Category: Main Issues

Vatican to publish documents on Armenian Genocide

The Vatican will open its archives in 2012, said Bishop Sergio Pagano, prefect of the Vatican Secret Archives.

The exhibition entitled “Lux in Arcane: The Vatican Secret Archives unveiled” will be inaugurated in the Capitoline Museums in Rome in February 2012 and will display valuable documents held in the Vatican, from the eighth century to the twentieth century, Turkish Hurriyet Daily reports.

Sergio Pagano noted that the archives include documents on the Armenian Genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire in 1895-1921.

“When I read documents about the torture practices used by the Turks against the Armenians, I feel an irrepressible sense of pain and horror. Some of the papers describe how Turkish soldiers bet and played dice to guess the sex of a child before stabbing him or her with a bayonet after extracting them out of the womb. This is merely inhumane,” Pagano said.

Gianfranco Ravasi, President of Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture of Vatican recently said in Armenia that they intend to vivify cultural relations between Armenia and Vatican. To this aims exhibitions are planned to be opened in both countries.

via Vatican to publish documents on Armenian Genocide .::. The Armenian News by A1+.

Türkçe : https://www.turkishnews.com/tr/content/2011/07/08/bela-geliyor-vatikan-basimiza-dert-acacak/

July 8, 2011
Reply to Baroness Shreela Flather

Re: your question and proposal to the House of Lords -16.06.2011
House of Lords
London SW1 OPW

01/07/2011

Dear Baroness Shreela Flather,

The Ataturk Society of the UK has been astonished and dismayed to learn about
your question and proposal regarding a possible timetable for the British
Government to recognize the so called Armenian Genocide at the House of Lords on
the 16th of June 2011. Whilst we appreciate your “right” to ask questions as a
member of the House of Lords (not as an elected representative), we would like
to bring the following facts to your attention regarding this matter.

First of all can we remind you that there is no legal justification for such a
recognition unlike the Holocaust or Bosnian massacres.

As a historical event, it is a fact that Suzanne and Gregoire Krikorian took
their case to the European Court of Justice in 2003 in reference to the so called
Armenian genocide, and demanded moral and material compensation. However, they
lost this court case on the 17th December 2003 and were ordered to pay the court
expenses of 30,000 Euro for unfounded charges.

This issue began with the passing of an ill conceived resolution C-190 of the
European Parliament on 20th July 1987 that Turkey cannot become a member of EEC unless she recognizes the so called Armenian Genocide!

Twelve years later, in 1999, Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit was
negotiating with the EEC regarding Turkish candidacy and when the discussions
were strained, the Turkish P.M. was invited to Helsinki talks. The Helsinki
European Council decision was to officially invite Turkey into the E.U. Since
than Turkey has been a candidate member and has many agreements with the EU,
going back to 1963 Ankara Association Agreement).

This invitation obviously did not go the way the Armenian Diaspora wanted and
they opened a court case against:

*    the European Parliament
*    the European Union Association Council
*    the European Commission

at the European Court of Justice, with reference to the European Parliament’s
resolution no. C-190, demanding that Turkey acknowledges so called Armenian
Genocide before being offered membership status, otherwise EU’s contractual
status would be impaired and therefore insisting on “Responsibility from the
European Union outside of it’s commitments and without any judicial
justification”.

We would like to remind you that this court case was rejected by the First
Division of the European Court of Justice on December 17, 2003 under decision
number T-346/03, confirming that there is no legally accepted justification for
so called ‘Armenian genocide’.

Still unsatisfied the Armenian Diaspora applied to the “Court of Appeals” for
the repeal of the referred decision. This application was heard by the Fourth
Division of the European Court of Justice at the session dated 17.04.2004. It
was rejected again under the clause No. C-18/04 and the Armenians were charged
to pay the court expenses of 30,000 Euros.

Dear Baroness Flather, we would like to ask you to reconsider your question to
the House of Lords in the light of the evidence presented above and before
taking a stance against the decisions of the European Court of Justice which is
an authorised Court set up to deal with these kind of cases and is officially
recognized by the UK Parliament.

Turkish people have a right to request that you re-address the House of Lords
regarding your question and put right the inaccuracies or injustices done to the
Turkish Nation. We consider your action as biased and prejudiced, and also
lacking in informed knowledge and the right facts of the matter.

Yours sincerely,
Betula Nelson
Foreign Media Coordinator
Ataturk Society UK
London

Extracts from the European Court of Justice decision number T-346/03;
Clause 25.
Secondly, as regards the requirement that the applicants must have suffered
actual and certain damage, the applicants clearly confined themselves in their
application to relying in general terms on non-material damage caused to the
Armenian community, without giving the least indication as to the nature or
extent of the damage which they consider they had suffered individually.
Therefore the applicants have supplied no information that would enable the
Court to find that the applicants in fact suffered actual and certain damage
themselves (see, to that effect, Case T-99/98 Hameico Stuttgart and Others v
Council and Commission [2003] ECR II-2195, paragraphs 68 and 69).

Clause 21.
As regards the alleged breach of fundamental rights (see paragraph 10 above), it
is sufficient to note that the applicants merely claim that such a breach took
place, without explaining how that follows from the conduct of the defendant
institutions complained of in this case.

—

Original reply in Turkish here by Refik Mor

July 8, 2011
U.N. chief says peace deal possible between Cyprus and Turkey

By Michele Kambas

Reuters Reuters

NICOSIA: U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon will seek a peace deal within a year from Cypriot leaders engaged in reunification talks Thursday, a source close to the matter said, signalling growing frustration with a slow process that is harming Turkey’s EU ambitions.

Leaders of the estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities have been locked in rounds of negotiations to reunify Cyprus for almost four years, the latest of many previously ill-fated attempts to piece together an island riven by ethnic violence and war.

“By focusing their energy and rising to the occasion this [a deal] could be done in a couple of weeks,” said a person on condition of anonymity.

Ban was scheduled to meet President Demetris Christofias, the Greek Cypriot leader, and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu in Geneva Thursday. Another meeting with the leaders was possible in September, and Ban could also announce he was preparing a report to the Security Council on the state of play in Cyprus negotiations, the source said.

He was expected to seek a commitment from the two that they would ramp up Cyprus-based talks, held in a United Nations compound which forms part of a buffer zone splitting Greek and Turkish Cypriots since a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek inspired coup.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on July 07, 2011, on page 9.

via THE DAILY STAR :: News :: Middle East :: U.N. chief says peace deal possible between Cyprus and Turkey.

July 7, 2011
UN to Begin New Cyprus Unity Talks

Dorian Jones | Istanbul

Hopes of a breakthrough in reuniting Cyprus are diminishing after a year of talks and little progress, but the United Nations will host a second round of negotiations Thursday in Geneva. Failure of the talks could result in a permanent partition of the island, which could also end Turkey’s European Union aspirations.

A Turkish Cypriot police officer, right, stands at the Ledra Palace border crossing, a passage between Greek and Turkish Cyprus, February 4, 2008 (file photo)

Time is scarce

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki moon is due to sit down in Geneva with the leaders of the Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities to map out a schedule for efforts to reunite the divided island. These latest U.N. efforts started more than a year ago and have made little progress, according to observers.

But Carnegie Institute visiting scholar Sinan Ulgen, who heads the Turkish-based research group Edam, warns that time maybe running out to reunite the island.

“This will be the last attempt of the international community to settle the issue,” said Ulgen. “Already [in] 2004 there was such an attempt, which ended up a failure, and now [in] 2011 we see a renewed attempt. If this also fails Turkey’s position will shift on Cyprus, to actually, on the basis of its growing soft power in the region, to lobby for the recognition of the Turkish republic of northern Cyprus and basically seal the division of the island.”

Only the Greek side of Cyprus is recognized internationally. The island has been divided since Turkey invaded in 1974 following a Greek-inspired coup. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is subject to an international economic embargo, is only recognized by Turkey.

But the latest efforts by U.N. Secretary General Ban are facing an uphill struggle. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou who supported the previous U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan’s attempts to reunite the island is no longer in a position to offer such support.

“Although Papandreou is the person who took enormous personal risks to support the Annan plan and never backed off from his position, I cannot see much of initiative coming from him given the very difficult domestic position in Greece,” noted Greek scholar Ioannis Grigoriadis of Turkey’s Bilkent University. “I do not think he will be an obstacle to a solution if a solution comes. But it will be very difficult for him to make more enemies in his party and the country overall by launching a very ambitious Cyprus agenda at this point.”

The U.N. Annan plan was also strongly supported by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In a 2004 referendum it was accepted by the Turkish side of the island, but rejected by Greek Cypriots.

Old divisions remain

With the Greek Cypriot side of the island being an EU member, Turkey’s membership aspirations are seen as tied to reuniting the island. But according to Senior Turkish diplomat Selim Yenel, Turkey will not make any more concessions.

“It has always fallen on Turkey to give concessions, and we have this is enough, we have given enough concessions,” said Yenel. “We have tried everything, but every time we have done so, the Greek Cypriots have put them in the pocket and have asked for more. If we do it again they will just pocket it and ask for something else. This has been basic policy. They have always relied on the European Union, on other big countries, to put pressure on us. Well it is not going to work anymore.”

Observers say such a robust stance is a reflection of the changing balance of power between Turkey and the European Union. Turkey’s membership bid is at a virtual standstill, in part due to Cyprus as well as opposition from both Germany and France. But with the European Union facing economic disarray and Turkey’s fast growing economy the allure of membership is fading, according to Ulgen.

He says that means Ankara can take a tough stance, even pushing for full recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

“Under those conditions Turkey’s EU prospects would come to an end,” Ulgen added. “But the fact the EU has lost its public appeal and the Turkish government has lost is zeal for EU accession changes the frame work for the Turkish government, and makes it more accessible for the Turkish foreign policy to pursue the full recognition of the TRNC.”

But Ulgen argues the real prospect of a permanent partition of the island may yet provide the impetus for the two communities to reach an agreement.

With the Greek Cypriots due to take over the six-month EU presidency on July 1, 2012, it appears that date has become the deadline for a deal to be struck.

via UN to Begin New Cyprus Unity Talks | Europe | English.

July 7, 2011
Pegasus adds extra Istanbul and North Cyprus flights

Responding to travellers’ needs as always Pegasus Airlines, renowned as Turkey’s most dynamic privately owned airline, has added additional direct flights to its schedule for summer 2011 in response to heavy demand.

The extra flights will run between London Stansted and both Istanbul and North Cyprus starting Thursday 21 July until 6 September 2011. With Pegasus, the airline that made flying easy, there is now an even better choice of flights to choose from this summer!

Prices start from £77.99 including taxes and charges for flights between London and Istanbul and from £107.99 including taxes and charges between London and North Cyprus. Tickets are available to book now on www.flypgs.com.

City.Mobi

Also in Europe today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to Istanbul.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

Istanbul.Mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.

via Pegasus adds extra Istanbul and North Cyprus flights | News | Breaking Travel News.

July 4, 2011
Turkey must answer for its crimes, says Cyprus President

Turkey must answer for its crimes, says Cyprus President

FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE

• Wed, Jun 29, 2011

Turkey must answer for the crimes it has committed and continues to commit by occupying and violently dividing the island and the people of Cyprus, said here Tuesday President Christofias.

The statement was made during the President�s eulogy at the funeral of the remains of missing person Christodoulos Kouris, delivered on his behalf by Minister of Communications and Works Erato Kozakou Markoullis.

The Cyprus problem, President Christofias said, has many aspects resulting from the occupation and invasion of Turkey which continue – 37 years on – to afflict the people of Cyprus everyday.

Although it would be unfair to prioritize the tragic resonance of these aspects, nevertheless the missing persons issue and particularly the unbearable pain and suffering their relatives continue to endure 37 years on due to uncertainty and questions left unanswered is in fact the most tragic aspect of the Cypriot tragedy, the President pointed out.

President Christofias assured that the government has and continues to do its utmost in order to find what happened to all missing persons.

He noted that for years the resolution of this humanitarian problem has remained on a standstill because Turkey, which is responsible for the disappearances, had followed and continues to follow a policy of obstruction over the issue thus perpetuating the tragedy.

The Cyprus President said that since 2005 when the Committee on Missing Persons started an exhumations and identification of remains programme under the auspices of the UN and since the beginning of 2008 when intensive and independent exhumations by bi-communal groups of scientists started to be conducted, 184 Greek Cypriots and 58 Turkish Cypriots have been identified.

He continued to say that although the relatives are somewhat solaced when they are at last able to bury the remains of their loved ones, their suffering will not truly be over until answers are given to the countless questions haunting them relating to the disappearance of their loved ones.

Only Turkey possesses these answers, he pointed out, as they are documented in the archives of the Turkish army.

President Christofias further underlined that Turkey cannot refuse to take responsibility for the crimes it has committed against a people as a whole, something for which it has been convicted by the European Court of Human Rights.

Turkey, he noted, cannot continue to �knock on the door� of the EU whilst its hands are still stained by the blood of thousands of innocent victims of the Cypriot tragedy, including that of Christodoulos Kouris.

�Turkey must answer for the crimes it has committed and continues to commit by occupying and violently dividing the island and the people of Cyprus�, he stressed.

He added that �it must also answer for the crimes it continues to commit against the Turkish Cypriots themselves who have been reduced to a small and nearly extinct community due to the mass and continual influx of Turkish settlers in the areas it occupies.�

Christodoulos Kouri was born and lived in the now occupied village of Mia Milia. When the 2nd phase of the Turkish invasion took place in August 1974 he refused to abandon his village. He was listed as missing ever since. His remains were found in 2007 and were later identified.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. As a result of the invasion, 1619 Greek-Cypriots were listed as missing, most of whom soldiers or reservists, who were captured in the battlefield.

Among them, however, were many civilians, women and children, arrested by the Turkish invasion troops and Turkish-Cypriot paramilitary groups, within the area controlled by the Turkish army after the end of hostilities and far away from the battlefield. Many of those missing were last seen alive in the hands of the Turkish military. A further 41 cases of Greek Cypriot missing persons have been recently added to the list of missing persons. These cases concern the period between 1963-1964, when inter-communal fighting broke out but none of them has been identified yet.

The number of Turkish Cypriot missing since 1974 and 1963/64 stands at 503.

In his latest report on the UN peace-keeping force in Cyprus, the UN Secretary General reported that ”complete access to military areas in the north for the purposes of exhumations remains crucial. I urge the Turkish Forces to adopt a more forthcoming approach, given the humanitarian dimension of the issue”.

via Turkey must answer for its crimes, says Cyprus President.

June 30, 2011