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‘1915 bilgileri’ artık Türkçe, The Armenian National Institute (ANI) expansion to Turkish language version

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ARMENIAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE NEWS PICKED UP BY TURKISH PRESS,

kronos.news

Ermeni Milli Enstitüsü (ANI) tehcir konudaki döküman ve değerlendirmeleri Türkçe olarak da yayınlama kararı aldı. Geçen yıl Şubat ayında yayına başlayan siteye Türkiye’den ve yurtdışındaki Türk dillilerden büyük ilgi gördü.

MELİS BURGAZ,

Ermeni Tehciri konusundaki dökümanter çalışmalarıyla bilinen Ermeni Milli Enstitüsü (ANI) bu konudaki döküman ve değerlendirmeleri Türkçe olarak da yayınlama kararı aldı. Geçen yıl Şubat ayında yayına başlayan siteye Türkiye’den ve yurtdışındaki Türk dillilerden büyük ilgi gördü.

1997 yılından itibaren çalışmalarına devam eden enstitü, “Bu yıl önemli bir adım atarak Ermeni Soykırımı ile ilgili belge, kanıt, fotoğraf ve çalışmalara yer verdiği, soykırım konusu ile ilgilenenlere önemli bir kaynak teşkil eden internet sitesini Türkçe olarak yayınlamaya karar verdik” diyor.

Sitenin Türkçe olarak da yayınlanması, enstitü’nün üstlendiği görevi daha geniş kitlelere ulaştırılma gayesi ile açıklanıyor. ANI Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Van Z. Krikorian sitenin Türkçe yayına başlamasının ortak bir tarih anlayışı sayesinde diyaloga katkıda bulunmayı, geçmişin sonuçlarından haberdar olarak uzlaşmayı ve komşu milletlerin barış dolu bir geleceğe bir adım daha yaklaşmasına faydalı olmayı dört gözle bekliyor.

Ermeni Milli Enstitüsü (Armenian National Institute – ANI) Ermeni Konusu üzerine çalışmalara ve araştırmalara adanmış, Washington D.C.’de çalışmalarını sürdüren, bir kurum. “Soykırım suçu ile yüzleşmeli. Kabul edilemeyen soykırımlar yenilerini doğurur” ilkesi temelinde kurulan enstitü, Ermeni Soykırımının sonuçlarını ve insanlığa karşı işlenmiş suçları unutturmamak gerektiği prensibi doğrultusunda kendine bir misyon edinmiş. Bu misyon gereği insanları, araştırmalar ve kanıtlar üzerinden geçmiş soykırımlar ile yüzleştirmek ve gelecek soykırımları önlemek için çalışıyor.

Yılda yaklaşık 7,5 milyon ziyaretçisi olan ve geçen yıl 27 Şubat’ta resmi olarak Türkçe yayına başlayan site, ilk aşama olarak Ermeni Soykırımı’nı resmen tanıyan dünyanın çeşitli ülkelerinden konu ile ilgili resmi belgeleri yayınlandı. İlerki günlerde sitenin içeriğinin daha da genişleyeceği, İngilizce içerikle birebir paralellik göstereceği belirtiliyor.

Tarihsel olarak Ermeni Soykırımı’nı tanıyan ülkelerde kabul edilen kararlar, kanunlar ve beyanlarının yanı sıra, sitede sanal müze ve sanal sergileri ziyaret etmek de mümkün olacak.

‘YÜZLEŞME İMKANI’

ANI Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Van Z. Krikorian sitenin Türkçe yayına başlamasını, ortak bir tarih anlayışı sayesinde diyaloga katkıda bulunmayı, geçmişin sonuçlarından haberdar olarak uzlaşmayı ve komşu milletlerin barış dolu bir geleceğe bir adım daha yaklaşmasına faydalı olmayı dört gözle beklediğini söylüyor. Krikorian aynı zamanda, sitenin uzlaştırıcılığına dikkat çekerek “Birçok cesur kişi konu ile ilgili konuştu ve bazı cesur araştırmacılar Osmanlı resmi kayıtlarında Ermeni Soykırımı konusunda çığır açan bir araştırmaya öncülük ettiler. Ermeni Soykırımı’nın geniş kitlelerce paylaşılan tarihsel önemi ve karanlık teamülünün yanı sıra, Türklerin kendi gerçek tarihleriyle yüzleşmeleri ve uzlaşmaları için daha fazla ilerlemeye ihtiyaç var” diyor.

Kronos‘un sorularını cevaplayan, Ermeni Ulusal Enstitüsü (ANI) Direktörü Dr. Rouben Adalian Türkçe sitede Ermeni Soykırımı konusundaki bilgilerin; Türkiye ve başka ülkelerdeki Türkçe’ye hakim okurlara erişebilmesine yardımcı olabilmek için çevirmenler, danışmanlar ve web tasarımcıları da dahil olmak üzere bir çok katılımcının desteği ve teşviki ile oluşturulduğunu belirtti.

Site yöneticileri Ermeni Soykırımı doğrulayan yabancı kaynakların yanısıra Türkiye’de de çok sayıda kayıt bulunduğunu fakat bu kaynakların Türkiye’de bilinmediği ve gündeme gelmediğini, adı geçen kaynakların da yer aldığı çalışmaların Türkçe sitede yer alacağını belirttiler.

Kafkasya ve Orta Doğu uzmanı, aynı zamanda Ermeni Ulusal Enstitüsü müdürü Dr. Rouben P. Adalian, geniş anlamda bahsedecek olursak Ermeni Ulusal Enstitüsü, Ermeni Soykırımı araştırmalarına ve Soykırımın kabulü konusundaki belge ve çalışmalara adanmış bir enstitü olduğunu,  ANI’nin bu çerçevede, Ermeni Soykırımı’nın önemli belgelerini sunmaya ve mirasını yaşatmaya yoğunlaştığını anlatıyor.

Web sitesi, araştırmacılara, eğitimcilere, medyaya ve genel olarak halka kapsamlı bir bilgi deposu sunarken, Ermeni Soykırımı’nın resmi olarak kabulünün evrelerine odaklanmış durumda. “En başından beri, Ermeni Soykırımı konusunda bilgi edinmek isteyen kesimin talepleri vardı. Bu talebin yerine getirilmesi ile uluslararası farkındalığın boyutu büyürken, aynı zamanda Ermeni halkının kaderinin ne denli değiştiği de ortaya çıkmış oldu. ANI web sitesi çoğunlukla metinseldir. Ermeni Soykırımı’nın görsel kanıtlarını da paylaşmak için, 2015 yılında interaktif bileşenler içeren online müze, yani, Ermeni Soykırım Müzesi (AGMA) web sitesi oluşturuldu. Bu site, geçmişten günümüze, Ermenilerin anavatanında kurdukları uygarlığının uğradığı tahribatın büyüklüğünü sergilemek için illüstrasyonlar sunmakta.” diyen Adalian Türkçe konuşan kitleye ulaşmak için en iyi ve en doğru yolun, onlara kendi anadillerinde, yargılardan uzak bilgi ve kanıt sunmak ve böylece bu konu hakkında karara varabilmeleri için imkan tanımak olduğunu söylüyor.

“İnsanlara, Ermenilerin kendi yurtlarında ne kadar büyük bir yıkıma uğradığını anadillerinde anlatmak bizce önemli. Bu girişim, Enstitü Başkanı Van Z. Krikorian tarafından teklif edildi ve hayata geçirildi. Geçmişte kurulan TARC (Türkiye Ermeni Uzlaşma Komitesi) üyelerinden olan Krikorian, ilk elden tecrübesine dayanarak, Ermenilerle Türkler arasında en temel gerçekler konusunda bile anlaşmaya varamamanın diyaloga çok ciddi bir engel teşkil ettiğini ortaya koydu. ANI web sitesinin Türkçe versiyonu, özet olarak aslında ortak bir zemin yaratabilmek adına bir girişim.” diyor Adalian.

Türkiyeli ziyaretçilerden genel olarak iki temel ve birbirine karşıt görüş geldiğini belirten yöneticiler, toplanan bu bilginin objektif olarak sunulması, okuyucu için yararlı ve kullanılabilir hale getirilmesinden dolayı çalışmaları takdir ettiklerini söyleyen mesajların yanında, konuyu inceleyen, masaya yatıran her şeyi reddeden standart inkarcı yorumlar olduğunu da belirtiyor. “İkinci gruptaki kişiler için, konuyu anlatacak, gerçeği kabullenmelerine ikna edecek yeterli bilgi ve delil asla olmayacaktır. Onların hükümet politikalarını hiçbir zaman eleştirmeyen görüşleri, aşırı milliyetçi duygularla birleştiğinde ortaya bu manzara çıkıyor.” Diyen Adalian Türkçe okuru çok önemsediklerini belirtiyor.

“Mustafa Kemal bile, Jön Türklerin planlarından dolayı cezalandırılmasını istemek için kendinde yeterli sebep bulmuştu. Ermeni Soykırımı’nın ilk anması, 24 Nisan’da İstanbul’da Ermeni Patriği himayesinde yapıldı. Fakat Kemalist rejim hemen sonra rotasını ve resmi siyasetini değiştirip farklı taktikler kullanmaya başladı, tüm bunlar temelde inkarcı bir çizgi, bir hat yaratmak için yapıldı. Agos okuyucuları Hrant Dink’in siyasi olarak el sürülmemesi gereken konulara yaklaştığı için ödediği bedeli, Türkiye dışında yaşayanlara nazaran daha iyi biliyor. Son yıllarda sorunla ilgili olarak sivil toplumun çaba harcadığını hep beraber görüyoruz,  ancak hükümet hattında bir değişiklik yok, o kanat sabit.” diyen Adalian iki toplum arasındaki dialogun desteklenmesi gerektiğini savunuyor.

Ermeni Ulusal Enstitüsü’nün ilgili sayfasına ulaşmak için tıklayınız.

Dr. Rouben P. Adalian kimdir?

Ermeni Ulusal Enstitüsü (Washington DC) müdürü Dr. Rouben P. Adalian, Kafkasya ve Orta Doğu uzmanı olup, George Washington Üniversitesi, Georgetown Üniversitesi ve Johns Hopkins Üniversitesi dahil olmak üzere birçok farklı üniversitede ders verdi. 1993 yılında ABD Arşivlerinde Ermeni Soykırımı’nı belgeleyen bir projeyi tamamladıktan sonra, projenin sonucu olarak, Chadwyck-Healey şirketi Ermeni Soykırımı hakkındaki Amerikan kanıtları yayımlamış oldu. 1999’da yayımlanan ödüllü “Soykırım Ansiklopedisi”nin yardımcı editörü olan Adalian’ın, 1915-1918 yıllarına ait belgelerden yola çıkarak hazırladığı  “ABD Belgelerinde Ermeni Soykırımı Rehberi” çalışması 1994’te yayınlanmıştır.

Garo Paylan: We must open the path to dialogue on 1915 in Turkey

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Garo Paylan, the Turkish-Armenian lawmaker (People’s Democratic Party) who is in Yerevan this week as part of the Sixth Armenia-Diaspora Conference, on Friday reiterated his firm belief that Turkey will never bring itself to confronting its past unless it chooses the path towards building democracy.

“The Turkish parliament bans the use of ‘genocide’. But the word doesn’t matter at all given that we suffered the Great Massacres. What matters is to find the way towards building a dialogue with Turkey to speak openly of what happened in 1915. A crime of genocide which goes unpunished will regrettably continue also in future,” he told reporters.

Paylan said that despite the continuing policy of denial, the Armenians in Turkey keep insisting on their demand for laying the foundations of democracy in the country.

“My grandmother with whom I lived in the same house until I was ten, died without seeing justice. My father, who was looking for justice, also died. So two generations left us, and now we see the third and fourth generations struggle for justice. My belief is that only a democratic country can recognize the Genocide,” he said when asked to comment on the concerns that those are an attempt to delay the Genocide recognition for more centuries to come.

“We have many democratic friends in Turkey, also among members of [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s [Justice and Democracy] Party, but they are voiceless now against the nationalists’ rising demands,” he added.

Montebello Community to Host ‘Women of 1915’ Screening

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Women of 1915’ Screening Armenoid Productions announced the Montebello Premiere of the multi-award winning documentary film, Women of 1915. The red carpet event is sponsored by the Armenian Nation Committee of America- San Gabriel Valley Chapter in collaboration with Armenian Relief Society – Western USA, Ani & Nairy Chapters. The event is scheduled at the Montebello Armenian Center, on Thursday, July 27 at 7 p.m.
A limited number of seats to the Montebello premiere of Women of 1915 are available and may be purchased online or by calling 818-939-9282. With much anticipation, four-time regional Emmy award winning filmmaker Bared Maronian’s documentary film, Women of 1915, is the first documentary ever to unveil the role of the Armenian women of the era who lived through the horrors of the first Genocide of the 20th century.
The documentary also highlights the integral role of heroic American and European humanitarian women advocates who flocked into the killing fields of the Armenian Genocide and saved tens of thousands of lives, empowering the Armenian women as pillars of war-torn, post-Genocide societies.
“We’ve shown the film literally around the world: All the way from Australia to France, the U.K., many Canadian and American cities, where we have received rave reviews in local main stream publications. Soon we will be screening the film in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.
I’m thrilled that on July 27, we are bringing this important film to the Montebello community and very grateful to the local ARS and ANCA for sponsoring this event.” said Maronian. Women of 1915 is the winner of the 2016 Golden Pom Award and 2016 Best Documentary Award at the Pomegranate Film Festival of Toronto, Canada and the 2016 Armin T. Wegener Humanitarian Award Winner at the ARPA Film Festival of Hollywood, California.
“I’m very thankful to the Montebello community for this opportunity. It will be a beautiful event: elegant red carpet reception, screening of the film on a giant, state of the art projection system, followed by a Q & A with the filmmaker” said event organizing committee chair, Nayiri Attarian.
“it’s true that Women of 1915 deals with an Armenian story, but in reality it is an American story, a European story, a human story and that’s why a good portion of our audience has been non-Armenian. So please, invite your friends and neighbors to see Women of 1915 with you. After all, it was their grandmothers who saved Armenian lives”, concluded Maronian. The event will take place at the Montebello Armenian Center: 410 Washington Blvd., Montebello, CA 90640. Doors open at 6:30pm, red carpet reception starts at 7 p.m., movie starts at 8 p.m. followed by a Q&A session. For more information on the Women of 1915 Montebello Premiere, contact 818-939-9282 or info@armenoidteam.com

Turkey: Garo Paylan says “It’s April 24, 1915,” all over again

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garo-it-is-1915After leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (Turkish: Halkların Demokratik Partisi, Kurdish: Partiya Demokratik has Gelan, HDP) of Turkey were arrested and jailed Friday morning Garo Paylan, Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament of that party, issued a warning on his Twitter account saying that the events in Turkey recalled April 24, 1915.

“We live in 1915, is April 24!” Tweeted Garo Paylan after the leaders of the main pro-Kurdish party in Turkey have been remanded in custody, hours after their arrest by the authorities, who seem to take a new step in the purges carried out in all directions from the aborted putsch of July

The arrest of the co-chairs of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtaş and Mrs Figen Yüksekdag, and eleven other members of that party, provoked indignant reactions in the West, whose relations with Turkey are already strained due alleged violations of freedoms to power of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ..

“The Turkish police raided the house in Ankara Selahattin Demirtaş and home Figen Yüksekdağ in Diyarbakir said the party’s lawyers.

The decision to place the two party leaders, and three others arrested elected in custody was taken in the afternoon by a court in Diyarbakir, in the context of “terrorism” investigation related to the PKK, according to the pro-government agency Anadolu.

The HDP second opposition party in Turkey, said in a statement that the arrests marked “the end of democracy” in the country.

The head of European diplomacy, Federica Mogherini, was known for its hand “extremely worried” and said it would convene a meeting of EU ambassadors in Ankara. Berlin said it had summoned the Turkish charge d’affaires and the spokesman of Chancellor Angela Merkel ruled the arrests “highly alarming”.

Among the arrested members included, besides the two leaders, party heavyweights like Baluken Idris, president of the parliamentary group HDP, also formally remanded in custody.

“This is a coup against the HDP is a coup against pluralism, against diversity, against equality,” said Garo Paylan, a member of HDP, at a conference Press the Istanbul headquarters of the party.

“It slams the door of Parliament to the nose, it means ignoring the vote of six million people, ignore the democratic demand of the people, their hope for a peaceful future,” added his colleague Huda Kaya.

“The HDP calls on the international community to react against the coup Erdogan,” the party said on Twitter, referring to President Tayyip Erdogan.

In the wake of government repression against the HDP, the Armenian National Committee of America has launched a campaign asking supporters to write letters urging the US secretary of state to act decisively against the attempt to Erdogan to silence the last remaining democratic forces in Turkey.

“The United States should publicly and forcefully protest against the undemocratic repression of Turkey and demand the release of officials HDP illegally imprisoned by the Erdogan regime. We must break with the policy of appeasement that has failed for too long in US policy against Turkey, allowing the Ankara lobbyists army compromise the interests of our country and the values of our country, “said the general director of ANCA Aram Hamparian.

The United States is “deeply troubled” by the detention in Turkey of pro-Kurdish politicians and elected officials, said for his part Friday on Twitter, Tom Malinowski, in charge of human rights at the State Department.

“When democracies are attacking elected officials, they have a duty to justify their actions and to maintain confidence in the judicial system,” wrote Malinowski, on the social network.

In France the Communists senators have called for a parliamentary debate “soon” next week on the situation in Turkey after the arrest on the night of leaders and members of the main pro-Kurdish party in this country, the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP).

“It is urgent that a debate be held next week in Parliament on the worrying situation in Turkey,” write the senators of the Communist group, Republican and Citizen (CRC), adding that “respect for human rights not not be violated in the name of geopolitical interests. “

CRC group “supports seamless to all parliamentarians arrested and requires that France so his silence over the repeated attacks of the Turkish government towards democratic and civic forces,” the statement said.

He also asked the hearing by the High Assembly of Selahattin Demirtaş, co-chairman of the HDP and Istanbul deputy, arrested with another party leader, Ms Figen Yüksekdag, and at least nine other MPs.

This “slippage continues from Turkey to an authoritarian state after lifting the arbitrary and unfounded the parliamentary immunity of fifty of the fifty-nine members of HDP in May, the organization of a purge following the attempted coup of 15 July and the administrative closure of 160 Turkish media, “the statement said.

The national secretary of the PCF Pierre Laurent then expressed his “anger” and its “strong indignation” saying that with these arrests, “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan takes another step in the establishment of the dictatorship” . He called for “amplify the campaign StopErdogan + #! +”.

For the Socialist Party, the arrest of two of HDP co-chairs, “two democratically elected and respected personalities in Turkey,” “is a shock.”

“The fight against terrorism and against the attempts of political destabilization can not justify any violations of freedoms,” the party said in a statement, noting that “this escalation” raises its “deep concern”.

The party calls on the Turkish authorities to “precisely justify their accusations” against those responsible for the HDP and called “European and international authorities to step up their pressure on Turkey to remain faithful to the principles and values of the European Convention on Human of Man “.

Berlin said it had summoned the Turkish charge d’affaires, and the spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel ruled the arrests “highly alarming”.

In Paris, the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Romain Nadal said that the arrest of HDP elected aroused “great concern.”

In a text written by hand read by one of his lawyers, Mr Demirtas said he was the victim of a “civil blow by the government and the palace.”

The words “We will certainly win,” he launched in Turkey at the time of his arrest were widely on Twitter under the hasthtag #MutlakaKazanacagiz.

Sunday, November 6, 2016,
Stéphane © armenews.co

GERMANY Armenian Genocide: Can Dündar a parallel between the situation in 1915 and currently in Turkey

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genocide-and-today-turkeyIn an article published Saturday, September 17 Turkish journalist Can Dündar made in the German newspaper Die Zeit a parallel between the situation in 1915 and currently in the relations between Turkey and Germany.

Can Dündar, former editor of the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet was arrested in November 2015 after the publication of his newspaper pictures showing the Turkish intelligence services providing arms to Syrian rebels. Can Dündar was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison for “divulging state secrets”. He survived an assassination attempt and now lives in exile in Germany.

Can Dündar in particular evokes the book of Jürgen Gottschlich who discovered that Hans Freiherr von Wangenheim, German Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1912 to 1915, knew that the Turks were planning the Armenian Genocide. In the book “Help genocide” ( “zum Beihilfe Völkermord”) Gottschlich showed that the ambassador was not the only one to know but that German leaders have not responded saying instead, “No, we need Turks. “

Can Dündar continues: “Recent tensions between Ankara and Berlin because of the military base of Incirlik remake arise this story. Germany has stationed Tornado combat aircraft and 250 soldiers to Incirlik. Berlin wants to invest in the construction of military facilities in the amount of 58 million euros. With training programs and joint exercises Germany supports the modernization of the Turkish army. And Germany is seeking to have a say in the Middle East.

But in June, the Bundestag passed the Armenian resolution (…) Promptly Ankara denied the German MPs permission to visit Incirlik. Tensions have risen so far and Foreign Minister Steinmeier has threatened that if no authorization German units withdrew Incirlik and reconnaissance flights of NATO. His Turkish counterpart Çavuşoğlu said: “If Germany take the necessary measures, we will allow the visit” Chancellor Merkel was stuck in a dilemma. On the one hand of the public in its own country, on the other the ” ‘alliance of convenience between Germany and Turkey. “ They chose the latter. Immediately before leaving for the G20 summit in China, they said on television that the decision of the Bundestag has no binding force. The spokesman Seibert reiterated government (…) what has to be considered a genocide, the courts should decide. This is also the position of Turkey. Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu also announced the good news: “Germany met our requirements.” The crisis is resolved. Next month will be the trip of a German delegation at Incirlik. Meanwhile, Turkey has accused Syria that its entry is not directed against the Islamic State but against the Kurds. (…) I can not imagine that the German ambassador wrote to the Foreign Ministry in this world torn by a state of emergency and the situation in Syria and the response from Berlin. “We need the Turks’.”

Monday, September 19, 2016,
Stéphane © armenews.com

Erdogan Turns Turkey into a Vast Gulag: Some of His Actions Hark Back to 1915

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Harut sassounian 740BY HARUT SASSOUNIAN

Ominous developments are taking place in Turkey beyond anyone’s imagination, under the guise of capturing coup plotters. Calling the coup attempt of July 15 “a gift from Allah,” Pres. Erdogan is exploiting this opportunity to realize his long-awaited dream of not only becoming a Sultan, but also Stalin and Hitler, all wrapped into one!

Shortly after the attempted coup, Erdogan ordered the arrest and dismissal of tens of thousands of military officers (including hundreds of generals and admirals), police, academics, civil servants, judges and journalists, as well as closing down hundreds of private schools. These actions were so swift that it was difficult to believe such a comprehensive list of suspects could have been compiled in a brief period. In reality, the Turkish dictator did not have to prepare any list, as he detained and dismissed all those who were not his followers!

On July 20, by a vote of 346 to 115, the Turkish Parliament approved a bill declaring a state of emergency for 90 days and handing Erdogan carte blanche to rule by Presidential Decree for 30 days. Both of these deadlines are likely to be extended to longer periods. The 115 parliamentarians who dared to vote against the bill may pay dearly for their disloyalty, as they could be stripped of their parliamentary immunity and charged with participating in the coup d’état. To prevent all judicial review of its illegal actions, the Turkish government informed the Council of Europe that it will no longer accept the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights!

There are some eerie parallels between the draconian measures of Erdogan’s regime and the tyrannical actions taken against Armenians and other Christians in Ottoman Turkey during their genocides of 1915-23:

1) The Turkish government placed a lien on the assets of suspects in the July 15 coup. After their probable conviction, these assets will be turned over to the state, similar to the properties confiscated from deported and massacred Armenians and others beginning in 1915;

2) All Erdogan supporters who were killed or injured during the coup attempt will be compensated by the confiscated assets of suspected plotters. A similar action was taken during the Armenian Genocide when the looted assets of Armenians were handed over to Turkish migrants from the Balkans and families of Young Turk leaders who had been assassinated by Armenian avengers.

Can Dundar, editor of the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, taking a big personal risk, bravely asserted that under the state of emergency rule Turkey will have “an oppressive regime where liberties will be suspended, press will be censored, and the parliament eliminated.” Dundar failed to acknowledge that these oppressive conditions existed in Turkey long before the attempted coup. Indeed, Erdogan revealed his devious dictatorial plans over 10 years ago: “democracy is like a train. You take it where you have to go, and then you get off!”

Having reached the end of his “train ride,” Erdogan has now announced that he will reinstate the death penalty against “the coup plotters,” as a way of getting rid of his political rivals! European Union officials have warned the Turkish leader that such a move would bar Turkey permanently from EU membership!

In addition, Amnesty International issued a scathing report last week, documenting scores of violations of the rights of detainees and accusing Erdogan’s security forces of torturing, starving and even raping soldiers accused of complicity in the coup! The detainees have also been denied access to their lawyers.

In his obsessive fervor to eliminate all political opponents, Erdogan has demanded that the United States extradite to Turkey his arch-rival, Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, for allegedly organizing the July coup. In a racist effort to denigrate Gulen, Erdogan’s cronies have also accused him of being of Armenian ancestry, and having written a letter to a former Armenian Patriarch of Turkey, 50 years ago, acknowledging the Armenian Genocide!

The influential International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) issued two reports on July 18 and 21, designating the harsh measures of Erdogan’s regime as “arbitrary and contrary to fundamental rule of law principles.” Furthermore, ICJ’s Secretary General Wilder Taylor warned Turkey: “There are human rights that can never be restricted even in a state of emergency, notably the right to life, the prohibition of torture or ill-treatment, and the essential elements of arbitrary deprivation of liberty, and to a fair trial.”

Pres. Erdogan has done more damage to the Turkish nation than the so-called coup plotters by arresting and dismissing 60,000 soldiers, government officials and other civilians, thereby emasculating the once powerful military and undermining the country’s security.

Ankara: Paylan Resurrects 1915 Massacred Ottoman Armenian Deputies (Video)

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Photos of Ottoman Armenian parliament members rested on the seats of the Turkish National Assembly

Photos of Ottoman Armenian parliament members rested on the seats of the Turkish National Assembly

ANKARA—Turkish-Armenian parliament member Garo Paylan, who represents the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), resurrected the memories of the 13 Armenian members of the Ottoman General Assembly who were massacred on April 24, 1915 as he commemorated the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Thursday at the Turkish Parliament.

In his address to Parliament, Paylan read the names and displayed the photographs of several Armenian politicians killed, arrested, or exiled in the Armenian Genocide, including Krikor Zohrab (Istanbul), Bedros Haladjian (Istanbul), Nazaret Daghavarian (Sivas), Garabed Pashaian (Sivas), Ohannes Seringiulian (Erzurum), Onnik Tersekian (Van), Hampartsum Boyadjian (Kozan), Vahan Papazian (Van), Hagop Babikian (Tekirdağ), Karekin Pastermadjian (Erzurum), Kegham Der Garabedian (Mush), Hagop Boyadjian (Tekirdağ), and Artin Boshgezenian (Aleppo). Paylan also detailed the fate of each Armenian politician during the Armenian Genocide.

During his address, which he began with the Armenian greeting “Parev tsez,” Paylan condemned the murder of the politicians and said that the Turkish state should come to terms with its history. Paylan also condemned the fact that several places in Turkey are named after the organizers and perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide. “Can you imagine going to Germany and walking on avenues named after Hitler?” Paylan asked.

Paylan held up the photographs of each massacred Ottoman lawmaker of Armenian descent and read aloud their names and places of birth, and in Armenian proclaimed Աստուած հոգին լուսաւորէ—May God Bless Their Souls

He later tweeted a similar message with photographs of the martyred Ottoman Armenian Deputies.

TURKEY Back in 1915 Cengiz Aktar “Armenia Genocide”

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arton120707-480x320Under the title “Enter 1915” (1) December 31, 2014, I wrote an article to imagine how the ceremonies of the centenary of the Armenian Genocide could happen, and at the same time, imagine how the Centennial curse our inability to face the facts could change.

At the end of this article, which I reproduce some excerpts below *, I expressed the hope that the centenary could be an historic opportunity to get rid of old habits, understand the “Other” to engage in group therapy. But this hope has remained vain. Instead, the 1915 curse ruled over the whole country. Today, Turkey is suffering from a state of total insanity.

When I say curse, I am referring to any parapsychological observation. I think perhaps that we should not underestimate the weight of the kingdom of dying souls. I would refer rather to the following truth: as long as we refuse to face the facts of this massive crime of genocide and that we’re not absolved, rendering full justice to the little children of the victims, we will pay the price evils that result. This is a fundamental ethical issue. In fact, genocide is a crime of such magnitude that it can not be compared to individual and collective crimes committed ordinarily. But for a company able to “digest” genocide, ordinary crimes are easily accepted. This is how we live evil.

1915 has not been on the national agenda in 2015 as it should be, because of the intensity of the repression that took place last year, and because of the general lack of knowledge in society ; this ignorance is closely linked to our culture of injustice and impunity of a century old.

Let me illustrate this with an example: one of the frequently given explanations about the fate suffered by the Kurds these days is that their persecution was never punished since the installation of the republic. But nobody dares to remember that the Armenians and other non-Muslim groups were persecuted before and that Armenians were particularly oppressed by the Kurds.

A century ago that Turkey is in decline; at the turn of the 21st century, it wallows in the mud and inevitably towards fascism.

“Entering 1915”

“Who knows ? All this evil that haunts us, the endless massacres of mass and our inability to cure illnesses, may be due to an old curse of a century and a lie of the century. Do we ever know ? This is perhaps a spell cast by Armenians – children, women and men civilians – who died, buried still wailing. This is perhaps the storm created by our souls still dying spectra of all our fellow citizens abused, those Greeks and Syriacs including, later, those of Alevis and Kurds.

Perhaps the responsibilities of massacres that have never been sought after 1915 and whose “price” was never paid they are now demanded in different ways by the grandchildren? Curses, launched to the lives taken, stolen lives, homes looted, destroyed churches, schools and extorted seized property … come back they? “May God make you pay for it by you and all your descendants.” Do we pay the price for all the injustices done so far? Payment is it by our refusal to confront our past sins or our cynicism, become common because of our chronic indulgence hypocrisy? It is as if our society was decaying for a century, rotting all around her.

Despite the century-old curse, in 2015 will happen without debate “Are there really was genocide? “Receives a response. We look at how those in power grow every effort to cover this shame and delay any movement towards a confrontation. If it were in their power, they escamoteraient 2015, altogether. The denialist prose which consists of three shriveled arguments, which are summed up in the uprising, collaboration with the enemy, and victimization – it is the Armenians who killed us – will continue to be repeated like parrots repeating in a series of conferences. And we will dance on our own music. On 24 and 25 April 2015, an official ceremony will be held at the Anzac Day in Gallipoli, without any connection with the Genocide. And we will hear abundant stories about heroism in the Dardanelles. But we will not find anyone to listen to our speeches.

How many curses are we still exposed before we are likely:

- To recognize the bloody process of building our nation?

- To learn and remember how a harmless people, hardworking, efficient, talented and peaceful was destroyed by the people of the warriors of Anatolia and to feel empathy for their grandchildren who remember?

- To measure the cruelty suffered by the unfortunate Armenians asking “Our ehir Asdvadz? “(Where were you, God?), In the summer of 1915, as dark and cold as death?

- To realize that the population of Armenians who dénombraient million in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 increased to virtually zero today. The Armenians who remain either hid their true identity, or have converted to Islam.

- To finish with the question “Was it genocide or not? “And the question” who killed who? “And listen only to our conscience?

- To admit, as explained Hrant Dink, that this was a genocide in all its aspects, and a considerable loss of civilization?

- To realize that the greatest loss of this country is that the non-Muslim citizens of these lands are gone?

- To understand how the genocide – that the Armenians of those dark days denominated Great Catastrophe (Medz Yeghern) – is a disaster that does not belong only to Armenians but to the whole country?

- To find that the loss of our non-Muslim citizens were killed, exiled or forced to flee equivalent to a loss of intellectual, cultural, loss of civilization, to a deficit of bourgeois population?

- To assess the scourge of goods, confiscated property and abducted children?

- To adequately understand the wisdom of the author Yasar Kemal, who wrote: “another bird can not thrive in an abandoned nest, and he who destroys a nest can have nest, oppression called oppression.”

- And even realize that those who reject the above points do so only because they lost in the Genocide part of their wisdom?

The Armenian Genocide is the Great Catastrophe of Anatolia, and the mother of taboos on these lands. His curse will continue to haunt us as long as we avoid talking about it, to recognize, understand and evaluate. Its centenary offers us a historic opportunity to rid ourselves of our habits, understand the Other, and start group therapy. “

Zaman

Cengiz Aktar

January 6, 2016

(1) read in full, in English, by the www.todayszaman.com/columnist/cengi-z-aktar/entering-1915_368487.html link

Translation Gilbert Béguian

http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist/cengi-z-aktar/re-entering-1915_408938.html

PARIS: Presenting the book Van 1915

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arton119550-250x480Organized by the Association of Holy Cross Armenian Catholic

THE CULTURAL CENTRE IN PARIS SAINT-Mesrob

Saturday, December 12 at 15:00

Jean-Pierre Kibarian

Presenting the book

VAN 1915

MAJOR EVENTS Vaspourakan

How a handful of men and women defended themselves bodies and souls facing barbarism.

TER-privileged witness Martirosyan, told-do tells how in 1300 Armenian fighters stood up to 12000 Turkish soldiers.

Originally written in Armenian, the book VAN 1915 is translated first into French and published in November 2015 by the company ANI bibliophile.

Projection maps and photographs of that time

10 bis rue Thouin – 75005 PARIS

Metro: Cardinal Lemoine or Monge

RER B: Luxembourg

Free admission – Cocktail

Saturday, December 12, 2015,
Stéphane © armenews.com

BBC: Armenia marks centenary of mass killings by Ottoman Turks, Putin the events of 1915 “shook the whole world”

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President Vladimir Putin said the events of 1915 "shook the whole world"

President Vladimir Putin said the events of 1915 “shook the whole world”

Ceremonies have been held in Armenia and around the world to mark the centenary of the start of mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks.

The presidents of France and Russia joined other leaders for the memorial in the Armenian capital, Yerevan.

Armenia says up to 1.5 million people died, a figure disputed by Turkey.

Turkey strongly objects to the use of the term genocide to describe the killings and the issue has soured relations between the nations.

Turkey accepts that atrocities were committed but argues there was no systematic attempt to destroy the Christian Armenian people. It says many innocent Muslim Turks also died in the turmoil of war.

A memorial service was held in Turkey on Friday and its prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said the country would “share the pain” of Armenians. But he reiterated Turkey’s stance that the killings were not genocide.

Turkey also hosted ceremonies on Friday to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Gallipoli.

However, the actual fighting there began on 25 April, and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has accused Turkey of “trying to divert world attention” from the Yerevan commemorations.

The purple forget-me-not is the symbol of the centenary.

The purple forget-me-not is the symbol of the centenary.

‘Never again’

After a flower-laying ceremony in Yerevan, Mr Sargsyan addressed the guests, saying: “I am grateful to all those who are here to once again confirm your commitment to human values, to say that nothing is forgotten, that after 100 years we remember.”

In his address, French President Francois Hollande said: “We will never forget the tragedies that your people have endured.”

France has been a strong advocate of recognising the killings as genocide and President Hollande has pushed for a law to punish genocide denial.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described the killings as “one of the most tragic disasters in the history of humankind” which “shook the whole world”.

“There cannot be any justification for mass murder of people,” he said. “Today we mourn together with the Armenian people.”

Commemorations in Yerevan drew to a close with a candlelit procession. People carried flowers to the city’s memorial late into the evening.

Elsewhere:

  • In Lebanon – home to one of the largest Armenian diasporas – tens of thousands of people attended a march and commemoration service in Beirut
  • In Jerusalem, Armenian priests held a two-hour mass in the Old City. Posters outside the church called on Turkey to recognise the mass killings as genocide
  • And in Tehran, hundreds of Armenian-Iranians attended a rally from an Armenian church to the Turkish Embassy.

US President Barack Obama issued a carefully worded statement for the anniversary, referring to “one of the worst atrocities of the 20th Century”, without using the term genocide.

During his 2008 presidential election campaign, then senator Obama had vowed to “recognise the Armenian genocide” and in his new statement said: “I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view has not changed.”

However, his phrasing has angered Armenian Americans.

Bryan Ardouny, executive director of the Armenian Assembly of America, said in a statement: “President Obama’s exercise in linguistic gymnastics on the Armenian genocide is unbecoming of the standard he himself set and that of a world leader today.”