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Daily Star - Lebanon
Nov 27 2010
Pakradounian slams 'personal insults' during anti-Erdogan rally
By The Daily Star
Saturday, November 27, 2010
BEIRUT: Metn MP Hagop Pakradounian said Friday he was subjected to
`personal insults' by the police during Thursday's anti-Erdogan
demonstration at Martyrs Square in Beirut.
During an interview with a local television station, Pakradounian
questioned why a heavy security presence was in force for the protest,
which saw hundreds of Lebanese Armenians objecting to the official
visit of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
`Members of the Internal Security Forces directed personal insults at
me,' Pakradounian said. `I was telephoned by Interior Minister Ziyad
Baroud, who had nice things to say, and many contacts took place ... I
don't want to blow things out of proportion, but what happened was
shameful.'
The protesters defaced a poster of Erdogan in Martyrs Square with
black paint, while there were conflicting reports of whether
rock-throwing took place. A number of scuffles took place between ISF
personnel and protesters were reported during the tense protest.
Armenians resent modern Turkey's failure to acknowledge the 1915
genocide of an estimated 1.5 Armenians during the Ottoman era. Recent
moves toward normalization between Armenia and Turkey have done little
to alleviate the situation.
`Whoever put up Erdogan's picture should have thought a little bit
before doing so,' Pakradounian said. `Our message is that neither
Erdogan nor anyone else can insult the martyrs.'
`Turkey has relations with Israel, and these ties are continuing,
despite the fact that some Arabs consider Erdogan a national hero,'
the MP said, referring to the Turkish prime minister's public
criticism of Israeli policies.
Separately, Turkey's ambassador to Lebanon, Inan Ozyildiz, said Friday
that Turkish President Abdullah Gul would visit Lebanon in the spring.
Speaking in Zahle during a visit to the town's municipality, Ozyildiz
said the second state visit by a Turkish president would take place
next year, after Celal Bayar's 1955 visit during the presidency of
Camille Chamoun.
Ozyildiz added that he expected Erdogan's visit would be followed up
by cooperation efforts grouping Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. -
The Daily Star
From: A. Papazian
Nov 27 2010
Pakradounian slams 'personal insults' during anti-Erdogan rally
By The Daily Star
Saturday, November 27, 2010
BEIRUT: Metn MP Hagop Pakradounian said Friday he was subjected to
`personal insults' by the police during Thursday's anti-Erdogan
demonstration at Martyrs Square in Beirut.
During an interview with a local television station, Pakradounian
questioned why a heavy security presence was in force for the protest,
which saw hundreds of Lebanese Armenians objecting to the official
visit of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
`Members of the Internal Security Forces directed personal insults at
me,' Pakradounian said. `I was telephoned by Interior Minister Ziyad
Baroud, who had nice things to say, and many contacts took place ... I
don't want to blow things out of proportion, but what happened was
shameful.'
The protesters defaced a poster of Erdogan in Martyrs Square with
black paint, while there were conflicting reports of whether
rock-throwing took place. A number of scuffles took place between ISF
personnel and protesters were reported during the tense protest.
Armenians resent modern Turkey's failure to acknowledge the 1915
genocide of an estimated 1.5 Armenians during the Ottoman era. Recent
moves toward normalization between Armenia and Turkey have done little
to alleviate the situation.
`Whoever put up Erdogan's picture should have thought a little bit
before doing so,' Pakradounian said. `Our message is that neither
Erdogan nor anyone else can insult the martyrs.'
`Turkey has relations with Israel, and these ties are continuing,
despite the fact that some Arabs consider Erdogan a national hero,'
the MP said, referring to the Turkish prime minister's public
criticism of Israeli policies.
Separately, Turkey's ambassador to Lebanon, Inan Ozyildiz, said Friday
that Turkish President Abdullah Gul would visit Lebanon in the spring.
Speaking in Zahle during a visit to the town's municipality, Ozyildiz
said the second state visit by a Turkish president would take place
next year, after Celal Bayar's 1955 visit during the presidency of
Camille Chamoun.
Ozyildiz added that he expected Erdogan's visit would be followed up
by cooperation efforts grouping Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. -
The Daily Star
From: A. Papazian