Turkish Forum English

Category: Middle East

  • Why Turkey, Israel Must Stay Friends

    Why Turkey, Israel Must Stay Friends

    Osman “Oz” Bengur
    Special to the Jewish Times

    The present rupture in relations between Turkey and Israel is unfortunate and cause for great concern. Relations between Israel and Turkey have been strong and for the sake of both countries and U.S. interests, it is critically important they remain so.

    With that in mind, I would like to respond to Dr. Alexander Murinson’s February 6 article, “Turkey’s Islamic PM Rocks Israel’ Ties” CLICK HERE

    As Dr. Murinson points out in his article, there have been deplorable anti-Semitic rhetoric and activities in Turkey following the start of Israel’s military action in Gaza. Turkish leaders were too slow to condemn these acts and the Prime Minister and his government have now made clear that anti-Semitic outbreaks in Turkey will not be tolerated.

    There are clearly serious differences between the two governments’ views over Gaza that should be addressed in a more temperate way. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Erdogan’s ill-chosen words at Davos were not constructive. It is especially important in these times of heightened emotions that great care is given to the choice of words.

    In his article, Dr. Murinson characterizes Prime Minister Erdogan and his AK party (AKP) and the government of Turkey as “Islamist” which I am concerned creates a misleading impression. The term “Islamist” is usually associated with countries like Iran that are governed according to Sharia law, or mistakenly, with terrorists. Even though Turkey’s population of 75 million is predominantly Muslim, and its ruling party expresses its Muslim faith openly (both the Prime Minister and President’s wives wear headscarves) the secular foundations established by modern Turkey’s founder, Kemal Ataturk, remain strong. In fact, a recent survey showed that only 9 percent of the population would support Islamic law.

    The AKP has twice been elected by increased pluralities and has largely governed pragmatically. Under its leadership, Turkey has made strides to bring its laws into compliance with European Union norms (by abolishing the death penalty and strengthening equal rights for women). There also is broad public support for instituting anti-corruption, judicial and electoral reforms that are a pre-requisite for the EU membership that Turkey seeks.

    The Turkish secular democratic “model” serves as an example to the Islamic world. Turkey’s willingness to send peacekeeping troops to Lebanon and to mediate talks between Israel and Syria are important to obtaining the goal of peace in the Middle East.

    At the same time, AKP’s attempts to remove prohibitions against religious expression such as the wearing of headscarves in universities (a measure that was ruled unconstitutional by Turkey’s highest court) has generated heated opposition from Turks who defend the country’s secular heritage.

    The modern Turkish republic was founded almost 86 years ago and is still a young nation. Turkey has made enormous strides in the past 20 years to broaden its democracy and is now struggling to balance democracy with faith, but it is not “Islamist”.

    Dr. Murinson attempts to “de-legitimize” (to borrow his word) Turkey’s objections over Gaza by implying that Turkey has no moral standing since it has attacked PKK terrorist strongholds in the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq. Like Israel, Turkey has a right to defend itself against terrorists and has come under criticism for its actions. Recent reports indicate that the Turkish military has taken greater care not to attack villages and that civilian casualties are rare.

    It is deeply disturbing to many Turks and Americans of Turkish heritage like me to see anti-Semitism in Turkey. While diplomatic, military and commercial cooperation between Turkey and Israel is relatively recent, the emotional ties between Jews and Turks span more than 500 years since the time the Ottoman Sultan provided haven for Jews fleeing the Inquisition. Over the centuries, Turkey has provided refuge for Jews seeking asylum. Yad Vashem named a Turkish Consul General “Righteous Among Nations” for saving Jews from the Nazis. Turkey was the first predominantly Muslim country to recognize the State of Israel in 1949 and with Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East.

    This history cannot be taken for granted, however. Turkey must reassure its Jewish citizens by taking decisive action against anti-Semitism. The recent disagreements over Gaza shouldn’t be allowed to escalate to the point where the relationship between the two countries is irreparably damaged.

    A strong relationship between Turkey and Israel is vital to both countries and vital to the strategic interests of the United States.

    We all have a stake in its success.

    Osman “Oz” Bengur, who lives in Towson, is a former candidate for the U.S. Congress. More of his work can be found at: citybizlist.com

    Source: www.jewishtimes.com, February 13, 2009

  • “Sorry But I am Human Being” Tony Benn

    “Sorry But I am Human Being” Tony Benn

    British socialist politician ,the current President of the Stop the War Coalition and Former Labour MP Tony Benn

    British socialist politician ,the current President of the Stop the War Coalition and Former Labour MP Tony Benn, defied the BBC’s self-imposed ban on broadcasting an appeal for the people of Gaza, made the  BBC appeal himself .

     To Watch, please click on the following link;

    “Sorry But I am Human Being” Tony Benn

     Tolga Çakır

  • Engaging Syria? U.S. Constraints and Opportunities

    Engaging Syria? U.S. Constraints and Opportunities

    Middle East Report N°83
    11 February 2009

    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    Candidate Obama pledged that his Middle East policy would include re-engagement with Syria; President Obama will find that the past is not easily overcome. The reasons behind his vow remain pertinent. Syria holds important cards in Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine, is Iran’s most important Arab ally and has substantial influence over Hamas and Hizbollah. There are indications of potential common ground on which to build, from resuming Israeli-Syrian negotiations, to consolidating progress in Iraq to blunting the rise of jihadi militancy and sectarianism. But significant obstacles to healthy, mutually beneficial relations remain, along with a legacy of estrangement and distrust. They dictate the need for a prudent approach that seeks first to rebuild ties and restore confidence. It will be critical to reassure Damascus that the U.S. is interested in improving relations and resolving the Israeli-Arab conflict, not in regime change. It is also equally critical not to compromise on core principles such as Lebanon’s sovereignty or the integrity of the international tribunal investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.

    President Bush’s policy was premised on the belief that isolation and pressure would lead to substantial changes in Syrian behaviour. It failed on both counts. The policy crumbled, and the sought-after behavioural changes never truly materialised. Awareness of this outcome, coupled with Senator Obama’s own conviction that engagement – far from being a sign of weakness – was the mark of diplomatic strength, formed the backdrop to his campaign pledge and is likely to inform his presidential policy. The question no longer is whether to engage Syria but how.

    That is where the hard part begins, for engagement is easier said than done. Although the open hostility witnessed under the Bush administration was an anomaly in U.S.-Syrian relations, the ordinary state of affairs hardly has been the reverse. Even prior to the Bush presidency, whether under President Clinton or his predecessors, the relationship had been problematic, marked by disagreement as much as dialogue. From Washington’s perspective, Syria continued to support militant Palestinian and Lebanese groups; from Damascus’s, the U.S. continued to harbour a regional agenda inconsistent with its own aspirations and interests. In short, while breaking with the Bush legacy is part of the solution, simply reverting to what preceded it is not.

    Nor, even if it were advisable, would it be possible to rewind the tape. The last eight years have left their imprint in several, at times indelible ways. The legacy is threefold. First is the web of legal or administrative measures aimed at Syria. These include an array of binding UN Security Council resolutions related to Damascus’s role in Lebanon, the establishment of the international tribunal regarding the Hariri assassination and an assortment of U.S. economic sanctions. They undoubtedly will continue to shape U.S.-Syrian relations; for the most part, their relaxation will occur, if at all, as a by-product of improved relations rather than as a means of achieving them.

    Secondly, U.S. policy has deepened estrangement between the two countries. As Washington recalled its ambassador, downgraded its representation in Damascus and shunned routine encounters with Syrian representatives, Damascus responded by boycotting what remained of the U.S. embassy. Syria has undergone significant change since the U.S. last had sustained interaction. It will take time for policy-makers to come to terms with transformations in the regime’s governance style, power structure, threat perceptions, regional positioning and socio-economic constraints. A policy shift will be all the more difficult to undertake as these years coincided with a hardening of public and congressional attitudes toward Syria that inevitably will influence the new team. Most of the president’s advisers, although in favour of a policy of engagement, bore witness to Syrian action in Iraq and Lebanon, are sceptical about the nature of the regime, question prospects for a genuine shift in its regional posture and sense that Damascus is more likely to move when ignored than when courted.

    A third constraint stems from changes in the regional landscape. The Iraq invasion fuelled sectarian tensions and boosted Iran’s influence; neglect and mismanagement of the Arab-Israeli conflict bolstered Palestinian and other rejectionists; Lebanon’s polarisation and the 2006 war enhanced Hizbollah’s influence; attempts to isolate Syria strengthened its ties to Iran; jihadi militancy is on the rise; and the Arab world is as divided as ever. The net result will be to complicate any putative Syrian strategic repositioning.

    But there are promising signs, too. For several reasons – most having little or nothing to do with the U.S. – Damascus appears to be softening its posture on Iraq and Lebanon, undertaking at least some effort to control its border with the former while establishing diplomatic relations with the latter. Talks with Israel, although halted due to the war in Gaza and the elections in Israel, might well resume with U.S. participation. Relations with Turkey have become a central element of Syrian foreign policy, offsetting Iran’s exclusive influence and providing Ankara with real leverage. Signs of unease already can be detected in Syrian-Iranian relations; with patience and deft management, they might be substantially transformed.

    How the two sides first engage one another will be critical; mistakes, miscalculations or mismatched expectations could do significant damage. In this, the second of three companion reports, Crisis Group examines in greater depth the last eight years’ legacy, drawing lessons for the new administration’s Syria policy. It concludes that, in order to pave the way for a more fruitful relationship, the U.S. early on should take the following steps:

    • Clearly articulate a set of guiding core principles, including:

    ­– support for and participation in renewed peace negotiations on all tracks;

    – consistent with past Israeli-Syrian negotiations, any final agreement should entail full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, firm security arrangements and the establishment of normal, peaceful bilateral relations;

    – no arrangement or compromise over the international tribunal or Lebanon’s sovereignty;

    – respect for such international norms should not be read as a desire to destabilise or change Syria’s regime; and

    – open acknowledgment of positive Syrian measures.

    • Set in place effective channels of communication, by:

    – nominating an ambassador;

    – requesting that Syria treat U.S. diplomats respectfully and doing likewise with Syrian diplomats posted in the U.S.;

    – establishing a privileged, personal and direct channel between President Obama and President Assad, possible through Middle East Peace Envoy George Mitchell; and

    – conducting a relatively early visit by a high-level U.S. military official in order to establish U.S.-Syrian-Iraqi security cooperation.

    • Carefully rethink sanctions in line with clear policy objectives, streamline licensing procedures and loosen restrictions on humanitarian or public safety grounds, such as for medical items or civil aviation-related goods to help replace an ageing and dangerous national fleet.

    The initial briefing in this series described lessons from the French experience at re-engagement with Syria. The third and final report will consider evolutions on the Syrian side and propose broader policy recommendations for Washington and Damascus.

    Damascus/Washington/Brussels, 11 February 2009

  • Jews and Armenian stand on alleged Genocide

    Jews and Armenian stand on alleged Genocide

    after Davos Turkey Appears to lost its longt standing ally , the Jewish-American lobby

    Watertown TAB & Press on ADL’s Armenian Genocide Denial

    USA Armenian Life Magazine   ..Friday,  January 30, 2009.

    Letters
    Armenian Americans must wake up and fight
    I’m upset to read that the American Jewish Committee has, like the national ADL, been trying to prevent recognition of the Armenian genocide (“Denial of the Armenian Genocide does more harm than synagogue vandals,” December 26).

    We read that Barry Jacobs of the AJC says his group will “champion to the best of our ability Turkish interests in the U.S. Congress.”  So the AJC is not just a Jewish lobby group but a Turkish one too?  Have AJC’s leaders told its members about its new client?

    The AJC and ADL insist that we all remember the Holocaust.  Fine. More than 63 years after the Holocaust reparations are being paid, and these groups are still demanding that Congress pass various kinds of Holocaust legislation.  Fine.

    But then the AJC and ADL turn around and lobby against the recognition of another people’s genocide?  This is hypocrisy of the worst kind and morally unacceptable.

    However, Armenian Americans are partly responsible. The Armenian National Committee of America, Armenian Assembly of America, and other organizations should be taking the battle against the ADL and  No Place for Hate nationwide.  They have let everyone down.  What happened in Massachusetts – a dozen cities and the MMA stopped their No Place for Hate programs – should be happening in other states.  Armenian Americans need to wake up and fight.

    Lily Ordoubeigian
    Concord Road
    ***
    ADL should not get involved in Armenian matters
    Larry Epstein in his letter of Jan. 16 [Watertown Tab] asks Mr. Boyajian to “direct his wrath, instead at the professional historians who disagree with him.”
    Mr. Boyajian is able, I am sure, to speak for himself, but permit me to explain the difficulty that Mr. Boyajian will have with Mr. Epstein’s suggestion.
    The professional historians agree with Mr. Boyajian. The professional historians who are associated with the International Association of Genocide Scholars agree with Mr. Boyajian. The professional historians associated with the International Commission for Transitional Justice agree with Mr. Boyajian. The 152 professional historians who placed an ad in the Washington Post calling on Turkey to accept the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide agree with Mr. Boyajian. The 56 professional Israeli and Jewish historians who issued a statement in 2001 calling on Turkey to accept the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide agree with Mr. Boyajian.

    Perhaps, Mr. Epstein has in mind the handful of so-called scholars who are now or who have been in the pay directly or indirectly of the Turkish Government who, dancing to the piper’s tune, deny the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide.

    The fact that the ADL — which has never been accused of being composed of historians — sides with Turkey and is lamentable perhaps, as I think Mr. Boyajian is suggesting, it should concern itself with the very real problem of anti-Semitism and not get involved in matters concerning the Armenians. I cannot speak for Mr. Boyajian, but I am sure that were it any ethnically related organization that steps away from concerning itself with its constituents and denies the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide, Mr. Boyajian would be just as concerned.

    Anti-Semitism, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder and, perhaps, Mr. Epstein should change his eyeglasses.

    I hope Mr. Boyajian doesn’t mind my taking off my jacket and jumping into the dispute.

    Andrew Kevorkian
    Philadelphia, PA
    ***

    Boyajian is no anti-Semite

    Concerning Mr. Larry Epstein’s recent letters to both the Watertown and Newton papers, I feel he is way out of line suggesting that David Boyajian is an anti-Semite.

    Mr. Boyajian is not complaining about different views among historians regarding the question of the Armenian Genocide. His beef is with the ADL that lobbys Congress to suppress public information about this atrocity and for not labeling it for what it was — a genocide.

    How does this make Boyajian an anti-Semite, especially when there are many Jewish people and groups that agree with him?

    Or is Mr. Epstein’s real gripe the fact that a Jewish group (ADL) is being publicly spanked and when that happens it is anti-Semitic for Epstein because nothing Jewish should ever be criticized?

    Ralph Filicchia
    Bellevue Road

    **

    Note:

    Mr. Epstein’s letter:

    Mr. Boyajian’s article in the Newton Tab:

    Related material:
    www.NoPlaceForDenial.com

  • Official: Aliya from Turkey to double

    Official: Aliya from Turkey to double

    By ETGAR LEFKOVITS
    The number of Jews expected to immigrate to
    Israel from Turkey this year is likely to double compared to last year,
    but the level remains extremely low despite surging anti-Israel and
    anti-Semitic incidents in the predominantly Muslim country, a Jewish
    Agency for Israel official said Sunday.

    A
    Turkish demonstrator displays a shoe on a banner during a protest
    against Israel at the Kocatepe mosque in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday.
    Photo: AP

    Separately,
    the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Venezuela said Sunday that he doubted
    whether the South American country held any future for the Jewish
    community, following the Friday night vandalism of the oldest synagogue
    in the country.

    About 250 Turkish Jews are expected to immigrate to Israel this
    year, more than double the 112 who did so last year, said Eli Cohen,
    director-general of the Jewish Agency’s Immigration and Absorption
    Department in Jerusalem.

    The number of expected immigrants from Turkey this year makes
    up only 1 percent of the 25,000-strong Jewish community that traces its
    roots in the nation back more than five centuries, dating to the
    Spanish Inquisition.

    RELATED
    • Turkey: The longer view (Editorial)
    • A climate of fear

    “We
    would prefer that the main reason for aliya today [be] the ideology of
    those immigrants who come from Western countries, but we see that the
    anti-Semitic incidents, as well as the global economic crisis, are what
    is furthering aliya today,” Cohen said.

    He noted that many of the Turkish Jews seeking to make aliya
    were students or young couples wanting to study at Israeli universities
    or to live in Israel.

    Relations
    between Israel and Turkey hit a nadir last week after Turkish Prime
    Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been a leading and vitriolic
    critic of Israel’s recent military operation against Hamas in Gaza,
    stormed out of a panel discussion with President Shimon Peres at the
    World Economic Forum in Davos.

    At the same time, the Jewish Agency official said Sunday that
    there was “a large interest” in immigration to Israel among Jews living
    in Venezuela. About 14,500 Jews live there, and only 60 immigrated to
    Israel last year.

    All Israeli representatives were kicked out of the country last
    month during Operation Cast Lead, but the agency is in daily contact
    with Jewish groups there, Cohen said.

    Meanwhile, Rabbi Pynchas Brener of Venezuela said Sunday that
    he was doubtful that there was any future for the Jewish community
    there.

    “There is a psychological mechanism which makes people within
    the country think things are not as bad as they seem,” Brener told The Jerusalem Post
    in a telephone interview from Caracas. “For psychological reasons,
    people who live in the country tend to justify actions taken against
    them.”

    His comments came after the main Sephardi synagogue in Caracas was vandalized by a group of attackers.

    Two security guards were overpowered by about 15 people who
    ransacked the synagogue’s sanctuary and offices late Friday, shattering
    religious objects and leaving graffiti such as, “We don’t want
    murderers,” and “Jews, get out.”

    The incident forced the synagogue to cancel Saturday services.

    “Reason makes us believe that this was done with the consent –
    if not the instigation – of some central power in Venezuela,” he said.

    He noted that Israel and Jews were viewed as synonymous in the
    South American country, adding that an upcoming vote on whether the
    president could be reelected indefinitely could prove to be a harbinger
    of things to come.

    “I do not know if in this environment there will be a future for the Jewish community here,” he said.

    The New York-based Anti-Defamation League called the synagogue incident “a modern day Kristallnacht.”

    “This violent attack, occurring on the Jewish Sabbath, is
    reminiscent of the darkest days leading to the Shoah, when Jews were
    attacked and synagogues and Torahs vandalized and destroyed under the
    guard of the Nazi regime,” said ADL National Director Abraham H.
    Foxman.

    Foxman said the heinous anti-Jewish hate crime was not random,
    but was “directly related to the atmosphere of anti-Jewish intimidation
    promoted by President Hugo Chavez and his government apparatus.”

    The organization called for Chavez to “abandon the official
    government rhetoric of demonization of Israel and the Jews and to
    publicly denounce this wanton act of anti-Semitic violence.”

    Separately, the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center said
    Sunday that Chavez’s attacks on Israel and the Jewish community had
    “set the stage” for the incident.

    “This was no mere hate crime from the margins of society, but a
    reflection of President Chavez’s campaign to demonize Israel and her
    supporters,” the organization said. “For this dangerous escalation of
    hate against a minority to stop, President Chav


    From: Haluk Demirbag,

    Subject: Official: Aliya from Turkey to double

    Israil senelerdir sayıları az bile olsa değerleri çok olan Turkiyeli Musevi

    kardeşlerimizi İsraile göçe itmek için çok yol denedi. Tayyip ve Simon

    amcaların danışıklı döğüş yapabileceğini neden kimse düşünemiyor?

    Bir taşla iki kuş vuruluyor:

    1. Tayyip secimler için müthiş bir hamle yapıyor
    2. Simon amca da, senelerdir danışmanlarının Israil’e çekebilmek için akla
    karayı seçtiği Türk milletinden ayrılmak istemeyen Türkiye Musevilerine,
    bilet kesiyor…

    Yakın zamanda Gürcistan’ı hatırlayalım…

    Siyonizmin güçlenmesi için sahte ve kontrollü anti-semitizm ispatlı ve iyi
    yazılmış çizilmiş bir yoldur.

    Eski tüfek Simon amca da Tayyip de ne yaptığını biliyor kendi hedefleri açısından…

    Türkiye’de olabilecek herhangi bir anti-semitizim çıkışına karşı
    herkesin duyarlı ve uyanık olması lazım. Biz asırlardır bağrımızda
    sakladığımız, koruyup kolladığımız sevgili Musevi dostlarımızı ve
    peygamberlerin torunlarını kimseye vermek istemiyoruz, Israil dahil,  onlar
    bize Osmanlı atalarımızın emaneti!!!

    Official: Aliya from Turkey
    to double

    ez’s hate campaign must be denounced by all leaders in the Americas and beyond.”

    —————–

  • Monthly bulletin about Turks in Iran

    Monthly bulletin about Turks in Iran

    Iranian authorities have increased the repression of Azerbaijani activists who hope to end discrimination against minorities in Iran. These activists organize ceremonies of that are of cultural significance to Azerbaijani Iranians. People participating in these ceremonies are arbitrarily detained without being tried or even informed of the reason for the detention. They are usually denied access to a lawyer and are generally tortured or subjected to other ill-treatments.

    Three Azerbaijani activists detained over two months without trial

    Abdullah Abbasi Javan, an architect and lecturer at Tehran’s University of Shahid Rajai and his nephew Huseyn Huseyni (Hossein Hosseini), the former president of the students union at the University of Razi, Ardebil were arrested on November 13, 2008 while participating in the anniversary of Settar Khan celebrations. (Settar Khan is a national hero for Azerbaijani Iranians, who lead the constitutional movements in 1906-14.) The two were taken to the notorious section 209 of Evin Prison, which is run by the Iranian Intelligence Service. Recent efforts by family members of the two prisoners to establish their whereabouts have been in vain. They were intimidated by security agents and asked to stop referring to courts of justice. The only communication between the victims and their families since the men were imprisoned over two months ago has been a less than one-minute telephone call by Javan to his brother on the tenth day of the detention, November 23.

    Two Azerbaijani prisoners of conscience recently released from section 209 of Evin Prison said in a statement that Javan had informed them he will start a hunger strike on the December 13 to protest his illegal detention and the deprivation of his basic human rights as a prisoner.

    Azerbaijani journalist and women’s rights defender Shanaz Gholami, who was detained on November 9, 2008 in Tabriz, has resorted to a hunger strike since November 20 to protest the length and degrading conditions of her detention. She is reportedly in poor health and needs medical attention. She is being held in the women’s section of the Tabriz prison. She has had no trial and is reportedly undergoing intense interrogation.

     

    Gholami is the moderator of a blog for Azerbaijani-Iranian women, azarwomen. She was sentenced to six months imprisonment on charges of “propaganda against the regime.” She was released on bail and is now waiting for a hearing by an appeal court. Last year, she was detained for a month for writing articles objecting to the use of force by the government during peaceful Azerbaijani-Iranian protests. Gholami was also in prison for five years in the late 1980s as a result of her political activities.

    New Detentions

    Seveal Azerbaijani activists were arrested on December 11, 2008 during the 21 Azer ceremonies, which mark the anniversary of the establishment of the autonomous government of Azerbaijan in 1945-1946. Navid Soltani, Said Mahmudi, Hojjat Mahmudi, Setare Ghasemi (ulduz), and Rahman Ghasemi were released on bail of 300 million rials ($30,000) on January 5, 2009.

    These activists were arrested on December 10 and 11 at their homes in Urmiye, the second-largest Azerbaijani in Iran. Security forces searched their houses and took their personal computers, books, CDs and documents. All five activists were released on bail after three weeks in detention. They were held in Urmiye Intelligence Service custody, interrogated continuously, tortured and subjected to other ill-treatments. The detainees were not allowed access to a lawyer and their families were not permitted to visit them.

    Azerbaijani ethnic rights activist Tohid Hasanpur was arrested on December 6, 2008 for publicizing the anniversary of the 21 Azer ceremonies in Urimye. He was been released on bail of 100 million rials ($10,000) on December 14. He was detained by the Urmiye Intelligence Service.

    Vahid SheykhBaghlu, a graduate student in economics at Azad University in Tabriz and a former member of Arman Student Organization, was arrested on December 24, 2008 in Tabriz and was taken to Tabriz Intelligence Service heaquarters. He has been transferred to Tabriz Prison after 10 days in detention in Tabriz Intelligence Service custody. Since the day of detention he only been able to call his family once and there is no information about why he has been detained.

     

    Vahid had been arrested before in Tabriz while participating in a ceremony celebrating the release of nine student activists after months of detention. He was released after hours of interrogation. He was also detained for 50 days in 2006 during the Azerbaijani-Iranian demonstrations of a cartoon in Iran (a state-run newspaper) which compared Azerbaijani-Iranians to cockroaches. He was released on bail and was sentenced to 91 days of suspended imprisonment.

    Served Sentences

    Asghar Akbarzade, an Azerbaijani student activist in Ardebil, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment and exiled to Zahdedan, a city in southeast of Iran far from Azerbaijani provinces. He is charged with participating in a “movement against state security” and Akbarzade says he was not given any opportunity to defend himself, even though there has been no investigation to confirm the claims of Iranian Intelligence Service. The judge asked only two questions during the trial, which was over in about 10 minutes.

     

    The judge gave the sentence based on the following accusations: being part of an Azerbaijani national movement, participating in the funeral of Moham Ali Farzane a Pan-Turkist activist, participating in student meetings, participating in Azerbaijani dance classes, making a wolf symbol (the symbol of Turks) with his hand, sending incorrect news to foreign organizations, groups, media and websites, providing CDs and distributing separatist propaganda.

    He was not allowed access to a lawyer and his trial was held in private.

    Asghar Akbarzade, a chemistry student at Ardebil Payame Noor University, was arrested on June 20, 2008 by security forces in front of the university and released after 28 days on bail of 300 million rials ($30,000). During the detention his family was not informed of his place of detention or the reason for the detention. Akbarzade said he endured both physical and psychological torture while in detention. Several days later after his release he was charged with spreading propaganda for groups that are against the regime and sentenced to six months of suspended imprisonment which was postponed for two years. His verdict has been distributed on the Internet.

    Akbarzade has been detained several times in the past for participating in demonstrations of Azerbaijanis against the offensive cartoon in 2006. He was charged with “moving against the regime,” “propaganda against the regime” and was fined. Amnesty International released two urgent actions about Asgharzade in 2006 and 2007 stating their concern for his health.

    Ali Sadighi, Vahid Hamid Rezayiniya, and Albar Huseynzade, three Azerbaijani ethnic rights defenders were charged “propaganda activities against regime” and “moving against national security” for distributing a CD including invitations of people for the second anniversary of the cockroach cartoon targeting ethnic Azerbaijanis in Iran newspaper in May 2006. They were sentenced to one year’s imprisonment. A CD found in their homes was used as evidence against them.

    They were tried in private and without a lawyer in the Tabriz Revolutionary Court. They were also detained for two months on May 15, 2008 and released on bail.

    Salman Iragi, a former president of the Azerbaijan Promotion Union at Khoy Payame Noor University and a member of the NGO Evrin, Salar Iragi a mechanical engineering student at Urmiye University, Hojjat Iragi, a mechanics student at Urmiye Technical Education Centre, Payam Elm Gholilu, a graduate student in management at Ghazvin Azad University and Ali Akbar Abdullahi, a mechanics student at Urmiye Technical Education Centre, all Azerbaijani student activists in Khoy, were arrested on May 15, 2008 by security forces and released after seven days on bail of 500 million rials ($50,000). They were charged with participating in activities against the regime and sentenced to one year of suspended imprisonment, all of which are postponed for two years.

     

    Ebrahim Abdullahnejad, Ali Helmi, Ali Huseynnejad Asl, Mohsen Huseynzade, Saber Beytollahi and Bahman Nasirzade, all Azerbaijani activists based in Maku have been sentenced to 10 months to a year’s imprisonment related to demonstrations against the cockroach cartoon in 2006.

    Abdullahnejad has been sentenced to one year in prison; Ali Helmi to one year suspended imprisonment. Asl and Husyinzade were each ordered to pay a 5 million rials ($5,000) cash fine and are charged with “propaganda against regime”.

    Saber Beytollahi, and Bahman Nasirzade, a teacher and poet, respectively, were sentenced to a year’s imprisonment, but objected to the fact that they were unable to defend themselves before the verdict. Their trail was repeated on November 30, 2008. They are waiting for the verdict.

    They were detained for 27 days on June 17, 2006 by security forces and were released on bail of 500 million rials ($50,000).

    Situation of Other Azerbaijani Cultural Activists

    Mohammad Reza Levayi, an Azerbaijani poet, writer and journalist, was arrested on November 21, 2008 by security forces in Khoja (a town near Ahar in East Azerbaijan) and transferred to Tabriz. He was released after 23 days of imprisonment on December 14. He suffers from heart problems and on the eleventh day of detention he was transferred to the hospital, where he received treatment for 12 days, and was then released. His family was not informed of his place of detention and the reason for the detention. According to Levayi, he was detained because of writing a paper about “Cultural Dictatorship and Culture of Dictatorship” and he will be called to court in the near future.

    Rahim Hajizade, a cultural activist from Ardebil, was arrested on September 25, 2008. He was released after 61 days’ of detention on bail of 800 million rials ($80,000). Hajizade said he was charged with propaganda against regime for distributing the second volume of his book, Iliyatiha (a book about Azerbaijani folks).

    Amir Ali Zebihi, an Azerbaijani student activist in Tabriz, has been taken to Tabriz Prison to serve his eight-month sentence. He is a civil engineering graduate from Azad University in Tabriz. He was detained for 45 days after the 2006 demonstrations against the cartoon assaulting Azerbaijanis and was released on bail.

    Azerbaijani Student Journal Closed Down

    The cultural council of Azad University in Mahabad decided to close down the Azerbaijani Turkish-Persian student journal Bulud in December 2008. The former director editor of the journal has graduated and the application of the new candidate for the director has not been accepted by the council. The council asked the candidate for director to fill in some forms at the Intelligence Service of Mahabad. The new director and writers at the journal refused, and the council decided to close down the journal.

     

    Many Azerbaijani student journals have been closed down by the government over the last year. Some of them include: Ulus, Nasim, Araz, Ozluk, Oyanish, Sattar Khan, Kimlik, Yoldash, Yagish, Aydin Gelecel, Gunesh, Yarpaq, Telenger, Yashil, Yol, Anayurdu, Achiq Soz and Sayan.