The Turks

[Bulgarian]

Turkey- Friend or Foe?

Turkey- Friend or Foe?


Op-Ed

Turkey- Friend or Foe?

By Gene Rossides
April 18, 2006
The surfacing last year in Turkey of virulent anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism raises the question of what should U.S. relations with Turkey be in the interests of the U.S.?

To answer this question we need to answer the following first

Is Turkey a reliable ally?

What is Turkey’s strategic, political and economic value to the U.S.?

Is Turkey a friend or a foe of the U.S. (or somewhere in-between)?

I submit that Turkey is not a friend of the U.S.; that Turkey’s interests basically are not compatible with U.S. interests; that Turkey is of minimal strategic value to the U.S. and that Turkey is clearly and fundamentally an unreliable ally.

Let’s look at the record.

Is Turkey a reliable ally?

The evidence is overwhelming that Turkey is an unreliable ally whose actions damaged the U.S. during the Cold War decades and more recently in the 21st century.

I have written previously regarding Turkey’s traitorous conduct during the Cold War when Turkey actively aided the Soviet military to the serious detriment of the U.S. Let me repeat three examples.

1. During the 1973 Mid-East War, Turkey refused the U.S. military overflight rights to resupply Israel and granted the U.S.S.R. overland military convoy rights to resupply Syria and Iraq, and military overflight permission to resupply Egypt. A member of the Turkish Foreign Policy Institute in Ankara wrote:

During the Arab-Israeli war of 1973, Moscow’s overflights of Turkish airspace were tolerated. On the other hand, during the same Middle East conflict, Turkey refused to allow the United States refueling and reconnaissance facilities during the American airlift to Israel. (Karaosmanoglu, “Turkey’s Security and the Middle East,” 52 Foreign Affairs 157, 163, Fall 1983.)

2. In the 1977-78 conflict in Ethiopia, Turkey granted the Soviets military overflight rights to support the pro-Soviet minority of Ethiopian communist insurgents, led by Colonel Mengistu, who eventually prevailed and established a Marxist dictatorship directly dependent upon the Soviet Union. Giant Soviet Antonov-22 transport aircraft ferried Cuban troops, Soviet weapons and other assorted needs to Ethiopia through Turkish airspace. By late December 1977, 17,000 Cuban troops were in Ethiopia. The Cuban troops were immediately moved to the fighting front against Somali and anti-communist Ethiopian forces. They effectively turned the tide in favor of the communists. (C. Meyer, Facing Reality- From World Federalism to the CIA 276-80, 1980.)

3. Over NATO objections, Turkey allowed three Soviet aircraft carriers, the Kiev on July 18, 1976, the Minsk on February 25, 1979 and the Novorosiisk on May 16, 1983, passage rights through the Bosphorous and Dardanelles Straits into the Mediterranean in violation of the Montreux Convention of 1936. The Soviet ships posed a formidable threat to the U.S. Sixth Fleet.

Most readers I assume are aware of Turkey’s unreliability as an ally on March 1, 2003, when the Turkish Parliament voted not to allow U.S. troops to use bases in Turkey to open a northern front against Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship.

That negative vote was maneuvered by the Erdogan government and the Turkish military and was aimed at extracting another $6 billion over the $26 billion irresponsibly offered to Turkey by then Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz for use of bases in Turkey.

A U.S. administration official involved in the negotiations called Turkey’s negotiating tactics “extortion in the name of alliance.”

What is Turkey’s strategic, political and economic value to the U.S.?

The U.S. defeat of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship in 2003 without Turkey’s help demonstrated conclusively that Turkey is of minimal strategic value to the U.S. in the region.

The Turks did not allow the U.S. to use Incirlik airforce base in southeastern Turkey in the Iraq war. It is not needed by the U.S. today and should be shut down and U.S. taxpayer money saved. Its primary use was to patrol the Iraqi Kurd no-fly zone against Saddam Hussein’s government.

In the early years of the Cold War, the U.S. placed nuclear warheads on Turkish soil. In 1962, during the Cuban missile crisis with the Soviet Union, President John F. Kennedy secretly removed the U.S. nuclear missiles from Turkey as part of the deal in which the Soviet Union removed its nuclear missiles from Cuba.

From the time of the removal of U.S. missiles from Turkey in 1962 to the end of the Cold War in 1990, Turkey was of minimal strategic value to the U.S. And as stated above, Turkey actually aided the Soviet military to the detriment of U.S. interests.

After the end of the Cold War, Turkey’s proponents in the State and Defense Departments and its paid U.S. foreign agents, came up with the argument that Turkey, a 99.9% Muslim country, is a democracy and can be a model for other Muslim nations in the Middle East and a bridge between the East and West, particularly in Central Asia. That allegation was false then and is false today. And Turkey’s alleged value to the U.S. in Central Asia was a complete failure. That argument did prolong military and economic aid to Turkey for several years at U.S. taxpayer expense.

The U.S. has minor trade and commercial relations with Turkey. Whatever they are now or in the future they should not interfere with U.S. support of the rule of law and democratic values in our relations with Turkey.

Freedom House in its annual report does not list Turkey as a democracy! It is listed as a partial democracy. It lacks freedom of speech; it lacks religious freedom and is openly against Eastern Orthodox Christians and Jews; it regularly conducts ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and genocide against its 20% Kurdish minority; and its human rights violations against its citizens in general is extensive.

Turkey’s military is not under civilian rule and Turkey is an aggressor in Cyprus and continues to illegally occupy 37.7 of Cyprus, now in its 32nd year.

Turkey continues to blockade Armenia over U.S. objections. And Turkey refuses to acknowledge its genocide against the Armenians in 1915-1916 and the massacres against the Armenians in 1894-1896.

Turkey is hardly a model for Muslim nations or anyone.

Is Turkey a friend or a foe of the U.S. (or somewhere in-between)?

Based on the record of the past several decades, there is no substantial evidence to justify calling Turkey a friend of the U.S. Turkey’s interests and aims are in most cases not in accord with or compatible with those of the U.S.

While I believe the evidence makes it clear that Turkey is not a friend of the U.S., I do not believe the evidence is adequate to call Turkey an outright foe of the U.S. Turkey’s actions have done substantial damage to the U.S. over the past 50 years from its support of the Soviet military; its invasion of Cyprus and continuing occupation of 37.3 % of Cyprus; its blockade of Armenia; its crimes against its 20% Kurdish minority; its actions against the Iraqi Kurds; its substantial drug trafficking and its “No” vote of March 1, 2003.

These actions and others by Turkey bring Turkey close to the line of being a foe but not over that line yet.

However, Turkey’s conduct and history are such that the U.S. in its relations with Turkey should treat Turkey at arms length and should apply forceful pressure to achieve U.S. aims.

Words are definitely not enough in dealing with Turkey to achieve U.S. goals. For example, the U.S. seeks a Cyprus settlement based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation in a state with a single sovereignty and international personality, incorporating norms of a constitutional democracy embracing key American principles, the EU acquis communautaire, UN resolutions on Cyprus and the pertinent decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the other European Courts.

If the U.S. acted forcefully with Turkey using the full range of diplomatic weapons, including economic sanctions, the withdrawal of trade benefits, and pressure from international financial institutions, the Cyprus problem could be solved in short order.

I reject the British argument that the Cyprus question is a difficult problem to solve. It is a problem of aggression and occupation. The British started the problem during their colonial rule by pitting an 18% minority against an 80% majority for Britain’s selfish interests. The two communities have proven they can live and work together peacefully.

The U.S. could go a long ways to solving the problem by publicly calling for the demilitarization of the island, the removal of the Turkish barbed wire fence separating the communities and the return of Turkey’s 120,000 illegal Turkish settlers/colonists to Turkey and stating that if Turkey does not cooperate the full range of diplomatic actions will be utilized.

In taking such action the U.S. should move multilaterally with other nations through the UN Security Council.

Similar action should be taken against Turkey regarding full political and human rights for the 20% Kurdish minority and for full religious freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the return of church properties taken by the Turkish government and the reopening of the Halki Patriarchal School of Theology.

Talking to Turkey has not and will not resolve these problems. State Department officials misled the Greek American community for years by saying they will speak to the Turkish government on our issues knowing that their comments would have no impact on Turkey.

Turkey will only respond to forceful action. Turkey paid the several hundred thousand dollars court judgment in the Loizidou case after several years only when the Council of Europe threatened expulsion on a specific date if the judgment was not paid.

Write to President Bush and Secretary Rice and urge them to apply forceful pressure on Turkey to solve the above problems in which Turkey is the cause:

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Tel. 202-456-1111 (Comments)
202-456-1414 (Main Switchboard)
Fax: 202-456-2461
E-mail: [email protected]

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
The State Department
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Phone: 202-647-4000 (Main Switchboard)
Fax: 202-647-2283

[Bulgarian]

So TurQ I ask the question again.

Has Turkey changed a single bit since the mass scale genocidal acts against fellow Homo Sapians pre 1923?

[TurQ]

RAcism

Armenian Police Probe Death Of Indian Student Amid Protests

By Ruzanna Stepanian

Law-enforcement authorities suggested on Friday that suicide was the likely cause of the mysterious death of an Indian university student that triggered angry street protests in Yerevan by scores of his young compatriots also studying in Armenia.

Prashant Valecha, a third-year student at Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU), died on his way to hospital on Thursday after falling to the ground from the sixth floor of his dormitory. Witnesses said they immediately phoned for an ambulance but it took at least 40 minutes to arrive at the scene. They also claimed that hostel wardens and police officers prevented them from treating the dying student before the doctors’ arrival.

More than a hundred Indian students of YSMU and other state-run Armenian universities gathered outside the parliament building in Yerevan on Thursday afternoon to express their fury with the alleged negligence which they believe cost Valecha his life. “The boy was left bleeding for 60 minutes,” said one of them. “Our dean [of YSMU’s foreign students department], who is a doctor, stood by but didn’t help,” said another Indian student.

However, the chief of the Armenian ambulance service, Artyom Petrosian, described the accusations as “unfair,” saying that the ambulance team reached the student in about 15 minutes and found him in a critical condition. “I must say that the victim had open skull and brain injuries incompatible with life,” he told RFE/RL. “When our doctors arrived there he was already in a state of death-agony.”

Chanting “Help us, president!” in Armenian, the protesters also demanded the resignation of YSMU’s newly appointed rector, Gohar Kalian, alleging that she insulted and made obscene gestures at a group of Indian students who rushed to her office shortly after Valecha’s death. They threatened to boycott classes before forcing a late-night meeting with the deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament, Tigran Torosian, and India’s ambassador to Armenia.

Kyalian strongly denied the allegations, insisting that she herself was shown “middle fingers” by the furious students. “When they made that gesture I responded by holding out my hand in the same way and saying, ‘If you make such a gesture to your rector, I have nothing to discuss with you.’”

Meanwhile, a Yerevan district prosecutor leading an official criminal inquiry into Valecha’s death, told RFE/RL on Friday that the investigators suspect that the student, reportedly in his early 20s, committed suicide. Gagik Khachikian said they have so far no facts to suggest that he might have been killed by someone.

Khachikian spoke as Valecha’s body underwent autopsy in a Yerevan mortuary. Dozens of Indian students gathered outside to await its results.

The YSMU rector suggested that the student may well have “jumped out the window on his own.” “He essentially fell on his feet,” she argued. “The most severely damaged parts of his body were his feet. This is what happens when a person falls on his own.”

Kalian also claimed that shortly before the fall Valecha had a “bitter argument” with his Indian roommate who accused him of theft. “The roommate says that after they quarreled he went to the toilet and then came back to find the room empty and the window open,” she told RFE/RL. “This is what he testified.”

The unidentified roommate was among several Indian residents of the student dormitory who were questioned by the police late Thursday. One of them subsequently wrote on his website that one of the first questions they were asked was, "What do Hindus do after a person is dead? Do they burn them?"

The Indian said some policemen also wondered “whether the police in India took bribes like they did.” He claimed that they tried to “frighten me with stupid statements ranging from ‘Did you kill him?’ to ‘We will deport you.’”

[TurQ]

Eu Sees No Improvement In Bulgaria's Judicial System

Bulgaria Abroad

EU SEES NO IMPROVEMENT IN BULGARIA'S JUDICIAL SYSTEM
12:00 Fri 21 Apr 2006

An internal EU report strongly criticises Bulgaria's strategy for judicial reforms, which still remains the area of greatest EU concern.

Only nine months before the planned EU accession, the country's judicial system is chaotic and 'out of touch with the principles of the block', International Herald Tribune reported. The EU report criticises mainly the nepotism in judge selections and the low technical quality of recent Bulgarian laws.

Western European media often speculate the expected European Commission recommendation on May 16 may uncouple Bulgaria from Romania and that Olli Rehn will delay the country's EU entry by one year.

According to the report, even the constitutional amendments from May 30 did not lead to sufficient improvements and EU experts question the government's will to execute EU commitments. The situation is further aggravated by the population's distrust to their own judicial system.

EU officials say that a delay of Bulgaria's EU entry is highly unlikely. Although only a year ago Romania was the one causing more concerns to the EU, now Bulgaria became the problematic country. The author of the report Susette Schuster explains the difference with Bulgaria's lack of energy and determination.

Other problematic areas include corruption, organised crime, and border control. An efficient judicial system would help solve these problems and therefore legislation reform should be given priority, one western diplomat suggested.

[TurQ]

Bulgaria Abroad

ROMA IN BULGARIA STILL MARGINALISED, REPORT SAYS
09:00 Fri 24 Mar 2006

The Roma minority in Bulgaria is limited because of public opinion, Reuters news agency reported.

Most people share a negative attitude toward minority group representatives. The same is valid in other European countries. Because of these negative opinions Roma throughout Europe are subjected to racism, the publication reported.

Between 10 and 15 million Roma live in Europe and almost half of them reside in former communist countries in Southeastern Europe.

The European Commission already criticised Bulgaria for the failure to improve education, healthcare and the living standards of minority groups.

Roma represented between five and 10 per cent of Bulgaria's 7.8 million people population, Reuters reported. Nearly 80 per cent of the Roma in Bulgaria and Romania live below the poverty line. Almost half are unemployed, the agency reported.

On Wednesday the government approved a 1.26 billion leva strategy for improving the living conditions of minority group representatives. The project would receive funding from the EU.

Human rights organisations are skeptical about the success of the project, Reutres reported. Previously, the Parliament failed implementing less ambitious strategies in the same sphere.

Roma live in the periphery of the Bulgarian society. Police rarely investigate crimes in Roma neighbourhoods. Anti-Roma activities in Bulgaria are on the rise after nationalist movement Ataka gained popularity, Reuters reported.

[TurQ]

Armenians in Ottoman Beurocracy

Bulgarian

I'm wondering which European country had a minority in their governments prior to mid 20th century.. Ottomans had Armenians in Palace and in Ottoman government for centuries.

You should be grateful for the Bulgarian government at least follows Ottoman example (eventhough it is like about 4 centuries later or so)


Here is the list


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You may find many Armenians who became Ottoman ministers, generals, ambassador, businessmen, banker, jeweler etc. The Palace Bankers were from the Armenian Duzyan Family (Divrikli) during the 18th century. The General (Pasha) Mehmet Pasha was Armenian (16th Century). Most of the Palace Doctors were from the Armenian Sasyan family. Many Ministers for the Ottoman Mint (darphane) were from the Armenian Bezciyan family in the 19th century. And again some of the Ministers for the Arsenals were from the Armenian Dadyan family. The Foreign Ministry of Ottoman State employed a lot of Armenians under the Abdulhamid II rule. There are many Armenian ambassadors and other diplomats in the Ottoman foreign missions in these years. The Ottoman Sultans had many Armenian advisers and experts in all centuries as well. The Ottoman Army also employed many Armenians as soldiers (in low and high ranked positions) even during the First World War. I list the Armenian high-ranked figures in the Ottoman past:

Agop KAZAZYAN (Minister for Finance)
Maresal Garabet Artin DAVUT Pasha (Minister for Communication)
Mareşal Garebet Artin DAVUT Pasha (Minister for Public Works)
Andon Tıngır YAVER Pasha (Minister for Communication)
Oskan MARDİKYAN(Minister for Communication)
Berdos HALLACYAN (Minister for Public Works)
Baristor Krikor SINAPYAN (Minister for Public Works)
Krikor AGATON (Minister for Public Works)
Gabriel NORADUNKYAN (Minister for Public Works)
Gabriel NORADUNKYAN (Minister of Foreign Affairs)
Agop KAZAZYAN Pasha (Head of the Ottoman Treasury)
Mikael PORTAKALYAN Pasha (Head of the Ottoman Treasury)
Sakız OHANNES Pasha (Head of the Ottoman Treasury)

Senators

Mareşal Ohannes KUYUMCUYAN Pasha
Abraham ERAMYAN Paşa
Manuk AZARYAN
Gabriel NORADUNKYAN

Directors in Thresury

Artin Zeki
Agop CİNCİYAN
Aram HURDACI
Mıgırdıç HEKİMYAN
GARABET
TOMAS
Hımayak SEFERYAN
Aram ADİL
Kevork TORKOMYAN
Melkon MİLOYAN
Behram YAKUPYAN
Sahak YEREMYAN
Levon PAPAZYAN
Kevork KORAN
Dikran ÇÜBERYAN
Kevork ÇÜVERYAN
Hovsep TAKVORYAN
Krikor TAKVORYAN

Armenian MPs in Ottoman Parliement

1876

Ohannes ALLAHVERDİ Deputy to Parliement Speaker

Sebuh MAKSUDYAN (Istanbul)

Rupen YAZICIYAN (Edirne)
Sahak YAVRUMYAN (Bursa)
Hamazasb BALLARYAN (Erzurum)
Manuk KARCIYAN (Halep)
Mikael ALTINTOP (Ankara)
Agop ŞAHİNYAN (Sivas)
Taniyel KARACİYAN (Erzurum)

1908

Krikor ZOHRAP Istanbul Milletvekili
Bedros HALLACYAN Istanbul Miletvekili
Agop BABİKYAN Tekirdağ Milletvekili
Agop BOYACIYAN Tekirdag Milletvekili
Artin BOŞGEZENYAN Halep Milletvekili
Dr. Nazaret DAGAVARYAN Sivas Milletvekili
İstepan İSPARTALIYAN İzmir Milletvekili
Hamparsum BOYACIYAN Kozan Milletvekili
Kegam DERGARABEDYAN Mus Milletvekili
Karakin PASTIRMACIYAN Erzurum Milletvekili
Vahan PAPAZYAN Van Milletvekili

1914

Istepan CIRACIYAN (Başkanlık divanı katibi) Ergani Milletvekili
Onnik İHSAN İzmir Milletvekili
Bedros HALLAÇYAN Istanbul Milletvekili
Krikor ZÖHRAP Istanbul Milletvekili
Agop HIRLAKYAN Maras Milletvekili
Kegam DERGARABEDYAN Mus Milletvekili
Artin BOŞGEZENYAN Halep Milletvekili
Dikran BARSAMYAN Sivas Milletvekili
Matyos NALBATYAN Kozan Milletvekili
Karabet TOMAYAN Kayseri Milletvekili
Sasun Bağdat Milletvekili
Varteks SERENGÜLYAN Erzurum Milletvekili

Armenian Permanenent Undersecratries in Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ohannes SAKIZ Pasha
Artin DADYAN Pasha
Harutyun DADYAN Pasha
Manuk AZERYAN

Other Hing Ranked Armenin Civil Servants in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Agop GIRCIKYAN
Krikor AGATON
Kevork STİMARAÇYAN
Sahak ABRO
Krikor MARGOSYAN
Sabuh LAZMİNAS
Krikor ODYAN
SERKİS
HURYAN
PARNASYAN
İstepan ARZUMYAN
Minas MİNASYAN
Bogos AŞVAN
Yakup YAKUPYAN
Ohannes SÜRENYAN
SIRABYAN
Ovakin K. REİSYAN
Edvar MISIRLI
Maksut SEFERYAN
Hrant NORADUNKYAN
MİKAEL, GULLABYAN
Osep SERPOS
İlyas ÇAYAN
DAVUT
Nişan SEFERYAN
Humayak SEFERYAN
Haçik PAPAZYAN
Mihridat BABAYAN
Levon SÜRENYAN
Simon PAPAZYAN
Rupen KARAKAS
KRİKOR
Dikron DEMIRCIYAN
Antreas HASUN
CIRACIYAN
Hrant ABRO
CİVANYAN
BOGOS
KERESTECIYAN
FROM THE MANAS FAMILY: Rupen, Sebuh, Zenop, Pol, Piyer, Gaspar, Puzant, Aleksandr, Jozef MANAS

Armenian Ambassadors and Councillers in Ottoman State's Foreign Missions

Garabet Artin DAVUT Pash (Berlin and Vien)
Dikran ALEKSANYAN (Brussels)
Yetvart ZOHRAB (London)
Hovsep MISAKYAN (The Haig, Netherlands)
Maresal Ohannes KUYUMCUYAN Pasha (Rome)
Dikran TINGIR (Berlin, Germany)
Mihran KAVAFYAN

Armenian Other Councillers in the Ottoman Diplomacy

Hrant DÜZ
Ohannes MAGAKYAN
Mihran KAVAFYAN
Hovsep AZARYAN
Serkis BALYAN
Dikran HÜNKARBEĞENDİYAN
Miyas YERAM
Mıgırdıç EREMYAN
Ohannes NAFİLYAN
Hrant NORADUNKYAN
ARSEN
AVYAN
Manuk AZARYAN
Puzant MANAS
Rupen MANAS

Other Armenians in Ottoman Embassies

Ohannes ABRAHAMYAM
Harudyun MARKARYAN
Levon YERAMYAN
Dikran DADYAN
Avedik SAHUMYAN
Zenop MANAS
Gaspar MANAS
Pol MANAS
Sebuh MANAS
Pier MANAS
Alexandre MANAS
Diran ALIKSANYAN

Important Armenian Figures in the Ottoman Ministry for Communication

Ministers & High Ranked Civil Servants

Maresal Garabet Artin DAVUT Pasha (Minister)
Andon Tıngır YAVER Pasha (Minister)
Osgan MARDIKYAN (Minister)
Krikor AGATON (General Director)
Kevork Sabit FINCANCIYAN

Some of the Armenian Civil Servants

Jorj SERPOS
Mişel MISIRLI
ERAMYAN
İSTEPAN
HAMPARSUM
ARSEN
PARLADİ
GARAABET
FRAN
Piyer HASSUN
Avedis ŞALÇIYAN
Mikael ANKARALIYAN
Paskal KAZANCIYAN
Andon KÖSEYAN
Dikran ARAKELYAN
Ohannes ABRAHAMYAN
Melkon YÜZBAŞIYAN
Mıgırdıç ACEMYAN
Karekin ÇERKEZYAN

Ministry of Finance - Some of the Important Armenians

Önemli Memurlar
Agop Kazazyan PASHA (Minister)
Sakız OHANNES
Çamıç OHANNES
Ohannes ALLAHVERDI
Sakız ARMENAK
Yeremyan ÇELEBİ
Osep BEHLEMYAN
Artin DUZ
Serkis DUZ
Ohannes DUZ
Mikael DUZ
Bogos DUZ
Agop DUZ
Krikor DUZ
Garabet DUZ
Mihran DUZ
İstepan SASYAN
İstepan ARAPYAN

Ministry of National Education - Some of the Armenians in This Ministry

Mihran DÜZ (Müsteşar)
Tomas TERZİYAN
Nişan GUGASYAN
Tavit ÇIRACIYAN
Sebuh TABİBYAN
SARYAN
Artin OHANNESYAN
Hovsep YUSUFYAN
Agop BOYACIYAN
Yervant
OSKAN
Mikael AŞCIYAN
Krikor OSKİYAN
Rahip Kleman SİBİLYAN
Prof. Krikor KÖMÜRCİYAN
Artin SARAFYAN
Hamazasb HAKİ

Ministry of Justice and Danistay (The Council of State) - Some of the Armenians

Danıstay Uyeleri (Council of State) Members

Andon Tıngır YAVER Paşa Danıştay Üyesi
Abraham YEREMYAN Paşa Danıştay Üyesi
Mihran DÜZ Danıştay Üyesi
Bedros KUYUMCUYAN Danıştay Üyesi

VAHAM
Serkis KARAKOÇ (Und.)
Artin Şinasi PEKMEZOĞLU (Undrs.)
GARABET (Undr.)
GASBAR
Diran PARGAMYAN
Bogos ŞAŞYAN
Dikran YUSUFYAN
Takvar HAMAMCIYAN
Kapriel KAPRİYELİYAN
Ohannes TOROSYAN
Viçen HOKOSYAN
İstepan KARAYAN
Markar UNCUYAN
Tateos REFKİ
Diran AŞNANYAN
Kapriel NEŞTERCİYAN
Artin MOSDİÇYAN
Ovakim REİSYAN
Kevork FİKRİ
HAYRABET


Ohannes TINGIR
Bogos MISIRLIYAN
Krikor ODYAN
Serkis DÜZ
Artin DADYAN
Sahak ABRO
Zareh DİLBER
Ohannes NURYAN
İlyas ÇAYAN
Duran DADYAN
Andon KÖSEYAN
Bedros Zeki GARABETYAN
Krikor HIDIRYAN
Hırant ASADUR

--------------
Ministry of Internal Affairs - Some of the Armenian Civil Servants

Mareşal Garabet Artin DAVUT Paşa
VARTAN Paşa
Krikor ŞABANYAN
Osep AMİRA
Haçadur DERNERSESYAN
Nişan KAZAZYAN
Mikael MAMİKONYAN
Bedros KAPAMACIYAN
Karakin DEVECİYAN
Servet PARACIYAN
Sisak FERİT
Minas GAMSAR
Levon SÜRENYAN
Yervan YUSUFYAN
Bogos PARNASYAN
Harutyun HANDANYAN

Vali Muavinleri

Ohannes FERİT
Ohannes ASASYAN
L.AYCİYAN
Antranik BİLLURYAN

Mustesar Muavinleri

Nazaret
Gazaros SAYEBAĞLIYAN
HAGOP
Mihran BOYACIYAN
Harundyun APARTYAN
Levon
Minas CUKASIZYAN
Nazaret ARMENAK
Fikri ASLANYAN
MANUEL
Garabet ISRAELYAN
BEDROS
NİSAN
PASKAL
Sarim CUKASIZYAN
Dikran KIRISCIYAN
Hagop FERİT
Garabet TOROSYAN
Hagop YAVER
Krikor PAPAZYAN
Nişan AGAH
Armenak BOYACIYAN
KRIKOR
Dikran KEVORK
Avedis SISLIYAN
Minas HEKİMYAN
Garebet TEKVORYAN
Artin ZEKI
Asadur KUSADALIYAN
Andon GOCEYAN
Simpat DERNERSESYAN

Hımayak SEFERYAN
Aram ADİL
Kevork TORKOMYAN
Melkon MİLOYAN
Behram YAKUPYAN
Sahak YEREMYAN
Levon PAPAZYAN
Kevork KORAN
Dikran ÇÜBERYAN
Kevork ÇÜVERYAN
Hovsep TAKVORYAN
Krikor TAKVORYAN

Some of the Armenians in the Ottoman Ministry of National Development


Maresal Garabet Artin DAVUT Pasha (Minister)
Bedros HALLAÇYAN (Minister)
BAristor Krikor SINAPYAN (Minister)
Krikor AGATON (Minister)
Gabriel NORADUNKYAN (Minister)

Armenicam Civil Servants

Krikor ODYAN
Mıgırdıç SINAPYAN
Ohannes KARDAVYAN
Bedros HORASANYAN
Kevork PAKARAD
Bogos HANLIYAN
Melkon NAZIKYAN
Karakin GAZAROSYAN
Edvard Yervant SAMUELYAN

Agriculture Office

Krikor HEKİMYAN
Eram
Haygaz BEGYAN
Mıgırdıç HEKİMYAN
Kevork TORKOMYAN
Nişan KALFAYAN
Bedros KUYUMCUYAN
Onnik İHSAN

[TurQ]

‘Discrimination on the rise in Bulgaria’

NEWS FROM ALL SIDES: ‘Discrimination on the rise in Bulgaria’
09:00 Mon 03 Apr 2006

This is an edited extract from the United States state department on human rights in Bulgaria, released in March 2006:

Societal discrimination against the Roma and other minority groups increased during 2005, occasionally resulting in incidents of violence between the members of the ethnic Bulgarian majority and ethnic Romani minority.

According to a 2001 census, non-Muslim ethnic Bulgarians made up 86 per cent and ethnic Turks nine per cent of the population. Although the Roma were officially estimated to comprise 4.6 per cent of the population, their actual share was more likely between six and seven per cent, according to a 2002 Council of Europe report that counted 600 000 to 800 000 Roma in the country. Ethnic Bulgarian Muslims, often termed Pomaks, are a distinct group of Slavic descent whose ancestors converted from Orthodox Christianity to Islam; they constituted two to three per cent of the population.

Although there were no reports of lethal police assaults on Roma, police harassed, physically abused, and arbitrarily arrested some Roma, and reports of police harassment and torture were documented. The government made little progress in resolving cases of police violence against Roma. Human rights groups complained that magistrates sometimes failed to pursue crimes committed against minorities.

On August 1, inflammatory anti-Roma leaflets were distributed following a violent altercation between ethnic Bulgarians and Roma in Pleven on July 30. Ethnic Bulgarian residents of the Storgozia area in Pleven unsuccessfully asked city officials to evict Romani residents from the buildings in which the fight took place.

During the summer Ataka and another political party proposed two draft laws to create “self-defence groups” designed to take punitive action against “Romani criminals”. Neither piece of legislation passed, and there was no evidence that vigilante groups of this nature existed in practice.

On February 19, a group of youths beat a Romani family on a train near the village of Osetenovo. Human rights monitors reported that the attackers, who disseminated racist leaflets to passengers, were members of a nationalistic group that had a gathering the same day. Transportation police launched an investigation into the incident, and an NGO hired an attorney to represent the victims. No further developments had been publicised by the end of the year.

Victims of ethnically motivated violence included ethnic Bulgarians as well as Roma. In a highly publicised case that contributed to ethnic tensions in the country, Stanomir Kaloyanov, an ethnic Bulgarian professor, died of head injuries sustained during a May 23 race-related brawl in the ethnically mixed Zaharna Fabrika neighborhood of Sofia. Three ethnic Romani suspects were arrested immediately following the incident and were released without charge. At year’s end the investigation into the murder was ongoing.

There were no developments relating to cases of skinhead violence against Romani residents of Sofia in 2004.

There were no developments in the April 2004 case in which two men reportedly brutally beat Georgi Angelov, a Rom, and cut off his ear with a razor blade. Human rights groups reported that the police failed to effectively investigate this and similar incidents.

The unemployment rate among the Roma was nearly 65 per cent, reaching as high as 80 per cent in some regions. About 10 per cent of Roma had graduated from high school and only one per cent had a university degree. Severe unemployment and poverty among the Roma, combined with generally unfavourable attitudes toward Roma among ethnic Bulgarians and Turks, contributed to strained relations between the Roma and the rest of society.

Workplace discrimination against minorities, especially the Roma, continued to be a problem.

Many Roma and other observers made credible allegations that the quality of education offered to Romani children was inferior to that afforded most other students.

Many Roma lived in substandard housing and lacked legal registration for their places of residences. This situation rendered them particularly vulnerable in August, when Sofia city officials ordered the demolition of 22 Romani houses lacking legal deeds in the Hristo Botev district of Sofia. Approximately 150 Roma were left homeless. NGOs responded with fierce criticism, characterising the demolitions as an election year attempt to exploit anti-Roma sentiment.

The Roma were disproportionately affected by the summer floods that destroyed vital infrastructure and displaced more than 500 people. Observers attributed the greater vulnerability of the Roma to displacement to pre-existing economic hardship and harsh living conditions.

With the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the government attempted to provide housing for families previously displaced in 2001 by building new apartment blocks in Sofia and Plovdiv. However, NGOs reported that only 80 families had been resettled in Sofia by October, and many of the new units were put to commercial, rather than residential use.

NGOs reported that Roma encountered difficulties applying for social benefits, and local officials discouraged rural Roma from claiming land to which they were entitled under the law disbanding agricultural collectives. Many Roma suffered from inadequate access to health care.

On July 27, a Blagoevgrad trial court ruled against a restaurant that had denied service to Romani customers. The court found the refusal of services to be in violation of country’s anti-discrimination law and ordered the restaurant to refrain from repeating such conduct. The claim had been brought by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), which used the law’s provision authorising public interest lawsuits by NGOs.

During the year the NGO Romani Baht filed 18 discrimination cases under the 2003 protection against discrimination act. The cases, which alleged discrimination in employment, education, access to public buildings, and ethnically motivated harassment, were ongoing at year’s end. Five of the six cases that Romani Baht filed in 2004 were successful.

The country’s small population of Pomaks remained in an ambiguous position. In the town of Yakoruda, local officials refused to recognise the Pomak identity, and those calling themselves Pomaks alleged discrimination by government officials.

With the support of local NGOs and foreign donors the government implemented a program to teach Romani folklore and history to over 5000 children in an effort to increase inter-ethnic understanding and fight prejudice. Government integration programs also included busing over 2000 Romani children from ghettoised neighbourhoods to mixed-ethnicity schools. Assistant teachers from minority backgrounds were hired to assist children from Turkish and Romani linguistic minorities to learn Bulgarian and to integrate into mixed classes.

[TurQ]

Movement In Bulgaria To Oppose Ethnic Hatred Policies

Bulgarian

I think you should join this movement, and distance yourself from racist ideas and bigotry.

It is a good chance for you, what do you think???

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MOVEMENT IN BULGARIA TO OPPOSE ETHNIC HATRED POLICIES
09:39 Mon 03 Apr 2006

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) would oppose all party policies aimed at inciting ethnic and religious tension within the country, movement members decided during the sixth national MRF conference.

MRF would work for the further improvement of Bulgaria's functioning ethnic model, the Bulgarian National Radio reported. This model is one of the conditions necessary for the integration of minority groups in society, party members said.

With the upcoming EU accession of the country integration becomes increasingly important, according to the MRF.

Regional party representatives and local administrators should put all their effort in preparing the country for the upcoming EU membership, MRF representatives said.

According to the MRF ruling authorities should consider the establishment of an information network, making Bulgarians aware about the challenges and difficulties of the EU membership.

During the conference MRF members also decided the party should seek active co-operation with European liberal and democratic political formations, as well as with political formations from Balkan countries.

MRF members also re-elected party leader Ahmed Dogan. Movement members approved the party strategy report Dogan presented. According to the document the MRF would work with other parties to carry out strategic for Bulgaria projects.

[TurQ]

Hundreds of Roma rallied the streets of Sofia

Bulgarian, do you denounce the fachism against Romas, Turks, Pomaks in Bulgaria?

Do you condemn the racist parties in Bulgaria????


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Rally Marks International Roma Day in Sofia


A happy Roma waves a huge flag, celebrating the International Roma Day in Sofia on Saturday. Photo by Kameliya Atanasova (Sofia News Agency)
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Politics: 8 April 2006, Saturday.

Hundreds of Roma rallied the streets of Sofia and other Bulgarian towns on Saturday to mark the International Roma Day.

The rally halted before the Unknown Soldier monument and placed wreaths to honor the memory of the Roma who were killed in concentration camps.

Waving banners and posters reading "No to racism, no to populism, no to hatred, Bulgaria for all," participants walked the streets. At the end of the march, a special liturgy was held in the Sveta Nedelya church in Sofia.

[TurQ]

Ep Wants Bulgaria To Deal With Extremist Parties

Yes I also believe that EP and Bulgaria should deal with extremists like Bulgarian!

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EP WANTS BULGARIA TO DEAL WITH EXTREMIST PARTIES
17:59 Wed 12 Apr 2006

The European parliament (EP) urges democratic parties in Bulgaria to stand against political formations, whose leaders advocate hatred toward minorities.

EP sent a declaration to Bulgarian National Radio denouncing parties in Bulgaria that want the return of totalitarian government methods. In the document EP calls upon justice to take measures prescribed by Bulgarian laws and deal with hostile speech, intolerance and discrimination, Focus news agency reported.

Five MEPs signed the declaration, including EP rapporteur for Bulgaria Geoffrey Van Orden. The document will be forwarded to the European Commission and cabinets of EU member states.

Although the name of Ataka ultra-nationalist coalition is not mentioned in the declaration, MEP Els de Groen who initiated the document, said it is closely connected with Ataka. According to Groen, the political formation increases the risk of the establishment of a new totalitarian regime.