Turkish Islamic-conservative government will strengthen its legislative framework to combat violence during protests after the pro-Kurdish riots that rocked the country this week, said Sunday President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “The Republic of Turkey is not a state if it was not able to bend a few thugs. They burn but they will pay the price. We will do more, “promised Mr. Erdogan in a speech in (…)
France: Armenian presence at demonstrations in support of Kurdish Kobané
Chanting “Kobané resistance,” thousands of people have again demonstrated Saturday in France, particularly in Paris, in support of the Kurdish city in northern Syria attacked by jihadist group Islamic State (EI).
Gathered Republic Square in the center of the capital, the protesters – 6,000 according to organizers, 5,000 according to police – then walked to Bastille, behind a banner asking, “What are you waiting for action I need regular. Another massacre? “.
“Kobané stand, the people will win”, “Daesh (another name for IR) No pasardn” could also read several placards.
Many red flags of the Workers Party of Kurdistan (PKK) were brandished by the demonstrators, who stepped slogans against Turkey, “accomplice” in their jihadist of IE.
“We urge the international community to stop their inaction and failure, which appear hypocritical in the long,” he told AFP Yekbun Eksen, representative of the Democratic National Coordination of Kurds in France, at the initiative of the gathering.
Denouncing “gruesome calculations Turkey,” member of the international coalition against IE but refuses to join the Kurds of Syria to rescue Kobané Mr. Eksen asked “to let the volunteers take up arms.”
“How can we let our brothers and sisters are being slaughtered?” Lamented Canan Seyhan, a Kurdish nurse 35 years based in Paris, “disgusted by the lack of support from Turkey.”
– “Armenian Presence” –
Several celebrities including Olivier Besancenot Pierre Laurent spoke, urging the French government to protect the Kurdish people against the jihadists of IE. Also note the presence of representatives of the Armenian community including Alexis Govciyan (Chairman of the 2015 mission CFC) filmmaker Robert Kéchichian. Ara Toranian, Co CCAF and Antoine Bagdikian, President of the Armenian Institute of France spoke at the finish of the event to expose the duplicity of Turkey against jihadists and affirm solidarity with Armenians Kurdish resistance. Daniel Augustus, association support Assyrian-Chaldeans also intervened in this direction.
Ara Toranian, co-chair of the American Chamber of Commerce forum
“France must stop his agitation game with Turkey and make it clear that it supports,” said the national secretary of the PCF Pierre Laurent, demanding “the removal of the PKK terrorist organization.”
– “Game disorder” –
In Lyon, 200 to 300 people marched through the city center to “condemn the hypocrisy of Western countries, including France, against the Kurds Kobané” according Dersini Azad, spokesperson of the “support committee the resistor Kobané “.
The protesters carried flags of Kurdistan or the effigy of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. Among the claims set out in the leaflets: delivery of weapons to the Kurdish resistance or withdrawal of the PKK terrorist organization in the European Union.
In Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin), the event was attended by 600 people. A man, 26, outside the event, with a long knife and brass knuckles, was arrested and taken into custody. Earlier police used tear gas to prevent early skirmish between demonstrators and a man in a car, which had perhaps caused, police said.
Friday night, about 400 demonstrators gathered in Bordeaux and Bayonne to a hundred.
The pro-Kurdish demonstrations increased since mid-September on Advanced Kobané jihadist AR. These strengthened their hold on Saturday much of the city desperately defended by Kurdish forces less able, the UN expressing concern for the lives of thousands of civilians.
More than 20,000 people have also demonstrated Saturday in Dusseldorf, Germany, a country whose Kurdish community is considered the largest in Europe, followed by France.
Photos Robert Kéchichian
France MARSEILLE South curb CFC 2015 Armenian Genocide 2015
Gathered around the three presidents, the organization presented Friday, Oct. 10 at the Church of Prado, ideas and some plans for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
From Toulouse to Menton, to Avignon, Marseille and Nice, the Armenians of southern France are already actively preparing 2015-Azad Balalas Kazandjian (FRA Dashnaksutyun), Simon Azilazian (JAF) and Jacques Donabedian (AGBU) discussed face Press the main lines of action of the CFC South from January 2015 Julien Harounyan (JAF) and Annie Stepanow were also on the rostrum.
“Until now, the presidency was divided between representatives of different associations. We opted for a collective presidency at the approach of the 100th anniversary of the Genocide of 1915, says Simon Azilizian. We will be assisted by a legal commission, headed by Master Levon Djolakian and logistics committee overseen by the apostolic scouts. One hundred years later, Simon Azilizian continues, Turkey is still in denial. It is expected that in France campaign promises on the recognition of the first genocide of the twentieth century is finally realized. “
“This year, the sacred union is required insists Azad Balalas-Kazandjian. We must show that the Armenians are more united than ever. “
“The legal issue of Genocide recognition is part of Marseille, said Jacques Donabedian. Despite the adverse decision of the Constitutional Council in 2012, we do not give up, we keep fighting. Advertising for Turkish Airlines is an action by the Turkish government to push through denial. It’s like a swastika in the back! We struggle against a state that develops arménophobe propaganda. “Head of Mission in 2015, Julien Harounyan must” coordinate and organize all actions. We want to create a project labeling and centralize all energies. There will be an exchange of projects and national gateways. The mission, Julien exposes Harounyan has the will to succeed in 2015 which will also be a militant year. There is a work of memory, advocacy and criminalization of the Armenian Genocide to achieve. We are already working closely with local and regional authorities.
April 24, 2015, all the bells of the churches of France will ring at 19 h 15 We want to achieve a space for the memory wall survivors.
Blue Cross is planning to plant 50 trees. Finally, in January, the JAF International organizes Amnesia with CSI (International Scientific Council) which will Marseille, “concludes Julien Harounyan in the introduction of a 100th anniversary will be rich in events and emotions.
Gilbert DULAC
Sunday, October 12, 2014,
Ara © armenews.com
Ara © armenews.com
1915-2015 They participate in the Campaign Recognize The Armenian Genocide #
Launched October 5 on a citizens’ initiative, following the Armenian official operation, the Campaign Recognize The Armenian Genocide # Facebook is taking a certain magnitude. The audience, all faiths and nationalities are called to join by posting a picture with the poster (printable HERE) for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide which it will be the 100th commemoration April 24, 2015.
Already, as evidenced by these photos, several personalities have lent themselves readily to the operation.
Fethiye Cetin, a lawyer and Turkish writer, activist human rights
You also post your photo on this page Facebook See HERE . The only condition to be registered with the social network.
Armenian memorial on the Internet HERE
Sunday, October 12, 2014,
Jean Eckian © armenews.com
Jean Eckian © armenews.com
Armenians to break ground on Genocide monument in Fresno
The Armenian Community of the San Joaquin Valley will break ground on a monument dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The event will take place at the Fresno State Maple Mall, located south of the Satellite Student Union, Fresno, California, U.S., on Nov 2, according to Asbarez.
Built from béton brut (architectural concrete) and tufa stones, the monument will embody symbols of cultural meaning to the Armenian people. Its principal components will be arranged in a circular pattern and angled inwards, reminiscent of the Tsitsernakabert memorial in Armenia. The nine pillars that will comprise the body of the structure represent the six provinces of historic Armenia, Cilicia, the Diaspora, and the Republic of Armenia. An incomplete halo will be set above the columns, signifying both the fracture left by the Genocide and the unity of the Armenian people.
The ceremony will mark construction of the memorial, which will be christened on April 24, 2015.
As many as 1.5 million Armenians lost their lives in the period 1915—1923 at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish government. On April 24 1915, the Young Turk regime arrested and eventually executed hundreds of Armenian religious, academic, and political leaders—it was the first step in its intent to exterminate an entire people. Many succumbed to starvation and exhaustion during state-mandated deportations or “death marches” that left Western Armenia devoid of its native inhabitants even to this day. Others were murdered outright, often in ways that defy all sense of humanity. According to historians, legal experts, and more than 20 nations throughout the world, the planned and systematic nature of these atrocities clearly constitute a genocide as defined by the United Nations’ Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
The Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee—Fresno is an organization made-up of representatives from religious, educational, social, and political organizations of the Central Valley. The group’s goals are to commemorate the 1.5 million martyrs who perished at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish government; to educate others about the Armenian Genocide and historical injustice; and to inspire people to overcome adversity through the story of the survivors’ of the Armenian Genocide. In addition to the monument, the AGCC—Fresno is organizing and promoting numerous events in the coming year.
The Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.
The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.
Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.
The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, the Italian Chamber of Deputies, majority of U.S. states, parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium and Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Chamber of Commons of Canada, Polish Sejm, Vatican, European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.
Photo: Asbarez
Armenia President hopes Azerbaijanis also study at UWC Dilijan College
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan wants for Azerbaijani students to likewise get an education at the United World Colleges (UWC) Dilijan College in Armenia.
The President expressed such a wish at Saturday’s official opening of this school.
“I’m confident that this day will come, and I want this day to come as soon as possible,” he added.
Sargsyan congratulated the College staff and students, and thanked all those who had assisted in the construction of this school.
“We [, Armenia,] are not planning on competing with anyone with natural resources and exploiting the mineral resources of one’s own country. Mineral resources are limited. We [, on the other hand,] will consistently develop the human capital,” the President specifically stated.
He added that since the UWC Dilijan College is an international school, students from a variety of countries will be getting an education there, and this will create new opportunities for Armenia.
Serzh Sargsyan also donated two books on Armenia’s monuments to the school, and formally unveiled the plaque of the UWC Dilijan College.
Death toll from Turkey clashes rises to 37
The death toll from clashes between Turkish police and pro-Kurdish protesters across the country has risen to 37.
Speaking to reporters in the capital Ankara on Friday, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said 31 people were killed and 351 others injured in the protests that resumed for the fourth consecutive day in various cities, the Hurriyet Daily News reported.
“This spiral of violence should immediately be stopped,” Ala said, adding, “Everyone should do their part to put an end to these incidents. We should all stand in solidarity with each other.”
Over 1,000 protesters have been detained in 35 provinces, he noted.
Hours later, Turkish news agencies reported that six more injured people, including two police officers, died in hospitals.
Police used tear gas and plastic bullets to disperse the protesters who were trying to march to Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Friday. Several people were detained in the crackdown.
The protesters are outraged at the Turkish government for its stance on the ongoing fighting in Syria’s Kurdish town of Kobane.
They accuse Ankara of inaction over the crimes committed by the ISIL Takfiri terrorists by preventing Turkish Kurds to join Kobane’s citizens in their fight against the militants.
The ISIL terror group launched its assault on Kobane three weeks ago, forcing 200,000 mainly Kurdish residents to flee into neighboring Turkey.
The terrorists have committed widespread acts of violence, including mass executions, abductions, torture and forcing women into slavery in the areas they have seized in Iraq and Syria.
Syrian Kurds repel 7 ISIL attacks on Kobani
Kurdish militants continue defending the northern Syrian city of Kobani, thwarting seven overnight attacks by the ISIL terrorists aimed at capturing the city.
According to Kurdish sources, the Takfiri militants intensified their onslaught from the south, west and east of the Kurdish city.
Kurdish fighters also foiled at least two attacks by ISIL terrorists near the center of Kobani.
Meanwhile, a UK-based Syrian opposition group says the US-led coalition carried out at least two airstrikes in the eastern and southern parts of Kobani overnight.
However, head of the defense council in Kobani Ismet Sheikh Hassan has dismissed the airstrikes as ineffective, and warned of a possible massacre if Kobani falls to the ISIL.
On Friday, the United Nations’ envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura warned that thousands of people “will most likely be massacred” if Kobani falls into the hands of ISIL Takfiri militants.
De Mistura further noted that he feared a repeat of the 1995 massacre in Srebrenica, when Bosnian Serb forces marched into the town, and killed more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys at execution sites.
He also urged the Turkish government to allow Kurdish volunteers to cross the border into Kobani and defend it against ISIL militants.
According to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is close to the Syrian opposition, ISIL forces pushed forward on Thursday, and now control at least 40 percent of Kobani, including all eastern areas, a small part of the northeast and an area in the southeast.
However, local Kurdish officials say the Takfiri militants are in control of a small part of the strategic border town.
The weeks-long intense battle for the strategic town has forced nearly 200,000 people to take refuge in Turkey.
Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide 34- Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı
By: Hambersom Aghbashian
Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı, (born 30 April 1981, Izmir -Turkey ) is a Turkish journalist and columnist. He was first discovered by Ahmet Altan, the head-columnist of “Taraf“, and was enrolled as a columnist for Taraf ( 2008 -2011), and then for Sabah since 2011. He is a popular political commentator on various TV programs, having started at CNN Turk and now appearing on Beyaz TV. Kutahyali is known for his anti-militarist and liberal political views. He began with a “pro-liberal” political view, and he was involved in reporting the coup attempts in Turkey in the newspaper.(1)(4)
In December 2008, 200 prominent Turkish intellectuals released an apology for “The great catastrophe of 1915”. This was a clear reference to the Armenian Genocide, a term still too sensitive to use so openly. The text of the apology stated “My conscience does not accept the insensitivity showed to and the denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in 1915. I reject this injustice and for my share, I empathize with the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers and sisters. I apologize to them”. Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı was one of the intellectuals who signed it.(2)
In his article “How I faced the Armenian genocide”, AlMonitor-Apr 22, 2014, Kütahyalı wrote, “Ninety-nine years ago, one of the region’s Christian people, the Armenians, fell victim to a great tragedy they call it Metz Yeghern, or genocide…” “Today, I tell of my own mental journey and the transformation of conscience I experienced on this issue as a Turk. I speak of how I faced up to the massacres of Armenians and Christians and how the truth scarred my inner being. The road to acceptance was definitely hard, but I eventually came to terms with the truth. The Armenians were uprooted from the lands where I lived. Hundreds of thousands of them were slain brutally on the orders of Talaat Pasha’s Young Turk government. In the ensuing Kemalist era, Turkey’s Christians and Jews were again expelled from their homeland. It was an unmistakable act of ethnic cleansing, which is denied by Turkey. Such denial, on top of everything else, is shameful.
At the end he wrote ” So, that’s my personal story. I no longer deceive myself. What happened in these lands in 1915 was a great tragedy, a genocide against Armenians, a crime against humanity. Every “but …” argument about this crime makes me nauseous.”(3)
In another article in AlMonitor -Aug. 22, 2013, ” Who Poisoned Former Turkish President Ozal?”, Kütahyalı wrote ,” Political disputes between the Kemalist army and democratically elected political parties once were settled heavy-handedly, and a recent investigation into Turgut Ozal’s* death ruled that he was poisoned”. Kütahyalı mentions many reasons , among them is that ” Ozal began uttering some taboo-breaking words: We should resolve the Kurdish question through freedoms and democracy, and What if we officially recognize the 1915 Armenian genocide and face up to our past?”.(4)
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*Halil Turgut Özal (13 Oct. 1927 – 17 April 1993) was the Prime Minister of Turkey (1983–1989) and the President of Turkey (1989–1993).
1- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasim_Ozan_K%C3%BCtahyal%C4%B1
2-http://www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/200_prominent_Turks_apologize_for_great_catastrophe_of_1915
3- http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/tr/originals/2014/04/genocide-armenia-turkey-anniversary-dink-metz-yeghern.html
4- http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/08/turkey-president-ozal-poisoned.html#
Armed PKK back in Turkey, senior group leader says
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has deployed armed forces back to Turkey, said Cemil Bayık, a senior leader of the organization, also retreting his pessimism about the recent talks between the Turkish government and the PKK.
The PKK will restart fights in case killings of Kurds continue in Kobane, the Syrian border town where the clashes between the armed Kurdish forces and Islamist State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have contiued since more than three weeks.
News agencies report that ISIL keeps advancing in and outside the town, from where more than 150,000 people fled to Turkey.
“If things continue this way, the guerrilas will fight to defend our people. The core task of the guerillas is to defend the people,” Bayık reportedly said.
A group of PKK launched the symbolic withdrawal in May 2013, as part of the talks to resolve the decades-long Kurdish issue.
Bayık did not mention how many militants were sent back to the Turkish soil.
“As the government continues to deploy soldiers to the southeast and east, we decided to take action,” saying that a military action motion approved at the Turkish Parliament on earlier this week was “a declaration of war” against them.
A total of 37 people were killed this week’s unrest that broke at demostrations in the country, densely at provinces with high Kurdish population.
The PKK calls on government to do more for the Kurds trapped in Kobane. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Yalçın Akdoğan said Oct. 10 that Turkish soldiers were not mercenaries.