Comments on: Turkyilmaz Trial http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/08/15/turkyilmaz-trial/ Journalism and Photography from Armenia and the Surrounding Region Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:23:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Administrator http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/08/15/turkyilmaz-trial/#comment-97 Tue, 16 Aug 2005 04:09:00 +0100 http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/08/15/turkyilmaz-trial/#comment-97 I don't know. There are hundreds if not thousands of old books shops in the U.K. and I can even order rare books over the Internet. Let's face it, the books were mainly bought at the Vernisage and I wonder how many Diasporans also have copies of old and rare books they took out of Armenia without declaring them. So, the issue is does this law fit in with the times or not? I'm not entirely sure it exists everywhere else in the world. i.e. books freely available for sale in Armenia can be prosecuted with a maximum sentence of 8 years if a document from the Ministry of Culture is not sought. Kind of defeats the purpose of selling them if the vendor does not warn the customer. Besides, from what we know so far, the former KGB have not even questioned Turkyilmaz about his books. Instead, they have confiscated his research notes and seem more interested in talking to him about that. On the other hand, yes, there is a law, but as almost everyone else says, why is it possible for senior government officials to break the law on a daily basis in Armenia to the tune of millions of dollars in corruption-related activities and get away with it when a pro-Armenian scholar appears to be singled out for the one time when the law in Armenia is followed to the minutest of details? In a nutshell, this case also illustrates the lack of the rule of law in Armenia and its selective application, possibly for politically motivated reasons (although in this case, the government seems to have shot itself in the foot). Is it just me or should books of rare and cultural value not be on sale at the Vernisage in the first place? Surely, they should be protected by the state in a museum? I wonder whether <a href="http://www.google.am/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A//www.sotherbys.com/&ei=PGgBQ77sDrbURduh-Uk">Sotherby's</a> or <a href="http://www.google.am/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A//www.christies.com/&ei=_WcBQ96jCcj6Rf_trWI">Christie's</a> ever have this problem when they sell something at auction? I don’t know. There are hundreds if not thousands of old books shops in the U.K. and I can even order rare books over the Internet. Let’s face it, the books were mainly bought at the Vernisage and I wonder how many Diasporans also have copies of old and rare books they took out of Armenia without declaring them. So, the issue is does this law fit in with the times or not? I’m not entirely sure it exists everywhere else in the world. i.e. books freely available for sale in Armenia can be prosecuted with a maximum sentence of 8 years if a document from the Ministry of Culture is not sought. Kind of defeats the purpose of selling them if the vendor does not warn the customer.

Besides, from what we know so far, the former KGB have not even questioned Turkyilmaz about his books. Instead, they have confiscated his research notes and seem more interested in talking to him about that.

On the other hand, yes, there is a law, but as almost everyone else says, why is it possible for senior government officials to break the law on a daily basis in Armenia to the tune of millions of dollars in corruption-related activities and get away with it when a pro-Armenian scholar appears to be singled out for the one time when the law in Armenia is followed to the minutest of details? In a nutshell, this case also illustrates the lack of the rule of law in Armenia and its selective application, possibly for politically motivated reasons (although in this case, the government seems to have shot itself in the foot).

Is it just me or should books of rare and cultural value not be on sale at the Vernisage in the first place? Surely, they should be protected by the state in a museum? I wonder whether Sotherby’s or Christie’s ever have this problem when they sell something at auction?

]]> by: jerome http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/08/15/turkyilmaz-trial/#comment-96 Mon, 15 Aug 2005 23:59:48 +0100 http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/08/15/turkyilmaz-trial/#comment-96 89 old books, 7 very rare ( incl 2 bibles from the 17e century !!)... how is it possible to ignore it was illegal ??? every lands have such laws. 89 old books, 7 very rare ( incl 2 bibles from the 17e century !!)… how is it possible to ignore it was illegal ??? every lands have such laws.

]]> by: Blogrel http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/08/15/turkyilmaz-trial/#comment-94 Mon, 15 Aug 2005 20:47:02 +0100 http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/08/15/turkyilmaz-trial/#comment-94 <strong>Yektan Turkyilmaz Update</strong> Oneworld has great commentary and photos from the Turkyilmaz trial today. Thanks Onnik!... Yektan Turkyilmaz Update

Oneworld has great commentary and photos from the Turkyilmaz trial today. Thanks Onnik!…

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