Thursday 22 05 14 volume # 9 issue # 94

RAG MAMOUL an ADLP PUBLICATION

Official Organ of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party

Article of the Day

Turkey Becomes a Rogue State By

Rejecting European Court’s Verdict

By Harut Sassounian

Thursday, 22 May 2014 Volume # 9, Issue # 94 Page 1

RAG MAMOUL receives material from around the world and in many languages. Our Liberal principles advocate ‘Freedom of

speech’ as a mainstay of our beliefs; consequently the subjects and ideas presented will not necessarily reflect our point of view.

All published material is reviewed, however, we rely on the kind understanding of our audience when grammatical and spelling

mistakes are missed. And in some rare cases, correction of submitted material is purposely not addressed, if it changes the implied

context of the author.

The European Court on Human

Rights (ECHR) issued on May 12 its largest judgment ever against

any country, ruling that Turkey

had to pay $123 million as compensation to relatives of

missing Greek Cypriots and

residents of a Greek enclave in Northern Cyprus.

The Cyprus vs. Turkey lawsuit was filed in 1999, twenty five

years after the Turkish occupation of Northern Cyprus. In 2001, after ruling that the Turkish government had violated numerous

articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, ECHR

postponed making a determination of the penalty to be assessed to Turkey.

That decision came earlier this month, when the 17 judges of ECHR’s Grand Chamber issued their final judgment. By a vote

of 16 to 1 (the Armenian and Cypriot judges voted with the

majority, while the Turkish judge was the lone dissenter), ECHR ruled that the intervening 13 years had not invalidated

the court’s 2001 judgment, as claimed by Turkey. By a vote of

15 to 2, ECHR held that the Turkish government had to pay $41

million, plus any tax and interest (if not paid within three months) for 1,456 Greek Cypriots missing as a result of

Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus in 1974. By another 15 to 2 votes,

ECHR judges decided that Turkey had to pay an additional $82 million plus any tax and interest (if not paid within three

www.facebook.com/RAGmamoul

Diaspora News Beirut, Lebanon

Haigazian University Board of Trustees Holds Its

Annual Meeting In Beirut

(See on page 3 )

News from Armenia “Armenia Is Our Home” Festival Brings Together

Representatives Of National Minorities

(See on page 5)


months) for damages suffered by residents of the Greek Cypriot enclave of Karpas peninsula in Turkish-occupied

Northern Cyprus.

Right before the court’s judgment, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made a vain attempt to derail ECHR’s anticipated negative decision by warning that a ruling against Turkey would undermine the ongoing negotiations to reach

a settlement on the Cyprus conflict. The court rightfully ignored Davutoglu’s threat and went on to issue its firm judgment

in favor of Cyprus.

Having failed to bully the judges, Davutoglu disdainfully declared that Turkey rejects the verdict of Europe’s top human

rights court and boasted that his country will refuse to pay the $123 million in damages.

Davutoglu should be reminded that ECHR’s “Grand Chamber judgments are final” — not subject to appeal — and “all

final judgments are transmitted to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe for supervision of their execution,” according to the court’s records.

Turkish Foreign Minister’s arrogant declaration will certainly come back to haunt his government in the not too distant future. All members of the Council of Europe, without exception, are obligated to comply with ECHR’s rulings. The

court’s judgments are binding on all member states. During the past several decades, Turkey has lost hundreds of

judgments in the European Court and has paid, whether it liked it or not, countless millions of dollars in penalties. Turkey has no other choice, if it wants to remain a member of the Council of Europe. There have been some ECHR cases where

Turkish officials had initially vowed that they would not pay the assessed penalties, but eventually fully paid the required

compensation plus interest.

If the Turkish government sticks with Davutoglu’s boastful rejection, not only Turkey could be stripped of its membership

in the Council of Europe, but also forfeit its slim chance of joining the European Union!

Member states of the Council of Europe do not have the right to decide whether they are willing to abide by ECHR’s

judgments. Otherwise, why would 47 European countries collectively spend almost $100 million a year to maintain a court if its judgments are meaningless or subject to voluntary compliance?

Recently, Turkish leaders have gone on a rampage flaunting domestic and international laws, by jailing a record number of journalists, firing on peaceful demonstrators in Gezi Park, beating family members of a mine explosion victims, making

anti-Semitic statements, threatening to expel the US Ambassador, and waving a finger at Pres. Obama in the White

House!

The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers should not tolerate a rogue member state which is a major violator of

human rights. The Council should put Turkey on notice that unless it makes immediate arrangements to pay the $123 million penalty, it would be expelled from the Council of Europe and have its assets in third countries seized to enforce

the court’s judgment.

Europe should take a firm stand on this judgment, as there will be many more such verdicts against Turkey on Cyprus and

possibly someday on Armenian restitutional and territorial demands….

www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

http://www.thecaliforniacourier.com/


Diaspora News

Beirut, Lebanon

HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

HOLDS ITS ANNUAL MEETING IN BEIRUT Beirut, May 12, 2014- On May 2 and 3, 2014, the members of the Haigazian University Board of Trustees were brought

together from both the United States and Lebanon to hold their annual meeting in Beirut for two consecutive days.

Over the course of the meetings, the Board engaged substantively with the plans and the university’s other strategic initiatives together with the President, the deans, and the department heads. The meetings were an opportunity to confer

various important matters, focusing particularly on the actions that would be needed to implement over the next year.

The meetings were highlighted by the approval of the 60th anniversary program which will take place during 2014-2015,

and the study of reports of the various departments and projects across the university.

Equally significant was the fellowship dinner which was held in Villa Linda Sursock, Ashrafieh, in the presence of a

number of members of the parliament, in addition to U.S. and Armenian ambassadors to Lebanon, David Hale and Ashod Kocharian.

Diaspora. He proudly quoted some gratifying words from

the President of the Armenian Republic, Serge Sarkissian

during his visit and encounter with Haigazian students, back in November 2012. Kocharian wished the Haigazian

family with its staff members and board of trustees new

achievements and ongoing success.

On this very special occasion, President Haidostian honored benefactors Mr. and Mrs. Armen and Salpi

Haroutiounian with a plaque, for their significant

donation of USD 250,000 towards a scholarship fund, earlier this year.

It is worth noting that board members also enjoyed the great opportunity of witnessing the opening of the 2

nd

phase of the KCHAG reconstruction celebrations, in

Monteverde, Lebanon.

Mira Yardemian

Public Relations Director

In his opening remarks, University President, Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian underlined the importance of Haigazian University in bringing the best of many cultures (Armenian, American and Lebanese), organizations and countries into one institution.

Ambassador Hale, expressed his pride with the USAID program, recognizing Haigazian University for its high academic standards and rich learning environment, where 64 Lebanese students were selected to be a part of the cohort of USAID

grant recipients, based on both their academic merit and financial need as criteria for eligibility.

Ambassador Kocharian expressed his earnest thanks and appreciation to the role Haigazian University plays in the Armenian

Mr. Haroutiounian receiving the Plaque from

Dr. Paul Haidostian



Yerevan held the festival of the national minority culture of the Republic of

Armenia on the occasion of the Cultural Diversity Day. The festival was entitled”Armenia is Our Home”. Within the framework of the ceremony an

exhibition of decorative-applied art goods was opened in ”Arno Babajanian”

concert hall on May 21 and a concert was held in participation with the

national minority ensemble. The ceremony was held by the financing of the Culture Ministry of the Republic of Armenia.

The Deputy Head of the Modern Art Department of the Ministry Staff Aram Gyurjian underscored that in the context of the state cultural policy realization

of the Government of the Republic of Armenia the preservation of the cultural

diversity and inter-cultural dialogue are among the most important directions.

News From Armenia

“Armenia is Our Home” Festival Brings Together

Representatives of National Minorities

”The Ministry carries out a number of measures with the communities of the national minorities. I want to mention

specially that assistance is shown to 12 papers and one magazine of national minorities, literature is regularly published by

their languages, film projects are shot and this festival is organized. It is the result of state-private sector cooperation,’’ Aram Gyurjian noted as reported by Armenpress.

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Official Organ of the

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Thursday 22 05 14 volume # 9 issue # 94

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