Turkish Forum

In the Land of Blood and Honey: a movie about Bosnian War

sky1blue — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:30:56 +0000

by John Hiscock

Angelina Jolie’s first film as a director, In the Land of Blood and Honey, is a horrific tale set during the Bosnian conflict. She talks to John Hiscock about the emotional cost of making it.

Angelina Jolie’s first film as a director is definitely not for kids. She had to ban her and Brad Pitt’s six children from the Budapest set of In the Land of Blood and Honey whenever she was filming brutal and harrowing scenes, which was much of the time.

But, whenever there was a break in filming, the children, aged between two and 10, were summoned to bring fun and laughter to the cast and crew and provide a welcome respite from the grim and horrific acts being depicted for the cameras.

“They liked to visit the set and play in the fake snow, but there were many days when they couldn’t come because we were filming scenes that weren’t appropriate for children,” she says. “But, whenever I called ‘cut’ and we had a break, the kids would come and play soccer with the cast, and we’d all laugh because they brought levity and love to something that was so dark. I was always so happy to see them I probably smothered them with love because of the nature of the subject matter I was dealing with.”

The subject matter is a vivid and graphically explicit look at the fratricidal Bosnian war of the 1990s, which pitted Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia against each other along ethnic and religious lines, leaving an estimated 100,000 people dead, 50,000 women raped and introduced the term “ethnic cleansing” to the lexicon of war.

The movie, filmed in 42 days for less than £10 million, was written by Jolie who also produced as well as directed.

“I wanted to do this film because of what I’d witnessed in the past 10 years in travelling to all parts of the world. And the more I started to read and research about the former Yugoslavia, the more I was emotionally affected and ashamed at myself for knowing so little about it.”

Apart from reading everything she could find, she also consulted Richard C Holbrooke, the architect of the Dayton accords that ended the conflict in December 1995 (who died in December 2010), Gen Wesley Clark, the Nato commander, as well as correspondents who covered the war and some of the victims and survivors.

Once she started writing, it took her a month to craft the story of Ajla, a Bosnian Muslim woman, and Danijel, a Serbian police officer, who meet in Sarajevo just before the war starts and are reunited when she is sent to one of the notorious “rape camps” where he is in charge.

Jolie decided to model her directing techniques on those of Clint Eastwood, who had directed her to an Oscar nomination in 2008’s Changeling.

“I had a great experience with him, and his sets are like family,” she says. “He works with good people. You have to be talented, but at heart you have to be a good person. There are no egos and everybody respects each other and works together. He’s so fast and economical, which I had to be because we had so very little money and had to move very fast.”

Her actors are from the former Yugoslavia, a mix of Serbs, Muslims and Croats, many of whom had lost family members or were wounded during the war. “It was a particularly hard film because I was asking people to recreate things they actually lived through and do brutal things to each other. As rough as we depicted the violence against women, it was really a thousand times worse.

“On the first day of filming, we shot a mass rape scene, and it was the first time these people from different sides of the conflict were in the same space and working together. I thought, ‘This is either going to bring about great tension and we’re going to have a very difficult morning, or it’s going to do something else.’

“Right after I called ‘cut’, the actor picked the actress up, gave her the biggest hug and brushed all the snow off her, and all the other officers picked up the women’s clothes and re-dressed them and apologised and brought them tea. By lunchtime, people were friendly and kind to each other, so there was a lot of love in the film. But there was a strong intention on my part to make it hard to watch because I wanted people to sit for two hours and be thinking, ‘Please stop this, somebody intervene.’ We made it difficult to watch on purpose.” In a bizarre convergence of Hollywood glamour and the horrors of war, we are talking in the comfort of a Beverly Hills hotel suite. She is well aware that her star status not only ensured the film could be made but is also the reason for the publicity it is generating and the discussion of the issues it raises, including rape as a war crime and the ethics of international intervention.

“How can there be such violence against women? How can the international community turn its back and allow these kind of atrocities?” she says. “There is no sane answer and it makes absolutely no sense.”

Her and Brad Pitt’s celebrity has helped in her role as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and brought attention to the humanitarian causes they support with both time and money. For the past decade, in between making movies, they have travelled the world, visiting refugee camps, building schools and hospitals and donating money where it is needed.

“Here in Hollywood, people get so stressed about things that are simply not the important things in life. So I am very grateful that years ago I was put in the middle of a conflict zone, where I came face to face with what is really happening in the world.

“I love being an actor, and I appreciate and have fun with all the blessings I’ve got from it, but it is a very small part of what is happening around the world. If I wasn’t somehow able to bring attention to issues when I go to other countries, it would weigh on me heavily. I have moments when I burst out crying and I don’t know why, and sometimes I can’t sleep at nights, but at least I can feel I can do something to be part of the solution.”

She is still basking in the positive reactions to a screening of In the Land of Blood and Honey, which she had just hosted in Sarajevo for representatives of war victims’ associations. Their original objections to her story of love between a Serb man and a Muslim woman had forced her to shoot most of the film in Hungary, with only some of the exterior scenes in Bosnia. But, she says, they were pleased with the finished product.

“Sensitivities are still running high, and I have a deep sympathy for people who were nervous, but I asked that people give us the chance to tell the story, and the actors would not have been a part of it if it wasn’t something that was right and correct.”

Jolie, 36, is keen to write and direct another movie and has already started working on a script about Afghanistan. “I loved the experience of directing, and I’d like to do it again. But I’m not yet confident that I’m good at it.”

3th February 2012

The Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/9057306/Angelina-Jolie-interview-I-couldnt-allow-my-kids-on-set.html

Meeting the Geopolitical Challenges of the Arab Spring: A Call for a joint EU-Turkish Agenda

SabanKardas — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:21:30 +0000

Meeting the Geopolitical Challenges of the Arab Spring: A Call for a joint EU-Turkish Agenda

by Günter Verheugen

This policy brief discusses the potential for cooperation between Turkey and the EU in the countries that are going through political transformation in the Middle East and North Africa. Since both sides have a vested interest in seeing stability, peace and strong economic development in this shared neighbourhood, they must work together and develop a common strategy by which to combine their strengths and advantages while offsetting their weaknesses. The brief highlights how the relationships between Turkey, the EU, and the Arab world are all fraught with difﬁ culties and tensions that prevent coordinated action between the ﬁ rst two parties. Despite these limitations, if the European Union and Turkey managed to cooperate on such a geopolitically important project, it would have an enormous additional beneﬁt: revitalizing the stalled relationship between the EU and Turkey and lending it a sense of urgency and importance.

To read the full report both in English and in French, visit:

http://policyleadershipinstitute.org/tepav.html

‘Anonymous’ hackers intercept conversation between FBI and Scotland Yard on how to deal with hackers

Haluk Demirbag — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:04:42 +0000

A conference call between Scotland Yard and the FBI has been intercepted and published by a member of the computer hacking group Anonymous.

By Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent

The conversation concerned a young member of another hacking collective who was cooperating with the police in Britain but also involved officers joking about cheese and Sheffield.

The hacker apparently managed to access the call after getting into an FBI email which gave details of the call. The email was also posted online.

Writing on the Twitter account, AnonymousIRC, one hacker said: “The FBI might be curious how we’re able to continuously read their internal comms for some time now.”

The email referred to an investigation on both sides of the Atlantic into a number of hacking groups. It read: “A conference call is planned for next Tuesday (January 17, 2012) to discuss the on-going investigations related to Anonymous, Lulzsec, Antisec, and other associated splinter groups.”

The recording refers to the on-going court case against Ryan Cleary, arrested last June for his alleged role in the group LulzSec, and reveals legally sensitive information.

It also refers to a 15-year-old listed as a member of CSLSec – meaning “can’t stop laughing security”- a copy-cat group of hackers with just three members.

British police officers explain that the young man was arrested before Christmas for an incident involving his school and that he claimed to have taken part in a hacking incident called “Operation Mayhem.”

“Basically he’s doing all this for attention, he’s a bit of an idiot,” one officer says. They add that he has written a confession through his school that runs to two sides of A4 and one officer says he writes about “how he got involved, whet he’s done, almost clearing the slate now he’s come to the notice of the police.”

“A smack from mum and dad is behind it all,” the officer adds, saying he is “just another juvenile, another wannabe character.”

One anonymous member tweeted: “Man you’re f*****g dumb. It’s a conversation discussing anonymous/lulzsec and your wanna-be ass. your UK agent calls you an idiot.”

The young man, who is not being named by the Daily Telegraph for legal reasons, has sent out a number of tweets responding to the posting saying: “lol [laughs out loud] I’m UK not USA, no FBI can touch me. Idiot…why wud FBI talk about me? I’m not even US & haven’t been arrested. I’m still here ain’t I? lol…I haven’t heard it yet…& I haven’t got a UK agent lol.”

At the beginning of the conversation, the British officers discuss cheese and the merits of Sheffield.

One officer appears to refer to the city as a “khazi” slang for toilet – and tells an American colleague: “You’ve missed nothing, it’s not exactly a jewel in England’s crown.”

They also refer to a colleague as an “old school detective but mad as a box of frogs” and seem to think the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham is actually in Sheffield.

The FBI confirmed hackers had intercepted a confidential phone call, and said it was hunting those responsible.

An FBI spokesman said: “The information was intended for law enforcement officers only and was illegally obtained. A criminal investigation is under way to identify and hold accountable those responsible.”

Scotland Yard said: “We are aware of the video, which relates to an FBI conference call involving a PCeU [Police Central e-crime Unit] representative.

“The matter is being investigated by the FBI. At this stage no operational risks to the MPS have been identified; however, we continue to carry out a full assessment.”

Anonymous is a loosely-organised group of hackers which has claimed responsibility for attacks against corporate and government websites all over the world.

www.telegraph.co.uk, 03 Feb 2012

Is Israel on the road to “self-destruction”?

Haluk Demirbag — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:41:44 +0000

One very well informed and courageous Israeli who thinks the answer is “Yes” is Merav Michaeli, a radio and television presenter who also writes for Ha’aretz. She is completely without fear when it comes to telling it like it is. On 2 January this year, for example, she wrote: “The Israeli government doesn’t want peace. There’s nothing new in that. It has been the proven way since the establishment of the state.”

The headline over her latest article is Israel’s never-ending Holocaust. One of her main points is that Israel has never confronted the trauma of the Nazi holocaust and has “turned it into a placard in the service of the national trauma, to reinforce the constant existential fear and the aggressiveness that comes with it.”

Because what she wrote is so important, and in my view ought to be read by all peoples of all faiths everywhere who want to understand why the Zionist state is what it is, I am going to quote her at some length.

She wrote:

The Holocaust is the primary way Israel defines itself. And that definition is narrow and ailing in the extreme, because the Holocaust is remembered only in a very specific way, as are its lessons. It has long been used to justify the existence and the necessity of the state, and has been mentioned in the same breath as proof that the state is under a never-ending existential threat.

The Holocaust is the sole prism through which our leadership, followed by society at large, examines every situation. This prism distorts reality and leads inexorably to a forgone conclusion… that all our lives are simply one long Shoah (experience of persecution and extermination – my amplification not Merav’s).

The ‘Hitlers’ are always there: Just a week ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said for the nth time that there is no shortage of those who want to exterminate us completely. In other words, there is no lack of reasons to continue to reinforce the fear of the Holocaust – which, according to his father, historian Benzion Netanyahu, has never ended.

So it is that we don’t have any rivals, adversaries or even enemies. Only Hitlers. This is how the Holocaust is taught in school, this how it is that Israeli students are taken to visit death camps – and how it came to be that, as Ha’aretz reported on Friday, just 2 percent of Israeli youth feel committed to democratic principles after studying the Holocaust… That’s the way it is with traumas. Because of our human limitations, a trauma that is not dealt with makes us constantly see yet another trauma approaching – even when whatever is coming has no connection to the previous trauma and may even be a good thing. Trauma leads to belligerence and a strong tendency to wreak havoc on one’s surroundings, but first and foremost on oneself.

What we consider rational is actually a frightened, defensive, aggressive pattern. Our current leaders have made Israeli Judaism just a post-traumatic syndrome, while they lead us to self-destruction.

I imagine that most if not all Arabs and other Muslims everywhere would welcome the prospect of Israel self-destructing, but in my Gentile view it is not actually a prospect to be welcomed. Why not?

If there comes a time when it seemed to them that the Zionist state’s self-destruction was imminent, Israel’s leaders would respond in the same way as they would if their state was in danger of being defeated on the battlefield. As readers of my book Zionism: The Real Enemy of the Jews know, that response was put into words by Golda Meir in the course of one of my BBC Panorama interviews with her when she was prime minister. In a doomsday situation, she said, Israel “would be prepared to take the region down with it.”

The question arising is something like this. Is there any power on Planet Earth that could assist Israeli Jews to save themselves from themselves – perhaps I should say save themselves from their deluded leaders?

The more I think about this question, the more I am convinced that there is only one power that could do it – the Jews of the world. But that must be the subject of another post and I will welcome thoughts from others before I write it.

www.alanhart.net, January 30, 2012

Tunisian Jews Reject Calls to Leave

Haluk Demirbag — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:17:02 +0000

In the wake of the Arab Uprising, which began a year ago in Tunisia, an Israeli government minister said that for their own safety all of Tunisia’s remaining Jews should move to Israel.

Hundreds of thousands of Sephardi Jews used to live across North Africa and the Middle East, before the creation of Israel in 1948.

But the suggestion that the small communities that remain should pack up and leave is being rejected, by many of the Jews themselves.

France Shouldn’t Allow Turkey To Meddle in its Domestic Affairs

Media Watch — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:24:44 +0000

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

For nearly a century, Turkey’s leaders have tried to hide the monstrous crime of the Armenian Genocide by covering up what really took place in the killing fields of the Syrian desert, then part of the Ottoman Empire. The powerful Turkish state has committed its considerable financial and diplomatic resources to the nefarious cause of genocide denial.

Turkish leaders do not seem to realize that as they deny and lie, and vainly proclaim their innocence, they actually help publicize their dastardly act to an incredulous worldwide audience.

Furthermore, even though today’s Turkish officials were not the ones who committed the genocide of 1915, they foolishly associate themselves with their criminal predecessors, thus making themselves accessories after the fact by lying about it and concealing the evidence.

With each passing day, the Turkish leadership is further submerging itself in a mire of its own making. Let’s take a closer look at its sordid behavior in the French government’s decision-making process.

Over ten years ago, when the French legislature was adopting a law recognizing the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish government used its usual bag of tricks in a failed attempt to undermine that effort. After the Parliament and Senate recognized the Genocide, Pres. Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin on January 29, 2001, signed the following law: “France publicly recognizes the Armenian Genocide of 1915.”

Even though the French law had made no mention of Turkey or the Ottoman Empire as perpetrator of the Genocide, Turkish officials exhibited a guilty conscience by their exaggerated claims of innocence; hence identifying themselves as the culprits in this heinous crime, while no one was pointing a finger at them.

The long arm of the Turkish state interfered in French domestic affairs once again in 2006, when lawmakers in Paris attempted to establish a penalty for those violating the law passed in 2001, applying the same sanctions to those denying the Holocaust. Regrettably, the French government succumbed to Turkish threats and hysterics and blocked the measure, until the Senate finally approved it on January 23, 2012.

The French public is now facing yet another egregious attempt of foreign interference in their domestic issues. The Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges hired a French lobbying firm last week to pressure legislators into filing a legal challenge to the law banning denial of genocides recognized by French law — the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide. So much for Turkish threats to boycott French companies!

Pres. Sarkozy has 15 days from January 23 to sign the new law, unless 60 members of the French Parliament and Senate act first by petitioning the Constitutional Court to rule on its legality. The Turkish Ambassador, contravening a foreign diplomat’s mandate not to meddle in French domestic matters, has used all possible means of pressure and “inducement” in a desperate attempt to secure the necessary 60 signatures.

The Turkish government may be making a serious mistake by assuming that the court will necessarily find the new law to be unconstitutional. Turkish officials could be undermining their own interests should the court decide that the law is constitutional, thereby precluding any future legal challenges from Turkish denialists who would be arrested for denying the Armenian Genocide, once the law goes into effect.

In recent days, Turkey’s leaders have made utterly ridiculous statements about the new law. Prime Minister Erdogan accused France of following “the footsteps of fascism.” How can the leader of a country that is one of the biggest violators of human rights dare to blame France for fascism? Pres. Gul jumped into the fray by accusing France of “limiting freedom of expression.” Has the Turkish President checked his own country’s jails where dozens of journalists are languishing for months without trial for simply writing articles critical of the government? Has he read Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code — “insulting Turkishness” — which bans all public references to the Armenian Genocide? Foreign Minister Davutoglu may have gotten it right when he complained that the French law is an attempt to “Nazify Turkey,” except that this is being done not by France but by his own government which continues to associate itself with the crimes of a now defunct Ottoman Empire.

The most laughable statement, however, was made by Turkey’s brash Minister of European Affairs Egemen Bagis during his recent visit to Switzerland. He dared Swiss authorities to arrest him for denying the Armenian Genocide, since Switzerland, similar to France, has a law banning genocide denial. Minister Bagis is fortunate that he cannot be arrested or prosecuted because of his diplomatic immunity. Nevertheless, he could and should be expelled from Switzerland as persona non grata!

TAYFUN EREN : TURKISH FORUMUN KITAP PIYANGOSU CEKILISI NOTER HUZURUNDA YAPILDI

Media Watch — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:09:15 +0000

JUDGE SAMUEL WEEMS

2012 SENESINE KADAR TURKISH FORUM’A 2012 AIDATLARINI GONDEREN UYELERIMIZ ARASINDA YAPILAN CEKILISDE

AVUSTURALYADAN , DEGERLI KURUCU UYELERIMIZDEN SAYIN TAYFUN EREN KAZANMISDIR

BUYUK TURKIYE DOSTU SAYIN HAKIM SAM WEEMS VEFATINDAN ONCE IMZALAMIS OLDUGU COK DEGERLI KITABINI

30 ARALIK 2012 TARIHINDE , CONNECTICUTDA YEMINLI NOTER OFISINDE YAPILAN CEKILISI KAZANAN SAYIN TAYFUN ERENI TEBRIK EDERIZ

TAYFUN BEYDEN RICAMIZ , KITABI GONDERMEDEN ONCE ADRESINI BIZE SON HALI ILE ULASTIRMASIDIR

KITAP PYANGOSUNA YENILIKLER ILE DEVAM YONETIM KURUMUZCA KARARLASTIRILMISDIR , YENI KURALLAR ONUMUZDEKI HAFTA ILAN EDILECEKDIR

VERGIDEN DUSULEBILINEN 2012 AIDATLARINI ODEYEN TUM UYELERIMIZE VE KITAP SATIN ALARAK TURKISH FORUMUN DEVAMINA KATKIDA BULUNAN UYELERIMIZE CANDAN TESEKKUR EDERIZ

DR. KAYAALP BUYUKATAMAN, BASKAN

TURKISH FORUM – DUNYA TURKLERI BIRLIGI

From: Turkish Forum Dunya Turkleri Konseyi (WTC) [mailto:dtk@turkishforum.com.tr]
Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2011 9:48 PM
To: * TURKISH FORUM * DUNYA TURKLERI BIRLIGI*; * DUNYA TURKLERI KONSEYI – WORLD TURKISH CONGRESS*
Cc: TURKISH NEWS ; turkish-forum-advisory-board@googlegroups.com; * TF Global Strategy & Analysis Think Tank
Subject: YILBASINDA TURKISH FORUMUN KITAP PIYANGOSUNA AIDATLARINIZI GUNCEL TUTARAK KATILINIZ

http://www.turkishforum.com.tr/en/content/turkish-forum-liquidation-sale/

TURKISH FORUMDAN SECME VE TENZILATLI KITAP SATISLARI BASLADI

UYELERE VE DERNEKLERE BUYUK INDIRIMLER VE UYELERE UCRETSIZ KITAPLAR

TURKIYEYI VE TURK TOPLULUKLARINI ILGILENDIREN EN GUNCEL HABERLER ICIN

www.turkishforum.com.tr den Turkce- Ingilizce –Almanca veya Rusca yayinlari her gun ziyaret ediniz

UP TO DATE NEWS FOR TURKISH DIASPORA AND FOR TURKEY

Please visit to English-Turkish-Russian or German pages of www.turkishforum.com.tr , each and every day

UYE AIDATLARINIZ ICIN ASAGIDAKI LINKE (Donate) GIRINIZ

Message from Ergun Kirlikovali , President ATAA

Media Watch — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:44:24 +0000

Ergun Kirlikovali is one of the founders and long standing member of Turkish Forum – Dunya Turkleri Birligi Advisory Board.

We wish him Good-luck, and we will support his actions in the coming years and with all membership and with all available means of Turkish Forum.

We also wish good-luck to ATAA’s sister organization FTAA . FTAA is now led by President Ali Cinar who is supported by wast majority of membership during the last months election. we recognize the wast amount work with Mr. Ali Cinar has to face. Similarly, Our support will also be with FTAA if he so desires.

Dr. Kayaalp Buyukataman, President

Turkish Forum -Dunya Turkleri Birligi

==============================================

President Message By Ergün Kırlıkovalı

Dear Members of the Turkish American Community coast-to-coast:

I hope you and your family have adjusted to the hustle and bustle of the New Year after having a wonderful holiday season.

The month of January has passed with fury and left me wondering where the whole month went. When you take a look at what was achieved, you will see why.

What a start to the New Year!

ATAA component associations were busy arranging local events and our TABAN and Student Outreach programs were on the road, visiting Colorado, Nevada and Canada. Membership drive and fundraising were in full swing. ATAA Türk Evi hosted the visiting graduate students from Bahcesehir University (İstanbul, Türkiye), where distinguished lecturers like Mark Meirowitz, David Saltzman, and Gunay Evinch, have addressed the students, explaining to them how the U.S. Government operates and the U.S. legal system works.

ATAA leadership paid an official visit to the brand new headquarters of the Turkish Coalition of America only steps from the White House. Joint programs were discussed.

ATAA leadership visited the offices of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to sign the book of condolences for the legendary Turkish Cypriot leader and the founder of TRNC, Rauf Denktash, who passed away on January 13, 2012.

ATAA leadership also paid a courtesy visit to the Turkish Embassy to show our community’s deep respect and love for our motherland, Türkiye.

ATAA leadership met with Dr. Elizabeth W. Shelton, executive director of American Friends of Turkey, to coordinate the upcoming events. AFOT will be bringing to the U.S. Dr. Ufuk Kocabas, the Project Director of the Yenikapi, Istanbul Project (the Byzantine Port of Constantinople). As you know, the Istanbul University group undertaking the excavations has unearthed 36 vessels and cargoes, going back to the Fifth Century. It has been an amazing find. As you may well know, his trip will be the first time any information about this project will be presented to American audiences, and by all indications, the audiences will be packed to see his presentation and hear him lecture.

Congratulations FTAA President Ali Çınar!

On behalf of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA), I congratulate Mr. Ali Çınar for his election to the presidency of the Federation of Turkish American Associations (FTAA). Established in 1956, FTAA is one of America’s leading national Turkish American organizations in a critical part of the country, New York and New Jersey. Ali Çınar comes to the FTAA Presidency with vast knowledge and experience in public advocacy and community empowerment. A former Vice President of ATAA (2009-11) and as Chief Advisor to the ATAA President since June 2011, Mr. Çınar a much loved, hard-working, creative, and energetic community leader. Mr. Cinar was also the founder of the Istanbul University Mezunlari US (IUMEZUS) and its first president.

ATAA looks forward to continued excellence in solidarity and cooperation with FTAA. I wish President Ali Çınar and the FTAA Team all the success.

Elections at ATAA

The ATAA Board of Directors resolved on January 18, 2012 to start a Nominating Committee to oversee the upcoming elections where one third of the Board will be up for election.

I am grateful to Lale Iskarpatyoti for accepting to chair the Nominating Committee and members Gunay Evinch (Past President, ATAA), Tunca Iskir (Past President, ATAA), Nurten Ural (Past President, ATAA) and Mehmet Celebi (President Elect, ATAA) for accepting to serve on this very important committee.

The positions up for election are the following: Treasurer (Esra Ugurlu), Vice President Midcentral (Feridun Bek), Vice President Southwest (Sibel Pakdemirli), Vice President Northwest (Sevgi Baran), West (Maria Cakiraga). Please note that all incumbents can run again for their seats as this is their first term in office and that the race is wide open to all other qualified candidates. I would be delighted, therefore, if you kindly participate in this democratic process by nominating candidates and/or voting.

We will issue a CIS on this immediately with more election information and specifics. Due to time limitations and in the interest saving paper and labor, a separate paper mass-mailing via USPS will not be done. We will try to reach every member via this monthly e-Newsletter and a separate CIS, as well as press releases, media coverage, and www.ataa.org site. We hope, with your support, to complete the nominating process by February 15, 2012, so that the elections may be completed by March 15, and the approved by the AOD on April 15, 2012. Your cooperation and participation is, again, greatly appreciated.

Damnation Without Representation: French Memory Law

We all know what “taxation without representation” led to in 1776: Expulsion of the British from colonial America.

And now we will see what “damnation without representation” will lead to in 2012: expulsion of the French culture from the Turkish/Turkic world.

I am, of course, referring to the draconian French memory law that cleared the French Senate on January 23, 2012, which criminalizes the denial of the so-called “Armenian genocide”, allegedly carried out in Ottoman Empire during World War I. The passage of the measure, adopted a month earlier by a mere 50 out 577 deputies in the lower chamber of the French Parliament, makes a mockery of the notion of “participatory democracy”, not to mention the freedom of speech.

The WW I era atrocities in Eastern Anatolia were never tried by a “competent tribunal” as the 1948 United Nations Convention on Prevention and Punishment of genocide stipulates. “Intent” to exterminate was never proven, leaving the discredited political claim as just that. “No court verdict” was issued characterizing these events a genocide. This historical controversy has become fodder to election year politics in France, destroying the freedom of expression along with it. No law can be used retroactively, 1948 UN convention on genocide included. And yet, these rock solid facts, values, and concepts, which are foundations of modern life cherished by humanity were respected by only 86 courageous French Senators who tried to stop that shameful memory law with their “No” votes. The law passed by the “Yes” votes of 127 Senators, despite the rejection of the same law by the Constitution Sub-Committee a few days earlier. Now it looks like it is heading for the Constitution Committee for a final verdict on whether it is constitutional to criminalize thought.

Some French parliamentarians, it seems, felt compelled by ethnocentric political agenda in an election year, to play the judge, the jury, the executioner, and while at it, the expert historian. We all know they are none of these. The harsh memory law, reminiscent of those in the defunct Soviet Empire, places a severe limitation on the French democracy, curbs free speech, undermines dialogue, destroys scholarly research, and discourages scholarly dissent.

France currently serves as a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group on the resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Adoption of a law upholding the victims of one ethnicity over another on a historically controversial issue would question the practicality of French role as a mediator on an issue, which both Azerbaijan and Turkey view as directly linked to Turkish-Armenian reconciliation.

This law might also be considered the epitaph of the Nabucco pipeline and the European energy security, if not also anything French in the culture of the people of the vast geography that stretches from the Balkans to the Caucasus, from the Middle East to North Africa, and from Anatolia to Central Asia.

Armenians have a cause, not a case

Armenians took up arms against their own government. They joined the invading enemy armies. They wreaked havoc among the unprotected Muslim villages of Anatolia with their Huncak, Dashnak, Ramgavar, and other bands and thugs. They demanded territory for what can only be described as the first apartheid of the 20th Century (i.e. the Greater Armenia.) These and other such aspects are grouped under the “NINE T’s OF THE TURKISH ARMENIAN CONFLICT”. If one ignores these, one ignores half the story gets no closure.

The assertion of Armenian genocide is based on a racist and dishonest version of history. Racist because Turkish suffering is deliberately ignored; and dishonest because the 9 T’s are ignored.

Just look at this 1906 photo of Cadets at an Armenian Military Academy, established in Bulgaria, with all in uniforms and their Russian “Mosin” weapons brandished. This single frame of an old photo destroys the entire Armenian narrative: that Armenians were peaceful; that they were poor, starving, and helpless; that all happened one day in 1915 without provocation; and that Armenians never killed any Turks. How much evidence does one need to wake up and smell the Armenian deception? Didn’t Armenians die? Didn’t they suffer? Yes, of course, but along with many more Muslims, mostly Turks. Wartime suffering? Yes. Genocide? No, not by even a long shot.

Social construction of Memory

This is a term used by sociologists to describe the process of rebuilding a group memory by social acts, not history’s facts. In order to make the long discredited political claims of Armenian genocide stick, Armenian propaganda, agitation, terror, raids, revolts, treason, territorial conflicts and the Turkish victims resulting from them, are all swept under the rug. Novels, letters, exhibits, parliamentary resolutions, films, rallies, political pressure, in short, anything but facts are employed in “social reconstruction” process. Such dramaturgical approaches and ethno-methodology, unfortunately shape most perceptions, feelings and behaviors. People soon start thinking “All this hype cannot be without justification.” French politicians or American columnists or others are not immune to such symbolic and seemingly humane interactions. Before long, one is consumed by “social construction of reality”, i.e. defining reality through social interactions, not objective realities, just like in the case of the alleged Armenian genocide today. Consider this: until 1990s, most media reports used the qualifier “alleged” before genocide, but now they dropped it. Why? Did new research unearth heretofore unknown information? Did a “competent court” determine Ottoman “intent” to exterminate? No and no. What happend is, the Armenians have since increased the dose of pressure to intimidation and harassment levels. That’s social construction at its worst !

May love and peace win over hate, bigotry and discrimination one day . . .

Ergün Kırlıkovalı
President
Assembly of Turkish American Associations

Turkey needs to devise a 2015 strategy

Mehmet Fatih — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:18:51 +0000

The recent step by France with respect to the 1915 incidents represents a great victory for the Armenians before 2015, the 100th anniversary of the incidents.

The rising image of France, which kept its promises to the Armenians, may appeal to the leaders of other countries where the Armenian diaspora has been active. Leaders who exerted efforts to attract the support of Armenians in elections have more often than not changed their attitude and stance after the elections; in most cases, they failed to keep the promises they made during their election campaigns. This situation has now been changed.

Yerevan welcomed the French move, as evidenced by joyous demonstrations held around the French Embassy by Armenians and political party representatives. In particular, old ladies hugged the French diplomats and officers there and sobbed; this sends a clear message and signal as to what sort of sensitivities should be held on the matter. Turkey, which failed to appreciate and notice the growing French investments in Armenia following an important visit by Nicolas Sarkozy to Yerevan in October, was shocked by the French move and started new discussions on French policy.

As these discussions now focus on what kind of attitude Turkey should adopt vis-à-vis France, the Armenian side refers to this ironic situation as surprising; it seems Turkey has been ignoring the main points — that is to say, the 1915 and Armenian issues. Armenian experts note that Turkey should develop dialogue with Armenia immediately and recall that they do not understand why Turkey is focusing on potential measures against France.

The Armenian authorities last year set up an international commission for the remembrance and commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide; the commission has so far engaged in lobbying activities and carried out a number of studies as well as completed scientific research concerning 2015. Likewise, Armenia has intensified its ties with the diaspora; to this end, they held meetings where they decided to generate policies focusing on the link between Armenia, the diaspora and Nagorno-Karabakh.

In fall 2011, at the Pan-Armenian Congress, where a number of Armenians from different countries participated and which focused on the intensification of ties with the diaspora, domestic and international developments were discussed; the congress also discussed several matters on youth, language and education, preparations towards the 100th anniversary of the genocide and improvement of relations with the diaspora.

‘The diaspora should be fed by the homeland’

President Serzh Sarksyan, who said, “Our formulation is clear: We want the maximum of the homeland opportunities for the diaspora and the maximum of the diaspora opportunities for the homeland,” stated the need for the diaspora and the importance attached to it at the Pan-Armenian Congress as follows: “The diaspora and the homeland should ensure their mutual survival. The diaspora should be fed by the homeland in political, cultural, scientific, health and sports terms; and the homeland should also be fed by the diaspora as well.”

The gains of Armenia and the diaspora may of course be linked to the decision of the Jewish lobby in the West to no longer support Turkey. However, this could only have a limited impact based on the political reflex considering the intricate web of relations in the Caucasus, particularly along the Israel-Azerbaijan and Iran axis. In addition, some unexpected developments may take place with regard to the Armenian genocide up until2015. Inthis case, Turkey needs to devise a short-term strategy on 2015 and drop its longstanding traditional and routine policies. This strategy should complement the normalization process with Armenia and focus on existing problems rather than imitating the steps of the diaspora. Turkey should realize that the publication of some books in response to thousands of scholarly accounts on the historical aspect of the problem will not do anything influential; instead, focusing on public diplomacy may alleviate the fever. Considering that it is not possible to train genocide experts in a very short time, it will be appropriate to rely on civilian democracy and the improvement of economic relations.

Institutions which have firsthand ties with Armenia should be supported to create a common bridge in Turkey. This should be considered in reference to additional efforts on educational, economic, cultural and political relations. As part of bilateral educational cooperation, comprehensive programs may be developed to attract students in Turkish studies departments in Armenia and Armenian youngsters who speak the Turkish language. The Yunus Emre Institute has been pursuing a similar strategy in a number of countries.

In order to improve commercial ties with Armenia, the relevant think tanks focusing on economic affairs might be supported to resolve the problems in bilateral commercial relations through joint action. Considering that 70 percent of the Armenian people support this type of action, it becomes apparent that immediate steps should be taken on this matter. In cultural terms, an approach of civilian diplomacy by which both sides would recognize each other should be advanced. The parties and people who have never seen an Armenian or a Turk in their whole life should be brought together. Political relations will represent the final stage of this process, where Turkish foreign policy will secure great achievements in this conflict-torn region.

By approaches that consider the sensitivities and demands of the Armenian side without turning a blind eye to the reality and truth, Turkey may gain a more prestigious place in the eyes of the Armenian people than the one France has gained and facilitate the resolution of common problems. An Armenia which has to buy agricultural devices from Belarus will be able to have the chance of purchasing its needs from Turkey after the resolution of its problems. If reconciliation is desired, increased attention should be paid to the process of normalization.

Mehmet Fatih ÖZTARSU – Today’s Zaman

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-270139-turkey-needs-to-devise-a-2015-strategyby-mehmet-fatih-oztarsu*.html

Killer freeze hits Europe

aira — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:42:06 +0000

Below zero: Snow falls on Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue. Turkey was paralysed by the blizzard, and elsewhere in Europe the freezing temperatures proved deadly. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

FREEZING weather has killed dozens of people in central and eastern Europe over the past few days.

And temperatures are set to drop even further, authorities warned yesterday.

In Poland, police said 10 died over the weekend as temperatures plunged to -27C, raising the death toll from exposure to 46 since the start of the winter, which had been unusually mild up to now.

Ukraine’s health ministry said 18 people have died of hypothermia in the last four days. Most of them were homeless who froze to death in the streets or old people who died in their flats or after hospitalisation.

Nearly 500 people sought medical help for frostbite and hypothermia in just three days last week, the emergency situations ministry said. Authorities have opened 1500 shelters to provide food and heat, as temperatures plunge to 30 degrees below zero Celsius in some regions of the country.

Police also reported that at least three people died of exposure over the weekend in the Baltic state of Lithuania. A 91-year-old woman and a 78-year-old man were among the victims.

A Palestinian migrant froze to death trying to cross the river Evros between Greece and Turkey and two more were missing, one of them a nine-year-old girl, local police said yesterday.

The Palestinian, whose age was not disclosed, was part of a group of 15 Asians and Africans trapped by rising waters on the river, a key crossing point into Europe for scores of thousands of migrants annually.

Another nine migrants were rescued from the Evros on Sunday after their rubber dinghy allegedly overturned but a nine-year-old Afghan girl and her 55-year-old grandfather were still missing, a local police source said.

Temperatures in the area fall to around -20C after nightfall.

In the Czech Republic, a 26-year-old man was found frozen to death in a field near the eastern town of Opava on Saturday.

Forecasters have warned temperatures are likely to plunge to -30C in the country this week, after hitting -20C in some places on Sunday.

In Bulgaria, five died in snow storms last week, local media reported yesterday as a Siberian cold front hit the Balkan country with temperatures dropping to -24C in some places. Most were elderly people who lost their way and were left stranded out in the cold.

The towns of Chirpan in the south and Sevlievo in the centre recorded the lowest temperatures early yesterday, at -24C and -23.4C respectively, the national weather service said.

It forecast that the mercury would drop even further in the next few days.

Four more people died over the past 24 hours in Romania, the health ministry said, raising the overall death toll to six.

In Serbia, three died of hypothermia over the weekend, the Tanjug news agency said yesterday.

In the Valjevo region, 80km south-west of Belgrade, a 49-year-old woman was found dead by workers clearing snow on a road and a 52-year-old man died close to his home in the village of Bobovo.

An 81-year-old woman was found dead in her own home in the village of Taor, Tanjug said.

Heavy snowfalls, that seriously disrupted road traffic and power supplies, ceased yesterday but the country was still experiencing a fierce cold snap as temperatures fell to -20C overnight in central Serbia.

Heavy snowfall blanketed Turkey’s commercial hub Istanbul, a city of 15 million, yesterday, paralysing daily life and disrupting air and land transport.

Officials said almost 200 flights were cancelled due to the snow expected to continue until late today, while hundreds of people were stuck in private vehicles or public transport.

Turkey is facing a severe winter and temperatures in the capital Ankara are expected to fall as low as -15C in the next couple of days.

via Killer freeze hits Europe | The Courier-Mail.