Gagik Hambaryan: Turkey wants to exterminate Iraq

June 19, 2014 By administrator

Turkey has become active in Iraq and does everything possible to split the Iraqi state de jure, historian and political scientist, Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute lecturer Gagik Hambaryan told a press conference Thursday.

“The Turkish state spares no effort to refute the reports that it supports the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis), but there is evidence that this terrorist organization attacked Northern Iraq with the support of the Turkish state,” the historian said.

According to Hambaryan, Iraqi Kurdistan also played a big role in this attack. “Turkey, in agreement with Iraqi Kurdistan, wants to exterminate Iraq.”

Source: Panorama.am

Turkey: LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE GIVEN TO SEPT. 12 LEADERS

June 18, 2014 By administrator

Daily Sabah report,

Two surviving leaders of 1980 military coup Gen. Kenan Evren and Gen. Tahsin Şahinkaya sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday.

During the hearing at the Ankara 10th High Criminal Court, Özdabakoğlu told the court that both former generals had planned the coup a year before Sept. 12.

Evren, 95, the former chief of the General Staff who led the 1980 coup and president of Turkey from 1982 to 1989; and Şahinkaya, 88, commander of the Turkish Air Forces (THK) during the coup period, are the only surviving leaders of the 1980 coup.

Since the beginning of the Sept. 12 coup trial in April 2012, the coup leaders have not attended any of the hearings, citing health problems. They sent medical reports to the Ankara court through their lawyers. In their testimonies, both Evren and Şahinkaya pleaded not guilty and expressed reluctance to respond to questions on the coup charges.

Wahlberg and Winslet in a film about 1915

June 18, 2014 By administrator

According to the Turkish newspaper Sabah under the title “1915: Joint pain Anatolia”, a new Hollywood production “will try to portray the tragedies of war at the Armenian deportation from an objective point of view.” According to the newspaper “it is the first time that the 1915 incidents have been adapted into a screenplay and emphasizes the fact that the pain and grief caused by the Armenian deportation was not only suffered by the Armenians but all the nations of Anatolia who lived together at that time. “

“The film will focus on a love story that blossomed amidst the harsh extraordinary conditions during the First World War and will represent how different ethnic groups, including Turks, Armenians and Kurds, among other various ethnic minorities lived together in peace and harmony. Differences and conflict that began when the war broke out not only caused damage to the Armenians, but the Kurds and the Turks and this will be the main theme of the film, “says Sabah.

Although the script has been kept secret, the Sabah newspaper was able to obtain more information about the film. The film is not funded or sponsored by a specific company or a government institution and is the work of a Hollywood production company, which has not yet been named.

The company contacted the office of Turkish Prime Minister, saying that the idea sprang the speech of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 23, when he spoke of the incident in 1915 as “joint pain” of two countries.

The film will be located in the province of Van, located in eastern Anatolia and star Kate Winslet played the role of an Armenian nurse serving in the multi-cultural and multi-religious society of the time. Shooting is scheduled to take place on the island of Akdamar and in the provinces of Van, Erzurum and Agri.

No information could be obtained on the film’s budget. The name of Mark Whalberg appeared as partner Kate Winslet.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014,
Stéphane © armenews.com

Another Turkish government leak control, gag order on reporting of Mosul hostage crisis

June 17, 2014 By administrator

ISTANBUL

Hurriyet daily Report Demonstrators chant pro-al-Qaeda-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) as they wave al-Qaeda flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, June 16. AP Photo

Turkey’s Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK) has delivered a court ruling to newspapers, television and websites on June 17, announcing a broadcast and publication ban on reports relating to the kidnappings of Turkish citizens in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

Some 49 members of Turkey’s Mosul Consulate and 31 truck drivers were kidnapped by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), after they seized Mosul late June 9. One of the Turkish drivers managed to escape over the weekend.

According to the June 16 ruling of the 9th Heavy Penal Court in Ankara, the ban will continue until the investigation to “secure the Turkish citizens who were in Turkey’s Mosul Consulate and were taken by the terrorist organization ISIL to an unknown location [is completed].”

June/17/2014

Turkey: A famous journalist facing jail for his book on the revolt Gezi

June 17, 2014 By administrator

June 17, 2014 opened the third hearing of the trial against journalist Erol Özkoray for his book “The phenomenon Gezi”. The book published in July 2013 provides a socio-political analysis of the protest movement “Occupy Gezi” brutally suppressed by security forces during the summer of 2013. Not less than 153 journalists were injured and 39 others arrested while covering the protests.

Erol Özkoray is accused of “insult” against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a chapter identifying various slogans and graffiti drawn on the walls of Istanbul at the time of troubles. Under Article 125 of the Criminal Code, the journalist faces an aggravated one year to 32 months in prison for “insulting a representative of the State” sentence. The trial began March 20, 2014 before the Criminal Court of Istanbul.

“One year after the protests, the authorities continue to criminalize the movement Occupy Gezi ‘and its news coverage, laments Johann Bihr, office manager Eastern Europe and Central Asia Reporters Without Borders. By attacking a celebrity Erol Özkoray figure, they send a clear warning to all civil society. “

“It is unacceptable that a journalist facing jail for what he has done that report. We ask the dropping of charges and an immediate release of journalist. This case reiterates the urgency to overhaul the Turkish legislation, including decriminalizing libel and insult. “

The indictment signed by the prosecutor, Hasan Bölükbasi criticizes Erol Özkoray have quoted in his book slogans such as: “Do not be a donkey, listen to the people”, “You are disgraced resigns, “or even” Tayyip, it is not your fault if you have been born. “ Co-author of the book, Nurten Özkoray, is meanwhile not continue.

60% of Turks believe press not free

June 17, 2014 By administrator

A recent survey shows that nearly 60 percent of people in Turkey believe there is no freedom of press in their country.

According to a recent poll conducted by Ankara-based MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center, which was based on interviews with 2,576 adults, 59.4 percent of Turks believe that the press does not have freedom of expression in the country.

The result also showed that only 35.6 percent of the respondents consider the Turkish press as unrestricted, while five percent declined to comment.

Last December, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) denounced Turkey for its intolerance towards free speech, describing the country as the “world’s worst jailor of journalists.”

According to the organization, there are 40 journalists behind bars in Turkey. The country has also been dubbed as the world’s “biggest prison” for journalists by Reporters Without Borders.

The MetroPOLL survey further showed some 62 percent of the interviewees believe that the Turkish judiciary system is not independent, while only 29.4 percent favor the opposite view. The remaining 8.5 percent also had no idea.

The independence of the judiciary has become a major concern for Turkey after the parliament passed a controversial bill in February, giving the government more control over the appointment of judges and prosecutors.

Turkey, Teenage Kurd killed in clashes in Adana

June 16, 2014 By administrator

A 15-year-old Kurdish teenager has been killed in clashes between police and protesters in the Turkish city of Adana.

The teen reportedly died on Sunday during a demonstration held against the construction of new military posts in the southern Turkish city.

According to reports, the teenager was hit in the head by a stun grenade fired by security forces.

Several demonstrations have been held in Kurdish-majority areas over the construction of new army posts, which are considered by some as a threat to the peace process between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

On June 6, two Kurdish protestors were killed during clashes between protesters and security forces in Lice, in the southeastern Diyarbakir Province, where the government is constructing military barracks.

The deaths sparked demonstrations across Turkey. Diyarbakir has been a scene of protests against the Turkish government for the past few days.

Also on Sunday, dozens of Kurdish protesters took to the streets in Istanbul to express their anger at the killing of the two Kurds.

The government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is holding peace talks with the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party to end a 30-year conflict. The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region in southeastern Turkey since the 1980s. The conflict has left tens of thousands of people dead. The PKK is listed as a terrorist group by many countries.

Turkey: Pro-gov’t Star daily fires two critical columnists

June 15, 2014 By administrator

ISTANBUL

Journalist Mustafa Akyol (L) and Foreign Policy Analyst Sedat Laçiner (Photo: Today’s Zaman)

Star, a pro-government daily, has fired two of its critical columnists, Sedat Laçiner and Mustafa Akyol. Both columnists were known to be liberal supporters of the government in the past.

Akyol and Laçiner announced on their Twitter accounts on Saturday that the newspaper had asked them to suspend writing for the daily for a period of time. Akyol, who is also a contributor to the International New York Times, thanked the newspaper and said he will continue to write what he believes. Although known for their pro-government stances, both columnists did not refrain from criticizing many of the government’s policies they deemed flawed.

Akyol, a liberal democrat and author of “Islam without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty,” said the daily censored one of his columns several months ago. He shared the censored piece with his readers via Twitter.

Laçiner, a prominent foreign policy analyst who headed a well-known think tank, the International Strategic Research Organization (USAK), vehemently criticizes the government’s recent policies, which many observers argue has deepened societal polarization.

Star, along with other fellow pro-government newspapers, has fired dozens of columnists and journalists in the past year as the government stepped up its measures to restrict freedom of the media. Freedom House ranked Turkey in the category of “Not Free” this year with regard to press freedom, while other press advocacy bodies have described Turkey as one of the worst places to do journalism.

Firing critical figures has turned to a worrying pattern that makes it harder for reporters to practice journalism in an increasingly authoritarian environment. The authenticity of a number of wiretapped phone conversations revealing the enormous scale of government meddling in media has been confirmed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; this runs against the basic tenets of liberal democracy, in which press freedom is a key feature of a free and democratic society.

Among other worrying signs that plunge journalism into an unfavorable terrain in Turkey, economic hardships have also taken a toll on some media outlets, with the venerable Radikal daily saying it will continue online after suspending its print edition. The announcement has been met with mixed responses, with loyal readers rushing to express their fury against what they describe as the existence of an unhealthy economic environment fed by patronage ties between government authorities and media executives.

While some newspapers manage to survive economic challenges thanks to generous funding from business tycoons who have cultivated strong and close ties with the government, several media outlets have had to throw in the towel by either scaling down their size and personnel or by saying good-bye to journalism.

Orhan Pamuk says condolences to Erdogan

June 15, 2014 By administrator

In an interview in the Nouvel Observateur this week, the Nobel Prize for Literature Erdogan commented on the positions on the Armenian genocide. Extracts.

In 2005, you were charged with insulting the nation to have recognized the Armenian genocide and the massacre of Kurds. These charges were dropped, but you have received death threats, and the right-wing press has maintained its smear campaign against you. Do you feel threatened yet?

Orhan Pamuk: I’ll give you a statistical answer: I do not have a bodyguard instead of three … My situation is improved! I am good friends with my bodyguard. But do not compare with what my fate endured Salman Rushdie.

On April 23, for the first time in the history of Turkey, Erdogan expressed his condolences to the descendants of Armenians killed in 1915. This was a political event. However, a few days later, he again denied the genocidal character of this massacre. Is it therefore really a first step towards the recognition of the genocide?

Orhan Pamuk: This issue will only be resolved when the freedom of expression in Turkey finally exist. Gold can still be imprisoned for saying the reality of the genocide – although as my personal reputation gives me some immunity. That said, this statement, even shy and followed by denial, as a first step, because prosecutors will now be less inclined to prosecute those who speak of genocide.

It is crucial that the Turks finally know the truth about the events of 1915, and that the objectives and courageous Turkish historians can finally make their voice when they are being marginalized and censored by the media heard. Access to freedom of expression is crucial for the country to undertake the review of historical consciousness, as he helped defuse the Kurdish problem. Erdogan’s statement is timid and late, but it is a decisive point of departure. Even if it is driven by a diplomatic calculation, at least that to his credit.

Orhan Pamuk, born in 1952 in Istanbul, is the author of an important work which “My name is Red”, “Snow” (Prix Médicis 2005 and foreign prices abroad Mediterranean 2006), the “Museum of Innocence” and the beautiful -book “The Innocence of objects.” The museum opened in Istanbul in 2012, was elected “European Museum of the Year 2014”. The Nobel Prize in Literature 2006 has been invited by the Villa Gillet on the occasion of the publication in France of his first novel “Cevdet Bey and his son” Gallimard.

Source: Nouvel Observateur

Turkey program a film about the Armenian Genocide with actress Kate Winslet

June 14, 2014 By administrator

Turkey is making a film on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide by CNN Türk. Hollywood star Kate Winslet should take part in the filming of “escape from my heart” that should raise events that have affected … Armenians but also Turks and Kurds. The site CNN Türk wrote on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the “events of 1915,” Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan for the first time his condolences to the grandchildren of the victims of the Armenian genocide. The film will have a love story against the backdrop of WWI. One of the heroines of the film is an Armenian INFERMIERE, played by Kate Winslet. It will probably be accompanied by actor Mark Wahlberg. The aim of the film is to show that Anatolia (we forget the term Armenia or Armenian Plateau), Armenians, Turks and Kurds “lived in peace and friendship, before the war put an end to this peace,” writes website, forgetting the many massacres of Armenians were victims in the Ottoman Empire for centuries … The film also demonstrate “general evil” of the First World War on the entire population of the region, as Armenians Turks and Kurds. The script runs in Van. And shots will be realized in Van, Akhtamar Island, near Ararat and Erzurum.

The Armenian Genocide, trivialized as “an unfortunate fact of war.” Although disappointing. But that exudes denialist propaganda Ankara.

Krikor Amirzayan

Friday, June 13, 2014,