Eyeing Halki, Greek-Turks warm to mosque in Athens
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Representatives of Greek Turks have welcomed warmly the idea of building a mosque in Athens, following Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement that such mutual steps made in good faith would aid in reconciliation.
“There should be three or four mosques, not only one. This is about Greece’s perspective on human rights and religion. But the re-opening of Istanbul’s Halki Greek Orthodox seminary is another issue,” Nikos Uzunoğlu, the head of the International Federation of Istanbul Greeks, told the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday. Erdoğan offered Ankara’s help in building a mosque in Athens after meeting with his Greek counterpart, Antonis Samaras, in Doha on Jan. 29.
“We said it would be important for Muslims coming to Athens for tourism and other purposes to have a place to worship. Mr. Samaras was warm to the idea – they said the move has already passed Parliament,” Erdoğan said, adding that such mutual steps made in good faith would aid in reconciliation. The meeting comes amid renewed talk of reopening Istanbul’s Halki Greek Orthodox Seminary.
Principle of reciprocity
Uzunoğlu said the two issues are separate so the re-opening of Halki should not be discussed in terms of the principle of reciprocity. Laki Vingas, a council member of the Directorate General of Foundations, echoed Uzunoğlu’s words. “The re-opening of Halki should have been left aside from politics and should not be discussed in terms of the principle of reciprocity,” Vingas said.
Stelyo Berber from the Fener Hagia Yorgi Church Foundation has also said the re-opening of Halki should not be assessed in terms of the principle of reciprocity.
“They shouldn’t say ‘a mosque for the re-opening of Halki.’ The need for a mosque should be satisfied separately.”
During his talk with Samaras, Erdoğan discussed the issues of restrictions on Turks and Muslims living in Western Thrace, including the freedom of worship, the establishment of associations, the right to own property and the appointment of 240 religious teachers for the community.
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç has said the government is supporting the reopening of the Halki Greek Orthodox Seminary after it has been closed for more than four decades.
January/31/2013
31 Ocak 2013 Perşembe
Attacks on Armenians may be robberies: Fatih mayor
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The mayor of Istanbul’s Fatih district has said recent assaults against elderly Armenian women in Istanbul’s Samatya district were likely petty thefts rather than hate crimes, adding that an organized provocation could also be behind the incidents.
In recent months, a Turkish woman was assaulted along with three Armenians, Mayor Mustafa Demir said, indicating that the assaults might not have directly targeted Armenians.
Investigation ongoing
Demir said the investigation into the attacks was ongoing and they hoped the crimes were only robbery attempts rather than racist ones. “The jewelry of the assaulted women was stolen, also the murdered Maritsa Küçük’s home was ransacked,” Demir said.
“It might not be right to say it before the investigations are finished, but [the assaults] could be outside attempts at provocation.” Demir said they were in contact with Surp Kevork Armenian Church Foundation on the subject.
On Dec. 28, 2012, Maritsa Küçük was stabbed seven times before her throat was slit at her home in Samatya. Two other attacks were carried out in the past month against elderly Armenian women in the Samatya and Bakırköy districts as well.
One of the women, 87-year-old Turfanda Aşık, lost an eye, while the other woman was robbed and severely injured. Most recently, 84-year-old Sultan Akyar was attacked in Samatya, after which she underwent eye surgery. On Jan. 27, a march was organized in Samatya district to protest the attacks.
January/31/2013
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The mayor of Istanbul’s Fatih district has said recent assaults against elderly Armenian women in Istanbul’s Samatya district were likely petty thefts rather than hate crimes, adding that an organized provocation could also be behind the incidents.
In recent months, a Turkish woman was assaulted along with three Armenians, Mayor Mustafa Demir said, indicating that the assaults might not have directly targeted Armenians.
Investigation ongoing
Demir said the investigation into the attacks was ongoing and they hoped the crimes were only robbery attempts rather than racist ones. “The jewelry of the assaulted women was stolen, also the murdered Maritsa Küçük’s home was ransacked,” Demir said.
“It might not be right to say it before the investigations are finished, but [the assaults] could be outside attempts at provocation.” Demir said they were in contact with Surp Kevork Armenian Church Foundation on the subject.
On Dec. 28, 2012, Maritsa Küçük was stabbed seven times before her throat was slit at her home in Samatya. Two other attacks were carried out in the past month against elderly Armenian women in the Samatya and Bakırköy districts as well.
One of the women, 87-year-old Turfanda Aşık, lost an eye, while the other woman was robbed and severely injured. Most recently, 84-year-old Sultan Akyar was attacked in Samatya, after which she underwent eye surgery. On Jan. 27, a march was organized in Samatya district to protest the attacks.
January/31/2013
Mardin monastery becomes shelter for Syriac refugees
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Syriac refugees escaping clashes in Syria are temporarily taking shelter in Mardin’s Deyrülzafaran Monastery before finding a way to a third country, the metropolitan bishop for Diyabakır and Mardin, Saliba Özmen, has told the Daily News.
Deyrülzafaran Monastery is the first Syriac foundation in Turkey to welcome the Syriac refugees, who have been avoiding refugee camps over security concerns.
The Syriac Union Party, Syriac National Council and Turkey Syriac Associations Federation members have recently conducted meetings with Ankara officials, including officials from the prime ministry, Özmen said, adding that Ankara agreed to provide support.
“We told them of our limited resources and we asked for financial support. Ankara promised to help and will soon begin providing financial support,” Özmen said.
Hospitals have also offered to help the monastery with the increasing number of incoming refugees, with the governor’s office working with health service officials to provide assistance.
There is no current need for a camp, according to Özmen, as those who arrive in Turkey then move to countries where they have relatives. “We don’t have the numbers for a camp, and we don’t need one currently.”
Turkey Syriac Associations Federation head Evgil Türker said they will continue to maintain contact with the Mardin Governorship to help refugees.
Syria reportedly has around 300,000 Syriacs within its borders.
January/30/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Syriac refugees escaping clashes in Syria are temporarily taking shelter in Mardin’s Deyrülzafaran Monastery before finding a way to a third country, the metropolitan bishop for Diyabakır and Mardin, Saliba Özmen, has told the Daily News.
Deyrülzafaran Monastery is the first Syriac foundation in Turkey to welcome the Syriac refugees, who have been avoiding refugee camps over security concerns.
The Syriac Union Party, Syriac National Council and Turkey Syriac Associations Federation members have recently conducted meetings with Ankara officials, including officials from the prime ministry, Özmen said, adding that Ankara agreed to provide support.
“We told them of our limited resources and we asked for financial support. Ankara promised to help and will soon begin providing financial support,” Özmen said.
Hospitals have also offered to help the monastery with the increasing number of incoming refugees, with the governor’s office working with health service officials to provide assistance.
There is no current need for a camp, according to Özmen, as those who arrive in Turkey then move to countries where they have relatives. “We don’t have the numbers for a camp, and we don’t need one currently.”
Turkey Syriac Associations Federation head Evgil Türker said they will continue to maintain contact with the Mardin Governorship to help refugees.
Syria reportedly has around 300,000 Syriacs within its borders.
January/30/2013
March held to protest attacks on Armenians
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Many intellectuals and politicians attended a march organized on Jan. 27 in Istanbul’s Samatya district to protest recent assaults against elderly Armenian women that the city’s Armenian community are hesitant to define as hate crimes.
The march drew support from members of Istanbul’s other minority communities, including Syriacs, Kurds and religious conservatives, who joined Armenians to bring awareness to a slew of recent violent attacks levied against the Armenian community. As part of the march flowers were left in front of the home of 84-year-old Maritsa Küçük, who was murdered last month in her home.
Organized by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Turkey’s main Armenian organization, the march saw Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputies Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Sabahat Tuncel and Sırrı Süreyya Önder, former chair of the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) Ufuk Uras and Hrant Dink’s brother Orhan Dink participate.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, Önder said they would closely follow and negotiate with the Interior Minister about the incidents on Jan. 31.
Meanwhile, Kürkçü said it should be questioned why all the victims were Armenians. “I hope the plots behind these incidents will be investigated efficiently and [the truths] could be revealed. Elderly and defenseless women are targeted; it is evident that the motivations behind them are hate and revenge,” Kürkçü said.
Fear has spread within the Armenian community due to the attacks resulting in a limited number of people attending religious ceremonies, according to leaders from Samatya’s Armenian Church, Surp Kevork. Yesayi Demir, director of Surp Kevork Church, said they were often in contact with security forces. “The investigation is ongoing, we hope the incidents were not hate crimes,” Demir said, adding that the demonstration was a positive step since it gave a message of solidarity.
“I guess the attacks were robbery attempts, I don’t think they are organized, racist crimes,” Hagop Yelegen, the brother of one of the recent victims, Sultan Aykar, said, adding that they have good relations with their Muslim neighbors. “We are not afraid. Such assaults are also aimed at Muslims.”
“Civil initiatives are manipulating the incidents even though the offenders have not been identified yet,” Arsen Arşık, an Armenian academic from Boğaziçi University who is an acquaintance of two of the victims, said. “Such comments disturb the [Armenian] community even more.” Arşık also criticized his own community. “Why do they leave our defenseless elderly people alone? We have to come up with a rational solution to it.”
On Dec. 28, 2012, Marissa Küçük was stabbed seven times before having her throat slit while in her home in Samatya. Two separate attacks were carried out in the past month against elderly Armenian women in the Samatya and Bakırköy districts as well. One of the women, 87-year-old Turfanda Aşık, lost an eye, while the other woman was robbed and severely injured. Most recently, 84-year-old Sultan Akyar was attacked in Samatya, after which she underwent eye surgery.
January/28/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Many intellectuals and politicians attended a march organized on Jan. 27 in Istanbul’s Samatya district to protest recent assaults against elderly Armenian women that the city’s Armenian community are hesitant to define as hate crimes.
The march drew support from members of Istanbul’s other minority communities, including Syriacs, Kurds and religious conservatives, who joined Armenians to bring awareness to a slew of recent violent attacks levied against the Armenian community. As part of the march flowers were left in front of the home of 84-year-old Maritsa Küçük, who was murdered last month in her home.
Organized by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Turkey’s main Armenian organization, the march saw Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputies Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Sabahat Tuncel and Sırrı Süreyya Önder, former chair of the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) Ufuk Uras and Hrant Dink’s brother Orhan Dink participate.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, Önder said they would closely follow and negotiate with the Interior Minister about the incidents on Jan. 31.
Meanwhile, Kürkçü said it should be questioned why all the victims were Armenians. “I hope the plots behind these incidents will be investigated efficiently and [the truths] could be revealed. Elderly and defenseless women are targeted; it is evident that the motivations behind them are hate and revenge,” Kürkçü said.
Fear has spread within the Armenian community due to the attacks resulting in a limited number of people attending religious ceremonies, according to leaders from Samatya’s Armenian Church, Surp Kevork. Yesayi Demir, director of Surp Kevork Church, said they were often in contact with security forces. “The investigation is ongoing, we hope the incidents were not hate crimes,” Demir said, adding that the demonstration was a positive step since it gave a message of solidarity.
“I guess the attacks were robbery attempts, I don’t think they are organized, racist crimes,” Hagop Yelegen, the brother of one of the recent victims, Sultan Aykar, said, adding that they have good relations with their Muslim neighbors. “We are not afraid. Such assaults are also aimed at Muslims.”
“Civil initiatives are manipulating the incidents even though the offenders have not been identified yet,” Arsen Arşık, an Armenian academic from Boğaziçi University who is an acquaintance of two of the victims, said. “Such comments disturb the [Armenian] community even more.” Arşık also criticized his own community. “Why do they leave our defenseless elderly people alone? We have to come up with a rational solution to it.”
On Dec. 28, 2012, Marissa Küçük was stabbed seven times before having her throat slit while in her home in Samatya. Two separate attacks were carried out in the past month against elderly Armenian women in the Samatya and Bakırköy districts as well. One of the women, 87-year-old Turfanda Aşık, lost an eye, while the other woman was robbed and severely injured. Most recently, 84-year-old Sultan Akyar was attacked in Samatya, after which she underwent eye surgery.
January/28/2013
Raids on Armenian-Turks fuel worries for minorities
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The Armenian community has voiced its increasing concern over a spate of recent in attacks in the Samatya neighborhood of Istanbul’s Fatih district.
The Human Rights Association (İHD) released a report, quoting anonymous views from the members of the Armenian community, on Jan. 25, three days after an elderly Armenian woman was attacked in the neighborhood in the latest of several similar incidents.
“We do not want to leave our elderly people alone. We are very worried and scared,” a view read. “The population of Armenians in Istanbul is less than one-thousandth [of the entire city], but the ratio of Armenians suffering attacks are high.”
Sultan Aykar, 84, was attacked by a man on the evening of Jan. 22 on a busy street in Samatya, and had to undergo surgery after her eye was severely damaged by a blow to her chin.
On Dec. 28, 2012, Marissa Küçük, another elderly Armenian woman, was stabbed seven times before having her throat slit at her home in Samatya. Two separate attacks were carried out in November against two elderly Armenian women in Samatya and Bakırköy as well. One of the women, 87-year-old Turfanda Aşık, lost an eye, while the other woman was robbed and severely injured.
On Jan. 25, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Sezgin Tanrıkulu issued a parliamentary question, calling for a deeper investigation into the attacks.
“The fact that there were no suspects detained in these four incidents is increasing Armenian citizens’ fears and worries,” Tanrıkulu said, adding that the attacks could be related to the 100th anniversary of the events of 1915.
The police and the Istanbul Governor’s Office were not available for immediate comment Jan. 25. However, police have apparently sped up investigations.
Natali Cebeci, the granddaughter of Aşık, told the Daily News on Jan. 25 that police visited their house earlier this week.
Commenting on the ongoing attacks, she said she thought they were race-motivated.
“The first attack was on my grandmother. It was by then too early to call it race-motivated or not. But looking at the developments, repeated attacks on Armenians cannot be a coincidence,” she said. “As Armenians, we already hide fears in our subconscious. I think we have learned to live with fear.”
The silence of officials on the issue is increasing concerns among Armenians, according to Rober Koptaş, the editor-in-chief of weekly Agos.
“We do not know what is happening, or whether these are hate crimes or not,” daily Evrensel quoted him as saying last week. “But since we have no clear announcement from the officials, we are afraid despite the fact that we don’t know [what has happened].”
Speaking on behalf of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, Acting Patriarch Archbishop Aram Ateşyan told the Daily News on Jan. 10 that regarding the attacks as hate crimes directly targeting the Armenian community could be wrong.
However, İHD members believe that the attacks are motivated by race.
“As an official institution, patriarchs can be prudent but our research points to hate crimes,” Ayşe Günaysu, a member of the İHD, told the Daily News.
“If there is an organization behind those attacks, light should be shed on that immediately and punished,” Tanrıkulu said.
Although there are no apparent investigations to probe whether the attacks are organized or not, an İHD member lawyer said there were signs indicating organization.
“The investigation is filed confidential, which means that there is an organized crime,” lawyer Eren Keskin told the Daily News. “The police will try to buy some time with the confidentiality decision and will try to prove that the [attacks] are not organized.”
Samatya has a high Armenian population. However, the community’s numbers have dwindled over the past years, and there is only a smaller community remaining that mostly consists of Armenians that have migrated from Anatolia. There is a church and an Armenian school in Samatya.
The İHD and Nor Zartonk (New Awakening), a civilian Armenian youth activist group, have said they will stage a protest on Jan. 27 in Samatya.
January/26/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The Armenian community has voiced its increasing concern over a spate of recent in attacks in the Samatya neighborhood of Istanbul’s Fatih district.
The Human Rights Association (İHD) released a report, quoting anonymous views from the members of the Armenian community, on Jan. 25, three days after an elderly Armenian woman was attacked in the neighborhood in the latest of several similar incidents.
“We do not want to leave our elderly people alone. We are very worried and scared,” a view read. “The population of Armenians in Istanbul is less than one-thousandth [of the entire city], but the ratio of Armenians suffering attacks are high.”
Sultan Aykar, 84, was attacked by a man on the evening of Jan. 22 on a busy street in Samatya, and had to undergo surgery after her eye was severely damaged by a blow to her chin.
On Dec. 28, 2012, Marissa Küçük, another elderly Armenian woman, was stabbed seven times before having her throat slit at her home in Samatya. Two separate attacks were carried out in November against two elderly Armenian women in Samatya and Bakırköy as well. One of the women, 87-year-old Turfanda Aşık, lost an eye, while the other woman was robbed and severely injured.
On Jan. 25, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Sezgin Tanrıkulu issued a parliamentary question, calling for a deeper investigation into the attacks.
“The fact that there were no suspects detained in these four incidents is increasing Armenian citizens’ fears and worries,” Tanrıkulu said, adding that the attacks could be related to the 100th anniversary of the events of 1915.
The police and the Istanbul Governor’s Office were not available for immediate comment Jan. 25. However, police have apparently sped up investigations.
Natali Cebeci, the granddaughter of Aşık, told the Daily News on Jan. 25 that police visited their house earlier this week.
Commenting on the ongoing attacks, she said she thought they were race-motivated.
“The first attack was on my grandmother. It was by then too early to call it race-motivated or not. But looking at the developments, repeated attacks on Armenians cannot be a coincidence,” she said. “As Armenians, we already hide fears in our subconscious. I think we have learned to live with fear.”
The silence of officials on the issue is increasing concerns among Armenians, according to Rober Koptaş, the editor-in-chief of weekly Agos.
“We do not know what is happening, or whether these are hate crimes or not,” daily Evrensel quoted him as saying last week. “But since we have no clear announcement from the officials, we are afraid despite the fact that we don’t know [what has happened].”
Speaking on behalf of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, Acting Patriarch Archbishop Aram Ateşyan told the Daily News on Jan. 10 that regarding the attacks as hate crimes directly targeting the Armenian community could be wrong.
However, İHD members believe that the attacks are motivated by race.
“As an official institution, patriarchs can be prudent but our research points to hate crimes,” Ayşe Günaysu, a member of the İHD, told the Daily News.
“If there is an organization behind those attacks, light should be shed on that immediately and punished,” Tanrıkulu said.
Although there are no apparent investigations to probe whether the attacks are organized or not, an İHD member lawyer said there were signs indicating organization.
“The investigation is filed confidential, which means that there is an organized crime,” lawyer Eren Keskin told the Daily News. “The police will try to buy some time with the confidentiality decision and will try to prove that the [attacks] are not organized.”
Samatya has a high Armenian population. However, the community’s numbers have dwindled over the past years, and there is only a smaller community remaining that mostly consists of Armenians that have migrated from Anatolia. There is a church and an Armenian school in Samatya.
The İHD and Nor Zartonk (New Awakening), a civilian Armenian youth activist group, have said they will stage a protest on Jan. 27 in Samatya.
January/26/2013
Students to initiate partnership
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Turkey and Armenia’s student councils signed a protocol on Jan. 21 to initiate a student exchange program and promote other academic activities between the two countries. Signed by Turkey’s Student Council and Armenia’s National Students Association at a forum organized at Istanbul’s Galatasaray University, the protocol is considered a significant step toward breaking the ice between the countries.
The protocol mainly aims at promoting academic research and collaboration between Armenian and Turkish universities, along with student exchange.
“As youngsters, we believe that some taboos must be broken and that problems stem from a lack of dialogue,” Turkey’s Student Council head Nihat Buğra Ağaoğlu told the Hürriyet Daily News, adding that they had worked on the project for about a year. “We are trying to implement something that has not been attempted before. You face difficulties if you try to make a change, no matter where you are. We saw that the Armenia Student Council also favored the project. We are young, so we should act bravely in order to create change.”
As 1915 incidents is a delicate and painful issue for both countries, it brings to mind that Armenian exchange students coming to Turkey may want to conduct research into that subject. However, Ağaoğlu does not think this will cause any problems.
“We do not want to discuss the past incidents. 1915 should be revised by historians. Anyone could speak differently when they act with nationalist feelings. We have to deal with the subject in a scientific way, and the solution lies in the hands of historians,” he said.
Ağaoğlu also denied that the project would cause nationalist reactions from the Azerbaijani and Armenian diasporas.
January/24/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Turkey and Armenia’s student councils signed a protocol on Jan. 21 to initiate a student exchange program and promote other academic activities between the two countries. Signed by Turkey’s Student Council and Armenia’s National Students Association at a forum organized at Istanbul’s Galatasaray University, the protocol is considered a significant step toward breaking the ice between the countries.
The protocol mainly aims at promoting academic research and collaboration between Armenian and Turkish universities, along with student exchange.
“As youngsters, we believe that some taboos must be broken and that problems stem from a lack of dialogue,” Turkey’s Student Council head Nihat Buğra Ağaoğlu told the Hürriyet Daily News, adding that they had worked on the project for about a year. “We are trying to implement something that has not been attempted before. You face difficulties if you try to make a change, no matter where you are. We saw that the Armenia Student Council also favored the project. We are young, so we should act bravely in order to create change.”
As 1915 incidents is a delicate and painful issue for both countries, it brings to mind that Armenian exchange students coming to Turkey may want to conduct research into that subject. However, Ağaoğlu does not think this will cause any problems.
“We do not want to discuss the past incidents. 1915 should be revised by historians. Anyone could speak differently when they act with nationalist feelings. We have to deal with the subject in a scientific way, and the solution lies in the hands of historians,” he said.
Ağaoğlu also denied that the project would cause nationalist reactions from the Azerbaijani and Armenian diasporas.
January/24/2013
Armenian woman assaulted
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
An elderly Armenian woman was attacked in Istanbul’s Samatya district on Jan. 22, while another attack was organized against the Hagio Paraskevi Greek Church in the city’s Kazlıçeşme neighborhood.
The church reportedly did not suffer any material damage, while the Patriarchate has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, Arsen Arşık, who is an acquaintance of the assaulted woman Sultan Aykar, said the assailant was a man in his thirties. According to Arşık, the man attacked the 84-year-old woman at around 18.00 p.m. on Marmara Street, and said “her eye was severely damaged and she then underwent surgery.”
On Dec. 28, 2012, Marissa Küçük, another Armenian woman, was stabbed seven times before having her throat slit at her home in Samatya. Apart from that, two attacks have been carried out in the past month against two Armenian women in Samatya and Bakırköy as well.
January/24/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
An elderly Armenian woman was attacked in Istanbul’s Samatya district on Jan. 22, while another attack was organized against the Hagio Paraskevi Greek Church in the city’s Kazlıçeşme neighborhood.
The church reportedly did not suffer any material damage, while the Patriarchate has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, Arsen Arşık, who is an acquaintance of the assaulted woman Sultan Aykar, said the assailant was a man in his thirties. According to Arşık, the man attacked the 84-year-old woman at around 18.00 p.m. on Marmara Street, and said “her eye was severely damaged and she then underwent surgery.”
On Dec. 28, 2012, Marissa Küçük, another Armenian woman, was stabbed seven times before having her throat slit at her home in Samatya. Apart from that, two attacks have been carried out in the past month against two Armenian women in Samatya and Bakırköy as well.
January/24/2013
21 Ocak 2013 Pazartesi
Court orders Gen Tolon’s arrest in Zirve massacre case
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
A court in Malatya issued an arrest warrant Jan. 18 for retired Gen. Hurşit Tolon – who is already under arrest as part of the Ergenekon case – over the torture and murder of three Christian in the eastern province’s Zirve Publishing House in 2007.
Erdal Doğan, a lawyer for the victims, told the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday that the court’s decision was good news.
“If there are no [new] assassinations and the court’s head and prosecutors are not removed from the case, then this case will result very positively,” said Doğan, stating that he was frequently receiving death threats.
In a previous trial, suspect Varol Bülent Aral, shouted at the court: “Down with your justice, you crooks. You will pay for this. [Judge] Hayrettin Kısa, I will shoot you in the head.”
Doğan also said they had underlined from the very beginning that the Zirve massacre case was directly related to the Ergenekon coup-plot case. “Enlightening the Zirve massacre case will also shed light on the murders of Father Santoro [which was committed in the Black Sea province of Trabzon in 2006] and [Armenian journalist] Hrant Dink,” Doğan said.
Doğan also said a report sent to a parliamentary research commission by the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) revealed that the Zirve massacre was committed by the White Forces, a counter-guerilla unit working under the Special Operations Department. “More documents have been revealed. They show that Hurşit Tolon is the head of the White Forces,” Doğan said.
No evidence: Tolon’s lawyer
But Tolon’s lawyer, İlkay Sezer, said Tolon felt deeply sorrow for being associated with the murders at the publishing house, adding that there was no evidence that connected the two cases.
“It is unacceptable that the arrest warrant resulted from the abstract allegations of a former specialized sergeant, after six years had passed,” Sezer said.
“No connection has been found between the suspects, their accomplices and my client. Neither a phone call, nor a statement nor physical contact,” Sezer said, adding that what happened to Tolon was part of a 10-year-old campaign to discredit the Turkish military.
Three missionaries, German citizen Tillman Geske and two Turks, Necati Aydın and Uğur Yüksel, were tied up and tortured before their throats were slit at the Zirve Publishing House on April 18, 2007.
Five young men, age 19 and 20 at the time of the killings, confessed to the murder and were arrested for the crime. However, authorities have continued to investigate the case, which is believed by many to be an act of the “deep state,” rather than a group of independent fanatics.
January/21/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
A court in Malatya issued an arrest warrant Jan. 18 for retired Gen. Hurşit Tolon – who is already under arrest as part of the Ergenekon case – over the torture and murder of three Christian in the eastern province’s Zirve Publishing House in 2007.
Erdal Doğan, a lawyer for the victims, told the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday that the court’s decision was good news.
“If there are no [new] assassinations and the court’s head and prosecutors are not removed from the case, then this case will result very positively,” said Doğan, stating that he was frequently receiving death threats.
In a previous trial, suspect Varol Bülent Aral, shouted at the court: “Down with your justice, you crooks. You will pay for this. [Judge] Hayrettin Kısa, I will shoot you in the head.”
Doğan also said they had underlined from the very beginning that the Zirve massacre case was directly related to the Ergenekon coup-plot case. “Enlightening the Zirve massacre case will also shed light on the murders of Father Santoro [which was committed in the Black Sea province of Trabzon in 2006] and [Armenian journalist] Hrant Dink,” Doğan said.
Doğan also said a report sent to a parliamentary research commission by the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) revealed that the Zirve massacre was committed by the White Forces, a counter-guerilla unit working under the Special Operations Department. “More documents have been revealed. They show that Hurşit Tolon is the head of the White Forces,” Doğan said.
No evidence: Tolon’s lawyer
But Tolon’s lawyer, İlkay Sezer, said Tolon felt deeply sorrow for being associated with the murders at the publishing house, adding that there was no evidence that connected the two cases.
“It is unacceptable that the arrest warrant resulted from the abstract allegations of a former specialized sergeant, after six years had passed,” Sezer said.
“No connection has been found between the suspects, their accomplices and my client. Neither a phone call, nor a statement nor physical contact,” Sezer said, adding that what happened to Tolon was part of a 10-year-old campaign to discredit the Turkish military.
Three missionaries, German citizen Tillman Geske and two Turks, Necati Aydın and Uğur Yüksel, were tied up and tortured before their throats were slit at the Zirve Publishing House on April 18, 2007.
Five young men, age 19 and 20 at the time of the killings, confessed to the murder and were arrested for the crime. However, authorities have continued to investigate the case, which is believed by many to be an act of the “deep state,” rather than a group of independent fanatics.
January/21/2013
17 Ocak 2013 Perşembe
Non-Muslims want equal funeral rights in Turkey
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Non-Muslim communities in Turkey have asked for municipal and state services at their funerals similar to the services given to the country’s Muslim citizens.
Municipalities do not provide non-Muslim citizens with free services such as allocation of a funeral car. A graveyard plot costs little money for Muslims in municipal facilities, whereas a plot in minority graveyards that have limited spaces may cost a fortune.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, authorities from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Cemeteries Directorate said even though they knew the cost of graves and funeral ceremonies for non-Muslim citizens is very high, they did not intervene. “[Non-Muslims] can afford organizing funerals in accordance with their religions and traditions. We do not interfere with them since we are not used to their traditions and ceremonies. Only if they prove their conversion to Islam with witnesses can we hold their funerals,” an official from the directorate said.
Equal citizenship
Burgazada Hagia Yanni and Samatya Hagia Nikola Greek Church Foundation head Andon Parisyanos said the Directorate of Religious Affairs must allocate funds to non-Muslim populations as a requirement of equal citizenship.
“Forget about funerals, we even pay the utility bills for the churches by our own means. However, the Directorate of Religious Affairs meets the expenses of mosques,” Parisyanos said, adding that funeral organization companies should also be supervised.
“Aid should be provided [to non-Muslims], but still it would be more convenient if we organized the funerals according to our traditions,” Parisyanos said.
“Last week, an acquaintance of mine passed away at [Istanbul’s] Medipol Hospital. [The officials at the hospital] told me that they had come across a deceased Christian for the first time and did not know what to do,” Parisyanos said.
Likewise, Garo Paylan, who is a member of the Yeşilköy Armenian School’s Executive Board, said the requirements of equal citizenship must be implemented. “The Directorate of Religious Affairs could allocate funds, which would be conveyed to the owners of the funeral homes through the Patriarchate,” Paylan said.
Yeznik Bahçevanoğlu, owner of an organization company that holds funerals for non-Muslims, said the cost of funerals range from 2,000 to 8,000 Turkish Liras, adding that the prices might vary and increase according to the company. When asked about pricing policies, Bahçevanoğlu said the prices were determined according to the classes of the plots.
“There is a standard price given by the Patriarchate; however, that price increases a lot when other expenses such as obituaries and coffins are added. If the Directorate of Religious Affairs could allocate resources, the prices would not be that high,” Bahçevanoğlu said, adding that some organization companies might exploit their clients.
Vasgen Barın, the Armenian deputy mayor of Istanbul’s Şişli district, in which non-Muslims are densely populated, said municipalities were not responsible for holding funerals.
“Some people may want to be buried in their hometowns; when they appeal to us, we provide them a bus in order to transfer the body,” Barın said.
January/17/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Non-Muslim communities in Turkey have asked for municipal and state services at their funerals similar to the services given to the country’s Muslim citizens.
Municipalities do not provide non-Muslim citizens with free services such as allocation of a funeral car. A graveyard plot costs little money for Muslims in municipal facilities, whereas a plot in minority graveyards that have limited spaces may cost a fortune.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, authorities from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Cemeteries Directorate said even though they knew the cost of graves and funeral ceremonies for non-Muslim citizens is very high, they did not intervene. “[Non-Muslims] can afford organizing funerals in accordance with their religions and traditions. We do not interfere with them since we are not used to their traditions and ceremonies. Only if they prove their conversion to Islam with witnesses can we hold their funerals,” an official from the directorate said.
Equal citizenship
Burgazada Hagia Yanni and Samatya Hagia Nikola Greek Church Foundation head Andon Parisyanos said the Directorate of Religious Affairs must allocate funds to non-Muslim populations as a requirement of equal citizenship.
“Forget about funerals, we even pay the utility bills for the churches by our own means. However, the Directorate of Religious Affairs meets the expenses of mosques,” Parisyanos said, adding that funeral organization companies should also be supervised.
“Aid should be provided [to non-Muslims], but still it would be more convenient if we organized the funerals according to our traditions,” Parisyanos said.
“Last week, an acquaintance of mine passed away at [Istanbul’s] Medipol Hospital. [The officials at the hospital] told me that they had come across a deceased Christian for the first time and did not know what to do,” Parisyanos said.
Likewise, Garo Paylan, who is a member of the Yeşilköy Armenian School’s Executive Board, said the requirements of equal citizenship must be implemented. “The Directorate of Religious Affairs could allocate funds, which would be conveyed to the owners of the funeral homes through the Patriarchate,” Paylan said.
Yeznik Bahçevanoğlu, owner of an organization company that holds funerals for non-Muslims, said the cost of funerals range from 2,000 to 8,000 Turkish Liras, adding that the prices might vary and increase according to the company. When asked about pricing policies, Bahçevanoğlu said the prices were determined according to the classes of the plots.
“There is a standard price given by the Patriarchate; however, that price increases a lot when other expenses such as obituaries and coffins are added. If the Directorate of Religious Affairs could allocate resources, the prices would not be that high,” Bahçevanoğlu said, adding that some organization companies might exploit their clients.
Vasgen Barın, the Armenian deputy mayor of Istanbul’s Şişli district, in which non-Muslims are densely populated, said municipalities were not responsible for holding funerals.
“Some people may want to be buried in their hometowns; when they appeal to us, we provide them a bus in order to transfer the body,” Barın said.
January/17/2013
14 Ocak 2013 Pazartesi
Istanbul Armenians kick off aid campaign for Syria victims
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The Armenian community in Istanbul has initiated two aid campaigns aiming to help the Armenian victims of the conflicts in Syria.
The first campaign, “Biz Titriyoruz bize yardım ediniz,” organized by Şinorhik Altun, the wife of Tower Travel Aviation owner Dikran Altun, has drawn a great deal of interest, as has the second campaign, initiated by Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate. The Turkish Red Crescent will distribute the aid collected by the Patriarchate.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News on the campaign, Arsen Arşık, an academic at Boğaziçi University and one of the organizers of the movement, said many Armenians in Istanbul have shown great support to the campaign.
“Monetary aid was not accepted since the campaign is a civil initiative. Only clothes have been collected so far. The Patriarchate was also informed about this. The aim was to help the thousands of Syrian Armenians who sought asylum in Armenia. However, since we had difficulties in finding new storage [for the aid], we had to end the campaign,” Arşık said.
Arşık said Armenian airline company Armavia transferred a total of 60 parcels of aid to Yerevan over a very short course of time. “This campaign could be regarded as a historic civil move by Istanbul Armenians. Thanks to this campaign, Istanbul’s Armenian community experienced the joy of helping their brothers in the Diaspora,” Arşık said, adding that the Patriarchate also opened a bank account for the aid program.
January/14/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The Armenian community in Istanbul has initiated two aid campaigns aiming to help the Armenian victims of the conflicts in Syria.
The first campaign, “Biz Titriyoruz bize yardım ediniz,” organized by Şinorhik Altun, the wife of Tower Travel Aviation owner Dikran Altun, has drawn a great deal of interest, as has the second campaign, initiated by Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate. The Turkish Red Crescent will distribute the aid collected by the Patriarchate.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News on the campaign, Arsen Arşık, an academic at Boğaziçi University and one of the organizers of the movement, said many Armenians in Istanbul have shown great support to the campaign.
“Monetary aid was not accepted since the campaign is a civil initiative. Only clothes have been collected so far. The Patriarchate was also informed about this. The aim was to help the thousands of Syrian Armenians who sought asylum in Armenia. However, since we had difficulties in finding new storage [for the aid], we had to end the campaign,” Arşık said.
Arşık said Armenian airline company Armavia transferred a total of 60 parcels of aid to Yerevan over a very short course of time. “This campaign could be regarded as a historic civil move by Istanbul Armenians. Thanks to this campaign, Istanbul’s Armenian community experienced the joy of helping their brothers in the Diaspora,” Arşık said, adding that the Patriarchate also opened a bank account for the aid program.
January/14/2013
Turkey to celebrate Nâzım Hikmet’s 111th birthday
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
World renowned Turkish poetry master Nazım Hikmet’s 111th birthday is set to be celebrated with an exclusive exhibition at Istanbul’s Caddebostan Culture Center. Opening on Jan. 12, “My Homeland: The Lines on My Forehead” (Alnımın Çizgilerinde Memleketim) will continue through Feb. 7 for audiences seeking to discover Nazım Hikmet’s unique artistic path.
The exhibition focuses on the interest that Nazım Hikmet had for art and drawing. There are sculptures and paintings of 36 famous Turkish artists such as İbrahim Balaban, Ömer Uluç, Mehmet Güleryüz, Tankut Öktem, Mehmet Aksoy Yalçın Karayağız and Memet Güreli.
To accompany the exhibition, a book will be published by Yapı Kredi Publishing House, including the writings of Turgay Fişekçi. In the exhibition catalogue, Fişekçi writes about how close Nazım Hikmet felt to his mother, as well as his mother’s relation to his art and artistic creation.
The book will also include a complete biography of the poet and many of his poems, as well as telling the story of his visits to different countries each year. It will be translated into a number of different languages.
Both the exhibition and the book include photos and describe Hikmet’s love for Vera Tulyakova, as well as featuring elements from the personal archive that he kept while in Russia, Azerbaijan and China, such as handwriting, personal items and cartoons.
It is curated by Vera Tulyakova’s close friend, architect Melih Güneş, who also wrote the book.
“Visitors to the exhibition will see a different Nazım Hikmet,” Güneş told the Hürriyet Daily News.
“The audience will see that he was kind and full of love, but also that sometimes in his portraits his eyes were full of hunger and sadness,” he said. “When he holds the children you can see that he holds them like they are his own children.”
The exhibition will also include the cartoons titled “Peace to your House” and “The Clouds in Love,” which were drawn by Hikmet and issued in 1959.
After the death of Tulyakova, Güneş obtained 1,000 photos from her. “I am grateful to both Tulyakova and her daughter, Vera, for their help.”
The exhibition will be the first step toward the realizing of an official Nazım Hikmet museum in Turkey, a move that Güneş strongly supports.
“I had a meeting with the Culture Ministry about establishing a museum, but I did not get any concrete result,” he said.
Hikmet’s belongings being sold?
Hikmet died in exile in the Soviet Union in 1963, but Turkey returned honorary citizenship to him about four years ago.
“The state is just trying to compensate for it did in the past, but giving back citizenship is not enough. Nazım Hikmet spent his whole life in exile - he had a big hunger for his homeland,” Güneş said.
He said that Vera had always told him that Turkey should return Nazım’s passport, “but also make the gesture of including Nazım’s work in the school curriculum.”
A number of Hizmet’s priceless belongings were found in the Urals region of Russia three years ago, and it is now reported that Galina Kolesnikova, Hikmet’s former doctor and an alleged former KGB agent, is preparing to sell the items for $1 million.
Güneş wants Turkish officials to protect the items and says he has informed Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay about the issue. Güneş claims that the ministry said it was unable to purchase the items from Kolesnikova. Now 96-years-old, Kolesnikova is selling the items one by one.
January/11/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
World renowned Turkish poetry master Nazım Hikmet’s 111th birthday is set to be celebrated with an exclusive exhibition at Istanbul’s Caddebostan Culture Center. Opening on Jan. 12, “My Homeland: The Lines on My Forehead” (Alnımın Çizgilerinde Memleketim) will continue through Feb. 7 for audiences seeking to discover Nazım Hikmet’s unique artistic path.
The exhibition focuses on the interest that Nazım Hikmet had for art and drawing. There are sculptures and paintings of 36 famous Turkish artists such as İbrahim Balaban, Ömer Uluç, Mehmet Güleryüz, Tankut Öktem, Mehmet Aksoy Yalçın Karayağız and Memet Güreli.
To accompany the exhibition, a book will be published by Yapı Kredi Publishing House, including the writings of Turgay Fişekçi. In the exhibition catalogue, Fişekçi writes about how close Nazım Hikmet felt to his mother, as well as his mother’s relation to his art and artistic creation.
The book will also include a complete biography of the poet and many of his poems, as well as telling the story of his visits to different countries each year. It will be translated into a number of different languages.
Both the exhibition and the book include photos and describe Hikmet’s love for Vera Tulyakova, as well as featuring elements from the personal archive that he kept while in Russia, Azerbaijan and China, such as handwriting, personal items and cartoons.
It is curated by Vera Tulyakova’s close friend, architect Melih Güneş, who also wrote the book.
“Visitors to the exhibition will see a different Nazım Hikmet,” Güneş told the Hürriyet Daily News.
“The audience will see that he was kind and full of love, but also that sometimes in his portraits his eyes were full of hunger and sadness,” he said. “When he holds the children you can see that he holds them like they are his own children.”
The exhibition will also include the cartoons titled “Peace to your House” and “The Clouds in Love,” which were drawn by Hikmet and issued in 1959.
After the death of Tulyakova, Güneş obtained 1,000 photos from her. “I am grateful to both Tulyakova and her daughter, Vera, for their help.”
The exhibition will be the first step toward the realizing of an official Nazım Hikmet museum in Turkey, a move that Güneş strongly supports.
“I had a meeting with the Culture Ministry about establishing a museum, but I did not get any concrete result,” he said.
Hikmet’s belongings being sold?
Hikmet died in exile in the Soviet Union in 1963, but Turkey returned honorary citizenship to him about four years ago.
“The state is just trying to compensate for it did in the past, but giving back citizenship is not enough. Nazım Hikmet spent his whole life in exile - he had a big hunger for his homeland,” Güneş said.
He said that Vera had always told him that Turkey should return Nazım’s passport, “but also make the gesture of including Nazım’s work in the school curriculum.”
A number of Hizmet’s priceless belongings were found in the Urals region of Russia three years ago, and it is now reported that Galina Kolesnikova, Hikmet’s former doctor and an alleged former KGB agent, is preparing to sell the items for $1 million.
Güneş wants Turkish officials to protect the items and says he has informed Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay about the issue. Güneş claims that the ministry said it was unable to purchase the items from Kolesnikova. Now 96-years-old, Kolesnikova is selling the items one by one.
January/11/2013
Murder disturbs Armenian-Turks
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The recent murder of an Armenian woman in Istanbul’s Samatya neighborhood has evoked memories of previous offenses committed against Armenians and other minorities in Turkey, creating concern among the community amid a debate over whether the killing constituted a hate crime.
On Dec. 28, 2012, Marissa Küçük was stabbed seven times before having her throat slit at her home in Samatya. The assailant or assailants also carved a cross on her chest using a sharp object, according to some reports. After the murder, those responsible fled the scene with some of her jewelry.
Two separate attacks were carried out in the past month against two elderly Armenian women in the Samatya and Bakırköy districts as well. One of the women, 87-year-old Turfanda Aşık, lost an eye, while the other woman was robbed and severely injured.
In 2002, two elderly women, Hermine Açıkgöz, 80, and Araksi Alyanak, 80, were murdered in Istanbul’s Bakırköy district. On Oct. 5, 2011, an Armenian woman was called an infidel and attacked in a cab by the driver in Istanbul’s Zincirlikuyu neighborhood. An investigation was launched into the case.
In another case, an Armenian named Elizabeth Maria Bıçakçı, who was living in the Aegean town of Marmaris, filed a criminal complaint to a prosecutor when she was subjected to racist assaults. She finally left Turkey with her family due to safety concerns.
Arsen Arşık, an academic at Boğaziçi University, said Küçük’s family was currently suffering from a major trauma, while adding that all the attacks should be carefully investigated before determining the motivations behind them.
“Past experiences make one think that all the attacks that target minorities are hate crimes. However, in this region [Bakırköy], where I have been living since 2006, there have been many similar attacks against other elderly women so far. So, [the perpetrator] might also be some pervert, and a careful examination is required before making clear judgments,” Arşık said.
“People are making up urban legends about the murder. Some even blamed the murdered woman’s son,” Arşık said, stressing the importance of composure.
Patriarchate calls for calm
Likewise, Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate emphasized the necessity of staying calm in the face of such incidents. Acting Patriarch Archbishop Aram Ateşyan said they were currently negotiating with the Police Department on the matter, adding that regarding the attack as a hate crime directly targeting the Armenian community could be wrong.
“As you know, an Armenian killed his landlord a few months ago in Istanbul. The crimes committed by some irresponsible people cannot be attributed to a whole community, and there is not sufficient data to prove it,” Ateşyan said. The patriarchate is expected to issue an announcement on the subject in the upcoming days.
Zakarya Mildanoğlu, a Turkish-Armenian researcher and columnist for weekly Agos, also said it was too early to label the murder a hate crime as there was still insufficient evidence. “For now, it is very hard to interpret [the murder]. It might even be a robbery case,” Mildanoğlu said, adding that fear and anxiety prevailed in the Armenian community due to the bitter experiences minorities had suffered through in the past.
“There is no need to write various scenarios. We should wait and see the result,” Mildanoğlu said.
January/10/2013
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