Turkish Archives

Syria captures Turkish aid cargo heading to Daesh ISIS in Iraq

May 14, 2016 By administrator

A frame grab of Syrian intelligence forces inspecting a captured Daesh-bound lorry full of medicine in Aleppo

Syrian intelligence forces say that they have captured a haul of medical supplies near Aleppo that came from Turkey and was destined for Daesh terrorists in the Iraqi city of Mosul.

In a video released by Russia’s RT television network on Friday, Hussein al-Omar, a colonel in Syria’s Military Intelligence Directorate, said that the lorry, loaded with some 25 tons of medicine and hospital supplies, including a number of dialysis machines, had entered Syria from Turkey’s Bab al-Hawa international border crossing, located on Syria’s northwestern border with Turkey.

He added that the lorry was planned to reach Mosul, Daesh’s de facto capital in Iraq, through the towns of Afrin, A’zaz, and Manbij in Aleppo province. According to Omar, the lorry, loaded in Turkey, bore a Syrian number plate and was driven by two militants from al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front terrorist group, who had received the cargo in the Bab al-Hawa border crossing.

“Through an intelligence operation, we lured them from Afrin to Nubl, arrested them, and brought them here. All of this proves that Turkey is supporting the terrorists, especially Daesh, with meds and all supplies, even with weapons,” the Syrian official further said.

The much-needed aid would be delivered to Aleppo’s local maternity hospital, which sustained damage in a recent shelling attack launched by the Takfiri terrorists, he added.

Turkey has time and again been accused of aiding and abetting militant groups operating in Syria with reports saying that Ankara actively trains and arms the Takfiri militants there, and facilitates their safe passage into the Arab country. Ankara has also been accused of buying smuggled oil from Daesh.

fb8ca0fb-e542-41c4-a406-1e24caa3ccdc Last year, Russia released satellite images showing long lines of trucks carrying oil from Syria’s Daesh-controlled parts into Turkey. Ankara, however, has rejected the allegations.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has also displaced over half of the Arab country’s pre-war population of about 23 million.

Kurdish forces PKK killed 6 Turkish soldiers, 2 gunship pilots in SE Turkey

May 13, 2016 By administrator

thumbs_b_c_c7c928318fb937e10123fddf7798dec5 Soldiers were killed in clashes with PKK , while pilots died when their helicopter crashed in Hakkari province,

Six soldiers and two gunship helicopter pilots were Killed in southeastern Hakkari province Friday morning, Turkish military said.

Turkish General Staff said in a statement that six soldiers were Killed and eight others were injured at 4.50 a.m. (0150GMT) in clashes with PKK at the Cigli military zone in Hakkari’s Cukurca district.

Less than an hour later, a gunship helicopter was sent to the region in response to the clash, but it crashed due to a technical fault, killing two pilots, the statement added.

Turkish textbooks should address Armenian Genocide: German MP Cem Ozdemir

May 4, 2016 By administrator

211644 Co-chairman of the German political party Alliance ’90/The Greens, MP Cem Ozdemir said at a parliament sitting that Germany turns a blind eye to the Genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire.

Ozdemir previously authored and introduced a resolution to recognize the Armenian Genocide which will be discussed in the Bundestag in early June.

“If the Armenian Genocide of 1915 was spoken out on, no ethnic minorities would have been persecuted or attacked afterwards,” Ozdemir said.

“If Armenians hadn’t been slaughtered, Van would have become the Paris of the East.”

“The Turkish textbooks should feature the truth about the Genocide, and Talaat pasha should by no means be a hero for children,” he added.

Turkey: Deputies’ fistfight closes Turkish parliament for two days “The most vilont people soon to be EU Memeber”

April 28, 2016 By administrator

n_98454_1 Violent tension between lawmakers from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) descended into a brawl during a plenary session on April 27, delaying efforts to pass legislation on an EU migration deal.

Deputies threw punches, pushed and tried to restrain each other in the assembly late on April 27 in a row over deadly operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the southeast.

Fighting erupted after HDP Şırnak deputy Ferhat Encü “commemorated all civilians and children massacred by the security services.”

“I remember the civilians recently massacred by shelling in [the southeastern district of] Silopi. I remember the 34 people, including children, who were brutally bombed by Turkish warplanes in Roboski four years ago,” said Encü.

Turkish warplanes killed 34 villagers, all relatives in Encü, in late 2011 on the border with Iraq in the eastern district of Uludere in the Roboski Massacre.

The acting speaker announced at the end of April 27 session that, following the scuffles, the parliament would not meet again in a full session until May 2.

Lawmakers had been expected to work on April 29 and April 30 on legislation needed for Turks to secure visa-free travel to Europe, a key part of Ankara’s deal with the European Union on stopping uncontrolled migration to Europe.

“You may not like it, but unfortunately these things are true,” he added.

During the speech, AKP deputies reacted angrily and started shouting, declaring Encü a supporter of the PKK.
“You are a murderer. You support murderers. You are despicable. You are a terrorist and a defender of murderers. You should be in jail. You came from the mountains,” the AKP MPs were heard shouting, referring to the Kandil Mountains that are known as the PKK’s headquarters in northern Iraq.

In response, Encü said “those accusing him of being a terrorist are the real terrorists.”

After a fight erupted between the MPs, Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Ahmet Aydın declared a break in proceedings.

Encü later wrote on his Twitter account that he was “not afraid” of the AKP deputies who targeted him in parliament.

“They attempted to lynch me for commemorating the civilians massacred by the security services. They think that the officers don’t kill. Is that so? If you’ve had just a little honor, you wouldn’t say that to me, as 34 of my own relatives were massacred by law enforcement,” he also wrote.

The fight broke out during debates on a draft bill to establish a supervisory commission to oversee law enforcement officers’ compliance with the law, which was opened on April 27.

The draft suggested the commission would be led by the Interior Ministry’s undersecretary and have seven members who would work to enhance the law enforcement complaint system, as well as make it function transparently, improve its credibility, and centralize the recording of processes initiated against law enforcement officers for their alleged crimes and offenses.

While the general assembly was shut, there were scuffles again on April 28 during a meeting of a constitutional commission which was discussing legislation on lifting lawmakers’ immunity from prosecution.

Since interest from both members of parliament and journalists on deliberations over the government-led provisional change in the constitution that would allow parliament to lift legislative immunities was high, the meeting began with a large number of attendees standing in order to follow the debate. The HDP objected to an attempt to usher journalists out of the commission room and asked for a change of the venue.

Tension rose when AKP deputies opposed the HDP’s proposal.

(Video) Millions of Armenians Around the world march on Turkish Consulate & Embassies, Demanded Recognizing Armenian Genocide

April 24, 2016 By administrator

Thousands of people around the globe took to the streets on Sunday to commemorate the 1915 massacre of up to 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, demanding that Turkey recognize the atrocity as genocide.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and First Lady Rita Sargsyan laid flowers at the Armenian Genocide Memorial in the country’s capital, Yerevan.

The event in memory of the victims was attended by Hollywood star George Clooney and renowned French singer Charles Aznavour, who is of Armenian descent.

https://youtu.be/KiqiPwJB5Ks

Sargsyan used the 101st anniversary to draw international attention to a recent flare up in hostilities in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The multi-ethnic enclave populated by Armenians and Azerbaijanis has been in political limbo since a conflict between the groups involving tens of thousands of casualties ended in 1994 with the region self-declaring independence. Turkish ally Azerbaijan, however, still claims it as its own, and has not backed off its intention to take back control of the territory.

“I declare for the entire world to hear: there will be no purging or deportation of the Armenians of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). We will not allow another Armenian Genocide. We – means the Armenian nation, all its segments, we – means our Armenian consolidation,” the president said in a statement.

Several thousand people gathered in Moscow carrying Armenian and Russian flags to mark the somber anniversary.

https://youtu.be/6-cZkpEPxvA

“The memory of the victims of the genocide will live on forever,” read a huge black banner displayed in Russia’s capital.

A group of teens participating in a flash mob removed red bands from their mouths as an Armenian girl passed by in a symbolic gesture meaning that it is impossible to hush up the genocide any longer.

In Greece, hundreds of ethnic Armenians and sympathizers marched through Athens to denounce Turkey and slam Azerbaijan for allegedly escalating the conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

https://youtu.be/JA4BmYHnowE

The protesters marched to the Turkish and Azeri embassies in center of the Greek capital waving Armenian flags and carrying signs reading: “Truth will Triumph,”“Azerbaijan Land of Crimes,” and “Hands off Armenia.”

Meanwhile, thousands of demonstrators in Iran participated in an event at Tehran’s St. Sarkis Cathedral, in which they also urged Ankara to recognize the genocide of Armenians and condemned the recent uptick in hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

“Our demand is that Turkey recognizes the historical truth and accepts legal responsibility for it,” Karen Khanlari, an Iranian-Armenian lawmaker, told RT’s Ruptly video agency.

https://youtu.be/Hg0CnY9QGzY

In 1914, at the beginning of World War I, around 2 million Armenians were living in the Ottoman Empire, but that number decreased to less than half a million over the next eight years.

The mass killings began on April 24, 1915, when 250 Armenian intellectuals were detained by Ottoman authorities and later executed in their capital, Constantinople, which is now present-day Istanbul.

Most of the Ottoman Empire’s Armenians were subsequently displaced, deported, or placed in concentration camps, ostensibly for rebelling against the Ottomans and siding with the Russians during World War I.

Turkey – the successor of the Ottoman Empire – admits that many Armenians were mistreated at the time, but claims that the number of victims has been grossly exaggerated and that there was no “genocide” or official systematic effort to eliminate the Armenian minority.

Acknowledging crimes against humanity would not only damage Ankara’s international reputation, but also leave it liable for reparations, which some Armenian human rights groups estimate should be worth trillions of dollars.

On April 25 of last year, Turkey held a celebration to mark 100 years since the Gallipoli Landings, the Ottoman Empire’s greatest success in World War I, in order to distract attention from the 100th anniversary of the genocide, angering many in Armenia

https://youtu.be/KC75b7rXuF0

GERMANY Armenian Genocide: A German orchestra denounces the Turkish pressure on a show

April 24, 2016 By administrator

arton125281-480x360 Berlin (AFP) – A German orchestra music on Saturday accused the Turkish authorities to put pressure on him and the European Union, to prevent the term “genocide” is used as part of a concert he gave about the massacre of Armenians in 1915.

“This is an attack on freedom of expression,” said the director of the Dresden orchestra (East), Dresdner Sinfoniker, Markus Rindt.

According to him, the Embassy of Turkey to the European Union asked the European Commission in Brussels to remove a subsidy of 200,000 euros given to the orchestra for this project, arguing that the show uses the term “genocide” – Ankara rejects that – to qualify the massacres there a century.

The European Commission maintained the subsidy but invited the orchestra to “soften” the texts of the show by no longer mentioning genocide and removed any mention of the concert on its web page, said the director of the orchestra. “We find this all very questionable,” he told AFP.

A spokesman for the Commission in Brussels acknowledged the withdrawal. “Due to concerns raised about the terms used to describe the project, the Commission has temporarily removed from its website to discuss a new formulation with the project sponsor,” said she told AFP.

The show was mounted to mark the centenary of the massacre of Armenians in 1915 and wants a reconciliation project.

It combines several musical selections played by an orchestra displaying Turkish and Armenian musicians. The controversy concerns the texts sung by the choir or played on stage, as well as the formulation of the program that speaks explicitly of genocide (www.aghet.eu). The name of the production, “Aghet” is also used to speak Armenian massacres of 1915.

It was shown in November 2015, first in Berlin, without causing tub.

Kurdish forces PKK: Neutralized 3 Turkish Soldiers in Country’s East

April 22, 2016 By administrator

1031065518 According to media reports, a bomb attack carried out by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group in Turkey’s eastern province of Tunceli has claimed the lives of three Turkish soldiers.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A bomb attack carried out by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group in Turkey’s eastern province of Tunceli on Friday has claimed the lives of three Turkish soldiers, local media reported.

Turkish soldiers had been inside a military vehicle when the attack happened, the Anadolu news agency said.

Turkish aircraft that had been sent to the scene for reinforcement, opened fire on the militants of the PKK group, which is deemed a terrorist organization in the country, according to the media outlet.

The Turkish army has launched a military operation over the incident, the agency added.

Since summer 2015, clashes between the Turkish government and the PKK have claimed the lives of over 350 soldiers and police officers, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Buyers of Turkish goods sponsors of terrorism, Armenian economist says

April 20, 2016 By administrator

Armenian economist Tatul Manaseryan, at a meeting with reporters on Wednesday, spoke of struggle against import and sale of Turkish products in Armenia.

“Many of our citizens are seasonal migrant workers and send hard-earned money to their families in Armenia. They, in turn, buy Turkish goods thus sponsoring Turkey’s war industry,” Mr Manaseryan said.

He calls for “coming to senses” and saying “yes” to Armenian goods.

“A country that was more dependent on Turkey, severed its economic ties with Turkey for moral reasons and applied sanctions against it. I am speaking of Russia,” Mr Manaseryan said.

Armenia could do the same.

Mr Manaseryan points out the role of both the government and private sector, as well as that of civil society. Success is impossible if one of them fails.

“We must do way with the enemy within. Those buying Turkish goods are actually sponsoring terrorism,” the economist said.

As to what situation the Armenian businessmen importing Turkish goods will find themselves in, Mr Manaseryan said:

“We should not make a poor mouth and ask about what the people are going to do. We are a sovereign state and creating jobs for those people must be number one task for our country. Our country must encourage self-employment, exempt micro-businesses from taxes, and we applied to the government for that long ago. We have to launch an import substitution policy. We should be ashamed of not manufacturing the products we are importing.”

Azeri hysteria against the singer Hadise Turkish guilty in their eyes of wearing on her dress colors of Armenia

April 18, 2016 By administrator

arton125005-400x300 Azeris, are crazy hysterical rage! A known Turkish singer Hadise who participated in Eurovision 2009 during a children’s program for the Turkish television channel TV8 … wearing a dress on which one could distinguish the colors of the Armenian flag …

This is enough to Azeris to cry foul. Azeris who verbally attacked the Turkish singer and accused of being an Armenian officer! Hysteria is limitless. Yet the colors of the clothing of the Turkish singer were orange-blue-red and not those of the flag of Armenia, red-blue-orange … Hadise spoke of “mental illness” of these protesters Azerbaijanis …

Hadise Açýkgöz (born 22 October 1985 in Mol, Belgium), participated under the name of Hadise at Eurovision 2009 representing Turkey. She finished fourth with the song Düm Tek Tek.

Krikor Amirzayan (Գրիգոր Ամիրզայեան)

Merkel says Germany still considering Turkish request to prosecute comedian

April 14, 2016 By administrator

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on April 14 that her government was still examining a request from Turkey to prosecute a German satirist who recited a sexually crude poem about Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan on television, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

“The consultations … are continuing and we will inform you when they are over,” Merkel told a news conference.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on April 13 criticized Turkey for its reaction to the satirist, vowing not to compromise on European values in order to preserve the recently struck deal with Ankara to stem migrant flows.

Juncker told the European Parliament that “dialogue” is the only way to tackle issues with Turkey, including the row over a German TV satirist.

“I cannot understand at all that a German ambassador has been summoned for an admittedly difficult satirical song,” Juncker told lawmakers in the French city of Strasbourg.

“That does not bring Turkey closer to us. It will put us farther away from each other,” he added. German prosecutors last week opened a preliminary probe against comedian Jan Boehmermann, 35, for a poem about Erdoğan.