha Committee." This organisation was created
in early 2006 in honor of Talaat Pasha, the leading figure responsible for
the Armenian Genocide. It was instituted by the Turkish government and
gathers together the representatives of a broad range of Turkish political
parties. The ex-"president" of the occupied northern territory of Cyprus,
Rauf Denktash, is the president of the organisation.
The European Armenian Federation has called attention to the fact that the
slogan used to rally supporters for the demonstration was: "You are Talaat,
you are Atatürk, take you flag and come to demonstrate." This formulation
established the clear link that the organization recognizes exists between
the Young Turk genocidal regime and Mustafa Kemal's Republic.
The aim of this "Major Operation 2006," which was to occur in Berlin, was
to counter Germany's recognition of the Armenian Genocide, prevent the
teaching of this crime in European schools, and to absolve the criminal
Talaat Pasha of his guilt. In the weeks leading up to the protests
cancellation, public indignation in Germany and throughout Europe led to
many component Turkish associations - including the Turkish Association of
Berlin and groups aligned with the ruling AKP party in Turkey - withdrawing
from the event.
The Executive Director of the European Armenian Federation, Laurent
Leylekian, stated that "This matter shows that Turkish deniers give in when
the Europeans stand firm behind the historically accurate and politically
responsible position that their hateful brand of denial has no place in
Europe." He concluded that, "we call upon all European political
representatives to always demonstrate this level of determination in the
face of unprecedented attacks by deniers, not only against Armenians but
against all Europeans."
Armenian genocide demo banned in Berlin
14
March 2006
BERLIN
- Political leaders and human rights groups on Tuesday welcomed a decision
by
Berlin
police to ban demonstrations aimed at the Armenian genocide in World War
I.
Police on Monday banned two protests due to have been held in the German
capital this week which supported the official Turkish position that
killings of Christian Armenians by Muslim Turks in 1915 did not amount to
genocide.
Organizers of one of the protests warned Europe's
cities would "go up in flames like Paris"
unless Europeans stopped blaming
Turkey
for the Armenian genocide.
The
ban was justified by police who said they feared violence and because they
suspected demonstrators would try to both
deny
and glorify the events of 1915.
"It
is unacceptable when planned demonstrations seek to deny the genocide of
Armenians during the First World War and make veiled calls for violence in
Germany,"
said Frank Henkel, the opposition Christian Democratic Union interior
affairs spokesman in the city government.
A
human rights group, the Society for Threatened Peoples, also welcomed the
ban and called for legislation to prevent all public events denying or
glorifying genocide or war crimes.
Most
Western historians term the Armenian killings genocide and say that
between 1 million and 1.5 million Armenians were killed or died during the
massacres.
Parliaments in at least seven European countries, including
France
and
Sweden,
have passed resolutions saying the killings were genocide.
Germany
has about 1.8 million resident Turkish nationals out of a total population
of 82 million.
Mainstream Turkish-German groups had withdrawn support for the
controversial demonstrations at the weekend.
www.expatica.com
Germany lifts ban
on Talat Pasha demonstration
The New Anatolian / Berlin
March 19. 2006
The German Administrative Court late Tuesday lifted a ban on the Talat Pasha
demonstration, saying that the march will not harm Armenians.
The march set for Saturday in Berlin aims to have recognition of the Armenian
genocide claims by European countries rescinded. The court's decision follows a
ban imposed on the march by Berlin's police department on Monday.
The court also underlined in its decision that the march isn't an insult to the
souls of dead Armenians.
The march, which has the slogan "Take your flag and come to Berlin," has caused
tension between Turkey and Germany. Flyers announcing the movement read, "If
Western capitals don't want to be burned like Paris, unjust treatment towards
Turkey must end." Workers' Party (IP) leader Dogu Perincek and former Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas will lead the planned
demonstration with the participation of many representatives from Turkish
political parties and European non-governmental organizations (NGOs) within the
framework of the Talat Pasha Movement. The main aim of the group is to put
pressure on the German Parliament to remove official recognition of the Armenian
genocide claims. The movement also aims to attract some 5 million supporters,
including some 1,000 from Turkey.
Denktas is expected to lay flowers at the place in Berlin where Talat Pasha was
assassinated on March 15, 1921 by an Armenian, and an assembly will gather in a
memorial for Talat Pasha on Sunday.
In an effort to hamper these efforts, the German Embassy in Ankara turned down
yesterday visa applications for some who might be intending to participate in
the demonstration.
European Union-Turkey Relations: Copenhagen Criteria Not
Enough?
(Murat Sogangoz/JTW/Ankara) The recent developments in the European
Union may strengthen the views in Turkey that the EU will never accept
Turkey as a full member. Since a portion of the Turkish society believes
that the EU does not genuinely have an intention of accepting Turkey, the
latest demand of France to insert political criteria for the opening of
each chapter will be a reason for them to further oppose to the EU
perspective of Turkey.
According to Zaman, France insisted on its demand during the European
Council meeting of the EU Heads of States and Governments. Despite the
objections of the EU Commission, Britain and Italy, France does not give
up. It demands that in the opening of all the chapters, Turkey must be
monitored about the political criteria related to the chapter.
According to Zaman, France's insistence on political criteria in actual
membership talks is receiving support from around 20 member countries, but
Italy and Britain are among "four or five" other member countries
resisting the idea.
"An overemphasis on enlargement might lead to corrupting the enlargement
project forever," said diplomatic sources, who claimed France does not
mention the minority issue.
The Turkish government maintains that political criteria should only be
brought up as an additional clause in two chapters: Chapter 23: Courts and
Basic Rights, and Chapter 24: Justice, Freedom and Security.
Other member countries such as France, Germany, Austria, Greece and the
Greek Cypriot administration, are pressuring the Commission to add
political criteria to other chapters as well.
Those EU members who favor the inclusion of political criteria in each
chapter do not seem to act honestly. Such a measure will be a violation of
the Negotiation Framework Document adopted by the EU. The framework of
accession negotiations should not change from country to country. Some
modifications may be acceptable in new enlargement waves, but this measure
seems to be a discriminatory step aiming to slow down or hamper the
accession process of Turkey.
Copyright © 2005 Journal of Turkish
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