The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams spoke of necessity to remember atrocities committed against the Jewish people during Holocaust and in Britain’s own history, as well as victims of genocides.
In a statement issued on Holocaust day he asked to remember the “Untold Stories” from other genocides that have occurred since the Holocaust.
“Although other poets have spoken for those killed in Armenia, Cambodia and Darfur, many stories from these and other genocidal events remain untold. If the stories are not told over and again, we lose the memory of those who suffered and we risk losing something that protects our humanity,” Christiantoday.com quotes Archbishop of Canterbury.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Day is marked on January 27.
Friday, January 28, 2011
UPCOMING FREE EVENTS -LECTURES/MUSICAL PERFORMANCES
ANNUAL VARTANANTZ DAY COMMEMORATION: The Knights and Daughters of Vartan will once again host the annual Vartanantz Day Commemoration to be held Sunday, February 20, at 1:00 p.m. At the RPI Chapel + Cultural Center (2125 Burdett Avenue, Troy). The guest speaker for the program will be Dennis R. Papazian, Ph.D., Knights of Vartan Grand Commander. His topic will be “Who Killed Eastern Christianity.” A musical performance by concert pianist, Rouben Aivazian, Ph.D., will also be part of the program. The public is cordially invited. Admission is free. Light refreshments will be served following the program. There will be a free will offering. For further information, contact Ralph Enokian at (518) 489-1304.
SIENA COLLEGE LECTURE SERIES: In commemoration of the 96th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the Capital District Armenian Genocide Committee is pleased to announce a lecture at Siena College, Roger Bacon Hall 202, on Monday, February 28 TIME :TBA---CALL TO CONFIRM TIME. The guest speaker will be Prof. Taner Akcam, Associate Professor for the Department of History at Clark University (MA). With eleven books and numerous articles to his credit, Prof. Akcam focuses his attention on Armenian Genocide Denial. The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will be held following the lecture. For more information, contact Rafi Topalian at 810-5018, 272-2000 or rafitop@aol.com.
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AWARENESS BILLBOARD: Be on the lookout for an electronic billboard coming in April to be displayed on Interstate-787. The intent of the billboard is to educate the general public on the truth about the Armenian Genocide. Find out how you can offer your help in Genocide education and awareness by contacting Rafi Topalian at 810-5018, 272-2000, or rafitop@aol.com. Your donations will ensure more frequency.
2011 FESTIVAL OF NATIONS: The Knights and Daughters of Vartan will represent Armenia in the 40th anniversary of the Festival of Nations to be held in October 2011 at the “The Egg” Convention Center in Albany. Rafi Topalian has been appointed as the chair for this prestigious event which will povide the Armenian community of the Capital District with an opportunity to proudly represent the Armenian heritage and culture. There will be plenty of opportunities for all to lend a helping hand in showcasing our rich history. Please contact Rafi if you are interested in volunteering or if you have an idea regarding our participation. He can be reached at rafitop@aol.com or (518) 810-5018.
SIENA COLLEGE LECTURE SERIES: In commemoration of the 96th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the Capital District Armenian Genocide Committee is pleased to announce a lecture at Siena College, Roger Bacon Hall 202, on Monday, February 28 TIME :TBA---CALL TO CONFIRM TIME. The guest speaker will be Prof. Taner Akcam, Associate Professor for the Department of History at Clark University (MA). With eleven books and numerous articles to his credit, Prof. Akcam focuses his attention on Armenian Genocide Denial. The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will be held following the lecture. For more information, contact Rafi Topalian at 810-5018, 272-2000 or rafitop@aol.com.
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AWARENESS BILLBOARD: Be on the lookout for an electronic billboard coming in April to be displayed on Interstate-787. The intent of the billboard is to educate the general public on the truth about the Armenian Genocide. Find out how you can offer your help in Genocide education and awareness by contacting Rafi Topalian at 810-5018, 272-2000, or rafitop@aol.com. Your donations will ensure more frequency.
2011 FESTIVAL OF NATIONS: The Knights and Daughters of Vartan will represent Armenia in the 40th anniversary of the Festival of Nations to be held in October 2011 at the “The Egg” Convention Center in Albany. Rafi Topalian has been appointed as the chair for this prestigious event which will povide the Armenian community of the Capital District with an opportunity to proudly represent the Armenian heritage and culture. There will be plenty of opportunities for all to lend a helping hand in showcasing our rich history. Please contact Rafi if you are interested in volunteering or if you have an idea regarding our participation. He can be reached at rafitop@aol.com or (518) 810-5018.
Steven Spielberg to make film on Armenian Genocide
The release of a new film about the Armenian Genocide is being discussed now. The film is expected to be released in 2015, Nouvelles d`Armйnie reports.
The National Film Center is now negotiating with Steven Spielberg and scriptwriter Steven Zaillian (Hannibal, by Brian de Palma, 2001).
"By the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide we must show the world a film that would be even more impressive than Mayrik or Ararat. Armenian and foreign actors will play in the film," said Gevorg Gevorgyan, Director of the Armenfilm studio and of the National Film Center in Yerevan.
News from Armenia
The National Film Center is now negotiating with Steven Spielberg and scriptwriter Steven Zaillian (Hannibal, by Brian de Palma, 2001).
"By the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide we must show the world a film that would be even more impressive than Mayrik or Ararat. Armenian and foreign actors will play in the film," said Gevorg Gevorgyan, Director of the Armenfilm studio and of the National Film Center in Yerevan.
News from Armenia
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Armenian Awakening: Revival of a Church
The voices of a small Armenian choir reverberate off the ancient walls of a 17th century church in the rugged hills of Yerevan. Outside the tiny parish, churchgoers huddle, clamoring to get a peek of the evening service.
It is Christmas Eve, and nearly 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Armenian Church has once again come alive.
“This is the first year I’ve attended service,” says Mane Saroyan, 20, a student at a university in Yerevan. “I consider myself a believer and a Christian. I usually come to church by myself or with family and spend quite a bit of time here."
For Saroyan the church plays a more major role in her life. She is part of a new wave of young worshippers in Armenia.
“Our church is getting younger and younger,” jokingly says Father Shmavon Ghevondyan of St. Hovhannes Armenian Apostolic Church in Yerevan. “We are seeing a new trend of Armenian youth attending service.”
In the 20th century, Armenia witnessed a series of cataclysms with the Armenian nation nearly destroyed by the Turks, the country’s identity swallowed by communism and a wave of emigration to the West.
Now, more Armenians live outside the republic than inside it. The Armenian immigrants – many of whom were raised without religion, under a communist regime – have been drawn back to the old church, helping to rebuild and sustain the Armenia’s identity.
“My father was an atheist. He didn’t believe in God; he instead believed in the Soviet Union,” says Lilit Umirshatyan, 43, a composer in Armenia. “When the system collapsed, people didn’t know what to believe in.”
Umirshatyan, who was raised in the forced secularism of the Soviet era, the church provided some hope. She baptized her three children, and attends service weekly.
Across the country, new churches are being built and restored. Building improvements are a work in progress. The walls are cleaned; windows replaced and water damage to an icon of the Virgin Mary repaired.
“Where there is an Armenian community, there is a church,” says Father Ghevondyan. “New churches are being built not just in Armenia, but outside our country as well." In Moscow, the construction of the new church is mainly funded by the Armenians overseas.
About 94 percent of Armenians consider themselves to be Armenian Christians, having derived their faith directly from Christ’s apostles. Armenia claims to be the first nation to declare Christianity as its state religion in 301 A.D.
It is Christmas Eve, and nearly 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Armenian Church has once again come alive.
“This is the first year I’ve attended service,” says Mane Saroyan, 20, a student at a university in Yerevan. “I consider myself a believer and a Christian. I usually come to church by myself or with family and spend quite a bit of time here."
For Saroyan the church plays a more major role in her life. She is part of a new wave of young worshippers in Armenia.
“Our church is getting younger and younger,” jokingly says Father Shmavon Ghevondyan of St. Hovhannes Armenian Apostolic Church in Yerevan. “We are seeing a new trend of Armenian youth attending service.”
In the 20th century, Armenia witnessed a series of cataclysms with the Armenian nation nearly destroyed by the Turks, the country’s identity swallowed by communism and a wave of emigration to the West.
Now, more Armenians live outside the republic than inside it. The Armenian immigrants – many of whom were raised without religion, under a communist regime – have been drawn back to the old church, helping to rebuild and sustain the Armenia’s identity.
“My father was an atheist. He didn’t believe in God; he instead believed in the Soviet Union,” says Lilit Umirshatyan, 43, a composer in Armenia. “When the system collapsed, people didn’t know what to believe in.”
Umirshatyan, who was raised in the forced secularism of the Soviet era, the church provided some hope. She baptized her three children, and attends service weekly.
Across the country, new churches are being built and restored. Building improvements are a work in progress. The walls are cleaned; windows replaced and water damage to an icon of the Virgin Mary repaired.
“Where there is an Armenian community, there is a church,” says Father Ghevondyan. “New churches are being built not just in Armenia, but outside our country as well." In Moscow, the construction of the new church is mainly funded by the Armenians overseas.
About 94 percent of Armenians consider themselves to be Armenian Christians, having derived their faith directly from Christ’s apostles. Armenia claims to be the first nation to declare Christianity as its state religion in 301 A.D.
Sarkisian Threatens To Scrap Turkish-Armenian Accords
President Serzh Sarkisian has threatened to formally annul Armenia’s normalization agreements with Turkey if Ankara continues to link their parliamentary ratification with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station aired late on Wednesday, he also said that Armenia is prepared for another war with Azerbaijan and insisted that Karabakh’s final status be determined by the disputed territory’s predominantly Armenian population. Sarkisian made clear that the stalled process of Turkish-Armenian normalization could resume only if Turkey’s parliament ratifies “without preconditions” the protocols signed by the two governments in October 2009. “I therefore see no point in starting new negotiations,” he said. “The only continuation can be the ratification of those protocols by Turkey’s parliament.” “If all continues like this, it is possible that the only way out for us will be the withdrawal of our signature from those protocols, and in that case, those protocols will have no legal force anymore, even after being ratified by Turkey,” he warned. Shortly after the signing of the protocols in Zurich attended by top diplomats from the United States, Europe and Russia, Ankara made clear that the Turkish parliament will not ratify them without decisive progress in the Karabakh peace process. Azerbaijan, which has been highly critical of the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement, welcomed this linkage. Sarkisian responded by freezing the process of protocol ratification by Armenia’s parliament in late April. In a televised address to the nation, he said he decided not to scrap the agreements altogether at the request of the U.S. and other foreign powers. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised this stance as “very statesmanlike” when she visited Yerevan in July.
Turkey -- President Abdullah Gul (R) speaks with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian during the World Cup 2010 qualifying football match between Turkey and Armenia in Bursa, 14Oct2009The Armenian president raised the temperature in the dispute with Ankara during a state visit to Cyprus last week. Addressing the divided island’s parliament, he accused the Turks of “destroying” the normalization process and denounced their perceived efforts to take on a leadership role in the region. Sarkisian similarly blasted Turkish foreign policy in the Ekho Moskvy interview. “The policy of ‘zero problems’ [with neighbors] declared by the Turks amounts to looking for solutions only beneficial for Turkey,” he said. “We do realize that Turkey is a big state, that the Turkish economy has grown strongly in recent years, that Turkey is a member of the G20 [group of nations.] But that doesn’t mean they can act like our mentors. They are not our instructors,” he added. Turning to the Karabakh dispute, Sarkisian said that the only way to resolve it is to eventually hold a referendum on self-determination in Karabakh and again denounced Azerbaijani threats of military action. “We are prepared for any development of events,” he said when asked about the possibility of renewed large-scale fighting. Sarkisian further noted that he thinks Russia is capable of preventing another Armenian-Azerbaijani war. “Given Russia’s big weight and possibilities in our region, our expectations from it are very high,” he said. Senior members of Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) have claimed in recent months that a new Russian-Armenian defense accord signed in August will discourage Azerbaijan from attempting a military solution to the dispute. They say Moscow pledged to openly side with the Armenians in case of the war. Russian leaders have not confirmed this, however.
In an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station aired late on Wednesday, he also said that Armenia is prepared for another war with Azerbaijan and insisted that Karabakh’s final status be determined by the disputed territory’s predominantly Armenian population. Sarkisian made clear that the stalled process of Turkish-Armenian normalization could resume only if Turkey’s parliament ratifies “without preconditions” the protocols signed by the two governments in October 2009. “I therefore see no point in starting new negotiations,” he said. “The only continuation can be the ratification of those protocols by Turkey’s parliament.” “If all continues like this, it is possible that the only way out for us will be the withdrawal of our signature from those protocols, and in that case, those protocols will have no legal force anymore, even after being ratified by Turkey,” he warned. Shortly after the signing of the protocols in Zurich attended by top diplomats from the United States, Europe and Russia, Ankara made clear that the Turkish parliament will not ratify them without decisive progress in the Karabakh peace process. Azerbaijan, which has been highly critical of the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement, welcomed this linkage. Sarkisian responded by freezing the process of protocol ratification by Armenia’s parliament in late April. In a televised address to the nation, he said he decided not to scrap the agreements altogether at the request of the U.S. and other foreign powers. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised this stance as “very statesmanlike” when she visited Yerevan in July.
Turkey -- President Abdullah Gul (R) speaks with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian during the World Cup 2010 qualifying football match between Turkey and Armenia in Bursa, 14Oct2009The Armenian president raised the temperature in the dispute with Ankara during a state visit to Cyprus last week. Addressing the divided island’s parliament, he accused the Turks of “destroying” the normalization process and denounced their perceived efforts to take on a leadership role in the region. Sarkisian similarly blasted Turkish foreign policy in the Ekho Moskvy interview. “The policy of ‘zero problems’ [with neighbors] declared by the Turks amounts to looking for solutions only beneficial for Turkey,” he said. “We do realize that Turkey is a big state, that the Turkish economy has grown strongly in recent years, that Turkey is a member of the G20 [group of nations.] But that doesn’t mean they can act like our mentors. They are not our instructors,” he added. Turning to the Karabakh dispute, Sarkisian said that the only way to resolve it is to eventually hold a referendum on self-determination in Karabakh and again denounced Azerbaijani threats of military action. “We are prepared for any development of events,” he said when asked about the possibility of renewed large-scale fighting. Sarkisian further noted that he thinks Russia is capable of preventing another Armenian-Azerbaijani war. “Given Russia’s big weight and possibilities in our region, our expectations from it are very high,” he said. Senior members of Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) have claimed in recent months that a new Russian-Armenian defense accord signed in August will discourage Azerbaijan from attempting a military solution to the dispute. They say Moscow pledged to openly side with the Armenians in case of the war. Russian leaders have not confirmed this, however.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Two Armenian survivors of Moscow airport blast in grave condition
Two of the four Armenians survivors of yesterday's blast at Mocow's Domodedovo airport are reported to be in a grave condition. As Armenian Foreign Ministry's Spokesman Tigran Balayan told Tert.am, those survivors are Gurgen Khachatrurov, 65, and Antoli Poghosbekov, 59.The ministry is currently in the process of identifying the survivors' citizenship. In all likelihood, all four are citizens of the Russian Federation.
Charles Aznavour ready to risk his life to disclose Sarkozy’s lies
Famous French singer of Armenian origin Charles Aznavour is ready to risk his life and speak against French President Nicolas Sarkozy if he goes back on his campaign pledge to Armenians.
In an interview with the French daily newspaper “Dauphine Libéré” (ledauphine.com website) famous singer and ambassador of Armenia in Switzerland, said he is worried over the Armenian issue.
Charles Aznavour declared that “the French president is wrong, because the French Armenian community represents a significant number of people compared to the Turkish community. The Armenian people are responsible, courageous. They gave their blood for their country. This is the first time that I say it, but if the president does not change, I will use of his votes when time comes”.
He noted that there are at least 400,000 or 500,000 Armenians residing in France. “People in France and any French of Armenian origin will follow me, I know. If this continues, I will be fully committed. I’m not a politician, but I have a very important political power. I know I risk my life by saying that. But in my age, after all, risking life is to risk how many years?” Charles Aznavour said.
Aznavour responded to the WikiLeaks-published document which says that Armenians of France learned that president Nicolas Sarkozy, one month after having promised to the CCAF (Co-ordination Council of Armenian Organisations of France) to support the law penalizing denial of Armenian Genocide retracted on May 27, 2007, after being elected a president. Moreover, French leader promised Ankara that this law will die in the Senate.
Charles Aznavour has recently been criticizing political leaders. Speaking at the ceremony of International Award of Jerusalem University on January 23, Aznavour said “cave anti-Semitism” has been observed in Turkey in recent years, which took obvious anti-Israeli positions on all Middle East problems.
In an interview with the French daily newspaper “Dauphine Libéré” (ledauphine.com website) famous singer and ambassador of Armenia in Switzerland, said he is worried over the Armenian issue.
Charles Aznavour declared that “the French president is wrong, because the French Armenian community represents a significant number of people compared to the Turkish community. The Armenian people are responsible, courageous. They gave their blood for their country. This is the first time that I say it, but if the president does not change, I will use of his votes when time comes”.
He noted that there are at least 400,000 or 500,000 Armenians residing in France. “People in France and any French of Armenian origin will follow me, I know. If this continues, I will be fully committed. I’m not a politician, but I have a very important political power. I know I risk my life by saying that. But in my age, after all, risking life is to risk how many years?” Charles Aznavour said.
Aznavour responded to the WikiLeaks-published document which says that Armenians of France learned that president Nicolas Sarkozy, one month after having promised to the CCAF (Co-ordination Council of Armenian Organisations of France) to support the law penalizing denial of Armenian Genocide retracted on May 27, 2007, after being elected a president. Moreover, French leader promised Ankara that this law will die in the Senate.
Charles Aznavour has recently been criticizing political leaders. Speaking at the ceremony of International Award of Jerusalem University on January 23, Aznavour said “cave anti-Semitism” has been observed in Turkey in recent years, which took obvious anti-Israeli positions on all Middle East problems.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
ARMENIAN COMMUNITY EVENTS
SIENA COLLEGE LECTURE SERIES: In commemoration of the 96th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the Capital District Armenian Genocide Committee is pleased to announce a lecture at Siena College, Roger Bacon Hall 202, on Monday, February 28 4pm..Call to confirm time. The guest speaker will be Prof. Taner Akcam, Associate Professor for the Department of History at Clark University (MA). With eleven books and numerous articles to his credit, Prof. Akcam focuses his attention on Turkish nationalism and the Armenian Genocide Denial. This lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Rafi Topalian at 810-5018, 272-2000 or rafitop@aol.com.
2011 FESTIVAL OF NATIONS: The Knights and Daughters of Vartan will represent Armenia in the 40th anniversary of the Festival of Nations to be held in October 2011 at the “The Egg” Convention Center in Albany. Rafi Topalian has been appointed as the chair for this prestigious event which will povide the Armenian community of the Capital District with an opportunity to proudly represent the Armenian heritage and culture. There will be plenty of opportunities for all to lend a helping hand in showcasing our rich history. Please contact Rafi if you are interested in volunteering or if you have an idea regarding our participation. He can be reached at rafitop@aol.com or (518) 810-5018.
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ST. PETER CHURCH CHOIR: We welcome the newest members to our St. Peter Church Choir, Jonathan & Violet Dadekian and Maria Derian. New members are always welcomed and encouraged to join us. God doesn't care whether or not you have a beautiful singing voice. So come and join us as we lift our voices in the timeless music of our Holy Badarak. You'll be glad you did! Questions and comments about the choir are always welcome and appreciated and can be directed to Choir Director, Rafi Topalian, at (518) 272-2000 or (518) 810-5018 or by e-mail at rafitop@aol.com.
2011 FESTIVAL OF NATIONS: The Knights and Daughters of Vartan will represent Armenia in the 40th anniversary of the Festival of Nations to be held in October 2011 at the “The Egg” Convention Center in Albany. Rafi Topalian has been appointed as the chair for this prestigious event which will povide the Armenian community of the Capital District with an opportunity to proudly represent the Armenian heritage and culture. There will be plenty of opportunities for all to lend a helping hand in showcasing our rich history. Please contact Rafi if you are interested in volunteering or if you have an idea regarding our participation. He can be reached at rafitop@aol.com or (518) 810-5018.
# # #
ST. PETER CHURCH CHOIR: We welcome the newest members to our St. Peter Church Choir, Jonathan & Violet Dadekian and Maria Derian. New members are always welcomed and encouraged to join us. God doesn't care whether or not you have a beautiful singing voice. So come and join us as we lift our voices in the timeless music of our Holy Badarak. You'll be glad you did! Questions and comments about the choir are always welcome and appreciated and can be directed to Choir Director, Rafi Topalian, at (518) 272-2000 or (518) 810-5018 or by e-mail at rafitop@aol.com.
ANCA Welcomes Supreme Court Rejection Of Massachusetts Genocide Denial Lawsuit
A longstanding legal campaign, spearheaded by pro-Turkey lobbies, to force the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to include historically inaccurate Armenian Genocide denial materials in their education curriculum was killed Wednesday by a U.S. Supreme Court decision declining to hear an appeal to a lower court ruling dismissing the case, reported the Armenian National Committee (ANCA).“We welcome the Supreme Court’s decision to decline to hear this deeply flawed and dangerous case, and thus uphold the U.S. Court of Appeals First Circuit landmark decision rejecting efforts by genocide deniers to abuse the American legal system to bring their hateful agenda to our nation’s public schools,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “This victory, while certainly a serious setback to Turkey’s campaign of denial, will, just as surely, not mark the end of the concerted and well-funded efforts by allies of Ankara to use our nation’s great freedoms to enforce their own version of Article 301, silencing discussion of the Armenian Genocide in America’s classrooms
Prime minister sues Taraf’s Altan for denigrating remarks
Prime minister sues Taraf’s Altan for denigrating remarks
18 January 2011, Tuesday / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has sued Ahmet Altan, editor-in-chief of the liberal Taraf daily, for remarks Altan made against him in one of his recent columns.
Erdoğan’s lawyers filed the lawsuit arguing that Altan directed harsh insults at the prime minister which exceeded the limits of criticism and freedom of expression. In his column published on Jan. 15, 2011, Altan accused the prime minister of becoming more Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)-like, denying the rights of Kurds, aspiring to demolish a statue in Kars and arguing with whoever warns him to return to his reformist, democratic and progressive identity. Erdoğan is demanding TL 50,000 in compensation for the denigrating remarks. The prime minister also filed a criminal complaint against Altan at the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Altan’s column headlined with “Erdoğan and hollow bullying.”
The lawsuit also read that Altan could have written a more effective column about the prime minister without using remarks that were perceived as “insulting” by readers. “The column would have served its purpose had the columnist written it without insulting remarks. But the purpose of the defendant is not to express his opinions. His purpose is to insult the prime minister in the harshest manner.”
Altan started his column with an anecdote about Temel, a famous figure in jokes centered on residents of the Black Sea region. Altan described how Temel had been driving in the wrong direction on a road but believed he was right and the hundreds of people who were driving towards him were wrong. In his column, Altan likened the prime minister to Temel and said Erdoğan believes he himself is doing the right thing while thousands of others are doing the wrong thing. The columnist also harshly criticized the prime minister for his remarks about a statue in Kars. Erdoğan had called the statue a “monstrosity” and said it would be demolished.
“Have you ever criticized a statue of Atatürk or a mosque over their esthetics and demanded their demolition? Are you courageous enough to speak against a statue of Atatürk on the grounds that it is not esthetic? Are all statues in your country very beautiful? Is only the statue of that sculptor who is not supported by anyone ugly? It is easy to criticize a weak man. But this is not the method of bullying. A courageous man also knows to criticize the strong,” the column read. Altan also accused the prime minister of secretly agreeing with the military on a law on the Council of State and thus betraying his nation. He also accused Erdoğan of working to “steal” votes from the MHP by alluring its voters.
18 January 2011, Tuesday / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has sued Ahmet Altan, editor-in-chief of the liberal Taraf daily, for remarks Altan made against him in one of his recent columns.
Erdoğan’s lawyers filed the lawsuit arguing that Altan directed harsh insults at the prime minister which exceeded the limits of criticism and freedom of expression. In his column published on Jan. 15, 2011, Altan accused the prime minister of becoming more Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)-like, denying the rights of Kurds, aspiring to demolish a statue in Kars and arguing with whoever warns him to return to his reformist, democratic and progressive identity. Erdoğan is demanding TL 50,000 in compensation for the denigrating remarks. The prime minister also filed a criminal complaint against Altan at the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Altan’s column headlined with “Erdoğan and hollow bullying.”
The lawsuit also read that Altan could have written a more effective column about the prime minister without using remarks that were perceived as “insulting” by readers. “The column would have served its purpose had the columnist written it without insulting remarks. But the purpose of the defendant is not to express his opinions. His purpose is to insult the prime minister in the harshest manner.”
Altan started his column with an anecdote about Temel, a famous figure in jokes centered on residents of the Black Sea region. Altan described how Temel had been driving in the wrong direction on a road but believed he was right and the hundreds of people who were driving towards him were wrong. In his column, Altan likened the prime minister to Temel and said Erdoğan believes he himself is doing the right thing while thousands of others are doing the wrong thing. The columnist also harshly criticized the prime minister for his remarks about a statue in Kars. Erdoğan had called the statue a “monstrosity” and said it would be demolished.
“Have you ever criticized a statue of Atatürk or a mosque over their esthetics and demanded their demolition? Are you courageous enough to speak against a statue of Atatürk on the grounds that it is not esthetic? Are all statues in your country very beautiful? Is only the statue of that sculptor who is not supported by anyone ugly? It is easy to criticize a weak man. But this is not the method of bullying. A courageous man also knows to criticize the strong,” the column read. Altan also accused the prime minister of secretly agreeing with the military on a law on the Council of State and thus betraying his nation. He also accused Erdoğan of working to “steal” votes from the MHP by alluring its voters.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Justice elusive in Turkish trial's fourth year-ARE WE REALLY SURPRISED?
Four years after the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink outside his Istanbul office, justice has not been done, and has indeed been obstructed, according to a report prepared by lawyers in the murder case.
In their fourth annual report on developments in the case, lawyers for the Dink family have accused the state of protecting suspected civil servants, repeatedly denying reasonable demands and ignoring valid evidence related to the 2007 murder, the anniversary of which is commemorated Wednesday.
“It has appeared as the most significant and systematic fact of this phase [of the trial] that security and intelligence units hid, changed [and] destroyed information and documents that would reveal the material fact; tried to mislead the investigation authorities by offering false testimony; [and] manipulated evidence,” the report read.
On Monday, the Dink family applied to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office seeking the enforcement of a decision last year by the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that Turkey had not protected Dink, had not run a proper investigation into the security forces failing to do their jobs and had ignored the journalist’s freedom of speech.
Justice delayed: Dink case marks 4th anniversaryJan. 19, 2007 – Hrant Dink murdered in Istanbul Jan. 20, 2007 – Ogün Samast apprehended Jan. 21, 2007 – Then-Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah claims there is no larger organization behind Samast Feb. 6, 2007 – Former police informant Erhan Tuncel says he had informed police about the murder 11 months earlier July 2, 2007 – First hearing of the murder case held with 18 suspects April 2, 2008 – Soldiers are asked to testify at Parliament to a commission related to the case but do not show up. A colonel and a captain visit the commission May 2 but do not testify. July 6, 2009 – Samast threatens Dink family members in the courtroom May 10, 2010 – Two more suspects acquitted, leaving only Samast, Tuncel and Yasin Hayal as suspects Sept. 14, 2010 – European Court of Human Rights rules Turkey had not protected Dink Oct. 25, 2010 – Samast’s trial is transferred to a juvenile court
The family demanded investigations of the police and gendarmerie officials allegedly responsible for the murder, either directly or by neglecting their duties. In their application, they argued that the European court’s decision canceled the authority of certain domestic laws that had previously blocked the path of putting such officials on trial.
Dink, a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin, was murdered in front of the office of the weekly Armenian-Turkish newspaper Agos on Jan. 19, 2007. Confessed killer Ogün Samast was transferred to a juvenile court in October, and his trial separated from the main murder case, due to a legal change he benefited from because he was under the age of 18 on the day of the assassination.
Yasin Hayal, who is accused of abetting the murder, and Erhan Tuncel, a former police informant who claims innocence on the grounds that he told security forces everything he knew months before the murder, are still on trial under arrest. The only suspects left after three years of the trial, they will be released next year if they are not convicted by that time under a recent legal change that limits arrest periods without conviction to a maximum of five years.
From the beginning, lawyers for the Dink family have stated that the murder was not the work of “three to five nationalist youth,” but even the official inspector’s reports concluded that the National Intelligence Organization, or MİT, should be investigated were not enough to allow the questioning of high-ranking suspects from the police, gendarmerie and the MİT.
Before his murder, Dink became the target of a hate campaign, which he wrote about shortly before he died in a column titled, “Why I was Selected as a Target.” A column he wrote in 2004 about allegations that Sabiha Gökçen, the first female pilot in Turkey and the adopted daughter of Turkish Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, might have been of Armenian origin was denied with a harsh statement from the chief of General Staff.
Members of nationalist circles took a hostile stance against Dink following the issuing of this statement, which noted the article of the Constitution saying “everybody who has a citizenship tie to the Turkish state is a Turk.” The lawyers for the Dink family argue that the anti-Dink campaign, consisting of protests in front of Agos offices, news stories, columns and criminal complaints for “insulting Turkishness,” were organized efforts.
Dink was sentenced in 2005 for “insulting Turkishness” under Article 301 of the penal law based on a column he wrote, despite expert reports concluding the references he was accused of making were clearly ironic.
Destroyed, changed and ignored evidence
Some of the claims in the fourth annual report by the Dink family lawyers include:
* Security camera recordings from an Akbank ATM near the murder site were collected by security forces but a significant part of them were destroyed. Likewise, camera recordings from a nearby fabric store were ignored. The lawyers believe these tapes are important in regard to witness testimonies that Samast was not alone.
* Confusion regarding Samast’s cell phone and SIM card has not been solved and witnesses who saw him speaking on the phone were not called to testify in court. Likewise, the cell phones of suspects Hayal and Tuncel were tapped, but these records were hidden from the investigating prosecutors.
* Samast spent time at a nearby Internet café on the day of the murder and allegedly chatted with people there. Police did not investigate this angle until the lawyers demanded it two months after the murder. The café is on the second floor of a building and there is no sign of it visible from the street. It is managed by a police officer, Cavit Kılıç, who was present at the café on the day of murder. Kılıç said in his police testimony that he did not notice Samast but gave detailed information when called to court.
* Contrary to official explanations, large quantities of information and intelligence existed on the plans for Dink’s murder. The lawyers accused MİT and the Telecommunication Transmission Directorate, or TİB, of hiding evidence.
The ‘untouchables’
* Istanbul Deputy Gov. Ergun Güngör called Dink to his office and had him meet with two MİT members right after the chief of General Staff’s statement on the Sabiha Gökçen claims. Dink wrote that he received veiled threats at that meeting.
* Nationalists held two protests in front of Agos two days after the MİT meeting. “From now on, Hrant Dink is the target of our full anger and hatred,” nationalist youth leader Levent Temiz said at one of the protests.
* Lawyer Kemal Kerinçsiz and the Great Lawyers Association filed criminal complaints with the same text against Dink and appeared at hearings with applications to take a side at the trials. Kerinçsiz is now a suspect under arrest in the Ergenekon coup plot case alongside Oktay Yıldırım, Veli Küçük and Sevgi Erenerol, who all appeared at several hearings where Dink was tried. Protests held outside the courts accused Dink being a “missionary.” The lawyers have pointed to the violent acts against Christians in Anatolia, one of which Yasin Hayal was involved with, and raised the argument that the efforts against Dink were organized as part of a larger campaign. The lawyers have asked why the mentioned Ergenekon suspects were not questioned in the scope of the Dink investigation.
The Dink family demanded investigations Monday into the following police and gendarmerie members: Muammer Güler, Ergun Güngör, Celalettin Cerrah, Ahmet İlhan Güler, Bülent Köksal, İbrahim Pala, İbrahim Şevki Eldivan, Volkan Altunbulak, Bahadır Tekin, Özcan Özkan, Ramazan Akyürek, Reşat Altay and Engin Dinç
In their fourth annual report on developments in the case, lawyers for the Dink family have accused the state of protecting suspected civil servants, repeatedly denying reasonable demands and ignoring valid evidence related to the 2007 murder, the anniversary of which is commemorated Wednesday.
“It has appeared as the most significant and systematic fact of this phase [of the trial] that security and intelligence units hid, changed [and] destroyed information and documents that would reveal the material fact; tried to mislead the investigation authorities by offering false testimony; [and] manipulated evidence,” the report read.
On Monday, the Dink family applied to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office seeking the enforcement of a decision last year by the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that Turkey had not protected Dink, had not run a proper investigation into the security forces failing to do their jobs and had ignored the journalist’s freedom of speech.
Justice delayed: Dink case marks 4th anniversaryJan. 19, 2007 – Hrant Dink murdered in Istanbul Jan. 20, 2007 – Ogün Samast apprehended Jan. 21, 2007 – Then-Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah claims there is no larger organization behind Samast Feb. 6, 2007 – Former police informant Erhan Tuncel says he had informed police about the murder 11 months earlier July 2, 2007 – First hearing of the murder case held with 18 suspects April 2, 2008 – Soldiers are asked to testify at Parliament to a commission related to the case but do not show up. A colonel and a captain visit the commission May 2 but do not testify. July 6, 2009 – Samast threatens Dink family members in the courtroom May 10, 2010 – Two more suspects acquitted, leaving only Samast, Tuncel and Yasin Hayal as suspects Sept. 14, 2010 – European Court of Human Rights rules Turkey had not protected Dink Oct. 25, 2010 – Samast’s trial is transferred to a juvenile court
The family demanded investigations of the police and gendarmerie officials allegedly responsible for the murder, either directly or by neglecting their duties. In their application, they argued that the European court’s decision canceled the authority of certain domestic laws that had previously blocked the path of putting such officials on trial.
Dink, a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin, was murdered in front of the office of the weekly Armenian-Turkish newspaper Agos on Jan. 19, 2007. Confessed killer Ogün Samast was transferred to a juvenile court in October, and his trial separated from the main murder case, due to a legal change he benefited from because he was under the age of 18 on the day of the assassination.
Yasin Hayal, who is accused of abetting the murder, and Erhan Tuncel, a former police informant who claims innocence on the grounds that he told security forces everything he knew months before the murder, are still on trial under arrest. The only suspects left after three years of the trial, they will be released next year if they are not convicted by that time under a recent legal change that limits arrest periods without conviction to a maximum of five years.
From the beginning, lawyers for the Dink family have stated that the murder was not the work of “three to five nationalist youth,” but even the official inspector’s reports concluded that the National Intelligence Organization, or MİT, should be investigated were not enough to allow the questioning of high-ranking suspects from the police, gendarmerie and the MİT.
Before his murder, Dink became the target of a hate campaign, which he wrote about shortly before he died in a column titled, “Why I was Selected as a Target.” A column he wrote in 2004 about allegations that Sabiha Gökçen, the first female pilot in Turkey and the adopted daughter of Turkish Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, might have been of Armenian origin was denied with a harsh statement from the chief of General Staff.
Members of nationalist circles took a hostile stance against Dink following the issuing of this statement, which noted the article of the Constitution saying “everybody who has a citizenship tie to the Turkish state is a Turk.” The lawyers for the Dink family argue that the anti-Dink campaign, consisting of protests in front of Agos offices, news stories, columns and criminal complaints for “insulting Turkishness,” were organized efforts.
Dink was sentenced in 2005 for “insulting Turkishness” under Article 301 of the penal law based on a column he wrote, despite expert reports concluding the references he was accused of making were clearly ironic.
Destroyed, changed and ignored evidence
Some of the claims in the fourth annual report by the Dink family lawyers include:
* Security camera recordings from an Akbank ATM near the murder site were collected by security forces but a significant part of them were destroyed. Likewise, camera recordings from a nearby fabric store were ignored. The lawyers believe these tapes are important in regard to witness testimonies that Samast was not alone.
* Confusion regarding Samast’s cell phone and SIM card has not been solved and witnesses who saw him speaking on the phone were not called to testify in court. Likewise, the cell phones of suspects Hayal and Tuncel were tapped, but these records were hidden from the investigating prosecutors.
* Samast spent time at a nearby Internet café on the day of the murder and allegedly chatted with people there. Police did not investigate this angle until the lawyers demanded it two months after the murder. The café is on the second floor of a building and there is no sign of it visible from the street. It is managed by a police officer, Cavit Kılıç, who was present at the café on the day of murder. Kılıç said in his police testimony that he did not notice Samast but gave detailed information when called to court.
* Contrary to official explanations, large quantities of information and intelligence existed on the plans for Dink’s murder. The lawyers accused MİT and the Telecommunication Transmission Directorate, or TİB, of hiding evidence.
The ‘untouchables’
* Istanbul Deputy Gov. Ergun Güngör called Dink to his office and had him meet with two MİT members right after the chief of General Staff’s statement on the Sabiha Gökçen claims. Dink wrote that he received veiled threats at that meeting.
* Nationalists held two protests in front of Agos two days after the MİT meeting. “From now on, Hrant Dink is the target of our full anger and hatred,” nationalist youth leader Levent Temiz said at one of the protests.
* Lawyer Kemal Kerinçsiz and the Great Lawyers Association filed criminal complaints with the same text against Dink and appeared at hearings with applications to take a side at the trials. Kerinçsiz is now a suspect under arrest in the Ergenekon coup plot case alongside Oktay Yıldırım, Veli Küçük and Sevgi Erenerol, who all appeared at several hearings where Dink was tried. Protests held outside the courts accused Dink being a “missionary.” The lawyers have pointed to the violent acts against Christians in Anatolia, one of which Yasin Hayal was involved with, and raised the argument that the efforts against Dink were organized as part of a larger campaign. The lawyers have asked why the mentioned Ergenekon suspects were not questioned in the scope of the Dink investigation.
The Dink family demanded investigations Monday into the following police and gendarmerie members: Muammer Güler, Ergun Güngör, Celalettin Cerrah, Ahmet İlhan Güler, Bülent Köksal, İbrahim Pala, İbrahim Şevki Eldivan, Volkan Altunbulak, Bahadır Tekin, Özcan Özkan, Ramazan Akyürek, Reşat Altay and Engin Dinç
Justice elusive in Turkish trial's fourth year-ARE WE REALLY SURPRISED?
Four years after the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink outside his Istanbul office, justice has not been done, and has indeed been obstructed, according to a report prepared by lawyers in the murder case.
In their fourth annual report on developments in the case, lawyers for the Dink family have accused the state of protecting suspected civil servants, repeatedly denying reasonable demands and ignoring valid evidence related to the 2007 murder, the anniversary of which is commemorated Wednesday.
“It has appeared as the most significant and systematic fact of this phase [of the trial] that security and intelligence units hid, changed [and] destroyed information and documents that would reveal the material fact; tried to mislead the investigation authorities by offering false testimony; [and] manipulated evidence,” the report read.
On Monday, the Dink family applied to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office seeking the enforcement of a decision last year by the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that Turkey had not protected Dink, had not run a proper investigation into the security forces failing to do their jobs and had ignored the journalist’s freedom of speech.
Justice delayed: Dink case marks 4th anniversaryJan. 19, 2007 – Hrant Dink murdered in Istanbul Jan. 20, 2007 – Ogün Samast apprehended Jan. 21, 2007 – Then-Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah claims there is no larger organization behind Samast Feb. 6, 2007 – Former police informant Erhan Tuncel says he had informed police about the murder 11 months earlier July 2, 2007 – First hearing of the murder case held with 18 suspects April 2, 2008 – Soldiers are asked to testify at Parliament to a commission related to the case but do not show up. A colonel and a captain visit the commission May 2 but do not testify. July 6, 2009 – Samast threatens Dink family members in the courtroom May 10, 2010 – Two more suspects acquitted, leaving only Samast, Tuncel and Yasin Hayal as suspects Sept. 14, 2010 – European Court of Human Rights rules Turkey had not protected Dink Oct. 25, 2010 – Samast’s trial is transferred to a juvenile court
The family demanded investigations of the police and gendarmerie officials allegedly responsible for the murder, either directly or by neglecting their duties. In their application, they argued that the European court’s decision canceled the authority of certain domestic laws that had previously blocked the path of putting such officials on trial.
Dink, a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin, was murdered in front of the office of the weekly Armenian-Turkish newspaper Agos on Jan. 19, 2007. Confessed killer Ogün Samast was transferred to a juvenile court in October, and his trial separated from the main murder case, due to a legal change he benefited from because he was under the age of 18 on the day of the assassination.
Yasin Hayal, who is accused of abetting the murder, and Erhan Tuncel, a former police informant who claims innocence on the grounds that he told security forces everything he knew months before the murder, are still on trial under arrest. The only suspects left after three years of the trial, they will be released next year if they are not convicted by that time under a recent legal change that limits arrest periods without conviction to a maximum of five years.
From the beginning, lawyers for the Dink family have stated that the murder was not the work of “three to five nationalist youth,” but even the official inspector’s reports concluded that the National Intelligence Organization, or MİT, should be investigated were not enough to allow the questioning of high-ranking suspects from the police, gendarmerie and the MİT.
Before his murder, Dink became the target of a hate campaign, which he wrote about shortly before he died in a column titled, “Why I was Selected as a Target.” A column he wrote in 2004 about allegations that Sabiha Gökçen, the first female pilot in Turkey and the adopted daughter of Turkish Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, might have been of Armenian origin was denied with a harsh statement from the chief of General Staff.
Members of nationalist circles took a hostile stance against Dink following the issuing of this statement, which noted the article of the Constitution saying “everybody who has a citizenship tie to the Turkish state is a Turk.” The lawyers for the Dink family argue that the anti-Dink campaign, consisting of protests in front of Agos offices, news stories, columns and criminal complaints for “insulting Turkishness,” were organized efforts.
Dink was sentenced in 2005 for “insulting Turkishness” under Article 301 of the penal law based on a column he wrote, despite expert reports concluding the references he was accused of making were clearly ironic.
Destroyed, changed and ignored evidence
Some of the claims in the fourth annual report by the Dink family lawyers include:
* Security camera recordings from an Akbank ATM near the murder site were collected by security forces but a significant part of them were destroyed. Likewise, camera recordings from a nearby fabric store were ignored. The lawyers believe these tapes are important in regard to witness testimonies that Samast was not alone.
* Confusion regarding Samast’s cell phone and SIM card has not been solved and witnesses who saw him speaking on the phone were not called to testify in court. Likewise, the cell phones of suspects Hayal and Tuncel were tapped, but these records were hidden from the investigating prosecutors.
* Samast spent time at a nearby Internet café on the day of the murder and allegedly chatted with people there. Police did not investigate this angle until the lawyers demanded it two months after the murder. The café is on the second floor of a building and there is no sign of it visible from the street. It is managed by a police officer, Cavit Kılıç, who was present at the café on the day of murder. Kılıç said in his police testimony that he did not notice Samast but gave detailed information when called to court.
* Contrary to official explanations, large quantities of information and intelligence existed on the plans for Dink’s murder. The lawyers accused MİT and the Telecommunication Transmission Directorate, or TİB, of hiding evidence.
The ‘untouchables’
* Istanbul Deputy Gov. Ergun Güngör called Dink to his office and had him meet with two MİT members right after the chief of General Staff’s statement on the Sabiha Gökçen claims. Dink wrote that he received veiled threats at that meeting.
* Nationalists held two protests in front of Agos two days after the MİT meeting. “From now on, Hrant Dink is the target of our full anger and hatred,” nationalist youth leader Levent Temiz said at one of the protests.
* Lawyer Kemal Kerinçsiz and the Great Lawyers Association filed criminal complaints with the same text against Dink and appeared at hearings with applications to take a side at the trials. Kerinçsiz is now a suspect under arrest in the Ergenekon coup plot case alongside Oktay Yıldırım, Veli Küçük and Sevgi Erenerol, who all appeared at several hearings where Dink was tried. Protests held outside the courts accused Dink being a “missionary.” The lawyers have pointed to the violent acts against Christians in Anatolia, one of which Yasin Hayal was involved with, and raised the argument that the efforts against Dink were organized as part of a larger campaign. The lawyers have asked why the mentioned Ergenekon suspects were not questioned in the scope of the Dink investigation.
The Dink family demanded investigations Monday into the following police and gendarmerie members: Muammer Güler, Ergun Güngör, Celalettin Cerrah, Ahmet İlhan Güler, Bülent Köksal, İbrahim Pala, İbrahim Şevki Eldivan, Volkan Altunbulak, Bahadır Tekin, Özcan Özkan, Ramazan Akyürek, Reşat Altay and Engin Dinç
In their fourth annual report on developments in the case, lawyers for the Dink family have accused the state of protecting suspected civil servants, repeatedly denying reasonable demands and ignoring valid evidence related to the 2007 murder, the anniversary of which is commemorated Wednesday.
“It has appeared as the most significant and systematic fact of this phase [of the trial] that security and intelligence units hid, changed [and] destroyed information and documents that would reveal the material fact; tried to mislead the investigation authorities by offering false testimony; [and] manipulated evidence,” the report read.
On Monday, the Dink family applied to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office seeking the enforcement of a decision last year by the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that Turkey had not protected Dink, had not run a proper investigation into the security forces failing to do their jobs and had ignored the journalist’s freedom of speech.
Justice delayed: Dink case marks 4th anniversaryJan. 19, 2007 – Hrant Dink murdered in Istanbul Jan. 20, 2007 – Ogün Samast apprehended Jan. 21, 2007 – Then-Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah claims there is no larger organization behind Samast Feb. 6, 2007 – Former police informant Erhan Tuncel says he had informed police about the murder 11 months earlier July 2, 2007 – First hearing of the murder case held with 18 suspects April 2, 2008 – Soldiers are asked to testify at Parliament to a commission related to the case but do not show up. A colonel and a captain visit the commission May 2 but do not testify. July 6, 2009 – Samast threatens Dink family members in the courtroom May 10, 2010 – Two more suspects acquitted, leaving only Samast, Tuncel and Yasin Hayal as suspects Sept. 14, 2010 – European Court of Human Rights rules Turkey had not protected Dink Oct. 25, 2010 – Samast’s trial is transferred to a juvenile court
The family demanded investigations of the police and gendarmerie officials allegedly responsible for the murder, either directly or by neglecting their duties. In their application, they argued that the European court’s decision canceled the authority of certain domestic laws that had previously blocked the path of putting such officials on trial.
Dink, a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin, was murdered in front of the office of the weekly Armenian-Turkish newspaper Agos on Jan. 19, 2007. Confessed killer Ogün Samast was transferred to a juvenile court in October, and his trial separated from the main murder case, due to a legal change he benefited from because he was under the age of 18 on the day of the assassination.
Yasin Hayal, who is accused of abetting the murder, and Erhan Tuncel, a former police informant who claims innocence on the grounds that he told security forces everything he knew months before the murder, are still on trial under arrest. The only suspects left after three years of the trial, they will be released next year if they are not convicted by that time under a recent legal change that limits arrest periods without conviction to a maximum of five years.
From the beginning, lawyers for the Dink family have stated that the murder was not the work of “three to five nationalist youth,” but even the official inspector’s reports concluded that the National Intelligence Organization, or MİT, should be investigated were not enough to allow the questioning of high-ranking suspects from the police, gendarmerie and the MİT.
Before his murder, Dink became the target of a hate campaign, which he wrote about shortly before he died in a column titled, “Why I was Selected as a Target.” A column he wrote in 2004 about allegations that Sabiha Gökçen, the first female pilot in Turkey and the adopted daughter of Turkish Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, might have been of Armenian origin was denied with a harsh statement from the chief of General Staff.
Members of nationalist circles took a hostile stance against Dink following the issuing of this statement, which noted the article of the Constitution saying “everybody who has a citizenship tie to the Turkish state is a Turk.” The lawyers for the Dink family argue that the anti-Dink campaign, consisting of protests in front of Agos offices, news stories, columns and criminal complaints for “insulting Turkishness,” were organized efforts.
Dink was sentenced in 2005 for “insulting Turkishness” under Article 301 of the penal law based on a column he wrote, despite expert reports concluding the references he was accused of making were clearly ironic.
Destroyed, changed and ignored evidence
Some of the claims in the fourth annual report by the Dink family lawyers include:
* Security camera recordings from an Akbank ATM near the murder site were collected by security forces but a significant part of them were destroyed. Likewise, camera recordings from a nearby fabric store were ignored. The lawyers believe these tapes are important in regard to witness testimonies that Samast was not alone.
* Confusion regarding Samast’s cell phone and SIM card has not been solved and witnesses who saw him speaking on the phone were not called to testify in court. Likewise, the cell phones of suspects Hayal and Tuncel were tapped, but these records were hidden from the investigating prosecutors.
* Samast spent time at a nearby Internet café on the day of the murder and allegedly chatted with people there. Police did not investigate this angle until the lawyers demanded it two months after the murder. The café is on the second floor of a building and there is no sign of it visible from the street. It is managed by a police officer, Cavit Kılıç, who was present at the café on the day of murder. Kılıç said in his police testimony that he did not notice Samast but gave detailed information when called to court.
* Contrary to official explanations, large quantities of information and intelligence existed on the plans for Dink’s murder. The lawyers accused MİT and the Telecommunication Transmission Directorate, or TİB, of hiding evidence.
The ‘untouchables’
* Istanbul Deputy Gov. Ergun Güngör called Dink to his office and had him meet with two MİT members right after the chief of General Staff’s statement on the Sabiha Gökçen claims. Dink wrote that he received veiled threats at that meeting.
* Nationalists held two protests in front of Agos two days after the MİT meeting. “From now on, Hrant Dink is the target of our full anger and hatred,” nationalist youth leader Levent Temiz said at one of the protests.
* Lawyer Kemal Kerinçsiz and the Great Lawyers Association filed criminal complaints with the same text against Dink and appeared at hearings with applications to take a side at the trials. Kerinçsiz is now a suspect under arrest in the Ergenekon coup plot case alongside Oktay Yıldırım, Veli Küçük and Sevgi Erenerol, who all appeared at several hearings where Dink was tried. Protests held outside the courts accused Dink being a “missionary.” The lawyers have pointed to the violent acts against Christians in Anatolia, one of which Yasin Hayal was involved with, and raised the argument that the efforts against Dink were organized as part of a larger campaign. The lawyers have asked why the mentioned Ergenekon suspects were not questioned in the scope of the Dink investigation.
The Dink family demanded investigations Monday into the following police and gendarmerie members: Muammer Güler, Ergun Güngör, Celalettin Cerrah, Ahmet İlhan Güler, Bülent Köksal, İbrahim Pala, İbrahim Şevki Eldivan, Volkan Altunbulak, Bahadır Tekin, Özcan Özkan, Ramazan Akyürek, Reşat Altay and Engin Dinç
Spielberg for shooting film on genocide
Ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the National Cinema Center is planning to shoot a full length film featuring the tragic pages of the Armenian history.The center is currently negotiating with world-famous director Steven Spielberg and writer of Armenian descent Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List)."On the 100th anniversary of the Genocide, we must have a film to demonstrate to the world. We want more than the films 'Mayrig' or 'Ararat' ", the center's director, Gevorg Gevorgyan, told a news conference.He said writing a screenplay in countries abroad is a complicated process as it requires numerous procedures.It is planned to invite both Armenian and foreign actors to play in the movie.
Tert.am
Tert.am
Armenia: Turkey 'destroyed' reconciliation bid
Armenian President Serge Sarkisian has accused Turkey of "destroying" a bid to normalize relations between the two countries, saying reconciliation efforts were deadlocked, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.
Sarkisian, who was in Greek Cyprus on Tuesday, said Turkey could not aspire to be a regional leader if it continued what he described as a policy of dictating and imposing its policies on its neighbors, according to Reuters news agency.
"A country that, since Armenia gained independence, closed our border on various pretexts and is trying to blackmail my people, may not aspire to regional leadership," Sarkisian told the Cypriot parliament. The Armenian leader, who is on an official visit to the east Mediterranean island, said Turkey's aspirations to be a regional leader pointed to a form of "New-Ottomanism."
Turkey and Armenia have been locked in a bitter dispute over the killings of Armenians during the fadings days of the Ottoman Empire, around the time World War I broke out.
Sarkisian told Greek Cypriot legislators in a speech Monday that Turkey's "contradictory posture, inconsistent statements and groundless manipulation of the process" had scuppered an Oct. 2009 deal to reopen the countries’ shared borders.
Armenia wants the killings specifically recognized as “genocide,” however Turkey says the actual death toll of the 1915 events has been inflated and those killed were the victims of civil war and unrest. Turkey also wants Armenian troops withdrawn from Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani territory.
Sarkisian, who was in Greek Cyprus on Tuesday, said Turkey could not aspire to be a regional leader if it continued what he described as a policy of dictating and imposing its policies on its neighbors, according to Reuters news agency.
"A country that, since Armenia gained independence, closed our border on various pretexts and is trying to blackmail my people, may not aspire to regional leadership," Sarkisian told the Cypriot parliament. The Armenian leader, who is on an official visit to the east Mediterranean island, said Turkey's aspirations to be a regional leader pointed to a form of "New-Ottomanism."
Turkey and Armenia have been locked in a bitter dispute over the killings of Armenians during the fadings days of the Ottoman Empire, around the time World War I broke out.
Sarkisian told Greek Cypriot legislators in a speech Monday that Turkey's "contradictory posture, inconsistent statements and groundless manipulation of the process" had scuppered an Oct. 2009 deal to reopen the countries’ shared borders.
Armenia wants the killings specifically recognized as “genocide,” however Turkey says the actual death toll of the 1915 events has been inflated and those killed were the victims of civil war and unrest. Turkey also wants Armenian troops withdrawn from Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani territory.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Azerbaijan disseminates misinformation, EU official says
Azerbaijan disseminates misinformation, EU official says
January 17, 2011 18:03
One should get acquainted with the European Union’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh on the official website of the European Union (EU) rather than from other reports, the spokesman for José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, told ARMENPRESS, commenting on the information on the official website of the president of Azerbaijan. According to the information, during his visit to Azerbaijan, the President of the European Commission allegedly spoke of the necessity for settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis territorial integrity principle.
On various occasions José Manuel Barroso spoke of the territorial integrity principle as one of the three principles of conflict settlement. This is one of the principles the international community reached an agreement on. The two other principles are peoples’ right to self-determination and peaceful settlement of conflicts, the spokesman said. He pointed out that, in his earlier statements, José Manuel Barroso stressed the need for a diplomatic settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as the unacceptability of militant rhetoric.
The EU supports the OSCE Misnk Group’s efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The EU will intensify its efforts provide the conflicting parties apply to it. All of statements on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by the President of the European Commission are balanced and in line with the international community’s position, the official said.
According to the information on José Manuel Barroso’s visit to Azerbaijan on the official website of the President of Azerbaijan, the President of the President of the European Commission allegedly spoke of the necessity for settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis territorial integrity principle. However, the information of the EU website was not in line with that on the official website of the Azerbaijani President.
News from Armenia - NEWS.am
January 17, 2011 18:03
One should get acquainted with the European Union’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh on the official website of the European Union (EU) rather than from other reports, the spokesman for José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, told ARMENPRESS, commenting on the information on the official website of the president of Azerbaijan. According to the information, during his visit to Azerbaijan, the President of the European Commission allegedly spoke of the necessity for settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis territorial integrity principle.
On various occasions José Manuel Barroso spoke of the territorial integrity principle as one of the three principles of conflict settlement. This is one of the principles the international community reached an agreement on. The two other principles are peoples’ right to self-determination and peaceful settlement of conflicts, the spokesman said. He pointed out that, in his earlier statements, José Manuel Barroso stressed the need for a diplomatic settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as the unacceptability of militant rhetoric.
The EU supports the OSCE Misnk Group’s efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The EU will intensify its efforts provide the conflicting parties apply to it. All of statements on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by the President of the European Commission are balanced and in line with the international community’s position, the official said.
According to the information on José Manuel Barroso’s visit to Azerbaijan on the official website of the President of Azerbaijan, the President of the President of the European Commission allegedly spoke of the necessity for settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis territorial integrity principle. However, the information of the EU website was not in line with that on the official website of the Azerbaijani President.
News from Armenia - NEWS.am
THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE-Pamuk insists on 1 million Armenians being killed in Turkey
Pamuk insists on 1 million Armenians being killed in Turkey
15:41 • 17.01.11
In a recent interview with the Turkish newspaper Radikal, renowned Turkish writer and Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk insisted on his previous statements on one million Armenians being killed in Turkey."I do not renounce my statements on the Armenians and Kurds killed in Ottoman Empire," he told the paper."I am not a politician, I am a man of literature," he said.The Turkish intellectual particularly spoke of the current situation in his country, as well as the Turkish culture and Turkish nationalists' attempts to distort his literary works and ideas."Turkey is on the cross-road between two worlds. It has different aspects which is natural. But the schizophrenia between the East and West is deteriorating in the country. The situation also affects our culture. Often, political decisions shaped our cultural image," he stated.In 2005 Orhan Pamuk received the €25,000 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade for his literary work, in which he said "Europe and Islamic Turkey find a place for one another." The award presentation was held at Paul's Church, Frankfurt.Pamuk's books are characterized by a confusion or loss of identity brought on in part by the conflict between Western and Eastern values. In June 2005, Turkey introduced a new penal code including Article 301 which establishes liability for insulting the Turksih identity. Pamuk was retroactively charged with violating this law in the interview he had given four months earlier.Currently residing in the United States, Pamuk delivers lectures at the Columbia University.
Tert.am
THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE
www.armenian-genocide.org
RAFI TOPALIAN ,CAPITAL DISTRICT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMITTEE
CELL: 810-5018
15:41 • 17.01.11
In a recent interview with the Turkish newspaper Radikal, renowned Turkish writer and Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk insisted on his previous statements on one million Armenians being killed in Turkey."I do not renounce my statements on the Armenians and Kurds killed in Ottoman Empire," he told the paper."I am not a politician, I am a man of literature," he said.The Turkish intellectual particularly spoke of the current situation in his country, as well as the Turkish culture and Turkish nationalists' attempts to distort his literary works and ideas."Turkey is on the cross-road between two worlds. It has different aspects which is natural. But the schizophrenia between the East and West is deteriorating in the country. The situation also affects our culture. Often, political decisions shaped our cultural image," he stated.In 2005 Orhan Pamuk received the €25,000 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade for his literary work, in which he said "Europe and Islamic Turkey find a place for one another." The award presentation was held at Paul's Church, Frankfurt.Pamuk's books are characterized by a confusion or loss of identity brought on in part by the conflict between Western and Eastern values. In June 2005, Turkey introduced a new penal code including Article 301 which establishes liability for insulting the Turksih identity. Pamuk was retroactively charged with violating this law in the interview he had given four months earlier.Currently residing in the United States, Pamuk delivers lectures at the Columbia University.
Tert.am
THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE
www.armenian-genocide.org
RAFI TOPALIAN ,CAPITAL DISTRICT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMITTEE
CELL: 810-5018
Monday, January 10, 2011
Gabrielle Giffords voted for Armenian Genocide Resolution
Gabrielle Giffords voted for Armenian Genocide Resolution
January 09, 2011 14:59
The U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords supported Armenian Genocide Resolution. Being a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs she voted for the bill on March 5, 2010. She also backed the Armenian Genocide Resolution in 2007.
During autumn mid-term elections Giffords was the main Arizona candidate supported by the Armenian community of U.S.
As NEWS.am reported earlier, Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was shot at a public meeting outside a supermarket in Tucson, Arizona. Gunman fired at Congresswoman’s head.
Gabrielle Giffords survived but remains in a critical condition in hospital. The suspect is detained. According to specified information, another six people were killed and 13 injured in the armed incident.
News from Armenia - NEWS.a
January 09, 2011 14:59
The U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords supported Armenian Genocide Resolution. Being a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs she voted for the bill on March 5, 2010. She also backed the Armenian Genocide Resolution in 2007.
During autumn mid-term elections Giffords was the main Arizona candidate supported by the Armenian community of U.S.
As NEWS.am reported earlier, Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was shot at a public meeting outside a supermarket in Tucson, Arizona. Gunman fired at Congresswoman’s head.
Gabrielle Giffords survived but remains in a critical condition in hospital. The suspect is detained. According to specified information, another six people were killed and 13 injured in the armed incident.
News from Armenia - NEWS.a
US – threat to Turkey’s national security
US – threat to Turkey’s national security
According to poll results conducted in 31 Turkish states, 43% thinks US is the most dangerous country for Turkey; 24 % thinks Israel is a serious threat, “CnnTurk” news service writes referring to “WSJ”.According to the survey results, Islamic Republic of Iran is also dangerous.In the scopes of “Zero problems with neighbors” policy Armenian-Turkish ties were improved which made most of poll participants to think Armenia is not a threat to national security of Turkey.
Source: Panorama.am
According to poll results conducted in 31 Turkish states, 43% thinks US is the most dangerous country for Turkey; 24 % thinks Israel is a serious threat, “CnnTurk” news service writes referring to “WSJ”.According to the survey results, Islamic Republic of Iran is also dangerous.In the scopes of “Zero problems with neighbors” policy Armenian-Turkish ties were improved which made most of poll participants to think Armenia is not a threat to national security of Turkey.
Source: Panorama.am
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Iran rejected Baku’s requests for a corridor to attack Karabakh
Iran rejected Baku’s requests for a corridor to attack Karabakh
January 8, 2011 - 15:29 AMT 11:29 GMTPanARMENIAN.Net - Iran has rejected to provide Azerbaijan with a corridor along Arax River for attacking Fizuli, Jebrail and Zangelan.
According to Echo newspaper, Baku negotiated the issue in autumn 2010 and experienced complete failure.
In exchange for the corridor, Baku promised to take a neutral stand in case of a war against Iran.
January 8, 2011 - 15:29 AMT 11:29 GMTPanARMENIAN.Net - Iran has rejected to provide Azerbaijan with a corridor along Arax River for attacking Fizuli, Jebrail and Zangelan.
According to Echo newspaper, Baku negotiated the issue in autumn 2010 and experienced complete failure.
In exchange for the corridor, Baku promised to take a neutral stand in case of a war against Iran.
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