Turkish Forum

Category: Main Issues

  • Sign the petition for Khojaly Massacre

    Sign the petition for Khojaly Massacre

     

    hm gov

    Responsible department: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    On the 26th February Azerbaijan mourns the 20th Anniversary of one of the darkest days in its history. On this day in 1992 Armenian military forces brutally murdered 613 civilian inhabitants of the town of Khojaly in the illegally occupied region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Twenty years after this fateful day we remember those who died during events which led up to the illegal occupation of around 18% of Azerbaijan’s sovereign territory, which still continues to this day in direct contravention of four UN Security Council Resolutions. We the undersigned urge the Prime Minister to condemn this shocking act and the continuing Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories which prevents the survivors from returning to their homes.

     

    Sign the petition: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/27069

     

  • French Legislators oppose Armenian genocide bill

    French Legislators oppose Armenian genocide bill

    Sarkoziye sok

    The Associated Press

    PARIS — A Senate panel says it would be unconstitutional for France to make it illegal to deny that the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago constituted genocide.

    Relations between France and Turkey have soured since the National Assembly, France’s lower house of parliament, passed such a bill last month and sent it to the Senate.

    The Senate’s Commission of Laws voted Wednesday that such a law, if passed, would violate constitutional protections, notably freedom of speech. The vote was 23 Senators for and 9 against, with 8 abstentions.

    The panel vote — a nonbinding recommendation — was the first legislative setback for the controversial bill. The measure goes to the full Senate for debate on Monday.

  • Turkey’s elite attend funeral of Denktash

    Turkey’s elite attend funeral of Denktash

    The funeral of the former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has taken place in Nicosia. He died last week at the age of 88.

    Denktash was revered by Turkish Cypriots as a champion of independence for his community. He was the founder of the self-styled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which only Turkey recognises as a state.

    Ankara declared three days of mourning after his death and its president and prime minister were prominent among the thousands who attended the funeral.

    denktas cenaze

  • Turkey’s arguments against Genocide bill untenable

    Turkey’s arguments against Genocide bill untenable

    YEREVAN.- Turkey’s arguments against adoption of a Genocide bill by the French Senate are untenable, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian told journalists on Monday.

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    “The arguments presented by the Turkish side are weak, to put it mildly,” he said. According to him, the Turkish side states adoption of the bill can hamper normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations. However, the major obstacle is Turkey’s position.

    Moreover, Turkey’s arguments on economic interests and interconnection between the bill and Ankara’s possible role in the region are hints at corruption, not only blackmail.

    French parliament adopted on December 22 a bill criminalizing genocide denials, including the Armenian Genocide. The bill will be debated by French Senate on January 23.

    via Turkey’s arguments against Genocide bill untenable – Armenian FM | Armenia News – NEWS.am.

  • Reports: Turkey to push for two-state Cyprus if UN talks fail

    Reports: Turkey to push for two-state Cyprus if UN talks fail

    1 13 2012 7 30 02 AM 7664239

    Davutoglu has reportedly noted that if this happens, a solution model based on two independent states will be adopted by the Turkish side instead of a bi-zonal bi-communal solution.

    BY CEM BARBER AND CAROL AMENT / FG ONLINE

    • Fri, Jan 13, 2012

    TURKEY will push for a two-state solution in Cyprus if the current UN backed peace talks fail, according to reports from Ankara.

    Turkish Cypriot daily “Haberdar” cites diplomatic sources quoting the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu as saying that the “bi-zonal bi-communal solution model” in Cyprus, will be abandoned in case the negotiations process comes to a deadlock “because of the stance of the Greek Cypriots”.

    Davutoglu has reportedly noted that if this happens, a solution model based on two independent states will be adopted by the Turkish side instead of a bi-zonal bi-communal solution.

    He argued that the negotiations, which will be launched in the future, will be based on two independent states.

    Earlier this week the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities that time is running out for a settlement on re-uniting the island.

    In a letters to Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, Ban said he worried that opportunities to successfully conclude negotiations will be limited once the Republic of Cyprus takes up the presidency of the European Union (EU) in July.

    It is reported, but not verified, that Ankara has also acquired the support of the international community on this issue.

    The sources said that Turkey’s accession process to the EU has already come to a deadlock because of the stance of the Republic of Cyprus and added that the Turkish side could not be cornered further.

    Meanwhile, under the banner front-page headlines “Two separate states”, Turkish Cypriot daily Gunes cites information broadcast by Turkish NTV television and ABhaber website, which argued that Turkey’s Plan B is ready in case the Cyprus talks collapse.

    Both sources argued that if no solution is reached by July when the Republic of Cyprus will overtake the EU term presidency, Ankara will change the basic parameters [of the negotiations].

    Ban is scheduled to meet the two leaders in New York on January 23-24 in a final drive to bring the two sides closer to a solution.

    In his letter, Ban called for a more active role of both leaders in their negotiations which have been going on for almost three and a half years.

    Ban’s letter said the leaders had outlined their respective views on a settlement, calling this an important effort, but hinted that much more remained to be done.

    — Copyright © Famagusta Gazette 2011

    via Reports: Turkey to push for two-state Cyprus if UN talks fail.

  • Turkish schools not to include question on Armenians’ ‘cruelties’ in exam questionnaires

    Turkish schools not to include question on Armenians’ ‘cruelties’ in exam questionnaires

    ANKARA. – The question on Armenians’ ‘cruelties’ is not included in the Turkish schools exam questionnaires due to numerous complaints.

    89113The question offending Armenians, sent by National Education department of Bakirkoy district in Istanbul, was not included in the school exam questionnaires, Turkish Vatan reports.

    Former head of the Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions (KESK) Sami Evren who was present at the exam opposed expressions containing racism and discrimination and left the school. He stated it is not right to hold exam containing such questions.

    “It is not only wrong to speak about documents on ‘cruelties perpetrated by the Armenians’ but also address schoolchildren with such question. It is equal to the expression ‘you have perpetrated cruelties’. What would a Turkish student feel if he was called ‘Turk barbarian’ in German school?” he wonders.

    via Turkish schools not to include question on Armenians’ ‘cruelties’ in exam questionnaires | Armenia News – NEWS.am.