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Senior Iranian cleric to Turkish authorities: Our entire nation feels disgust for you

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I wonder how a nation can be hostile to all of its neighbors, Iran’s news agency Mehr quoted Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi as saying today during a gathering at a mosque in the Iranian city of Ghom.

Referring to Turkey’s policy to its neighbors, particularly Syria, Naser Makarem Shirazi said, in part, “The Turkish authorities have turned off 180 degrees from the path of Islam. They arm terrorists and send them to Syria to kill their Muslim brothers.”

Addressing the Turkish authorities, Naser Makarem Shirazi said, “State relations have nothing to do with us, but we announce that our entire nation feels disgust for you.”

“I wonder how a state can be hostile to all of its neighbors. What logic is this? Recently Turkey has also had disagreements with Iraq and Russia,” the senior Iranian cleric added.

 

We know how Armenians were massacred and eradicated in Turkey – Kurdish party leader

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January 30, 2013 | 00:04

The Turkish parliament’s pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Co-Chair Gultan Kisanak severely criticized the recent attacks that were carried out against elderly Armenian women in Istanbul’s densely-Armenian-populated Samatya neighborhood.

She recalled that five Armenian women were assaulted in the past 1.5 months, and one of these attacks had ended tragically, Evrensel daily of Turkey reports.

“During the assault against the 84-year-old Armenian woman, there was money on the table but they did not take it; this proves yet again that the attacks are carried out on grounds of racial hatred.

We know very well how the Armenians in this country were eradicated, subjected to massacres. We know about the still-bleeding wounds of Turkey’s recent past.

The attacks against Armenians are continuing systematically in the past 1.5 months, but neither the police nor the authorities are giving explanations; this is the embarrassment of this country.

We stand with our Armenian citizens. We will never leave them alone,” Kisanak stated.

Remzi Kartal: Kurds Suspicious About Turkish Statements over Paris Killings

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By: Rudaw.net

Remzi Kartal

PARIS, France – Exiled Kurdish leader Remzi Kartal, a former MP who continues to play an active role in Kurdish politics, says that the Kurds have doubts about the Turkish government’s sincerity in peace talks with the Kurdistan Workers Party, since Turkish officials blamed the assassination of three Kurdish women on an internal PKK feud.

Kartal, who is currently the leader of the People’s Congress of Kurdistan (Kongra-Gel), was an active politician in Turkey until he fled the country in 1994 after several of his colleagues were arrested and imprisoned by the Turkish authorities.  Since 2003, when Kongra-Gel was listed as a terrorist organization by the UN and the European Union, Kartal has faced frequent arrests in Europe. In April 2011, the US Department of Treasury designated Kartal and four other Kurds as drug traffickers. Despite US and Turkish pressure, Kartal was never extradited to Turkey. He spoke to Rudaw in Paris, as thousands of angry demonstrators demanded justice over the three Kurdish women found shot dead.

Rudaw: Do you think this assassination will affect the peace talks?

Remzi Kartal: The peace talks have been led directly by our leader Abdullah Ocalan, as he is the main actor in this. It will be up to him to decide how to proceed. It would not be right to comment on this issue now.

Rudaw: But Kurds are now very angry and some of them call for revenge.

Remzi Kartal: This is a very natural response. The killings have three dimensions: gender, social and national. These three women were fighting for solving the women’s issue, as well as the social and national issues.  This means that we want to succeed in the women’s liberation struggle, as well as in national and social liberation.  We will continue to fulfill their aims. In this sense, to seek revenge means to overcome the system that is denying the Kurdish rights and is oppressing our people.

Rudaw: Do you know if Sakine Cansiz, one of the three women killed in Paris, was involved in the Oslo talks?

Remiz Kartal: No, this is not true. The Turkish media are spreading false information.

Rudaw: What do you think about the statements of the Turkish prime minister, and Huseyin Celik, deputy chairman of his ruling AKP party, who said that the killings were an internal PKK feud?

Remzi Kartal: Just at the moment this incident was known Huseyin Celik made such a statement, which is his own interpretation, and he wishes it was so. It does not reflect the truth. But of course, Celik’s statements raised big doubts in the Kurdish community about the role of the AKP in this event. He deepened the doubts about the AKP.  As the Kurdish side it was our expectation — parallel to the talks on Imrali — that there would have been a more objective way for the AKP to approach these killings of our friends.  Of course, Celik’s statements have raised doubt about the approach of the government, and whether that approach is serious.

Rudaw: Are there also suspicions that the Turkish Islamic Gulen movement played a role in the incident?

Remzi Kartal: We don’t have evidence so far that could prove this. We just noticed media close to the Gulen movement expressing joy over the killings.

Rudaw: Was it true that Sakine Cansiz was supposed to go to Brussels the day of the killing?

Remzi Kartal: That they were supposed to go to Brussels is a scenario put forth by the Turkish media. According to the information we have, she and Leyla Soylemez (a second victim) were on their way to Germany.

Rudaw: Do the statements of the AKP make Kurds regard it as the main suspect?

Remzi Kartal: Yes, of course the statements by the AKP representatives are turning the reality into something else and creating another image. This has aroused very big doubts…

As a movement we expect that, if we want this process to be sustainable, then the AKP should have shown an approach that would have contributed to finding out the truth, finding out who did this and who is involved in this killing. One of the essential problems is the very first statement, made when the event was not really known to the public. From the very beginning the statements were accusing our movement, and that is the actual problem, because it was used to manipulate the truth.

Armenia, Armenians, and the New World History. a Lecture By Stephen Rapp, JR. UC Irvine.

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“Armenia, Armenians, and the New World History” a Lecture by Stephen Rapp, JR.  department of history at Sam Houston University

Thursday February 21, 2013 at School of Humanities at University of California Irvine, at 630 PM

School of Humanities at University of California

Humanities  Gateway 1030, UC Irvine.

Armenian History at UC Irvine,
Established in 2007, Armenian History at the University of California, Irvine offers undergraduate courses in ancient and modern Armenian history. The program also sponsors quarterly public lectures aimed at bringing the history and cultural topics surrounding modern day Armenia to the broader Orange County community. On December 16th, founding supporters of Armenian History, Dr. Garo Tertzakian and Mrs. Sylvie Tertzakian, hosted their annual fundraiser for Armenian History and raised over $20,000 to support continued course offerings within the Humanities. This marks the fifth year Armenians from the Orange County community gathered to raise funds in support of the growth of Armenian history at UCI. Also made possible through generous gifts to the program,

ALL LECTURES WILL BE AT 6:30 PM IN HUMANITIES GATEWAY 1030.
PARKING IS AVAILABLE IN LOT 7 FOR $10.
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC | FOR MORE INFORMATION EMAIL MHKANDA@UCI.EDU

Turkey and KRG start secret talks, deputy says

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ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News

The Kurdistan Regional Government and Ankara are discussing a ‘secret’ deal on transporting and marketing the fuel from the autonomous northern Iraq, claims Aytun Çıray, an main opposition CHP deputy. If aforementioned deals come into force, a dissolution within Iraq will be inevitable, he says

Hüseyin Hayatsever huseyin.hayatsever@hdn.com.tr

A main opposition lawmaker insists that Turkey and the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) secretly signed a “framework agreement” last year that outlined transportation and marketing of oil and gas sources in northern Iraq to the global market by excluding the central government in Baghdad.

The secret deal has not yet been finalized and the parties are discussing a critical article, Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Aytun Çıray told the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday. He said he had unconfirmed information about the details of the critical article, thus he would not elaborate on what that article consists of for now.

Iraq’s central government in Baghdad and the Arbil-based KRG are locked in a widening dispute over control of oil revenues, oilfields and territory that is fraying the country’s uneasy federal union. The feud between Baghdad and the Arbil-based KRG enclave, which has run its own regional administration and armed forces since 1991, has escalated since the KRG began signing oil deals last year with major companies Exxon Mobil and Chevron to develop fields.

Baghdad insists the central government has the sole constitutional right to export oil, while the KRG says its right to grant contracts to foreign oil firms is enshrined in the Iraqi Constitution, which was drawn up following the 2003 invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.

The KRG began exporting its own very light oil, or condensate, independently to world markets in October 2012 via truck to a Turkish port, where it was sold through an intermediary. The central government describes the transaction as “oil-smuggling.”

Iraq’s central government entitles the KRG to 17 percent of oil products refined in Iraq, but the secret deal between Turkey and the KRG aims to transfer all northern oil revenue to Arbil, Çıray said.

The recent political crisis between the Baghdad government and Arbil administration is an outcome of the secret agreement, Çıray also claimed. “These developments could lead to very dangerous results. Divisions within Iraq as well as Turkey could occur. The [Turkish] government is playing a very dangerous game.” The government’s recent talks with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the PKK and security forces had actually been launched to secure “appropriate conditions” for the deal, Çıray also claimed.

The CHP lawmaker issued a parliamentary question to Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu about the alleged secret deal.

Arguing that an offshore company was founded by Turkey as part of the secret agreement, Çıray asked Davutoğlu whether companies whose owners are close to the Turkish government would be shareholders in the offshore company.

“If aforementioned deals come into force, a de-facto dissolution within Iraq will be inevitable. Has Turkey’s foreign policy, which advocates the integrity of Iraq, changed?” Çıray asked.

Watchdog ranks Turkey among high-risk states in defense corruption index

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An international anti-corruption watchdog has ranked Turkey among high-risk countries due to its inadequate safeguards to prevent corruption in its defence sectors along with China, Rwanda and Pakistan.

A survey by the Transparency International UK banded countries according to their level of risk of corruption. The risk of corruption is determined by the danger and extent of it occurring and by the frequency citizens may face it. Turkey was ranked in Band D- level, even failing to be among a group of countries such as Kenya and Nepal.

According to the survey released on Tuesday, more than two-thirds of countries, including many of the world’s largest arms traders, also lacked safeguard to prevent corruption in defence sectors.

Germany and Australia are the only countries out of 82 surveyed by the watchdog with strong anti-corruption mechanisms, according to what the watchdog says is the first index measuring how governments counter corruption in defence.

Armenians jeopardized in Istanbul

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Massacres of the Christian population of the Ottoman Empire and its successor Turkey are an integral part of the country’s domestic policy.

Every now and then, Istanbul turns into a city that poses extreme danger to Armenians. This does not mean it had been safe otherwise; still, sometimes Armenians are facing really hard times. Massacres of 1955 which affected Armenians and Jews along with the Greeks were meticulously planned within Turkey’s state policy.

January 26, 2013

PanARMENIAN.Net – Massacres of the Christian population of the Ottoman Empire and its successor Turkey are an integral part of the country’s domestic policy. Currently 98% of Istanbul population identify themselves as ethnic Turks and name the Turkish language as their mother tongue. Meanwhile, the origin of Istanbul citizens is quite diverse, reflecting the complex migration processes in the Ottoman Empire. Despite absolute prevalence of Turkish, the very Turkic genetic element is not very significant among the inhabitants of Turkey (let alone Istanbul), accounting for not more than one third. This phenomenon can be explained by intense Islamization and “Turkization” of non-Turkic nations, the Christians and Jews in the first place who constituted most part of the city’s population until mid-15th century.

There are approximately 60 000 Armenians in Istanbul today who live in constant fear. Assassination of Hrant Dink 6 years ago seemed to cool down the Turkish nationalists; it did not happen, though. Actually, this couldn’t have happened anyway because neither the police nor the state stirred a finger to protect the lives of their own citizens, particularly when Armenians, number one enemy for the Turkish state are involved. However, Istanbul Armenians do not want to put up with it; they say they live in their homeland and are not Diaspora, which is not quite true, in fact. Their homeland, namely Western Armenia was lost long ago, and Armenians are tolerated in Istanbul through habit or out of political necessity.

It should be reminded that one of the oldest members of Istanbul’s Armenian community, 85-year-old Maritsa Kucuk was brutally killed on December 28, 2012. The old woman was beaten and stabbed, then beheaded. Kucuk’s son Zadik found her body. “It was dark inside when I entered the house, and mom was lying on the floor. I thought she had fallen down. Then I saw her body all in blood. She lay naked, and she had a cross sign on her chest,” Zadik told Agos paper. Another elderly Armenian woman was robbed and killed in early December 2012.

On January 6, three unknown people attempted to abduct another old Armenian woman but failed to do this.

On January 10, IT teacher of the Armenian “Aramian” school Ilker Shahin was found dead in his house in Istanbul. Shahin was stabbed in the throat three days prior to being found.

Two elderly Armenian women were assaulted in Istanbul on January 22 and 23. Sultan Aykar, 83 was attacked and beaten near her house. The masked aggressor was scared away by neighbours who heard Aykar’s cries. The witnesses described the attacker as a brunet aged 35-40 dressed in black. The attack left Aykar blind in one eye despite the surgery she underwent. On January 23, two unidentified persons attacked another old Armenian woman in the street near Samatia school; they beat her and then left. According to eye-witnesses, the victim, all in blood, hurried to leave, too. A criminal case is launched on this incident; however, the practice of such proceedings in Turkey is widely known by the example of Hrant Dink’s murderer’s trial.

With all this going on, the fact that Armenians, mostly women, go to Turkey for work, mostly unskilled one and are actually unprotected, cannot but cause concerns. There are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey, and there hardly be any in the near future, so Armenian citizens have no one to address in case of trouble. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that Turkey is not the only option for earning one’s living. There are no guarantees that children of these people also leaving for Turkey will maintain their Armenian identity. They will definitely face assimilation, and those who survive will just dissolve in the 70 million Turkic environment; that’s the reality.

The Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan changed the Minister for Internal Affairs; the former mayor of Istanbul Muammer Guler has taken up the position now. The move was hardly sparked by the recent assaults against Armenians. Istanbul is facing constant terrorist attacks, and Guler is expected to stop the wave of violence perhaps. He will hardly succeed in this though; the Kurds, the perpetrators, are not going to surrender until independent Kurdistan is proclaimed. This will mark the end of Turkey which will simply fall to pieces burying the Christians first.

Karine Ter-Sahakian

Turkish studies expert says current atmosphere in Turkey is much alike that in 1915

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Anti-Christian atmosphere is developing in Turkey, in parallel with the improvement of Turkish-Kurdish relations, Turkish studies expert Artak Shakaryan told a news conference, commenting on the attacks of Armenian women committed in recent months in Istanbul.

“It is difficult to say who the killer is, but it is a fact that those killings are instigated by the nationalists,” he said, adding that the current atmosphere in Turkey is much alike that in 1915.

According to the expert, Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party tries to form an internal front not only against the Armenians but also against the entire Christian population so as to please the nationalists and to gain additional political dividends.

Following elderly women, Armenian citizens living illegally in Turkey are in danger, said the Turkish studies expert.

“They cannot apply to anyone for assistance because they know that police will either demand bribes or will deport them to Armenia. Armenian citizens will certainly be the next victims,” said Shakaryan.

CSTO head calls Azerbaijan’s decision to shoot down civilian planes “a ridiculous joke”

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January 29, 2013 | 12:39

YEREVAN.- Secretary General of CSTO Nikolay Bordyuzha labeled Azerbaijan’s decision to down civilian airplanes as “a ridiculous joke”.

Commenting on Azerbaijani government’s decision to shoot down the civilian planes overflying Nagorno-Karabakh, Bordyuzha said it is either misinterpretation or a ridiculous joke.

“I am considering Azerbaijan a civilized state. A state which will be consistent with universal values,” Bordyuzha said answering the question of Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent.

CSTO Secretary General doubts that leadership of any country will be able to give a command to shoot down a plane intentionally.

“We witnessed such cases in our history. We remember a tragedy in the Far East and the response of the international community. I do not think any state can allow itself to really destroy a civilian aircraft. So, I do not take this information seriously,” he resumed.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

OSCE mediators meet with Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs

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January 28, 2013 | 17:57

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Jacques Faure of France, and Ian Kelly of the United States of America) met jointly with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, and the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian on Monday.  Also participating in the meeting was the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

The Co-Chairs continued discussions with the Ministers on the working proposal to advance the peace process, which they submitted to the sides in October 2012.  They also exchanged views on possible confidence building measures, says the statement posted on OSCE website.

The Co-Chairs referred to their statements of April 14, 2011 and July 13, 2012, and discussed with the Ministers issues pertaining to civilian flights to and from the airport in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Foreign Ministers and the Co-Chairs stressed the importance of the OSCE Minsk Group as the framework for negotiating a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.  The Foreign Ministers reiterated their support for a peaceful settlement and their determination to continue negotiations.  The Ministers and the Co-Chairs agreed to a further discussion of the peace process in the coming weeks.