FRENCH INTELLIGENCE REPORT LABELS TURKS AS THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY
Today's Zaman
March 30 2012
Turkey
A report prepared by the Central Directorate of Internal Intelligence
(DCRI) about Turkish foundations that earlier this year organized a
march to protest a French bill that would criminalize denial of 1915
killings of Armenians as genocide indicates that Turks are a threat
to public safety in France, Today's Zaman has learned.
Thousands of Turks from across Europe marched through the French
capital in January denouncing the French bill that would make it a
crime to deny that the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly
a century ago was genocide.
The bill strained Turkish-French ties to a great extent. France
formally recognized the 1915 killings as genocide in 2001 but provided
no penalty for anyone refuting that.
The DCRI said in its report, which was recently leaked to the press,
that the Turkish community in the country is a big, organized
community, in some cases receiving financial support from other
countries, which poses a threat to the safety of all French citizens,
particularly those of Armenian ancestry.
The report further claimed that the Turkish foundations that took
part in the march in Paris in January acted in line with orders
from the Turkish government. "Turkish foundations are directly and
easily mobilized by Turkish intelligence services. Our sources in
Ankara confirm that this operation [march] was organized by Turkish
intelligence upon orders from the Turkish government."
Pro-Turkish website administered by French intelligence The report
has also revealed that a news website, www.turquie-news.fr, which is
popular among young Turks in the country, is administered by a French
person who works for the French intelligence service.
The news website has a policy of opposing the Armenian claims of
genocide.
"This website is officially administered by one of our esteemed
intelligence officials. Upon our order our employee has gone against
the education in history he received and lobbies in favor of the
Turks. His education in history strengthens his ties with the Turks.
He is now serving as an intern at a nationalist think tank in Ankara.
Thanks to his efforts, we learn the working principles of our Turkish
colleagues and their attitude toward opponents in France -- mainly
Armenians and Kurds," says the report.
Sources told Today's Zaman on condition of anonymity that the
intelligence official in question is historian and researcher Maxime
Gauin, who has written books against Armenian claims of genocide. He
is currently an intern at the International Strategic Research
Organization (USAK) in Ankara. Gauin earlier won a compensation
case he filed against Movses Nisanyan, a member of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, who had accused him of being a collaborator
of the "genocide."
The report also notes that the person who administers the
www.turquie-news.fr website provides regular intelligence to Israeli
intelligence services about Azerbaijan's Iran policy due to an
agreement between France and Israel about intelligence sharing.
According to the report, Radio MIT was established by three French
citizens of Turkish origin, broadcasts in Turkish in Lyon, has ties
with the French Turkish Federation and receives financial support
from Turkey.
How did the report leak to the press?
The 19-page report was posted on Calameo, a French multilingual online
service for document publishing and sharing, as a PDF file on March
16. It was later posted on the Facebook page of Radio MIT. It was
found out that the person who posted the report on Calameo resides in
the United States and used the code name "ogunsamast." Ogun Samast,
a Turkish-ultranationalist youth, was the killer of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, who was murdered in 2007. Administrators of
Radio MIT refute the claims in the report; however, they had to close
down the radio's Facebook page due to debates. Sources told Today's
Zaman that the report is authentic. The report has a fourth level of
confidentiality, which is restricted distribution.
From: A. Papazian
Today's Zaman
March 30 2012
Turkey
A report prepared by the Central Directorate of Internal Intelligence
(DCRI) about Turkish foundations that earlier this year organized a
march to protest a French bill that would criminalize denial of 1915
killings of Armenians as genocide indicates that Turks are a threat
to public safety in France, Today's Zaman has learned.
Thousands of Turks from across Europe marched through the French
capital in January denouncing the French bill that would make it a
crime to deny that the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly
a century ago was genocide.
The bill strained Turkish-French ties to a great extent. France
formally recognized the 1915 killings as genocide in 2001 but provided
no penalty for anyone refuting that.
The DCRI said in its report, which was recently leaked to the press,
that the Turkish community in the country is a big, organized
community, in some cases receiving financial support from other
countries, which poses a threat to the safety of all French citizens,
particularly those of Armenian ancestry.
The report further claimed that the Turkish foundations that took
part in the march in Paris in January acted in line with orders
from the Turkish government. "Turkish foundations are directly and
easily mobilized by Turkish intelligence services. Our sources in
Ankara confirm that this operation [march] was organized by Turkish
intelligence upon orders from the Turkish government."
Pro-Turkish website administered by French intelligence The report
has also revealed that a news website, www.turquie-news.fr, which is
popular among young Turks in the country, is administered by a French
person who works for the French intelligence service.
The news website has a policy of opposing the Armenian claims of
genocide.
"This website is officially administered by one of our esteemed
intelligence officials. Upon our order our employee has gone against
the education in history he received and lobbies in favor of the
Turks. His education in history strengthens his ties with the Turks.
He is now serving as an intern at a nationalist think tank in Ankara.
Thanks to his efforts, we learn the working principles of our Turkish
colleagues and their attitude toward opponents in France -- mainly
Armenians and Kurds," says the report.
Sources told Today's Zaman on condition of anonymity that the
intelligence official in question is historian and researcher Maxime
Gauin, who has written books against Armenian claims of genocide. He
is currently an intern at the International Strategic Research
Organization (USAK) in Ankara. Gauin earlier won a compensation
case he filed against Movses Nisanyan, a member of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, who had accused him of being a collaborator
of the "genocide."
The report also notes that the person who administers the
www.turquie-news.fr website provides regular intelligence to Israeli
intelligence services about Azerbaijan's Iran policy due to an
agreement between France and Israel about intelligence sharing.
According to the report, Radio MIT was established by three French
citizens of Turkish origin, broadcasts in Turkish in Lyon, has ties
with the French Turkish Federation and receives financial support
from Turkey.
How did the report leak to the press?
The 19-page report was posted on Calameo, a French multilingual online
service for document publishing and sharing, as a PDF file on March
16. It was later posted on the Facebook page of Radio MIT. It was
found out that the person who posted the report on Calameo resides in
the United States and used the code name "ogunsamast." Ogun Samast,
a Turkish-ultranationalist youth, was the killer of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, who was murdered in 2007. Administrators of
Radio MIT refute the claims in the report; however, they had to close
down the radio's Facebook page due to debates. Sources told Today's
Zaman that the report is authentic. The report has a fourth level of
confidentiality, which is restricted distribution.
From: A. Papazian