Paylan: This Is an Attack against Me and My Identity
ANKARA, Turley (A.W.)—Prior to the approval by a Turkish parliamentary committee of a bill stripping parliamentarians of their immunity, a physical fight broke out on May 2 between members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and the ruling Justice and Development (AKP) party. HDP’s Armenian Parliamentarian Garo Paylan was targeted in the attack, both physically and through hate speech. Paylan called the attack a premeditated “lynching” campaign in a press statement on May 3. This was the second fight in parliament in the past five days.
The proposed bill aims to shed the immunity of MPs who are currently facing investigations. According to the HDP, the immunity bill was drafted and approved specifically to target them and to suppress opposition to the ruling regime.
The bill will be debated in the parliament’s General Assembly and then voted on in order to be put into practice. Reuters quoted senior AKP member Bulent Turan as saying that the ruling AKP wishes for the parliamentary debate to begin on May 16, and for the vote to take place by May 18.
Members of parliament exchanged punches, kicks, and threw objects at each other on May 2, prompting HDP members to withdraw from the chamber.
“Today, news agencies spread information that it was I who ‘poured oil on the fire’ and ‘sparked’ [the fight]; [they are] depicting the HDP Parliamentarians as the cause of the physical violence, and [are] distorting the truth,” said Paylan in the statement.
“As is evident in the video, Istanbul AKP member Mehmet Metiner attacked me, after which a fistfight broke out and the premeditated lynching commenced,” Paylan said.
“I condemn this hate speech and hate crime that were directed at me and my identity,” he added.
Paylan said that he was personally targeted by members of the AKP, after he dismissed Turkey’s Justice Minister’s claims that the HDP had instigated a fight in parliament on April 28. Paylan also said that he thought the attack on HDP members was planned in advance, and the fact that he is an ethnic Armenian made him a target.
“During the attack, AKP members pointed at me and yelled ‘Come, Garo is there,’ and stressed my Armenian heritage, yelling hateful slurs directed at me,” Paylan said in the press statement following the fight, adding “the fascists are scared, and will attack insidiously only in groups.”
In a statement following the attack, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) said it had repeatedly and unsuccessfully called on the U.S. government to condemn the political prosecution, persecution, and threats directed against Agos Editor Hrant Dink prior to his 2007 murder. “Despite all our efforts and the clear facts on the ground, the U.S. Department of State and the White House could not find their way to utter even one public word in his defense. One expression of concern. One word on his behalf. That is, until his death,” said Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian in a statement.
“Let us work to ensure that the same fate does not befall Garo Paylan—a truth teller and peace maker who deserves the support, not the silence, of the elected representatives of the American people,” said Hamparian.
Below is a video footage of the attack in parliament.
nothing has changed, and nothing will change.
The U.S. and others will most probably behave again just like they did in the case of Hrand Dink. Armenian organizations and the media should spread this news world wide. Paylan is a hero and should not be left alone.
THESE PATHETIC POLITICOS… THEY WISH TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION!?!
Where is the security?
Outrageous behavior
Not outrageous at all. I’m surprised these things don’t happen often in the Turkish parliament. They key in such situations is to be alert and ready and throw the first punch followed by relentless attack and then you can watch them run for cover like a scared mouse. Also, they are experts in group attacks, like a pack of wolves, but once you separate members from the group rest-assured they will turn into sheep.
Garo Palyan deservers the support of all freedom loving people who believe in truth and respect the rights of all people. The world deserves to know what Garo Palyan stands for in his fstruggle f
or the truth.
Garo Paylan is Armenian political and he is brave bravo
I have got some colorful language to use here because I grew up in Bourj Hammood. But I am not going to do that just to be Civil and be respectful for the integrity of this News Paper. However, I am going to choose the words of Zoravar (General) Antranig and Shahan Natali when Antranig in 1909 having a conversation with our Armenian parliamentarians who were serving in the Turkish parliament, that we must never Trust these people who are called TURKS. “That one day the Turks are going to hang you and kill you” the words of General Antranik. Shahan Natali in his writings has always emphasized that “we can never trust the Turks and must not trust the Turks”. I will not be surprised when I hear one day that Garo Paylan is killed in some way or another. Murder is murder. But I won’t be surprised. It will make me very sad but it won’t surprise me. Garo is a Hero for the Armenian People especially so when he spoke in the parliament that 100 years ago the Turkish government of the day killed their own parliamentarians only because they were Armenians and he showed them the Photos of our leaders killed during 1915. To me, I say Garo has Big Balls to stand there with these Vultures and telling them exactly what happened 100 years ago. He made me feel very proud as an Armenian. However, I am fearful for his life. If I may share this one experience I had with Hrant Dink many years ago when he visited the country I live in. He was a guest speaker that night. And he introduced us to the work of AGOS news papar and the work they do every day him and his friends. After the question time, I approached him, shook his hand and believe me he had such big and powerful hands and he made me feel them with his huge smile that will win anyone’s heart. I felt that we new each other from somewhere maybe from a Past Life experience. I will never forget when i asked him in Armenian “Baron Hrant, ches vakhnar gyanket yev yeridasart endanik unis”? “Mr Hrant, aren’t you afraid of your life and you have a young family”? The answer was “zohrab hokis, meg ankam bidi merstenen inzi payts yes million dari bidi abrim im joghovourtis metch”. “zohrab my soul, I will die only once. But I will live a million years in the memory of the Armenian people”. I thought to myself and all that evening and until now so many years later that I was shaking the hand of a Natural Born Hero. May his spirit live forever in peace. That is what I see in Garo Paylan. We must never TRUST the TURKS.
Just to add up few more words. We all learned recently that during these five day war in April last month, that Azeri soldiers killed couple of elderly people who were in their eighties, after killing them the Azeris cut the ears of these dead Armenian elderly people. Why do you want to do something like this I asked to myself? Do they really hate us so much that they would act this way. Its not just the hate. They are VILE people. And than during the exchange of dead soldiers from both sides, the government of Arstakh found that our soldier’s heads were cut off. I mean this is unreal. SAVAGES I thought. And we tell our soldiers “do not touch the WOMEN, CHILDREN and Elderly”. What a difference? With the words of the President of Arstakh, he declared that “we will never return back to what it was before”. “We don’t want to see our Mothers, wives and sisters being Raped and Butchered and our elderly disrespected again”. We must all speak our words similarly so we can have a new DISCOURSE.
դե թուրքից ուրիշ ինշ կարաս սպասել:
They wiil never CHANGE!!!!!!
Same VAIRENEY people always!!!!
When will change come?
Once again the US Government? do you really think these people have any feeling or know what they are actually doing by supporting the turkish parliament? they really haven’t got a clue. Once again money speaks many languages. Shame on them – the americans and any other country who has not condemned this disgraceful behaviour.
Once an invadonomad from Uyguristan, always an invadonomad.
Grown men in nice European suits and ties attacking Paylan like a pack of wolves. What a surprise.
[Turkish Armenian MP: Fascists are cowards and can attack only one person by group]
http://news.am/eng/news/325447.html
{“Together with physical violence, deputies of Justice and Development Party (AKP) said offensive words regarding my Armenian identity. Let’s not forget that fascists are cowards; they can attack only one person by a group,” Paylan wrote.}
You are a brave, dedicated Armenian,Garo.
The man started fight in Turkish Parliment so and l can not make antying about turkey he always talk about Armania Genocide are you represetive of turkish parlement or are you representive parlament those kind people never Turkey be great country …l hate people who fight each other
Maybe we need to change our tactics. Why don’t thousands of Armenians gather in front of the Turkish Embassy in Washington D.C. on some OTHER DAY THAN APRIL 24. Of course, we will still honor the memory of our martyrs on that date, but politically speaking, we need to do something that doesn’t become an annual ritual in the eyes of the public.
“Let us work to ensure that the same fate does not befall Garo Paylan”
What–concretely–can we in the US do? Forget about lobbying the US Government. Is there a way we can directly help things in Turkey? Does anyone have any specific ideas? Does Garo Paylan have a security fund/legal defense fund for these “investigations” to which we can contribute?
When in Turkey the judiciary exists to serve the government, instead of protecting the public from government power and abuse of its citizens, and the AKP parliamentarian gang members who premeditated the attack on Garo Paylan solely for his ethnic background pledge allegiance to the AKP head-master and Turkish terrorist-in-chief Er-dog-an who considers equating him to an Armenian is an insult, how much a chance is there to get legal justice in this hate-filled cesspool for an Armenian whose nation was murdered a century ago and their existence still denied and their memories disrespected? None!
Point taken. But I still would like to hear suggestions on what those of us members of the Diaspora who live in the US can do to change things in Turkey. Appealing to the US Government has been proven unsuccessful time and time again (and in any event, the ANCA handles that). What else can the rest of us do?
Just as hero Garo Paylan’s courage is known world-wide (I write from LONDON) so are the faces and identities of his cowardly attackers, let them know this… I am proud to be 3/16ths ARMENIAN. They are many but we are stronger. Keep speaking out, all over the world.D
Armenia, all latin america is behind you and support you. We will defend you at all cost !!
So as Hrant Dink was a hero and he expected that he’ll be killed oneday due to his ethnecity and Armenian Genocde, what are the guaratees that another Armenian hero Garo Paylan’s guarantees that his safety is insecured. Shouldn’t Armenia and all Armenian worldwide organized stand together complain to the International Human Right of Justice to protect Garo Palyan before it is too late? I am really worried as Er-dog-an is the same savage beast same as his ancestors 101 years ago.
All of us Turkish Christians are with Garo Paylan. He is like a hero to us. I am sorry to all armenians for the genocide that still continues after 100 years.
Same old cowards.
Can you change a people that think nothing of killing hundreds of thousands of people at one time. When you have a murderous ideology, it is with you forever. It will continue until someone sees the light and is strong enough to do something about it. These people have blood on their hands. I hope that their useless economy will bring them down, then they will be reduced to beggars.