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PRETTY AMAZING, AGAIN
Garen Yegparian
BY GAREN YEGPARIAN
No doubt you read that Abdullah "Apo" Ocalan called on the Turkish
government to recognize the Armenian Genocide. You might not have
thought much of it, but here's why it's so amazing.
Apo is serving a life sentence in the prison on İmralı island.
Flyovers or fishing in the vicinity of the island is prohibited.
This is the same island prison in which Billy Hayes, the American
whose story became the film "Midnight Express", was kept.
Apo just barely got away with his life due to European pressures after
he was captured by Turkey and sentenced to death for his role as the
main leader of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK).
He and the Turkish government are in negotiations now over the rights
and future of Kurds in Turkey. Why would he want to irritate the
government with something that is not directly beneficial to the Kurds?
Impressed yet?
Of course you could argue that this is just a ploy, a tactical move
to strengthen his hand in the negotiations. Possibly. But, there's
more context.
Ocalan also marked the anniversary of Hrant Dink's murder, saying,
"I greet the memory and the struggle of the precious child of the
Armenian people, our brother Hrant."
He's also in touch with Kurdish members of Turkey's parliament,
and probably other Kurdish leaders. No doubt they coordinate their
activities and public statements. They have been very forthcoming on
issues of concern to Armenians and relationship building with us.
If you are inclined to see conspiracy and intrigue around every
corner, then you will probably be dismissive of this little snippet
of progress, but I see one more drop contributing to the ocean that
we must fill to achieve our national goals.
Once again, as with anything regarding the evolving and chaotic
politics of Turkey, we should watch, push, and support anything in
any way that enables the 76-ish million people living in that country
to acknowledge the horrible reality of our shared past. Once they get
over the Genocide hurdle, then the emotional barriers will be gone,
and it will become a matter of diplomacy, politics, and negotiations
to get our reparations and lands.
http://asbarez.com/119043/pretty-amazing-again/
###
Iravunk: 'Grey Wolves' accompanied by NSS employees in Armenia
Lieutenant General Romik Harutyunian was recently relieved of his
post as first deputy director of Armenia's National Security Service
(NSS) by a decree of President Serzh Sargsyan.
Citing a number of press reports, 'Iravunk' paper says that the visit
of Turkish nationalist Hasan Oktay advocating the extermination of the
Armenians may have been the cause of R. Harutyunian's dismissal. A
supporter of Grey Wolves organization, Hasan Oktay has paid several
visits to Armenia and was accompanied by NSS employees during one of
his visits.
According to other sources of the paper, R. Harutyunian was dismissed
because almost a ton of heroin was quietly smuggled into Armenia
quite recently.
Sources in the national security system say that Arzuman Harutyunian
may be appointed first deputy director of Armenian NSS.
http://www.aysor.am/en/news/2014/01/31/arzuman-harutyunyan/
###
Edward Sharmazanov: Turkey must recognize Armenian Genocide
"Genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in their homeland is nothing other
than a striking manifestation of a crime against humanity. Consigning
crimes against humanity to oblivion results in new crimes such as
the Holocaust," the vice speaker of the Armenian parliament Edward
Sharmazanov told Aysor.am when commenting on the recent statement of
Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
During the January 27 meeting with French President Francois Hollande
in Ankara, the Turkish president urged Armenia and the Armenian
Diaspora not 'to revive woes' of the past and not to 'pass these woes
from generation to generation'.
In the words of Sharmazanov, woes of the past should be resolved rather
than be consigned to oblivion. "I think the Turkish authorities should
take steps to reconcile with their own history. They must recognize
the Armenian Genocide so as not to pass on a heavy burden to the
future generations," he noted.
"Otherwise, by a policy of denial, they will commit no lesser crime
than the one committed by the Young Turks' government," Edward
Sharmazanov said.
http://www.aysor.am/en/news/2014/01/29/eduard-sharmazanov/
Garen Yegparian
BY GAREN YEGPARIAN
No doubt you read that Abdullah "Apo" Ocalan called on the Turkish
government to recognize the Armenian Genocide. You might not have
thought much of it, but here's why it's so amazing.
Apo is serving a life sentence in the prison on İmralı island.
Flyovers or fishing in the vicinity of the island is prohibited.
This is the same island prison in which Billy Hayes, the American
whose story became the film "Midnight Express", was kept.
Apo just barely got away with his life due to European pressures after
he was captured by Turkey and sentenced to death for his role as the
main leader of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK).
He and the Turkish government are in negotiations now over the rights
and future of Kurds in Turkey. Why would he want to irritate the
government with something that is not directly beneficial to the Kurds?
Impressed yet?
Of course you could argue that this is just a ploy, a tactical move
to strengthen his hand in the negotiations. Possibly. But, there's
more context.
Ocalan also marked the anniversary of Hrant Dink's murder, saying,
"I greet the memory and the struggle of the precious child of the
Armenian people, our brother Hrant."
He's also in touch with Kurdish members of Turkey's parliament,
and probably other Kurdish leaders. No doubt they coordinate their
activities and public statements. They have been very forthcoming on
issues of concern to Armenians and relationship building with us.
If you are inclined to see conspiracy and intrigue around every
corner, then you will probably be dismissive of this little snippet
of progress, but I see one more drop contributing to the ocean that
we must fill to achieve our national goals.
Once again, as with anything regarding the evolving and chaotic
politics of Turkey, we should watch, push, and support anything in
any way that enables the 76-ish million people living in that country
to acknowledge the horrible reality of our shared past. Once they get
over the Genocide hurdle, then the emotional barriers will be gone,
and it will become a matter of diplomacy, politics, and negotiations
to get our reparations and lands.
http://asbarez.com/119043/pretty-amazing-again/
###
Iravunk: 'Grey Wolves' accompanied by NSS employees in Armenia
Lieutenant General Romik Harutyunian was recently relieved of his
post as first deputy director of Armenia's National Security Service
(NSS) by a decree of President Serzh Sargsyan.
Citing a number of press reports, 'Iravunk' paper says that the visit
of Turkish nationalist Hasan Oktay advocating the extermination of the
Armenians may have been the cause of R. Harutyunian's dismissal. A
supporter of Grey Wolves organization, Hasan Oktay has paid several
visits to Armenia and was accompanied by NSS employees during one of
his visits.
According to other sources of the paper, R. Harutyunian was dismissed
because almost a ton of heroin was quietly smuggled into Armenia
quite recently.
Sources in the national security system say that Arzuman Harutyunian
may be appointed first deputy director of Armenian NSS.
http://www.aysor.am/en/news/2014/01/31/arzuman-harutyunyan/
###
Edward Sharmazanov: Turkey must recognize Armenian Genocide
"Genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in their homeland is nothing other
than a striking manifestation of a crime against humanity. Consigning
crimes against humanity to oblivion results in new crimes such as
the Holocaust," the vice speaker of the Armenian parliament Edward
Sharmazanov told Aysor.am when commenting on the recent statement of
Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
During the January 27 meeting with French President Francois Hollande
in Ankara, the Turkish president urged Armenia and the Armenian
Diaspora not 'to revive woes' of the past and not to 'pass these woes
from generation to generation'.
In the words of Sharmazanov, woes of the past should be resolved rather
than be consigned to oblivion. "I think the Turkish authorities should
take steps to reconcile with their own history. They must recognize
the Armenian Genocide so as not to pass on a heavy burden to the
future generations," he noted.
"Otherwise, by a policy of denial, they will commit no lesser crime
than the one committed by the Young Turks' government," Edward
Sharmazanov said.
http://www.aysor.am/en/news/2014/01/29/eduard-sharmazanov/