Halki Seminary discussed at Merkel-Erdoğan meet
ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The issue of Heybeliada Halki Seminary was on the agenda during talks in Ankara on Feb. 25 during which German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with various spiritual leaders, according to sources.
A source who did not want to be named told the Hürriyet Daily News that the Halki Seminary issue was opened for discussion between Erdoğan, Merkel and Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew. “The Patriarch brought the topic to the agenda. Merkel said Germany was ready to provide the necessary support with [Greek Prime Minister] Samaras, while Erdoğan said they were ready to take responsibility for the reopening of the school on the condition that Greece would take two steps. However, he did not say what these steps are,” the source said.
It is believed that Erdoğan was referring to the possible building of a mosque in Athens and the Greek government’s attitude toward Muslims, particularly regarding the needs of muftis in the northeastern Western Thrace region, where an important community of Muslim Turks live.
According to a statement issued by Turkey’s Armenians Patriarchate, Acting Patriarch Archbishop Aram Ateşyan reminded the leaders during the meeting that the Patriarchate is not a legal entity and thus has difficulties obtaining property. Archbishop Ateşyan also thanked the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government for their concern toward minority issues, the statement said.
The Halki Seminary was opened in 1844 and served as a school of theology for years. However, as a result of a 1971 Constitutional Court ruling, all private institutions of higher education either became part of state universities or were closed down. Halki’s Board of Trustees refused to become part of Istanbul University. Consequently, the seminary section of the Halki school was closed down. The high school section is still open, but no longer has students.
February/28/2013
28 Şubat 2013 Perşembe
Greeks organize civil group with new project
ISTANBUL
vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Bringing together a total of 69 Turkey-based Greek foundations, the Association for the Support of Greek Community Foundations (RUMVADER) is aiming to shed light on the problems of the Greek community living in Turkey.
RUMVADER has come up with a project titled “minority citizens-equal citizens,” which intends to provide support for all minority communities in Turkey, including Greeks. The project, which has a 90,000-Euro budget, is financed by the European Union.
Laki Vingas, who is in charge of minority foundations in the Foundations Directorate General, is among the coordination team of the project. Marina Dyrimatolou, a Greek expatriate living in Istanbul for five years who has an M.A. degree in Turkish Studies from the University of London, is the chief coordinator of the project. Dyrimatolou said the Fener Greek Patriarchate supported the project.
Social problems
“Apart from issues such as the Halki Seminary, there are other problems related to education, lack of teaching staff, and the administration and organization of the foundations. We want to convey the rights of equal citizens to the Greek community and underline the sense of these rights,” Dyrimatolou said.
For Dyrimatolou, the Greek community is Turkey leads an introverted life, and one of the association’s targets was to break this seclusion and achieve a more active and transparent Greek community. “When we opened up the subject to community members, we got very positive reactions from different sections [of the community]. But still, we know that our work won’t be easy,” she said.
When asked whether Greek society wanted to be independent from the Patriarchate, Dyrimatolou said, “the times are changing and societies are also changing. As the Greek community, we can’t stay out of those changes. We are building up our civil works by preserving our ties with the Patriarchate, our customs and traditions. This association has never intended to form an alternative to the Patriarchate.”
According to Dyrimatolou, the project will also cover Greece citizens living in Turkey, as well as the Greeks of Istanbul origin and other minorities in Turkey. Project events will be held in Istanbul, Bozcaada, Gökçeada, and Hatay, where the most Greeks are populated.
February/28/2013
ISTANBUL
vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Bringing together a total of 69 Turkey-based Greek foundations, the Association for the Support of Greek Community Foundations (RUMVADER) is aiming to shed light on the problems of the Greek community living in Turkey.
RUMVADER has come up with a project titled “minority citizens-equal citizens,” which intends to provide support for all minority communities in Turkey, including Greeks. The project, which has a 90,000-Euro budget, is financed by the European Union.
Laki Vingas, who is in charge of minority foundations in the Foundations Directorate General, is among the coordination team of the project. Marina Dyrimatolou, a Greek expatriate living in Istanbul for five years who has an M.A. degree in Turkish Studies from the University of London, is the chief coordinator of the project. Dyrimatolou said the Fener Greek Patriarchate supported the project.
Social problems
“Apart from issues such as the Halki Seminary, there are other problems related to education, lack of teaching staff, and the administration and organization of the foundations. We want to convey the rights of equal citizens to the Greek community and underline the sense of these rights,” Dyrimatolou said.
For Dyrimatolou, the Greek community is Turkey leads an introverted life, and one of the association’s targets was to break this seclusion and achieve a more active and transparent Greek community. “When we opened up the subject to community members, we got very positive reactions from different sections [of the community]. But still, we know that our work won’t be easy,” she said.
When asked whether Greek society wanted to be independent from the Patriarchate, Dyrimatolou said, “the times are changing and societies are also changing. As the Greek community, we can’t stay out of those changes. We are building up our civil works by preserving our ties with the Patriarchate, our customs and traditions. This association has never intended to form an alternative to the Patriarchate.”
According to Dyrimatolou, the project will also cover Greece citizens living in Turkey, as well as the Greeks of Istanbul origin and other minorities in Turkey. Project events will be held in Istanbul, Bozcaada, Gökçeada, and Hatay, where the most Greeks are populated.
February/28/2013
27 Şubat 2013 Çarşamba
POLITICS > Protestants and Mor Gabriel on agenda at Merkel’s visit
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Mor Gabriel Monastery and the Malatya Zirve Publishing House Massacre were among the main agenda topics during talks in Ankara on Feb. 25, in which German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with various spiritual leaders.
Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew, Acting Patriarch Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, Chief Rabbi Ishak Haleva, Syriac Mor Gabriel Monastery’s Metropolitan Archbishop Samuel Aktaş, the Turkish Syriac Catholic Deputy Patriarch Chorepiscopus Yusuf Sağ, and Ümit Şahin, Protestant Churches Association General Secretary and Coordinator of the Association’s Committee on Religious Freedom, were present in the meeting, which was held in the Official Residence of the Prime Ministry.
The issue of the historic Mor Gabriel Monastery in the Midyat district of the southeastern province of Mardin, which was given to the treasury despite several appeals from the Syriac Church, was on the agenda. A source who did not want to be named also told the Hürriyet Daily News that the problems regarding Mor Gabriel were the focus of the talks.
Victim’s wife asks for citizenship
“We at least saw that the state values and accepts us on legitimate grounds. We hope to be a part of the dialogue process from now on,” Ümit Şahin said.
Şahin also said they mostly focused on the Zirve massacre case and the problems Suzanna Geske – the wife of massacre victim Tillman Geske – faced regarding her Turkish citizenship, excluding religion boxes on ID cards, and various issues concerning the church building. “Geske’s application for Turkish citizenship was rejected, and she appealed it for the second time. The Prime Minister told his advisors to deal with the matter,” Şahin said. 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, a Christian publisher in the eastern province of Malatya, on April 18, 2007.
Syriac group calls on HRW to enlighten killings
A Brussel-based Syriac rights group, known as the European Syriac Union (ESU), has sent a report regarding 50 Syriacs killed in Turkey between 1987 and 1998 during clashes between the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Turkish security forces to the Human Rights Watch (HRW).
“Well-known Syriac personalities, among them doctors, a former district mayor and businessmen were killed by unknown assailants as Syriac villages were damaged or fully evacuated,” David Vergili, a spokesman for the ESU, told the Hürriyet Daily News.
The ESU has called on the HRW to investigate the killings of those Syriacs and enact pressure on state authorities in order to have these incidents resolved, the report titled “The Situation of the Syriacs in Turkey-2012” said.
“Following the intensification of conflict in the region, Syriac people had become easy target for the shadowy groups. Due to lack of juridical and security mechanisms, deep groups with strong ties had been developed [in the region] and established a region of terror. Syriac people, without any reason, were victim of killings,” said Vergili, recalling that around 50 Syriacs were killed in those days.
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Mor Gabriel Monastery and the Malatya Zirve Publishing House Massacre were among the main agenda topics during talks in Ankara on Feb. 25, in which German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with various spiritual leaders.
Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew, Acting Patriarch Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, Chief Rabbi Ishak Haleva, Syriac Mor Gabriel Monastery’s Metropolitan Archbishop Samuel Aktaş, the Turkish Syriac Catholic Deputy Patriarch Chorepiscopus Yusuf Sağ, and Ümit Şahin, Protestant Churches Association General Secretary and Coordinator of the Association’s Committee on Religious Freedom, were present in the meeting, which was held in the Official Residence of the Prime Ministry.
The issue of the historic Mor Gabriel Monastery in the Midyat district of the southeastern province of Mardin, which was given to the treasury despite several appeals from the Syriac Church, was on the agenda. A source who did not want to be named also told the Hürriyet Daily News that the problems regarding Mor Gabriel were the focus of the talks.
Victim’s wife asks for citizenship
“We at least saw that the state values and accepts us on legitimate grounds. We hope to be a part of the dialogue process from now on,” Ümit Şahin said.
Şahin also said they mostly focused on the Zirve massacre case and the problems Suzanna Geske – the wife of massacre victim Tillman Geske – faced regarding her Turkish citizenship, excluding religion boxes on ID cards, and various issues concerning the church building. “Geske’s application for Turkish citizenship was rejected, and she appealed it for the second time. The Prime Minister told his advisors to deal with the matter,” Şahin said. 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, a Christian publisher in the eastern province of Malatya, on April 18, 2007.
Syriac group calls on HRW to enlighten killings
A Brussel-based Syriac rights group, known as the European Syriac Union (ESU), has sent a report regarding 50 Syriacs killed in Turkey between 1987 and 1998 during clashes between the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Turkish security forces to the Human Rights Watch (HRW).
“Well-known Syriac personalities, among them doctors, a former district mayor and businessmen were killed by unknown assailants as Syriac villages were damaged or fully evacuated,” David Vergili, a spokesman for the ESU, told the Hürriyet Daily News.
The ESU has called on the HRW to investigate the killings of those Syriacs and enact pressure on state authorities in order to have these incidents resolved, the report titled “The Situation of the Syriacs in Turkey-2012” said.
“Following the intensification of conflict in the region, Syriac people had become easy target for the shadowy groups. Due to lack of juridical and security mechanisms, deep groups with strong ties had been developed [in the region] and established a region of terror. Syriac people, without any reason, were victim of killings,” said Vergili, recalling that around 50 Syriacs were killed in those days.
22 Şubat 2013 Cuma
Turkey losing its ethnic tongues, report shows
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
As the world celebrates International Mother Language Day, an updated UNESCO report shows that 15 out of 34 ethnic languages spoken in Turkey are in danger of dying out, while three others have become extinct already.
The Anatolia Research and Culture Association (AKA-DER), a body that is active in promoting local cultures, held a demonstration in Istanbul yesterday to attract attention to this fact.
“As the people living on this soil, we have organized this rally to make our mother tongues, which are at risk of dying, live on, to say that we do exist and to call on everyone to lay a claim to their mother languages against policies to destroy them,” said Altan Açıkdilli about the event.
Açıkdilli, who is also among the pioneers of ethnic language courses, said nation-state policies were to blame for the loss of dozens of languages once spoken in the country.
“In the 1930s and 1940s we could not speak our languages due to ‘Speak in Turkish, Citizen’ campaigns backed by the state and one language-one culture policies,” he told the Hürriyet Daily News.
UNESCO ranks endangered local languages in five categories from “vulnerable” to “extinct.”
Ubykh, Masho and Cappadocian Greek have already become extinct, the body says. Hervetin is in critical danger.
School education
Mother tongue education, a recent improvement at Turkish schools, should be secured well, Açıkdilli also said. “For mother tongue education to be successful we should immediately withdraw from racist, monotype policies,” he said.
Despite the efforts by the association, it is hard to learn mother tongues at schools, Açıkdilli said.
“A mother language is taught in the environment that a kid lives in, with lullabies and fairytales, but families do not teach mother languages to their children.”
February/22/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
As the world celebrates International Mother Language Day, an updated UNESCO report shows that 15 out of 34 ethnic languages spoken in Turkey are in danger of dying out, while three others have become extinct already.
The Anatolia Research and Culture Association (AKA-DER), a body that is active in promoting local cultures, held a demonstration in Istanbul yesterday to attract attention to this fact.
“As the people living on this soil, we have organized this rally to make our mother tongues, which are at risk of dying, live on, to say that we do exist and to call on everyone to lay a claim to their mother languages against policies to destroy them,” said Altan Açıkdilli about the event.
Açıkdilli, who is also among the pioneers of ethnic language courses, said nation-state policies were to blame for the loss of dozens of languages once spoken in the country.
“In the 1930s and 1940s we could not speak our languages due to ‘Speak in Turkish, Citizen’ campaigns backed by the state and one language-one culture policies,” he told the Hürriyet Daily News.
UNESCO ranks endangered local languages in five categories from “vulnerable” to “extinct.”
Ubykh, Masho and Cappadocian Greek have already become extinct, the body says. Hervetin is in critical danger.
School education
Mother tongue education, a recent improvement at Turkish schools, should be secured well, Açıkdilli also said. “For mother tongue education to be successful we should immediately withdraw from racist, monotype policies,” he said.
Despite the efforts by the association, it is hard to learn mother tongues at schools, Açıkdilli said.
“A mother language is taught in the environment that a kid lives in, with lullabies and fairytales, but families do not teach mother languages to their children.”
February/22/2013
21 Şubat 2013 Perşembe
Blue Book on Armenian issue re-sent to Turkish deputies
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
A group of intellectuals have re-sent copies of Lord James Bryce and Arnold Toynbee’s “Blue Book,” which relates the Ottoman-era Armenian unrest in Turkey in 1915, to the Turkish Parliament’s 550 lawmakers following a failed attempt to do so four years ago.
The group, which is sending the book to the deputies via the state-controlled postal service PTT, is hoping to draw attention to freedom of speech. “A ban on reading has reached schools,” said Ragıp Zaraoklu, a publisher, at an Istanbul press meeting on the evening of Feb. 19. Zarakolu made the comments in relation to several recent attempts to bar some world classics and local works of literature from schools’ reading lists.
Şükrü Elekdağ, then-Parliamentary Speaker Köksal Toptan prevented deliveries of the books four years ago when they were sent by cargo, Zarakolu said.
“In a bid to point at a rising ban on books and [overcome what happened four years ago], we find it meaningful to start efforts from this point,” he said.
If the deputies cannot receive the books from the PTT, the group plans to distribute them directly at the gate of the Parliament building.
The book was re-printed by the Gomidas Institute four years ago upon the efforts of historian Ara Sarafyan, who was also present at the Feb. 19 meeting.
Sociologist İsmail Beşikçi said the archives in Turkey would never be trustable if the “denialist” policies on the issue continued.
"The Blue Book," also known as “The treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire” is a compilation of statements by eyewitnesses from other countries including Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland during 1915-1916.
The book has been criticized as British wartime propaganda to build up sentiment against the Central Powers by some Western academics and Turkish political parties.
February/20/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
A group of intellectuals have re-sent copies of Lord James Bryce and Arnold Toynbee’s “Blue Book,” which relates the Ottoman-era Armenian unrest in Turkey in 1915, to the Turkish Parliament’s 550 lawmakers following a failed attempt to do so four years ago.
The group, which is sending the book to the deputies via the state-controlled postal service PTT, is hoping to draw attention to freedom of speech. “A ban on reading has reached schools,” said Ragıp Zaraoklu, a publisher, at an Istanbul press meeting on the evening of Feb. 19. Zarakolu made the comments in relation to several recent attempts to bar some world classics and local works of literature from schools’ reading lists.
Şükrü Elekdağ, then-Parliamentary Speaker Köksal Toptan prevented deliveries of the books four years ago when they were sent by cargo, Zarakolu said.
“In a bid to point at a rising ban on books and [overcome what happened four years ago], we find it meaningful to start efforts from this point,” he said.
If the deputies cannot receive the books from the PTT, the group plans to distribute them directly at the gate of the Parliament building.
The book was re-printed by the Gomidas Institute four years ago upon the efforts of historian Ara Sarafyan, who was also present at the Feb. 19 meeting.
Sociologist İsmail Beşikçi said the archives in Turkey would never be trustable if the “denialist” policies on the issue continued.
"The Blue Book," also known as “The treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire” is a compilation of statements by eyewitnesses from other countries including Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland during 1915-1916.
The book has been criticized as British wartime propaganda to build up sentiment against the Central Powers by some Western academics and Turkish political parties.
February/20/2013
19 Şubat 2013 Salı
President Gül meets Syriac Church leader
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
President Abdullah Gül welcomed Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Church Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin on Feb. 18 along with an accompanying delegation in Ankara.
Sait Susin, president of the Meryem Ana Church Foundation, who was among the delegation, told the Hürriyet Daily News that it was a “positive meeting,” and that the Mor Gabriel Monastery was among the main issues spoken about in the meeting.
“We spoke about Mor Gabriel and other areas that were seen ‘occupied’ in Turabidin [around the southeastern province of Mardin and Midyat],” Susin said, referring to the monastery, an area that was given to the treasury despite several appeals from the Syriac Church.
“The president’s approach to our demands was very positive,” Susin acknowledged. “He told us those issues were gradually being solved with steps of democratization.”
Susin added that they addressed their concerns about “negative remarks” on Syriacs in 10th-grade school books.
Turkey’s EU Minister Egemen Bağış also attended the meeting, which was closed to the press.
February/20/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
President Abdullah Gül welcomed Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Church Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin on Feb. 18 along with an accompanying delegation in Ankara.
Sait Susin, president of the Meryem Ana Church Foundation, who was among the delegation, told the Hürriyet Daily News that it was a “positive meeting,” and that the Mor Gabriel Monastery was among the main issues spoken about in the meeting.
“We spoke about Mor Gabriel and other areas that were seen ‘occupied’ in Turabidin [around the southeastern province of Mardin and Midyat],” Susin said, referring to the monastery, an area that was given to the treasury despite several appeals from the Syriac Church.
“The president’s approach to our demands was very positive,” Susin acknowledged. “He told us those issues were gradually being solved with steps of democratization.”
Susin added that they addressed their concerns about “negative remarks” on Syriacs in 10th-grade school books.
Turkey’s EU Minister Egemen Bağış also attended the meeting, which was closed to the press.
February/20/2013
Samatya attacks ‘not nationalist crimes’
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
There is “little chance” that the recent attacks on elderly Armenian women are motivated by nationalism, Fatih Mayor Mustafa Demir has said.
“We need to be prudent when speaking about those attacks. I would like to wait before I speak,” Demir told the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday.
“In all those attacks there has been theft as well, so it seems there is little chance of it being nationalist crimes if you look into the details.”
Samatya, which has seen several attacks on elderly Armenian women in recent months, is an Istanbul neighborhood located in the Fatih district.
Demir, however, said he sympathized with a rally staged earlier this month protesting the attacks. “I understand those rallies to draw attention to the incidents. There is a reflex in the community after the murders of Priest [Andrea] Santoro, Hrant Dink or Zirve,” Demir said, referring to three separate murders of minorities or non-Muslims in Turkey. “But the consciousness has been really high since the Dink murder. I think those [recent] attacks should not be held in the same regard as what has happened in the past.”
On Dec. 28, 2012, Marissa Küçük was stabbed seven times before her throat was slit 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 required eye surgery.
Demir added that the municipality is in contact with the police department, which is searching for one suspect who is allegedly responsible for four attacks.
The mayor added that Armenians were an important part of Samatya, adding that he hoped that “this richness would not be lost.”
February/19/2013
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
There is “little chance” that the recent attacks on elderly Armenian women are motivated by nationalism, Fatih Mayor Mustafa Demir has said.
“We need to be prudent when speaking about those attacks. I would like to wait before I speak,” Demir told the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday.
“In all those attacks there has been theft as well, so it seems there is little chance of it being nationalist crimes if you look into the details.”
Samatya, which has seen several attacks on elderly Armenian women in recent months, is an Istanbul neighborhood located in the Fatih district.
Demir, however, said he sympathized with a rally staged earlier this month protesting the attacks. “I understand those rallies to draw attention to the incidents. There is a reflex in the community after the murders of Priest [Andrea] Santoro, Hrant Dink or Zirve,” Demir said, referring to three separate murders of minorities or non-Muslims in Turkey. “But the consciousness has been really high since the Dink murder. I think those [recent] attacks should not be held in the same regard as what has happened in the past.”
On Dec. 28, 2012, Marissa Küçük was stabbed seven times before her throat was slit 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 required eye surgery.
Demir added that the municipality is in contact with the police department, which is searching for one suspect who is allegedly responsible for four attacks.
The mayor added that Armenians were an important part of Samatya, adding that he hoped that “this richness would not be lost.”
February/19/2013
Mayor vows renovation for historic Grand Bazaar
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Istanbul’s Fatih Municipality is working on a vast restoration project for the Grand Bazaar, one of the landmarks of the city and host to around 3,600 workplaces, Mayor Mustafa Demir has said.
Demir also said in an interview with the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday that the city walls within the district, which became an issue after the murder of Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old American woman, needed vast renovation.
“All the stores in the Grand Bazaar are pieces of history that should be protected,” he said.
A special code was developed to determine the new management structure of the bazaar and some two-thirds of the renewal project has been approved by the Council of Monuments, he said. “Once the whole plan is approved we will begin the restoration work.”
A previous restoration project planned for Istanbul’s 550-year-old iconic bazaar had created a controversy between shopkeepers and the local municipality over the project’s costs.
City walls project rejected
Commenting on the city walls, Demir said a vast portion of the Byzantine structure was used only one day a year, May 29, the anniversary of the Ottoman’s conquest of the city, and this posed risks as the walls remained unattended.
The part of the walls around Topkapı Palace is within his municipality’s area of responsibility, but earlier plans to clean up the surroundings were not approved by the metropolitan municipality or the council, Demir said.
“We submitted a project to clean and repair the walls and open them to public use with green areas and social facilities to both the metropolitan municipality and the Monuments Council, but received a negative result 10 days ago.”
The part used for the ceremony on May 29 has been restored already, but it is not used all year, he noted. “It lacks security. However, it may serve as a place with green area cafes and social facilities.”
The body of Sierra, who was on vacation in Turkey, was found by the city walls, causing criticism about the security conditions in the area.
There are around 10,000 historical buildings in Fatih, and restoration projects have been prepared for 4,500 of them, the mayor said.
February/19/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Istanbul’s Fatih Municipality is working on a vast restoration project for the Grand Bazaar, one of the landmarks of the city and host to around 3,600 workplaces, Mayor Mustafa Demir has said.
Demir also said in an interview with the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday that the city walls within the district, which became an issue after the murder of Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old American woman, needed vast renovation.
“All the stores in the Grand Bazaar are pieces of history that should be protected,” he said.
A special code was developed to determine the new management structure of the bazaar and some two-thirds of the renewal project has been approved by the Council of Monuments, he said. “Once the whole plan is approved we will begin the restoration work.”
A previous restoration project planned for Istanbul’s 550-year-old iconic bazaar had created a controversy between shopkeepers and the local municipality over the project’s costs.
City walls project rejected
Commenting on the city walls, Demir said a vast portion of the Byzantine structure was used only one day a year, May 29, the anniversary of the Ottoman’s conquest of the city, and this posed risks as the walls remained unattended.
The part of the walls around Topkapı Palace is within his municipality’s area of responsibility, but earlier plans to clean up the surroundings were not approved by the metropolitan municipality or the council, Demir said.
“We submitted a project to clean and repair the walls and open them to public use with green areas and social facilities to both the metropolitan municipality and the Monuments Council, but received a negative result 10 days ago.”
The part used for the ceremony on May 29 has been restored already, but it is not used all year, he noted. “It lacks security. However, it may serve as a place with green area cafes and social facilities.”
The body of Sierra, who was on vacation in Turkey, was found by the city walls, causing criticism about the security conditions in the area.
There are around 10,000 historical buildings in Fatih, and restoration projects have been prepared for 4,500 of them, the mayor said.
February/19/2013
Writer denies claims that he seeks asylum in Turkey
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Renowned Azerbaijani writer Akram Aylisli, who has become a target at home over a recent novel depicting Armenian-Azeri friendship, has dismissed claims that he is seeking asylum in Turkey while expressing gratitude for Turkish intellectuals’ critical support during his tribulations.
“The claims are not true. I love Turkey so much, but I have not taken such a decision [to seek asylum in Turkey],” Aylisli recently told the Hürriyet Daily News.
The European Union has called on the Azerbaijani government to end the state pressure against Aylisli, while PEN International is closely following the issue as well.
Aylisli also said the support he has received from the international public was very pleasing.
“[Azerbaijan’s top cleric] declared me a non-believer. Even those who don’t know what my book is about are constantly talking about me on TV. The state and its media organs are targeting me; and all the schools in the country are making propaganda against me,” Aylisli said.
After Aylisli’s latest book, “Stone Dreams,” was released, an Azerbaijani political party placed a 10,000-euro bounty on one of his ears; his books were buried in symbolic funeral ceremonies, and a DNA test was demanded by the Azerbaijani Parliament to determine whether he was actually Armenian.
Aylisli was the recipient of many national and international awards, and was also declared “Azerbaijani National Writer” in 1987, but President İlham Aliyev stripped him of all his national honors on Feb. 7. Aylisli’s son has also been fired from his job.
February/19/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Renowned Azerbaijani writer Akram Aylisli, who has become a target at home over a recent novel depicting Armenian-Azeri friendship, has dismissed claims that he is seeking asylum in Turkey while expressing gratitude for Turkish intellectuals’ critical support during his tribulations.
“The claims are not true. I love Turkey so much, but I have not taken such a decision [to seek asylum in Turkey],” Aylisli recently told the Hürriyet Daily News.
The European Union has called on the Azerbaijani government to end the state pressure against Aylisli, while PEN International is closely following the issue as well.
Aylisli also said the support he has received from the international public was very pleasing.
“[Azerbaijan’s top cleric] declared me a non-believer. Even those who don’t know what my book is about are constantly talking about me on TV. The state and its media organs are targeting me; and all the schools in the country are making propaganda against me,” Aylisli said.
After Aylisli’s latest book, “Stone Dreams,” was released, an Azerbaijani political party placed a 10,000-euro bounty on one of his ears; his books were buried in symbolic funeral ceremonies, and a DNA test was demanded by the Azerbaijani Parliament to determine whether he was actually Armenian.
Aylisli was the recipient of many national and international awards, and was also declared “Azerbaijani National Writer” in 1987, but President İlham Aliyev stripped him of all his national honors on Feb. 7. Aylisli’s son has also been fired from his job.
February/19/2013
18 Şubat 2013 Pazartesi
Missing journalist’s wife asks al-Assad about her husband’s fate
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Arzu Kadumi, the wife of Palestinian journalist Bashar Kadumi who has been missing for 180 days, has demanded that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad provide information about the condition of her husband.
Arzu Kadumi believes they are considered second-class citizens as they are Palestinian, and that Turkey is not fulfilling its requirements on the matter.
She met Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace in December 2012, asking for his help in securing the return of her husband. She is also staging a demonstration in front of the Syria Consulate building in Istanbul every Tuesday.
“I am only asking for information. Assuming that you do not have any information is not persuasive, as long as my husband did not vanish in the air,” Arzu Kadumi told the Hürriyet Daily News, addressing the Syrian authorities.
“Al-Assad’s assistant welcomed the [CHP] delegation. They let everyone pass the border except for me. They said al-Assad had examined the names in the delegation but omitted my name from the list. They also said my husband was a spy who had some connections with Israel. The delegation had promised to bring back both Cüneyt and Bashar, but they were unable to keep this promise and did not finish the process they started,” Kadumi said.
“My husband is a journalist who was born in Jerusalem. He is not a spy,” she said. “Palestinians look up to Syria. They put a Syrian flag next to every Palestinian flag. What kind of a disloyalty is this? So, are the thousands of Palestinians living in Jerusalem also spies? I am very sad that my husband is being treated like an Israel spy,” she added.
Kadumi also said her husband had lived in Turkey for 20 years, adding that the Turkish authorities were not giving them the necessary support. “We are treated like second-class citizens. I do not want to make such a comparison, but Cüneyt Ünal is a citizen of the Turkish Republic, which strongly backs him. But there is no one who backs Bashar,” she said.
When asked whether she was hopeful about her meeting with Erdoğan, she said, “During our meeting, he said there were some problems between Turkey and Syria, so the attempts could be made through Iran. He gave orders to his counselors for that. However, no progress has been achieved for the last two months,” Kadumi said. “I don’t speak Arabic. If I knew the language, I would head to Syria and search for my husband with my own efforts, despite all the dangers and the possibility of being arrested.”
She said she was addressing Bashar al-Assad as a mother and a wife. “May God give him mercy. I only expect al-Assad to tell me whether my husband is dead or alive,” Kadumi said.
In response to these statements, CHP deputy chair Sezgin Tanrıkulu said he did not think they were being treated like second-class citizens because Bashar was of Palestinian origin. “I witnessed how hard my colleagues from the CHP struggled to give humanitarian support to Bashar Kadumi. But we must keep in mind that no data was obtained about his condition,” Tanrıkulu told the Daily News on the phone.
“Palestinian citizenship is not inferior to Turkish citizenship. We struggled for Kadumi’s handover as hard as Cüneyt Ünal’s,” Tanrıkulu said.
Ünal and Kadumi, both working for the U.S. based al-Hurra TV, were caught up in the fighting in Aleppo on Aug. 20 that killed Japanese journalist Mika Yamamoto. Ünal was handed over to a delegation formed by CHP members on Nov. 18, but no information was obtained on Bashar’s fate.
February/16/2013
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Arzu Kadumi, the wife of Palestinian journalist Bashar Kadumi who has been missing for 180 days, has demanded that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad provide information about the condition of her husband.
Arzu Kadumi believes they are considered second-class citizens as they are Palestinian, and that Turkey is not fulfilling its requirements on the matter.
She met Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace in December 2012, asking for his help in securing the return of her husband. She is also staging a demonstration in front of the Syria Consulate building in Istanbul every Tuesday.
“I am only asking for information. Assuming that you do not have any information is not persuasive, as long as my husband did not vanish in the air,” Arzu Kadumi told the Hürriyet Daily News, addressing the Syrian authorities.
“Al-Assad’s assistant welcomed the [CHP] delegation. They let everyone pass the border except for me. They said al-Assad had examined the names in the delegation but omitted my name from the list. They also said my husband was a spy who had some connections with Israel. The delegation had promised to bring back both Cüneyt and Bashar, but they were unable to keep this promise and did not finish the process they started,” Kadumi said.
“My husband is a journalist who was born in Jerusalem. He is not a spy,” she said. “Palestinians look up to Syria. They put a Syrian flag next to every Palestinian flag. What kind of a disloyalty is this? So, are the thousands of Palestinians living in Jerusalem also spies? I am very sad that my husband is being treated like an Israel spy,” she added.
Kadumi also said her husband had lived in Turkey for 20 years, adding that the Turkish authorities were not giving them the necessary support. “We are treated like second-class citizens. I do not want to make such a comparison, but Cüneyt Ünal is a citizen of the Turkish Republic, which strongly backs him. But there is no one who backs Bashar,” she said.
When asked whether she was hopeful about her meeting with Erdoğan, she said, “During our meeting, he said there were some problems between Turkey and Syria, so the attempts could be made through Iran. He gave orders to his counselors for that. However, no progress has been achieved for the last two months,” Kadumi said. “I don’t speak Arabic. If I knew the language, I would head to Syria and search for my husband with my own efforts, despite all the dangers and the possibility of being arrested.”
She said she was addressing Bashar al-Assad as a mother and a wife. “May God give him mercy. I only expect al-Assad to tell me whether my husband is dead or alive,” Kadumi said.
In response to these statements, CHP deputy chair Sezgin Tanrıkulu said he did not think they were being treated like second-class citizens because Bashar was of Palestinian origin. “I witnessed how hard my colleagues from the CHP struggled to give humanitarian support to Bashar Kadumi. But we must keep in mind that no data was obtained about his condition,” Tanrıkulu told the Daily News on the phone.
“Palestinian citizenship is not inferior to Turkish citizenship. We struggled for Kadumi’s handover as hard as Cüneyt Ünal’s,” Tanrıkulu said.
Ünal and Kadumi, both working for the U.S. based al-Hurra TV, were caught up in the fighting in Aleppo on Aug. 20 that killed Japanese journalist Mika Yamamoto. Ünal was handed over to a delegation formed by CHP members on Nov. 18, but no information was obtained on Bashar’s fate.
February/16/2013
Illegal Syrian refugees anxious
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The majority of Syrian refugees in Turkey are accommodated in refugee camps, but those who have entered illegally are dispersed across the country, sometimes living in desperate conditions.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said last week that the number of Syrian refugees in the country had reached 182,000, however the number of unregistered refugees is not known. Those who are lucky have found jobs and are able to send some of the money they earn back to the families they have left in Syria. Their biggest nightmare is that their workplace will be discovered and that they will lose their jobs. However, it seems that their fears will come to an end soon, with the Labor Ministry currently preparing to issue work permits for Syrian citizens who have already been given residence permits.
Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Sahin confirmed last month that work was about to be completed with regard to work permits for Syrian refugees.
Two unregistered refugees who entered Turkey from Syria illegally and who earn a living under tough circumstances spoke to the Hürriyet Daily News under condition of anonymity.
25-year-old B.U. said he had come to Turkey one and a half years ago. “When I came to Turkey, incidents in Syria had yet to reach this stage. I crossed the border as a tourist. I am working at a jewelry workshop without any social security. I earn 200 Turkish Liras a week, and I need to send money to my family back in Syria. We rent an apartment with other refugees; 10 of us are staying there in total. We share the costs,” he said.
K.H., a 50-year-old watch repairman, plans to return to Syria even if the Turkish government grants working permits. “If incidents and clashes don’t come to an end in Syria, I plan to settle in a third country,” he said, adding that he had no complaints about his work, his workplace or his income in Turkey.
“I was a watch repairman in Syria. When compared to my own country, I think people in Turkey earn what they deserve,” he said.
February/18/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The majority of Syrian refugees in Turkey are accommodated in refugee camps, but those who have entered illegally are dispersed across the country, sometimes living in desperate conditions.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said last week that the number of Syrian refugees in the country had reached 182,000, however the number of unregistered refugees is not known. Those who are lucky have found jobs and are able to send some of the money they earn back to the families they have left in Syria. Their biggest nightmare is that their workplace will be discovered and that they will lose their jobs. However, it seems that their fears will come to an end soon, with the Labor Ministry currently preparing to issue work permits for Syrian citizens who have already been given residence permits.
Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Sahin confirmed last month that work was about to be completed with regard to work permits for Syrian refugees.
Two unregistered refugees who entered Turkey from Syria illegally and who earn a living under tough circumstances spoke to the Hürriyet Daily News under condition of anonymity.
25-year-old B.U. said he had come to Turkey one and a half years ago. “When I came to Turkey, incidents in Syria had yet to reach this stage. I crossed the border as a tourist. I am working at a jewelry workshop without any social security. I earn 200 Turkish Liras a week, and I need to send money to my family back in Syria. We rent an apartment with other refugees; 10 of us are staying there in total. We share the costs,” he said.
K.H., a 50-year-old watch repairman, plans to return to Syria even if the Turkish government grants working permits. “If incidents and clashes don’t come to an end in Syria, I plan to settle in a third country,” he said, adding that he had no complaints about his work, his workplace or his income in Turkey.
“I was a watch repairman in Syria. When compared to my own country, I think people in Turkey earn what they deserve,” he said.
February/18/2013
13 Şubat 2013 Çarşamba
Turkish poet Edip Cansever’s verses become latest victim of censors
ISTANBUL
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Two verses of the poem “Table,” which was written by renowned Turkish poet Edip Cansever, were omitted from high school books since they include the word “beer.”
The books, published by Ekoyay Publishing House, were selected to be read in high schools by the National Education Ministry. The omitted verses are as follows: “So many days he had wanted to drink a beer! He put on the table the pouring of that beer.”
Recently chants written by Turkish folk poets Yunus Emre and Kaygusuz Abdal were also omitted from course books, while French-Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf’s historical novel Samarkand was investigated for allegedly “being vulgar and insulting Islam.”
There was an attempt ban certain parts of John Steinbeck’s classic “Of Mice and Men” due to “immoral” passages, and an investigation was launched into “My Sweet Orange Tree” by Brazilian writer José Mauro de Vasconcelos on the same grounds.
“Formerly we were able to follow the [proceedings of] the books that were banned or withdrawn from stores since [the censors and bans] were based on legal grounds, but now it is very hard to follow all the censorship as [the proceedings] are performed through the regulations of the National Education Ministry. They are trying to localize censorship, and it is extremely dangerous to implement them in schools,” Turkish Publishers Association (TYB) President Metin Celâl Zeynioğlu told the Hürriyet Daily News.
“The books in school libraries are supervised by a commission formed by the National Education Ministry; they have the authority to determine which books can be read by students,” Zeynioğlu said.
‘Intention is evident’
According to Zeynioğlu, the repressive practices of the reign of Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid, and the incidents that took place during the 1980 military coup are about to be repeated.
“Their intention to ban these books is evident. How can one think that a student might become alcoholic when he sees the word ‘beer?’” Zeynioğlu said.
Zeynioğlu also said neither publishing houses nor the ministry had the right to censor literary works. “It is clearly stated in the Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works. Reading censored works prevents younger generations from learning about authors and poets. It constitutes a criminal offense both legally and morally,” Zeynioğlu said.
Meanwhile, PEN Turkey head Tarık Günersel said publishing censored works was unacceptable and legal cases must be filed against such activities.
Turkey is on the blacklist of PEN International, according to Günersel. “Unfortunately, bigotry dominates over our intellectual and artistic activities. PEN International has to deal with such problems all over the world, especially in countries such as Turkey, China, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and North Korea, where repression is intensely felt,” Günersel said.
February/13/2013
ISTANBUL
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Two verses of the poem “Table,” which was written by renowned Turkish poet Edip Cansever, were omitted from high school books since they include the word “beer.”
The books, published by Ekoyay Publishing House, were selected to be read in high schools by the National Education Ministry. The omitted verses are as follows: “So many days he had wanted to drink a beer! He put on the table the pouring of that beer.”
Recently chants written by Turkish folk poets Yunus Emre and Kaygusuz Abdal were also omitted from course books, while French-Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf’s historical novel Samarkand was investigated for allegedly “being vulgar and insulting Islam.”
There was an attempt ban certain parts of John Steinbeck’s classic “Of Mice and Men” due to “immoral” passages, and an investigation was launched into “My Sweet Orange Tree” by Brazilian writer José Mauro de Vasconcelos on the same grounds.
“Formerly we were able to follow the [proceedings of] the books that were banned or withdrawn from stores since [the censors and bans] were based on legal grounds, but now it is very hard to follow all the censorship as [the proceedings] are performed through the regulations of the National Education Ministry. They are trying to localize censorship, and it is extremely dangerous to implement them in schools,” Turkish Publishers Association (TYB) President Metin Celâl Zeynioğlu told the Hürriyet Daily News.
“The books in school libraries are supervised by a commission formed by the National Education Ministry; they have the authority to determine which books can be read by students,” Zeynioğlu said.
‘Intention is evident’
According to Zeynioğlu, the repressive practices of the reign of Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid, and the incidents that took place during the 1980 military coup are about to be repeated.
“Their intention to ban these books is evident. How can one think that a student might become alcoholic when he sees the word ‘beer?’” Zeynioğlu said.
Zeynioğlu also said neither publishing houses nor the ministry had the right to censor literary works. “It is clearly stated in the Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works. Reading censored works prevents younger generations from learning about authors and poets. It constitutes a criminal offense both legally and morally,” Zeynioğlu said.
Meanwhile, PEN Turkey head Tarık Günersel said publishing censored works was unacceptable and legal cases must be filed against such activities.
Turkey is on the blacklist of PEN International, according to Günersel. “Unfortunately, bigotry dominates over our intellectual and artistic activities. PEN International has to deal with such problems all over the world, especially in countries such as Turkey, China, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and North Korea, where repression is intensely felt,” Günersel said.
February/13/2013
11 Şubat 2013 Pazartesi
Intellectuals back famous Azerbaijani writer in attack
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Turkish and Armenian intellectuals have recently issued support messages for renowned Azerbaijani novelist Akram Aylisli, who became the target of attacks for his latest novel.
“When true intellectuals and true writers defend truths, it does not mean that they don’t love their country. [Aylisli’s] statements clearly show that a patriot cannot remain silent in the face of the truth,” Writers’ Union of Armenia President Levon Ananyan told Radio Liberti.
Prominent publisher, author and human rights activist Ragıp Zarakolu released an announcement titled “Azeri Vicdanlılara Sahip Çıkalım” (Defend Azerbaijani Conscience). “No matter what you call honest people with conscience, they are the real pride of a country. Currently, the life of Azerbaijan’s pride, Aylisli, is under a severe threat. Even though some Western countries and Russia invited him, Aylisli displayed an honorable posture and rejected leaving his homeland. In order to prevent another murder resembling the assassination of Hrant Dink, I call the international public and the democrats of Turkey and Azerbaijan to active solidarity with Aylisli,” the announcement read.
Aylisli became the target of attacks both from the state and the public after the release of his latest novel, “Stone Dreams,” which depicts Azerbaijani-Armenian friendship through its protagonists. A symbolic DNA test was done last week in Baku to prove whether Aylisli was Armenian. A group of angry people gathered in front of Aylisli’s house, painted crosses on his photos and burned them, shouting slogans such as, “Traitor, shame on you!
Aylisli had been the recipient of many national and international awards, and was also declared “Azerbaijani National Writer” in 1987, but President İlham Aliyev stripped him of all his national honors on Feb. 7.
February/12/2013
Newborn forms spark controversy
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Turkey’s Health Ministry’s forms for newborn babies sparked a debate recently for containing questions on the religion of the baby and asking whether the parents were married.
Republican People’s Party deputy Aytuğ Atıcı brought the subject to public attention, describing the forms as “forms of shame.”
“Is this not a fascist understanding?” Atıcı asked. “I do not accept such a view. The Health Ministry should recall these forms.”
The religion section, he added, had only enough space for five letters, in accordance with the word Islam.
Health Ministry press officials told the Hürriyet Daily News that the forms were rewritten in accordance with several new categories, like heel blood tests, and to work well with other government offices. The marital status question was a direct result of such information gathering, and the religion question was in accordance with the Population Services requirements, the ministry said.
None of the categories was required to be filled in, the ministry statement further said, and are used to prepare the ID cards of newborns and send them directly to the parents if they wish to receive them automatically.
The new practice will also permit the gathering of statistics for many official data surveys, the ministry added.
February/08/2013
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Turkey’s Health Ministry’s forms for newborn babies sparked a debate recently for containing questions on the religion of the baby and asking whether the parents were married.
Republican People’s Party deputy Aytuğ Atıcı brought the subject to public attention, describing the forms as “forms of shame.”
“Is this not a fascist understanding?” Atıcı asked. “I do not accept such a view. The Health Ministry should recall these forms.”
The religion section, he added, had only enough space for five letters, in accordance with the word Islam.
Health Ministry press officials told the Hürriyet Daily News that the forms were rewritten in accordance with several new categories, like heel blood tests, and to work well with other government offices. The marital status question was a direct result of such information gathering, and the religion question was in accordance with the Population Services requirements, the ministry said.
None of the categories was required to be filled in, the ministry statement further said, and are used to prepare the ID cards of newborns and send them directly to the parents if they wish to receive them automatically.
The new practice will also permit the gathering of statistics for many official data surveys, the ministry added.
February/08/2013
Turkish army attempts to draft paralyzed Russian man
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Turkish authorities have attempted to draft a Russian man left paralyzed following an accident in 2008 in Antalya who became a Turkish citizen after he lost the ability to express himself and could not be identified.
Following the official summons from the Turkish Military, an “inconvenient for military service” report was given to the man, whose official name is Mustafa Öz.
Öz’s original nationality is also a matter of doubt, according to Gülsüm Kabadayı, who has been taking care of him voluntarily since the accident.
Kabadayı stayed with him in the hospital for over 300 days, 110 of which Öz, who Kabadayı nicknamed Umut, spent in intensive care. Umut soon received a Turkish ID card identifying him as Mustafa Öz and was placed under state care upon his release.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, Gülsüm Kabadayı said she had three children and Mustafa was the fourth one. “He is a part of our family,” she said.
When Kabadayı was asked how the Turkish ID was given to Mustafa, she said his family could not be located after the accident.
“I was told that he was Russian or from another neighboring country of Russia at the hospital in 2008 after the accident but this information was not confirmed. That’s why I do not know if he is Russian or not. It does not matter in the end, he is my son, his religion, language, race, these are not the things I am interested in. If his mother is alive, let her know Mustafa is safe but I want her to connect with us,” Kabadayı said.
Kabadayı also said she would not let his real family take him from her.
“When he was discharged from the hospital his weight was only 30 kgs, now his health is so good. It is not obligatory to give birth to someone to be his mother. But I can offer [his mother] to settle down in Antalya and we can take care of him together,” she said.
A military service summon is a routine procedure for every male Turkish citizen, she added. Russian Culture Association member and businesswoman Olga Hevtsov said there was not clear information regarding Öz’s national identity, but when he watches Russian TV he obviously reacts.
February/08/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Turkish authorities have attempted to draft a Russian man left paralyzed following an accident in 2008 in Antalya who became a Turkish citizen after he lost the ability to express himself and could not be identified.
Following the official summons from the Turkish Military, an “inconvenient for military service” report was given to the man, whose official name is Mustafa Öz.
Öz’s original nationality is also a matter of doubt, according to Gülsüm Kabadayı, who has been taking care of him voluntarily since the accident.
Kabadayı stayed with him in the hospital for over 300 days, 110 of which Öz, who Kabadayı nicknamed Umut, spent in intensive care. Umut soon received a Turkish ID card identifying him as Mustafa Öz and was placed under state care upon his release.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, Gülsüm Kabadayı said she had three children and Mustafa was the fourth one. “He is a part of our family,” she said.
When Kabadayı was asked how the Turkish ID was given to Mustafa, she said his family could not be located after the accident.
“I was told that he was Russian or from another neighboring country of Russia at the hospital in 2008 after the accident but this information was not confirmed. That’s why I do not know if he is Russian or not. It does not matter in the end, he is my son, his religion, language, race, these are not the things I am interested in. If his mother is alive, let her know Mustafa is safe but I want her to connect with us,” Kabadayı said.
Kabadayı also said she would not let his real family take him from her.
“When he was discharged from the hospital his weight was only 30 kgs, now his health is so good. It is not obligatory to give birth to someone to be his mother. But I can offer [his mother] to settle down in Antalya and we can take care of him together,” she said.
A military service summon is a routine procedure for every male Turkish citizen, she added. Russian Culture Association member and businesswoman Olga Hevtsov said there was not clear information regarding Öz’s national identity, but when he watches Russian TV he obviously reacts.
February/08/2013
8 Şubat 2013 Cuma
Azerbaijani writer target of attacks due to novel content
Famed Azerbaijani novelist Akram Aylisli has become the target of attacks both from the state and the public after the release of his latest novel, “Stone Dreams,” which depicts Azerbaijani-Armenian friendship through its protagonists. A symbolic DNA test will be made today in Baku to prove if Aylisli is Armenian or not.
A group of angry people gathered in front of the 76-year-old writer’s house, painted a cross on Aylisli’s photos and burned them, shouting slogans such as, “Traitor, shame on you!”
Aylisli was the recipient of many national and international awards, and was also declared “Azerbaijani National Writer” in 1987, but President İlham Aliyev stripped him of all his national honors yesterday -- a first in the Caspian country’s history. Aylisli also now faces denaturalization.
Speaking to Hürriyet Daily News through e-mail regarding the events, Aylisli said that he saw similar attacks in the Soviet era. “But I have never seen anything like this. All these things are one of the worst forms of the Soviet Union ideology. They are carrying out a spiritual terror campaign against me. They even attack my family.” “Those, who discuss my identity know that I have no Armenian origin,” Aylisli said of the DNA test. “I once again say that this is a spiritual terror campaign. Nobody can speak about my spirituality and morals.” When asked about human rights and freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, he said, “In a country where a famous artist gets into that much trouble, it doesn’t make sense to speak about human rights. They try to silence people of opposing views and enjoy it while doing it.”
“The main goal of the novel is to call for Armenians and Turks to live together,” Aylisli said, adding that his novels had nothing to do with politics.
‘A route for peace should be sought’
According to Aylisli, the novel begins with an incident. “Ten to 15 young Azerbaijanis exiled from Armenia reach Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, where they encounter an old Armenian man, take of his clothes and beat and throw him into a pool. A famous Azerbaijani artist sees the incident and tries to help the old man. The young Azerbaijani men also start to beat him up. The incidents after this event take place in the inner world of the artist,” he said.
The book explores the artist’s village, where he grew up, his childhood and personal life.
The novel takes place in 1919 and discusses the Armenian massacre and incidents of 1915 and the resultant suffering, Aylisli said, adding that once upon a time Azerbaijanis and Armenians lived happily and in peace, and that they should endeavor to live in peace again.
According to Aylisli, the hatred should end between the two nations and the Montenegro agreements can also be solved peacefully.
“The representatives should search for ways to make the two nations live in harmony. My book is just a message. It is a message from a writer and an intellectual,” Aylisli said.
Born in1937 in an Azerbaijani village in Ordubad’s Yukhari, Aylisli went on to write novels that have been translated into a variety of languages and published in several countries. In the meantime, Aylisli’s son Necef Naibov, who is working for the Ministry of Customs, and his library director wife Galina Aleksandrovna, were fired from their jobs. A summer house, which was gifted to the famous writer by the state, was also taken from him.
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Famed Azerbaijani novelist Akram Aylisli has become the target of attacks both from the state and the public after the release of his latest novel, “Stone Dreams,” which depicts Azerbaijani-Armenian friendship through its protagonists. A symbolic DNA test will be made today in Baku to prove if Aylisli is Armenian or not.
A group of angry people gathered in front of the 76-year-old writer’s house, painted a cross on Aylisli’s photos and burned them, shouting slogans such as, “Traitor, shame on you!”
Aylisli was the recipient of many national and international awards, and was also declared “Azerbaijani National Writer” in 1987, but President İlham Aliyev stripped him of all his national honors yesterday -- a first in the Caspian country’s history. Aylisli also now faces denaturalization.
Speaking to Hürriyet Daily News through e-mail regarding the events, Aylisli said that he saw similar attacks in the Soviet era. “But I have never seen anything like this. All these things are one of the worst forms of the Soviet Union ideology. They are carrying out a spiritual terror campaign against me. They even attack my family.” “Those, who discuss my identity know that I have no Armenian origin,” Aylisli said of the DNA test. “I once again say that this is a spiritual terror campaign. Nobody can speak about my spirituality and morals.” When asked about human rights and freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, he said, “In a country where a famous artist gets into that much trouble, it doesn’t make sense to speak about human rights. They try to silence people of opposing views and enjoy it while doing it.”
“The main goal of the novel is to call for Armenians and Turks to live together,” Aylisli said, adding that his novels had nothing to do with politics.
‘A route for peace should be sought’
According to Aylisli, the novel begins with an incident. “Ten to 15 young Azerbaijanis exiled from Armenia reach Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, where they encounter an old Armenian man, take of his clothes and beat and throw him into a pool. A famous Azerbaijani artist sees the incident and tries to help the old man. The young Azerbaijani men also start to beat him up. The incidents after this event take place in the inner world of the artist,” he said.
The book explores the artist’s village, where he grew up, his childhood and personal life.
The novel takes place in 1919 and discusses the Armenian massacre and incidents of 1915 and the resultant suffering, Aylisli said, adding that once upon a time Azerbaijanis and Armenians lived happily and in peace, and that they should endeavor to live in peace again.
According to Aylisli, the hatred should end between the two nations and the Montenegro agreements can also be solved peacefully.
“The representatives should search for ways to make the two nations live in harmony. My book is just a message. It is a message from a writer and an intellectual,” Aylisli said.
Born in1937 in an Azerbaijani village in Ordubad’s Yukhari, Aylisli went on to write novels that have been translated into a variety of languages and published in several countries. In the meantime, Aylisli’s son Necef Naibov, who is working for the Ministry of Customs, and his library director wife Galina Aleksandrovna, were fired from their jobs. A summer house, which was gifted to the famous writer by the state, was also taken from him.
February/08/2013
7 Şubat 2013 Perşembe
Patriarchate against Hagia Sophia opening
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The Fener Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate supports the continued use of the historical Hagia Sophia in Trabzon as a museum, not as a mosque.
“As is known, Trabzon is not urgently in need of a mosque, and it is also known that there is no Orthodox community there. The best way is to keep the church as a museum,” Dositheos Anagnostopulos, the Patriarchate’s press officer told the Hürriyet Daily News in a phone interview yesterday.
The Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate holds annual ceremonies in the Sümela Monastery in Trabzon province with a special permit issued by the Ministry of Culture.
Asked whether the Patriarchate would demand to hold ceremonies in Hagia Sophia as well, Anagnostopulos said that if the ministry permitted it and the Orthodox community desired it, this would be their duty, not only a desire.
The Foundations Directorate had announced Feb. 4 that the Hagia Sophia in Trabzon would soon be opened up for prayers.
Foundations Directorate Head Adnan Ertem said five of the seven Hagia Sophias nationwide were currently functioning as mosques, but two were still inactive, adding that the culture minister was the “occupying force” in the decision to reopen Trabzon’s Hagia Sophia.
“We have won the court case regarding the situation,” Ertem said. “We are planning to open the place for prayers again after the necessary processes are completed.”
The Hagia Sophia Museum was first dedicated as an Orthodox patriarchal basilica in 360 A.D. Until the year of 1453 it served as the Greek Patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople. Following the city’s conquest by the Ottoman Empire, the building was converted into a mosque in 1453 and remained so until 1931, when it was closed to the public for four years. It was reopened by the republican authorities in 1935 as a museum.
February/07/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The Fener Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate supports the continued use of the historical Hagia Sophia in Trabzon as a museum, not as a mosque.
“As is known, Trabzon is not urgently in need of a mosque, and it is also known that there is no Orthodox community there. The best way is to keep the church as a museum,” Dositheos Anagnostopulos, the Patriarchate’s press officer told the Hürriyet Daily News in a phone interview yesterday.
The Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate holds annual ceremonies in the Sümela Monastery in Trabzon province with a special permit issued by the Ministry of Culture.
Asked whether the Patriarchate would demand to hold ceremonies in Hagia Sophia as well, Anagnostopulos said that if the ministry permitted it and the Orthodox community desired it, this would be their duty, not only a desire.
The Foundations Directorate had announced Feb. 4 that the Hagia Sophia in Trabzon would soon be opened up for prayers.
Foundations Directorate Head Adnan Ertem said five of the seven Hagia Sophias nationwide were currently functioning as mosques, but two were still inactive, adding that the culture minister was the “occupying force” in the decision to reopen Trabzon’s Hagia Sophia.
“We have won the court case regarding the situation,” Ertem said. “We are planning to open the place for prayers again after the necessary processes are completed.”
The Hagia Sophia Museum was first dedicated as an Orthodox patriarchal basilica in 360 A.D. Until the year of 1453 it served as the Greek Patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople. Following the city’s conquest by the Ottoman Empire, the building was converted into a mosque in 1453 and remained so until 1931, when it was closed to the public for four years. It was reopened by the republican authorities in 1935 as a museum.
February/07/2013
6 Şubat 2013 Çarşamba
Syriac Church sends text to keep records of Syrians
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Istanbul Syriac Church sent messages to its members, calling them to help maintain proper records of refugees by turning in names and numbers of refugees they host in their homes.
The church should be alerted on all Syriacs who have escaped the war-torn Syria to take refuge in their relatives’ homes in Turkey, and names should be given to church officials to ensure better records.
President of the Meryem Ana Church Foundation in Istanbul, Sait Susin, said the practice aimed to achieve a better estimation of the number of refugees currently in Istanbul. “We will shape the campaign according to the numbers we gathered through this,” Susin said. Around 250 refugees are being hosted in Istanbul, Susin added. “They stay in Turkey for a short time before they move on to other countries,” Susin said. “They mostly ask us to help them about visas, and accommodation. We help them for accommodation with our limited resources, but we cannot do much about visas.” Around 25 refugees are staying in a Mardin monastery, according to Susin, with over 85 refugees being stuck at security posts in Turkish airports, wanting to get in.
15,000 Syriacs live in Turkey, with 10,000 of them residing in Istanbul. The remaining numbers live in eastern and southeastern provinces.
February/06/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Istanbul Syriac Church sent messages to its members, calling them to help maintain proper records of refugees by turning in names and numbers of refugees they host in their homes.
The church should be alerted on all Syriacs who have escaped the war-torn Syria to take refuge in their relatives’ homes in Turkey, and names should be given to church officials to ensure better records.
President of the Meryem Ana Church Foundation in Istanbul, Sait Susin, said the practice aimed to achieve a better estimation of the number of refugees currently in Istanbul. “We will shape the campaign according to the numbers we gathered through this,” Susin said. Around 250 refugees are being hosted in Istanbul, Susin added. “They stay in Turkey for a short time before they move on to other countries,” Susin said. “They mostly ask us to help them about visas, and accommodation. We help them for accommodation with our limited resources, but we cannot do much about visas.” Around 25 refugees are staying in a Mardin monastery, according to Susin, with over 85 refugees being stuck at security posts in Turkish airports, wanting to get in.
15,000 Syriacs live in Turkey, with 10,000 of them residing in Istanbul. The remaining numbers live in eastern and southeastern provinces.
February/06/2013
5 Şubat 2013 Salı
‘Urban plan won’t affect minorities’
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Urban transformation projects will not affect minority land rights, says Laki Vingas, a council member of the Directorate General of Foundations.
“It is not possible for the new laws on the urban transformation to harm the minority foundations,” Vingas told Hürriyet Daily News recently.
His remarks came in the wake of a parliamentary question submitted by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy Erkan Akçay about Vingas’ position in the Directorate General of Foundations.
Akçay asked for Vingas’ dismissal from his post in the Directorate on the grounds that he is also a member of the administrative body of the Panaiya Greek Orthodox Church located in Istanbul’s Yeniköy neighborhood.
Akçay said despite being responsible for the Minority Foundations in the Directorate General of Foundations, Vingas is also a manager at the Panaiya Greek Orthodox Church and applied to the Directorate for the registration of six real estate tracts belonging to the Church.
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç confirmed that Yeniköy’s Panayia Greek Orthodox Church is being represented by Vingas at the Foundations Council and that Vingas applied for the registration of six pieces of real estate on behalf of the church, in his response to the parliamentary question. Arınç also said the situation is not against the law.
Vingas told the Daily News that his situation is in line with laws and regulation. “I am not doing anything against the law and regulations. I took the position in the church foundation by an election,” he said.
“I believe I am doing my job in the most correct way. I am not offended by such questions. I am not doing anything against the law,” he added.
Vingas has represented around 166 minority foundations in the Directorate since 2009 and is the first person among the minorities being appointed to this post.
February/04/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Urban transformation projects will not affect minority land rights, says Laki Vingas, a council member of the Directorate General of Foundations.
“It is not possible for the new laws on the urban transformation to harm the minority foundations,” Vingas told Hürriyet Daily News recently.
His remarks came in the wake of a parliamentary question submitted by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy Erkan Akçay about Vingas’ position in the Directorate General of Foundations.
Akçay asked for Vingas’ dismissal from his post in the Directorate on the grounds that he is also a member of the administrative body of the Panaiya Greek Orthodox Church located in Istanbul’s Yeniköy neighborhood.
Akçay said despite being responsible for the Minority Foundations in the Directorate General of Foundations, Vingas is also a manager at the Panaiya Greek Orthodox Church and applied to the Directorate for the registration of six real estate tracts belonging to the Church.
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç confirmed that Yeniköy’s Panayia Greek Orthodox Church is being represented by Vingas at the Foundations Council and that Vingas applied for the registration of six pieces of real estate on behalf of the church, in his response to the parliamentary question. Arınç also said the situation is not against the law.
Vingas told the Daily News that his situation is in line with laws and regulation. “I am not doing anything against the law and regulations. I took the position in the church foundation by an election,” he said.
“I believe I am doing my job in the most correct way. I am not offended by such questions. I am not doing anything against the law,” he added.
Vingas has represented around 166 minority foundations in the Directorate since 2009 and is the first person among the minorities being appointed to this post.
February/04/2013
3 Şubat 2013 Pazar
Syriacs establish military council in Syria
The Syriac community in Syria has established the “Syriac Military Council” to combat problems Syriacs face due to the conflicts in the country, the Council said in an official declaration issued Jan. 8.
The Syriac Military Council will operate particularly in the areas where Syriacs are densely populated, including Aleppo, Damascus, Al-Hasakah, Latakia and Homs.
Ashour Youssef, a member of the Council, said it would engage in military activities in order to make Syriacs stay in Syria. “We did not found the Council with aims of creating hostility or targeting a certain community. On the contrary, we aim to reflect our will for living in a peaceful and democratic atmosphere with the other communities,” Youssef said.
“The developments in Syria are directly influencing Syrians. The clashes have also harmed the Syriacs, limiting their life spaces. Syriacs are mostly affected by the clashes in Damascus, Aleppo, and Al-Hasakah provinces. They are trying to take shelter in more secure regions since their military and security forces are ineffective,” Youssef said.
“Especially in Aleppo and Al-Hasakah, people are being abducted for ransom. Our military council will target the factors that directly threaten our people and preserve the areas where Syriacs live. Also, it will engage in activities that would support Syriacs in Syria’s military and political platforms, and struggle for a change of regime along with the other communities,” Youssef said.
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The Syriac community in Syria has established the “Syriac Military Council” to combat problems Syriacs face due to the conflicts in the country, the Council said in an official declaration issued Jan. 8.
The Syriac Military Council will operate particularly in the areas where Syriacs are densely populated, including Aleppo, Damascus, Al-Hasakah, Latakia and Homs.
Ashour Youssef, a member of the Council, said it would engage in military activities in order to make Syriacs stay in Syria. “We did not found the Council with aims of creating hostility or targeting a certain community. On the contrary, we aim to reflect our will for living in a peaceful and democratic atmosphere with the other communities,” Youssef said.
“The developments in Syria are directly influencing Syrians. The clashes have also harmed the Syriacs, limiting their life spaces. Syriacs are mostly affected by the clashes in Damascus, Aleppo, and Al-Hasakah provinces. They are trying to take shelter in more secure regions since their military and security forces are ineffective,” Youssef said.
“Especially in Aleppo and Al-Hasakah, people are being abducted for ransom. Our military council will target the factors that directly threaten our people and preserve the areas where Syriacs live. Also, it will engage in activities that would support Syriacs in Syria’s military and political platforms, and struggle for a change of regime along with the other communities,” Youssef said.
February/02/2013
Armenian elections in doubt after attack
The Armenian presidential election is on the verge of postponement after a presidential candidate was wounded by unknown gunmen in the capital of Yerevan on Jan. 31.
Paruyr Hayrikyan, whose life was not in danger after the shooting, decided on Feb. 1 to run in elections. According to Armenia’s Constitution, the election could be postponed by two weeks if a candidate is unable to campaign or run. In the event of a candidate’s death, a new election is called, to be held within 40 days.
“This is an attack against the peace and prosperity of Armenia,” David Shahnazarian, the Central Office Representative for the Armenian National Congress (ANC) and the former president of the National Security Council in Armenia, told the Hürriyet Daily News.
“It is obvious that this attempt has political ties and aims to manipulate the country’s internal affairs,” he said.
“Hayrikyan is not in a life-threatening situation. The Constitution approves of postponing elections in such cases but no decision has been taken yet. This will be decided regarding Hayrikyan’s health condition,” he said.
Hayrikyan, 63, is the leader of a moderate opposition party, the National Self-determination Union, and ran for president in 2003.
The attack raises fears of a return to the violence that marred the 2008 presidential elections. Violent clashes broke out between opposition protesters and police that year, killing 10 people.
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The Armenian presidential election is on the verge of postponement after a presidential candidate was wounded by unknown gunmen in the capital of Yerevan on Jan. 31.
Paruyr Hayrikyan, whose life was not in danger after the shooting, decided on Feb. 1 to run in elections. According to Armenia’s Constitution, the election could be postponed by two weeks if a candidate is unable to campaign or run. In the event of a candidate’s death, a new election is called, to be held within 40 days.
“This is an attack against the peace and prosperity of Armenia,” David Shahnazarian, the Central Office Representative for the Armenian National Congress (ANC) and the former president of the National Security Council in Armenia, told the Hürriyet Daily News.
“It is obvious that this attempt has political ties and aims to manipulate the country’s internal affairs,” he said.
“Hayrikyan is not in a life-threatening situation. The Constitution approves of postponing elections in such cases but no decision has been taken yet. This will be decided regarding Hayrikyan’s health condition,” he said.
Hayrikyan, 63, is the leader of a moderate opposition party, the National Self-determination Union, and ran for president in 2003.
The attack raises fears of a return to the violence that marred the 2008 presidential elections. Violent clashes broke out between opposition protesters and police that year, killing 10 people.
February/01/2013
Armenians in US gripe hate crimes
Vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Two Armenian groups in the United States staged a protest on Jan. 31 over the recent killings of Armenian women in Turkey.
The Washington, D.C.-based Armenian Student Association (ASA) and DC Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) staged the protest near the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
The protest came in the wake of four separate attacks on elderly Armenian women in Istanbul in the last two months, three of them staged in the Samatya neighborhood.
“The assault on helpless elderly Armenian women in Istanbul, one resulting in death and another in a lost eye, are heartbreaking,” radio broadcaster and writer David Barsamian wrote to Hürriyet Daily News. “The attacks must be seen in the context of racism.”
The attacks has fueled questions of racial motivations, but there are yet to be official confirmations to that end. On Feb. 1, daily Habertürk released a description of the alleged assailant involved in the four attacks.
Canadian pianist and Armenian Weekly writer Raffi Bedrosyan has called the attacks hate crimes, said: “Despite statements by police authorities, Istanbul are robbery-related, there is no doubt that they are racist hate crimes targeting defenseless Armenians as a message of intimidation.”
Vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The Washington, D.C.-based Armenian Student Association (ASA) and DC Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) staged the protest near the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
The protest came in the wake of four separate attacks on elderly Armenian women in Istanbul in the last two months, three of them staged in the Samatya neighborhood.
“The assault on helpless elderly Armenian women in Istanbul, one resulting in death and another in a lost eye, are heartbreaking,” radio broadcaster and writer David Barsamian wrote to Hürriyet Daily News. “The attacks must be seen in the context of racism.”
The attacks has fueled questions of racial motivations, but there are yet to be official confirmations to that end. On Feb. 1, daily Habertürk released a description of the alleged assailant involved in the four attacks.
Canadian pianist and Armenian Weekly writer Raffi Bedrosyan has called the attacks hate crimes, said: “Despite statements by police authorities, Istanbul are robbery-related, there is no doubt that they are racist hate crimes targeting defenseless Armenians as a message of intimidation.”
February/01/2013
1 Şubat 2013 Cuma
Life of famous musician brought to light
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
After renowned Turkish musician and pianist Ferdi Özbeğen passed away due to respiratory failure on Jan. 28, unknown details of his life have begun to emerge. Recently, research was initiated to find his personal records at the Mıhitaryan Armenian School in Istanbul, where he received his primary education.
Özbeğen’s biography, “Şöhret Dediğin: Ferdi Özbeğen’in Hayatı (The Thing Called Fame: the Life of Ferdi Özbeğen),”was written by Ali Rıza Türker and published this month.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, the Mıhitaryan School’s Priest, Hagopos Çopuryan, said Özbeğen was the son of a Catholic-Armenian mother and Turkish father and his original name was Ferdinand. Çopuryan said the school records would be scanned in order to learn the details of his life story. “The archives [of the school] are so broad that we have to go over all the records to reach [Özbeğen’s] personal records,” Çopuryan said.
Çopuryan said until the Provisional Commission on Minorities (ATK) began operating in the 1970s, the Mıhitaryan School was preferred by many groups of society in addition to Armenians due to its high educational quality. “Today, one can receive an education at our school only if one of their parents is of Armenian origin; however, such a distinction was not made until 1976,” Çopuryan said.
In his biography, Özbeğen describes his mother, Afet (Anita), as “a daughter of an Armenian-Catholic family from Ankara. Her first husband was an Egyptian, and he was much older than my mother. Since my mother was a Catholic, I went to Mıhitaryan Catholic School for a while.”
February/01/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
After renowned Turkish musician and pianist Ferdi Özbeğen passed away due to respiratory failure on Jan. 28, unknown details of his life have begun to emerge. Recently, research was initiated to find his personal records at the Mıhitaryan Armenian School in Istanbul, where he received his primary education.
Özbeğen’s biography, “Şöhret Dediğin: Ferdi Özbeğen’in Hayatı (The Thing Called Fame: the Life of Ferdi Özbeğen),”was written by Ali Rıza Türker and published this month.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, the Mıhitaryan School’s Priest, Hagopos Çopuryan, said Özbeğen was the son of a Catholic-Armenian mother and Turkish father and his original name was Ferdinand. Çopuryan said the school records would be scanned in order to learn the details of his life story. “The archives [of the school] are so broad that we have to go over all the records to reach [Özbeğen’s] personal records,” Çopuryan said.
Çopuryan said until the Provisional Commission on Minorities (ATK) began operating in the 1970s, the Mıhitaryan School was preferred by many groups of society in addition to Armenians due to its high educational quality. “Today, one can receive an education at our school only if one of their parents is of Armenian origin; however, such a distinction was not made until 1976,” Çopuryan said.
In his biography, Özbeğen describes his mother, Afet (Anita), as “a daughter of an Armenian-Catholic family from Ankara. Her first husband was an Egyptian, and he was much older than my mother. Since my mother was a Catholic, I went to Mıhitaryan Catholic School for a while.”
February/01/2013
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