Mayor, locals happy with Armenian woman murder arrest
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Istanbul’s Fatih district mayor, Mustafa Demir, has expressed his satisfaction with the arrest of M. N., the sole suspect in the investigation of multiple assaults against elderly Armenian women, which resulted in one death.
“Before his arrest there were provocative and discriminative scenarios,” he told the Hürriyet Daily News in a phone interview yesterday. “But the history of these people, who have been living together in Samatya for 550 years, should not be forgotten. No matter if they are Turks, Armenians or Muslims, the fact is there is a petty crime here,” Demir said.
The 38-year-old suspect, who is said to be a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin, was detained March 4. An Istanbul judge later ruled to arrest the suspect.
Demir also said that because the assaulted were all elderly women living alone, it is safe to say the victims were targeted for their vulnerability rather than for their identities. “First of all, as Fatih mayor, I am happy about the arrest of the suspect. Also, I would like to thank Samatya Surp Kevork Church authorities for their calm attitude,” he said.
On Dec. 28, 2012, Maritsa Küçük was stabbed seven times before her throat was slit in her home in Samatya. Two other attacks were carried out in the same 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 another was robbed and severely injured. 84-year-old Sultan Akyar was attacked in Samatya and needed eye surgery.
Leading figures of the Armenian community told the Daily News the suspect was not known among the community.
Aşık’s grand daughter-in-law Arev Cebeci said they were following the developments closely.
“At least it seems that the assaults were not race crimes. The suspect is an Armenian who converted to Islam. It is being said that he lives in Samatya and receives aids from the church, but such information does not exist in church records,” Cebeci said. However, he said he still had doubts. “They said it was a robbery attempt but he stole only jewelry that did not have [much] material value,” Cebeci said. Arsen Arşık, a former academic from Boğaziçi University and an acquaintance of two of the victims, called on the public not to regard the attacks as hate crimes.
M.N. was previously convicted of theft on two separate accounts, reports said. He had been staying on the basement floor of a hostel in a nearby neighborhood when he was caught by police.
March/06/2013
7 Mart 2013 Perşembe
5 Mart 2013 Salı
Malatya massacre’s widow awaiting Turkish citizenship
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Suzanne Geske, the widow of Tillmann Geske, who was killed in the 2007 Malatya Zirve Publishing House massacre, has applied for Turkish citizenship a second time after first being refused a passport.
Geske told the Hürriyet Daily News that she made the second application 10 months but had yet to receive a response.
“Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan once said they wanted the Germans in Turkey to acquire Turkish citizenship. Now, I and my children want to be citizens. We have been living here for 16 years, and one of my children was born here. Why can’t we benefit from such a right?” Geske said.
Geske’s citizenship application was discussed during talks in Ankara on Feb. 25, in which German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Erdoğan met with various spiritual leaders.
Three missionaries, including 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.
Geske and her three children have remained in the eastern province despite the events.
When asked whether they had considered leaving Turkey after the murders, she said: “We have been living here for years. When we first came here, one of my children was 3 years old, while the other was 11. My third child was born here in [the southern province of] Adana. We have lived a life here. And all of our friends and acquaintances are here. Returning [to Germany] does not make any sense to us after all these years, and my children did not want to leave, either.”
Geske has meanwhile not demanded any protection despite the targeted killings.
Geske said she was not worried about her safety, noting that she was guarded only at the trials for obligatory reasons. “Since I strongly believe in God, I think that only God could protect me and my children. If God wishes, he will take me by his side, so I’m not afraid.”
‘A planned murder’
Geske also said her husband did not work at the Zirve Publishing House and that he was there by coincidence on the day of the massacre.
“We knew that Zirve was being threatened; but still, we did not expect such an incident. It was a planned murder since [some] wanted to create chaos within the country,” Geske said.
“The Zirve massacre and the murders of Father [Andrea] Santoro, Hrant Dink and Father [Luigi] Padovese were all committed for the same reason. All these murders are interrelated; I believe the facts lying behind the murders will gradually come to light,” Geske said.
Santoro was murdered in Trabzon in 2006, while the Armenian-Turkish journalist Dink was gunned down in 2007. Padovese, meanwhile, was killed in the southern district of İskenderun in 2010.
Geske said she regretted the fact that the murders were called “missionary murders.” “In Turkey, being a missionary is seen very differently. It was regarded as a threat factor. And I am strictly against this view.”
Geske also said extending the Zirve case over a longer period of time would lead to better results.
“I believe that the judge hearing the case is a just person. I am not worried over the extension of the trial; contrarily, this would help to unveil deeper connections,” Geske said.
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.
Geske said that when her husband was murdered, their children were 13, 10, and 8 years old.
“My elder son was aware of the incidents; he had problems after his father’s murder. As a single mother, the responsibility of raising three adolescent children is a heavy burden on my shoulders. Each day, I beg God for help. I am taking shelter in the Holy Bible and its might,” Geske said.
March/05/2013
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Suzanne Geske, the widow of Tillmann Geske, who was killed in the 2007 Malatya Zirve Publishing House massacre, has applied for Turkish citizenship a second time after first being refused a passport.
Geske told the Hürriyet Daily News that she made the second application 10 months but had yet to receive a response.
“Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan once said they wanted the Germans in Turkey to acquire Turkish citizenship. Now, I and my children want to be citizens. We have been living here for 16 years, and one of my children was born here. Why can’t we benefit from such a right?” Geske said.
Geske’s citizenship application was discussed during talks in Ankara on Feb. 25, in which German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Erdoğan met with various spiritual leaders.
Three missionaries, including 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.
Geske and her three children have remained in the eastern province despite the events.
When asked whether they had considered leaving Turkey after the murders, she said: “We have been living here for years. When we first came here, one of my children was 3 years old, while the other was 11. My third child was born here in [the southern province of] Adana. We have lived a life here. And all of our friends and acquaintances are here. Returning [to Germany] does not make any sense to us after all these years, and my children did not want to leave, either.”
Geske has meanwhile not demanded any protection despite the targeted killings.
Geske said she was not worried about her safety, noting that she was guarded only at the trials for obligatory reasons. “Since I strongly believe in God, I think that only God could protect me and my children. If God wishes, he will take me by his side, so I’m not afraid.”
‘A planned murder’
Geske also said her husband did not work at the Zirve Publishing House and that he was there by coincidence on the day of the massacre.
“We knew that Zirve was being threatened; but still, we did not expect such an incident. It was a planned murder since [some] wanted to create chaos within the country,” Geske said.
“The Zirve massacre and the murders of Father [Andrea] Santoro, Hrant Dink and Father [Luigi] Padovese were all committed for the same reason. All these murders are interrelated; I believe the facts lying behind the murders will gradually come to light,” Geske said.
Santoro was murdered in Trabzon in 2006, while the Armenian-Turkish journalist Dink was gunned down in 2007. Padovese, meanwhile, was killed in the southern district of İskenderun in 2010.
Geske said she regretted the fact that the murders were called “missionary murders.” “In Turkey, being a missionary is seen very differently. It was regarded as a threat factor. And I am strictly against this view.”
Geske also said extending the Zirve case over a longer period of time would lead to better results.
“I believe that the judge hearing the case is a just person. I am not worried over the extension of the trial; contrarily, this would help to unveil deeper connections,” Geske said.
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.
Geske said that when her husband was murdered, their children were 13, 10, and 8 years old.
“My elder son was aware of the incidents; he had problems after his father’s murder. As a single mother, the responsibility of raising three adolescent children is a heavy burden on my shoulders. Each day, I beg God for help. I am taking shelter in the Holy Bible and its might,” Geske said.
March/05/2013
Malatya massacre’s widow awaiting Turkish citizenship
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Suzanne Geske, the widow of Tillmann Geske, who was killed in the 2007 Malatya Zirve Publishing House massacre, has applied for Turkish citizenship a second time after first being refused a passport.
Geske told the Hürriyet Daily News that she made the second application 10 months but had yet to receive a response.
“Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan once said they wanted the Germans in Turkey to acquire Turkish citizenship. Now, I and my children want to be citizens. We have been living here for 16 years, and one of my children was born here. Why can’t we benefit from such a right?” Geske said.
Geske’s citizenship application was discussed during talks in Ankara on Feb. 25, in which German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Erdoğan met with various spiritual leaders.
Three missionaries, including 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.
Geske and her three children have remained in the eastern province despite the events.
When asked whether they had considered leaving Turkey after the murders, she said: “We have been living here for years. When we first came here, one of my children was 3 years old, while the other was 11. My third child was born here in [the southern province of] Adana. We have lived a life here. And all of our friends and acquaintances are here. Returning [to Germany] does not make any sense to us after all these years, and my children did not want to leave, either.”
Geske has meanwhile not demanded any protection despite the targeted killings.
Geske said she was not worried about her safety, noting that she was guarded only at the trials for obligatory reasons. “Since I strongly believe in God, I think that only God could protect me and my children. If God wishes, he will take me by his side, so I’m not afraid.”
‘A planned murder’
Geske also said her husband did not work at the Zirve Publishing House and that he was there by coincidence on the day of the massacre.
“We knew that Zirve was being threatened; but still, we did not expect such an incident. It was a planned murder since [some] wanted to create chaos within the country,” Geske said.
“The Zirve massacre and the murders of Father [Andrea] Santoro, Hrant Dink and Father [Luigi] Padovese were all committed for the same reason. All these murders are interrelated; I believe the facts lying behind the murders will gradually come to light,” Geske said.
Santoro was murdered in Trabzon in 2006, while the Armenian-Turkish journalist Dink was gunned down in 2007. Padovese, meanwhile, was killed in the southern district of İskenderun in 2010.
Geske said she regretted the fact that the murders were called “missionary murders.” “In Turkey, being a missionary is seen very differently. It was regarded as a threat factor. And I am strictly against this view.”
Geske also said extending the Zirve case over a longer period of time would lead to better results.
“I believe that the judge hearing the case is a just person. I am not worried over the extension of the trial; contrarily, this would help to unveil deeper connections,” Geske said.
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.
Geske said that when her husband was murdered, their children were 13, 10, and 8 years old.
“My elder son was aware of the incidents; he had problems after his father’s murder. As a single mother, the responsibility of raising three adolescent children is a heavy burden on my shoulders. Each day, I beg God for help. I am taking shelter in the Holy Bible and its might,” Geske said.
March/05/2013
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Suzanne Geske, the widow of Tillmann Geske, who was killed in the 2007 Malatya Zirve Publishing House massacre, has applied for Turkish citizenship a second time after first being refused a passport.
Geske told the Hürriyet Daily News that she made the second application 10 months but had yet to receive a response.
“Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan once said they wanted the Germans in Turkey to acquire Turkish citizenship. Now, I and my children want to be citizens. We have been living here for 16 years, and one of my children was born here. Why can’t we benefit from such a right?” Geske said.
Geske’s citizenship application was discussed during talks in Ankara on Feb. 25, in which German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Erdoğan met with various spiritual leaders.
Three missionaries, including 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.
Geske and her three children have remained in the eastern province despite the events.
When asked whether they had considered leaving Turkey after the murders, she said: “We have been living here for years. When we first came here, one of my children was 3 years old, while the other was 11. My third child was born here in [the southern province of] Adana. We have lived a life here. And all of our friends and acquaintances are here. Returning [to Germany] does not make any sense to us after all these years, and my children did not want to leave, either.”
Geske has meanwhile not demanded any protection despite the targeted killings.
Geske said she was not worried about her safety, noting that she was guarded only at the trials for obligatory reasons. “Since I strongly believe in God, I think that only God could protect me and my children. If God wishes, he will take me by his side, so I’m not afraid.”
‘A planned murder’
Geske also said her husband did not work at the Zirve Publishing House and that he was there by coincidence on the day of the massacre.
“We knew that Zirve was being threatened; but still, we did not expect such an incident. It was a planned murder since [some] wanted to create chaos within the country,” Geske said.
“The Zirve massacre and the murders of Father [Andrea] Santoro, Hrant Dink and Father [Luigi] Padovese were all committed for the same reason. All these murders are interrelated; I believe the facts lying behind the murders will gradually come to light,” Geske said.
Santoro was murdered in Trabzon in 2006, while the Armenian-Turkish journalist Dink was gunned down in 2007. Padovese, meanwhile, was killed in the southern district of İskenderun in 2010.
Geske said she regretted the fact that the murders were called “missionary murders.” “In Turkey, being a missionary is seen very differently. It was regarded as a threat factor. And I am strictly against this view.”
Geske also said extending the Zirve case over a longer period of time would lead to better results.
“I believe that the judge hearing the case is a just person. I am not worried over the extension of the trial; contrarily, this would help to unveil deeper connections,” Geske said.
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.
Geske said that when her husband was murdered, their children were 13, 10, and 8 years old.
“My elder son was aware of the incidents; he had problems after his father’s murder. As a single mother, the responsibility of raising three adolescent children is a heavy burden on my shoulders. Each day, I beg God for help. I am taking shelter in the Holy Bible and its might,” Geske said.
March/05/2013
Religions will discuss peace in German capital
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The Inter Dialogue Institute is preparing to host representatives from a number of countries, including a Turkish mission headed by Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç, in an event in Berlin titled “Muslims, Jews, Christians, Peace is Possible - Examples for Peaceful Coexistence in Past and Present - Perspectives for the Future.”
Arınç is to visit the German capitol on March 4 with representatives of minority communities in Turkey. Along with religious minority representatives from many counties, ambassadors, journalists and clergymen, representatives of non-governmental organizations will attend the conference.
Forming dialogue platform
Laki Vingas, who is in charge of minority foundations in Turkey’s Foundations Directorate General, will attend the event as a representative of minority communities living in Turkey. Vingas said he was thankful to Arınç for inviting him to the event, adding that he appreciated the efforts to form a platform of dialogue.
Vingas also said the location of the event, Berlin, has symbolic value for this organization. “In a city that experienced the fall of walls, we will give up our prejudices and search for solutions through dialogue. Unfortunately, the struggles have not yet yielded results since theories could not be put into practice. It is necessary to show more effort in practices,” Vingas said.
“It should be underlined that religions and cultures do not conflict with each other, but rather form a parallelism; and educational systems should be formed in consideration of this,” he said. Others who are to join the conference as Arınç’s guests include Istanbul Metropolitan Mor Filüksinos, Yusuf Çetin from the Syriac Orthodox Church and Istanbul’s Syriac Saint Virgin Mary Church Foundation head Sait Susin.
“We gladly welcomed the invitation. Our Metropolitan will also make a speech [during the event]. An atmosphere of dialogue is being established in our country and it is crucial to improve this atmosphere,” Susin said.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Armenians Acting Patriarch Archbishop Aram Ateşyan said a representative from the Armenian community would not be present at the event.
March/02/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The Inter Dialogue Institute is preparing to host representatives from a number of countries, including a Turkish mission headed by Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç, in an event in Berlin titled “Muslims, Jews, Christians, Peace is Possible - Examples for Peaceful Coexistence in Past and Present - Perspectives for the Future.”
Arınç is to visit the German capitol on March 4 with representatives of minority communities in Turkey. Along with religious minority representatives from many counties, ambassadors, journalists and clergymen, representatives of non-governmental organizations will attend the conference.
Forming dialogue platform
Laki Vingas, who is in charge of minority foundations in Turkey’s Foundations Directorate General, will attend the event as a representative of minority communities living in Turkey. Vingas said he was thankful to Arınç for inviting him to the event, adding that he appreciated the efforts to form a platform of dialogue.
Vingas also said the location of the event, Berlin, has symbolic value for this organization. “In a city that experienced the fall of walls, we will give up our prejudices and search for solutions through dialogue. Unfortunately, the struggles have not yet yielded results since theories could not be put into practice. It is necessary to show more effort in practices,” Vingas said.
“It should be underlined that religions and cultures do not conflict with each other, but rather form a parallelism; and educational systems should be formed in consideration of this,” he said. Others who are to join the conference as Arınç’s guests include Istanbul Metropolitan Mor Filüksinos, Yusuf Çetin from the Syriac Orthodox Church and Istanbul’s Syriac Saint Virgin Mary Church Foundation head Sait Susin.
“We gladly welcomed the invitation. Our Metropolitan will also make a speech [during the event]. An atmosphere of dialogue is being established in our country and it is crucial to improve this atmosphere,” Susin said.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Armenians Acting Patriarch Archbishop Aram Ateşyan said a representative from the Armenian community would not be present at the event.
March/02/2013
Orthodox leaders to meet in Istanbul
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Leading Orthodox parliament members from various countries will meet in Istanbul on March 3 and 4 for a conference entitled “The Social Dimension of Monotheistic Religion.” Organized by The Inter-parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO), established upon the initiative of the Hellenic Parliament, the conference will be held at the Hotel Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus.
Representatives from Greece, Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Poland, Egypt, Georgia, Cyprus, Sudan, and Romania will be present. Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek and Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew will open the meeting and the Russian President of the General Assembly will make the opening speech.
Bartholomew to hold ritual
The delegation will also attend a ritual held by Bartholomew on March 2.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News regarding the meeting, Heybeliada Halki Seminary’s archpriest and Metropolitan of Bursa Elpidophoros Lambriniadis said organizing this meeting in Istanbul had great importance.
“[Istanbul] is the center of the Orthodox world since the Fener Greek Patriarchate is located here. The Patriarchate comes in first place both in protocol order and in the Orthodox world,” Lambriniadis said.
The Fener Greek Patriarchate is accepted as an ecumenical and universal entity by Orthodoxies all around the world; however, Turkey does not recognize its ecumenical title.
“Russia’s presence in such a meeting is a clear sign of the value given to the Fener Greek Patriarchate,” Lambriniadis said.
“Holding a meeting on monotheistic religions in a Muslim country has great importance in terms of dialogue between religions. Also, orthodox parliament members’ interest toward such a significant subject is very important,” Lambriniadis said, adding that Heybeliada Halki Seminary will host the clergymen of the Athens Archbishopric along with a series of conferences until March 6.
March/02/2013
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Leading Orthodox parliament members from various countries will meet in Istanbul on March 3 and 4 for a conference entitled “The Social Dimension of Monotheistic Religion.” Organized by The Inter-parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO), established upon the initiative of the Hellenic Parliament, the conference will be held at the Hotel Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus.
Representatives from Greece, Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Poland, Egypt, Georgia, Cyprus, Sudan, and Romania will be present. Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek and Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew will open the meeting and the Russian President of the General Assembly will make the opening speech.
Bartholomew to hold ritual
The delegation will also attend a ritual held by Bartholomew on March 2.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News regarding the meeting, Heybeliada Halki Seminary’s archpriest and Metropolitan of Bursa Elpidophoros Lambriniadis said organizing this meeting in Istanbul had great importance.
“[Istanbul] is the center of the Orthodox world since the Fener Greek Patriarchate is located here. The Patriarchate comes in first place both in protocol order and in the Orthodox world,” Lambriniadis said.
The Fener Greek Patriarchate is accepted as an ecumenical and universal entity by Orthodoxies all around the world; however, Turkey does not recognize its ecumenical title.
“Russia’s presence in such a meeting is a clear sign of the value given to the Fener Greek Patriarchate,” Lambriniadis said.
“Holding a meeting on monotheistic religions in a Muslim country has great importance in terms of dialogue between religions. Also, orthodox parliament members’ interest toward such a significant subject is very important,” Lambriniadis said, adding that Heybeliada Halki Seminary will host the clergymen of the Athens Archbishopric along with a series of conferences until March 6.
March/02/2013
1 Mart 2013 Cuma
Sub Categories: » HOMEPAGE / TURKEY/ RIGHTS
Friday,March 1 2013, Your time is 10:14:51
RIGHTS > Journalism a hard job for minorities
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Editors-in-chief of minority newspapers in Turkey have told a visiting EU mission during an Istanbul meeting on Feb. 27 that they were facing self-censorship problems along with economic difficulties.
Present at the meeting were EU Delegation to Turkey First Counselor Michael Miller, Political Officer of the European External Action Service Sema Kılıçer and the editors-in-chief of daily Greek newspaper Apoyevmatini, Armenian dailies Marmara and Jamanag, Armenian weekly Agos, Jewish weekly Şalom, and Syriac monthly Sabro.
“Freedom of expression and press censorship in Turkey were discussed during the meeting. I spoke on the causes that lead the censorship of the minority press, underlining that minority newspapers are self-censoring themselves due to their fears,” Mihalis Vasiliadis, the editor-in-chief of daily Apoyevmatini, told the Hürriyet Daily News after the meeting.
“Another kind of censorship mechanism is the one imposed by the dominant groups of the minority communities. Since we are financially dependent on them, we cannot release critical news reports,” Vasiliadis said.
Vasiliadis also said he still did not have a state-issued “yellow press card,” although he has been a journalist for 30 years. He mentioned the problems of minority journalists with regard to holding press cards during the meeting.
“Many journalists are currently in custody. The Prime Minister says they did not have any press cards and were arrested for engaging in terrorist activities. I reminded [them during the meeting] that no one could guarantee that we wouldn’t be treated in the same way if we were arrested,” Vasiliadis said.
“The State’s Press Institution said they would release an official announcement for the minority newspapers [to obtain their press cards]. However, it hasn’t been done yet,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tuma Çelik, editor-in-chief of the monthly Sabro, said minority issues were also handled in the context of Turkey’s EU process. “I said at the meeting that we were regarded as foreigners although we are citizens of the Turkish Republic. I underlined the point that our problems should be solved not because of the EU process, but because we are citizens,” Çelik said.
March/01/2013
Friday,March 1 2013, Your time is 10:14:51
RIGHTS > Journalism a hard job for minorities
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
Editors-in-chief of minority newspapers in Turkey have told a visiting EU mission during an Istanbul meeting on Feb. 27 that they were facing self-censorship problems along with economic difficulties.
Present at the meeting were EU Delegation to Turkey First Counselor Michael Miller, Political Officer of the European External Action Service Sema Kılıçer and the editors-in-chief of daily Greek newspaper Apoyevmatini, Armenian dailies Marmara and Jamanag, Armenian weekly Agos, Jewish weekly Şalom, and Syriac monthly Sabro.
“Freedom of expression and press censorship in Turkey were discussed during the meeting. I spoke on the causes that lead the censorship of the minority press, underlining that minority newspapers are self-censoring themselves due to their fears,” Mihalis Vasiliadis, the editor-in-chief of daily Apoyevmatini, told the Hürriyet Daily News after the meeting.
“Another kind of censorship mechanism is the one imposed by the dominant groups of the minority communities. Since we are financially dependent on them, we cannot release critical news reports,” Vasiliadis said.
Vasiliadis also said he still did not have a state-issued “yellow press card,” although he has been a journalist for 30 years. He mentioned the problems of minority journalists with regard to holding press cards during the meeting.
“Many journalists are currently in custody. The Prime Minister says they did not have any press cards and were arrested for engaging in terrorist activities. I reminded [them during the meeting] that no one could guarantee that we wouldn’t be treated in the same way if we were arrested,” Vasiliadis said.
“The State’s Press Institution said they would release an official announcement for the minority newspapers [to obtain their press cards]. However, it hasn’t been done yet,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tuma Çelik, editor-in-chief of the monthly Sabro, said minority issues were also handled in the context of Turkey’s EU process. “I said at the meeting that we were regarded as foreigners although we are citizens of the Turkish Republic. I underlined the point that our problems should be solved not because of the EU process, but because we are citizens,” Çelik said.
March/01/2013
Armenian patriarch still under treatment
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The Patriarchate has released an announcement on its official website with regard to the condition of Turkey’s Armenians patriarch, Mesrop II, who took ill with a sudden decrease in blood pressure and was immediately taken to Yedikule Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital’s intensive care unit last weekend.
According to the announcement, the Patriarch is recovering his health and his blood pressure has returned to its normal value. However, he will be kept under observation for a while as a precautionary measure, the announcement read.
Mesrop II has been suffering from frontal lobe dementia since 2007, when he suddenly developed the disorder. Archbishop Aram Ateşyan was appointed as a deputy Patriarch with the Interior Ministry’s initiative, to the negative reaction of the Armenian community. Holding an election for a new Patriarch was also suggested, but such an election was not realized as a new patriarch cannot be elected until the death of the current patriarch according to the traditions of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
March/01/2013
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Vercihan Ziflioğlu vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr
The Patriarchate has released an announcement on its official website with regard to the condition of Turkey’s Armenians patriarch, Mesrop II, who took ill with a sudden decrease in blood pressure and was immediately taken to Yedikule Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital’s intensive care unit last weekend.
According to the announcement, the Patriarch is recovering his health and his blood pressure has returned to its normal value. However, he will be kept under observation for a while as a precautionary measure, the announcement read.
Mesrop II has been suffering from frontal lobe dementia since 2007, when he suddenly developed the disorder. Archbishop Aram Ateşyan was appointed as a deputy Patriarch with the Interior Ministry’s initiative, to the negative reaction of the Armenian community. Holding an election for a new Patriarch was also suggested, but such an election was not realized as a new patriarch cannot be elected until the death of the current patriarch according to the traditions of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
March/01/2013
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