Category: Main Issues

FRANSA: Sarkozy’ye “İnkar” Tokadı

Tuesday, 28 February 2012 10:37

Fransa Anayasa Konseyi, 1915 olaylarıyla ilgili Ermeni iddialarının reddinin suç sayılmasını öngören yasayı iptal etti.

142 İmzayla Gitmişti

Yasa, Fransız Senatosu’nda Ocak ayında kabul edilmiş ve kısa süre içinde Nicolas Sarkozy’nin imzasıyla yürürlüğe girmişti.

Bunun üzerine Senato’da Avrupa Demokratik ve Sosyalist Birlik Grubu Başkanı Jacques Mezard’ın öncülüğüyle başlayan girişim sonucu toplam 77 üyenin imzası toplanırken, mecliste de iktidardaki Halk Hareketi Birliği (UMP) üyesi Michel Diefenbacher’ın girişiminde 65 imzaya ulaşılarak, Anayasa Konseyi’ne itiraz edilmişti.

“İfade Özgürlüğüne Aykırı”

Gerekli imza sayısına fazlasıyla ulaşan milletvekilleri ve senatörler, Fransız Anayasası’nın 33. maddesine ve ifade özgürlüğüne aykırı olduğu gerekçesiyle yasanın iptalini istemişti.

Yasa Ne Getiriyordu?

Yasa “Fransa’nın kanunla tanıdığı bütün soykırımların inkârının suç sayılmasını” ve Fransız mahkemeleri’nin, suçlanan kişilere bir yıl hapis ile 45 bin euroya kadar ceza isteyebilmesini öngörüyordu.

“Bir Yanlıştan Dönüldü”

Türkiye’de karara ilk değerlendirme AK Parti Grup Başkanvekili Nurettin Canikli’den geldi. Canilki, “bir yanlıştan dönüldü, bu karar Fransa’da hâlâ sağduyu olduğunun bir göstergesi” şeklinde konuştu.

Haber Türk

February 29, 2012
Turkey / France / Genocide Denial / Raphael Lemkin

Turkey / France / Genocide Denial / Raphael Lemkin

Genocide Denial Bans: What Would Raphael Lemkin Do?

By Douglas S. Irvin

“The French Senate’s recent decision to criminalize denial of the 1915 Armenian Genocide prompted backlash from the Turkish government and charges of hypocrisy. While Turkey officially denies the systematic destruction of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, in Turkey, a common response to the French ban on Armenian genocide deniers is that French occupation of Algeria constituted genocide. Many find it strange to equate the two. The Armenian genocide appears to be the prototype of violent attempts to destroy entire groups of people. France certainly didn’t attempt to kill all of the Algerians. How could they compare? To answer this question, it serves us to investigate the origins of the term. In his 1944 ‘Axis Rules in Occupied Europe,’ Raphael Lemkin, the man who coined the term ‘genocide,’ described the concept as ‘a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves.’ Genocide had two phases: ‘One, the destruction of the national pattern of the oppressed group; the other, the imposition of the national pattern of the oppressor.’ This destruction of groups could be equally waged through economic policy, the law, or violence. Thus for Lemkin, the Nazi occupation of Europe, Stalin’s attempts to destroy the Ukrainian people through religious persecution and famine, the Belgian colonization of Congo, and the Ottoman massacres of Armenians were all genocide. They were not genocide because of the killing that occurred, but because they were all purposeful attempts to destroy the way of life of the oppressed. On the Algerian genocide, Lemkin wrote that a nation-wide campaign of violence and torture targeted Algerian national consciousness while colonial land and resource policy brought decimating poverty and disease upon the Algerian population. He believed these coordinated policies were purposeful attempts by the French colonial government to destroy Algerian culture. This was no different from the Ottoman Empire’s genocide of the Armenians, Lemkin believed.

Under the UN’s current definition, it would be hard to define the French rule in Algeria as genocide. But if we go back to the roots of the concept and pay attention to Lemkin’s ideas, those in Turkey who charge the French with hypocrisy make a valid point. Let us be fair, we all live in states built on bones. In the US, we hide our genocide in plain sight, calling it manifest destiny. Kill the Indian and save the man, from sea to shining sea. What would Lemkin do if he heard this debate about criminalizing the denial of genocide? He would probably point to the genocides both governments are currently facilitating either tacitly or directly, from Libya and Iraq to Congo. Instead of fretting over criminalizing the denial of past genocides, our governments should be criminalizing the support of current genocides. […]”

via GENOCIDE STUDIES MEDIA FILE: Turkey / France / Genocide Denial / Raphael Lemkin.

February 26, 2012
President: Turkey’s aspirations conditional on a Cyprus solution

Turkey must cooperate for a Cyprus solution in order to materialize its policy priorities concerning the EU and the region, President Demetris Christofias said today.

While addressing the book presentation of the Head of the Presidencys office of research on Turkish policy, Nikos Moudouros on The transition of Turkey, from Kemalist dominance to Islamic neoliberalism, the President spoke on the role of the Turkish leadership in sidelining the former leader of the Turkish Cypriot Community Rauf Denktash, while promoting the acceptance of the Annan Plan in 2004.

He characterized the developments of the time as a turning point in Turkeys shift concerning its Cyprus position, in favor of a solution with an ill-defined content and the parallel promotion of the illegal state entity Ankara set up in the occupied areas of Cyprus, following the islands 1974 invasion.

The President went on by saying that Turkey is violating all relevant UN resolutions concerning Cyprus, while he noted that Ankara aims at provoking tension in the region, on the occasion of the Republics activities in its exclusive economic zone.

This behavior is detrimental to Turkeys EU aspirations, President Christofias said, while he noted that the burden of its illegal activities in Cyprus hinders Ankara from assuming a role in political brokerage in the region.

Turkey, whose troops occupy Cyprus northern part since they invaded in 1974, does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus.

Recently, Nicosia announced in the Official Journal of the EU a call for an international tender for off-shore hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation within the Republics Economic Exclusive Zone, signaling the initiation of a second round of licensing, after 2007.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Nicosias new licensing round for exploration activity in the area could lead to tension in the region.

In response to Cypriot exploration activities, Ankara has in the past deployed warships in the Eastern Mediterranean and has signed an illegal agreement with the Turkish Cypriot regime in occupied Cyprus to delineate what it calls continental shelf.

The government of Cyprus has protested to the UN and the EU Turkeys moves, saying it has a sovereign right to exploit its natural resources, pointing out that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will benefit from any benefits that may come from oil drilling.

Cyprus has signed an agreement to delineate the Exclusive Economic Zone with Egypt and Israel with a view to exploit any possible natural gas and oil reserves in its EEZ. A similar agreement has been signed with Lebanon but the Lebanese Parliament has not yet ratified it.

Copyright © Famagusta Gazette 2012

via President: Turkeys aspirations conditional on a Cyprus solution.

February 25, 2012
ASIO detected bomb plot by Armenian terrorists

Brendan Nicholson

IN 1983, ASIO was trying to track down those responsible for a terrorist attack in Sydney when investigators discovered another atrocity was being planned.

ASIO’s action appears to have stalled the plot and delayed the follow-up attack for three years.

Cabinet papers released yesterday show that ASIO had little to go on, but in October 1983 it briefed the Hawke cabinet on its concerns that a group called Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide was planning an attack in Australia.

In 10 years, the group had killed dozens of Turkish diplomats around the world.

Nearly three decades later, the ASIO document released today has still been heavily censored, but enough is left to reveal that a JCAG member, Krikor Keverian, was intercepted with four handguns in his baggage when returning from Los Angeles on July 12, 1983.

ASIO has removed the next bit but the document goes on: “It is believed they were the ‘important things’ he was reminded to bring back with him by Silva Donelian, whom ASIO believes played some role in the killing in Sydney in December 1980 of Turkish consul-general Sarik Ariyak and his bodyguard.” Their killers have never been found.

The security agency said it believed something was planned, but it was not sure if or when it would take place.

The agency said a Levon Demirian was planning to return to Australia early from Beirut on July 13 “because something has been brought forward”. Demirian’s visit was cancelled after the discovery of the handguns.

On July 14, ASIO said another Armenian, Agop Magarditch, who had recently returned from the US, had reported guns were in a shipment of furniture and personal items en route to him from Los Angeles. The shipment was intercepted and a sub-machinegun, five pistols and ammunition were found, with information on how to carry out an assassination. ASIO said it suspected that Magarditch, on hearing of Keverian’s arrest, had panicked and reported the weapons.

The agency said it had received reports from its agents that Demirian was in Australia and it was likely he had used a false identity to enter the country.

“Such an entry would suggest operational motive,” ASIO said.

ASIO noted that the JCAG had just tried, but failed, to carry out an attack on the Turkish embassy in Lisbon. Some of those attackers came from Beirut and all were equipped for a siege.

It concluded the pistols being brought into Australia by Keverian were for use in an operation in which Demirian was to be involved.

ASIO said it was possible the group was planning a siege-hostage operation.

Responding to the agency’s concerns, the Hawke government initiated a “special counter-terrorism risk alert”.

It is not clear from the documents what ASIO did next or whether the suspected plot was ultimately foiled. But on November 23, 1986, a bomb hidden in a car exploded in the basement of the building housing the Turkish consulate in Melbourne.

The bomb had apparently exploded prematurely, and Hagob Levonian, from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, was blown to pieces.

Levon Demirian was charged with murdering Levonian.

m.theaustralian.com.au, January 02, 2012

February 20, 2012
Israel and Cyprus: Dancing with Turkey on their minds

By Amos Ben Gershom GPO

NICOSIA – Perhaps the most striking element of the press conference Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu held here Thursday with Cypriot President Demetris Christofias was that Netanyahu did not mention Turkey once.

Though the meeting that preceded the press conference was between the Israeli and Cypriot leaders, Turkey was the massive absent presence – the shadow that hovered unmistakenly above the room.

Related:

PM in Cyprus: Sanctions on Iran not working

PM, Cyprus president pledge energy cooperation

Christofias felt this presence – how could he miss it? Ankara warned him Thursday against exploring for gas off Cyprus’ shores, and scheduled, but did not carry out, a live-fire naval maneuver near the site of where the country is searching for gas.

During the press conference the Cypriot leader slammed Turkey, first calling on the international community and the EU to send a message to Ankara to stop violating international law, and then saying “it is not Cyprus that threatens Turkey, but Turkey that is threatening Cyprus. We will continue to cooperate [with Israel], and the true trouble-maker is Turkey, not the Israel-Cyprus relationship.”

Netanyahu had ample opportunity to slam Turkey; Christofias gave him many openings, perhaps even wanted him to say something. But Netanyahu – unlike Turkish leaders who seldom miss an opportunity to lob rhetorical broadsides at Israel – chose to ignore it.

Netanyahu’s overall message was that the burgeoning love affair between Israel and Cyprus – a country that just five years ago was considered one of the most hostile to Israel in Europe – has to do with Israel and Cyprus, not Turkey. There are enough common interests that bring the two countries together, he intimated, without having to bring in a common foe.

Which, obviously, paints only half the picture.

Granted, the discovery of massive gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean shared by the two countries played a large part in bringing Jerusalem and Nicosia together – shared economic interests is a powerful catalyst in forging alliances. But so too are common enemies.

While the way Christofias spoke about Turkey left no question that he indeed views Turkey, which has occupied part of the island since 1974, as an enemy, Netanyahu diplomatically chose not to mention Ankara – keeping the door ajar for the hope of some eventual reconciliation.

With Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan not healthy, and senior Cypriot officials saying he is on his way to the US to undergo medical treatment, Turkey could very well be on the cusp of major internal changes. With that a possible scenario, Israel has no interest in slamming the door in Turkey’s face.

Yet, things have changed dramatically since Erdogan berated President Shimon Peres in Davos in January 2009 for Operation Cast Lead, and the Turks sent the Mavi Marmara on its ill-fated blockade-bashing mission to Gaza in 2010. And one thing Netanyahu’s visit showed was the rapidity with which Israel was able to look at the new situation and adjust accordingly.

Rather than cowering before Turkey’s bellicose behavior and bemoaning an important relationship lost, Israel looked for creative ways to counterbalance Turkey. And Jerusalem found it in Turkey’s historic adversaries: Greece and Cyprus, as well as Romania, Bulgaria and – increasingly – Croatia.

Everyone realizes that Israel lost a huge strategic asset with Turkey, a strategic asset that neither Cyprus, Greece or the Balkan countries can replace. Still, if – borrowing an American football metaphor – Israel lost 10 years in losing Turkey, it has picked up five or six yards with the the new regional alliance growing in the eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans.

Does it get Israel back to the line of scrimmage? No. But it is a whole lot better than a total loss.

Netanyahu did not have to mention Turkey in his remarks.

His very visit to Cyprus – the first ever by an Israeli prime minister – did it for him.

Turkey, through its threats and planned naval maneuver on Thursday, sent a message to Israel and Cyprus that Ankara is a major actor in the eastern Mediterranean that can’t be ignored.

And Netanyahu, just by being in Nicosia, sent a message back: We hear you, but Israel will do what it feels it must to promote its strategic and economic interests – despite what Turkey might think.

via Israel and Cyprus: Dancing with T… JPost – Diplomacy & Politics.

February 19, 2012
Turkey Unhappy with Netanyahu Visit to Cyprus

JERUSALEM, Israel — Turkey expressed its deep dissatisfaction over warming ties between Israel and Cyprus, one day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s historic visit to the island Thursday.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry warned Wednesday it would “take all necessary measures to protect its rights and interests” of recently discovered natural gas deposits off the coast of Cyprus, dismissing any Israeli-Cypriot deal demarking the maritime borders, The Associated Press reported.

The one-day trip, which aimed to “further strengthen bilateral relations between the two nations,” marked the first-ever visit to the island by an Israeli prime minister.

Netanyahu was accompanied by his wife, Sara, and a delegation of senior officials, including Energy and Water Minister Uzi Landau.

Turkey’s threats did not deter Netanyahu from pursuing what he calls “natural ties” between the two countries.

“I came here to develop our bilateral ties, our economic ties and ties in the field of energy,” Netanyahu said after meeting with Cypriot President Demetris Christofias.

“We’re interested in developing peaceful relations for the benefit of our two countries and the region as a whole,” he said. He added that Israel had no “hidden or ulterior motives.”

Topping the agenda was the development of the island’s extensive off-shore natural gas deposits, including the possibility of a joint pipeline to export gas to Europe and Asia.

That discussion prompted a sharp rebuke by Turkey, which has occupied the northern part of the island since 1974.

In September, when the Houston-based company, Noble Energy Inc., began exploratory drilling off the coast of Cyprus, Turkey dispatched three warships to the area to underscore its intentions to drill there too.

Three months later, President Christofias welcomed the discovery of a large natural gas deposit, as much as 8 trillion cubic feet, off its coast.

“The gas discovery in the exclusive economic zone of our country creates great prospects for Cyprus and its people,” Christofias told reporters in late December.

“Cyprus is coming into Europe’s energy map with prospects of substantially contributing to the E.U.’s energy security,” he added.

Last June, Nobel Energy Inc. discovered an immense natural gas deposit off the coast of Israel’s northern port city of Haifa. Lebanon, like Turkey, is claiming that parts of the Israeli gas fields lie in its waters.

via Turkey Unhappy with Netanyahu Visit to Cyprus – Inside Israel – CBN News – Christian News 24-7 – CBN.com.

February 18, 2012