News from Turkey
TURKISH LAWYER ASKS ANKARA COURT TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Azg Daily
April 2 2010
Armenia
A top-notch lawyer in Turkey has urged the court in Ankara and the
government of Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide and remove
all the statues of the former interior minister Talat Pasha from
the country as one of the organizers of the Armenian Genocide,
huliq.com reports.
According to the source, this may be one of the very rare cases when
the Armenian genocide discussion moves from parliaments to legal field
in courts. In a very rare case, the Armenian genocide discussion
moves from parliament to a legal field in court. Most importantly,
the case originated in Turkey's capital, Ankara.
According one of the top Turkish newspapers Haberturk, a famous
Turkish lawyer Bendal Jalil Ezman petitioned the Turkish government
and the court to recognize the Armenian Genocide which happened in
1915-1921 and remove all the statues of Talat Pasha from the country
as well as rename all the street names that are named after him.
According to the Ezman, after examining the events of those years he
came to the conclusion that Talaat Pasha actually committed a crime
and is the author of the Armenian Genocide.
Thus, with this connection, Ezman asks the court in Turkey to qualify
those horrific events of killing 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. He
said Armenian citizens of the Ottoman Empire were systematically
slaughtered and Turkey should face its past.
"Turkey must face its past. Such a case is opened for the first time in
Turkey," said attorney Ezman. Asked if he fears any negative reaction
he said "if it comes, predestination is something in my head."
More members of the Turkish society have come forward in the recent
years acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. As the society aspires for
European Union membership and the government proceeds more democratic
reforms and opening discussions about the past are being made possible
and more people learn about the past dark pages of the Ottoman period
when 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered and deported from their
living place and thus deprived from their fatherland in Eastern
Anatolia as part of a systematic ethnic cleansing program carried be
the government of Young Turks. More than 20 parliaments in the world
have called those events genocide.
It's unknown when the court will consider Ezman's lawsuit, the
source reports.
Azg Daily
April 2 2010
Armenia
A top-notch lawyer in Turkey has urged the court in Ankara and the
government of Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide and remove
all the statues of the former interior minister Talat Pasha from
the country as one of the organizers of the Armenian Genocide,
huliq.com reports.
According to the source, this may be one of the very rare cases when
the Armenian genocide discussion moves from parliaments to legal field
in courts. In a very rare case, the Armenian genocide discussion
moves from parliament to a legal field in court. Most importantly,
the case originated in Turkey's capital, Ankara.
According one of the top Turkish newspapers Haberturk, a famous
Turkish lawyer Bendal Jalil Ezman petitioned the Turkish government
and the court to recognize the Armenian Genocide which happened in
1915-1921 and remove all the statues of Talat Pasha from the country
as well as rename all the street names that are named after him.
According to the Ezman, after examining the events of those years he
came to the conclusion that Talaat Pasha actually committed a crime
and is the author of the Armenian Genocide.
Thus, with this connection, Ezman asks the court in Turkey to qualify
those horrific events of killing 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. He
said Armenian citizens of the Ottoman Empire were systematically
slaughtered and Turkey should face its past.
"Turkey must face its past. Such a case is opened for the first time in
Turkey," said attorney Ezman. Asked if he fears any negative reaction
he said "if it comes, predestination is something in my head."
More members of the Turkish society have come forward in the recent
years acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. As the society aspires for
European Union membership and the government proceeds more democratic
reforms and opening discussions about the past are being made possible
and more people learn about the past dark pages of the Ottoman period
when 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered and deported from their
living place and thus deprived from their fatherland in Eastern
Anatolia as part of a systematic ethnic cleansing program carried be
the government of Young Turks. More than 20 parliaments in the world
have called those events genocide.
It's unknown when the court will consider Ezman's lawsuit, the
source reports.
TURKISH HISTORIAN AFFIRMS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
armradio.am
01.04.2010 16:41
Prominent Turkish historian told Taraf newspaper in an interview that
"the Young Turks planned to annihilate the entire Armenian population."
Historian Selim Deringil told Taraf that there was also a distinction
between the aims of the Young Turks and their predecessor Sultan
Abdul Hamid at the turn of the 19th century, Asbarez reports.
"The difference between Sultan Abdul Hamid and the Young Turks was
that the Young Turks wanted to completely destroy and annihilate the
Armenians, while Sultan Abdul Hamid sought to get rid of a certain
element of Armenians, to diminish their economic dominance and to
create and Islamic bourgeoisie."
"There were Armenians [living] everywhere [in Turkey]. The massacre
of Armenians took place in different cities. Today, the official
history states that in all the areas where people were killed there
were Armenians revolts; however, the majority of those were not
rebellions," said Deringil.
The historian told Taraf that between 1841 and 1897, 300,000 Armenian
were massacred under Sultan Adbul Hamid. He claims that 800,000 were
murdered during the Armenian Genocide.
Deringil also cites the failures of Turkish policy after the
establishment of the modern-day Republic. He told Taraf that at the
onset of the Republic an estimated 300,000 Armenians lived in Turkey,
while today that number has dwindled to 70,000.
"Annihilation does not only happen through killings," claimed
Derengil. "If you make life unbearable [for people] they will pick
up and leave."
Derengil also criticized Turkish historians, who, he said, spend
all of their time trying to rationalize Turkey's official denialist
position on the Genocide. "They work only to prove that Armenian
assertions are baseless."
After World War I, Derengil said, there was plenty of evidence that
demonstrated the crimes, kidnapping and rape of Armenian women in
Anatolia beginning in 1915. He cited that at that time the number of
adoptions was 300,000"
"This is worth discussion."
armradio.am
01.04.2010 16:41
Prominent Turkish historian told Taraf newspaper in an interview that
"the Young Turks planned to annihilate the entire Armenian population."
Historian Selim Deringil told Taraf that there was also a distinction
between the aims of the Young Turks and their predecessor Sultan
Abdul Hamid at the turn of the 19th century, Asbarez reports.
"The difference between Sultan Abdul Hamid and the Young Turks was
that the Young Turks wanted to completely destroy and annihilate the
Armenians, while Sultan Abdul Hamid sought to get rid of a certain
element of Armenians, to diminish their economic dominance and to
create and Islamic bourgeoisie."
"There were Armenians [living] everywhere [in Turkey]. The massacre
of Armenians took place in different cities. Today, the official
history states that in all the areas where people were killed there
were Armenians revolts; however, the majority of those were not
rebellions," said Deringil.
The historian told Taraf that between 1841 and 1897, 300,000 Armenian
were massacred under Sultan Adbul Hamid. He claims that 800,000 were
murdered during the Armenian Genocide.
Deringil also cites the failures of Turkish policy after the
establishment of the modern-day Republic. He told Taraf that at the
onset of the Republic an estimated 300,000 Armenians lived in Turkey,
while today that number has dwindled to 70,000.
"Annihilation does not only happen through killings," claimed
Derengil. "If you make life unbearable [for people] they will pick
up and leave."
Derengil also criticized Turkish historians, who, he said, spend
all of their time trying to rationalize Turkey's official denialist
position on the Genocide. "They work only to prove that Armenian
assertions are baseless."
After World War I, Derengil said, there was plenty of evidence that
demonstrated the crimes, kidnapping and rape of Armenian women in
Anatolia beginning in 1915. He cited that at that time the number of
adoptions was 300,000"
"This is worth discussion."
TURKISH CITIZENS ADVISE ANKARA TO FOLLOW SERBIA'S
EXAMPLE AND APOLOGIZE TO ARMENIANS
Tert.am
16:46 ~U 01.04.10
Some people in Turkey believe that Ankara should follow Serbia's
example (as it retains to the Srebrenica massacre) and apologize to
Armenians for the Armenian Genocide so that Turkey can become a full
member of the European Union.
Earlier this week, Serbia's parliament passed a landmark resolution
offering an apology for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre - the worst
incident of the Bosnian War - but stopped short of calling it genocide.
In an interview with Turkish paper Haberturk, columnist Soli Ozel, who
specializes in international relations, said that since Serbia was on
the path toward EU membership, it was necessary to implement measures
addressing those accusations of genocide directed at the country.
"That is, that decision is directly related to EU membership. Serbian
authorities, though it was a difficult decision, made it, while facing
harsh criticism and counter-reaction from nationalists ... But as
for what concerns Turkey, on the issue of the Armenian Genocide,
it has not yet reached that point. But it will be easier for Turkey
from now on to take such initiatives. Turkey's Foreign Ministry needs
to work on that issue," said Ozel.
Maya Arakon, a professor of Turkey's Yeditepe University, in turn,
told Haberturk that with that apology Serbia is trying to whitewash
its history in accordance with EU standards, as its aim is to be a
member of the EU.
"We too, having before us the Armenian Genocide issue, can take
such an initiative... For the EU, such an apology means progress in
democracy... As we know, we are surrounded by the Armenian Genocide
issue on all four sides. Following Serbia's example, Turkey can
also apologize, without qualifying the 1915 events as genocide,"
said Arakon, adding that it would strengthen Turkey's positions in
the domain of foreign policy.
TURKISH ENVOY TO RETURN TO WASHINGTONTert.am
16:46 ~U 01.04.10
Some people in Turkey believe that Ankara should follow Serbia's
example (as it retains to the Srebrenica massacre) and apologize to
Armenians for the Armenian Genocide so that Turkey can become a full
member of the European Union.
Earlier this week, Serbia's parliament passed a landmark resolution
offering an apology for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre - the worst
incident of the Bosnian War - but stopped short of calling it genocide.
In an interview with Turkish paper Haberturk, columnist Soli Ozel, who
specializes in international relations, said that since Serbia was on
the path toward EU membership, it was necessary to implement measures
addressing those accusations of genocide directed at the country.
"That is, that decision is directly related to EU membership. Serbian
authorities, though it was a difficult decision, made it, while facing
harsh criticism and counter-reaction from nationalists ... But as
for what concerns Turkey, on the issue of the Armenian Genocide,
it has not yet reached that point. But it will be easier for Turkey
from now on to take such initiatives. Turkey's Foreign Ministry needs
to work on that issue," said Ozel.
Maya Arakon, a professor of Turkey's Yeditepe University, in turn,
told Haberturk that with that apology Serbia is trying to whitewash
its history in accordance with EU standards, as its aim is to be a
member of the EU.
"We too, having before us the Armenian Genocide issue, can take
such an initiative... For the EU, such an apology means progress in
democracy... As we know, we are surrounded by the Armenian Genocide
issue on all four sides. Following Serbia's example, Turkey can
also apologize, without qualifying the 1915 events as genocide,"
said Arakon, adding that it would strengthen Turkey's positions in
the domain of foreign policy.
By Ivan Watson and Yesim Comert
CNN International
April 2 2010
Istanbul, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkey's prime minister announced Friday
he will send his country's ambassador back to Washington next week.
The announcement comes nearly a month after Ankara recalled its
diplomat to protest the passage of a non-binding resolution in the
House Foreign Relations Committee, which calls the 1915 massacre of
hundreds of thousands of ethnic Armenians in Ottoman Turkey "genocide."
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ambassador Namik Tan would
return to Washington, ahead of his own trip to attend a nuclear
non-proliferation summit in the United States in mid-April.
During an appearance before Turkish television cameras on Friday,
Erdogan was asked whether the diplomatic crisis between the two NATO
allies was now over.
"Our foreign minister and the U.S. foreign minister talked earlier.
There are certain positive developments," Erdogan responded, referring
to last Sunday's phone conversation between U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
"I wish that these positive developments continue in April."
Video: Genocide vote upsets Turkey RELATED TOPICS Turkey Genocide
Sweden U.S. Government Last month, the Turkish government also
recalled its ambassador from Sweden for several weeks after the
Swedish parliament passed its own law recognizing the Armenian
massacres as genocide.
One columnist in the Turkish press joked that at this rate, Turks
could form a new soccer team made up of ambassadors recalled from
foreign capitals.
Turkish officials have defended the decision.
"We are opposed to the legislation of history," said Burak Ozugergin,
the spokesman for Turkey's foreign ministry, in a telephone interview
with CNN on Friday. "This should be done by historians, by qualified
people."
Turkey officially denies a genocide took place in the last days of
the crumbling Ottoman Empire. Ankara argues instead that Muslim Turks
and Christian Armenians massacred each other on the killing fields
of World War I.
But every year on April 24, Armenians around the world observe a
remembrance day in honor of the "genocide". Historians have extensively
documented the Ottoman military's forced death march of hundreds of
thousands of ethnic Armenians into the Syrian desert in 1915. The
massacres decimated the Armenian population in what is modern-day
eastern Turkey.
For years, the government in Yerevan and influential Armenian diaspora
groups have mounted a campaign to persuade other countries to formally
label the events of 1915 "genocide."
The Turkish government will be listening closely on April 24, to
see whether President Barack Obama will use the word "genocide"
in an annual speech commemorating the 1915 massacres.
Last month, Prime Minister Erdogan triggered a firestorm of domestic
criticism from both pro- and anti-government commentators, however,
when he suggested during an interview with the BBC's Turkish service
that his government might deport citizens of neighboring Armenia
illegally working in Turkey.
"Tomorrow, I may tell these 100,000 [Armenians] to go back to their
country, if it becomes necessary," Erdogan was reported to have said.
He has since accused the foreign media of misrepresenting his remarks.
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