Tweet
Journal of Turkish Weekly
Jan 10 2015
Turkish nationalist committee barred from entering Athens
10 January 2015
The Talat PaÅ?a Committee, a Turkish nationalist organization aiming to
counter recognition of the 1915 events as the "Armenian genocide," has
been refused entry to Athens, where it had gone to issue a statement
in protest at a recently approved Greek bill.
The members of the committee left for Athens on Jan. 9 with the aim of
making a statement in front of the Greek Parliament, but returned by
the Greek authorities.
The committee wanted to protest and demand the withdrawal of a
controversial bill approved by Greece's parliament in September that
stiffens penalties for racially motivated crime and criminalizes the
denial of genocide and war crimes.
The delegation of 13 people was intercepted by police at the airport
and prevented from entering the city for `security reasons.' They were
sent back to Turkey on the next flight.
Speaking to reporters in a news conference, Turkish Foreign Minister
Mevlüt ÇavuÅ?oÄ?lu said anyone must be able to hold peaceful
demonstrations, while refuting allegations that Ankara had tried to
block the committee's visit to Greece.
Perinçek case
ÇavuÅ?oÄ?lu also commented on a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)
case between Switzerland and Turkey's Workers' Party (Ä°P) Chairman
DoÄ?u Perinçek.
He said he would prefer Perinçek, who is banned from going abroad in
relation to an ongoing coup case, to be able to attend an ECHR appeal
hearing on an Armenian genocide denial-related case.
ÇavuÅ?oÄ?lu said he had expressed the same view in a phone conversation
with Perinçek, but noted that the local court in Turkey would make the
final decision.
Perinçek was found guilty by a Swiss court on March 9, 2007, after his
participation in a number of conferences in Switzerland in 2005,
during which he publicly denied that the Ottoman Empire had
perpetrated the crime of genocide against the Armenian people.
Following the Swiss court's decision, Perinçek appealed to the ECHR in
2008 in Strasbourg, arguing for `freedom of expression.'
However, Perinçek is currently prevented from leaving Turkey after
being jailed in connection with the `Ergenekon' coup plot case.
The foreign minister also stressed that Turkey would `defend its
thesis in the best way possible' in the upcoming months.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/178417/turkish-nationalist-committee-barred-from-entering-athens.html
From: Baghdasarian
Jan 10 2015
Turkish nationalist committee barred from entering Athens
10 January 2015
The Talat PaÅ?a Committee, a Turkish nationalist organization aiming to
counter recognition of the 1915 events as the "Armenian genocide," has
been refused entry to Athens, where it had gone to issue a statement
in protest at a recently approved Greek bill.
The members of the committee left for Athens on Jan. 9 with the aim of
making a statement in front of the Greek Parliament, but returned by
the Greek authorities.
The committee wanted to protest and demand the withdrawal of a
controversial bill approved by Greece's parliament in September that
stiffens penalties for racially motivated crime and criminalizes the
denial of genocide and war crimes.
The delegation of 13 people was intercepted by police at the airport
and prevented from entering the city for `security reasons.' They were
sent back to Turkey on the next flight.
Speaking to reporters in a news conference, Turkish Foreign Minister
Mevlüt ÇavuÅ?oÄ?lu said anyone must be able to hold peaceful
demonstrations, while refuting allegations that Ankara had tried to
block the committee's visit to Greece.
Perinçek case
ÇavuÅ?oÄ?lu also commented on a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)
case between Switzerland and Turkey's Workers' Party (Ä°P) Chairman
DoÄ?u Perinçek.
He said he would prefer Perinçek, who is banned from going abroad in
relation to an ongoing coup case, to be able to attend an ECHR appeal
hearing on an Armenian genocide denial-related case.
ÇavuÅ?oÄ?lu said he had expressed the same view in a phone conversation
with Perinçek, but noted that the local court in Turkey would make the
final decision.
Perinçek was found guilty by a Swiss court on March 9, 2007, after his
participation in a number of conferences in Switzerland in 2005,
during which he publicly denied that the Ottoman Empire had
perpetrated the crime of genocide against the Armenian people.
Following the Swiss court's decision, Perinçek appealed to the ECHR in
2008 in Strasbourg, arguing for `freedom of expression.'
However, Perinçek is currently prevented from leaving Turkey after
being jailed in connection with the `Ergenekon' coup plot case.
The foreign minister also stressed that Turkey would `defend its
thesis in the best way possible' in the upcoming months.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/178417/turkish-nationalist-committee-barred-from-entering-athens.html
From: Baghdasarian