Category: Main Issues

  • Turkey did not commit any crime against Armenians

    Turkey did not commit any crime against Armenians

    “I can not understand those who launched this campaign. I can not understand this logic,” Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

    Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized a campaign of apology to the Armenians launched by the Turkish academics, writers and journalists recently, Turkey’s Time Turk news agency reported.

    “I can not understand those who launched this campaign. I can not understand this logic,” Erdogan said.

    Around 200 Turkish academics, writers and journalists launched a website issuing an apology to the Armenians regarding the 1915 incidents and calling for people to sign on in support. Over 5,000 people have registered on the website, Turkish media reported.

    Armenia and Armenian lobby worldwide state that in 1915 the Ottoman Empire, Turkey’s predecessor, committed genocide against Armenians living in Anatolia. Armenians striving to make their statements recognized worldwide have strengthened their propaganda of the so-called genocide in several countries and have achieved recognition of the “Armenian genocide” at several Parliaments.

    Turkish Prime Minister said this campaign will only create confusion. “”I neither accept nor support this campaign. We did not commit a crime, therefore we do not need to apologize,” Erdogan said.

  • Turkey-based apology net campaign

    Turkey-based apology net campaign

     

     
     

    Ankara-APA. A group of persons starting net campaign under title “I apologize” on so-called Armenian genocide in 1915 face dissatisfaction, APA reports.

    A group of persons started campaign under title “We wait for apology” against above-mentioned campaign. They created an analogous website like www.ozurdiliyoruz.com established by persons, who demanded apology from Armenians and allocated many photos related to Khojaly massacre. www.ozurbekliyorum.com website covers a list of Turkish diplomats killed by Armenian terrorists, archives of Turkish Armed Forces on Armenian terrorism, persons, who wait for apology from Armenians for their genocide committed against Turkish People. As of today, Over 6000 people joined campaign under title “We wait for apology”. The campaign started three days before and less than 6000 people have signed internet letter by now.

  • Turkey and Europe: The Decisive Year Ahead

    Turkey and Europe: The Decisive Year Ahead

    INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP – NEW REPORT

     

    Istanbul/Brussels, 15 December 2008: Turkey is entering a critical year when its already fading goal of European Union membership may be put on hold indefinitely.

    Turkey and Europe: The Decisive Year Ahead,* the latest International Crisis Group report, says both Turkey and EU member states need to recall how much they have to gain from each other and quickly reverse a downward spiral that is otherwise likely to produce a breakdown in negotiations and new tension in the Mediterranean.

    “There was extraordinary progress in Turkey between 2000-2004 on convergence with EU laws and standards”, says Hugh Pope, Crisis Group’s Project Director for Turkey and Cyprus. “But since then, national reform has slowed to a crawl. At the same time, leaders in some EU countries, including France and Germany, have shown opposition to Turkish membership in unprecedented ways”.

    The danger of a breakdown will be especially great if there is no Cyprus settlement in 2009. Some member states could seize on the issue to suspend membership negotiations, especially if Turkey does not open its ports to Cypriot vessels by the fall. If negotiations are suspended, it will be nearly impossible to find the unanimity needed to restart them.

    Global rankings show that Turkey is seriously underperforming in terms of development, rights, transparency and democracy. EU-driven reforms have stalled, due to anger that Brussels accepted Cyprus as a member in 2004 even though it was the Greek Cypriots who rejected the UN plan for reunification of the island; domestic political crises; institutional resistance to change; and the reluctance of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the ruling AKP and main opposition parties to take political risks to move forward. Nothing much can now be expected at least until after the March 2009 local elections. A crucial “National Program” to adopt EU laws – the reform roadmap – is stalled in the cabinet.

    The setbacks come just as Turkey’s initiatives to encourage openness and calm regional tensions are showing how much it can advance EU foreign policy goals. Ankara has helped de-escalate crises over Iran’s nuclear policy and Lebanon; mediated Syria-Israel talks; and opened new contacts with Armenia and cooperation with Iraqi Kurds. It is also supporting promising talks on Cyprus, where, if all sides push for an agreement, a 2009 settlement is possible.

    The dangers to Turkey of lost momentum are evident: feeble reform, new Kurdish tension, political polarisation and the risk of losing the anchor of this decade’s economic miracle.

    “The cost to Europe would also be great”, says Sabine Freizer, Crisis Group’s Europe Program Director. “Less easy access to big, fast-growing markets, likely new tensions over Cyprus and the loss of leverage that partnership with Turkey offers to help stabilise the Middle East, strengthen EU energy security and reach out to the Muslim world”.


    Contacts: Andrew Stroehlein (Brussels) +32 (0) 2 541 1635
    Kimberly Abbott (Washington) +1 202 785 1601
    To contact Crisis Group media please click here
    *Read the full Crisis Group report on our website:

    The International Crisis Group (Crisis Group) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation covering some 60 crisis-affected countries and territories across four continents, working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict.

  • Sample Letter to PBS

    Sample Letter to PBS

    Related content in Turkish : https://www.turkishnews.com/tr/content/2008/12/15/pbs-tekrar-ermeni-yalanlarini-yayinladi/

    FRONTLINE/World

    2481 Hearst Avenue
    University of California
    Berkeley, CA 94709
    Phone: (510) 643-3065
    Fax: (510) 643-1286
    E-mail:
    [email protected] This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

    Michael Getler
    Tell:703-739-5290
    Or email from this link
    www.pbs.org

      

    Sample Letter

     

    Dear……

    I watched “The Armenian Genocide” documentary directed by Andrew Goldberg on WLIW21 last night. I am writing this letter to express my dismay concerning the PBS decision to air this documentary again.

    Concerning the tragic events of 1915, Turks and Armenians clearly have different perceptions. The Armenian perception has been expressed by the PBS on different occasions. However, the PBS has never aired the Turkish point of view. You may say that “No, the documentary in question includes the opinions of Turkish scholars and intellectuals regarding the issue” and I can reply that “yes, but they look at the issue from the Armenian point of view.”

    The events of 1915 are still controversial and are discussed by the historians. There are many Turkish and international historians and experts including Guenter Lewy, Edward Erickson, Bernard Lewis, Gilles Veinstein and Justin McCarthy who describe the Armenian relocation as a security measure taken by the then Ottoman government under WWI conditions. Why did Mr. Goldberg, the director of the documentary not give floor to them to tell the other side of the story, leaving out the critical fact that Armenian nationals fomented a full-scale rebellion against the Ottoman government by siding with the invading foreign army in full force. And why did he not attach due sensitivity to the enormous number of Muslim Turks killed by Armenians during WWI and the assassination campaign of Armenian terrorist groups against Turkish diplomats during the 1970s and 1980s?

    The world has yet to learn the entire coverage of the story. The Turkish government has already opened the Ottoman archives including military ones to all historians and experts, contrary to the claim of Armenian circles. Moreover, Turkey has proposed to Armenia the establishment of a joint historical commission in order to study these tragic events comprehensively. The Armenian side, on the other hand, has yet to positively respond to this sincere proposal.

    Dear…

    It should be borne in mind that the entire Turkish community is extremely sensitive about these allegations. It is not fair to label a whole nation with this heinous crime which was not committed by them. Memories of people do not always overlap with historical facts and it is not just to expect from one nation to completely accept another nation’s memory.

    I should also mention here that independent journalism would require the covering of a story in all its dimensions. I, therefore, request you to desist from airing this one-sided documentary and express my hope that you would prepare more balanced programs in the future.

    Sincerely…


  • Journalist of Turkish origin, under protection after menaces

    Journalist of Turkish origin, under protection after menaces

     

    OFFICE-TKG

       

    Belcikada neler oluyor? Asagida gelen Türkce ve Ingilizce e-postalari dikkatlere sakince okumak amaci ile sunuyoruz. Asagida yazi ‚dogrular ile yanlislarin birbirine karistirildigi’ va amaci karalama ve camaura cekme girisimi olan bir propaganda calismasi olabilri. Dogru ise cok üzücü bir gelisme ile karsi, karsiyayiz. Asgidaki yazi Türkce ve Ingilizce AB ülkelerinin her tarafina yollandigini tahmin ediyoruz!

     


    Von: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
    Gesendet: Freitag, 12. Dezember 2008 09:22

    Betreff: Türk gazeteci Dogan Özgüden Belçika’da tehditlere karsi koruma altina alindi

    Belga Ajansı’nın haberi

    Türk Gazeteci Doğan Özgüden

    Belçika’da tehditlere karşı koruma altına alındı

    11.12.08 – 19.38 (BELGA) –  Bağımsız internet sitesi İnfo-Türk’ün yöneticisi Türk kökenli gazeteci Doğan Özgüden’in, kendisine yönelen tehditler karşısında Belçika otoritelerince koruma altına alındığı perşembe günü açıklandı.

    Özgüden, Brüksel’deki Türkiye Büyükelçiliği’ndeki bir tören sırasında Türkiye Milli Savunma Bakanı Vecdi Gönül’ün Rumların ve Ermenilerin Türkiye’den tehcir edilmesi politikasını övdüğünü İnfo-Türk’te duyurmuştu. Yine İnfo-Türk’e göre, aynı tören sırasında Büyükelçi Fuat Tanlay’ın kendisi de Türk bayrağını öven kin dolu bir şiir okumuştu: “Sana benim gözümle bakmayanın mezarını kazacağım. Seni selamlamadan uçan kuşun yuvasını bozacağım.”

    Söz konusu kişilere yönelik eleştiriler üzerine Beltürk başta olmak üzere hükümet yanlısı birçok sitede, İnfo-Türk’e karşı, genel yayın yönetmeni Doğan Özgüden’in linçedilmesini teşvike kadar varan bir kampanya açıldığını belirten Ecolo Senatörü Josy Dubié, kendisinin korunması için özel önlemler alınıp alınmadığı konusunda İçişleri Bakanı Patrick Dewael’e perşembe günü Senato’da soru yöneltti.

    Dewael’e vekaleten soruyu yanıtlayan Devlet Sekreteri Jean-Marc Délizée, şu açıklamayı yaptı: “Özgüden’in dosyası, tehdide maruz şahsiyetlerin, kamu görevlilerinin ve bireylerin korunmasına ilişkin Başsavcılar Kurulu Genelgesi uyarınca Genel Kriz Merkezi Yönetimi’ne iletilmiştir. Ancak teslim etmek gerekir ki, Özgüden’le ilgili olarak alınan koruma önlemlerinin neler olduğunun açıklanması kendisinin güvenliği açısından mümkün değildir.”

    Senatör Dubié bakanın bu açıklamasıyla gazetecinin koruma altına alındığı güvencesi verilmiş olduğunu umduğunu söyledi. Délizée de, senatörü, “Bunu teyid ediyoruz,” diye yanıtladı.

    Doğan Özgüden, ayrıca, kendisine karşı şiddet ve linç kışkırtması yapanlar aleyhine Kraliyet Savcılığı’na bir şikayet dosyası iletmiş bulunuyor.

    ______________________

    INFO-TURK

    Tel: (32-2) 215 35 76

    Fax: (32-2) 215 58 60

     


    Von: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
    Gesendet: Freitag, 12. Dezember 2008 11:08

    Betreff: Turkish journalist Dogan Özgüden under protection after menaces

    Flash Belga:

    Dogan Özgüden, Journalist of Turkish origin,

    under protection after menaces

    11.12.08 – 19:38 –  (Belga) -A Belgian journalist of Turkish origin, Dogan Özgüden, who edits the independent internet site “Info-Türk”, has been taken under protection by Belgian authorities after the menaces against his integrity, announced on Thursday.

    Mr. Özgüden had recently echoed a ceremony at the Turkish Embassy during which Turkish National Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül, according to Info-Türk, praised the policy of deportation of Greeks and Armenians from Turkey. Again according to Info-Türk, during the ceremony, Turkish Ambassador Fuat Tanlay himself read a poem praising the Turkish flag and full of hatred: “I dig the grave of those who do not watch you with my eyes. I ruin  the nest of birds which fly without greeting you.”

    Following this information calling into question these authorities, many pro-government sites, of which Beltürk, have launched against Info-Türk a campaign going up to incitement to lynching its chief editor, Dogan Özgüden, according to Senator Josy Dubié who questioned on Thursday Interior Minister Patrick Dewael if particular measures were taken for this journalist’s protection.

    “The file of Mr. Özgüden has been transmitted to the Crisis Center General Directory within the frame of the circular letter (…) of the Board of General Prosecutors by the Appeal Courts concerning the protection of personalities, public servants and private persons under menace”, said at the Senate the State Secretary Jean-Marc Délizée who replaced Mr. Dewael. “You should understand however that for the interest of Mr. Özgüden’s security, it is not possible to communicate possible measures of protection that were taken as regards him,” he added.

    Senator Dubié said he hopes that the minister’s reply means that the concerned has been placed under protection. “I confirm it,” said Mr. Délizée in answer.

    Dogan Özgüden has also put a complaint to the Royal Prosecutor against the instigators to violence and lynching.

    ______________________

    INFO-TURK

    Tel: (32-2) 215 35 76

    Fax: (32-2) 215 58 60

  • EU urges Turkey to ‘urgently’ normalise ties with Cyprus

    EU urges Turkey to ‘urgently’ normalise ties with Cyprus

    08 December 2008, 19:51 CET

    BRUSSELS – The European Union on Monday called on candidate nation Turkey to normalise relations with island member state Cyprus “as a matter of urgency.”

    The EU in 2006 froze eight of the 35 policy negotiating chapters that all candidates must complete before they join the bloc in response to Ankara’s refusal to open its ports and airports to Cypriot ships and planes.

    Turkey is the only nation to recognised the Turkish statelet in the north of the Mediterranean island.

    EU foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels Monday, voiced regret that Turkey had still not fulfilled its obligations regarding Cyprus, as contained in the so-called Ankara protocol, which it signed with the EU in 2004.

    “Progress is now awaited as a matter of urgency,” the ministers said in a joint text.

    The European Union could decide later to freeze more chapters, thereby slowing down Turkey’s membership bid even further.

    The EU ministers also noted “with regret” that Turkey was making “very limited progress” on political reform.

    However French officials, among those most hostile to Turkey’s EU accession, said that two new policy chapters were likely to be opened later this month.

    That would bring the total chapters opened to 10 out of the 35, with only one successfully closed.

    Cyprus has been divided along ethnic lines since 1974 when Turkey occupied the northern third of the island in response to an Athens-engineered Greek Cypriot coup seeking to unite the country with Greece.

    Source: www.eubusiness.com, 08 December 2008