Amal Clooney 'guns blazing' accuses Turkey of hypocrisy on freedom of speech in Armenian genocide trial

Amal Clooney accuses Turkey of hypocrisy on freedom of speech in Armenian genocide trial.(Telegraph).

Amal Clooney, the human rights barrister, has accused Turkey of double standards on freedom of expression for defending a Turkish Leftist who described the Armenian genocide an "international lie".

Mrs Clooney, who is representing Armenia on behalf of Doughty Street Chambers along with Geoffrey Robertson QC, said Turkey's stance was hypocritical "because of its disgraceful record on freedom of expression”, including prosecutions of Turkish-Armenians who campaign for the1915 massacres to be called a genocide.

The ECHR upheld his right to question in a “debate of clear public interest” and questioned if it was possible to define as a genocide, a policy of deliberate extermination, the massacres and deportations of Armenians by the Turks a century ago.

The human rights lawyer, who married George Clooney her Hollywood film star husband last September, accused the Strasbourg’s court’s human rights judges of being “simply wrong”.

“It cast doubt doubt of the reality of genocide that Armenian people suffered a century ago,” she said “Armenia must have its day in court. The stakes could not be higher for the Armenian people.”

Switzerland has laws against the denial of all genocide as part of its anti-racism laws but the ECHR ruled that Mr Perinçek's right to freedom of speech was violated when he was convicted as a criminal by a Swiss court for his claims.

In a December 2013 judgement, the European court concluded that there was not a “general consensus" that the massacres of Armenians had constituted genocide and that only 20 countries out of 190 worldwide classed it as such.

“Armenia is not here to argue against freedom of expression anymore than Turkey is here to defend it. This court knows very well how disgraceful Turkey’s record on freedom of expression is,” she said.

"You have found against the Turkish government in 224 separate cases on freedom of expression grounds.” Hmmm....It always takes a woman to do a man's job in the PC World. Read the full story here.

FATF removes Turkey from gray list over fight against terror financing.

FATF removes Turkey from gray list over fight against terror financing. (Taz)

Turkey will be removed from the gray list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) -- the international body responsible for setting global standards for combating terrorist financing -- as the country has made sufficient improvements regarding the relevant standards, according to a report recently released by the organization.

According to the report, “Turkey has reached a satisfactory level of compliance with all core recommendations and four of the five key recommendations” offered by the FATF.

The report concluded that Turkey should be removed from the “regular follow-up process.”

The report said Turkey had made substantial process regarding the alteration of its criminal law pertaining to money laundering offenses and had significantly improved its terrorist financing combat regime. Turkey was the only NATO member on the gray list. Hmmmm.....The 'Cost' for using Incirlik? 'four of the five key recommendations'....what's Nr 5? Iran gold trade, Oil trade? Gas trade? Read the full story here.

"Да, мы можем" - Iran, Russia create joint operations headquarters to fight IS.

"Да, мы можем" - Iran, Russia create joint operations headquarters to fight IS. (Taz).

Iran and Russia created a joint operations headquarters to fight the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization in Iraq, the Iranian Tasnimnews agency reported citing an Iraqi source.

Reportedly, the Iranian and Russian military experts are helping the Iraqi commanders in the fight against the IS.

“Over 60 military experts from Russia and Iran created a joint operations headquarters in the Al Rasheed Hotel in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad,” the report said.

The terrorist organization known as the ‘Islamic State’ (IS, formerly ISIL or ISIS) was created in 2003 in Iraq. Between 2004 and 2006, the organization was led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and consisted of 11 radical Islamist groups, which had close ties to the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda.

Following the start of military confrontation in Syria in 2013 between the armed opposition and the government forces, the IS penetrated the country. The organization said at the time it refuses to take the oath of Al-Qaeda and declared ‘a holy war’ against all groups in Iraq and Syria, as well as the Syrian government forces. Hmmm.....East And West are lacing their paws on the chessboard.....which side will China choose?

Ottomanism a guise for Islamic ambitions, prominent Turkish historian says.

Ottomanism a guise for Islamic ambitions, prominent Turkish historian says. (HD).

A prominent Turkish historian has argued that today's political Islamists use Ottomanism as a guise for their ulterior motives to reach the Islamic "Golden Age."

“Ottomanism is a flashy cover, a guise for the Islamist front in Turkey. What they really seek is the ‘Age of Happiness’ [the term used to describe the Prophet Muhammad’s lifetime]. They use the Ottomans as a guise to reach there,” Prof. İlber Ortaylı told Hürriyet in an interview published on Oct. 22.

Ortaylı, a professor of history at Galatasaray University in Istanbul and at Bilkent University in Ankara, also challenged the notion that the Ottoman Empire was supranational. “The Ottomans were not above nations. Turkishness was [in the core] of the Ottomans,” he said.

The recent debate regarding religious education in Turkey is not being conducted on a healthy ground, according to Ortaylı.

“A society can have religious education, but it has to be with quality. Now the government is increasingly opening more [religious vocational] imam hatip schools, as was done in previous decades by other parties. But are these schools producing any religious scholars?” he asked. Read the full story here.

Pres Obama once again fails to recognize Armenian Genocide

Statement by the President on Armenian Remembrance Day

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 24, 2014

Statement by the President on Armenian Remembrance Day

Today we commemorate the Meds Yeghern and honor those who perished in one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.  We recall the horror of what happened ninety-nine years ago, when 1.5 million Armenians were massacred or marched to their deaths in the final days of the Ottoman Empire, and we grieve for the lives lost and the suffering endured by those men, women, and children.   We are joined in solemn commemoration by millions in the United States and across the world.   In so doing, we remind ourselves of our shared commitment to ensure that such dark chapters of human history are never again repeated.

I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view has not changed.  A full, frank, and just acknowledgement of the facts is in all of our interests.  Peoples and nations grow stronger, and build a foundation for a more just and tolerant future, by acknowledging and reckoning with painful elements of the past.  We continue to learn this lesson in the United States, as we strive to reconcile some of the darkest moments in our own history.   We recognize and commend the growing number of courageous Armenians and Turks who have already taken this path, and encourage more to do so, with the backing of their governments, and mine.  And we recall with pride the humanitarian efforts undertaken by the American Committee for Syrian and Armenian Relief, funded by donations from Americans, which saved the lives of countless Armenians and others from vulnerable communities displaced in 1915.

As we honor through remembrance those Armenian lives that were unjustly taken in 1915, we are inspired by the extraordinary courage and great resiliency of the Armenian people in the face of such tremendous adversity and suffering.  I applaud the countless contributions that Armenian-Americans have made to American society, culture, and communities.  We share a common commitment to supporting the Armenian people as they work to build a democratic, peaceful, and prosperous nation.

Today, our thoughts and prayers are with Armenians everywhere, as we recall the horror of the Meds Yeghern, honor the memory of those lost, and reaffirm our enduring commitment to the people of Armenia and to the principle that such atrocities must always be remembered if we are to prevent them from occurring ever again. Source

Related: 

US ambassador honors Armenian Genocide victims

 About the Armenian genocide:

The American ambassador, Henry Morganthau Sr US Embassador at the time of the events, was also outspoken. In his memoirs, the ambassador would write: “When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they understood this well, and in their conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to conceal the fact.”

Turkey's Minister for EU affairs and chief negotiator, Mevlut Chavushoglu: "Turkey doesn’t recognize so-called Armenian genocide."

Turkey's Minister for EU affairs and chief negotiator, Mevlut Chavushoglu: "Turkey doesn’t recognize so-called Armenian genocide". (Taz).

Turkey doesn't recognize the so-called Armenian genocide, as throughout the country's history, there was not any genocide against Armenians that lived in its territory, Turkey's Minister for EU affairs and chief negotiator, Mevlut Chavushoglu said, Anadolu agency reported on April 24.

No one denies that Armenians were killed during the events of 1915, but we must not forget that alongside with Armenians, Turks, Arabs and Kurds were also killed during these events, according to Chavushoglu.
Turkey's Cabinet of Ministers spread a message in connection with the events of 1915 on April 23.
The message says it is important not to be a captive of historical events and there is need to create a foundation for building a common future.

The events of 1915 were a difficult time not only for the Armenians, but also for Arabs, Kurds and representatives of other nations living in the country, according to the message.

"Nevertheless, it is impossible to use the events of 1915 as a tool of political pressure on Turkey," the message of Turkish government said.

The message says Turkey supports the creation of a joint historical commission to investigate the events of 1915 and expresses condolences to the families of those killed in the events of 1915, including the Armenians.(Hmmm.....After 'purifying' the Turkish archives for 100 years)

The message highlights that the events of 1915 are common grief.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey's predecessor the Ottoman Empire allegedly carried out "genocide" against the Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915. While strengthening the efforts to promote the so-called genocide in the world, Armenians have achieved its recognition by the parliaments of some countries.

Despite Turkey's efforts on creation of a joint commission with Armenia to investigate the events of 1915, Armenia hasn't responded to this proposal so far.

About the Armenian genocide:

The American ambassador, Henry Morganthau Sr., was also outspoken. In his memoirs, the ambassador would write: “When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they understood this well, and in their conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to conceal the fact.”