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French MP: Should we tolerate foreign propaganda against Armenian Genocide acknowledgement?

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French MPThose who deny the [Armenian] Genocide and the Holocaust, do not do credit to themselves, but I believe in the freedom of speech also in this issue which personally relates to me. MP Patrick Devedjian stated the aforementioned at the debate on the bill on criminalization of denial of crimes against humanity introduced by his colleague Valerie Boyer during the session of the French Parliament Committee on Constitutional Laws and Legislation. In his speech, Devedjian said:

“This is a delicate and complicated issue in terms of law. The main issue is the denial by the state. Is it possible to exercise tolerance if a foreign state is disseminating organized denial propaganda in France? As an MP, I have received lots of such documents from organizations of one foreign country, which provides substantive means to the organizations which earn through Genocide denial. This propaganda is evidently for the category of French citizens who have a foreign descent but are nevertheless French like all the others.

I must respond with regret to the historians, who are worried about the interpretation of one or another event, that they get interested in these events when the latter become rather cruel.

The constant statements on that the history cannot be regulated by law are also ungrounded: the historic date of 14 July is the basis of our national identity. The politics, in the noble sense of the word, is based on memory and history.”

French MP Proposes Sanctions Against Turkey Over ‘Siding With Extremists’

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1023993984European lawmaker Marie-Christine Arnautu, Vice President for Social Affairs of the National Front spoke to Sputnik in an exclusive interview regarding the downing of the Russian Su-24 bomber by the Turkish Air Force.

“Turkey has created a big problem by attacking the Russian aircraft, which was returning from a mission of combating the terrorists. Turkey has revealed its cards” Arnautu said in an interview.

She further said, “I just raised the question on my website and suggested not only strict sanctions against Turkey but also to stop to all negotiations regarding Turkey’s accession into the EU. It is quite clear that Turkey is sending weapons and money to the Islamists and leaves open its border, which is like a sieve for jihadists. In addition, after this unfortunate incident, which we have just seen I think that Turkey is indeed at war with those who are waging a war against terrorism.”

“This will be a good test for us… we are talking about war, we are at war… We have a pronounced enemy. Now the main question remains which country and what government is really willing to fight together in the first place against this enemy,” the lawmaker told Sputnik.

She added that fast action needs to be taken and according to her the position of French President Francois Hollande is still very blurred and uncertain.

“I think that the meeting between Putin and Hollande will be crucial. After this meeting Hollande will have to make the final choice. Will he give into the pressure of the financial groups; ultimately it all comes to a question of money and oil? Or will he dare to save France and Russia by helping the coalition that really wants to destroy Islamic fundamentalism and then will develop a real alliance with Russia and Syria,” Arnautu told Sputnik.

Terrorist State of #Turkey sentenced to jail pro-Kurdish MP over alleged PKK links

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This photo, provided by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency, shows Turkish and pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker Lezgin Botan (2nd-L).

A court in Turkey has sentenced a lawmaker from the country’s  pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) to more than six years in prison over alleged affiliation to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

On Friday, the 2nd High Penal Court in Turkey’s eastern province of Van handed down a six-year-and-three-month jail term to Lezgin Botan.

Jail terms with similar lengths were also given to former HDP legislator Selami Ozyasar and two members from a teachers’ union.

They were convicted of being members of the Group of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK), which is said to be linked to the PKK.

MPs on hunger strike

Meanwhile, four HDP lawmakers have gone on hunger strike in a show of protest against a curfew imposed in the southeastern city of Nusaybin, situated 792 kilometers (492 miles) east of the capital, Ankara.

Turkish security officials placed Nusaybin under curfew on November 13, and military operations continue against PKK fighters in the area.

There are reports that the power is out in some 70 percent of the neighborhoods in Nusaybin, and one third of the population is experiencing cuts in water supplies.

Turkey has been engaged in a large-scale military campaign against the PKK in its southern border region in the recent past. The Turkish military has also been conducting offensives against the positions of the PKK in northern Iraq.

The operations began in the wake of a deadly July 20 bombing in the southern Turkish town of Suruc, an ethnically Kurdish town located close to border with Syria. Over 30 people died in the Suruc attack, which the Turkish government blamed on Takfiri Daesh terrorists.

After the bombing in Suruc, the PKK militants, who accuse the government in Ankara of supporting Daesh, engaged in a series of supposedly reprisal attacks against Turkish police and security forces, in turn prompting the Turkish military operations.

 

US Spent a Year Bombing Syrian Desert, Not ISIL – Russian MP

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1026859045The United States spent a whole year bombing the desert instead of hitting terrorist targets in Syria, the head of the Russian parliament’s international affairs committee wrote on Friday.

“[Senator John] McCain accused us of striking out at US-trained insurgents… However, since they have either run away or joined al-Qaeda, hitting them is a mission impossible,” Alexei Pushkov wrote on his Twitter account.

In an interview with France’s Europe 1 Radio Pushkov said that the Russian aerial campaign in Syria would take three to four months.“The US-led coalition spent a whole year pretending they were striking ISIL targets but where are the results of these strikes?” Pushkov wondered.

The White House had earlier said that the Russian air forces was targeting areas in Syria where ISIL militants were nowhere in sight.

Besides, John McCain, chairman of the Senate’s Armed Services Committee, said that he could “absolutely confirm” that Russian air strikes had hit Free Syrian Army recruits who had been armed and trained by the US, a claim that was later denied by the Pentagon.

Briefing reporters in Moscow on Wednesday, a defense ministry spokesman said that the Russian air force had flown twenty sorties targeting ISIL military equipment, communication facilities, arms depots, ammunition and fuel supplies — and did not hit civilian infrastructure or areas nearby.

Source: sputniknews.com

Imprisoned Armenian linguist proposed as MP candidate in Turkey

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Armenian linguist

Armenian linguist

Famous Istanbul-Armenian linguist Sevan Nişanyan has been proposed as an MP candidate by the Liberal Democratic Party for the upcoming elections in Turkey.

Nişanyan wrote on his Twitter page that he has accepted the proposal to become an MP, since the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party has offered him the first place. The linguist also wrote that he chose exactly that party, since its leader is an organized and decent man.

Sevan Nişanyan has always voiced the issue of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey and is eminent for his courageous behavior.

Several court rulings have been made against Nişanyan on charges of illegal construction. Currently Nişanyan is in jail, being sentenced to overall 11 years in prison.

Source:NEWS.am

Belgian lawmakers surprised by lack of anti-Azerbaijani propaganda in Armenia

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Bulgaria-mpYEREVAN. – The Belgian lawmakers who traveled to Armenia and Karabakh were surprised by lack of anti-Azerbaijani propaganda, MP Simone Susskind said.

“We were surprised to see that there is no propaganda of hatred against the opponent, especially knowing about Azerbaijani leadership’s attitude toward civil society. Of course, it will be difficult to compare situation with Azerbaijan [official Baku blacklisted MPs after their trip to Karabakh – ed.]. Nevertheless, we know that a part of Azerbaijani civil society does not share position of the authorities,” she added.

This does not meet that superiority of one of the parties has to be underlined. On the contrary, it is necessary to maintain contacts between the society of Armenia, Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

“We have to understand how to promote dialogue,”she added.

Turkey EU minister: Armenians were massacred

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Kurdish mpKurdish MP Haydar Konca from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish “Peoples’ Democratic Party” (HDP), and who had recently been appointed Minister of European Union (EU) Affairs and Chief Negotiator in the country’s interim government, said it is very clear that the Armenians were massacred in 1915.

Konca, speaking with reporters, responded to a journalist’s query as to what will his reaction be when the Armenian Genocide issue is put on the agenda of the European Parliament, reported Agos Armenian bilingual weekly of Istanbul.

“There is no difference that you say ‘so called’ genocide,” said the minister. “It’s very simple and clear that there was a massacre against the Armenians; everyone accepts that.”

“Basically, we need to focus on how to define it; we will discuss this also in our party, and clarify our [respective] position.”

HDP is Turkey’s sole parliamentary party that has recognized the Armenian Genocide, and called upon the country’s government to confront its history.

Transparency International: Armenia should ban MPs and officials from business activities

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transparency-itlTransparency International has warned about lack of progress in fight of corruption in five Eastern Partnership countries.

In a new report the organization says corruption remains a major problem in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, threatening economic development and political stability as well as the credibility of governments.

While some progress has been made in adopting anti-corruption laws in all five countries, the capture of important institutions by powerful interests is seriously undermining the effective enforcement of these laws, Transparency International said.

The recommendations to Armenia say the government and parliament should ban members of parliament and senior public officials from engaging in business activities. Sanctions for such actions should be introduced, including for those who are aware of such practices but do not report them.

The judiciary should significantly speed up the prosecution rate of corruption offences, giving greater priority to prosecuting high-level officials in order to build trust among citizens in the judiciary’s commitment to fighting corruption.

In order to build the capacity and sustainability of civil society, the government should ease the tax regulations for CSOs so that they are not classified as for-profit organisations.

Belgian MP of Turkish origin expelled from party for denying the Armenian Genocide

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OzdemirNews.am – Belgium’s Christian democratic party Humanist Democratic Centre (CDH) expelled Turkish MP Mahinur Özdemir for denying to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, the Belgian newspaper Knack reports.

“Ms Özdemir refused to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, which contravenes CDH values. Tortuous position is impossible here; utmost clarity is what is needed,” CDH committee statement reads.

Earlier, party’s President Benoît Lutgen said that if there was an Armenian Genocide denier in the party, they would be immediately expelled.

Italian MPs back resolution on Palestine independence

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A Palestinian waves his country’s national flag.

A Palestinian waves his country’s national flag.

Italian parliamentarians have approved a non-binding resolution which calls on the government to recognize Palestine as an independent state, amid growing calls for the recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state.

The resolution was passed on Friday with as many as 300 members of Italy’s Chamber of Deputies voting in favor of the resolution. Forty-five opposed. report presstv

The motion for recognizing Palestine as an independent state was presented by Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s Democratic Party (PD).

Earlier this month, Belgium’s parliament approved a resolution calling for Palestine to be recognized as an independent state.

Sweden is the only European country that has officially recognized Palestine’s statehood, although several other parliaments in the 28-nation European Union (EU) have also made similar moves demanding that their governments recognize Palestine as a state.

Israel has been angered by the motions submitted to European parliaments.

On December 2, 2014, French lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favor of a motion to recognize Palestine as an independent state. The motion, urging the government to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, was backed by a majority of 339 lawmakers while 151 members voted against.

On November 18, 2014, Spanish lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a non-binding resolution on recognizing a Palestinian state.

Britain and Ireland have also passed similar non-binding motions.

On November 29, 2012, the 193-member United Nations General Assembly voted to upgrade Palestine’s status to non-member observer state.

Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, East al-Quds (Jerusalem), and the Gaza Strip and are demanding that Israel withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories. Israel, however, has refused to return to the 1967 borders and is unwilling to discuss the issue of al-Quds.