Author: Chavushian

TURKS DIVIDED OVER ARMENIAN DEPORTATION

news.am, Armenia
March 25 2010

48% of Turks agree with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, who
threatened to deport illegal Armenian immigrants. The Ankara-based
research center conducted a poll. Only 34% of the respondents said
they are strongly against the Premier’s statement.

Also, 55% of the respondents aged 18-24 are strongly supportive of
Erdogan’s statement – they said Armenian immigrants must be deported.

RFE/RL reported that old Turks are more tolerant: only 42% of the
respondents over 55 share Erdogan’s opinion, whereas 36% are strongly
against.

MetroPoll experts also found out the attitude of the people supportive
of certain political parties. Specifically, 56% of the Turks that
voted for the ruling Justice and Development Party at the recent
local elections would not mind the Government deporting the illegal
Armenian immigrants. As regards the supporters of the Nationalist
Movement Party, 63% of them are for deportation of Armenians.

Extremist Islamists are strongly against the deportation of Armenian
immigrants (56%).

As to the number of illegal Armenian immigrants in Turkey, 26% of the
respondents believe the Turkish Premier, 18% said it is within 25%,
and 40% of the respondents could not answer the question.

The poll conducted on March 18 involved 1,000 Turkish citizens in
31 cities.

TRIBUTE TO ANDRANIK MARGARYAN’S MEMORY

armradio.am
25.03.2010 11:55

Today, on the third anniversary of passing away of Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian President Serzh Sargsyan visited the Komitas
pantheon and laid a wreath at the tomb of Andranik Margarian.

The President was accompanied by the high ranking officials of the
Armenian Government.

TURKEY IS DIFFERENT COMPARED TO 8 YEARS AGO: MINISTER

Asia Pulse
March 24, 2010 Wednesday 7:55 PM EST

The Turkish state minister for economy said on Tuesday that Turkey
had become a different country when compared with eight years ago.

Turkey’s State Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said that
Turkey, which had gone into a rapid political, social and economic
transformation process in 2002, had turned into a different country
today.

"Turkey, which used to get foreign assistance since 2004, has now
started to extend assistance between US$600 million and US$1 billion
very year," Babacan said during a meeting entitled "Rising Turkey"
in Brussels, Belgium.

The European Policy Center and Confederation of Businessmen and
Industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON) organized the meeting.

"Turkey has also assumed an active role as a mediator in all serious
crisis, and increased its participation and efficiency in many
international platforms, particularly the United Nations (UN),"
Babacan said.

Babacan said that Turkey had exerted efforts for democracy and
stability in many problematic countries, particularly Iraq and
Afghanistan.

The minister said Turkey had proved its economic maturity with the
global crisis, and it was the only country among the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) members which did
not allocate Treasury resources for banks.

International organizations had forecast that Turkey would be the
highest growing country in Europe in 2010, Babacan said.

Babacan projected that the global economy was recovering but risks
were really high.

The Turkish minister said Turkey had made public its strategy of way
out of the crisis, and got the support of investors.

Rating organizations, therefore, had raised Turkey’s rating, he
also said.

During the meeting, Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, a member of the European
Parliament who is also the spouse of Swedish Foreign Minister Carl
Bildt, expressed sorrow over decision of the Swedish Parliament
acknowledging Armenian theses regarding the incidents of 1915.

Bildt said it was not the duty of politicians to write history of
Turkey, and congratulated Turkey on its recent initiatives with
Armenia.

Anna Maria Corazza Bildt also said what was important was a compromise
between Turkey and Armenia.

Then, Babacan said the protocols signed by Turkey and Armenia foresaw
establishment of a joint history committee to deal with the incidents
of 1915, comprised of international scholars.

"We are ready to face the facts to be revealed by the committee, and
Turkey is sincere and ready to normalize its relations with Armenia,"
he said.

However, the problem caused by occupation of 20 per cent of Azerbaijani
territories should be solved, he also said.

Babacan said problems between Turkey and Armenia should be solved in
a big package including Azerbaijan.

The Minsk Group should involve in the process, otherwise peace and
stability in the Caucasus could be harmed, he said.

Babacan said decisions of third countries and parliaments were not
a good method to write history.

On the recent constitutional amendment bill, Babacan said the Turkish
government aimed to strengthen democracy and rule of law, which would
make Turkey a more predictable country for investors.

Babacan also said the bill would help Turkey fulfil a great deal of
the judicial reform the European Union (EU) expected from Turkey.

48 % DES TURCS FAVORABLES A L’EXPULSION DES ARMENIENS
par Jean Eckian

armenews
jeudi25 mars 2010

TURQUIE

Selon un sondage de l’institut Metropoll, on apprend que 48% de
la population turque rejoint l’idee du premier ministre Erdogan
d’expulser les armeniens vivant en situation irregulière sur le
territoire turc. 34 % y sont opposes.

55% des jeunes de 18 a 24 ans y sont egalement favorables.

Chez les plus de 55 ans, 42% sont favorables contre 36% opposes.

Enquete realisee le 18 Mars 2010 sur 1000 personnes dans 31 villes.

CHRTISTINA KHANJIAN ELECTED TO NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL

Asbarez
istina-khanjian-elected-to-neighborhood-council/
M ar 24th, 2010

LITTLE ARMENIA-Christina Khanjian was elected to the Griffith Part
Neighborhood Council during Saturday’s local elections, according to
results publicized Tuesday. The Armenian National Committee Hollywood
chapter was instrumental in raising awareness about the election and
encouraging voters to participate.

With 830 votes, Khanjian was the highest vote recipient in District
B of the neighborhood council, which has five electoral districts
and is represented by two people from each district.

Ron Ostrow, who also enjoyed the support of the local Armenian
community, won in the same district with 806 votes.

All candidates who were supported by the Armenian community were
elected. They are: Frank Massi and Mio Vukovic from District A;
Alexander De Ocampo and Harpreet Mahli from District C; Tomas O’Grady
and Leslie Vankeuren from District D; and Jessica Kornberg and Mark
Mauceri from District E.

"As a group, we thank all the candidates, volunteers, and poll workers
for being part of this historic election. Most of all, we thank the
voters who came out in record numbers proving our neighborhood is one
of the most actively engaged in all of Los Angeles. More stakeholders
voted here than in all of the other March 20th council elections
combined, said De Ocampo, the spokesperson of the newly elected
neighborhood council members.

"Many were told our candidates had a ‘Pro-Development / Anti-Park’
agenda and we were committed to having permit parking installed across
the districts. Nothing could be further from the truth," he added.

"As board members, we will work to ensure the council is inclusive,
fair, and open to all stakeholders, regardless of one’s position on
any issue. We invite the community to join in the process and help
make a difference," he explained.

"As an entity, Los Feliz Forward will cease to exist, but as a
philosophy, we believe moving Los Feliz forward should continue
indefinitely," he concluded.

ARMENIAN INTERNET COMMUNITY RALLIES AGAINST FAMOUS RUSSIAN SINGER

Tert.am
14:54 ~U 24.03.10

Famous Russian folk singer Irina Allegrova is planning to have a
concert in the Russian city of Voronezh on April 24 which has stirred
up a wave of discontent among the Armenian community in Russia. The
Russian-Armenians have expressed their disapproval online on holding
a concert on that day of all days.

Particularly, Armenian internet groups have called on each other to
make efforts so that the concert fails. These groups remind their
readers that Irina Allegrova has Armenian roots, and that April 24
is the commemoration day of the Armenian Genocide.

The initiators of this campaign call on all those who are against this
concert to visit Irina Allegrova’s website at
(in Russian only) and send her a message through the form available
on her website.

ARMENIAN PROSECUTOR GENERAL’S OFFICE INSTITUTES CRIMINAL CASES ON FACTS OF CHEATING IN PROVISION OF OBSTETRICS ALLOWANCES

ArmInfo
2010-03-23 16:20:00

ArmInfo. The department of state interests of the Armenian Prosecutor
General’s Office has instituted a criminal case on illegal business
activities, cheating and abuse of official position connected with
provision of obstetrics allowances, says the press-service of the
Prosecutor General’s Office.

The source says that G.Aristakesyan, inspector of the department for
social payments and revenues of the territorial Nairi tax inspection
of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia, as well as his friend,
entrepreneur M.Badalyan, and a pregnant woman S.Lazarian were caught
embezzling big funds from the state budget. In June-August 2008 forge
reports worth about 1.4 bln AMD were presented to the Nairi territorial
tax inspection. The same way certain funds were embezzled from the
state budget in 2009. By the instruction of the prosecutor general,
the Minustryu of Labor and Social Issues has been requested to provide
information on obstetrics allowances provided by the territorial
social service bodies in 2008-2009. As a result of investigation,
numerous cases of cheating in various amounts have been revealed in
both Yerevan and regions of Armenia.

To note, literally last week an ArmInfo correspondent was trying
to find out at the Armenian Ministry of Labor and Social Issues how
many lump-sum grants and in what amount were provided for childbirth
in 2009. With this question the ArmInfo correspondent applied to
Greta Grigoryan, head of the ministry department for allowances, who
refused to give any information. She only pointed out that the budget
funds were not enough and the ministry had to apply to the government
for additional financing in connection with unprecedented birth rate
growth in 2009. Mrs Grigoryan failed to clarify how the budget funds
turned out to be insufficient. Meanwhile, according to ArmInfo’s
data, from the funds initially allocated by from the budget in 2009,
102 thsd AMD in the average fell on each newborn baby. Moreover,
not everybody applies for an allowance, and the ministry could also
economize on children.

PM’S REMARKS WORRY ARMENIAN MIGRANTS IN TURKEY

Hurriyet
March 19 2010
Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. DHA photo

The Turkish prime minister’s recent suggestion that undocumented
citizens of Armenia may have to be deported has raised fears among
Armenian workers living in Turkey.

Many migrants send the money they earn in Turkey to their families
in Armenia, supporting that country’s economy.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments to journalists in London
on Tuesday came after a U.S. Congressional committee and the Swedish
parliament accepted claims of "genocide" regarding the incidents of
1915. The prime minister claimed that there are 100,000 undocumented
Armenians working in Turkey and that Ankara has so far tolerated them.

"So what will I do tomorrow? If necessary, I will tell them ‘come on,
back to your country’… I’m not obliged to keep them in my country.

Those actions [on genocide resolutions] unfortunately have a negative
impact on our sincere attitudes," Agence France-Presse quoted him
as saying.

According to a study by the Eurasia Partnership Foundation, there
are anywhere between 6,000 and 70,000 people from Armenia residing
in Turkey. A journalist from the weekly Agos estimated the number of
Armenians working in Turkey at between 12,000 and 14,000, based on
Ministry of Labor statistics.

Speaking to daily Radikal, Karina, an Armenian citizen working in
Istanbul’s Kumkapı district, said she is worried about the statement.

Karina, who declined to give her surname, has been living with a
tourist visa in Turkey for the past five years. "Deportation will be
bad for me economically and socially," she said.

Making a living

Others speaking to daily Radikal also said they had to work in Turkey
to make a living.

Armen, who also refrained from giving his surname, said he has a
life in Turkey and does not want to leave that behind. "Even if
the police come to me with a knife in their hands, I will not leave
here," he said. "I am married. My children are with me and we are
all right here."

According to recent research, there are around 800 children who were
born in Turkey to Armenian parents who live undocumented in the
country. These children are in a legal limbo, citizens of neither
nation.

"If I am deported, I will find a way to return to Turkey," said Giyma
Harutunyan, who has been living in Turkey for the past five years.

Yura Sarkisyan, 70, who is involved in the "shuttle trade," told
Radikal: "It is the politicians who make this thing complicated. There
is no good in bringing up events that happened a long time ago. We
do not want to leave. We are thankful to all the Turkish people."

Some undocumented Armenians, however, said they would leave if they
were no longer wanted in Turkey. A.N., 37, identified only by her
initials, said she loved Turkey and has lived here for four years now,
daily Hurriyet reported Thursday. "But if they want, we will leave. We
are here because the chance to find a job in Armenia is small. This
is our country’s fault," said A.N., who works as a salesperson in
Istanbul’s Aksaray district.

M.H., 43, also identified only by her initials, has worked as
babysitter for four years in Turkey. She said plans to go back to
Armenia within one or two years. "People should not suffer due to
politics. We have a life here," she said.

The other side of the coin

T.Z., 28, identified only by her initials, told Hurriyet she was a
student of Russian literature before she came to Turkey. "I work in
a textile firm here," she said. "My husband lives in Armenia. I want
him to come here, too."

T.Z. said the prime minister’s statements irked her. "Hundreds of
thousands of Turks are working in Europe illegally," she said. "Turkey
should not forget that."

Haygazun Alvrstyan, an academic from Yerevan State University, told
the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Thursday that Erdogan’s
statements are a disturbing reminder of history. "[They again want]
Armenians to be deported. It is a shame that this statement is made
by a prime minister," he said.

The academic added that there are only about 10,000 Armenian citizens
in Turkey, saying Erdogan is exaggerating the figure in order to
"coerce the European Union and the U.S. not to approve resolutions
on genocide claims."

Siranuys Dvyoan, a professor in Armenia, said undocumented workers
are not just Armenia’s problem, noting that Turks work in various
countries in a similar fashion. "Turkey is trying to display Armenia
as a poor country in the world," she said.

Tevan Poghosyan, from the Yerevan-based International Center of Human
Development, said Erdogan is trying to distract attention from the
genocide issue.

Vercihan Ziflioglu contributed to this report from Istanbul

UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH

The Times
ding_article/article7066163.ece
March 18, 2010
UK

Turkish threats to expel Armenian migrants to make a political point
are shameful

Deportations have powerful symbolism in modern European history. The
notion that the government of a would-be member state of the EU
might propose the forced collective expulsion from its territory of
a specified nationality ought to be unthinkable. Yet that course was
casually threatened yesterday by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish
Prime Minister, against 100,000 Armenian migrants (see page 27).

Its purported justification was the recent passage of non-binding
resolutions in the US Congress and the Swedish parliament. These
motions describe as genocide the mass killings of Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire during and after the First World War. Turkey takes
strong issue with the claim of genocide. The history and politics
of TurkishArmenian relations are convoluted, but the ethics of
Mr Erdogan’s remarks are not. His intervention is demagogic and
disreputable.

The US and Swedish votes were carried by narrow margins and were
opposed by their respective governments. The historical events that
they recall began with the massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire
in 1915. The very word "genocide" is a post-1945 coinage, intended
to define the peculiar barbarity of Nazism. Only gradually did the
Armenian massacres come to be recognised as the first authentic case
of genocide in the 20th century. But so they were. On conservative
historical estimates, around a million Armenians were killed in a
xenophobic purge that continued till 1923. It was a crime without
precedent in modern history.

Historical truth matters. It is extraordinary that the Government of
modern Turkey should resist it. No one alive today was responsible
for these barbarities. They were committed by an imperial power that
has long since passed into history along with Wilhelmine Germany,
to which it was allied in the First World War. While running for the
presidency, Barack Obama declared his intention of being a leader
who would speak the truth about the Armenian genocide. In practice,
while his views are a matter of record, Mr Obama has been conciliatory
in relations with Turkey.

Mr Erdogan has little cause for complaint about the symbolic diplomacy
of resolutions on historical events. He has no justification whatever
for threats against Armenian migrants. Turkey is home to thousands
of illegal immigrants from Armenia. Few would dispute that sovereign
nations have the right to determine barriers to entry on the part
of non-citizens, but these are migrants who have sought refuge from
disaster. Forming an impoverished population that does necessary but
low-wage work, they include many whose homes and livelihoods were
destroyed in the Armenian earthquake of 1988. Mr Erdogan estimated
yesterday that of 170,000 Armenians in Turkey, only 70,000 held
Turkish citizenship. He threatened directly to tell the rest to leave.

Turkey is a member state of Nato and a strategically important power
within the Western alliance. It borders Iraq, in whose stability the
Western democracies have an intense interest. But the Government
in Ankara cannot exploit that status in order to advance its own
diplomatic goals at the expense of liberal values. To object to a
proper historical accounting of awesome crimes is a demeaning and
destructive stance. But then to retaliate against the most vulnerable
people within Turkey’s borders is unconscionable.

SENSITIVE PERIOD IN FOREIGN RELATIONS

Hurriyet
March 17 2010
Turkey

In a recent article I wrote that March could be a critical month for
Turkish foreign policy and that we might have difficulties abroad due
to the Armenian and Cyprus questions in particular. Another point I
tried to emphasize in the article was the danger of a serious crisis
we might have with friends and allies as a result of this shift in
Turkish foreign policy…

Turkish-Swedish and Turkish-U.S. relations are going through a
sensitive period because of the Armenian Genocide Bill approved in
both countries. Turkey is following a "controlled tension policy"
calling back ambassadors and canceling trips to the said countries.

Aside from its populist dimension, the diplomatic purpose is to teach
a lesson to parliaments approving the genocide bills and push the
governments of such countries to take some kind of action.

This has been managed in Sweden and the Swedish parliament showed
reaction to the decision. But the Turkish ambassador to Stockholm is
still being kept in Ankara while Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
has canceled a scheduled visit to Sweden.

Reactions against the U.S. continue unchanged. The Turkish government
expects that it could stimulate the Barack Obama administration, which
has remained passive to date, to be more energetic on this particular
issue. The government also expects a sign from Mr. Obama showing that
he wouldn’t utter the word "genocide" in his April 24 speech.

It is uncertain when and to what extent these reactions take place.

But the reality is that the current situation harms relations and,
most importantly, deepens distrust.

Stormy days

Now let’s look at the developments in Cyprus and Turkey-European
Union relations.

Settlement talks continue "officially". In April, however, northern
Cyprus will go through a presidential race. So, both sides will have
a break in the negotiations. The new president will be a determinative
factor whether or not talks will continue in the future.

Many issues in Cyprus are contingent upon the result of the elections.

If current President Mehmet Ali Talat steps down, the solution method
which both parties are already discussing may not be on the agenda.

And its international ramifications may force Turkey to renew its
policy.

There is no progress in membership talks between Turkey and the
EU due to the Cyprus conflict. If Turkey doesn’t open its ports to
Greek Cyprus vehicles by the end of the year, the European Commission
could suspend talks. And that could bring Turkey-EU relations to
a breaking-point.

In short, stormy days in the EU and U.S. fronts are yet to come…

Matter of priority

All these developments make us ask what kind of changes we could
expect in Turkish foreign policy. The government pays a great deal
of attention to policies based on "zero problem with neighbors"
and "regional pro-active roles." And what will they do to maintain
relations with the West? In other words, will the Justice and
Development Party, or AKP, government continue to prioritize relations
specifically with the U.S. and the EU and with the West in general?

Possibilities for a change in the current course, which is being
debated frequently, as well as falling away from the West are back
on the agenda again…

* Mr. Sami Kohen is a columnist for the daily Milliyet in which this
piece appeared Wednesday. It was translated into English by the Daily
News staff