1 - Commentary
Turkey Ranks Among Top 10 Countries
With Probability of Committing Genocide
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- US Senate Confirms Envoys Litzenberger, Tracy to Armenia
and Azerbaijan
3- Jermuk Community Council Votes to Ban Metal Mining
4 - Fresno Business Groups Cancel Meeting With Turkish
Agricultural Delegation
5- Erdogan could face arrest in Sweden over ‘genocide’ lawsuit
6- Rolling Stones fan accuses band of discriminating against
disabled people
7- Haratch Newspaper Archives Available in Digital Format Thanks to ARAM
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1 - Commentary
Turkey Ranks Among Top 10 Countries
With Probability of Committing Genocide
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
According to the Early Warning Project of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial
Museum, Turkey is ranked 8th among countries with the highest risk of
committing mass killings. Azerbaijan is wrongly ranked much lower at
87th and Armenia is correctly ranked even lower at 102nd. Turkey is
assessed as having 11.2 percent, or 1 in 9 chance of new mass killings
during 2019.
The Early Warning Project stated that “genocides are never
spontaneous. They are always preceded by a range of early warning
signs. If these signs are detected, their causes can be addressed,
preventing the potential for catastrophic progression.”
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s founding charter,
written by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, states that “only a
conscious, concerted attempt to learn from past errors can prevent
recurrence to any racial, religious, ethnic or national group. A
memorial unresponsive to the future would also violate the memory of
the past.”
Turkey’s high risk of committing genocide once again is based on its
past and present actions. The Turkish government has not only
committed genocide against Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks a century
ago, but continues to commit mass killings against its minority
Kurdish population. Even more concerning is the fact that Turkish
leaders deny their history of mass murders and shamefully remain
unapologetic, which leads to the commission of new crimes against
humanity.
Turkey’s genocidal risk assessment is understated as the study only
includes mass killings within a country, excluding the victims of
interstate conflict. As Turkey has been involved in large-scale
military attacks against Kurds in Syria and Iraq, and threatens to
expand its military actions in Northern Syria, the risk of its
commitment of mass crimes is much higher than the study indicates.
The Early Warning Project explains that the failed coup attempt in
2016 increased the chances of mass killings in Turkey. Over 100,000
military and civilian personnel were dismissed and tens of thousands
were imprisoned, many without a trial. “Other [Turkish genocide] risk
factors include a lack of freedom of movement, the country’s anocratic
regime type [a mix of autocratic and democratic characteristics], a
large population, a history of mass killings, and the ongoing armed
conflict between the government and Kurdish rebels.”
Turkish Journalist Jailed for Telling the Truth
An Istanbul court sentenced Turkish journalist Pelin Unker to
imprisonment for 13 months and 15 days after being accused of defaming
her nation’s former Prime Minister and two of his sons. She was also
fined $1,615 on January 8, 2018.
Unker had written an article in the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet,
exposing that former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and his two sons
owned five shipping companies in Malta. After serving as Prime
Minister for two years, Yildirim became Speaker of Turkey’s
Parliament. He is currently a candidate for Mayor of Istanbul on
behalf of Pres. Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Yildirim family’s ownership of companies in Malta was exposed by the
“Paradise Papers” and published in newspapers around the world. As I
had reported in my June 2017 article, the Yildirim family owned the
following shipping and other foreign assets worth $140 million:
— 18 ships (Dutch conglomerates, fully or partly owned)
— 1 ship (Netherlands Antilles company)
— 4 Malta companies
— 7 properties in the Netherlands
— 8 ships in the Netherlands
— 3 ships in Malta
Strangely, Pelin Unker was the only journalist punished for exposing
the Yildirim assets. Unker said she will appeal the unfair sentence as
Yildirim acknowledged in court that he owned the companies in an
offshore tax haven. The former Prime Minister and his sons filed a
lawsuit in November 2017, accusing Unker of “insulting and slandering
a public official.”
Gerard Ryle, Director of the International Consortium of Independent
Journalists, condemned Unker’s punishment “as yet another disgraceful
attack on free speech in Turkey.” Ryle added: “the sentence ignored
the truth of the Paradise Papers’ investigation and it would have a
chilling effect on what little remained of press freedom in Turkey.
This unjust ruling is about silencing fair and accurate reporting.
Nothing more. ICIJ commends Pelin Unker’s brave and truthful
investigative reporting and it condemns this latest assault on
journalistic freedom under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
autocratic rule.”
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Turkey 157th of 180 countries
on the 2018 World Free Press Index. RSF described Turkey as “the
world’s biggest prison for professional journalists!”
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2- US Senate Confirms Envoys Litzenberger, Tracy to Armenia
and Azerbaijan
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Armenia and Azerbaijan will be starting 2019 with two
new U.S. ambassadors following the Senate’s January 2nd confirmation
of Lynne Tracy and Earle Litzenberger to the postings—a vote taken
following sustained Senate Foreign Relations Committee scrutiny of
U.S. policy on the Armenian Genocide, Azerbaijan’s regional aggression
and domestic crackdowns, and other key priorities. The Senate
confirmation vote comes after bi-cameral praise for Armenia’s
Parliamentary elections held December 9, and a call by the
Congressional Armenian Caucus leadership to Secretary of State Pompeo
for the elevation of U.S.-Armenia strategic bilateral ties through the
U.S.-Armenia Joint Economic Task Force.
“Following a year of peaceful political transition and democratic
progress in Armenia, the Armenian National Committee of America looks
forward to working with Ambassador Tracey in the New Year to upgrade
U.S.-Armenia strategic relations,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. “We look to our new ambassador in Baku to forcefully
challenge Aliyev’s anti-Armenian violence and openly confront his
regime’s worsening crackdown on domestic dissent.”
The December 18th Armenian Caucus letter stressed that “support for a
comprehensive democratic transition will secure needed progress in the
economic realm, where we encourage you to prioritize a long overdue
Tax Treaty, Social Security Agreement, expanding duty-free products,
Debt-for-Forestation swaps, non-stop LAX to EVN flights, trade
missions, and other related initiatives.”
Tracy’s approval comes in the wake of intense questioning by Senators
Bob Menendez and Ed Markey regarding the U.S. policy of complicity in
Turkey’s obstruction of justice for the Armenian Genocide. Tracy,
while stating that “The Trump Administration and I personally
acknowledge the historical facts of what took place at the end of the
Ottoman Empire—of the mass killings, the forced deportations and
marches that ended 1.5 million lives and a lot of suffering,” stopped
short of properly characterizing the crime as genocide.
During the October 4th confirmation hearing, Menendez grilled
Litzenberger about President Aliyev’s “bellicose rhetoric and sporadic
outbursts of violence,” securing from the nominee a commitment that he
would urge the Azerbaijani government to step back from any
threatening behavior that disrupts the line of contact.
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3 - Jermuk Community Council Votes to Ban Metal Mining
Direct democracy won another victory in Armenia. On December 18, 2018
Jermuk Community Council adopted a decision to approve the collective
petition of its community members on “Declaring Jermuk an ecological
economic area and banning metal mining in the community.”
The decision was adopted with 7 votes for; 0 votes against; 0
abstained, and was guided by the following legal provisions: the Law
of the Republic of Armenia on Local Self-Governance, article 18, point
1, sub-point 42; the Law of Republic of Armenia on Petitions, article
4, part 1, point 3, as well as guided by the principles of the local
self-governance prescribed by the Constitution of the Republic of
Armenia, article 184, part 3 and the Law on Local Self-Governance,
article 8.
In November and December 2018, the overwhelming majority of the de
facto population of Jermuk exercised their rights for direct democracy
and presented a collective petition supported by about 3000 signatures
to the Government of Armenia, the Community Council of Jermuk, and the
Head of the Community where they presented their own economic vision
of the development of their region and demanded that all metal mining
be banned in Jermuk and green, ecologically friendly economy boosted.
The signatories of the petition also mentioned: “By approving gold
mining at Amulsar the former governments have violated our right for
participation in the decision-making. Up until 2016 Jermuk – the
largest town in our community – was not recognized as an impacted
community by the Amulsar project. After 2016, when Jermuk was finally
recognized as an impacted community, no public hearings, as prescribed
in the law, were held in Jermuk. Lydian company and the former
governments of Armenia have ignored us, they have tried to mislead or
intimidate us. We demand that the new government respects the will of
the people, and it is with this hope that we present this petition.”
The Government of Armenia has not yet responded to the demands of the
petition. Community members of Jermuk have been blockading roads to
the mining site for more than 6 months already, exercising their right
to peaceful assembly, and demanding to stop all mining related
activities at Amulsar.
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4 - Fresno Business Groups Cancel Meeting With Turkish
Agricultural Delegation
(Fresno Business Journal)—After complaints from Fresno’s Armenian
community, a scheduled meeting between a Turkish agricultural
delegation and local business leaders is off the calendar.
“Out of respect to our community, the upcoming event scheduled for
January 15 with an agriculturally-based Turkish delegation to Fresno
has been canceled,” the Fresno EDC, Fresno Chamber of Commerce, Fresno
County Farm Bureau, and the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia
in Fresno said in a joint statement. Sen. Andreas Borgeas (R-Fresno)
also signed the statement.
The Fresno Business Journal first reported about the meeting between
the Fresno groups and the West Mediterranean Exporters Association,
known by the acronym BAIB.
According to its website, BAIB is a union of ag product exporters
representing Turkey. They often send delegations to America to various
trade shows. The Business Journal reported that the group’s mission
was to help create trade opportunities.
The trade mission is being organized by Trelodex, a Los Angeles-based
consultant. The itinerary includes stops at the San Francisco Fancy
Food Show, visits to production and packing facilities in Fresno,
along with the now-canceled meeting with the Fresno groups. A visit to
Los Angeles is also part of the trip.
“California is the most important agriculture exporter in the USA and
Antalya region in Turkey is likewise for Turkey. Many business
opportunities may be created if the relations develop,” Trelodex said
on its website. After the Business Journal first reported the story on
Wednesday Jan. 9, honorary consul Berj Apkarian said his phone was
besieged by upset members of the community.
Comments on the Facebook page of Sevag Tateosian, a former aide to
Supervisor Debbie Poochigian and current talk show host on CMAC,
expressed dismay that the delegation was coming to down.
“Block it,” wrote one social media user.
Lee Ann Eager, president/CEO of Fresno EDC, along with Nathan Ahle,
president/CEO of the chamber, told GV Wire that they experienced many
calls about the trade group’s visit.
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5- Erdogan could face arrest in Sweden over ‘genocide’ lawsuit
By Lucy Pasha-Robinson
(The Independent)—Swedish lawmakers have filed a complaint against
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accusing him of genocide,
crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Five MPs filed the lawsuit with Sweden’s public prosecutor for
Erdogan’s role in the bloody conflict between Turkish forces and
Kurdish militants since 2015.
The complaint is the first in Sweden to be lodged against a head of
state, and also names several other Turkish ministers including the
country’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. If it is pursued, it could
see an arrest warrant issued against Erdogan.
“We are five lawmakers handing in a complaint… (requesting)
punishment for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes,” Left
party MP Annika Lillemets told a news conference in Stockholm.
It comes after a 2014 law was passed to allow the country’s courts to
preside over any case involving crimes against humanity, regardless of
where the crime was committed.
“Anyone, who in order to completely or partially destroy a national or
ethnic group of people….is guilty of genocide,” the legislation
reads.
Sweden’s prosecutor will decide whether to launch an investigation
from the complaint. If it decides to pursue the claims, Erdogan could
face an arrest warrant in Sweden.
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6- Rolling Stones fan accuses band of discriminating against
disabled people
By Michael Gartland
(New York Daily News)—A Rolling Stones fan has filed a complaint
against the band for discriminating against disabled people, adding
that the band is not looking after its Baby Boomer fans.
Michael Boyajian, 60, claims that the British rock band are charging
disabled concert goers up to five times more for tickets than
able-bodied people have to pay.
He has now filed a complaint with the New York Division of Human
Rights in which he claimed he would have to pay $1,075 for a suitable
seat to the band’s June 2019 concert at the MetLife Stadium in New
York.
By contrast, he claimed, an able-bodied person can pay $200 for a
seat. Boyajian, a retired administrative law judge, argued that the
Rolling Stones should be more mindful of the discrepancy, given all
the band members are in their 70s. Mick Jagger is 75, as is Keith
Richards, while Ronnie Wood is 71 and Charlie Watts is 77. “It blew my
mind,” he said. “The baby boomers are their biggest rock ‘n’ roll
fans, and we’re ageing out now.”
Boyajian, who has never seen the band before, needs a handicapped seat
because injuries to both his legs have left him reliant on a walking
frame to get around.
“I just want them to make more accessible seating available. I have to
use a walker. I have trouble getting up and down steps.”
The Rolling Stones fan filed his claim against the band’s promoter
Concerts West/AEG, stating that when he tried to buy tickets to the
concerts for their new tour in New York and New Jersey he found that
wheelchair accessible seats were either sold out immediately or did
not exist.
The only handicapped seats he could get were for people with hearing
and sight impairments and they were too expensive and, he claimed,
discriminatory against him.
He has claimed that the scarcity of tickets for disabled people, and
the high prices, are a breach of his human rights. In his filing he
has requested that the band provide more accessible seats at all of
its concerts going forward, as well as tickets for himself and his
wife to Stones shows in the area.
Neither The Rolling Stone nor AEG have yet responded to a request for
comment. However one ticketing website, Ticketmaster, notes that
venues are solely responsible for establishing their own accessible
seating ticket policies.
This article appeared in New York Daily News on December 28, 2018.
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7- Haratch Newspaper Archives Available in Digital Format Thanks to ARAM
The Association for the Research and the Archiving of Armenian Memory
(ARAM) has undertaken the digitization of all the issues of daily
newspaper Haratch. This work started in 2011 and progressed step by
step.
The association owns the complete collection of the newspaper and was
authorized by Arpik Missakian to carry out the digitization process
and its dissemination on webaram.com
A partnership has been established with BULAC (curator of Haratch
original bookbinded issues) to enable digitization in the best
conditions.
Haratch (meaning “go forward” in Armenian) was the first Armenian
newspaper published in Europe after the genocide. It has experienced
exceptional longevity. Vector of identity, link between the survivors,
link between the lost world and the host country, it quickly became
the pillar of the Armenian press. Founded by committed journalist
Schavarch Missakian (1884-1957), the newspaper was a witness to the
great and small events of the Armenian community and a major
contributor to the Armenian literary society in Europe. Spanning two
generations, only interrupted during the years of the Occupation, the
founder and his daughter Arpik—who took over the newspaper’s
management just days after her father’s passing—have succeeded in
enabling the newspaper to play a great role in the construction of an
Armenian identity in exile, at the core of a European network of
brilliant intellectuals.
Haratch published its final issue on May 30, 2009. The cast metal type
fonts and the last two cast iron marbles including the composing
sticks and formes of that issue were donated to ARAM and are on
display at the association’s headquarters.
The digitization and free internet access of ARAM’s documentary
collection is part of the association’s commitment to preserving the
Armenian memory and identity. The digital library devoted to the press
provides unlimited access to the comprehensive collection of Armenian
daily newspaper Haratch, as well as other Armenian papers from the end
of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. In
addition to this are iconic antique magazines dealing with the
Armenian cause, and the arts and sciences.
For more information, visit https://webaram.com/en/biblio/presse
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