Turkey: Paylan Calls for Research into Armenian Deportation Law of 1915

April 22, 2017 By administrator

ISTANBUL/ANKARA (ArmRadio)—Armenian member of the Turkish parliament Garo Paylan presented a research proposal to the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey for the examination of the results of the Provisional Relocation Act enacted on May 27, 1915, Istanbul-based Agos news reported on Friday.

The Member of Parliament proposed to investigate the responsibilities of the government and public officials during that time, as well as the daily effects of the deportations.

“Following the Temporary Relocation Act, the Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire was subjected to deportation, leading to devastation in the Syriac, Keldani, Ezidi and Greek peoples,” a part of Paylan’s proposal read. “Although the results of this law have not been investigated by the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) for more than 102 years, it has been known that a large number of casualties have been experienced due to the Deportation Law.

“A lot of cultural assets and property have been seized or confiscated. The exploitation of the responsibilities of the government and civil servants of the period, the day-to-day effects of the consequences of the deportation, the benefits of confronting the past and the truth in ensuring social peace as a whole in our country, in accordance with Article 98 of the Constitution, Articles 104 and 105 of the Constitution in order to contribute to the uncovering of ‘truth’ in order to prevent abuse and to provide more opportunities for future generations to live together in Turkey freely and peacefully I would like to offer and propose to open the survey.”

Paylan noted during the parliamentary meeting that Talat Pasha, the Ottoman Empire’s Interior Minister and one of the three main organizers of the Armenian Genocide, personally documented the 1915 deportations.

“The destruction of the forded population, the investigation of the responsibilities of the government of the period and the public officials, the day-to-day effects of the consequences of the deportation, the benefits of confronting and confronting the truth and truthfulness of social peace in our country, I would like to open a Parliamentary Survey in order to make contributions, to give future generations more opportunities to live in Turkey together freely and in peace. “

Armenian opposition MP asks parliament to invite Garo Paylan to Armenia

February 6, 2017 By administrator

An opposition MP from the Heritage party, Zaruhi Postanjyan, on Monday asked the parliament to consider a plan for inviting Turkish-Armenian MP Garo Paylan to Armenia.

“I think we must invite our compatriot, Garo Paylan, to give him the floor in the Armenian parliament. His message should reach the Armenians around the globe. He voices that message in the Turkish parliament to face pressure, so we must express our solidarity to him,” she said.
President of the National Assembly Galust Sahakyan accepted the proposal, promising to hold a separate debate to consider the issue.
“I think the issue is really discussable. We have to analyze all the details to see whether his visit to Armenia is advantageous. The idea is acceptable to all of us, but at the same time, we see also a political issue. So we have to consider all that,” he said.

Garo Paylan wrote for Agos: Let’s correct this historic mistake

February 5, 2017 By administrator

Recently, HDP MP Garo Paylan had been banned from the parliament for 3 sessions and subjected to verbal assault for he used the word “genocide” and his speech was removed from the parliamentary minutes. Paylan wrote for Agos, telling what happened before and after the speech and what was his intention in the first place.

Last week, I was in Berlin for attending the conference organized in memory of Hrant Dink. The day after the conference, I had a meeting with a group of deputies in Bundestag. When I entered Reichstag building where Bundestag is located, I heard a very nice piano melody. I asked the people who welcomed me where this melody was coming from. They said, “From the hall of general assembly.”

I couldn’t help to peak inside the hall and they said that there was an event for commemorating the Holocaust. The hall was full. All deputies, Chancellor Merkel and ministers were present at the hall of the general assembly. All of the parliament warmly applauded this piano recital and speeches in memory of the Holocaust.

I should admit that I envied. German Parliament was commemorating the victims of the great crime that was committed by Nazi government in the recent history. And I was coming from an entirely different atmosphere; from my country, where the atrocities of yesterday haven’t been acknowledged and the atrocities of today go on with impunity… I felt sorry for my country and went to the meeting with teary eyes…

Just a week before this meeting, I was banned from the parliament because I mentioned what happened to my people at the end of Ottoman period. While I, as an Armenian deputy, wasn’t allowed to speak about 102-years-old sins; all German deputies, leftists, rightists, members of the ruling and opposing parties, were sitting side by side with a great self-confidence and confronting with their mistakes. And none of them was thinking that German identity is defamed by that.

The constitution that Odyan wrote

In Turkey, looking at the pages of the history is getting more and more difficult. Let me tell you how I experienced it. One week before the commemoration event in Berlin, I began to talk about the proposed constitutional amendments by saying, “We are about to make a historic mistake.” I said, “We long for a social contract which every one living in our common homeland can call my constitution.”

My purpose was to take the deputies back to the days when the constitution was discussed in the Ottoman period. I wanted to remind the mistakes that were made back then. In fact, few people know that our first constitution was written in 1876 by a committee consisting of various identities and Krikor Odyan was the one who wrote it. This constitution was suspended by Abdulhamid and a period of autocracy started, which continued until 1908. And you know the rest… Seeking for democracy, coup by Talat and Enver and the great disaster…

Today, MHP defines the proposed amendments that had been discussed in the parliament as “the constitution of the Turkish nation”. It makes me frightened, because Talat and Enver had a similar mentality and tried to implement the constitution of the Turkish nation. They regarded some people as acceptable citizens, while they ignored some others. In fact, they even exterminated some of the people. During 1913-1923, great massacres, genocides, population exchanges and pogroms took place. We lost majority of Armenian, Syriac, Greek and Jewish people.

However, when I told about these facts in the parliament, all hell broke loose! An unprecedented punishment was imposed on me because I said “genocide”. I was banned from the discussions for 3 sessions. My speech was deleted from the parliamentary minutes.

Many of my friends who read about the incident on internet said, “Garo, you are right, but is this the right time for speaking about the genocide? We are heading towards a dictatorial regime.” This was understandable, because media was making a fuss about the word “genocide”. My two cognates made statements to the press and said that they found my speech “irrelevant and untimely”. I wasn’t surprised. Some people just bow down in times like these. Fear and worry are understandable feelings.

“Well then, you name it”

However, my purpose was not to say “genocide” at all costs in the midst of the uproar caused by the discussion on the amendments. In fact, I have said “genocide” or “Armenian Genocide” in the parliament for many times. There was no trouble before. This time again, I called what happened to my people “genocide” just like I always do.

However, something different happen; insults and crisis… I said, “Well then, you name it,” to the ones who objected me. That night, MHP threatened AKP with not supporting the proposed amendments, if I am not punished. Thus, I was banned from the parliament with the votes of AKP, MHP and CHP. I was subjected to the lynching campaign of the nationalist front.

However, I didn’t intend to cause a polemic; my purpose was to make people learn from the past and prevent them from making the same mistakes. I wanted to talk about how the process of writing constitution at the end of the Ottoman period led a pluralist society to a mentality of homogeneity, the abuses and disasters caused by one-man-regimes and what all of these mean to us who are trying to write a constitution in 2017.

I know very well that what happened to my grandfather and the great disasters took place in Anatolia were caused by the mistakes that politicians like us made. A system that abolishes the parliament would create the dreadful atmosphere that was created by Talat and Enver who abolished the same parliament. The proposed constitution makes the government and will dependent on one person; it imposes ideology of homogeneity. This is nothing but the repetition of the disasters that took place back then.

I am aware of it and not talking about it would make me feel like I am betraying this country, these lands and the people that I live together.

We can win together

I am worried. The parliament that took action for “writing the constitution of the Turkish nation”, imprisoned Kurdish deputies with great enthusiasm before taking action and doesn’t have enough confidence to let its members vote secretly is giving all the authority to one person; no good can come of this.

Think about it, Christian and Jewish peoples, who constituted 40% in the past, are just one out of thousand now because of a mentality seeking for homogeneity. We suffered gravely. However, it is not only us; every one is missing something. Every one is tainted because of the mistakes of a couple of men.

For me, the problem is not only about violation of my freedom of expression in the parliament, disrespect to the elected will or whether I cannot use “that word”. These are important of course, but what really matters is this: Turkey is determined to take the path about which its own history warns and heading at full speed towards intolerance that became a matter of national consensus and to an authoritarian regime that lacks a mechanism of balance and control.

The ones who will be ignored by the new period will either lapse into silence or revolt, or they will just leave the country. Just like 100 years ago… The country will be damaged and impaired. We might live in a period during which we all lose.

However, we can win together.

On these agonized lands, in which we buried Hrant Dink 10 years ago, every one lives in the restlessness of a dove. This restlessness is not groundless. We, Armenians, know it only too well. That is why I am addressing you, the majority.

Let’s correct this historic mistake before it’s too late.

Turkish parliamentarian plans to sue Garo Paylan over Armenian Genocide remarks

January 17, 2017 By administrator

Member of Turkey’s Great Union Party (BBP) Arif Kyoroghlu has appealed to the prosecutor’s office for opening a case against Armenian member of Turkish Parliament Garo Paylan of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

Citing “Beyaz Gazetesi” Turkish news website, Ermenihaber reports, Kyoroghlu has referred to Paylan’s remarks over the Armenian Genocide during deliberations held on January 13 on proposed changes to the country’s constitution.

In an interview with reporters, Kyoroghlu has accused Paylan for what he believed to be ‘incitement to revenge and enmity.’

The Turkish parliamentarian claimed the use of the Genocide word in the Turkish parliament is ‘humiliating’ for the Turkish Republic, people, and the legislative body.

“Our state has opened all the archives over the topic to the world,” the Turkish deputy has argued, adding Paylan’s statement should be qualified as crime made use of his parliamentarian immunity.

Kyoroghlu has argued that Armenians and other minorities residing in Turkey ‘have lived in peace and harmony’ since the establishment of the Turkish Republic.

To remind, Garo Paylan was temporarily banned from parliamentary sessions after referring to the Armenian Genocide in Turkish Mejlis. In his speech Paylan said four communities – Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks and Jews – had been ‘lost’ and ‘driven from these lands in large massacres (and) genocides.”

“We used to account for 40 percent [of the country’s population]. Now we are barely one out of a 1,000. It seems likely that something happened to us. I define this as a genocide,” Paylan said in his speech.
According to some sources, the part of the speech was removed from the parliamentary minutes.

Istanbul: Paylan Question Deputy Prime Minister On His ‘Infidel’ Remarks

December 7, 2016 By administrator

Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament

Istanbul—Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament representing the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) on Monday took issue with recent comments by Turkey’s deputy prime minister, who used a derogatory term to describe non-Muslims living in Turkey as a hindrance to independence, prompting Paylan to raise the issue in parliament, reported Agos.

On December 3, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said, “For us, independence means to stand against the giavurs (infidels or non-believers) and to be able to call them ‘giavurs.’”

In his inquiry to parliament, Paylan urged Kurtulmus to personally take responsibility for his statement and provide a response.

Paylan said that according to Turkish Language Association (TDK), giavur means “1. a nonbeliever person, 2. non-Muslim.” He also cited linguist Sevan Nisanyan, who defined the term to mean “1. Zoroastrian, fire-worshiper, 2. non-Muslim, heretic.”

“Do you think that you insulted the Christians and non-Muslim people of Turkey by using the word of ‘giavur,’ which is used in a derogatory manner in many Turkish idioms and proverbs and which people often use to insult or defame certain groups or individuals?” asked Paylan in his parliamentary inquiry.

“Given that hate speech is defined as ‘speaking in an insulting or threatening manner on the basis of attributes such as gender, ethnic origin, religion, race, disability or sexual orientation,’ do you think that your statement is a form of hate speech?” added Paylan.

“Regarding the fact that such statements often lead to hate crimes, do you think that your statement may cause hate crimes?” said Paylan.

Last month, Paylan, in a similar question, appealed to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim about the rise of hate crimes against Armenians and other minorities, suspects who threatened the Agos newspaper by placing black wreaths in front of its offices. That inquiry has yet to be answered.

Paylan the ‘best Armenian is dead Armenian’ complaint to the slogan

June 23, 2016 By administrator

(AGOS) Shares of HDPE deputy Garo, while protesting about the decision after the verdict of the Federal Assembly of the Armenian Genocide ‘best Armenian is dead Armenian “slogan has been to assign criminal complaint against nationalists.

HDPE Istanbul deputy Garo Shares of the collected to protest against the decision taken about the Genocide of Armenians Federal Assembly and “Best Armenian dead were Armenians,” he found in 200 people idealistic group for Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office filed a criminal complaint.

Shares of, in his statement, said: “June 2, 2016, the German Federal Parliament, the Armenian was considered a bill that accept the Genocide. The same day, Istanbul’s Nationalist Hearths about 200 people group-hour protest against the decision Gümüşsuyu Street entrance queues 19:30 the aim was collected. currency in hand, Turkey and groups in Azerbaijan flags, accompanied by mehter team ‘most beautiful Armenian dead Armenians’ slogans tried to walk in front of the Consulate throwing. these slogans, publicly showing his finished a hate crime, the Armenians are openly threatening. processed this hate crime and I filed a criminal complaint about the threats made to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor. “

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

April 21, 2016 By administrator

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.

Paylan Calls on Diaspora, ARF to Bring Struggle to Turkey

June 11, 2015 By administrator

By Rupen Janbazian

Newly Elected MPs Paylan, Doğan Speak about Being Armenian, Turkey Politics

Garo Paylan speaks to Armenian reporters at the HDP offices
(Photo: Rupen Janbazian,

Garo Paylan, an Armenian elected to Turkey’s Parliament on June 7, believes the Armenian Genocide issue should be solved in Turkey. “The Armenian Genocide took place here and coming to terms with the genocide should also take place here,” he said in an interview with Ermenihaber.am, adding that the Diaspora and Armenian political parties, specifically the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), should continue the struggle in Turkey. Paylan, 42, also spoke about the election results, his future plans as a parliamentarian, and prospects of normalizing Armenia-Turkey relations.

Paylan, a member of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), Markar Esayan from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), and Selina Özuzun Doğan from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) became the first Armenian members of Turkey’s Parliament in decades.

Speaking about his entry into Turkish politics, Paylan explained that being an active member of the Armenian community prompted his interest in politics. “Even saying ‘I am Armenian’ is a political statement in Turkey. If you are interested in Armenian issues and your identity, then you’re automatically interested in politics,” said Paylan, who explained that his involvement in the Armenian community started in his youth.

Paylan explained how he served as the principal of an Armenian school in Istanbul until Hrant Dink’s murder. “Hrant’s death was a real turning point—it made us politically active… I realized that something needed to change in this country and I dedicated my life to find those responsible for Hrant’s murder. I also wanted to shed light on the problems Armenian students faced in Turkey,” said Paylan. “In 2011, we founded the Democratic People’s Congress (HDK) with a group of social activists, and set up our party in 2013.”

Paylan said that he is ready to work towards the normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations, and that genocide recognition is crucial in the matter. “The Armenian Genocide is often viewed in the context of Armenia-Turkey relations. The Armenian Genocide is only one part of the Armenia-Turkey relations, not the foundation,” said Paylan. “However, as long as the public does not face the true history, the signing of the protocols cannot have a true meaning,” he added.

Paylan said he disagreed with Armenia’s President Serge Sarkisian’s proposal to open the Armenia-Turkey border without any preconditions, and called for Armenian political parties to have a more active role in Turkey. “I do not accept [Sarkisian’s] view. First and foremost, Turkey must recognize its guilt when it comes to the genocide, and hatred towards Armenians and Armenia should disappear. I respect the struggles of both Armenia and the Armenian diaspora and urge all Armenian political parties, namely the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), to come and carry out their struggle here. Every Armenian that comes to Turkey can have a huge impact,” said Paylan.

Paylan also stressed that he feels a great responsibility to shed light on Armenian issues in his new role. “We [Armenians in Turkey] have a number of problems; confronting the past, Hrant’s [Dink] and Sevag’s [Balikci] unsolved murders, and genocide recognition. We have suffered a huge cultural loss, for which we have not received any compensation,” he said. “I don’t believe we [Armenians] will be able to solve these issues alone. Our party’s principle is to work together with other peoples to overcome these problems,” he added.

Paylan says that he is ready to work with at least one of the two other Armenians elected last Sunday. “Selina [Özuzun Doğan] is a close friend of mine and I believe we can work well together,” said Paylan. “Markar [Essayan] and I shared a similar ideology in the past; we’ve even released joint statements against [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan. But over the past three years, his [Essayan’s] rhetoric has been completely pro-government; something that I can’t participate in. If he starts criticizing the wrongdoings of the government, then I would be ready to work with him. If not, his Armenian heritage means little to me,” said Paylan. “Non-Armenians can be much more beneficial to our cause than he has ever been. Many fellow non-Armenian HDP-members have been 1,000 times more compassionate towards the Armenian cause,” he added.

For Paylan, running on the list of another party has always been out of the question. “Equality for all is a very important concept for me. There are many questions to be asked about the democracy preached in all the other major parties in Turkey. They don’t believe in real democracy; they are all centered on individuals. In our party, democracy reigns without any exception. As an Armenian, I have never felt like a foreigner in our party,” said Paylan.

When asked about HDP’s recent success, Paylan said that it was expected. “There is a saying—‘it’s darkest right before dawn.’ Truly, we were at that darkest point and have now entered dawn.”

Doğan: Millions of Armenians lived in Turkey, they are not here today

‘No one should doubt the fact that I am Armenian,’ said Doğan, (Photo: formiche.net)

Newly elected Turkish-Armenian Member of Parliament Selina Özuzun Doğan of Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) also granted an interview to Ermenihaber.am, during which she said that her party wants Turkey to face its past, but fell short of calling the Armenian Genocide by its true name.

“CHP will admit that there are some issues relating to the past that need to be faced. Like Turkish civil society, the CHP is also in a process of transformation,” Doğan explained. “Our party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has called the events of 1915 a ‘great tragedy’ and has said that we are not afraid to face the truth. Call the 1915 events whatever you’d like; that is a separate issue. The bottom line is, those people [Armenians] aren’t here today. Millions of Armenians once lived in Turkey—there are only about 50-60,000 today,” she said.

In April, Kılıçdaroğlu said that Pope Francis’ statement and the European Parliament (EP) ruling on the Armenian Genocide would not serve reconciliation between Turks and Armenians well, and lent his party’s support to a joint declaration against the EP’s adoption of a resolution on the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

When asked how free she felt to express herself as an Armenian within the CHP, Doğan explained that freedom of speech was one of the most important issues for the party. “There is a sense of political morality and respect for freedom of expression within the [CHP], therefore I can freely say whatever I think is true and argue that point until the end,” she explained.

“No one should doubt the fact that I am Armenian,” said Doğan, who explained that although there was initially some opposition to her within the party, fellow CHP members have now accepted her.

According to Doğan, the CHP is ready to normalize relations with all neighboring countries, including Armenia. “Why should the borders be closed and why shouldn’t people be able to trade with each other? There is a major lack of political will to bring the two societies [Armenian and Turkish] closer. There is also a serious negative view of the Armenian diaspora. We need to eliminate that,” said Doğan, adding that she sees her election to Parliament as an initial positive step in that regard. She also said that she did not agree with “tying Armenian-Turkish relations to the Karabagh issue.”

“We need to support the work of non-governmental organizations working on this issue, in order for the two [Armenian and Turkish] societies to better understand each other and for the borders to open,” she said.

When asked about her role as a female politician, Doğan said her party will work hard to eliminate gender inequalities in Turkey. “We will fight all discrimination and violence against women,” she said, adding that Turkey is moving in the right direction in terms of gender equality. “We will have 97 female members of parliament out of 550 in the upcoming Parliament. Although the number is low, it is still a positive leap.”