2942) Media Scanner Aug 2009 (162 Items)

Genocide and International Law to be Topic of Beirut Conference, Haigazian University in Beirut
Armenian-Turkish Cooperation: The Trafficking of Armenian Women to Antalya
TV Channel Investigates Begging As "Business" In Moscow Subway
16 Years Passed Since Armenia's Occupation Of Azerbaijan's Fuzuli And Jabrail Regions
Serzh Sargsyan Will Have To Swallow Pride And Take Back Words
Turkey Is More Important For Armenia Than Armenia For Turkey
U.S. Congressman: Department Of State Will Be Against Recognition Of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Independence,
War On Wikipedia Pages Goes On: Azerbaijan Vs. Armenia
Turkish Diaspora Manages To Dismiss Us Congress's Resolution On "Armenian Genocide"
U.S. Courts Rejects California Law On Insurance Claims For Armenians,
Sarkis' Heart To Beat In Istanbul
Pentagon Plans For Global Military Supremacy U.S., Nato Could Deploy Mobile Missiles Launchers To Europe
The Age Of Bluffing
“Dialogue for Action” – Armenian and Azerbaijani Youth Hope to Bring Change
The Truth Will Out: Boyajian On Armenia And Calley On My Lai
Armenian President's Statement Was Abrupt
Armenia Will Fail To Solve Vital Issue Through Football: Mp, Today Az
Attempts Are Made To Give Political Coloring To Recognition Of Armenian Genocide,
Serzh Sargsyan Has Nothing To Do In Turkey
ATAA Welcomes Federal Court Decision Rejecting Armenian Reparations, Gunay Evinch
Ataturk On The Agenda Of Armenia
The Kennedy Family Supported U.S. Armenians
Opponents Spurn Dashnak Criticism Over Turkey, Karabakh,
Is Russia-Turkey Union Able To Solve Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict? Trend News Commentator
Turkey Considers Two-Month Action Plan For Canada
Propublica Reports Turkey Wasting Millions On Foreign Lobbying
Arf-Dashnaktsutyun To Continue Instilling Patriotism Among Youth
Turkey Aims To Strengthen Its Positions In South Caucasus Through Armenia,
Armenia May Have Certain Role In Russian-Turkish Relations,
Aaa Carries Out Consistent Work To Achieve Adoption Of Armenian Genocide Resolution By Congress
Dashnak Leader Slams Armenian Diplomacy Over U.S. Court Verdict, Hasmik Smbatian
Haroutiun Khachatrian: "Armenians Cannot Rightly Use Cultural Weapon"
When Can It Be Considered Genocide And Why It Matters
"Armenian Atrocity" Novel Set In Turkey
Yusuf Halacoglu: "The PKK is an Armenian organization"
Yerevan Under Mounting Pressure, Says Right-Wing Party
Armenian Opposition To Unite U.S. Diaspora
Veiled In Mystery Of Armenia-Turkey Normalization
Turkish Ambassador Goes Beyond The Diplomatic Ethics
Armenian Schoolchildren Are Taught Chivalry
Aram Sargsyan – “President Can Travel To Turkey As A Football Fan”
Should Armenian Leader Visit Turkey? Situation As Seen From Yerevan
Dashnaks Call For End To Armenia-Turkey Negotiations
Armenian Government Lives In Grand Style
AYF Youth Corps Marks 15 Years of Service to Homeland
Armenian-Americans To Challenge Congressional Incumbents In 2010
Armenia, Azerbaijan Turkey to participate in joint NATO exercise
Turkish Lobby Group ‘Declares War’ on FBI Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds
The Houses Of The Armenians In IstanbulMarked
JITEM Behind The Assassination Of Hrant Dink
Campaign Against The Eiffel Tower In The Colors Of The Turkish Flag
Armenian Bride Andranik Hermine Changed Her Religion & Married A Turkish Businessman
Lawyers To Appeal 9th Circuit Court Ruling
Next Media Scanner & Opinions Posts Will Not Appear At The Next Weekend Due To Site Maintenance
Take Action: Google Limits Free Speech
Download The Federal Court Decision Paper Here Ref: Armenian Genocide Victims Can't Sue
Kurds Want To Seize Control Of The Azerbaijani Army
Klinsky Armenian Community Sues Local Weekly
Turkey And Russia: Old Rivals, New Partners,
Descendent Of Armenian Genocide Victims Can't Sue Foreign Insurance Companies Any More
Clinton, Sarkisian On Another Phone Conversation
The Wall Street Journal: Karabakh Dangerous For Europe
Crime Level Grow Almost Twice In Armenia
Armenian President And U.S. Secretary Of State Discuss Bilateral Relations
"Governor Schwarzenegger Appoints Charles S. Poochigian To The Fifth District Court Of Appeal"
Armenia: Wave Of Hacker Attacks Blamed On Azerbaijan, Turkey, Marianna Grigoryan
Armenian Popular In Turkey,
Deutsche Welle: Armenian-Turkish "Football Diplomacy" Threatened
Armenia Vs Caucasus?, Naira Hairumyan
Expert: Turkey Presently Does Its Best To Position Itself As Country With No Problems
Washington To Prevent Development Of Russian-Turkish Relations
Russian Comedy, Caucasian Nationality, Armenian Nose, Haik Aramyan,
Results Of Usak's 4th Turkish Foreign Policy Surveys Were Released
Book About Photographer Ara Guler Published
Turks Reckon Armenia As An Enemy
Territorial Integrity Means Armenia & Artsakh Are One Land and United
Another Armenian Lie Dismissed
Armenians, Greeks, Turks: Who Slaughtered Whom?
Ottomans Supported Armenian Students In Europe
Armenia Is A Weak State: Washington Times
Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan to NATO Maneuvers
U.S. Azerbaijani, Turkish Diaspora Organizations: Letter To Obama
Ethnic Armenian WW2 "Hero" As A Fraud
Bagratian: President Sargsyan To Visit Turkey
Twice As Many Armenians Vacation In Antalya
"Anarchism In Middle East"
Joint Turco-Azeri Diaspora In USA To Obama
Upcoming Armenian Genocide: Metsamor
World Community Increases Pressure On Armenia
Turkey Tries To Secure Concessions From Armenia
Armenia As A "Bone In Throat"
Oskanyan: Armenia Should Raise Bar In Karabagh Negotiations
Nothing New: Armenian-Turkish Relations & CSTO
Is Armenian-Turkish Rapprochement In Jeopardy?
Whistleblower To Testify In Ohio Genocide Denial Case
1915 Genocide & Spanish Inquisition Are Related
Armenian Translations Of Turkish Literature
‘Peace Passage’ Over Aras River
Human Stories Through Armenian, Azerbaijani And Georgian Youth
Border Opening To Rupture Turkish Ideology
Dashnak Sees Increased Pressure On Armenia
Safaryan For Armenia-Turkey Dialogue
Turkish Society Formed Negative Image Of Armenians
Armenians Have Superficial Knowledge About Turkey
Armenian Criminal World Not To Avoid "Global War"
Turkish Media Reflects Government's Position
First "Pass" To Turkey Was Made By Ter-Petrosyan
Opening Of Armenian-Turkish Border Depends On A "Small Country"?
Armenia Can Join Nabucco?
Russian-Turkish Dynamic Relations Not To Affect Armenia
Armenia's Not Making Concessions Complicates Negotiating Process
Rapprochement Between Turkey & Russia Can Positively Affect Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Settlement: Former MIT Analyst
Turkish National Assembly Blocks Distribution Of Genocide Book
Hatred For Armenians Lead Baku To Nothing Good
Israel Comments On Iran's Influence On Armenia
Azerbaijan Must Sign Non-Aggression Pact With Armenia: EAFJD
Renovation Of Armenian Church Of Akhtamar Not Affect Normalization Of Armenian-Turkish Relations
Ankara Maneuver Skillfully Between Brussels & Moscow
Turkish Language Promised Bright Future
Sarkisian Urged To Visit Turkey
Anny Bakalian To Present "Subversive Tourism? Armenian Pilgrimage To Historic Cilicia" in New York, August 5
History Of ASALA In 800 Pages
Armenians Put Aside The Past And Choose Turkey For Summer Vacation, Marianna Grigoryan
Sargsyan’s Statement Will Be Eyed By Turkish Government As Diplomatic Discourtesy: Turkish Expert
"Bank Ottomane" Exciting Historical Novel, Alexander Topchyan
Turkish Television Ready To Broadcast In Armenian
Turkey: Djemal Pasha, The Savior Of The Armenians?
Armenian Women Were Djemal Pasha's Picture Around His Neck
Welsh And Armenians Demonstrate In Front Of The British Parliament Arrest Of Eilian Williams
Armenian Genocide: The Testimony Of Halide Edib Adivar,
Armenian And Welsh Activists Hold First Joint Lobby Of Uk Parliament
Armenians Struggle For Health Care And Medicines
Ex-Armenian Consul Arrested In Los Angeles Immigration Probe
Sarkisian Will Ditch Soccer Diplomacy Unless Border Opened
Review of a Little Known, Yet a Very Important Book, “The Martyred Armenian Physicians During the Genocide and Their Messages”
Chevron Responds To National Campaign Exposing "Profit From Genocide Denial" Scheme
Armenia To Host Group Of Turkish Youths On July 26-29
Armenia Can Count On Soros Foundation's Financial Support
Normalization Of Armenian- Turkish Relations To Ensure Peace In Region
Chernobyl / Armenia: Victims Still Suffer
Facing Poverty In Armenia, Asbarez.Com
Turkey's Anti-Armenian Devilish Ideology Chronic
Turkey Alters Stand On Armenia?
Pro-Armenia Congressmen Appeal To Obama
Sarksyan Rejects Preconditions In Turkey Talks
We Are Like Provincial Folks Among Strong And Experienced Players: Armenian MP
President Of Armenia: Some Turkish Officials Trying To Make Preconditions After We Have Coordinated Two Documents With Turkey
Diaspora Is Armenia's Richest Resource
Congressional Armenian Caucus Sends Letter to Obama Protesting Turkish Inaction
Sarkisian Steps Up Criticism Of Turkey, Warns Of Reprisals
ANC Believes Ra President-Set Deadline For Border Opening A Mistake
Turks Censor YouTube Censorship, Nick Danforth
Over 80 House Members Slam Turkey’s Reversal On Proposed ‘Roadmap’
Armenia, Turkey Reached The Moment Of Truth
Turkey Displeased WITH RA President's Statement,
True Communist Must Not Be Nationalist Or Chauvinist Like Armenian Communists: Azerbaijani Communist Party Chief
Border Town Of Hopa Hosting First Ever Caucasus Film Days
Turkey-Armenia: War And Linguistic Media
Atom Egoyan Explores Genocide Through New Art Exhibition
Iranian [Armenian? Safarian Mesrob?] Wants His $18.5 Billions Back Fom Turkey
Armenian grave? Selim discovered
Trouble For "Kybele", Turkish Galley Coolly Received In Marseille
Book Review: ‘My Grandmother’ by Fethiye Çetin

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Genocide and International Law to be Topic of Beirut Conference,
Haigazian University in Beirut BEIRUT—An international academic conference on the Armenian Genocide and International Law will take place from September 2 to 4 at Haigazian University. Organized by the Haigazian University and the Armenian National Committee-Middle East, the conference will discuss the Armenian Genocide from the perspective of international law and tackle issues such as professional ethics and genocide denial, the consequences of the Genocide and the rights of the Armenian nation within the context of international law, and means of further promoting the field of Armenian Genocide Studies. A number of scholars in genocide studies and experts in international law are invited for this twoday conference. They will be arriving from Armenia, Canada, Egypt, Ireland, Lebanon, England, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The participants include professors and scholars Taner Akçam, Bilgin Ayata, Seyhan Bayraktar, Georges Charaf, Haik Demoyan, Richard Hovannissian, Khatchig Mouradian, Mohammad Rifaat, William Schabas, Roger Smith, Henry Theriault, Ugur Ungor, Ragip Zarakolu, and Alfred De Zayas. The papers which will be presented during the four sessions of the Conference will cover: “The Problem of Minorities and Majorities: The Case of the Ottoman Empire,” “Demographic Engineering in the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian Genocide,” “The Armenian Question According to Arab Sources,” “Genocide and International Law (60 Years after the Convention, Problems and Prospects),” “The Armenian Genocide: Issues of Justice and International Law,” “The Armenians, Raphael Lemkin and the UN Genocide Convention,” “Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide Issue in Turkey Today,” “Genocide Denialism and Law in Turkey,” “The Evolution of the Armenian Genocide Denial in Turkish Press,” “Kurdish–Armenian Relations and the Armenian Genocide,” “Professional Ethics and the Denial of Armenian Genocide,” “Restorative Justice and Alleviating the Consequences of Genocide,” “Universalizing the Legacy of the Armenian Genocide.” The proceedings of the conference will be later published in a book. Concurrently, on Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 4, as well as on Tuesday, September 8 there will be evening public lectures. Details will be announced later.
Haigazian University Armenian National Committee-Middle East Beirut-Lebanon August 24, 2009, Asbarez Haigazian University & Armenian National Committee-Middle East, Beirut-Lebanon, August 24, 2009 The Armenian Genocide And International Law (September 3 - 4 , 2009 )
Beirut -Lebanon WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2009 Formal Opening Session: 6:00 p.m. Guest Speaker: Marios Garoyian, President of the House of Representatives - Cyprus THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2009 Registration: 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Session One: 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Moderator: Dr. Arda Ekmekji Discussant: Dr. Naila Kaidbey The Problem of Minorities and Majorities: The Case of the Ottoman Empire (in Arabic), Dr. Georges Charaf Demographic Engineering in the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian Genocide, Dr.Ugur Ungor The Armenian Question According to Arab Sources ( in Arabic), Dr. Mohammad Rifaat Coffee Break: 10:30 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. Discussion; 10:50 -11:30 a.m. Session Two: 11:40 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. Moderator: Giro Manoyan Discussant: Dr. Rania Masri Genocide and International Law (60 Years after the Convention, Problems and Prospects), Dr. William Schabas The Armenian Genocide: Issues of Justice and International Law , Dr. Alfred De Zayas The Armenians, Raphael Lemkin and the UN Genocide Convention, Khatchig Mouradian Discussion: 12:40 p.m. – 1:20 p.m. Lunch: 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Session Three: 3:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Moderator: Dr. Joseph Bayeh Discussant: Dr. Ohannes Geokjian Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide Issue in Turkey Today, Dr. Taner Akcam Genocide Denialism and Law in Turkey, Ragip Zarakolu The Evolution of the Armenian Genocide Denial in Turkish Press, Dr. Seyhan Bayraktar Kurdish –Armenian Relations and the Armenian Genocide, Bilgin Ayata Coffee Break: 4:00 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. Discussion: 4:40 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2009 Session Four: 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Moderator: Antranig Dakessian Discussant: Dr. Haig Demoyan Professional Ethics and the Denial of Armenian Genocide , Dr. Roger Smith Restorative Justice and Alleviating the Consequences of Genocide, Dr. Henry Theriault Universalizing the Legacy of the Armenian Genocide, Dr. Richard Hovannissian Coffee Break: 10:30 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. Discussion: 10:50 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. CLOSING SESSION: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. keghart.com/

Armenian-Turkish Cooperation: The Trafficking of Armenian Women to Antalya,
2009/08/24 Ararat Davtyan Laura Azaryan left for Turkey alone in 2001. There she married a Turkish man Oumit Ramazan Poujlu. In 2008, she telephoned her brother, Gagik Karapetyan and told him that they owned a casino in Turkey. She made a proposal to her brother; that he locate young, attractive girls in Armenia and send them to the casino to “wait on tables”. Gagik, comprehending what his sister and her husband had in mind, the nefarious exploitation of the girls once they arrived, nevertheless gave his verbal consent to the plan. This is part of the descriptive file in the criminal case that has been launched against Laura and Gagik. The case is now being heard in the Aragatzotn Regional Court, Judge Souren Mnoyan presiding. Gagik Karapetyan, in his preliminary testimony, noted that after many years of living in Ukraine he moved back to Armenia in February, 2008. Two months later his sister in Turkey made the proposal to round up girls in Armenia. He says that he told his sister that he didn’t know where to look. His sister was persistent and Gagik, feeling ashamed, sought the assistance of Armineh, a family in-law. “It was May of last year. One day Gagik came to our house and said that his brother Roubo had opened a restaurant in the Ukraine. Gagik said that if he could find 4-5 good workers he’d turn the place into an Armenian restaurant and it would be a success. I told him it was great news and that I’d go as well,” 51 year-old Armineh stated in court. It was through Armineh that Gagik met with 49 year-old Rima, who was supposed to work as a cleaner. “A day later Gagik said that we have to leave for Turkey; that his sister had a house and casino there where we could work. I was supposed to work in the bar as a cashier for $500 a month. Rima would be a dishwasher. This Gagik was a relation I trusted him. We left for Turkey,” Armineh continues. Gagik paid for all the expenses. On May 31, 2008, he, along with Armineh and Rima, boarded a bus for Trabzon. From there they would travel to Antalya. “Laura and her Turkish husband were there to greet us when we arrived. They were very nice and hospitable. They took us to the sea-side and showed us around the town. Ten days later however, I had to return to Armenia to take care of some matters. Before I left I had asked Laura several times what bar would we be working at and why they hadn’t shown us the place. Laura told me that the casino was quite far from where we were staying; that we’d start to work after I returned from Armenia,” recounts Armineh. In her court testimony, Laura claims that she made no such proposal to her brother and she was quite surprised when he arrived in Turkey, let alone accompanied by two women. “Armineh is a relation but Rima was a total stranger. Armineh told me that Rima owed her $200 and asked if she could work a bit and make some money to pay off the debt. I told Armineh that Rima was sickly and that she couldn’t work in the bar. Armineh persisted however and being a relation, I couldn’t refuse. I told Armineh that Rima could stay and work sorting fruit in a factory we’d be opening in September. She could work and pay off the debt,” Laura said. All the while, Rima told the court that after Armineh had left for Armenia, Laura had suggested that she work in their house for $300 a month. “I did the laundry, the dishes and cleaned the house. I did it all. I worked there for six months but never got paid,” says Rima. According to the criminal case file, when Laura found out that Rima’s sister had two young, attractive daughters, she, along with her brother Gagik and husband Oumit, traveled to Armenia in June 2008 to recruit the girls and that it was through Armineh that they got acquainted with 20 year-old Irina and 18 year-old Nvard. “Laura was trying to convince me and my sister to go to Turkey. She would always point out the poor living conditions here in Armenia. She’d always say how pretty I was; trying to butter me up. I had just graduated from high school and still didn’t have a passport. Laura told me not to fret; that she’d wait for as long as possible. I turned her down but my sister was naïve. She trusted Laura and left,” Nvard told the court examiner. “We really had a hard time back then. We had a $1,200 debt to pay off. I was studying in one of the colleges in Yerevan. It was the summer vacation, so I decided to go to Turkey for two months,” says Irina, “Laura said we’d get paid $500 a month waiting tables in the bar, handing out tea. She even promised that I could return the next day if things didn’t work out. Laura told my mom that she’d take care of me like her own child.” Irina also tended to believe in Laura since she got a phone call from her Aunt Rima in Turkey, saying that everything was OK and that there was nothing to worry about. During questioning in court, Rima claimed that every time she made a phone call Gagik was watching over her like a hawk and that she couldn’t utter a word about what was really happening. Rima also claimed that Gagik would slip her some pills, allegedly headache medicine, that would leave her in a “drunken stupor”. Nuneh, born in 1985, also believed Laura’s promises of easy money and a better life in Turkey. Nuneh, along with Irina, left for Antalya in the company of Oumit Poujlu on August 8, 2008. Laura, on the other hand, remained in Armenia. On her return to Armenia, the Turkish border guards noticed that her visa had expired so they deported her. In order that she could once again enter Turkey she entered into a sham marriage with a man named Azaryan and officially had her last name changed. Irina recounts, “Laura and Oumit took care of the visas and travel expenses. After arriving in Antalya they treated us well for the first four days; they showed us the sites, the sea. Later they invited us out to a casino-bar, which was really a night club. We were seated around a large table in the presence of some scantily clad older Turkish women. They were there to entertain the customers. Oumit and Gagik told us right there that we’d be doing the same thing.” The criminal case file reads, “…threatening that they would leave them alone, hungry and without passports in a foreign land, depriving them of freedom of movement and any possibility to return to Armenia, Oumit Poujlu and Gagik Karapetyan, in prior agreement with Laura Azaryan, forced the girls to perform belly dances and perform the wishes of clients; to sit on their laps, allow them to be kissed and to place their hands on intimate body parts. This took place in the “Melody” and “Kartila” night casino-bars in Antalya. These establishments belonged to others.” “…There was no other alternative. We were forced to work in these bars and entertain the clients, however disgusting the work. We get the clients to drink up. The daily minimum we’d make off the drinks was about $200. It all went to Oumit and Gagik. We never got paid a dime. They’d even get angry when the daily take was low.” Nuneh testified in court that, “We’d eat once a day and sleep on the floor. They generally wouldn’t let us leave the house, fearing that we’d get picked up by the police and give them away. They’d lock us inside the house and take us to the bar by car.” “You can’t imagine the state I was in. I held back my tears and put on a fake smile for the customers; so that they wouldn’t complain. The bar owners weren’t satisfied with how Rima was working. Gagik then began to threaten me and even slapped me around a few times, saying I wasn’t pulling my weight and wouldn’t get anything to eat. We showered with cold water. Gagik said heating the water used up too much electricity. Irina remembers that, “From day one Gagik tried to butter me up, saying that he was in love with me. He even proposed that we live together and said that if I didn’t agree to marry him he’d throw me from the 10th floor…They had taken my passport and only handed it back when I went to work. They said it was just in case authorities from Istanbul came. If only just one policeman had shown up. But no one ever came.” During court interrogation Gagik stated, “I’m a 40 year-old man and never in my life would I allow myself to do such things. Irina didn’t get along with me because I would make comments about her cleaning.” He added that he proposed marriage as a joke. Laura, Gagik’s sister, testified that she was in Armenia and knew nothing about what was going on. “I telephoned my husband and asked if the girls had adapted and if they were all-right. He said they were OK. They travelled around there for more than a week. I gave them a place to stay. I’m not the person that usually does that. I’m also upset that my husband took the girls to the sea-side. I asked my husband on the phone whether he wasn’t embarrassed of what the neighbors would say; that he left our building with these girls in tow and drove off to the beach? I told him to send them back to Armenia immediately,” Laura testified, arguing her innocence in the matter and denying any involvement in any sexual exploitation of the girls. “About 10-15 days after the girls left, Irina secretly called me from Turkey and said that Laura had tricked them and that they were engaged in some pretty ‘inappropriate’ work, recounts Armineh, who is included in the case as a witness. “I immediately went to see Laura who said nothing of the kind was taking place and that it was all a pack of lies. She phoned her husband Oumit and conversed in Turkish with him, but I could make out that she was angry with him for giving the girls phone access. I directly went to the police and informed them about the entire matter.” According to the time frame presented by Armineh, the police had been informed about Laura and her Turkish operation no later than August 25, 2008. However, on September 3, 2008, she was able to cross the Armenian border at Bagratashen and make her way to Batum. Her Turkish husband Oumit was waiting for her there and for the “cargo” she was bringing – Lilit, born in 1979, and her 8 year-old daughter. (To be continued) P.S. Names in the above article have been changed to protect the anonymity of those involved hetq.am/en/hetq/laura-gagik/

TV Channel Investigates Begging As "Business" In Moscow Subway,
RIA Novosti, MOSCOW, August 24 (RIA Novosti) - Begging in Moscow's subway appears to be a well-run business with a hierarchy and average monthly incomes of around $1,300, similar to a Metro driver's salary, according to a Russian TV report. Olga, a beggars' ringleader in the Russian capital's Metro, who police caught after finding her phone number on several detainees' cell phones, shed light on some of the business's secrets in an interview with the Vesti news channel. Olga's "employees" all had to have cell phones for her to be able to contact them. She complained that dealing with elderly and disabled people was "a hard job, as they have to be transported to work," and some of them need a companion. Soliciting for handouts is banned in the subway, but begging without soliciting is not a punishable offense. Police occasionally disperse beggars in the Metro, but are unable to detain them, as their bosses take care to provide them with residence documents. Beggars interviewed by a Vesti correspondent complained that their bosses make them stand on Metro platforms for nine hours a day, but most say they are quite happy with the job. Those who are able to convincingly exaggerate their need generally earn more. The most financially successful of beggars are children, pregnant women, the disabled and the elderly, although their purported age, handicaps and other "circumstances" often turn out to be fake in police checks. A 47-year-old woman named Yekaterina, interviewed by Vesti, is a longtime metro beggar who pretends to be a hunch-backed babushka. However, an elderly lady from Ukraine, who usually stands in an underpass outside the Paveletskaya Station, is over 70. She says she cannot survive on her retirement benefit and is happy to have "extra money for food, medicine and a mobile phone." Moscow police officials have repeatedly pledged to remove beggars from the Metro. They clamp down on begging ahead of major events in the capital, but the vagrants invariably return afterwards. The Metro is also a shelter for the homeless in winter. Official statistics say there are about 10,000 homeless in Moscow, but NGOs put the figure ten times higher.

16 Years Passed Since Armenia's Occupation Of Azerbaijan's Fuzuli And Jabrail Regions, Trend News, 24 August 2009 August 23 marked 16th anniversary of occupation of Azerbaijan's regions of Fizuli and Jabrail by the armed forces of Armenia. On 23 August 1993, 51 villages and center of Fizuli region were seized by Armenians. As a result, more than 55,000 inhabitants left their native Land. Fuzuli region covers the territory from the southeastern slopes of Karabakh Mountain range to Araz River. It is border with Azerbaijan's Jabrail, Agjabadi, Beylagan regions and Iran along Araz River. The territory of the Fizuli region is 1386 sq.km, the population is roughly 105,000 people. Some 13 settlements and 20 villages are located on the territory of region, freed from the occupation. Twelve of the settlements are constructed after release, and the families of internally displaced persons have been temporarily placed there. At present 51,000 IDPs reside on the territory. Beginning from 1988, Fizuli region was subject to constant attacks of the Armenians. As a result of occupation, more than 1,100 inhabitants of Fuzuli became war victims, 113 - were taken prisoner, 1,450 people were disabled. As a result the seizure of Jabrail region which has territory of 1,050 sq.km which houses 72 secondary school buildings, eight hospitals, five mosques, two museums, 129 historical monuments and 149 cultural centers left in the occupation. A total of 61,100 IDPs from Jabrail region have settled in more than 2,000 habitable points in 58 regions of the country.

Serzh Sargsyan Will Have To Swallow Pride And Take Back Words: Political Expert, Today Az, 24 August 2009 “I think Armenia President Serzh Sargsyan will not go to Turkey to watch return football match between Turkish and Armenian teams,” Azerbaijani political expert Zardusht Alizade said. Recently Serzh Sargsyan stated he will visit Turkey to watch a return football match between the two countries if only Ankara takes real steps and either opens Armenia-Turkey border, or makes a tangible step towards lifting Armenia’s blockade. “The political situation in Armenia is that Serge Sargsyan can not afford to sign framework agreement on liberation of the occupied regions of Azerbaijan. If he does not sign it, Turkey will not open borders as Sargsyan promised not to go to Turkey before the borders are opened, so he will not go there,” Alizade said. “Judging by the fact that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while in Baku, said that the border between Armenia and Turkey will not open until Armenia does not liberate at least 5 of the occupied regions of Azerbaijan. So I think that Turkey will not open its border with Armenia until October 14 [the match between Armenian Turkish teams],” he added. “However, Sargsyan can go to Turkey, but he will have to swallow pride and take back words,” the political expert said.

Turkey Is More Important For Armenia Than Armenia For Turkey:
Political Expert, Tert.am, 24 August 2009 “Armenia-Turkey ties must not be considered as stalled. Ankara’s interest in this process is already a process,” political expert and director of Caucasus Institute Alexander Isgandaryan said. “I do not think there will be significant breakthrough.” He said the September visit by Armenian President to Turkey still has to take place and the possibility of developing relations are based on the position of Turkey. “It is clear that Turkey is more important for Armenia than Armenia for Turkey.” Isgandaryan said Armenian issue is being discussed in Turkey and debate in Armenia about Turkey were at the level of history 4-5 more years ago. “In Turkey, there are different opinions: some people in favor of normalizing relations, someone believes that the process is needed as a show in Europe, others say they do not need to develop relationships until Armenia does not ask about it.” Speaking about the role of Armenian and Turkish authorities in terms of establishing relations expert said that the situation in the two countries has evolved differently. “In Armenia, there is opposition to opening of borders and normalization of relations, but it comes from society and some political forces.” However, differences on this issue in Turkey are limited to the establishment of the country, he said.

U.S. Congressman: Department Of State Will Be Against Recognition Of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Independence,
Today Az, 22 August 2009 “The last statement by OSCE Minsk Group U.S. co-chair Matthew Bryza reflects U.S. Department of States' stance on this issue,” U.S. Congressman Frank Pallone said in an interview with Armenian Reporter. He said the Department of State prioritizes the principle of territorial integrity, but not self-determination. “Department of State will be against recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence. I believe personally that the United States should recognize Nagorno-Karabakh. But it would be hard to do it,” Pallone said.

War On Wikipedia Pages Goes On: Azerbaijan Vs. Armenia,
Today Az, 24 August 2009 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, is very popular around the world. But the errors or deliberate distortions of many articles related to Azerbaijan, especially the Karabakh conflict, have become frequent. Many of us is aware that Wikipedia is an open encyclopedic online resource which contains all kinds of information and the continuously expanding articles on various subjects. Day.Az continue to receive letters every day which note regular errors in Wikipedia. Information about Azerbaijan is frequently deliberately distorted. It is very easy to recognize mistakes. For example, anyone who types ‘Armenia’, ‘Karabakh’, ‘Artsakh’, ‘Karabakh ‘conflict in the Wikipedia search box, will see deliberate errors about Azerbaijan’s history, traditions and Karabakh conflict. For example, typing the word ‘Armenia’, visitors will see the following information: “Armenia is a state in the Caucasus. It borders with Artsakh in the south-east.” Once you type ‘Karabakh conflict’, the page, among other false information about the conflict, includes also the following inscription: “The territory of Nagorno-Karabakh was within the province of Artsakh in ancient times.” If you write the word ‘Artsakh’ you will read the following: “Artsakh is the name of 9th province of Greater Armenia (historical region between the rivers Kura and Aras). It covers present-day Nagorno-Karabakh and the outlying regions.” One can encounter dozens of similar mistakes in Wikipedia. In fact, there is no information war on Wikipedia pages. Admittedly, many drive necessary information from the free encyclopedia. Armenians also, being aware of this, refer to sources profitable for them and misinform the international community. We call on all Azerbaijani citizens and those who are aware of the truth to correct the mistakes related to Azerbaijan’s history, geography, Karabakh conflict and traditions. It is noticeable that thank to efforts by Day.Az and its readers, Mehaphone, MTC, National geographic, Mail.ru and other famous companies have corrected mistakes concerning Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. Experience shows that errors are corrected. The main thing is to act!

Turkish Diaspora Manages To Dismiss Us Congress's Resolution On "Armenian Genocide",
USA, Washington, Aug. 25 /Trend News, N.Bogdanova/ The political circuits of Washington DC and US based Turkish Diaspora organizations are not accepting seriously the Armenian initiatives concerning "Armenian genocide" in the US Congress and local law-making organizations, one of leaders of the Turkish Diaspora in California Karahan Mete told Trend News. For example, during the last several months Armenians tried to put through three resolutions in California State's local Congress, but US based Turkish organizations (TCCA, Turkish Defense Fund, ATAA, TAAF, PAX Turcica, TAAC, Turkuaz, TADF) managed to dismiss those three resolution projects, Mete said. He mentions that, the State of California, where Armenian and Greece Diasporas are dominant - is the center for Armenian's anti-Turkish activities. Close relationship between Turkish Diaspora and Senator Darrel Steinberg helped to hinder implementation of a resolution project number AJR 14, which was dedicated to the issue of "Armenian genocide", and was aimed to keep the "Armenian genocide" on agenda, Mete said. The Turkish Diaspora also prevented Armenians' another resolution number SB 234, which was aimed to propaganda the "Armenian genocide" issue in California's schools. The first version of this resolution meant that any Armenian could go to a school and talk about what happened in 1915 to his relatives, Mete said. But in the last version (revised by the Turkish Diaspora) only those ones who participated in 1915 events can do these kinds of lectures at schools. "And as nearly none of the participants are alive it seems impossible," told Mete. The third resolution project still remains on California Senate's agenda under the number AB 961, and it is aimed to prohibit the cooperation between local government and organizations which are working with Turkey. The Turkish Diaspora is working hard in Washington DC on dismissing the discussion of "Armenian genoside" in the US Congress during the up-coming fall session. Besides the Turkish organizations, the Congressional Caucus on Turkey also works closely with this issue, Congressman Ed Whitefield (Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Turkey) office told Trend News. According to Congressman Whitefield's office, in an open editorial about US-Turkey relations the law-maker says that with Turkey's record as such a steadfast ally to the U.S. during troubled times; it would be a dangerous misstep to unnecessarily risk alienating the Turkish people. Yet, efforts are, once again, afoot in the U.S. Congress to label the deaths of ethnic Armenians during the final days of the Ottoman Empire in World War I as genocide. He stresses that, "This sort of proclamation, which bears no legal effect, would almost certainly be seen as a slap in the face to Turkey and a harpoon to U.S. relations with the country". According to Congressman, the "Armenian genocide" issue remains a matter of debate by historians, making it foolish, arrogant, and dangerous for politicians to make historical claims for political points". Ed Whitefield also adds that with the two countries (Turkey and Armenia) already working in step to resolve their differences and advance their relationship, U.S. involvement in the situation appears unnecessary and intrusive. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az Tuesday, 25 August 2009

U.S. Courts Rejects California Law On Insurance Claims For Armenians,
Lisa Leff, ClaimsJournal.com Aug 24 2009 A federal appeals court invalidated a California law Thursday that allowed heirs of Armenians killed in the Turkish Ottoman Empire nearly a century ago to seek payment on the life insurance policies of dead relatives. Advertisement The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said the law amounted to unconstitutional meddling in U.S. foreign policy. It based its 2-1 ruling on a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down another California law designed to help Holocaust survivors collect on Nazi-era insurance policies. The federal government does not recognize the mass killings of Armenians during World War I as genocide, but the California Legislature did in 2000 when it enacted the disputed law. About half of the people of Armenian descent living in this country reside in California. Lawyer Brian Kabateck, who represents Armenian-American heirs, plans to appeal. "The ruling is wrong. It's a disaster," Kabateck said. "The one million Armenians that live in California today have been told by the court that even the use of the word 'genocide' by a government is illegal." If the ruling is not set aside, it would prevent Armenian heirs from claiming inheritances and prohibit California and other states from marking the anniversary of the onset of the ethnic bloodshed that claimed the lives of up to 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1919 in what is now eastern Turkey, Kabateck said. He alleges European banks and insurers illegally retained assets valued in 1915 at about $15 million, a sum worth substantially more at today's value. The California Legislature passed the law giving heirs of Armenians who died or fled to avoid persecution until the end of next year to file claims for old bank accounts and life insurance policies. Class-action lawsuits brought by Armenian descendants in California and other states led to a $20 million settlement with New York Life Insurance Co. in 2005 and a $17 million settlement the same year with French life insurer AXA. William Werfelman, a spokesman for New York Life, said the company had no intention of trying to get back any of the money it paid out under the 2005 settlement. "By acting honorably, and in keeping with our company values of humanity and integrity, New York Life made many friends in the Armenian community and we cherish these friends," Werfelman said. Thursday's ruling reversed a lower court judge who refused to dismiss another class-action suit against the German life insurance companies. Turkey long has denied the loss of so many Armenian lives constituted genocide and instead describes the deaths as resulting from civil unrest that accompanied the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The appeals court agreed with the German companies that California's policy improperly conflicted with the federal government's foreign policy aims. Neil Soltman, the lawyer who represented the German insurance companies that prevailed in the case, said his clients had stood to lose in payouts to Armenian-Americans in California. Soltman said it was not clear the companies ever sold life insurance policies to victims of the Ottoman Empire violence. "We are very pleased with the decision. We think it is entirely consistent with recent Supreme Court cases and 9th Circuit cases which have held that California and other states should not be passing legislation that deals with questions of foreign affairs," he said. The court recounted successful efforts by former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to defeat congressional legislation that would have recognized an Armenian genocide. U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, who as a state assemblyman co-wrote the law that was overturned by the 9th Circuit, was perplexed by the court's reasoning. "You have a group of people that has a government that hasn't had the will to recognize the genocide and as a result of that failing, are being told they don't have valid insurance claims," he said.

Sarkis' Heart To Beat In Istanbul,
August 25, 2009, Vercİhan Zİflİoğlu Istanbul - Hürriyet Daily News A master of installation art will bring examples from his 50-year professional career to Istanbul from the world's museums. Sarkis' exhibition 'Site,' which will open Sept. 11 at the Istanbul Modern Museum in the historical neighborhood of Karaköy, will be the most comprehensive exhibition of his work ever displayed Sarkis' exhibition can be seen at Istanbul Modern from Sept. 11. Wherever Sarkis may be, the rhythms of his heart will echo in Istanbul everyday for four months as the city hosts the most comprehensive exhibition of the conceptual artist’s work to date. The Sarkis exhibit will open Sept. 11 at the Istanbul Modern Museum in the historic neighborhood of Karaköy and cover an area of 1,500 square meters. A master of installation art, Sarkis, who lives in Paris, is showcasing the fruits of his 50-year professional career in the world’s leading contemporary art museums. Even though he has previously organized a few exhibitions in Istanbul in recent years, his new exhibit, “Site,” will be the first of its kind in many ways.
“Memory has turned into image for the first time in this exhibition. Images wanted to come together and called for each other. I have never made a combination using images thus far,” said the Turkish-born Armenian artist, who has come to Istanbul to prepare his exhibition. The images that Sarkis mentions are the photographs – some 20,000 of them – that he has taken in his exhibitions for half a century. From his massive archive, the artist has chosen just 50 images for this exhibit. Exhibition in 1/20-scale models The photographs will be used like posters, to cover the walls of the exhibition space. “Walls seem miserable to me; they are temporary, and cannot be included in the space,” said Sarkis. “Characterless walls will become living creatures during this exhibit.” For the first time in his career, Sarkis has created a mock-up of the Istanbul Modern exhibit, replicating the museum’s 1,500-square-meter exhibition area in 1/20-scale models to ensure that every detail is perfect for the show. A piano’s sad story An old piano, brought from the Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital in Istanbul’s Yedikule district, will be one of the most important parts of the exhibition. What makes the piano important is its interesting story. In 1997, Sarkis’ mother died at the Surp Pırgiç hospital. When he heard the news, the artist came to the hospital. While en route to the room where his mother had died, he noticed an old piano tucked away under the stairs. After the funeral ceremony, he came to the hospital again and saw a person skillfully playing the piano. “The piano stuck in my mind like a geometric coffin and I have never forgotten it,” he said. Sarkis will put the piano next to a statue in the exhibition area. If he can find the person who played the piano in the hospital that day, he will ask him to give a concert at the museum. Rules of the Sarkis School An art school that will open at the Istanbul Modern as part of the exhibition will give eight young artists the opportunity to meet with Sarkis. Each of them will spend five hours with the artist on different days. “We will talk about their work in a room for five hours. I will take notes and try to find out their personalities. We will try to fit everything into this period of time, as if we have no time left. We will challenge time with this work,” said Sarkis, adding that he would not meet with the young people again after the first meeting. “We will see each other again in the exhibition area. These young artists will see how the world changes when passing from private to public.” What he means by “private” is the five hours that he will spend alone with the artists. And by “public,” he means the exhibition area, where they will come into contact with the public. The number 19.970 in neon Viewers will have many surprises at “Site,” including the sounds of thunder and other metallic noises echoing through the exhibition area from time to time. The most attractive sound will be the rhythm of the artist’s heart. “Wherever I may be in the world, I will record the beats of my heart everyday and send them to the exhibition,” said Sarkis. “The beats of my heart will echo in the exhibition space.” At the entrance to the exhibition space, the number 19.970, a reference to the date his mother died, will be illuminated in neon. “With the zero that will be added behind the number 1997, when my mother died, life and death will be reset,” Sarkis said. “I am an artist who pays attention to memory. Each coincidence will bring a new one.” “Site” will be on view at the Istanbul Modern through Jan. 10, 2010, and will also have an online component at www.sarkis.fr. Concerts and screenings of world cinema masterpieces during the exhibition will further Sarkis’ goal of “merging Istanbul with the world in this exhibition.” BOX The art of installation Installation art is a genre of often site-specific, three-dimensional works designed to transform the viewer’s perception of a space. The term is generally applied to works in interior spaces. Installation artworks have been constructed in standard exhibition spaces such as museums and galleries, as well as other public and private spaces. Practitioners of the genre incorporate a broad range of everyday and natural materials, often chosen for their evocative qualities, as well as new media such as video, sound, performance, immersive virtual reality and the Internet. Many installations are site-specific, in that they are designed only to exist in the space for which they were created.

Pentagon Plans For Global Military Supremacy U.S., Nato Could Deploy Mobile Missiles Launchers To Europe,
By Rick Rozoff Global Research, August 22, 2009 From August 17-20 the annual U.S. Space and Missile Defense Conference was conducted in Huntsville, Alabama, which hosts the headquarters of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Among the over 2,000 participants were the Missile Defense Agency's new director, Army Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. James Cartwright, commander of the Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command Army Lt. Gen. Kevin Campbell and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Administrator Charles Bolden Jr. There were also 230 exhibitors present, among them the nation's major arms manufacturers with an emphasis on those weapons companies specializing in global missile shield and space war projects. The presence of the head of NASA indicated that the distinction between the military and civilian uses of space is rapidly disappearing. As the Bloomberg news agency reported on the second day of this year, "President-elect Barack Obama will probably tear down long-standing barriers between the U.S.’s civilian and military space programs to speed up a mission to the moon amid the prospect of a new space race with China" and "Obama’s transition team is considering a collaboration between the Defense Department and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration...." [1] The recently appointed NASA chief, Bolden, is a retired Marine Corps general. 47,500-Pound Missile Launcher Headed To NATO Bases In Europe? A Reuters dispatch of August 20 on the Huntsville Space and Missile Defense Conference reported that the Boeing Company's vice president and general manager for missile defense, Greg Hyslop, announced to the conference that his company "is eyeing a 47,500-pound interceptor that could be flown to NATO bases as needed on Boeing-built C-17 cargo planes, erected quickly on a 60-foot trailer stand and taken home when judged safe to do so." Boeing displayed a scale-model version of a mobile "two-stage interceptor designed to be globally deployable within 24 hours...." [2] The company executive made an allusion to the fixed-site ground-based interceptor deployment planned for Poland as being politically risky - the majority of Poles oppose it if their government doesn't and Russian officials have persistently pledged to take countermeasures if the U.S. goes ahead with the project - and the above-cited Reuters report endorses the mobile interceptor proposal by claiming it could "blunt Russian fears of possible U.S. fixed missile-defense sites in Europe." [3] How substituting a mobile missile launcher "globally deployable within 24 hours" for ten missiles permanently stationed in Poland at a location known to Russia would assuage the latter's concerns over its deterrent and retaliation capabilities being neutralized in the event of a U.S. and NATO first strike was not explained by either the Boeing official or Reuters. Later in the same day the First Deputy Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Tomas Pojar gave the lie to the Boeing subterfuge by insisting that a "possible U.S. mobile anti-missile shield does not threaten the U.S. plans to build a radar base on Czech soil because the system is to be a combination of fixed and mobile elements" and that "The whole system will always function based on the combination of fixed and mobile elements (including many radars) that will complement one another. It is not possible otherwise." [4] Missile Defense: Ruse And Reality As regards the incontestable fact that U.S. and NATO plans for the deployment of interceptor missiles and complementary radar facilities in Europe are not and could not be designed to protect the United States and Western Europe from imaginary Iranian intercontinental ballistic missiles and equally non-existent nuclear warheads, even the vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright was forced to concede the point at the space and missile defense conference this week. In relation to the U.S.'s "capability to take on 15 inbound intercontinental ballistic missiles simultaneously using the 30 GBI's [ground-based interceptors] being placed in silos at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California," Cartwright in a moment of rare candor stated, "That's a heck of a lot more than a rogue nation could fire." [5] To demonstrate that interceptor missiles and associated radar components of a worldwide Star Wars system - the current U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is an outgrowth of the Ronald Reagan administration's 1983 Strategic Defense Initiative and since 2002 has been the successor organization to the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization launched in 1993 - are intended for incorporation into a far wider-ranging project than what they are publicly acknowledged to be used for, at this week's conference in Alabama MDA's director Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly addressed one of the space facets of his agency's plans and spoke of the inauguration of the Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) which will include two demonstration satellites to be launched next month. [6] And in respect to the ground-based components of U.S. and NATO missile shield deployments in Eastern Europe, plans for their stationing have never been disavowed by American officials, neither President Barack Obama nor Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The only reservations expressed in Washington about positioning missiles and missile radar precariously close to Russia's borders are the proven viability and cost effectiveness of such deployments. Broadening The Scope Of U.S.-NATO Missile Shield Plans On July 30th Assistant Secretary of Defense Alexander Vershbow told U.S. congressmen "The site in Poland and the radar in the Czech Republic are among the options that are being considered, together with other options that might be able to perform the mission as well" and Associated Press on that date wrote that "Vershbow said the missile defense review will look at a range of options, but will not take Russia's objection into account." [7] The "other options" all along have been a broader and not narrower undertaking, that of integrating American missile shield sites into a continent-wide system with NATO. The recent recommendation of a mobile, rapid deployable interceptor missile model may well be what is intended, again to reinforce rather than supplant bilateral arrangements between the U.S. and Poland and the Czech Republic. Almost thirty years ago to the day Washington first proposed a mobile missile initiative that if implemented might have proven to be one of the most dangerous moves in the 45-year Cold War. MX: Washington's First Project For Mobile Missile Launchers In a speech on September 7, 1979 U.S. President Jimmy Carter, indicating a qualitative escalation of strategic deployments in the second half of his term that would pave the way for further aggressive actions by his successor Ronald Reagan, announced that: "My administration is now embarked on a program to modernize and to improve the ability of our entire strategic triad, all three systems, to survive any attack. Our bomber force is being strengthened with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles. Our strategic submarine force is being upgraded by Trident submarines and Trident missiles. However, as a result of increasing accuracy of strategic systems, fixed land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles or ICBM's located in silos, such as our Minuteman, are becoming vulnerable to attack. A mobile ICBM system will greatly reduce this vulnerability." He was referring to the MX missile system and described it in outline as one that would "consist of 200 missile transporters or launchers, each capable of rapid movement on a special roadway connecting approximately 23 horizontal shelters." The full scale of the project was to have included a circular railroad track on which more than 200 missiles would be rotated into 4,600 shelters along the circumference in Utah and Nevada. During the delicate and often hair-trigger days of the Cold War when peace and the survival of the planet and its inhabitants depended not only on mutual trust but on each side - the U.S. and the Soviet Union - being able to know what the other possessed and where it possessed it, especially launchers for intercontinental ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads, Carter's MX missile adventurism, had it implemented, may have brought the world closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than it had ever been before. For although Carter and his grey eminence, the ruthless geopolitician and pathological Russophobe Zbigniew Brzezinski, employed the artifice of defending the U.S. against an alleged Soviet first strike threat, in fact they intended to confront the U.S.S.R. with almost 5,000 new sites to target. The current total Russian strategic arsenal is exactly that number. The 1979 SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) called for both sides to reduce their delivery vehicles (ICBM silos, submarine missile-launch tubes and strategic bombers) to 2,250. That number is less than half of the missile shelters the MX project would have constructed. The MX system and complementary nuclear weapons initiatives with NATO in Europe were intended to accomplish one or both of two objectives: To be able to win (whatever that verb could mean in the more horrifying of all contexts) a nuclear war and to force the Soviet Union to spend itself into bankruptcy, the dual goal that was pursued even more assertively by Carter's replacement Ronald Reagan and his Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars) project begun in 1983. (Reagan would transform the MX project into what only his administration could call the Peacekeeper fixed-site missile, each carrying 10 re-entry vehicles armed with 300-kiloton warheads.) 1979: NATO's Expanded Nuclear Deployments In Europe The month after Carter announced his commitment to the MX missile program, in October of 1979 NATO adopted a resolution that recommended modernization of NATO's long-range theater-nuclear forces. 108 Pershing II missile and 464 ground-launched cruise missile launchers were to be deployed in Western Europe "To enhance the deterrence posture of NATO and to provide for a contingency in which the actual use of NATO's nuclear-capable systems might become necessary...." [8] The beginning of the Soviet Union's deployment of SS-20 medium-range missiles was the justification for the stationing of an additional 572 nuclear warheads in Europe. How serious a threat Soviet missile attacks on Western Europe, much less the United States, were was demonstrated twelve years later when the nation unilaterally dissolved itself. In December a meeting of NATO defense and foreign ministers formalized the plans and NATO Secretary General Joseph Luns revealed that the Pershing IIs and nuclear cruise missiles would be based in the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Britain and possibly Belgium and the Netherlands. In June of 1980 the NATO Nuclear Planning Group met in Norway and "Following a briefing by the United States Secretary of Defence [Harold Brown], Ministers discussed strategic policy and planning concerning central strategic and theatre nuclear forces in support of the Alliance. Against this background, Ministers noted the continuing importance of improving the effectiveness of the full spectrum of Alliance forces, i.e. conventional, theatre nuclear and strategic nuclear forces, and of maintaining the essential linkage between these elements of the NATO triad." [9] One of the chief purposes of the founding of NATO in April of 1949 - months before the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb in August of that year - was to allow the U.S. to station some of the nuclear weapons of which it had a monopoly in Europe. Although Washington's arsenal of nuclear warheads in Europe was drastically reduced after the end of the Cold War, American nuclear weapons remain on the continent, by some estimates several hundred. NATO's Supreme Guarantee: Strategic Nuclear Forces NATO's Strategic Concept adopted in 1999 states that "The supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies is provided by the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance, particularly those of the United States....Nuclear forces based in Europe and committed to NATO provide an essential political and military link between the European and the North American members of the Alliance. The Alliance will therefore maintain adequate nuclear forces in Europe." A new version is being crafted currently, with former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright heading up the group preparing it. In announcing the launching of that initiative, NATO reiterated that "The Strategic Concept is the authoritative statement of the Alliance’s objectives and provides the highest level of guidance on the political and military means to be used in achieving them." [10] Each summit and several ministerial and Military Committee meetings over the past decade have reaffirmed the Alliance's dedication to the deployment and use of nuclear weapons in Europe.
As one of Turkey's main daily newspapers, Zaman, said this July 31, "NATO rules allow for the possible use of nuclear weapons against targets in Russia or countries in the Middle East such as Syria and Iran...." [11] A Time magazine report last year claimed that "The U.S. keeps an estimated 350 thermonuclear bombs in six NATO countries. In four of those — Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands — the weapons are stored at the host nation's air bases, where they are guarded by specially trained U.S. military personnel." [12] When Boeing announced that it is prepared to assist in moving a nearly 50,000-pound mobile missile launcher - deployable internationally within 24 hours - to various NATO bases in Europe, it's important to recall that many of those bases house nuclear warheads. Pentagon's, NATO's New Bases In Eastern Europe: Threat To Russia Were an interceptor missile - launched from a fixed site in Poland or from a proposed mobile missile launcher most anywhere in Europe - to approach Russia's border by accident or design, the effect would be the same as that warned of by Russian military officials when the George W. Bush administration announced plans to equip ICBMs with conventional warheads. No one in Moscow would have the luxury of waiting to see if a mushroom cloud blossomed over the Russian capital. The nation's political and military leaders would do what their counterparts in any other nation, the U.S. most assuredly, would do. They would assume the worst and respond accordingly. That is, they would retaliate with strategic forces. There are no NATO bases per se although there are bases in several European nations from Britain to Turkey that have been used by the bloc over for decades, and nowadays military bases in most every part of Europe are at the disposal of NATO collectively and the U.S. individually. Over the past ten years numerous new ones have become available in Eastern Europe, particularly in nations that border the Baltic and Black Seas, as does Russia in both cases. American and NATO missile shield plans for Europe, inextricably connected as they are with a global interceptor missile network and the militarization of space, don't exist in a strategic vacuum. Verification Safeguards, Weapons Limitations: U.S. To Let START Die Russia Fears Nuclear First Strike This year has marked several parallel moves by the West to achieve worldwide military - including nuclear - supremacy, especially ahead of the expiration of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) this December 5. Two years ago Reuters reported that "The United States plans to let a landmark nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia expire in 2009 and replace it with a less formal agreement that eliminates strict verification requirements and weapons limits, a senior US official says." U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Paula DeSutter is quoted as asserting that the major provisions of the treaty "are no longer necessary. We don't believe we're in a place where we need have to have the detailed lists (of weapons) and verification measures." [13] A Russian commentary of last December made the connection between the lack of a replacement for the START agreement and Washington's missile shield designs and warned that "Lack of such agreement and deployment of a U.S. missile defense system may undermine strategic parity between the Russian Federation and the U.S. The potential enemy's considerable superiority in the number of warheads is greatly increasing the risk of a disarming first strike, and the surviving missiles may not be enough to penetrate missile defenses and inflict unacceptable damage on the aggressor." [14] This March the Council on Foreign Relations conducted an interview with Russian defense analyst Pavel Felgenhauer (who is of a decidedly pro-Western bent) in which he said that Russia believes "that nuclear missiles will be deployed in Poland near Russia and these nuclear missiles will have also a first-strike capability and could hit Moscow before [Russia's response] could get airborne, so this is going to actually be seen not so much as missile defense as a deployment of first-strike capability. "The Russian military has been telling its political leaders that this missile plan is actually not what the Americans say it is. The Russian military says that these missiles will be nuclear armed because the Russian military doesn't believe that non-nuclear defensive missiles are possible." [15] Prompt Global Strike: Missiles To Strike Anywhere On Earth In 35 Minutes Regarding another U.S. plan to upset global military parity and further endanger world peace - the Prompt Global Strike initiative approved by Congress two years ago - it has been characterized as being able to "provide the US with the capability to strike virtually anywhere on the face of the earth within 60 minutes. "Experts warn this could unleash a new spiral of the arms race and [is] fraught with unpredictable consequences. "The Americans’ action is seen as a threat to everyone. "They can take any potential enemy, Russia included, in their crosshairs and if treaties like START 1 and others are not extended, there will be no more curbs left...to prevent the development of new deadly weapons all leading to a new round of the arms race." [16] Another warning concerning Prompt Global Strike was issued by a Russian source two years ago: "The programme has been prompted by a US new strategy in the making, a strategy that proceeds from building a potential for delivering a first strike involving non-nuclear arms anywhere in the world within just one hour’s time. "Two projects are due to be carried out within the programme. "The first has to do with arming Trident sea-based missiles with conventional charges, while the second is about building a new super speed cruise missile." [17] Shortly afterward a major British newspaper in an article titled "US plans new space weapons against China" revealed that "Congress awarded $150 million for the Falcon project [hypersonic technology vehicle] and its associated prompt global strike programme. A defence industry source said it was likely that hundreds of millions more were being spent on space warfare 'away from the public view.' The 'global strike' platform would give America the 'forward presence it requires around the world without the need for bases outside the US. "The Pentagon is spending billions of dollars on new forms of space warfare to counter the growing risk of missile attack from rogue states and the 'satellite killer' capabilities of China." [18] Prompt Global Strike includes two main weapons, a conventional strike missile and an advanced hypersonic weapon, "a high-speed, missile-launched vehicle that could hit targets anywhere on Earth within 35 minutes." [19] Another Russian alarm was sounded at about the same time, one whose operative word is orbital: "Despite the obvious threat to civilization the United States may soon acquire orbital weapons under the Prompt Global Strike plan. They will give it the capacity to deal a conventional strike virtually anywhere in the world within an hour." [20] This year has been a portentous one so far in several other regards when it comes to the Pentagon's plans for uncontested global military domination. U.S. Navy Launches Missile Defense Command, Air Force Consolidates Nuclear Global Strike Command, Air Force Space Command Establishes Cyberwarfare Unit, MDA Boosts Laser Warfare Capacity On April 30 the U.S. Navy established an Air and Missile Defense Command. Speaking on the occasion at the Naval Support Facility in Dahlgren, Virginia, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Adm. Robert F. Willard said, "We're on a quest to field a naval capability that is equally adept servicing national missile defense of the United States, regional missile defense for our allies and friends abroad and theater defense for our forward fighting forces." [21] The Aegis combat system which has equipped the U.S. and its allies (to date Norway, Spain, Australia, Japan and South Korea) with sea-based interceptor radar and missiles is administered by the U.S. Navy. On August 7 the U.S. Air Force launched a Global Strike Command which combines all American ICBMs and nuclear-capable bombers, which includes new generation super-stealth warplanes capable of evading the radar and penetrating the air defenses of countries targeted for devastating first strikes. Eleven days later, August 18, the U.S. Air Force Space Command "activated a new unit...to better organize space and cyberspace capabilities" To illustrate what purposes space and cyberspace are to play in future warfighting plans, the Space Command's top military officer, Gen. C. Robert Kehler, said of his command that it "is committed to organizing and equipping the 24th Air Force so it can be a premiere organization dedicated to supporting combatant commanders." [22] The United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command has boosted activity on its High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico and on August 10 the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency employed a modified Boeing 747 passenger airliner to conduct the most advanced test yet of its Airborne Laser missile defense system and the Missile Defense Agency announced plans to next use the weapon against intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) during their boost phase. MEADS: NATO And Pentagon To Cover Europe With Layered Missile Shield Returning to Europe and so-called missile defense, the Obama administration has requested almost $600 million in funding for the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) for next year and "Congress is on track to support the Administration's request." [23] MEADS is a joint U.S.-German-Italian-NATO theater interceptor missile program to upgrade current Patriot and Nike Hercules systems in Europe under NATO management and "will provide capabilities beyond any other fielded or planned air and missile defense system. It will be easily deployed to a theater of operation." [24] "The U.S. provides 58 percent of funding with Germany offering 25 percent and Italy and other NATO members contributing 17 percent. MEADS is designed to provide air defense from ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft." [25] MEADS is to consist of: •A sophisticated X-band radar; •A surveillance radar with 360 degree coverage; •A tactical operations center; •Launchers; and •The next-generation Patriot interceptor. [26] The upgraded Patriot is the new Lockheed Martin "hit-to-kill" PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptor, one which exceeds the range and accuracy of the standard PAC-3 which itself covers seven times the area of the original Patriot and has double the striking distance. "MEADS International, the joint venture executing the contract, announced on August 5 that the system had completed is component-level critical design reviews and that MEADS will begin system-level reviews. "If the U.S. moves forward with the systems for the Czech Republic and Poland, however, it is reasonable to demand that the Germans and Italians express support for the fielding of the long-range missile defenses for U.S. and Europe....MEADS will provide a transportable missile and air defense capability. This means the system will be able to accompany expeditionary ground forces to wherever they are deployed and protect these forces against air and missile attacks. Thus, MEADS will be a critical element of alliance force projection capabilities. "MEADS is interoperable with other defense systems. MEADS is not a standalone system. It can work in association with other missile defense systems, including the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and the Aegis sea-based missile defense systems....MEADS, as with the longer-range defenses that should be fielded in the Czech Republic and Poland, may be able to make a material contribution the Active Layered Theater Ballistic Missile Defense system that NATO planners are currently designing." [27] Any hopes that a new post-Cold War order, a new century or a new American administration would herald a more peaceful and less dangerous world are being gravely challenged. Notes 1) Bloomberg News, January 2, 2009 2) Reuters, August 20, 2009 3) Ibid 4) Czech News Agency, August 20, 2009 5) Reuters, August 20, 2009 6) Aviation Week, August 20, 2009 7) Associated Press, July 30, 2009 8) Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 457, No. 1, 78-87 (1981) 9) NATO Nuclear Planning Group, June 3-4, 1980 10) North Atlantic Treaty Organization, July 8, 2009 11) Zaman, July 31, 2009 12) Time, June 19, 2008 13) Reuters, May 23, 2007 14) Russian Information Agency Novosti, December 12, 2008 15) Council on Foreign Relations, March 18, 2009 16) Voice of Russia, September 12, 2007 17) Voice of Russia, August 7, 2007 18) Daily Telegraph, November 14, 2007 19) Washington Times, November 27, 2009 20) Russian Information Agency Novosti, November 20, 2007 21) United States Navy, April 30, 2009 22) U.S. Department of Defense, American Forces Press Service, August 19, 2009 23) Heritage Foundation, August 17, 2009 24) Wikipedia 25) Aviation Week, August 20, 2009 26) Heritage Foundation, August 17, 2009 27) Ibid © Copyright 2005-2007 GlobalResearch.ca

The Age Of Bluffing Perhaps it is not a secret to anyone that the behavior of the Armenian government in the past few months has been mostly or only based on bluff, imitation, propaganda. Even the pro-government political experts and analysts understand what they present for the honest intentions or wishes of the government. In this sense, a funny situation has occurred in the process of normalization of the Armenian and Turkish relations, which was initiated by Armenia, according to the official information. The Armenian government tries to convince the society through its political experts and analysts that Turkey is in a difficult situation and the only way out is to improve relations with Armenia or at least open the border. Surprisingly, Turkey is not waiting impatiently for Serge Sargsyan to arrive but Armenia is anxiously discussing to go or not to go. And Armenia, according to the same political experts and analysts, has already reached its goal, and the world saw that we have good faith for the relations with Turkey and generally the world has started speaking about us. As if before Serge Sargsyan’s invitation the world accused Armenia of the absence of this faith, or many people thought that a few reports and articles on the relations of Armenia and Turkey indicate the attention of the world. But of course, this is not the problem. If this was the goal of Armenia, we will assume that Armenia has reached it. But how can one make such superficial judgments about the Armenian and Turkish relations, especially if we involve the world as well? Is demonstrating something to the world an attainment for Armenia when every episode of the relations with Turkey has strategic importance to Armenia, economically, politically, historically or culturally? Can we say that it was an attempt that was made, failed but was worth making? No attempt in diplomacy disappears, it leaves a mark on further attempts and process, no matter you want it or not. Meanwhile, Armenia’s attempt if it was Armenia’s in reality, has brought about nothing except for “good name”. Meanwhile, for Turkey, even if it has brought about only “good name”, it is already an achievement since Turkey needed it, meanwhile Armenia does not seem to need it when the internal reality is not concerned, of course. It is another problem that Serge Sargsyan needed reputation. But in that case his personal need should not be identified with the public need of Armenia. Besides, the problem is that after the Armenian-Turkish attempt the April 22 announcement remained to Turkey, Obama’s non-use of the word genocide on April 24 remained with Turkey, as well as the fact that the process of Karabakh was connected, at least in parallel, with the Armenian and Turkish process, enabling Turkey to make statements about the process, aspire to assistance, and even Armenia announced for several times that the improvement of the Armenian and Turkish relations may foster the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. All this remained to Turkey. As to what remained to Armenia, let the political experts and analysts of the government say, besides “good name”, of course, because they have already spoken and continue to speak because nothing else is left to Armenia but something is left to Serge Sargsyan – Matthew Bryza stated clearly that Serge Sargsyan is the president they need. By the way, if the same had been announced about an oppositionist, the same pro-government school of political experts and analysts would allege them as foreign spies and Masonic lodges. But this is not surprise. Simply such are the rules of thinking based on bluffing, which are becoming more and more rooted in the Republic of Armenia. By Hakob Badalyan,Lragir

“Dialogue for Action” – Armenian and Azerbaijani Youth Hope to Bring Change,
Anahit Shirinyan A group of Armenian and Azerbaijani youth has met in neighboring Georgia at the beginning of August to participate in the Armenian-Azerbaijani workshop “Dialogue for Action”: The workshop was organized by the Imagine Centre for Conflict Transformation, founded by conflict resolution practitioners from Armenia, Azerbaijan and the US. The Centre aims to fill the communication gap between Armenian and Azerbaijani societies, positively transforming attitudes of both societies toward each other and creating networks of professionals across conflict lines actively committed to improving the peace building process. 5 workshops with Armenian and Azerbaijani participants have been organized by the centre since its foundation in 2007. Phil Gamaghelyan, the Armenian co-director of the Imagine Centre, believes they have developed a comprehensive methodology. “First we focus on developing relationships, then on communication and conflict resolution skill building and as the next step we have a deep dialogue where the participants confront the conflict and their differences, including such hard topics as history”. Phil says they work on both intellectual and emotional levels. “After sorting out the differences and achieving a degree of mutual understanding, we focus on the development of joint projects and development of an action plan for follow up”. One of the most important things about the program is that it gives an opportunity for the participants to sincerely speak about their concerns, needs and hopes; representing their own position and understanding the position of the other side. During the workshop, the participants usually have enough time to simply communicate with each other. The participants of the workshop have commented on their impressions in an interview with “Hetq”. Karo, 17, is the youngest participant of this year’s workshop. This is his first contact with Azerbaijanis. Although his perceptions about the conflict and Azerbaijani people haven’t changed, he has understood that the Azerbaijani society has the same concerns and fears that we have. “I have learnt to put aside the conflict for a while and simply communicate on a human level. I could never imagine such change would be possible. Now I am open to hear points of views that are different from that of mine and I am ready to understand the concerns of the other side”, he says. Another participant of the workshop, Arpi, confesses she was very concerned the Armenian and Azerbaijani participants would fail to understand each other and that no dialogue would take place. However, she says, “Here I have found people who can listen to you and understand. I have learnt to be more tolerant without changing my position. I have also learnt to look at the issue from the other side, comparing positions and making more correct conclusions” Delia, an Azerbaijani participant, believes Armenian and Azerbaijani youth don’t know each other at all and that people don’t want to communicate. During the workshop, though, “people were feeling and respecting each other’s pain”. “Those who wish to change things will manage. You can do it by changing yourself and people around you”, she says. “New generations in Azerbaijan have never seen Armenians and only view them through the Karabakh conflict”, claims Nigar, who is a famous blogger in Azerbaijan and has many Armenian friends. “Our governments are busy blaming each other and bringing up zombified generations. But Armenian and Azerbaijani youth are the future of the region and they have to start talking”. Nigar says it will be extremely difficult for the youth to bring changes to their societies, but she believes everything is possible “once you start educating people, showing the perspectives of friendly neighborhood, sharing your experience and telling about your friends.” “The young generation is full of innovative ideas, we have skills and education that our parents didn’t have”, notes Imagine co-director Phil Gamaghelyan. “We can teach the older generation not to see the world in zero sum terms. We can cooperate and achieve everything we need while giving the other side everything they need. We can think of a conflict as an opportunity to jointly progress; not a curse imposed on us by dark forces. We can help our governments with ideas, guidance and networks, or we can take ownership and do it ourselves if the governments are incapable or unwilling to listen. The region belongs to us and our future is in our hands”, he says. The participants of the Dialogue program are not going to stop here. They plan to implement joint projects aimed at bringing change to their societies. Their experience can really be useful. During the workshop there have been difficulties, moments of tension and misunderstanding, but they did manage to overcome them. Above all, they have gained good friends, something that – as many confess – they could never have imagined. When speaking about future joint projects, the participants cite lines from John Lennon’s song “Imagine”, which has become the informal anthem of the program – “You may say I’m a dreamer, But I’m not the only one”. hetq.am/

The Truth Will Out: Boyajian On Armenia And Calley On My Lai One Hour California Radio Interview Discussing Hot Armenian Issues Program Type: Audio Interview Featured Speakers/Commentators: David Boyajian Contributor: Raising Sand Radio [Contact Contributor] Notes: Forty years after the massacre at My Lai, Lt. Calley apologies for his role there. This reiterates Shakespeare's view that, "the truth will out." Armenian American David Boyajian continues this theme as he discusses the significance of whistle blower Sibel Edmonds recent deposition. While Edmonds is still under a gag order, Boyajian puts her claims into perspective as he reviews US interests in the strategic region around Armenia, Turkey, Georgia, Russia and the various political allies in play. Description: Length (hh:mm:ss): 00:59:40 Language: English Date Recorded: 2009-08-24 Location Recorded: KZSU Stanford U Download: 59:40 minutes 128Kbps mp3, (56MB) www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/35248

Armenian President's Statement Was Abrupt: Armenian Turkic Studies Specialist,
Panarmenian, 25 August 2009 It’s wrong to link the entire Armenian-Turkey process with the issue whether or not Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will leave for Turkey to watch return football match, Armenia's NAS Oriental Studies Institute Director, Turkish studies specialist Ruben Safrsastyan told a news conference in Yerevan. “I think Turkey has already made a decision to at least open the border. By signing the “road map”, Ankara proved it has refused its previous policy in relation to Armenia,” he said. Following the August war, Turkey weakened its positions in the region, while Moscow strengthened its influence, Safrastyan said. “And now, Turkey aims to strengthen its positions in South Caucasus through Armenia. But in the meantime, Turkish diplomacy resorts to different methods to impose concessions on Yerevan in Karabakh conflict settlement and Armenian Genocide recognition processes,” the professor noted. In that regard, he found Armenian President’s recent statement too abrupt. “I don’t think Turkish people will immediately agree to open border,” he said.

Armenia Will Fail To Solve Vital Issue Through Football: Mp, Today Az,
25 August 2009 “First of all, the football match is a sports event and Turkey has one of the strongest football teams worldwide. So, it will certainly gain an upper hand over Armenian team," Azerbaijani member of parliament Aydin Mirzazade said commenting on situation around the return match between Turkish and Armenian football teams to take place in Turkey on October 14. “Time will show whether there will be football policy. At the moment we can assume several scenarios. This may be a purely sports event. It may involve a small delegation from Armenia and everything can be limited to this,” he said. “Another option is that Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan will arrive at the match as a reciprocal step and as an opportunity to use this time to probe the issue of opening Turkey-Armenia border,” he added. “As to Serzh Sargsyan’s statement that he will not visit Turkey until Ankara does not take real steps to open Armenia-Turkey border, it was not the final answer. There are ample of such statements by Sargsyan and other Armenia officials. At the same time, they quickly changed their position,” Mirzazade said. “Perhaps Sargsyan will change his decision or send another senior official on his behalf. It all depends on to what degree Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be solved by that time. That is, if there are encouraging results about the Karabakh issue and Sargsyan, backed by resolution of the Karabakh issue, will go himself and will be willing to quickly resolve the issue of opening borders,” he said. “Armenia needs opening of the border with Turkey very much. Opening border with Azerbaijan is also important for Armenia. But the Armenia is well aware that until there is no progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, they will not witness opening of borders with these countries. Therefore, Armenia’s position in this issue may be repeatedly changed and be unexpected,” he said. “Just watch a football match is a personal matter of the Armenian leadership, but Armenia will fail to solve a vital question through football.” “Turkish officials have repeatedly stated that opening borders between Turkey and Armenia will be resolved only after the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. As long as Armenia does not agree to withdraw its troops from occupied Azerbaijani territories, Turkey will not open its border with Armenia,” Azerbaijani MP said.

Attempts Are Made To Give Political Coloring To Recognition Of Armenian Genocide,
Panorama, 24 August 2009 U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals created Code of Civil Procedure which extended the deadline for suing on life insurance policies issued to “any person of Armenian or other ancestry living in the Ottoman Empire during the period of 1915 to 1923, inclusive, who died, was deported, or escaped to avoid persecution during that period,” and expanded state court jurisdiction over such claims. Today, the director of Oriental Studies Institute Ruben Safrastyan told at news conference that he has been informed that the two judges were pro to the previous decision but the ruling judge was against. “We could say that this is attempt to give political coloring to the process of recognizing Armenian Genocide, which is done by a court representative,” expert said. Expert says American disposition upon Armenian Genocide has nothing to do with that decision. But the expert has also stressed that the U.S. strategy in South Caucasus has much changed getting different direction. OSCE Minsk Group American co-chair Matthew Bryza’s statements have much to do with it, as well as U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision to relate ties with Muslim world.

Serzh Sargsyan Has Nothing To Do In Turkey,
Today Az, 25 August 2009 “The Armenia-Turkey border will be opened when Armenia-Turkey and Azerbaijan-Armenia relations are normalized,” Azerbaijani political expert Vafa Guluzade said commenting on situation around the return match between Turkish and Armenian football teams to take place in Turkey on October 14. Recently Serzh Sargsyan stated he will visit Turkey to watch a return football match between the two countries if only Ankara takes real steps and either opens Armenia-Turkey border or makes a tangible step towards lifting Armenia’s blockade. “Turkey will not make any concessions and will not make the least effort so that Sargsyan will visit the country. Armenia does not comply with the terms of “road map”. It should have give up charges of “genocide” and give consent to consideration of this issue together with the Turkish scholars. But it will never do so, because it could call “genocide” into question in this way. Therefore it continues to be an enemy of present-day Turkey,” Guluzade said. “On the other hand, Armenia will not afford normalization of relations with Azerbaijan, because it is not depend on Armenia. Return of 20 percent of the occupied territories is up to Russia and depends only on it. The Armenians are weak both before Russia and their own diaspora. Diaspora does not want opening borders and does not want to abandon the policy of “genocide” charged against Turkey. Armenia has nothing to do about it. Generally, there is no state of Armenia. When we talk about Armenia, we are engaged in self-deception,” the political expert said. “So I think Armenia president Serzh Sargsyan will not go to Turkey. Sargsyan just has nothing to do there,” Guluzade added.

ATAA Welcomes Federal Court Decision Rejecting Armenian Reparations, Gunay Evinch,
President, ATAA ATAA welcomes the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals invalidation of the 2000 Poochigian Law, in Movsesian v. Victoria Versicherung, et al. In 2000 California enacted a law sponsored by state Senator Chuck Poochigian that sought to force insurance companies that had sold life insurance in the Ottoman Empire to Ottoman Armenians in effect to pay reparations to Armenian claimants under the disputed theory that they died from acts of genocide. Armenian American claimants sued the insurer, Victoria Verischerung, and its re-insurer, Munich Ruckversicherung, both German companies. The Republic of Turkey notified the Court of the continued diplomacy between Turkey and the United States on the Armenian matter. The Court invalidated the Poochigian Law because it unconstitutionally interfered with U.S. foreign policy not to prejudice Turkey with an unproven allegation of genocide. The Court's opinion can be read at: www.ca9.uscourts.gov ATAA President Günay Evinch commented in the media that even U.S. states that are heavily influenced by Armenian ethnic politics cannot defy the foreign policy preferences of the President of the United States: "The United States does not define the Armenian case as genocide. The U.S. supports Turkey's proposal to Armenia to establish a history commission." Turkish Media coverage can be found at www.ataa.org. In 2005, Evinch predicted that the Poochigian Law would fail on constitutional grounds. Click here to read : Armenian Cause Today, By Günay Evinch Summer 2005, The Turkish American. Evinch stated that the Armenian American lobby is trying to capitalize on the precedent of Holocaust reparations. Evinch now predicts that the Supreme Court will not grant the claimants a further hearing, as the matter has long been settled in prior decisions. The Circuit Court's ruling comes shortly after ATAA and its California-based Component Organizations, the Turkish American Association of California (TAACA) and the Association of Turkish Americans of Southern California (ATASC), in cooperation with the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund (TALDF) and Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB-USA), defeated California Assembly Bill 961 which similarly sought to penalize companies that did business in the Ottoman Empire and who do business in Turkey today. ATAA President-Elect Ergün Kırlıkovalı and longtime ATAA volunteer Karahan Mete lead more than 25 Turkish Americans to provide public statements at the California Assembly. An elderly Turkish American woman placed roses on the podium for each of her family members who was massacred during the Armenian Revolt (1885-1921), that caused the deaths and displacement of over 600,000 Muslims and Jews in Eastern Ottoman Anatolia.

Ataturk On The Agenda Of Armenia ,
27 August 2009 “Clear the name of Turkish nation of this disgusting and abjectly accusations” Armenian news agency Novosti Armenii, published the telegraph that sent to a U.S. admiral in March 7th 1920 by the founder of Republic of Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Armenian news agency reported that it reached to a very special document. Novosti Armenii wrote, “Our agency decided to publish the telegraph that is sent to U.S. Naval Forces Admiral Bristol by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 7 March 1920. In this document Turkish leader refutes allegations of (so called) Armenian genocide and claims that all these were made to break away Armenian community from Turkey.” The letter of Ataturk to U.S. Admiral published by Novostii Armenii writes, “Our nation suffers as we witness occupation of our land by allied powers while we were expecting a peace to be made following the Montreux convention. We were expecting for this situation to change with the equitable decision of peace conference. But the ones who make a study of creating negative movements for their interests, fabricated the lie about slaughter of 20,000 Armenian in Anatolia. We thought that allied powers and American government will not believe in such a lie because they have secret services in all over the Anatolia. But today we hear that foreigners believe on such reports. It is well known by everybody that Turks, French forces and Armenians that were fighting with French forces gave casualties during the clashes in Maras and Urfa. And that was not slaughter of Armenians but a natural result of clashes that started with the resistance of local community against Armenians because of the attacks of Armenian soldiers against Muslims. We should add that such clashes would not take place if occupation forces had treated people equally and did not have assigned Armenians on some duties by arming them. We once again apply to allied forces and American Government for enlightening World community about the essence of this propaganda of slaughter of Armenians that bases on hatred and greed, and doing so to clear the name of Turkish nation of this disgusting and abjectly accusations“

Armenian Lobby - Etalon For Turkish,
Panorama.Am 25/08/2009 President of Federation of Turkish American Association Kaya Boztepe says that except 500.000 Turkish living in the United States, 2mln Azeri, Turkmen, Uzbek having Turkish origins live in USA. Boztepe says that mass of 2.5mln people should be united and form a more organized group. "Federation of Turkish American Association started a campaign to grant citizenship to the Turkish living in America. Meetings, seminars are held to inform American Turkish," Turkish media reports. Armenian lobby is an etalon for the Turkish diplomat who says that taking influential offices and having positions in Congress are not enough. He says it is important to learn languages and the country's history and culture.

The Kennedy Family Supported U.S. Armenians,
Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am, Aug 26 2009 08/26/2009"The Edward M. Kennedy who represented Massachusetts in U.S. Senate was a good friend of U.S. Armenian community," Arpi Vartanian, Country Director for Armenia and Nagorno- Karabakh of Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) told NEWS.am. According to Vartanian, the Kennedy family and Edward in particular assisted U.S. Armenians in different ways. "As an influential Senator in U.S. Congress, Edward M. Kennedy helped Armenians to solve problems in various areas," she emphasized. He always supported bills on recognition of Armenian Genocide and other pro-Armenian initiatives. It is difficult to tell his sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver's (deceased in August 11, 2009) position on Armenian Cause, as she was neutral of politics.

Opponents Spurn Dashnak Criticism Over Turkey, Karabakh,
Anush Martirosian, Armenialiberty.org, Aug 26 2009 Representatives of Armenia's government and opposition camps have spurned, for different reasons, the criticism contained in the latest statement of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), in which the nationalist party called for Yerevan's major policy change on Turkey and Nagorno-Karabakh. In a statement released on Tuesday, Dashnaktsutyun's Executive Council of Armenia, in particular, called for an end to negotiations with Turkey, which it described as "seriously dangerous for Armenia" and "serving Turkish interests". "Time has shown that these negotiations are fruitless," Artyusha Shahbazian, a member of the party's supreme body, stressed in an interview with RFE/RL on Wednesday. He added that Dashnaktsutyun would not limit itself to a public rally in Yerevan on September 2 dealing with the current state of Armenian-Turkish relations and the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process, but would continue to present its demands on these issues also "in other ways". Dashnaktsutyun, which cited foreign policy differences to quit Armenia's ruling coalition in April after staying within Armenian governments for nearly a decade, also reaffirmed on Tuesday that it continued to hold Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian responsible for "diplomatic failures" both in the current Armenian-Turkish rapprochement and in the continuing peace talks with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Vice-Chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) Razmik Zohrabian laughed off the stance of the former coalition partner, noting that the foreign minister solely fulfils the policy of the current political coalition and the president. "If they [Dashnaktsutyun] demand the resignation of the foreign minister, it means they also hit the political coalition," Zohrabian underscored. In its statement, Dashnaktsutyun also demanded that Nagorno-Karabakh regain a full party's status in the continuing talks with Azerbaijan where at present Armenia effectively negotiates on its behalf. Hovannes Igitian, a senior member of the opposition Armenian National Movement (HHSh), called Dashnaktsutyun's demand 'illogical' given the party's tacit support for the policy of former president Robert Kocharian, whom Armenia's main opposition group holds responsible for supplanting Nagorno-Karabakh as a negotiating party. "Dashnaktsutyun supported him and perhaps out of gratitude did not interfere with Kocharian's policies and did not point out those mistakes. And today, when the process is becoming irreversible, suddenly Dashnaktsutyun remembers that something wrong has happened. This all is more connected with individuals rather than with the objective situation," said Igitian. The main opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK), of which the HHSh is a core member, is also known to support Stepanakert's return to the negotiating table as a full party. The HAK and its top leader, ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian, have also repeatedly denounced the current administration's policy on Turkey as a gross failure.

Is Russia-Turkey Union Able To Solve Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict?
Trend News Commentator, Trend News Agency Aug 26 2009 The strengthening of relations between Russia and Turkey is beneficial not just for the two countries. Turkey has had many long-standing problems in its relations with Armenia. Russia traditionally has had a special influence on Armenia. Moreover, Russia has huge interests lying in Turkey's fraternal country - Azerbaijan. There is a hope that the countries will help each other in promoting the process to solve the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict amid increasing cooperation between Ankara and Moscow. "Close relations between Turkey and Russia will positively impact the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict ", Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said live on Haber7 TV channel, Anadolu news agency reported. Davutoglu said that the countries intend, and are able, to bring the Black Sea and Caucasus regions out from under the status of conflict zones. "Turkey has hopes in the Caucasus from the point of view of Turkish-Armenian, and Armenian-Azerbaijani relations," he said. The arithmetic is simple: Turkey and Russia are more interested in solving the frozen Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict now than they were before. Russia, which participated in the August conflict in Georgia, must renew its image as a peacemaker. The best way to prove it is to help the two Caucasian countries settle the long-running territorial conflict. As an important regional player and a co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group, Russia has the necessary chances to fulfill this goal. Moreover, Moscow needs close relations with Baku in the energy sector. The West's great dream, the Nabucco gas pipeline, cannot be realized without Azerbaijani gas. In a recent article The Wall Street Journal concluded that the role of Turkmenistan in the Nabucco pipeline project was too exaggerated, because Ashgabat has bound itself into a 25-year-agreement with Russia, as well as building a massive pipeline to China - pumping 40 billion cubic meters. Thus, the newspaper states that Azerbaijan has been considered by Western countries as the main supplier of gas in the Nabucco project. However, Moscow, wishing to remain the key monopolist on the gas market, has made great efforts to conclude agreements with Baku to buy Azerbaijani gas in volumes as large as possible. The Kremlin can gain Baku's favor by putting pressure on Armenia, its main partner in the South Caucasus. Turkey has its own interests in solving the long-running territorial dispute. Firstly, Ankara is also competing as an important regional player in such a strategically important area as the Caucasus. A security and cooperation platform in the region, proposed by Turkey a year ago, became the main political initiative in this area. It is significant that Turkey and Russia, countries interested in regional influence in the Caucasus, have become possible participants in the project. Turkey's second aim in solving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is to overcome its obstacles in joining the EU. Despite Europe consistently emphasizing the importance of relations with Ankara, Turkey still remains outside the EU enlargement process. Besides a large amount of formal criteria that Ankara must fulfill, the EU imposes requirements concerning the reunification of Cyprus along with the recognition of the "Armenian genocide" in the Ottoman Empire and closure of its border with Armenia. But settling relations with Yerevan and restoring transport communications are impossible without solving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Even the "road map" signed in April does not cause optimism among observers. It aims to neutralize bilateral relations. It should be noted that Yerevan even made assurances that the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations is not linked with Turkey's recognition of alleged Armenian "genocide". It hopes that Nagorno-Karabakh will not become a stumbling point for Turkey. It is a chance for Turkey not only to settle relations, but to bring an end to a long-standing historical dispute. However, the country's leading figures have repeatedly stated that neutralizing relations is impossible until the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is solved. To sum it up, several regional players will win out by solving the territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The two most powerful players, Turkey and Russia, should exert maximum efforts for the sake of their own interests.

Turkey Considers Two-Month Action Plan For Canada,
Sweden Ties, Www.Worldbulletin.Net Aug 26 2009 Turkey Turkish FM Davutoglu held Tuesday bilateral meetings with his Canadian and Swedish counterparts. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu held Tuesday bilateral meetings with his Canadian and Swedish counterparts on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP). In the meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, ways to revive the relations between the two countries --which was strained after the tension over the Armenian allegations regarding the events of 1915- was discussed. The two ministers drafted a two month plan of action for enhancing relations. In the meeting with Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, chapter headings in EU negotiations likely to be opened under the Swedish EU Presidency, and possible obstacles like the Cyprus issue which Turkey could face, were discussed. The two ministers also discussed the proposal for: assessment of the Swedish and Spanish terms of EU presidency as a single term and creation of a plan of action accordingly, which came up during the trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Turkey, Sweden and Spain at the recent Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meeting.

Propublica Reports Turkey Wasting Millions On Foreign Lobbying,
Panorama.Am 24/08/2009 ProPublica, an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest opens a window on foreign lobbying. Among them was one country with a longstanding image problem: Turkey. The reports writes that from 1915 to 1923, as many as 1.5 million Armenians perished, many at the hands of the Ottoman government, but a precise description of the events has been an extraordinarily sensitive subject in Turkey. The issue also has risen regularly in Congress, thanks in part to American-Armenian groups that have pushed for government affirmation that the killings amounted to genocide. In October 2007, with elderly Armenian survivors from the era in attendance, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs approved a resolution that would do just that. The next step would be a vote before the entire House, something Turkey wanted desperately to avoid. On more than any other issue, Turkey, which has a U.S.-led war in Iraq on its border, is seeking help in a longstanding effort to join the European Union. The genocide question split U.S. leaders. All eight living former secretaries of state at the time sent a letter warning Congress that offending Turkey could have serious diplomatic consequences for the United States. Both Barack Obama and his chief opponent for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Rodham Clinton, were in the Senate; Clinton backed a resolution recognizing the genocide, and Obama made it a campaign pledge. Turkey's lobbyists made contact with the executive branch 100 times to enlist help pressuring congressional leaders to squash the resolution. The Livingston Group worked Congress. The firm's lobbyists contacted the office of Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., author of the resolution, four times on Oct. 4 to arrange a meeting with Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy. A few weeks later, Sensoy was withdrawn in protest of the House's consideration of the measure. Turkey didn't lobby just Congress - the country hired foreign agents to promote the cause with people outside the administration, too. Noam Neusner, who served as a speechwriter for President George W. Bush, worked the powerful Jewish lobby, meeting with an array of groups including the influential American Israeli Public Affairs Committee a combined 96 times to persuade them to oppose the resolution, FARA records show. Turkey was the first Muslim country to recognize Israel, and relations have been generally positive; but in the end, AIPAC supported the resolution. On Oct. 26, 2007, some sponsors of the resolution backed off a full floor vote, and the legislation never advanced. FARA records quantify the effort Turkey's lobbyists put into the issue: 673 contacts in a single month, and more than 2,200 in the filings overall - the most of any country. In all, records show, Turkey spent $4.2 million to mobilize its lobbyists to influence a resolution that hinged on the single word -- genocide. Some $1.9 million of that went to DLA Piper, a top-50 U.S. law firm that operates globally and has taken on such high-profile cases as the defense of imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar. The dispute demonstrates the power of labels -and the lengths to which a country will go to protect its world image. The FARA data show the deep reach that even small foreign governments can have on Capitol Hill. The biggest spenders in foreign lobbying aren't always America's closest allies or its biggest trading partners. Interests in Dubai, Morocco and Equatorial Guinea were among the top spenders on lobbying and public relations campaigns. Smaller, poorer countries also weighed in on issues such as debt relief and human rights.

Arf-Dashnaktsutyun To Continue Instilling Patriotism Among Youth
24.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Since the inception of its Youth Wing, ARFD has systematically organized camps for its young members," ARFD Youth Wing representative Arthur Khazaryan told a news conference in Yerevan. This year, the camp will be organized on August 26-30 in Dilijan. Such events aim to disseminate the party's ideas and values, as well as instill patriotism among youth, Youth Wing activist noted.

Turkey Aims To Strengthen Its Positions In South Caucasus Through Armenia,
24.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ It's wrong to link the entire Armenian-Turkish process with the issue whether or not Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will leave for Turkey to watch return football match, RA NAS Oriental Studies Institute Director, Turkish studies specialist Ruben Safrsastyan told a news conference in Yerevan. "I think Turkish side has already made a decision to at least open the border. By signing the "road map", Ankara proved it has refused its previous policy in relation to Armenia," the speaker noted. Following the August war, Turkey weakened its positions in the region, while Moscow strengthened its influence, Safrastyan finds. "And now, Turkey aims to strengthen its positions in South Caucasus through Armenia. But in the meantime, Turkish diplomacy resorts to different methods to impose concessions on Yerevan in Karabakh conflict settlement and Armenian Genocide recognition processes," Professor noted. In that regard, he found Armenian President's recent statement too abrupt. "I don't think Turks will immediately agree to open border," he said.

Armenia May Have Certain Role In Russian-Turkish Relations,
24.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ If Moscow and Ankara continue developing relations in energy sphere, Armenia may be involved in the process, Caucasus Institute Director, political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan told today a news conference in Yerevan. "Today, energy produced by Armenia exceeds a little bit the volumes consumed, therefore it can deliver energy resources to the eastern provinces of Turkey," Armenian expert noted. Considering that Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) is currently managed by a Russian company, the speaker didn't rule out possibility of Armenia's being involved in Russian-Turkish relations.

Aaa Carries Out Consistent Work To Achieve Adoption Of Armenian Genocide Resolution By Congress,
28.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) is carrying out consistent work towards having Congress pass a Resolution on Armenian Genocide, said Arpi Vardanyan, AAA Regional Director for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. "The number of congressmen supporting Resolution remains unchanged. But we hope for more active processes after congressmen return from holiday," Regional Director noted.

Dashnak Leader Slams Armenian Diplomacy Over U.S. Court Verdict, Hasmik Smbatian,
Armenialiberty.org azatutyun.am Aug 27 2009 A senior figure of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) has effectively linked a recent U.S. court decision invalidating a law that allowed hairs of Armenian genocide survivors to seek payments on dead relatives' life insurance policies to what the nationalist party has viewed as Armenian diplomatic failures in the ongoing negotiations with Turkey. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco last week said the California law that allowed heirs of Armenians killed in the Turkish Ottoman Empire nearly a century ago to seek payment on the life insurance policies of dead relatives amounted to "unconstitutional meddling in U.S. foreign policy." Dashnaktsutyun's political affairs director Giro Manoyan implied at a press conference in Yerevan on Thursday that the roadmap to normalizing bilateral relations announced by Armenia and Turkey on the eve of the Armenian genocide commemoration day enabled U.S. President Barack Obama to avoid terming the 1915 massacres of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey a genocide in an annual presidential message to the U.S. Armenian community on April 24, which, in turn, allowed the U.S. judges to interpret that step in reaching their decision. "This is linked to the Armenian-Turkish negotiations as much as the April 22-23 announcement [of the roadmap] became a pretext for U.S. President Barack Obama to avoid using the G-word," stated Manoyan. "But for that announcement, Obama would most likely have not avoided the use of the G-word. And had Obama used the word genocide in his April 24 address, the U.S. court would not have passed such a verdict." Manoyan said unless changed, the verdict will serve as an instrument in the hands of the Turkish circles to get genocide affirmation laws in other U.S. states invalidated. "Even on the basis of this verdict it is possible to prohibit the U.S. Congress from adopting any resolution affirming the genocide," said Manoyan. The Dashnaktsutyun representative called for legal and political steps to redress the situation, such as appealing the verdict and demanding that this appeal be heard and decided by more than just three judges. Also, Manoyan called for efforts to prevent the verdict from being used as precedent in considering other lawsuits. He said that addressing the matter at the Constitutional Court as the last resort is "though theoretically possible but practically is ineffective." Manoyan called simultaneous political steps equally important. He said the Armenian National Committee of America had already sent a letter to Barack Obama mentioning that his failure to affirm the genocide has in fact been used as an occasion for a U.S. court "to go beyond its powers and make interpretations" in making the decision, which may "deliver a major blow to the affirmation of the Armenian genocide in America in general."

Haroutiun Khachatrian: "Armenians Cannot Rightly Use Cultural Weapon",
Noyan Tapan, Aug 27, 2009 The Golden Apricot on Wheels of the Golden Apricot International Film Festival travelled to Artsakh on August 19-23, already for the third time. The previous two years the films of the festival were shown only in Shushi at the Narekatsi Art Union, and this year the organizers held the festival also in Stepanakert. According to the film program organizers, Yerevan's Golden Apricot on Wheels Festival that opened at the hall of the Culture House on August 20 with Sergei Paradjanov's "Color of Pomegranate" united film lovers. Minister of Culture of Artsakh Narine Aghbalian who was present at the opening ceremony of the festival said that the Golden Apricot gives an opportunity to the audience of Artsakh to see and know the best Armenian and foreign films. The Minister is sure that such projects are of great importance for the prosperity of the population of Artsakh. She hoped that the Golden Apricot Festival will become continual and will go round all distant settlements of NKR. Deputy Director of the festival Ara Khanjian told the film audience that the 40th anniversary of Sergei Paradjanov's "Color of Pomegranate" and the 85th birth anniversary of its author are marked this year and that is why it was chosen as the opening film of the festival. A. Khanjian also noted that H. Khachatrian's "Border", Spartak Gharabaghtsian's "The Vandals of the 20th Century" and "By the Tracks of Toros Roslin", Karen Hovhannisian's "Ghost," Hamshen Armenian film director Ozchen Alper's "Autumn" and other films were selected for Artsakh festival. The Director General of the Golden Apricot International Film Festival is pleased with the program of the film on the wheel as two festivals held in Shushi gave their positive results: "This year there was no free room at the Narekatsi Art Union, that is why people already look forward to the festival each year. It is a great victory for me." And as to the festival held in Stepanakert, H. Khachatrian is sure that it will attract more people in a year or two, though he is also pleased with the audience of this year: "there were 250-300 people at the hall but they knew the real value of a film," he said. H. Khachatrian thinks that film is the strongest weapon of the arts and the thing which the political figures and politicians fail to do for years the film can do very quickly. The director of the festival, however, is sure that Armenians cannot rightly use that cultural weapon.

When Can It Be Considered Genocide And Why It Matters,
Voice Of America News August 25, 2009 Historians today recognize the Holocaust of the mid-20th century in which victims of Nazi Germany were killed " based on their ethnicity, religion, or nationality " as the quintessential example of "genocide." Six million of those victims were Jews. But what about other ethnic or religious groups targeted for extinction during the 20th and 21st centuries? Can their deaths also be called genocide? And why does that designation matter so much? The Definition Bridget Conley-Zilkic, project director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Committee on Conscience, says Rafael Lemkin, an international lawyer at the Nuremberg War Trials after World War II, first used the term "genocide" in 1944 in a book describing patterns of destruction in Nazi-occupied Europe that he believed were unique. "He was trying to describe the cumulative effect of multiple attacks against a people. And in his mind this included cultural genocide, murder, and destruction of religious and other cultural artifacts." But later, the legal definition of genocide would change, Conley-Zilkic explains, and it would be restricted to "the intent to destroy " in whole or in part " an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group as such." But the emphasis on intent makes genocide very difficult to prove, she notes. Armenians in World War I Lemkin's understanding of genocide was greatly influenced by his study of what had happened to more than one million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. And in his later work he cited Armenia as an example of atrocities, of genocide," Conley-Zilkic says. But Turkey, the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, denies the genocidal intent of the mass murder of the Armenians, beginning in 1915 and continuing beyond the end of World War I. Armenia is a controversial case today, but the Holocaust Memorial Museum has not taken a stand one way on the matter, Conley-Zilkic points out. Part of the controversy centers on historical discussions between the Turkish government and the relatives of survivors in other countries. "But another part of the controversy is political," she notes. "Although determining what the facts are should be a matter of study for historians," she emphasizes, "history is not without political consequence." "There is a lot at stake in being able to say that genocide happened," Conley-Zilkic explains. Group identity often gets caught up in the question. "What is at stake for a lot of groups is an existential threat to their existence " the sense that the entire group's capacity to survive has been put at risk," she says. "Genocide is a crime that not only kills individuals but also involves an attempt to erase a group's record from society. And that's what makes groups extremely protective of the historical record around their suffering," she observes. Roma and Sinti in World War II Conley-Zilkic notes that the Roma and Sinti (Gypsies) were also targeted in a systematic way during the Nazi period. Based on their belief in a superior "Aryan race," the Nazis justified getting rid of other targeted non-Aryan groups. The events of World War II raise the question of what to do with this history, Conley-Zilkic says. "I think there is a lot we can " and must " learn from these other histories." Under the legal definition, those acts that constitute genocide are biological. But other questions linger, Conway-Zilkic says. "For example, can you destroy a group by enforced assimilation, by changing languages, or blocking access to cultural identity?" Bosnian Muslims in the Former Yugoslavia The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia has ruled that only one incident from the 1992-1995 war constitutes genocide " Srebrenica. In 1993, the United Nations declared the small town in eastern Bosnia a safe haven for Bosniaks. Conley-Zilkic says, "When the Bosnian Serbs took the town in 1995, they systematically executed some 8,000 men and boys." Tutsi Minority in Rwanda during War of 1994 For too long, atrocities that occurred against civilians in Africa were treated almost as if they were a natural phenomenon, Conley-Zilkic says. During the 1994 war in Rwanda, for example, world leaders described the killing as tribal conflict. But she calls Rwanda the most thorough and brutal and clear-cut case of genocide since the Holocaust. Darfur Region in Sudan Today Conley-Zilkic says that for the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda, she and her colleagues at the Museum worked together on projects to ensure that Rwanda was remembered and that the real lessons of history had been learned. By 2004, she says there was widespread agreement that what was happening in Darfur constituted crimes against humanity. When civilians are targeted in large numbers, it is never a natural phenomenon. It takes enormous planning and organization, and the role of leaders is of extreme importance. Issue of Responsibility by Governments Although political leaders alone cannot create genocide, they can choose the basic dynamics. They can choose to escalate the level of rhetoric and hate speech. They can also choose to arm militias, Conley-Zilkic says. Holding them accountable for those decisions afterward is important. Some historians have suggested that other mass atrocities bear a resemblance to genocide " for example, Stalin"s forced famine in 1932-32 resulting in the death of seven million Ukrainians, Japan"s killing of an estimated 300,000 Chinese in Nanking in 1937-38, and the murder of two million Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge in 1975-79. Other historians have raised questions about the Trail of Tears, the forced march of the Cherokee Indian nation from America"s southeastern states to Oklahoma in the early 19th century. In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution that requires member nations to prevent acts of genocide during times of war and peace. But the U.N. treaty was passed with the proviso that no claim of genocide could be brought against signatory nations without their consent. So, there are still barriers to enforcement. There is probably no country on this earth, Conley-Zilkic says, that does not have some history in its formation of some atrocity or assault against minority groups. Facing our own difficult history is the starting point for protecting human rights today.

"Going To Turkey Will Be Necessary, If No Change Is Noticed"
Aysor, Aug 25 2009 "At this moment the question of going or not going is the topic of discussion. The issue is being discussed both in Turkish and American media. Now we are in pause",- today stated Karen Beckaryan, Eurointegration NGO Chairman. In the same time he mentioned that there has not been any vital change in the Armenian -Turkish relations within the last one and half months. By his words, on the one hand we have the RA president's decision, stating the conditions in presence of which he will leave for Turkey; on the other hand from the Turkish side there is silence. But the silence the speaker observed as the visual side only, in reality, according to Bekaryan it is possible that talks are being held. "This question is still hanging in the air. We have spoken many times about the interests. We have witnessed some indirect developments, but none of us knows in which stage the talks are. I think that attending the football game will be necessary", - said Karen Bekaryan stressing that in case of leaving for Turkey the Media and society should provide corresponding information about the reason of the accepted decision. The political scientist is sure that if Serzh Sargsyan will leave for Turkey it still will not mean that all the questions with Turkey are settled or "the good will of Turkey has reached God knows where." "October is not behind the mountains. In September some questions will be fixed. If there is no vital change in a month going there will be necessary", - noted Bekaryan. He also advised to observe many issues that from the first sight seem not to have any connection with the Armenian - Turkish relations. Kurdish issue for example, the statements concerning the Cyprus process, the first steps of Turkey as a gas corridor as well as the inner relations of Turkish opposition and government "Armenian Atrocity" Novel Set In Turkey, 28 August 2009, by Stéphane / armenews Speaker at Ataturk University, Department of Facultulté of Journalism and Communication Uzunyaylali Mr Talat spoke of his book devoted to "Armenian atrocities in and around Erzurum during the First World War." Using books of Turkish and Armenian authors as a reference, the novel Talat Uzunyaylali "Paylasilamayan Topraklar is published by the publisher Babiali Ali Kultur. According to the Turkish PRESST "the novel tells the story of Seyidov and his friends who were murdered by Dashnaks while they were carrying supplies for the people of Erzurum, which was under the Armenian enprise. Stating that his book includes a story of brotherhood between Turkey and Azerbaijan, the author décmlaré "It began in February 1916. When Russian troops invaded Erzurum, Dashnaks have armed the Armenians who came to Erzurum with the Russians. Antrenik Pasha, the national hero des'arméniens is mentioned as having a severe character in the novel. The Dashnaks, who did nothing other than to kill innocent people, have their place in the novel. And the heroes among Turks, there officers and citizens Turks of Erzurum. This novel recounts the atrocities of the Armenians through these characters.

Yusuf Halacoglu: "The PKK is an Armenian organization" ,
27 August 2009, by Stéphane / armenews At a seminar on "Turkey's always" the former head of Turkish Historical Society Yusuf Halacoglu said that the terrorist organization PKK does not have any connection with the Kurdish people. Yusuf Halacoglu said that events in history must be analyzed soigneusement.Concernant the issue of using the names of "Norshin" by President Abdullah Gul during his visit to Guroymak near Bitlis, Yusuf Halacoglu said "Norshin is a Persian word. But the important point is that living in Norshin. If we consider the Ottoman period, the tribe Shafak had lived there. Speaking of the Democratic Initiative of the Government towards the Kurds, Yusuf Halacoglu said "We first need to know which is the Kurdish people and that is the PKK. The PKK incursions take place in Armenian and Kurdish villages. We need to know the reason for that. The PKK has no relation with the Kurdish people. "

Yerevan Under Mounting Pressure, Says Right-Wing Party
August 11, 2009 Yerevan Turkey’s preconditions for normalizing relations with Armenia have increased pressure on Yerevan to make concessions in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said a senior official from the right-wing Armenian Revolutionary Federation, or Dashnaktsutyun. Giro Manoyan told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that Washington and other mediators are pressing the parties to agree on the principles of a settlement on the disputed region before an Oct. 14 football match in Turkey. “Their haste is, in effect, related to Turkey’s precondition that it will not sign a [normalization] agreement with Armenia until there is progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue,” Manoyan said, adding that such haste endangers Armenian interests regarding Karabakh “because it does not stem from the logic of the conflict’s resolution.” Dashnaktsutyun, which quit Armenian President Serge Sarkisian’s ruling coalition in April, strongly opposes the resolution framework drafted by U.S., French and Russian mediators. The right-wing party has also criticized Yerevan’s rapprochement with Turkey, which was initiated by Sarkisian.

Armenian Opposition To Unite U.S. Diaspora,
Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am, Aug 26 2009 Armenian National Congress (ANC) Coordinator Levon Zurabyan plans to visit U.S. one of these days to unite the ANC supporting organizations. At the yesterday meeting with journalists in Gyumri, Zurabyan said: "There is a large number of ANC supporters in U.S, that are engaged in political activity during the post-February events development. They rendered moral and financial assistance to both movement and people getting into difficulties due to repressions. We feel it is high time to activate these organizations, aimed at supporting the movement and place them on alert." According to him, this will be the purpose of his visit to U.S. "The meetings with NGO and public people are scheduled. We seek to consolidate public and political organizations that support us," Zurabyan emphasized. He also added that these organizations assisted costly treatments of people injured during the March 1 events and thanked them for that.

Veiled In Mystery Of Armenia-Turkey Normalization,
Information-Analytic Agency News.Am, Armenia Aug 26 2009 08/26/2009"We support Armenia-Turkey normalization without preconditions, but unfortunately the incumbent [Armenian] authorities hold different views though stating the contrary," Coordinator of the Armenian National Congress Levon Zurabyan told journalists in Gyumri (Armenia), NEWS.am reports. According to him, the incumbent authorities consented for a document to set up Armenian-Turkish joint commission of historians to study "Was there a Genocide?" issue. "For us it is tantamount to renunciation of Genocide. It will have a negative impact over international recognition of Armenian Genocide, as contests the very fact," Zurabyan declared. "As a result the process of Genocide international recognition is suspended, as the international community is eager to see to what extent Armenia-Turkey relations will converge." The expert also mentioned the so-called "roadmap" - a document agreed upon by Armenia, Turkey and Switzerland on April 22, 2009, that is however kept secret. "Indeed, in order to reach an agreement, the negotiation process should not be publicized, but if there is an agreed document infolded in mystery, there can be only one explanation to it - they beware of public opinion. For the first time in the history of independent Armenia concealment of agreed document is practiced. If Armenia-Turkey normalization developed under these conditions, noone can guarantee that there is no similar document on Nagorno-Karabakh issue, also veiled in mystery" he concluded.

Turkish Ambassador Goes Beyond The Diplomatic Ethics,
Information-Analytic Agency News.Am, Armenia Aug 26 2009 08/26/2009MP Eduard Sharmazanov, Spokesman of the Armenian Republican Party (ARP) headed by Serzh Sargsyan, suggested Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan to offer advice to leadership of his own country rather than those of the neighboring one. "If H.E. Ambassador thinks deeper and more impartially, moreover, perform his direct duties, he would realize it is better to counsel his own superiors, say on necessity to adhere to the agreements reached," Sharmazanov declared. Meanwhile, he mentioned that Turkish Ambassador to Baku is a specific diplomatic officer, that is conditioned by the current situation. Thus, his statements periodically go beyond the bounds of diplomatic ethics, not always and not really reflecting the official position of his country. Instead the pursued aim is to win the sympathy of the fellow-country [Azerbaijan] leadership. Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic suggested Armenian President to arrive in Turkey by air for the football match, as "Armenia-Turkey border gate opening is connected with the Karabakh issue settlement."

Anca Calls On President Obama To Reject Misguided Federal Appeals Court Decision,
Armenpress: August 26, 2009 Yerevan Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) called on President Barack Obama to reject a misguided federal appeals court decision striking down a California law to allow for the return of Armenian Genocide-era assets, and encouraged him to immediately and publicly affirm that it is not the "express federal policy" of the United States, as the court argued, to prohibit the recognition of this crime by the Congress or the states. Representative of the ANCA Elizabeth Chouljyan told Armenpress that the letter follows a August 20th ruling of a three judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in the case of Movsesian v. Versicherung A.G. (No. 07-56722), that struck down a California law providing remedies for Armenian Genocide-era wrongs. The ruling contended that state level recognition of this crime contradicts "express federal policy" and is therefore unconstitutional. "You bear direct responsibility, Mr. President, by virtue of your failure to keep your repeated, crystal clear pledges to recognize the Armenian Genocide, for the Court's judgment that it is the official policy of the Executive Branch of the United States government to actively oppose proper recognition of this crime and, upon this basis, to thus prohibit states from passing laws to help Armenian Genocide-era victims seek to reclaim lost or stolen property," said Hachikian in an August 25th letter to President Obama. The California Legislature passed a law in 2000 giving heirs of those who died or fled to avoid Armenian Genocide-era persecution until the end of 2010 to file claims for old bank accounts and life insurance policies. Class-action lawsuits brought by Armenian descendants in California and other states led to a $20 million settlement with New York Life Insurance Co. in 2005 and a $17 million settlement the same year with French life insurer AXA.

Armenian Schoolchildren Are Taught Chivalry,
25.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Four years ago "Hay Aspet" (The Armenian Knight) child and youth organization was established in Armenia to foster the Armenian spirit and patriotism in school children. "First, we selected 36 children, as the number of letters in the Armenian alphabet, but over the past four years, throughout the territory of Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk the number of Armenian Knights has grown to almost fifteen hundred, 900 out of which have already participated in the Hay Aspet television program," Karine Tonoyan , founder of the Hay Aspet movement and the anchorwoman of the Hay Aspet game told press conference today. This year, the winner of the Hay Aspet television game became the team of secondary school No 2 from Jermuk, the school team will visit the cities of Western Armenia. "We are trying to select energetic children, often considered to be unmanageable. Their energy should be directed into the right channel," Karine Tonoyan said. According to her, in addition to military training, students attend classes in mythology, history of Armenia, Armenian songs and dances, geography of Armenia. The organization accepts children from seven years. Hay Aspet organize hikes and camps in various regions of Armenia. Hay Aspet has been supported by charitable organizations, the government of Armenia, as well as the ArmenTel (Beeline trade mark) telecommunication company.

Aram Sargsyan – “President Can Travel To Turkey As A Football Fan”,
2009/08/27, Sona Avagyan Aram Sargsyan, head of Armenia’s Democratic Party, stated today that there would be no progress in Armenian-Turkish relations even if the process wasn’t linked to a settlement of the Karabakh conflict. “Turkey’s interest in this process has froze-up not because of Azerbaijan’s pressure but because Europe has basically rejected Turkey’s admittance into the European Union. This is a fact. As soon as Sarkozy and Merkel made such declarations, Turkey changed its position,” Mr. Sargsyan said. As to whether President Sargsyan would travel to Turkey this October, Mr. Sargsyan said that the president could go to Turkey as a mere fan of the Armenian team. However the Democratic Party leader said that President Sargsyan would have every right not to go, given that Turkey has violated the spirit of the original understanding between the two nations. Mr. Sargsyan noted that Russia and Turkey have recently signed a host of economic treaties and that Armenia must somehow find a way to profit from them. The politician stated that as far as he was concerned he would be satisfied with an opening of the railway in terms of improved Armenian-Turkish relations.

See also: Should Armenian Leader Visit Turkey? Situation As Seen From Yerevan,
Information-Analytic Agency News.Am Aug 25 2009 Armenia Turkish President Abdullah Gul's visit to Yerevan last September was perceived as a historic event by many. Armenia and Turkey started a rapprochement process, and a declaration approved by the two states' foreign offices proved to be evidence thereof. Showing tolerance, the two Presidents accepted the term "football diplomacy" to designate the process. Gul's invitation to Yerevan proved to be a kind of "serve to the penalty area", which was to be followed by Turkey's blow on the major target, namely, the establishment of diplomatic relations and unblocking of borders. The blow was to be delivered before Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's return visit to Turkey. The Armenian leader is expected to visit Turkey this October to attend a return match between the Armenian and Turkish national football teams. There remain about 50 days, but Turkey is not in a hurry to deliver a blow. Should the Armenian leader continue "serving" or should he drop out? NEWS. am asked representatives of political forces to make their comments. Razmik Zohrabyan, Vice-Chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) pronounced against President Sargsyan's visit to Turkey. He stated that, after Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic offered the Armenian leader to go to Turkey "by air" to attend the football match -- as the re-opening of the Armenian-Turkish border is conditional on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict -- President Sargsyan "would act right if he kept his own promise." As regards possible accusations against Armenia on the part of international community, Zohrabyan said: "Indeed, two opposite opinions do exist, and the international community may accuse Armenia of being 'unconstructive': Gul arrived in Armenia to watch the match, but you will not." He believes "football diplomacy" was initiated after the "roadmap" was approved in Switzerland. "If Turkey will not open the border, setting preconditions for that, the Armenian leader will be right if he does not go to Turkey, as the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement process will be slowed down for a while," Zohrabyan said. Giro Manoyan, Head of the Hay Dat (Armenian Cause) office, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) is against the Armenian President's visit to Turkey. "The President stated he would not go to Turkey provided the border had been re-opened or relevant measures were in progress. We have only 50 days before the football match, and the border will hardly be reopened or measures to lift Armenia's blockade are unlikely to be launched. So Serzh Sargsyan had better not go to Turkey," Manoyan said. He does not rule out the possibility of the Armenian President's visit under international pressure. Stepan Safaryan of the Heritage opposition parliamentary faction is not much interested in whether the Armenian President will visit Turkey or not. "I am not any more interested in any changes in this issue. It is my view of the problem. The processes are obviously involving persons and the matter of saving their political reputation, not the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement. It is not the visit itself that is of importance, but whether it will rectify the errors made by the Armenian authorities and whether the negotiations will be acceptable to the Armenian side or not," Safaryan said. As regards international pressure on Armenia, he said: "I was the first in Armenia to state Sargsyan would go to Turkey as it is important for the international community, which, in turn, will pressure both sides, especially Turkey. An interim step seems to be a solution -for example, the border can temporarily be reopened for Armenian football players. However, it does not mean a final solution." Vladimir Karapetyan of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) said the Armenian authorities have created a situation when the Armenian leader's visiting and refusing to visit Turkey - both are to the country's detriment. "The developments, especially after the April 22 statement was adopted, are such that no serious changes should be expected in any way," Karapetyan said. The Armenian authorities have repeatedly stated Turkey has turned aside from the agreements. So Serzh Sargsyan will not go. If this is so, the Armenian side can and must make the commitments - the roadmap -- available for the public to prove they do not constitute any danger to us, but Turkey is violating them."

Dashnaks Call For End To Armenia-Turkey Negotiations,
Armenialiberty.Org Aug 25 2009 The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF, Dashnaktsutyun) has reaffirmed its opposition to the current process of Armenian-Turkish normalization, which it said contains "serious dangers" for Armenia and therefore must be discontinued. In a statement released on Tuesday, the ARF Executive Council also reiterated its position that Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian is directly responsible for "diplomatic failures". Armenia and Turkey embarked on an unprecedented rapprochement last September after President Serzh Sarkisian invited his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul to attend a World Cup 2010 qualifier between the two national soccer teams in Armenian capital Yerevan. Armenia declared then it would seek improved relations with Ankara and the reopening of the border that has remained closed since 1993 based on an agreement reached "without any preconditions." Armenia and Turkey announced a "roadmap" to normalizing bilateral ties in April, but Sarkisian has been under fire from his political opponents over a lack of tangible results in the process. Furthermore, Turkey has appeared to increasingly link normalization to Armenian concessions in the talks with Azerbaijan over the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a process that has been gaining momentum simultaneously with the Armenian-Turkish dialogue. Sarkisian himself indicated last month that he will not travel to Turkey in October to watch the return match of the two countries' national soccer teams unless Ankara moves to reopen the Turkish-Armenian border. Ahead of the soccer match, the ARF calls for discontinuing the negotiations which it says "are aimed at serving Turkish interests" and not allowing Turkey "to meet its international commitments and at the same time force Armenia to make concessions." The nationalist party also announced a public rally in central Yerevan on September 2, the day of the declaration of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. "In conditions of renewed activity in the negotiations [with Azerbaijan], we must defend the victory of our people and force respect for Nagorno-Karabakh's self-determination," said the ARF, calling for Nagorno-Karabakh's return to the negotiating table as a full party.

Armenian Government Lives In Grand Style,
Information-Analytic Agency News.Am Aug 25 2009 Armenia In the first half of this year, budget revenues totaled 359bln AMD, and on-budget expenditures 426.5bln AMD, thereby ensuring the respective 67.1% and 70.3% of the RA Government-specified 10-month program. The press service of the RA Ministry of Finance reported that the annual budget was thus executed 39.9% and 47.6% respectively. In the fist half of 2009, budget revenues decreased by 55bln AMD (13.3%) as compared with the corresponding period last year. Specifically, budget revenues taxes and duties registered a decrease of 61.5bln AMD (18.1%). Official grants exceeded 2.7bln AMD (a decrease of 3.1%). During the period under review, compulsory social insurance payments and other budget revenues registered an increase of 1.7bln AMD and 4.8bln AMD or 3.2% and 31.5% respectively. Foreign donor provided a total of 242.5bln AMD to Armenia as credit funds. Specifically, the Russian Government provided 185.1bln AMD, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 57.4bln AMD.

AYF Youth Corps Marks 15 Years of Service to Homeland
The 15th annual AYF Youth Corps project in Armenia this year successfully managed, for a second time, to run a day camp for 150 underprivileged children in Gyumri. Our goal was to invest in the children of Armenia, because we believe children are our future. Our first task was to help strengthen their love of country—something their textbooks do little justice to in the one page set aside for the first Republic of Armenia. We sought to instill pride among the campers about the forefathers of their republic–the Aram Manougians and Antranig Ouzounians. We taught them the value of land and the shame behind throwing their trash on their streets, which Armenians in Karabakh fought to the death to defend. Every day, we worked to explain the importance of nature and what the future of this country will be like if they continued to take it for granted. We also taught them practical skills. We split them into different skill levels and taught them English–from basic greetings to conversational English. At arts and crafts, campers were given an opportunity to discover unknown talents and hone their artistic skills. Daily karate lessons, meanwhile, became a source of pride, and inspiration for many of the campers, whose confidence was boosted after mastering new techniques after days of practice. The song competition, held at the end of each session, was another unforgettable experience for us. Seeing each group’s members work together to practice their song seemed to us a new beginning for Armenia. Cooperation often takes a back seat to individualism here, but not during the song competition, where reliance and trust in the rest of your team is vital to successfully singing a song and performing a dance. Most amazing of all, however, was the experience of reading each and every essay turned in by our campers during the “My Fatherland” essay competition, in which each camper wrote about their connection to Armenia. Camp Gyumri gave these kids a truly unique place to learn, play and grow—a place where value was place on respect, equality, and tolerance and not on corruption, bribery and cheating. With television shows glorifying mafia bosses who lie, cheat, steal and kill for power and glory, it is very difficult to expect Armenia’s youth to follow a different path. But we set out to dispel those false values. All in all, it was about what we could give to the future of Armenia based on the opportunities we have had growing up in the “West.” Finding common language with the children was difficult at first, given our differences in language and culture. But within the first few days, those barriers broke down, as do most artificial barriers. For six of the nine youth corps members, it was their first trip to Armenia, yet each of them said, multiple times throughout the trip, that they were finally home. It’s hard not to feel at home when you are welcomed with open arms. The family we stayed with in Gyumri took care of us as if we were their own. When one of us was sick, the mother, Digin Lilig, would take tea and medicine upstairs at least 5 times a day to make sure we would get better quick. She would talk to our parents over the phone and tell them how excited she was to have us and how she loved us and would make coffee or tea every morning depending on what each individual preferred that day. The local ARF also made every effort to make sure we were happy and comfortable, while working in Gyumri. True, Armenia is not a perfect paradise, where we can all live comfortably like kings. That there are problems all around is obvious for anyone to see. But it is our homeland, and most important of all, it’s a place where we can make a difference, and start our lives anew. Knowing that we were a positive influence on the lives of those 150 children in Gyumri is priceless, especially when considering that 40 of the campers signed up for the local badanegan, where they will spend their weekends throughout the year with their new friends in a fun and safe environment. Making all of this a reality, however, was no easy task. It took an entire year of fundraising by local AYF chapter in the Western USA, as well as the Youth Corps central committee, to make this program a success. Many people helped make Youth Corps 2009 a reality, from friends and family who attended every breakfast and carwash fundraiser to support the program, to members of the community who invested in our ambitious goals. In hopes of expanding the program’s reach and effectiveness, we made a major push this year to publicize our work and activities through so our supporters can see, first hand, all the great work we did—and can do even further–in Armenia. We maintained a blog on Asbarez.com, gave interviews with local and Diaspora TV, newspapers and radio stations. We also worked with local non-profit organizations such as Birthright Armenia and the Civilitas Foundation to help raise awareness of the many opportunities available for Diasporan Armenians to help in Armenia’s development. In order to extend our impact, we must expand our program beyond just one city—beyond 150 campers. And we have begun to do just that. Planning is under way to establish a second camp in another of Armenia’s less developed regions. We have much work to do in Armenia and we will be sharing that work with you—our friends, family, and community—in the days, weeks, months and years ahead. Please spread the word about Youth Corps as much as possible so we can work together with our compatriots back home to help create the Armenia we all want to see our futures in! -Berj Parseghian Asbarez

Armenian-Americans To Challenge Congressional Incumbents In 2010,
Emil Sanamyan, Reporter.Am/ August 21, 2009 Washington - At least three Armenian-Americans have launched electoral campaigns to take on incumbent members of Congress in the 2010 elections. Danny Tarkanian, a Las businessperson of Armenian descent, is seeking the Republican Party nomination to challenge Senate Majority leader Harry Reid in the 2010 elections, Mr. Tarkanian's office reported on August 9. Making the announcement, Mr. Tarkanian acknowledged he was facing long odds. "I have no illusions about what I'm up against, but I also know I am doing the right thing," he said in a statement, adding that he would run on mainstay Republican issues, such as opposition to growth in government spending and regulation. According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, six other individuals are seeking the GOP nomination in addition to Mr. Tarkanian, and Nevada Republicans were also reportedly seeking to recruit others. But Sen. Reid, who is running for a fifth term in the Senate, is believed to be a strong favorite. His campaign expected to raise $25 million in campaign cash. Nevada's other senator is John Ensign, a Republican who has recently admitted to an extramarital affair; he is not up for re-election until 2012. Son of the nationally renowned basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, Danny Tarkanian previously ran for the Nevada State Senate in 2004 and Nevada Secretary of State in 2006, both times unsuccessfully. In the latter run he received votes of more than 230,000 Nevadans. Both incumbent Nevada senators - Democrat Reid and Republican Ensign -have been supportive of Armenian-American issues. Armenian Caucus member challenged in Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R.-Mich.), an active member of the Armenian Congressional Caucus, in his fourth term in Congress, is facing a challenge from an Armenian-American Democrat. An educator and community activist, Natalie Manoogian Mosher is seeking the Democratic nomination in the 11th congressional district, which includes northwestern suburbs of Detroit, in the 2010 election. The district has elected Republican members of Congress since 1967. As part of her campaign announcement earlier this year, Mrs. Mosher pledged to "make certain the Armenian-American community has an active and effective advocate" in Washington. Michigan is one of the U.S. states most affected by the recession and Rep. McCotter is believed to be vulnerable. Mrs. Mosher has strongly criticized the incumbent Republican's opposition to the Obama administration's economic stimulus programs and healthcare reform proposal. According to CQ Politics, the Michigan Democratic Party was seeking to recruit additional candidates to run against Rep. McCotter. Armenian-Turkish debate in Ohio David Krikorian is another Armenian-American seeking the Democratic Party's nomination ahead of the 2010 elections. Unlike the other two challengers, he is running against an incumbent who is opposed to the Armenian- agenda and is supported by the Turkish lobby. Republican incumbent Jean Schmidt is in her third term and represents Ohio's 2nd congressional district that includes parts of Cincinnati; the district has been under GOP control since 1983. Last April Ms. Schmidt filed a complaint against Mr. Krikorian over his charges that she took money from Turkish government interests to oppose the congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide. As part of the complaint, Ms. Schmidt is represented by Turkish American Legal Defense Fund, an organization linked to the Turkish lobby. Mr. Krikorian in turn retained the help of Mark Geragos, a prominent attorney of Armenian-American descent. The Ohio Elections Commission is expected to rule on the complaint on September 3. connect: www.dannytarkanian.org www.mosherforcongress.com www.krikorian2010.com

Armenia, Azerbaijan Turkey to participate in joint NATO exercise
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey will be among participants of a joint exercise to be held by NATO in Kazakhstan in September, according to an announcement released by the Prime Ministry General Directorate for Emergency Management. NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center (EADRCC) is organizing a Consequence Management Field Exercise in cooperation with Kazakhstan, the host nation, which will be conducted on Sept. 5-11. The exercise “ZHETYSU 2009” is in accordance with the Civil Emergency Planning Exercise Policy and the Exercise Program for 2009-2013. It is a contribution by Kazakhstan to the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program. It will be the ninth EADRCC field exercise and the first EADRCC exercise hosted by Kazakhstan. “The Prime Ministry General Directorate for Emergency Management, which is the EADRCC's contact point in our country, is also assuming coordination of all activities concerning the exercise. In addition to our country, the United States, Germany, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Armenian, Finland, Britain, Spain, Sweden, Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine will participate in the exercise,” the announcement said. For more than one-and-a-half years, Turkey and Armenia have been holding closed-door talks, mediated by Switzerland, to restore their relations. But the process stalled after Ankara said progress in normalization efforts was linked with progress in Armenia's Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. Armenia rejects any link between the two issues. 24 August 2009, TODAY'S ZAMAN

Turkish Lobby Group ‘Declares War’ on FBI Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds
The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) has launched what appears to be an all-out assault on FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds and her remarkable, long-awaited under-oath deposition taken in the Ohio Election Commission (OEC)’s Schmidt v. Krikorian case. Called as a witness for David Krikorian (who is Armenian-American), Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH)’s opponent in 2008 and 2010, Edmonds (who is Turkish-American) testified to infiltration, bribery, corruption, and blackmail within the U.S. Government, by current and former members of the U.S. House and other high ranking officials, on behalf of Turkish interests. The TCA is trying to disparage Edmonds’ character, describing her as “a discredited former employee of the FBI (who served the federal government for a total of six months before being fired).” In 2005 portions of the FBI’s own Inspector General’s report on her case were unclassified. They reported her allegations to be “credible,” “serious,” and “warrant[ing] a thorough and careful review by the FBI.” Sibel Edmonds has testified under oath numerous times – in secret. She has told much of her story in bits and pieces appearing in articles, interviews and .jpg files over the years, but, for whatever technical reasons, she was finally allowed, on August 8, to talk openly about what she knows despite the “state’s secrets” doctrine – all under oath, at one time and place, and for the public record. Edmonds claims in her testimony to have classified information as evidence about her case regarding various scandals involving U.S. officials. She has spent seven years trying to get a court to hear her allegations that foreign agents including the Turkish intelligence, had penetrated the FBI, the State Department, the Pentagon and Congress. Prior to her deposition, Edmonds notified the U.S. Justice Department and Attorney General Eric Holder - appointed this year under President Obama - of what she planned to tell Krikorian. With no response from the Justice Department, and essentially no red light. Last year, while trying to get her case heard through the U.S. media as a sort of last resort, Sibel Edmonds stated that the press tends to stay away from stories that are critical of Turkey as a result of Turkey’s strong lobbyist activities in the United States. She took a risk in revealing part of her story to the U.K. Times after she received no response from any major U.S. media network. During a break on the day of her deposition on August 8, Edmonds was asked about her own opinions on the Armenian genocide. “As a person, I have never denied it [the Armenian Genocide]. . . I accept it.” She went on to highlight Turkey’s current internal problems as a repeat of past atrocities and also spoke about U.S. complicity in such matters: “The United States is turning a blind eye on the Kurdish issue, which is a big, major human rights issue in Turkey. Unless the international community, including the United States, really takes a strong and firm position on this, they’re going to get away with it and they’ll never respect human rights.” Loussapatz, Canada

The Houses Of The Armenians In IstanbulMarked
, 28 August 2009, by Stéphane / armenews The member of Kurdish origin Sebahat Tuncel currently holds a parliamentary inquiry into the shocking discovery of inscriptions on the Christian houses in Istanbul. Houses in the neighborhood of Sisli and Samatya were marked while the majority of the inhabitants of these places are Armenians and Greeks. The entries were made through the colors red or green in recent weeks. Sehabat Tuncel asked Besir Atalay, Minister of Interior, who was behind these inscriptions and what direction it should have. The survey Sebahat Tuncel refers to an article published in the weekly Agos. The editor of Aris Nalca confirmed the information and said "the calls were mainly from older members of the Journal of the Armenian commonality" and reported that "their houses, small red or green ratings were made. We followed the thing and found that about 100 houses, in which, Armenians do not always live so frequent have been marked with these notes are about the size of a subway ticket. "We do not know what it should represent," said Aris NALC some people are worried, however. Questions were posed to the local authority and police to no avail so far. "Nobody knows," said Aris NALC is why the member of Kurdish origin Sebahat Tuncel has asked the Interior Minister to clarify the matter. "This may be a bad joke," said Aris NALC "but it is also a serious background exists" Thus in the indictment against the Ergenekon terror group indicated that the group was planning a coup against the government of Prime Minister Erdogan and actions against the Armenians were provided Apartir a destabilization campaign basis. Until Sebahat Tuncel supports this history it was only local. Neither the spokesman for the Greek Patriarchate, Dositeos Anagnostisois still the head of the evangelical community, Holger Nollmann knew. Sebahat Tuncel now requires that the police conduct a formal investigation, to calm the spirits. "You must take a public position," said Aris Nalca "so that we know, what happened" In the past, in 1955 during a pogrom against the Christian minorities such facts had been established.

JITEM Behind The Assassination Of Hrant Dink ,
29 August 2009, by Stéphane / armenews The assassination of Hrant Dink, Armenian journalist in Turkey, who was killed by an ultranationalist, is the work of the intelligence unit of the gendarmerie, JITEM, whose existence has been denied by officials, according a document included in the third prosecution case the trial Ergenekon, a clandestine organization accused of plotting to overthrow the Turkish government. According to this document seized from the computer Turhan Comez, a former member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and suspicious release of Ergenekon trial, a man named Yusuf Ziyad, who is said to be a Kurd living in region in northern Iraq controlled by Kurds, said the JITEM created by retired general Veli Kucuk, who is currently subject of an arrest in connection with the Ergenekon investigation, and the Department of National Police were behind the assassination of Dink. It is also claimed in the document that Kucuk and another retired general, HK, were behind a number of unsolved murders and terrorist activities in northern Iraq. At the 13th page of the suspects of Ergenekon, including Comez, the retired general Hursit Tolon, the former Deputy Chairman of the Special Operations Unit of the Department of National Police Ibrahim Sahin, the General retirement Sener Eruygur, the captain retired Muzafer Tekin, lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz, the former Director of the Organized Crime Unit Adil Serdar Sacan, President of the Workers' Party Dogu Perincek and journalist Yalcin Kucuk are listed under the titta "Those who run these courses. In the indictment, a conversation between Emin Gurses, a lecturer currently detained as part of the Ergenekon investigation and another suspect in Ergenekon, lt. Col. Mustafa Donmez, also gives clues about the ssassinat Dink. In recordings of telephone calls, Gurses told Donmez, "the assassination of Hrant Dink was a good warning for those people." Translation Gilbert Béguian

Campaign Against The Eiffel Tower In The Colors Of The Turkish Flag ,
27 August 2009, by Stéphane / armenews Mayor, I am writing to you to express my dismay following the decision of the City of Paris to the Eiffel Tower illuminate the colors of the Turkish flag from 8 to 29 October 2009 as part of Season of Turkey in France. This event is a promotion of an excessive state deep denial. Indeed, Turkey denies its responsibility in the commission and execution of many crimes against humanity - the Armenian Genocide (1 500 000 deaths), Aramaic Genocide (1 000 000 deaths), the Greek Genocide (500 000 deaths ) and the Assyrian Genocide (250 000 deaths) - and adapt its foreign policy to disseminate the revisionist theories of global and threatening economic and diplomatic reprisals any State in which the issue of recognition of these genocide is discussed. Moreover, Turkey refuses to recognize Cyprus, a member state of the European Union it has held since 1974 in any illegality under international law. Finally, I can not deny that the announcement of the French Enlightenment of the monument most representative colors of the Turkish flag arouses strong feelings in France and abroad. Therefore, I urge you to reconsider this decision and cancel the organization of this event which would damage the image of the City of Paris. Best regards, traditional Catholics

Armenian Bride Andranik Hermine Changed Her Religion & Married A Turkish Businessman,
27 August 2009, by Stéphane / armenews

A citizen of Armenia Andranik Hermine met with Turkish businessman Ersin Mati in Armenia and they decided to marry. The bride Armenian by the Turkish press has recited the Kalima Shahadah and to change their religion by espousing Islam Orhangazi near Bursa. The Mufti of Orhangazi, Lutfu Atay presented a translation of the Quran and Islam has taught the Armenian citizen. The Turkish businessman Ersin Mati went to Armenia to do business and it is there that he met and married Hermine Andranik which subsequently changed its name to "Emine".

The wedding took place July 16, the Armenian citizen recited Kalima Shahadah and become a Muslim. Emine said that the family structure of Turkey and Islam have impressed and she decided to marry the man of Turkish businessman after falling in love with him.

Lawyers To Appeal 9th Circuit Court Ruling
LOS ANGELES—Attorneys representing heirs of Armenian Genocide victims seeking life insurance payments on relatives’ policies before 2010 will appeal a ruling by a federal court, which rejected a California law that allowed the pursuit of such matters, attorney Mark Geragos told Asbarez Thursday. The appeal is set to be filed prior to September 10th. In a telephone interview, Geragos, who is one of three attorney representing the victims’ heirs, said that attorneys will appeal the August 20 decision, which said the law amounted to unconstitutional meddling in US foreign policy, and ask for the matter to be heard by the entire US 9th Circuit Court of Appeal panel, what is known in legal terms as an “En Banc” hearing. “It’s an absurd ruling… A wrongheaded ruling and we hope to get an ‘En Banc’ hearing,” said Geragos, explaining that the state law is preempted. “Feds have not expressed an opinion they’ve said they have no opinion,” said Geragos. “This is purely an insurance issue. We are suing a company that’s in Europe. They had policies to pay.” Representative Adam Schiff also called the court’s reasoning “peculiar and misguided.” Then State Sen. Adam Schiff co-authored the law “This decision was focused on a law that Chuck Poochigian and I crafted when I was in the State Senate. I didn’t believe that our work was preempted by federal law then, and don’t believe it is preempted now,” Schiff told Asbarez. The California Legislature passed the law giving heirs of Armenian Genocide victims until the end of next year to file claims for old bank accounts and life insurance policies, effectively extending the statute of limitations on such matters. Schiff also said that the fact that California and 41 other states have recognized the Genocide should have prompted the court to make a different ruling. “The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals is an affront to the Armenian American community and, if allowed to stand, sets a dangerous precedent by rewarding the Turkish Government’s efforts on the federal level to deny and cover-up the Armenian Genocide,” said Armenian National Committee-Western Region board chairman Vicken Sonentz-Papazian. “The message this decision sends is that if you can threaten, cajole and stonewall the U.S. government into inaction on a ‘foreign policy’ issue, you can eliminate a valid and righteous claim of an American citizen in a U.S. court of law,” added Papazian. Class-action lawsuits brought by heirs of Genocide victims in California and other states led to a $20 million settlement with New York Life Insurance Co. in 2005 and a $17 million settlement the same year with French life insurer AXA. Geragos said the time had come for Armenians throughout the world to focus on the reparations issue. “Clearly we should be bringing suits all over the world,” said Geragos, adding that in a society where such matters are decided by the judiciary, the community should become more active in the pursuit of large corporations, such as insurance companies and banks, that might be holding assets that belonged to Genocide victims. “We have been focusing on the political aspects of the Genocide. We need to marry the political with the legal,” added Geragos. “There should either be a reversal [of the ruling] by a higher court or legislative action to reframe the statute,” said Schiff who called on the community to urge an appeal. He also said he would be looking into possible federal legislation that might rectify the situation. Geragos also urged the community to become more active in this matter, urging community organizations such as the ANC, the Armenian Bar Association and others to file amicus briefs in support of the ‘en banc’ review. “This is a temporary setback and we will overcome this,” said Schiff. “Unfortunately, it just adds injury to injury.” Asbarez

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Take Action: Google Limits Free Speech
The Turkish Coalition of America for months maintained Google Ads for its website, www.turkishcoalition.org, without protest or incident. But after an aggressive campaign by an Armenian American group Google suddenly and without a chance for the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) to respond suspended the ads saying that they violated its “Anti” policy. Google also said that it could not accept ads for websites that, “suggest revisions to history.” The notion that there is a Google-accepted version of history is extraordinarily disturbing. The TCA educates the general public about matters of concern to Turkish Americans. Neither it nor its website are against any person or group. The TCA does, however, advocate that the narrative of the Ottoman-Armenian conflict as propagated by the Armenian Diaspora is one-sided and ignores evidence of Muslim suffering, some of it at the hands of Armenian revolutionaries. The TCA supports this view with extensive texts, pictures and links available on its website. Much of the material is from Armenian sources boosting about their armed activities. TCA web site is not hostile toward or advocates against any individuals or groups. Google has failed to distinguish between advocating an idea in an historic controversy, which the TCA does, and advocating against a group, which the TCA does not. This notion is strikes at the very core of the First Amendment free speech rights. Please let Google know that you disagree with its discriminatory suspension of Turkish Coalition of America ’s ads and therefore their flouting of cherished principles of fairness and free expression. Below is a sample letter, or write your own. We strongly encourage you to send your letter to: Eric E. Schmidt, Ph.D. eschmidt @ google.com Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Google, Inc. 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043 Although less effective, you may also send an e-mail to press @ google.com or fax a copy of your letter to 650.253.0001. SAMPLE LETTER ----- Dear Google: I am a Google user and have visited the website of the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA), www.turkishcoalition.org , which I have found interesting and informative. I am writing to urge you to restore the TCA’s Google Ads, which you suspended based only on an aggressive campaign that lied about the nature and intention of the organization. The TCA seeks only to educate people on issues of concern to Turkish Americans. It does not advocate against any person or group. Certain people and groups disagree with the TCA’s position on the historical controversy surrounding the interpretation of Ottoman-Armenian history. But this does not mean that the TCA is advocating against these people or groups. To make this interpretation, as Google has arbitrarily done, is to grossly misunderstand the nature and value of free speech in the United States. As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote in United States v. Schwimmer, 279 U.S. 644 (1929), “[B]ut, if there is any principle of the Constitution that more imperatively calls for attachment than any other, it is the principle of free thought -- not free thought for those who agree with us, but freedom for the thought that we hate.” Moreover, to prevent advertising for websites, “that suggest revision to history” is also misguided and against your own core values. It suggests that there is a Google-accepted version of history, which is an extraordinarily disturbing notion. Even the President of the American Historical Association has recognized that, “There is no single, eternal, and immutable ‘truth’ about past events and their meaning. The unending quest of historians for understanding the past—that is, ‘revisionism’—is what makes history vital and meaningful.” (James McPherson, Revisionist Historians, September 2003.) Time and again you have told the U.S. government that “freedom of expression is at the core of everything [you] do.” Yet you must practice what you preach. The majority of what the TCA does and what it represents on its website cannot be considered controversial. But insofar as it wades into the controversy over Ottoman-Armenian history, please understand that it is a far greater evil to stunt debate and curtail speech than it is to advocate for a broader interpretation of an historical controversy, even if that offends some who believe differently. Don’t give in to the protests of a vocal few. Do the right thing and stand up for our cherished and hard won principles of fairness and free expression. Sincerely, Turkish Coalition of America 1025 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20036 Telephone: 202-370-1399 Fax: 202-370-1398 Email: info @ turkishcoalitionofamerica.org www.tc-america.org/action_speech.html

Download The Federal Court Decision Paper Here About Descendent Of Armenian Genocide Victims Can't Sue

Obama Shares My Opinion That Armenia Should Return Occupied Lands To Azerbaijan:
Matthew Bryza, Azerbaijan, Baku, August 12/ Trend News, E.Tariverdiyeva / U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza arrived in Baku on August 11. This is a farewell visit of Bryza to the region as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. President Obama shares my opinion that Armenia should return the occupied lands to Azerbaijan, as Sarkozy and Medvedev reflected in the general statement in July, said Bryza. "The United States fully supports the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of the Madrid principles, Bryza told journalists. - We have finalized some of the Madrid principles and discussed them at a meeting in Cracow." He said that the Russian side also fruitfully and constructively worked with them to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "Our work in the Minsk Group has always been fair and constructive, he said. - The Minsk Group has helped the two Presidents bring closer the positions on the issues that will help resolve this conflict." In his opinion, the Presidents are close to sign a framework agreement. Advisor of U.S. Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Bryza, was appointed the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement in June 2006, replacing Steven Mann in this post. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7 districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Kurds Want To Seize Control Of The Azerbaijani Army,
MP Vahid Ahmadov, Azadliq, Azerbaijan Aug 5 2009 As early as 1997, I said that a day will come when the Armenian problem would be insignificant as compared with the Kurdish one The media, in particular, independent mass media outlets have repeatedly carried reports about the Kurdish problem in Azerbaijan. The exodus of Kurds to the country, high-handedness of the Kurdish groups in the authorities and so on are among issues periodically highlighted by the independent media. The Kurdish problem has already reached a point when even parliamentarians close to the authorities express their anxiety over this matter. Parliamentarian Vahid Ahmadov [of the New Policy Bloc established before the 2005 parliamentary election by the Azerbaijan Milli Istiqlal Party, the Azerbaijani Social Democratic Party and the National Action Party] yesterday spoke about the Kurdish problem at a scientific-practical conference on the topic of "The role of political parties and non-government organizations [NGOs] in the resolution of the Nagornyy Karabakh problem" under the aegis of the Civic Solidarity Party and Norwegian-based northern-southern Azerbaijan Political Researches Centre at Ambassador Hotel. The parliamentarian said that very serious processes connected with the Kurdish issue was under way in Azerbaijan. "As early as 1997, I said that a day will come when the Armenian issue would be insignificant as compared with the Kurdish one in Azerbaijan. Now this process is under way but we simply do not feel it. Nevertheless, we would feel it one day as Turkey does it now," Vahid Ahmadov said. After these remarks the parliamentarian added that the Kurdish groups in Azerbaijan want to seize control of the army: "The Azerbaijani army is commanded by a Turkic son. Therefore, the evil forces want to seize control of the army. Nevertheless, I do not believe that the president would let such a thing to happen." This statement by Vahid Ahmadov shows quite serious processes are under way in the authorities. We assume that the infighting in the authorities has transferred to the ethnic plane. The Kurdish group in the authorities has mobilized itself in order to strengthen its impact and the situation is so bad that even Ilham Aliyev is expected to make compromise to them. Anyway, Vahid Ahmadov's inexplicit and to a certain extent indecisive remark that "I do not believe Ilham Aliyev would let such things to happen" affords ground to say so. If the parliamentarian was confident that the president would in no way make steps meeting the interests of the Kurdish group, he would have probably said that "Ilham Aliyev will never allow this happen". Vahid Ahmadov is a member of parliament and is in politics for many years and knows very well how to express himself. We wonder why is Vahid Ahmadov not sure of Ilham Aliyev? The answer is obvious: the Kurdish group in the authorities has more chances to influence the president. On a number of issues, Ilham Aliyev was obliged to compromise to them. For example, the unseating of MP Huseyn Abdullayev. It is not a secret that Huseyn Abdullayev was not punished for slapping in the face of MP Fazail Agamali [in the Milli Maclis]. The former parliamentarian was a victim of his struggle against the Kurdish group. Seeing his native land of Naxcivan occupied by Kurds, he constituted The Land of Oguz organization there. The target of this organization was to save Naxcivan from Kurds, however, the parliamentarian was not successful in his attempts. The Kurdish group in the authorities managed within a short period to have the man, whom Heydar Aliyev addressed as "my son", deprived of his mandate as a parliamentarian and then imprisoned. Over this issue, Ilham Aliyev did not extend his hand of support to Huseyn Abdullayev, who played a significant role in the return of his father to power and Ilham Aliyev to become president, but the Kurdish group. For sure, Vahid Ahmadov is aware of all these. From such a standpoint, he is not absolutely sure of Ilham Aliyev. This statement of the parliamentarian can also be interpreted as Defence Minister Safar Abiyev's message to the public. The matter is that Vahid Ahmadov and Safar Abiyev are fellow countrymen and even it is said that they are relatives. From this point of view, the parliamentarian has always backed Safar Abiyev. Now the defence minister wants the public to be aware of the danger for the Azerbaijani army through the parliamentarian. Anyway, the public has to treat Vahid Ahmadov's statement seriously and save the Azerbaijani army from both the Kurdish group in the authorities and complacent generals of Safar Abiyev.

Klinsky Armenian Community Sues Local Weekly,
News.Am, 08/22/2009 At the request of Armenian community of Russian Klinsky metropolitan region, criminal proceedings were instituted against `Soglasiye i Pravda' (`Consent and Truth') weekly for its extremist articles aimed at stirring up the hatred or enmity, as well as on ethnical, racial and social disparagement, Analitika.ua reports. Numerous verifications by the local Prosecutor's office proved the claimants arguments to be true. The weekly indeed published and distributed articles `Dangerous Neighborhood', `We are assassinated', `Illegal Immigrants in Klin' and `Who Smuggles Heroin in Klin' dated November 6 - December 11, 2008. In addition, Klinsky Prosecutor instituted criminal proceedings and expedited the case to the Federal Court pleading to admit the above mentioned editions of `Soglasiye i Pravda' extremist and seize them.

Turkey And Russia: Old Rivals, New Partners,
Tehran Times, August 22, 2009 ANKARA (The Economist) -- Through the long Ottoman era, Turks and Russians fought many bloody wars. In modern times Turkey guarded NATO's southern flank against Soviet mischief. `The Russians are treacherous' is a popular Turkish adage. But one would hardly have guessed it as the two countries' prime ministers, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, splashily signed a raft of agreements in a ceremony in Ankara on August 6th. `Treacherous' was in fact the word some applied to the deal with Russia's Gazprom to use Turkish territorial waters in the Black Sea for a gas pipeline to Europe. The planned South Stream pipeline will bypass Ukraine, through which 80% of Russia's gas exports to Europe now flow. Russia has repeatedly turned off the taps in disputes with Ukraine, leaving millions of Europeans in the cold. To reduce dependence on Russia, the European Union has long promoted a pipeline to the Caspian, Nabucco, which Turkey also signed up for in July. So whose side is it on? The answer is simple: Turkey's. Sitting at the crossroads of the energy-rich Middle East and the former Soviet Union, Turkey has unique leverage as a transit hub for gas. And it is unabashedly using the energy card to promote its membership of the EU. This requires co-operation with Russia. In exchange for backing South Stream, Turkey won Russian support for an oil pipeline from the Black Sea port of Samsun to the Ceyhan terminal on the Mediterranean. It is also said to have cajoled Russia into lowering the price for a nuclear-power station. Nabucco and South Stream are not rivals, they are complementary, insists Turkey's foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu. The same might be said of Turkey and Russia themselves. With the end of the cold war their interests sometimes coincide. Both backed the war in Afghanistan but were viscerally opposed to America's invasion of Iraq. Turkey's image as America's poodle was erased in March 2003 when its parliament refused to let American troops cross Turkish soil to open a second front against Saddam Hussein. A bigger test of Turkey's stance came in the Russia-Georgia war of August 2008. Turkey carefully implemented the Montreux Convention, which governs traffic through the Bosporus, so only a handful of American warships could enter the Black Sea. Neither Turkey nor Russia wants the Americans meddling in their back pond. What do the Americans think? Ian Lesser, an analyst at the German Marshall Fund in Washington, argues that for now they are not fussed. `The (Obama) administration is far more sensitive to what Turkey does with Iran.' Turkey's overtures to Russia are seen in the context of a new foreign policy that involves engaging with all its neighbors. Europe can hardly cast stones either, as it remains divided over Russia. Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, was present in Ankara because ENI, an Italian energy company, is involved in the South Stream deal. Russia is Turkey's biggest single trading partner and provides 68% of its gas. Turkish construction firms are active all over Russia. Millions of Russian tourists flock to Turkish resorts every year. Antalya, on the Mediterranean, is home to some 15,000 Russians, many of them women married to Turkish men. They have their own Russian-language newspaper and now want an Orthodox church. `Russian women educated Turkish men in love,' says Ali Ozgenturk, who made `Balalayka', a film about Russian prostitutes in Turkey. Mr. Putin and Mr. Erdogan get on well. Both are macho, sporty and prone to authoritarian instincts. Turkey is also one of the few countries with which today's Russia feels comfortable, a pole in its preferred multipolar system, in which big countries pursue independent policies. Turkey even appears to have colluded with the Russian patriarch, Kirill, to limit the powers of the Greek Orthodox patriarch in Istanbul, Bartholomew I, usually seen as first among equals in the Orthodox hierarchy. Yet mutual suspicions linger. Russia is unhappy with Turkey's indulgence of Chechens. Russia has shut schools run by the Muslim fraternity of a Turkish imam, Fethullah Gulen. For Turkey, Russia's refusal to label Kurdish rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as `terrorists' is a sore point. It is also wary of Russia's show of wanting to help Armenia and Azerbaijan make peace over Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkish officials say Russia wants to repair the damage to its image caused by its battering of Georgia. More likely, it wants to stop Turkey making peace with Armenia. Many believe that Russian scheming emboldened Azerbaijan to press Turkey into ditching plans to re-establish ties and reopen its border with Armenia. This is now patrolled by Russian soldiers, just as in the cold war.

Descendent Of Armenian Genocide Victims Can't Sue Foreign Insurance Companies Any More,
Armradio 22.08.2009 Armenian Americans descended from victims of the 1915-18 massacre by Ottoman Turks can't sue foreign insurance companies for unpaid claims because the U.S. government doesn't legally recognize that an Armenian genocide occurred, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. A Glendale priest and thousands of other Armenians whose relatives were among the 1.2 million killed had won a partial victory two years ago. U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder said then that a 2000 law passed by the California Legislature gave the descendants standing to sue three German insurance companies. But a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling, saying the California law attempted to undercut the president's diplomatic authority and had to be preempted by the federal policy against acknowledging the genocide. "I think the decision is outrageous. If taken to its logical extension, what this decision means is that all 40 states that have recognized the Armenian genocide have to set aside that recognition," said Brian S. Kabateck, a Los Angeles lawyer representing the plaintiffs whose own maternal grandparents died in the genocide. "This is a sad day for Armenian Americans," he said, adding that the decision would make recovery of victims' bank accounts, insurance proceeds and other property impossible. He vowed to appeal for rehearing by a larger panel of judges.' ------
Court Rejects Law On Genocide Survivor Claims, Asbarez, Aug 21st, 2009 SAN FRANCISCO (Combined Sources)-A federal appeals court Thursday rejected a California law that allowed heirs to Genocide victims to seek payment on life insurance policies of victims' relatives. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the law amounted to unconstitutional meddling in US foreign policy. It based its 2-1 ruling on a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down another California law designed to help Holocaust survivors collect on Nazi-era insurance policies. "The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals is an affront to the Armenian American community and, if allowed to stand, sets a dangerous precedent by rewarding the Turkish Government's efforts on the federal level to deny and cover-up the Armenian Genocide," said Armenian National Committee-Western Region board chairman Vicken Sonentz-Papazian. "The message this decision sends is that if you can threaten, cajole and stonewall the U.S. government into inaction on a 'foreign policy' issue, you can eliminate a valid and righteous claim of an American citizen in a U.S. court of law," added Papazian. The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that Judge Harry Pregerson dissented from the majority opinion by Judges David R. Thompson and Dorothy W. Nelson. Pregerson wrote that the District Court had correctly judged the California statute as "within the state's traditional area of competence" in regulating the insurance industry, according to the LA Times. Lawyer Brian Kabateck, who represents Armenian-American heirs, plans to appeal. "The ruling is wrong. It's a disaster," Kabateck told the Associated Press. "The one million Armenians that live in California today have been told by the court that even the use of the word 'genocide' by a government is illegal." Vartkes Yeghiayan, the lawyer for lead plaintiff Father Vazken Movsesian of St. Peter Armenian Church, described the ruling as "devastating," reported the Los Angeles Times. The California Legislature passed the law giving heirs of Armenians who died or fled to avoid persecution until the end of next year to file claims for old bank accounts and life insurance policies. European banks and insurers are said to have retained assets valued in 1915 at about $15 million, a sum worth substantially more at today's value. Class-action lawsuits brought by Armenian descendants in California and other states led to a $20 million settlement with New York Life Insurance Co. in 2005 and a $17 million settlement the same year with French life insurer AXA. William Werfelman, a spokesman for New York Life, said the company had no intention of trying to get back any of the money it paid out under the 2005 settlement, the Associated Press reported. "By acting honorably, and in keeping with our company values of humanity and integrity, New York Life made many friends in the Armenian community and we cherish these friends," Werfelman told the Associated Press. Thursday's ruling reversed a lower court judge who refused to dismiss another class-action suit against the German life insurance companies. U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, who as a state assemblyman co-wrote the law that was overturned by the 9th Circuit, was perplexed by the court's reasoning, according to the Associated Press. "You have a group of people that has a government that hasn't had the will to recognize the genocide and as a result of that failing, are being told they don't have valid insurance claims," he told the AP. ------- Court: Families Cannot Get Pay By Christopher Cadelago, Glendale News Press, August 21, 2009 Court's 2-1 ruling denies insurance pay to relatives of Armenians killed in 1915-18 massacre. GLENDALE - The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday nullified a state law that allowed descendants of Armenians killed in the Turkish Ottoman Empire to request payment on the life-insurance policies of relatives. The federal appeals court said in its 2-1 ruling that the law amounted to unconstitutional interfering in U.S. foreign policy. The decision was based on a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a state law designed to assist Holocaust survivors collect on World War II-era insurance policies. Three times Congress has considered resolutions in the last decade that would have provided recognition of the genocide. But the White House has urged each time that the bills be foiled, fearing that their passage would damage relations with Turkey, whose government denies that a genocide took place. Mass slaughtering of Armenians during World War I have never been recognized by the federal government as genocide, despite the state Legislature's doing so nine years ago when it enacted the law in question. Rep. Adam Schiff, who as a state assemblyman co-wrote the overturned law, could not be reached for comment. Earlier Thursday he said he found the court's reasoning perplexing. "You have a group of people that has a government that hasn't had the will to recognize the genocide and as a result of that failing, are being told they don't have valid insurance claims," Schiff told the Associated Press. The state law gives relatives of Armenians who died or fled until the end of 2010 to file claims for bank accounts and life-insurance policies. If the ruling stands, Armenian heirs would be prevented from claiming inheritances. Class-action lawsuits brought by Armenian relatives across the county eventually led to $20-million and $17-million settlements in 2005. The court's ruling Thursday reversed one of a lower court judge who refused to dismiss another class-action suit against European insurance companies. Armenian National Committee members could not be reached for comment late Thursday. The ruling would also prevent California and other states from observing the anniversary of the ethnic bloodshed - which between 1915 and 1919 claimed the lives of as many as 1.5 million Armenians, said Brian S. Kabateck, a Los Angeles lawyer representing the plaintiffs, whose own maternal grandparents died in the genocide. Because the ruling does not apply retroactively, none of the California residents paid as part of earlier settlements must refund the money, he said. ------ Descendants Of Armenian Genocide Victims Can't Sue Foreign Insurance Companies, Us Court Of Appeals Rules 21.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Americans descended from victims of the 1915-18 massacre by Ottoman Turks can't sue foreign insurance companies for unpaid claims because the U.S. government doesn't legally recognize that an Armenian genocide occurred, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. A Glendale priest and thousands of other Armenians whose relatives were among the 1.2 million killed had won a partial victory two years ago. U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder said then that a 2000 law passed by the California Legislature gave the descendants standing to sue three German insurance companies. But a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling, saying the California law attempted to undercut the president's diplomatic authority and had to be preempted by the federal policy against acknowledging the genocide. Congress has considered resolutions three times in the last decade that would have provided official recognition of the genocide. Each time, the White House has stepped in to urge that the bills be scuttled, out of fear that passage would damage relations with Turkey, whose government disputes that a genocide took place. "I think the decision is outrageous. If taken to its logical extension, what this decision means is that all 40 states that have recognized the Armenian genocide have to set aside that recognition," said Brian S. Kabateck, a Los Angeles lawyer representing the plaintiffs whose own maternal grandparents died in the genocide. "This is a sad day for Armenian Americans," he said, adding that the decision would make recovery of victims' bank accounts, insurance proceeds and other property impossible. He vowed to appeal for rehearing by a larger panel of judges. Vartkes Yeghiayan, the lawyer for lead plaintiff Father Vazken Movsesian of St. Peter Armenian Church, described the ruling as "devastating." The attorney representing the German insurers, Neil M. Soltman, called the decision "a straight-down-the-middle determination that in the area of foreign affairs, federal power has to prevail." Judge Harry Pregerson dissented from the majority opinion by Judges David R. Thompson and Dorothy W. Nelson. Pregerson wrote that the District Court had correctly judged the California statute as "within the state's traditional area of competence" in regulating the insurance industry. The plaintiffs sought settlement of claims under policies issued by German insurers Victoria Versicherung and Ergo Versicherungsgruppe, as well as their parent company, Munchener Ruckversicherungsgesellschaft --- California Court Denies Armenians Right To Ottoman Life Insurance Policies, Hetq 2009/08/21 Yesterday's Associated Press reported that a California court has overturned a law that would have allowed descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors to seek compensation for life insurance policies issued by German insurance companies to Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. Here's the article. A federal appeals court invalidated a California law Thursday that allowed heirs of Armenians killed in the Turkish Ottoman Empire nearly a century ago to seek payment on the life insurance policies of dead relatives. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the law amounted to unconstitutional meddling in U.S. foreign policy. It based its 2-1 ruling on a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down another California law designed to help Holocaust survivors collect on Nazi-era insurance policies

The federal government does not recognize the mass killings of Armenians during World War I as genocide, but the California Legislature did in 2000 when it enacted the disputed law. About half of the people of Armenian descent living in this country reside in California. Lawyer Brian Kabateck, who represents Armenian-American heirs, plans to appeal. "The ruling is wrong. It's a disaster," Kabateck said. "The one million Armenians that live in California today have been told by the court that even the use of the word 'genocide' by a government is illegal." If the ruling is not set aside, it would prevent Armenian heirs from claiming inheritances and prohibit California and other states from marking the anniversary of the onset of the ethnic bloodshed that claimed the lives of up to 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1919 in what is now eastern Turkey, Kabateck said. He alleges European banks and insurers illegally retained assets valued in 1915 at about $15 million, a sum worth substantially more at today's value. The California Legislature passed the law giving heirs of Armenians who died or fled to avoid persecution until the end of next year to file claims for old bank accounts and life insurance policies. Class-action lawsuits brought by Armenian descendants in California and other states led to a $20 million settlement with New York Life Insurance Co. in 2005 and a $17 million settlement the same year with French life insurer AXA. William Werfelman, a spokesman for New York Life, said the company had no intention of trying to get back any of the money it paid out under the 2005 settlement. "By acting honorably, and in keeping with our company values of humanity and integrity, New York Life made many friends in the Armenian community and we cherish these friends," Werfelman said. Thursday's ruling reversed a lower court judge who refused to dismiss another class-action suit against the German life insurance companies. Turkey long has denied the loss of so many Armenian lives constituted genocide and instead describes the deaths as resulting from civil unrest that accompanied the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The appeals court agreed with the German companies that California's policy improperly conflicted with the federal government's foreign policy aims. Neil Soltman, the lawyer who represented the German insurance companies that prevailed in the case, said his clients had stood to lose in payouts to Armenian-Americans in California. Soltman said it was not clear the companies ever sold life insurance policies to victims of the Ottoman Empire violence. "We are very pleased with the decision. We think it is entirely consistent with recent Supreme Court cases and 9th Circuit cases which have held that California and other states should not be passing legislation that deals with questions of foreign affairs," he said. The court recounted successful efforts by former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to defeat congressional legislation that would have recognized an Armenian genocide. U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, who as a state assemblyman co-wrote the law that was overturned by the 9th Circuit, was perplexed by the court's reasoning. "You have a group of people that has a government that hasn't had the will to recognize the genocide and as a result of that failing, are being told they don't have valid insurance claims," he said. --------

US Court Tosses Law On Payments To Armenians
A federal appeals court invalidated a California law Thursday that allowed heirs of Armenians killed in the Turkish Ottoman Empire nearly a century ago to seek payment on the life insurance policies of dead relatives. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals said the law amounted to unconstitutional meddling in US foreign policy. It based its 2-1 ruling on a 2003 US Supreme Court decision that struck down another California law designed to help Holocaust survivors collect on Nazi-era insurance policies. The federal government does not recognize the mass killings of Armenians during World War I as genocide, but the California Legislature did in 2000 when it enacted the disputed law. About half of the people of Armenian descent living in this country reside in California. Lawyer Brian Kabateck, who represents Armenian-American heirs, plans to appeal. “The ruling is wrong. It's a disaster,” Kabateck said. “The one million Armenians that live in California today have been told by the court that even the use of the word 'genocide' by a government is illegal.” If the ruling is not set aside, it would prevent Armenian heirs from claiming inheritances and prohibit California and other states from marking the anniversary of the onset of the ethnic bloodshed that claimed the lives of up to 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1919 in what is now eastern Turkey, Kabateck said. He alleges European banks and insurers illegally retained assets valued in 1915 at about $15 million, a sum worth substantially more at today's value. The California Legislature passed the law giving heirs of Armenians who died or fled to avoid persecution until the end of next year to file claims for old bank accounts and life insurance policies. Class-action lawsuits brought by Armenian descendants in California and other states led to a $20 million settlement with New York Life Insurance Co. in 2005 and a $17 million settlement the same year with French life insurer AXA. William Werfelman, a spokesman for New York Life, said the company had no intention of trying to get back any of the money it paid out under the 2005 settlement. “By acting honorably, and in keeping with our company values of humanity and integrity, New York Life made many friends in the Armenian community and we cherish these friends,” Werfelman said. Thursday's ruling reversed a lower court judge who refused to dismiss another class-action suit against the German life insurance companies. Turkey long has denied the loss of so many Armenian lives constituted genocide and instead describes the deaths as resulting from civil unrest that accompanied the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The appeals court agreed with the German companies that California's policy improperly conflicted with the federal government's foreign policy aims. Neil Soltman, the lawyer who represented the German insurance companies that prevailed in the case, said his clients had stood to lose in payouts to Armenian-Americans in California. Soltman said it was not clear the companies ever sold life insurance policies to victims of the Ottoman Empire violence. “We are very pleased with the decision. We think it is entirely consistent with recent Supreme Court cases and 9th Circuit cases which have held that California and other states should not be passing legislation that deals with questions of foreign affairs,” he said. The court recounted successful efforts by former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to defeat congressional legislation that would have recognized an Armenian genocide. US Rep. Adam Schiff, who as a state assemblyman co-wrote the law that was overturned by the 9th Circuit, was perplexed by the court's reasoning. “You have a group of people that has a government that hasn't had the will to recognize the genocide and as a result of that failing, are being told they don't have valid insurance claims,” he said. 21 August 2009, AP SAN FRANCISCO -----

Four Charges Dropped, One Added In Ohio Election Case
By Thomas C. Nash Mirror-Spectator Staff COLUMBUS, Ohio - During a probable cause hearing on August 13, the legal team for Rep. Jean Schmidt dropped four of the eight false statement charges relating to Armenian Genocide denial against election rival David Krikorian and added one more. Schmidt, an incumbent Republican representing Ohio's second district, initially charged then-independent candidate David Krikorian with making false statements during the 2008 election season. Schmidt took issue with the Krikorian campaign's distribution of a flyer stating she had taken $30,000 in `blood money' to `deny the genocide of Christian Armenians by Muslim Turks' as co-chair of the Caucus on US Turkish Relations and Turkish Americans. While Schmidt, a four-year incumbent, won the election by a wide margin, Krikorian contends she filed a `false claims' complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission in April after learning that he was seeking the Democratic nomination as her opponent in 2010. `It was clear the decision to file against me was because I would likely be her opponent in 2010,' Krikorian said last week. `I think she correctly surmised that if I received an 18 percent vote as an independent, she looked at the numbers and said, `I'm in trouble.'' According to July figures, Schmidt has raised $185,000 in the second quarter of 2009 while Krikorian has a total of $48,000 in his campaign account. So far, the only other Democratic challenger in the 2010 race is Ohio State Rep. Todd Book, who has been endorsed by Gov. Ted Strickland. A copy of the motion to dismiss filed by Schmidt attorney Donald Brey focuses on the four charges related to Krikorian's claim that Schmidt denies the Armenian Genocide. According to Brey's argument in the memorandum, he determined Krikorian made the assertion out of ignorance to her position after he gave a deposition on the issue to Schmidt's legal team. `Although those statements [by Krikorian] were and are false,' the memorandum stated, `the evidence produced at [the] deposition suggests that he may not have known those statements were false at the time that he made them.' Brey added that Krikorian alluded to third party sources in citing Schmidt's position, although she is on record as saying there is not enough historical data to classify the Armenian massacres as `genocide.' Since Krikorian relied on others' characterizations of Schmidt's position, Schmidt's legal team says it would be difficult to prove `he made those statements with reckless disregard of their truth or falsity.' The accusations regarding Krikorian's `blood money' claim - including that it is a matter of public record - remain in the complaint. Campaign disclosure forms show she has taken money from several Turkish organizations. Added to the list of false claims on July 21 was a statement from the November campaign season from Krikorian in which he tied in Schmidt's activities with attacks on US soldiers. `I ask the people of Ohio's second congressional district to ask themselves if our Representative should be taking money from a foreign government that is killing our soldiers?' Krikorian wrote in a letter posted on his campaign's blog. Asked why the claim had been omitted from the original complaint, Brey said he had intended to submit it with the others. `I realized that I failed to include it,' he said. In support of the accusations, on August 8 Krikorian's legal team -which includes celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos - received testimony from FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds, who since 2002 has called attention to what she says are the bureau's lax standards and knowledge of treasonous activities committed by US government officials. Many of those officials she has named include members of Congress who worked on behalf of the Turkish government. Some, like former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, became registered lobbyists for the Turkish government after leaving office. Krikorian said he wonders whether Schmidt's decision to file the election complaint was in fact made by the Turkish government. `Based on some of the stuff that we heard in Edmonds testimony, it's clear that the Turkish government does or did at least anyway actively blackmail members of the US congress,' he said. Schmidt is expected to give a deposition to Krikorian's legal team next week. The Armenian Mirror-Spectator ---------

Ninth Circuit Strikes Down Law On Armenian Insurance Claims
By Kenneth Ofgang Metropolitan News-Enterprise August 21, 2009 A California law designed to aid the beneficiaries of Armenian Genocide victims in collecting on life insurance policies issued during that period interferes with the federal government's authority over foreign policy and is unconstitutional, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday. The decision came the day after the same panel, with the same 2-1 split, struck down a similar law extending the time in which to make claims for the restitution of Nazi-plundered artworks. Yesterday's ruling involved SB 1915, enacted in 2000. It created Code of Civil Procedure Sec. 354.4, which extended to Dec. 31, 2010 the deadline for suing on life insurance policies issued to "any person of Armenian or other ancestry living in the Ottoman Empire during the period of 1915 to 1923, inclusive, who died, was deported, or escaped to avoid persecution during that period," and expanded state court jurisdiction over such claims. The law defines the Armenian Genocide as the period from 1915 to 1923, during which "many persons of Armenian ancestry residing in the historic Armenian homeland then situated in the Ottoman Empire were victims of massacre, torture, starvation, death marches, and exile." Vazken Movsesian filed a class action under the act in 2003, accusing three major European insurance companies of refusing to pay valid claims for which they were responsible. One of those companies, the German-based reinsurer Munich Re, moved to dismiss for failure to state a claim. District Court Ruling U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder of the Central District of California ruled that the class members had standing, and that the complaint stated causes of action for breach of contract and bad faith. She also ruled that the act neither deprived Munich Re on due process nor interfered with foreign affairs. The Ninth Circuit allowed Munich Re to bring an interlocutory appeal, leading to yesterday's ruling. The law, Senior Judge David Thompson noted, was patterned after legislation extending the time in which to sue on Holocaust-era insurance claims and World War II slave labor claims. Both of those laws were found unconstitutional, the slave labor law by the Ninth Circuit in 2003 and the Holocaust law by this district's Court of Appeal in 2005. SB 1915, Thompson said, is contrary to an express presidential policy of giving no special recognition to the Armenian Genocide. Turkey, a strategic ally of the United States, strongly disputes claims that Turks were responsible for the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians and the taking of their land and possessions. The Turkish government has called the 1.5 million figure "grossly erroneous" and has attributed the deaths of Armenians in that period to "intercommunal" political, rather than ethnic and religious, conflict. Presidential Opposition Thompson noted that both President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush strongly opposed congressional resolutions that would have given official recognition to the genocide. In October 2000, for example, Clinton wrote to then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert, urging him not to allow a floor vote on such a resolution. Such a vote, Clinton complained, would have negative effects on U.S. efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East and the Balkans, and to develop new energy sources, and "could undermine efforts to encourage improved relations between Armenia and Turkey-the very goal the Resolution's sponsors seek to advance." Other officials in both the Clinton and Bush administrations, Thompson noted, decried legislative entry into the "sensitive" subject matter and urged Congress to leave the subject alone in order to foster "a productive dialogue on the these events" as "the best way for Turkey and Armenia to build a positive and productive relationship." Policy Preferences Congressional adherence to the presidents' wishes, the judge said, "lends the presidential policy additional authority." By enacting legislation that expressly states that there was an Armenian Genocide, Thompson wrote, "California has defied the President's foreign policy preferences." The judge elaborated: "The federal government has made a conscious decision not to apply the politically charged label of 'genocide' to the deaths of these Armenians during World War I. Whether or not California agrees with this decision, it may not contradict it." Thompson rejected as irrelevant the district judge's conclusion that a lack of expressed opposition by the U.S. and Turkish governments to legislation in many states recognizing the events of that period as genocide means that individual state laws on the subject do not contravene foreign policy. He also noted that there was no evidence in the record regarding the content of other states' statutes, and said that any state involvement in foreign policy requires express federal authorization, not merely acquiescence. Senior Judge Dorothy W. Nelson concurred, while Judge Harry Pregerson dissented. Pregerson argued that the legislation dealt not with foreign policy, but with insurance, a traditional area of state regulation. "There is no express federal policy forbidding California from using the term 'Armenian Genocide' in the course of exercising its traditional authority to regulate the insurance industry," the judge wrote. The case is Movsesian v. Victoria Verscherung AG, 07-56722. Copyright 2009, Metropolitan News Company -----

Clinton, Sarkisian On Another Phone Conversation,
Asbarez, Aug 21st, 2009 YEREVAN (Combined Sources)-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a phone conversation Thursday with Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian. The presidential press service reported that the two discussed issues related to US-Armenia relations, regional matters, as well as Armenian-Turkish dialogue.

The Wall Street Journal: Karabakh Dangerous For Europe
News.Am 08/21/2009 The geopolitical struggle for control over the energy carriers' supply to Europe is in a full swing, The Wall Street Journal daily writes: "Tied to Russia's Gazprom with a 25-year export agreement signed in 2003 and building a 40-billion-cubic-meter pipeline eastward to China, Turkmenistan is unlikely to be in a position to produce additional volumes by 2014. Even if this forecast is proved wrong, the unresolved legal status of the Caspian Sea alongside Russia's and Iran's negative stances on the issue mean the future of the Trans-Caspian pipeline is rather blurry. This is why Azerbaijan began to be regarded as the potential prime supplier of Nabucco by Brussels and Washington earlier this year. However, even this option will present economic and security challenges. As the prime oil exporter in the Caspian region, Azerbaijan's production of this commodity will start falling from 2013-2014 and there is a risk that by 2020 the country's oil supply might not be self-sufficient. If this happens, the use of gas in the domestic market will increase significantly, especially in light of the government's goal of developing the non-energy sectors of the national economy, which would leave smaller volumes available for Nabucco than currently planned. Ethno-political conflicts in the South Caucasus, such as the dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, pose fundamental risks to Europe's efforts to diversify its energy supply. With rapidly increased defense spending by Azerbaijan, the intermediary powers-U.S., Russia, France and U.K.-are trying to persuade the country not to resort to force under any circumstances. This effort is rather futile. The Kosovo and Georgia conflicts have already set a dangerous precedent. In today's greater Europe, successful self-determination may increasingly be achieved through the use of force rather than principles of international law or compromise. Therefore, with regard to Nagorno-Karabakh, negotiators should focus on reconciling the principles of territorial integrity and self-determination to achieve peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This would open the doors for the former to participate in transnational energy projects in the region."

Crime Level Grow Almost Twice In Armenia
21.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Recorded crime level increased almost twice in the country compared to the last year: 6.849 crimes over 2009, Alik Sargsyan, RA Head of Police said a press conference today. According to Alik Sargsyan explained the sharp rise partially by the fact that 10 per cent increase of detection of crime has been recorded in the country. As another reason for this increase, he named the worsened situation in the social sphere. "Crime is a social phenomenon, and the increase in crime has social roots," Alik Sargsyan said.

Armenian President And U.S. Secretary Of State Discuss Bilateral Relations
YEREVAN, August 21, /ARKA/. During a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton late on August 20 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan discussed bilateral Armenian-U.S. relations, the press office of the Armenian president said in a statement. It said the conversation was initiated by the American side. "During the telephone conversations president Sargsyan and secretary of state Clinton discussed bilateral as well as regional issues, particularly, the Armenian-Turkish dialogue,' the statement said. Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations. In 1993 Turkey closed the border with Armenia in a sign of solidarity with Azerbaijan. There are several sensitive issues complicating the establishment of normal relations between the two countries, particularly, Ankara's blatant support of Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process and Turkey's refusal to acknowledge the mass killings of Armenians in the last years of the Ottoman Empire as a genocide. The thaw in the strained relations began in 2008 September after Turkish president Abdullah Gul arrived in Armenia, at his counterpart's invitation, to watch together with Serzh Sargsyan the 2010 World Cup qualifying football game between the two countries' national teams. During that visit the two presidents discussed prospects for engaging in dialogue and normalization of relations.

"Governor Schwarzenegger Appoints Charles S. Poochigian To The Fifth District Court Of Appeal"
Lisa Kalustian, Chief Deputy Director Office Of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Los Angeles, Ca, August 20, 2009 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Charles S. Poochigian as associate justice of the Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District. Poochigian, 60, of Fresno, has served as an attorney with Dowling, Aaron and Keeler since 2007. Prior to that, he served as a senator representing the 14th District for the California State Senate from 1998 to 2006 and assemblymember representing the 29th District for the California State Assembly from 1994 to 1998. From 1991 to 1994, Poochigian served as the appointments secretary for Governor Pete Wilson and, from 1988 to 1990, he served as chief deputy appointments secretary for Governor George Deukmejian. From 1981 to 1988, Poochigan was a sole practitioner and, from 1975 to 1981, he was a partner for Vartabedian and Poochigian. Poochigian earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Santa Clara University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Fresno. He fills the vacancy created by the death of Justice Thomas A. Harris. Poochigian is a Republican. The salary for this position is $204,599.

Armenia: Wave Of Hacker Attacks Blamed On Azerbaijan, Turkey, Marianna Grigoryan,
Eurasia Insight, 8/19/09 A surge in hacker attacks on several Armenian government and private websites has prompted Armenian information technology experts to demand that Armenia's Internet security become a matter of state security. Since the beginning of August, an estimated 100 attacks have been leveled at servers hosting websites for the government, the Armenian State Tax Service, the Diaspora Ministry and the webmail for the Ministry of Economy. The attacks have reportedly intensified in the past ten days. Websites for the Russian-owned VTB Bank, the Armenian Football Federation and the mayor of Gyumri, a town in northwestern Armenia near the Turkish border, have also been targeted. Among other acts, hackers posted on the sites swear words in English, the flags of Azerbaijan and Turkey, a map that shows the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbiajan, and photos of victims from the 1988-1994 Nagorno-Karabakh war. A photo of Azerbaijani Lieutenant Ramil Safarov, who axed to death an Armenian army officer during North Atlantic Treaty Organization training exercises in 2004, was placed on the home pages of the State Tax Service and the Diaspora Ministry. "Attacks always occur, but this time they are unprecedented and persistent," said information security consultant Samvel Martirosian."The number of successful attacks is already alarming. It's clear that if the situation goes on like this, the whole of Armenia might very soon become very vulnerable." Information security experts blame Azerbaijani and Turkish hackers for the attacks -- a reflection of Armenia's ongoing sour relations with both countries. In general, they say, attacks on Armenian government sites tend to pick up pace around dates related to the 1988-1994 war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, the April 24 commemoration of the 1915 mass slaughter of ethnic Armenians in Turkey, or various political developments. August, when most of Armenia is on vacation, is the considered the "hottest" time for hacker attacks since websites are less tightly monitored then, experts say. Last August, hackers took over the websites for the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the General Prosecutor's Office, according to Ruben Muradian, chief security officer at Yerevan's Smart Tech company, which specializes in IT security for banks. One political analyst argues that the issue is a sign of flagging Azerbaijani interest in talks with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. "This is a confrontational attitude, a method of state propaganda demonstrating that Azerbaijan is not ready for peace," asserted Suren Surenyants, who is also a senior member of the opposition Republican Party. No attempt has been made to contact the governments of Turkey and Azerbaijan, with which Armenia has no diplomatic relations, about the attacks. A representative of the National Security Service, however, maintains that efforts have already been taken to defend government servers from such attacks. In late April 2009, the National Security Service set up a hub server that has allegedly prevented "more than 10,000" hacker attacks in the period, according to Artsvin Baghramian, director of the National Security Service's press center assures. Baghramian termed the uproar over the August attacks just a "fuss." "This is not an issue to be solved in a year," Baghramyan said. "We have worked and found the weak spots for the attacked websites. Now we are trying to increase the defenses and enlarge the hub [server]." Nonetheless, IT specialists worry about what the attacks say about Armenia's level of Internet security. "It's not even important what they place [on the websites] . . . this stuff will be deleted. Maybe someone will lose their job, maybe not," commented SmartTech's Muradian. "What is important is our attitude to security. Even one hijacked website is a big problem in terms of information security. " Expert Martirosian notes that cheap, poor-quality websites make the level of IT security in Armenia extremely low. Owners do not perform continuous site maintenance , and do not update security systems as attack methods change. President Sargsyan's website -- "under constant control" -- is one notable exception to this trend, he added. "Security is continuous work . . ." commented Muradian. "Websites will be hijacked until we start treating security as a process." Editor's Note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance journalist based in Yerevan.

Armenian Popular In Turkey, News.Am 08/19/2009 Turkish Haber daily published a list of 36 languages spoken in Turkey, though the information should be updated. 10 Thousand people speak Abazian according to 1995 statistics. Abkhazian - 35 000, 1993 Cherkesian - 71 000, 1965 Arabic - 400 000, 1992 Azerbaijani - 530 000, 1996 Bulgarian - 300 000, 2001 Armenian - 40 000, 1980 (with 70 000 population in Turkey) Kurdish - 11.5 mln, 2007 Uyghur - 500 000, 1981 Greek - 5 000, 1993 Turkish is spoken by 85-90% of population, 1987.

Deutsche Welle: Armenian-Turkish "Football Diplomacy" Threatened,
News.Am 08/19/2009 Armenia-Turkey rapprochement encountered an obstacle in the form of preconditions. The arrival of Armenian President to Turkey for World Cup qualifying match is a landmark in Armenian-Turkish relations. However the visit might be called off. The source reminds that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stated he would go to Turkey if the Armenian-Turkish border opens or is in the "threshold of unblocking", concluding that well-publicized "football democracy" is threatened. However Turkey too seems to be unready to give up on preconditions, particularly on those connected with Armenian-Turkish relations' settlement. One of the main preconditions is Yerevan's refusal to demand Turkey to recognize Genocide. The second one - Armenia should recognize the current borders. And the crucial one - is Ankara's demand to Yerevan to settle Karabakh problem in favour of Baku. Today many Armenian politicians consider that Yerevan should not refuse preconditions so that the negotiations progress. Gideon Dewhirst, the Deputy Head of Mission at the UK Embassy in Armenia, considers that if Sargsyan goes to Turkey the situation will be deadlocked: "Armenia expected prompt developments this summer, that however did not happen. If there is no breakthrough it would be a lost opportunity, that might lead to stagnation of bilateral relations' settlement," Dewhirst said.

Armenia Vs Caucasus?, Naira Hairumyan,
Lragir, 19/08/2009 One of the Russian news agencies notorious for its political provocations in the post-Soviet space has spread another provocation. According to the news agency, Armenia may get the possibility to set up two military bases in Russia to defend transport and communication routes. The agency has learned this from an anonymous source from the General Headquarters of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The locations are said to be Dagomis (Krasnodar) and Dagestan. Let us leave aside from whom the bases will defend communication in Russia. The only thing to mention here is that if the given provocation comes true, Russia may reach several aims at once, most importantly directing the "anti-colonialist" energy of the highlanders against the Armenians, as it was the case 200, 100 years ago when Russia sent Armenian soldiers to fight against the peoples fighting against the expansion of Russia. There are a lot of Armenian place names in the North Caucasus which Russia settled with Armenians displaced from different regions of historical Armenia. The highlanders still remember that their Shamil was defeated and capitulated by the Armenian soldier. The same is happening now. Even if this is a trial balloon, Armenia must put an end to such provocations at the highest level. Because the news agency may go on to announce that the Armenian military base has caught "highland insurgents" who threaten their communication route. One of our noted political scientists has said that Yerevan is lucky that Ankara does not allow Armenia to be used against Turkey. Yerevan is unlucky regarding Moscow, Russia uses Armenia at full. And it is not worthwhile to say what happened with the used ones.

Expert: Turkey Presently Does Its Best To Position Itself As Country With No Problems,
News.Am 08/19/2009 Armenia should have declared to international community that Turkey failed Armenian-Turkish negotiation process, changing the rules of the game halfway. Giro Manoyan, ARF Dashnaktsutyun leader and Armenian Cause office Head, stated at the press conference today. According to him, the similar statements of Armenian side "would shift pressure onto Turkey." "Today the main objective of Turkey is to demonstrate that Armenian-Turkish negotiations are progressing. It is the only way to prevent any third country's interference in the process," Manoyan said, underlining that Turkey presently does its best to position itself as a country with no problems. Turkish side strives to settle the problems related to ethnic minorities as soon as possible. Commenting on Georgia's withdrawal from CIS, Manoyan added that Armenia currently is in the intricate situation, as it would be deprived of border with CIS. However, he hopes that "Georgian authorities would be sound enough not to create new obstacles for Armenia."

Washington To Prevent Development Of Russian-Turkish Relations,
19.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The strategic partnership between the countries implies cooperation in a number of areas, but this does not mean that the countries must cooperate absolutely in all areas, the same applies to Armenia and Russia, the specialist in Turkic philology Hakob Chakryan told a press conference in Yerevan today. According to him, no matter how intense relations have Russia and Turkey, this will soon fade, since Ankara will have to subordinate to Washington and stop the process. Mr. Chakryan also commented on recent statement by the Director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies Richard Giragosian that Turkey allows Russia to use its airspace for equipping the Russian base in Gyumri. "Interestingly, if the agreement between Turkey and Russia was secret, where did he learn this information from? I do not treat what Richard Giragosyan said seriously, because the sources of his information are unknown, " Armenian expert said.

Armenians To Work In Turkish Chief Secretariat On Eu Affairs,
Journal Of Turkish Weekly 19 August 2009 Armenian media leaks that the Turkish Chief Secretariat on EU affairs will employ researchers and translators of Armenian background are true, a secretariat employee told Trend News. "But it should be taken into account that they are Turkish citizens who speak the Armenian language and are representatives of the Armenian community in Turkey," he said. "I think that any citizen in Turkey can get a job like this, regardless of religious and national status." Turkish laws do not forbid this, he added The Armenian media reported that the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople will take an interest in this issue. An advertisement was posted on the Patriarchy's official website: "Young representatives of the Armenian community who wish to work in the General Secretariat of Turkey for EU affairs required." An official from the Secretariat, Burak Erdemir, said: "We have no representatives from ethnic minorities in the Secretariat, and we need representatives from all segments of the social structure."

Russian Comedy, Caucasian Nationality, Armenian Nose, Haik Aramyan,
Lragir, 18/08/2009 The Caucasus, both the North and the South, has always been the bugbear of the Russian state. Through as long as 300 years of dominance Russia has been unable to take it under total control. There was everything, displacement of peoples, redrawing of borders due to ethnic conflicts, intervention. The freedom loving peoples of the Caucasus have always had a special attitude towards the Russian state. Presently these feelings have become more acute: insurgencies and terrorism would not cease. Besides force, Russia has also tried spiritual and cultural expansion. The most significant is the "nationality Caucasian" operation. It originated when Russia was just settling down in the Caucasus. The purpose was to "alloy" one nation from the crater of peoples of the Caucasus, which would have the same traditions and culture. The best writers of the Caucasian peoples were employed for the job in Tbilisi to write works with similar plots and themes, and different names of people and places. The art of minstrels was established. Recently music with Russian lyrics and Turkish-Caucasian rhythm has been promoted which one of our artists defined as the music of "Krasnodar weddings". And all this has been "edited and rinsed" by central propaganda. Generally, the hero of the "Caucasian art", the person with Caucasian nationality, is mostly savage, rough, dull, a pilferer, has other negative traits. In the new times, the target of this strategy is comedy. It features in the Russian humor. All this is presented in spoken Russian with a foolish accent, as if the language of savages. In addition, not only Caucasian but also Central Asian. All this would not be complete without the right choice of the person who presents this. Only a person of the Caucasian nationality should mock at the savage man. And who are the mockers? You are right, the Armenians. The Russian TV channels are full of these persons who entertain people: Armenian brandy and nose, Georgian wine, Central Asian apricot, Azerbaijani oil, Ossetian alcohol, etc. It is not quite safe to mock at the people who live beyond the Caucasian mountains, meanwhile they decided that they can mock at the Armenians, Turks, Georgians, Uzbeks and Tajiks. Why the Armenians, the readers may ask? Some may suggest that we are talented. But maybe the reason is other, namely none of the other Caucasians would agree to perform that role. Perhaps dignity would prevent them. P.S. They say the Armenians are already so many in this sphere that they are now racing with one another, and the Russian press discusses who is better and who is the best. Meanwhile, the Armenians are used to monopoly, they are not used to competition.

Results Of Usak's 4th Turkish Foreign Policy Surveys Were Released,
Journal Of Turkish Weekly Monday, 17 August 2009 The results of USAK's 4th Turkish Foreign Policy Perception Survey were published on 14 August 2009. The survey was conducted among 1,110 interviewees in four major Turkish cities (Ankara, Istanbul,Izmir and Bursa) and obtained significant results regarding the perceptions of Turkish people towards Turkish foreign policy issues. The results were analyzed in detail by USAK experts. According to the USAK Foreign Policy Perception Survey, although there is a 4.35-point decrease in respondents who consider the US a threat, compared to the Bush era, the country is still viewed as the largest threat. Another striking figure is related to Turkey's long-standing competitor in the Aegean Sea, Greece. According to the list of countries, the perception of Greece as a threat dropped by 3.20 points due to the softening relations between the two countries. On the contrary, there is a surprising increase in the threat perception of Turkish people towards France and Israel. Israel's negative figures, in particular, have been increasing rapidly through recent surveys. On the other hand, the main reason behind the negative attitude towards France can be easily explained by Sarkozy's prominent role in the stalemate in Turkey-EU relations and the increasing activities of the French Armenian lobby against Turkey. Another question aiming to test the Turkish people's perceptions of friendship revealed significant results when compared to previous surveys. Azerbaijan, with a 5.84-point increase, preserved its first rank position as a true friend of Turkey. The Friendship Perception Index showed extremely striking figures. First, Germany, which was 7th in the earlier ranking with 4.80%, lost its place and did not gain even 1%. The USAK experts related this sharp decrease to the policies followed during the Merkel era. Taking into account the growing number of Turks working and living in Germany, these results are both surprising and worrying. Second, it is significant that the US has jumped in the list from 12th to 3rd place. The improved relations in the Obama era can also explain this shift. 56.36% of the Turkish people see Turkey's future in the European Union. There is a 1.36-point increase in respondents choosing the EU option compared to the previous survey conducted in 2005. According to the World Peace Threat Index, the US, Israel and Russia hold the first three places. The surveyors found that the underlying reason behind the rise in the level of reaction against Russia is the recent Russia-Georgia War and Russia's aggressive stance in that region. One of the questions in the survey tries to figure out Turkish public opinion on Turkish foreign policy's efficiency and success. A significant increase was observed in the number of respondents who consider Turkish foreign policy successful.

Book About Photographer Ara Guler Published
ISTANBUL, AUGUST 17, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. The life history of Istanbul Armenian photographer Ara Guler has been published. It presents the biography of 81 years of his life. It is entitled Photocorrespondent. The book authored by Nezih Tavlash presents Ara Guler's life and working activity. According to Marmara, Guler has been working with the author for two years to make this book. Turks Reckon Armenia As An Enemy: International Strategy Research, 08/15/2009 According to International Strategy Research Organization public opinion poll results, 47% Turks find their external policy failed, 49% consider it successful, 56.3% see their future in EU, 23.6% - in Turkish world, Islamic-10%, Eurasian Community-7.2% and 2.7% link their future with U.S. Turks believe that U.S. (32%), Israel (23.6%), Russia (11.6%) and France (9.5%) threaten world stability. More than half (56.3%) respondents consider religious and cultural differences might hinder Turkey to join EU, while 15.4 % indicate democracy problems as an obstacle, economic differences (10.9%) and population problems (7.2%). Only 4.5% of all find Armenian issue problematic. U.S. (25.4%) will render assistance to Turkey in the case of war, military conflict or natural disaster, 10% set hopes upon Azerbaijan, 8.6% - are for Japan, 7.4% - Turkish states, 7.2%- Islamic countries, 3.6%-Greece and 1.09% - goes to Russia. Among Turkey's friendly states Azerbaijan rated first with 23%, then Bosnia and Herzegovina- 10.8%, U.S.- 8.5%, Germany-0.6%. Turkish enemies' list heads U.S.-25.4%, Israel-15.6%, France-12%, Armenia-10.3%, Greece-7%, Russia-6.4% and Germany-1.8%. According to polls of 2005, 6% reckons Armenia as an enemy and 2.8% -Russia. The poll was conducted in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Bursa.

Territorial Integrity Means Armenia & Artsakh Are One Land and United,
August 22 2009 U.S. should understand, Karabakh is successor state to Soviet Union, and no different from Armenia or Russia /PanARMENIAN.Net/.........

.But they are wrong in this case because they do not realize that Nagorno-Karabakh has every right to be an independent nation. So, what you really need to do is to have the State Department change its position. They have to realize that according to the Soviet legal framework, Nagorno-Karabakh had self-government and certain rights, including holding a referendum and becoming an independent country, which is what had happened. So it's not simply an issue of territorial integrity versus self-determination. Nagorno-Karabakh is a successor state to the Soviet Union, and no different from Armenia or Russia in that respect, Frank Pallone said in an interview to Armenian reporter. According to him, since Nagorno-Karabakh is a small area with a relatively small population, it is difficult for the State Department, and any administration to focus on it. Answering the question about concessions in the settlement of Nagoro-Karabakh problem, the Congressman said: The argument that should be made is that this a powder keg. In other words if you do not work to solve this situation and come up with a compromise, there is a potential for another major war in the Caucasus that would have major implications for several neighboring countries, Turkey and Russia especially. And that this strategic concern must be appreciated. The war between Russia and Georgia [in August 2008] is a recent example of the volatility in the Caucasus region.

Another Armenian Lie Dismissed,
Trend News, 21 August 2009 The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has denied reports on possible presence of Armenian military bases on Russian territory as part of an agreement on establishing the Collective Rapid Response Forces. “We have no official information about any Armenian military bases in Dagestan, the Krasnodar region or anywhere else in the territory of Russia,” CSTO Spokesperson Vitaly Strugavets said. Later this week, some media outlets specifically Regnum news agency reported that Armenia may have opportunity to build two military bases on Russian territory — in Dagestan and the Krasnodar region — to ensure security of transportation and communication networks under the agreement on establishing the Collective Rapid Response Forces.

Turks And Armenians In Turkey Set An Example For World Peace,
History of Truth, 20 August 2009 One of the most important feast day of the Christians in the World, Surp Asdvadzadzin (ascension of Mother Mary) is celebrated by the Christians in Turkey last Sunday. Christian community of Kinaliada also held a ceremony for celebrating the feast. Celebrations passed in a peaceful atmosphere and celebration banners that are henged by Turkish citizens set an example of co-existing in peace. Adalar Municipality Administration hanged banners writing “we celebrate the feast day of our Armenian, Greek and Assyrian fellow citizens” to celebrate Christian citizens on their holy day. Citizens welcomed the initiative of the municipality administration and following that initiative of Turkish people, Kinaliada Surp Krikor Lusarovic Armenian Church hanged banners in the streets writing, “We celebrate Ramadan of our Muslim brothers.” Citizens of Adalar stated that it is an example of peace and tolerance of religions in the cradle of civilizations, Anatolia. “Brotherhood of religions in this region should be an example for whole world,” they said.

Armenians, Greeks, Turks: Who Slaughtered Whom?,
Historyoftruth, 19 August 2009 Events during and after World War One were discussed in the TV program “Tarihin Arka Odasy' (Back Room of History)” that is presented by Murat Bardakci with Erhan Afyoncu and Pelin Batu. Discussing the issue of population exchange between Turkey and Greece, Pelin Batu stated that both Greek and Turkish people committed crimes against each other. “Many people in both sides died ontheir wayas they were being exchanged. Many villages were burnt,” said she. Reacting to the statements of Pelin Batu, Erhan Afyoncu asked when will she defend the position of Turks and said, “We entered Anatolia in 1071. If Turks wanted to erase Greeks or Armenians from this geography, they would do that in that time. If we had slaughtered a certain number of Armenians every year since 1071, there would not be any Armenian in the world now. Why did not we slaughter them in 1071? Why not in 1600’s? Why not 1700’s? But such problem occured in 1900’s. Why? Because they wanted to slaughter us. Because we were powerless and dropped our sword. But we stood against that and did not let that happen. That is what happened.” “First of all, i am not on the side of Greeks. I am telling that both sides were harsh against each other. If you claim that i have a humanist approach, that is true,” added Pelin Batu. “The point is that people of Black Sea region did not let Greeks who wanted to terminate Turkish existence in Black Sea. So, they should had let Greek gangs to slaughter themselves? Yes, they killed many Greek partisans. But that was nothing more than self defence,” replied Erhan Afyoncu.

Ottomans Supported Armenian Students In Europe,
Historyoftruth, 15 August 2009 Ottomans had adressed the whole religious needs of Christian students that were sent to Europe by Ottoman government for education. As many students sent to abroad by Ottoman government in the last period of the empire, government had supplied all material aid and spiritual support. In so much that, Ottoman administration had opened special church for the students that were sent to Europe and assigned a churchman for them. Making a research on Ottoman archives about the issue, Sociologist Aynur Erdogan stated that a quarter of the students that were sent to Paris for education were non-Muslims and Ottoman administration assigned a churchman and opened a special chuch for them. According to the research, an Ottoman school opened in Paris that Armenian students were educated “Mekteb-i Muradyan” was being supported by Ottoman government. Documents prove that Ottomans assigned a churchman for Armenian students to be able to learn and live their religion. Other than that, documents show that Ottoman government also sent Turkish language teachers to Paris for not letting Armenian students to lose their connection with Turkish and Turkey.

Armenia Is A Weak State: Washington Times,
Today, 17 August 2009 “If the Turkish border reopened, landlocked Armenia would have greater access to trade through ports on the Mediterranean and Black seas, and would be less dependent on transit through Russia,” Washington Times said in comments on Armenia-Turkey relations. "Armenia is a weak country, and it is surrounded by countries that are either countries that are not friendly or were not friendly up until very recently," said Masha Lipman, political analyst with the Moscow Carnegie Center. "So Armenia found itself with Russia as it's chief protector. I think Armenia, like others, can diversify now," she said. “The normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey ... if it, of course, is possible, has just begun. It may take a long time,” she said. In case of opening the Armenian-Turkish border Armenia may integrate into NATO and EU with time and become an important transit country for energy trade like its northern neighbor Georgia. The Washington Times article notes that one of the main obstacles to the settlement of Armenian-Turkish relations is the issue of recognizing the “Armenian Genocide.” She said normalization of relations with Armenia can also have a positive impact on Turkey’s EU membership.

Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan to NATO Maneuvers,
23 August 2009 by Krikor Amirzayan / armenews According to the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, Turkey will participate in NATO exercises to be held in Kazakhstan from 5 to 11 September. According to Cumhuriyet, Armenia will also participate in the exercises of NATO. The soldiers of the United States, Germany, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Armenia, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Turkey will participate in these maneuvers to improve capabilities of soldiers in the intervention of emergency. Krikor Amirzayan

U.S. Azerbaijani, Turkish Diaspora Organizations Write A Letter To Obama,
05 August 2009 - Today.Az The letter reads: "Dear President Obama, Last year’s war between Georgia and Russia punctuated the continued threat to peace and security in the South Caucasus arising from unresolved territorial conflicts that have spanned more than two decades since the fall of the Soviet Union. Recently, several Iranian officials openly threatened Azerbaijan for hosting Israeli President Shimon Peres in Baku. Similarly, four UN Security Council resolutions demanding that Armenian forces withdraw and cease the occupation of Azerbaijani lands since 1993 have achieved little for the displaced one million refugees and IDPs. All of this adds to the urgency of reaching a sustainable peace based on the fundamentals of international law and human rights, or, as you have stated earlier, “a lasting and durable settlement of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict.” With stronger support from the United States and increasing involvement of the Russian Federation, the peace process has produced some momentum at the latest meetings of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia. U.S. Mediator Matt Bryza emphasized the productive position and leadership demonstrated by Azerbaijan during the negotiations, particularly Azerbaijan's many concessions to Armenia and the Armenian people despite Armenia’s aggression in and military occupation of western Azerbaijan. A peaceful settlement, which involves respect for territorial integrity of the states in the region, repatriation of the displaced communities, opening of all borders and communications, security guarantees for both Azerbaijani and Armenian communities in occupied regions of Azerbaijan, and withdrawal of Armenian forces from Azerbaijan, and nothing less, is necessary to achieve a lasting and durable settlement. The South Caucasus, a strategic global juncture, holds great promise for regional and global peace and prosperity. Yet the region’s potential has been disrupted and disable by two decades of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia’s own development has been paralyzed as a result of its self-imposed isolation from major regional projects. More than one million Armenians have left Armenia due to poor government, poor economics, and poor services. While the Azerbaijani residents of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and other Armenian-occupied regions of Azerbaijan have suffered ethnic cleansing, displacement, and destruction of personal and cultural property, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh continue to live in economic and political uncertainty. Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijan has been costly in many ways. A lasting and durable peace settlement would bring about a major positive change to the South Caucasus. The Azerbaijani-Georgian partnership has already shown what can be reached when the parties work towards regional cooperation. Should the Armenian leadership demonstrate productive pragmatism, it can help integrate the nation with the economic and democratic future of the region securing a peace and prosperity for its people. Such a future would include open communications and borders, including the Turkish-Armenian border, which was closed in response to Armenia’s invasion and occupation of the Azerbaijani region of Kelbajar, outside of NK region, in 1993. A lasting and durable peace would advance U.S. interests as it provides for lasting stability in a strategically important region where the United States requires solid friends. Significantly, as the value of the Caspian hydrocarbon resources increase for Europe’s energy security and the South Caucasus transport corridor serves as the key conduit for access to Afghanistan, a lasting and durable peace in this region becomes an even higher priority. In addition, helping Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach a settlement would demonstrate the new Administration’s commitment to the new foreign policy of global engagement and provide a positive tangible result for U.S.-Russian cooperation. Therefore, on behalf of the Azerbaijani-American and Turkish-American communities, we support and encourage your Good Office to intensify U.S. efforts towards reaching a just peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan based on United Nations Security Council resolutions and the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, and to seize this historic opportunity. While we recognize the significant pressures that bear from special interests opposed to peace for a variety of reasons, including nationalist and religious ones, who have previously succeeded to undermine peace efforts, we hope that America’s vision for the South Caucasus is informed by its national interests and its relationship with strategic partners in the region. Thank you. Sincerely, U.S. Azeris Network (USAN) Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) Azerbaijani-American Council (AAC) Federation of Turkish American Associations (FTAA) U.S.-Azerbaijan Council (USAC) U.S. Turkic Network (USTN) Cultural Center of Caucasus Jews (CCCJ) Azerbaijan Turkey America Foundation (ATAF) Houston Baku Sister City Association (HBSCA)

Ethnic Armenian WW2 "Hero" As A Fraud, By Peter Allen and Chris Brooke,
10th July 2009

Howard Manoian was a local hero in the Normandy village that he had retired to - feted for his tales of sacrifice in liberating France from the Nazis. The American was happy to tell how he was wounded in action twice after parachuting into nearby Sainte-Mère-Eglise on D-Day in the fierce battle later depicted in John Wayne's film The Longest Day. Numerous admirers heard how he was shot in the hand and legs by a German machine gun during a fire fight and then again by a Messerschmitt which strafed the field hospital where he was recovering. Howard Manoian In his new home of Chef-du-Pont a plaque in his honour sits beside the entrance to the village museum to his former division, 82nd Airborne. France recognised his sacrifice at last month's 65th anniversary of the Normandy landings, presenting him with the country's highest award for bravery - the Legion d'Honneur. But now the 84-year-old is unlikely to be showing his face again soon in the regular veteran's bar, The Stop, where for the moment photographs of him in military uniform still adorn the walls. Research into U.S. military archives has revealed the less than illustrious truth of his war record. His unit was not the fabled 82nd Airborne Division, but the 33rd Chemical Decontamination Company. The company was formed to decontaminate men and machines following a chemical attack but the men were never needed for this purpose. After arriving at Utah beach by supply ship, Manoian and his company spent the rest of the war minding a supply dump in Northern France and providing showers for war-weary soldiers.

As for his injuries, he was indeed hurt days after D-Day - when he broke his middle finger accidentally while on standby in England. His second injury was merely some bruising to his other hand on a later occasion. It appears Manoian's war stories were inspired by Hollywood. When Band of Brothers, Steven Spielberg's TV drama about U.S. parachutists fighting across Europe came out in 2001, he frequently commented on how realistic it was. Manoian brazenly described his fictional heroics in many media interviews and TV documentaries over the years. In one recent interview he spoke about jumping out of an airplane on D-Day 'just after midnight' and recounted a ferocious battle to stop the Germans crossing a key bridge three days later. Manoian also frequently told of the part he claimed to have played in Operation Market Garden - the failed and extremely bloody campaign fought by Allied paratroopers in September 1944 and the subject of the film A Bridge Too Far. Enlarge He told admirers he had been hit by German machine gun bullets in the left hand and both legs Manoian's incredible deceit came to light thanks to military records, including Army payroll documents, obtained by the Boston Herald Tribune. Historian Brian Siddal said: 'He was never part of the paratroopers. The evidence is overwhelming.' The Mayor of Sainte-Mère-Eglise was shocked to learn the truth. He said: 'It's unbelievable to think how we've been misled over all these years. He was always perched up at the bar, in front of a beer, recounting his incredible stories from the war. 'All of us are very shocked by these revelations. We cannot be expected to check the record of every single war hero. We just accepted what Mr Manoian told us.' Christophe Prime, of the DDay Memorial Museum in Caen, Normandy, said: 'There are always going to be people who invent their pasts to make themselves sound more heroic. This case is a particularly extreme one.' Manoian's true war record, recounting his work at the supply dump in Audouville-la-Hubert, has now been handed over to the French authorities, with a government spokesman saying the fraud was 'to be regretted'. There is no evidence whatsoever to link him with his claimed unit, Company A, of the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. Documentation detailing his war service proves he joined the chemical decontamination unit in Florida in July 1943. In 1945, Manoian returned home to Massachusetts and became a police officer. His son later became a genuine paratrooper. French government officials had heard about evidence questioning Manoian's war record before honouring him at last month's celebrations. His ex-serviceman's Legion d'Honneur is now expected to be rescinded, and his name and photograph removed from official records and from museums. Manoian could not be contacted at his home in France, with a neighbour saying: 'He's feeling poorly and has returned to America.' www.dailymail.co.uk ========================================
Comments
The man has insulted all those brave soldiers who fought in WW2 with his Walter Mitty lies. He obviously has no conscience. His family should be ashamed of him.
- helen, London, 8/7/2009

He missed his true vocation, he should have been a politician !
- Roger, Ware, England, 8/7/2009

It is a fakester like this that gives true war heros a bad name. He should be stripped of all Honours and medals and pension frozen. You can try and hide your past but the truth will always come back to haunt you. I have no respect for such 'fakers' even if he is a very old man now. It's high time we checked out also on the identity of the so called 'war heros' hanging around our local watering hole and see if they really are genuine.
- Ted Schmitt, London, UK,

he isgoing to be a labour mp-they make it up too!
- c swingler, birmingham, 8/7/2009

I've learned that many genuine war heroes will talk about their exploits very reluctantly, if at all. This man is, unfortunately, not the first I have read about to claim experiences for himself that he only read about. An uncle of mine was stationed in England during WW2. He was on a plane that was shot done over France. He somehow made it back to England and recovered to finish out the war. He NEVER talked about his war experiences. To this day nobody in the family knows exactly what happened after his plane was shot down and how he managed to make it back to England. He always said he just never wanted to relive his war experiences and left it at that. He said it was very painful to think about. I feel sorry for all the people this man has duped and for the real heroes whose exploits he has stolen and made his own.
- Chris, Boston, US, 8/7/2009

I suppose he was the first man to break into the London Iranian Embassy siege of 1980. In fact it can't be as a bloke in my office claims that title. He is only 34 though.
- John Bishop, Colchester, 8/7/2009

Brilliant story.. you couldn't make it up! But apparantely he did!!
- Wilcox, Belgrade, Serbia, 8/7/2009

Walter Mitty type.............Pathetic. I went over on an LST months later and never pretended differently.
- Antony, Cyprus, 8/7/2009

Shame on you Mr Manoian. I know a man who was dropped into Arnhem - he lives a frugal life and HIS past goes unrecognised by anybody. Again, shame on you.
- hilary, preston, 8/7/2009

He should have been a politician with an imagination like he has.
- John Dodd, Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia, We had one here in Australia. While he lived in Sydney, friends & business associates tolerated his gaudy stories & laughed behind his back when he left. When it got too hot for him here, he moved to country NSW to meet all new people where he conned them to the extent of leading the annual Anzac Day parades on horseback, dressed as a colonel & overloaded with medals. He was finally only exposed around 2 years ago.
- Jim Brown, Fairfield West NSW Australia, 8/7/2009

Can't an old man keep his fantasies? I see no real harm in what he has done, he is just a latter day Walter Mitty! A pity he has been found out as now he will lose friends and probably have to move from the village where he has settled.
- Bertrand Renard, Saumur, France, 8/7/2009

This story comes as no surprise to me personally. Ive known this man and his beer "stories" for thirty years and saw him frequently under the influence and totally arrogant with it. Endless "hanger-ons" drifting round his totally run down house drinking beer and calvados. He flouted the law here too, driving old cars, french and american, with dubious papaerwork. A pity someone didnt have the courage to come out with the truth long ago. When he realised Id seen through his little stories he soon made it quite clear I wasnt welcome. He duped my father for many years after that too. A typical waster this guy !
- Yankeedoodledandy, Somewhere, France, 8/7/2009

This fake should now be publicly disgraced for his lies.
- John Smith, Gillingham Kent, 8/7/2009

There's one in every town. And if there were'nt in the Para's they were in the SAS.........Not.
- Mickey V, Manchester UK, 8/7/2009

Stories like this keep making headlines, at least in America, they are an insult to soldiers who did their duty. Hopefully bringing them to light will discourage others.
- Melanie, USA, 8/7/2009

For each tale of courage or facts there are dozens of others based of disinformation. misinformation or the falability of the thuman memory. This man for his own reasons invented a pasted, not proud enough of that he did do or experience. Ask any soldier coming in after days/week of active service what a hot bath & clean clothes mean, the men who provide them are held in high esteem. Far greater travisties and lies are still being perpetrated and traded on about that period of Europes history. The first victim of war is truth. An old man got found out a sad tale.
- Alexander, Victoria Seychelles, 8/7/2009

The number of men I have met who boast to me, an ex-serviceman and complete stranger, that they are ex SAS is staggering. Having worked with the the SAS as a Hercules pilot in the seventies, ( dropping them on parachute training), I know these people are liars because no real ex SAS soldier would tell a stranger that fact. Sad really.
- Terry McCarthy, Chiang Mai, 8/7/2009

Boy, what a loser. To pose as something you were not is pathetic. The sad thing is that his role--no matter how minor it was--was worthy of accolades. EVERY soldier who served overseas deserves thanks. Unfortunately this man never understood that.
- ryan, ann arbor, usa, 8/7/2009

What is it about retired Americans ? I live in Thailand and every other Yank is either ex- FBI, Green Beret, CIA, DEA or a Desert Storm Commander ! They all appear to have inferioritiy complexes........."empty vessels make the most noise"
- Dave, Nong Khai. Thailand, Many War veterans who have been through the horrors of war wouldn't freely recount their tales to anyone who would listen, they try to forget the horrors and live for today.
- Iain, Luton UK, 8/7/2009

BUSTED! High on the list of military no-nos is impersonating someone or something which you're not. It took long enough. Sadly, had he just claimed what he really was, it would have been looked upon highly, but with the phony claims? Sad, really.
- NHSparky, Rochester, NH, 8/7/2009

He should be 'feeling poorly' as he is a fraud and a disgrace to the genuine soldiers in the war.
- Philip Clendenning, Waltham, MA USA, 8/7/2009

I feel sorry that he had to exaggerate his service.He may have thought his own contribution was minor but logistic were and are an important part of military operations.
- Stephen, Glasgow, 8/7/2009

What a pathetic little man this is.
- Brit-in-oz, Sydney, Australia, I keep thinking of all the true war heroes, sitting silently in the corner of a bar, never talking about their experiences because the trauma was too painful. All the while this clown was traipsing around collecting accolades and honours he did not deserve. Sad. Pitiful Disgusting.
- Maggie, Calgary, Canada, 8/7/2009

There's probably a lot of truth in the old saying that the true heroes in any war never openly talk about their exploits.
- Ray, Birmingham, UK, The soldiers who actually did brave heroic deeds either were killed in action or do not talk about them.
- Steve, Conway, Arkansas USA, 7/7/2009

What will hurt this old rogue's 'sensitivities' the most is that the entire history of that war, written by the allies, was mostly just as fraudulent. He was just a tiny part of a very big canvas of deceit.
- michael, Alicante, Spain, 7/7/2009

the guys that were in the thick of the fighting are the ones that say the least about it.my dear old dad was a KRRC desert rat he never spoke about his wartime experiences only about the friends he made, this guy is just a sad fantasist ,
- john, London England, 7/7/2009

what a weasel
- philip hammond, adeliade australia, 7/7/2009

How shameful to the memory of those who lost their lives!
- robert, St. Andrews, Scotland, 7/7/2009

www.dailymail.co.uk
Following copy added at 26-oct-2012 and all of the above comments except one have been removed. We wonder why?

Hrant Bagratian Called President Sargsyan To Visit Turkey, 7 August 2009, Gari / armenews Hrant Bagratian, an official of the Armenian opposition, which was the first minister of L. Ter Petrossian, called the August 5 the President Serge Sargsyan to visit Turkey next October 14 to attend the football match Armenia-Turkey back, arguing that refusing the invitation to do so by his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, who had made an historic visit to Yerevan on 6 September 2008 at the first leg would be a "total stupidity". "In my opinion, go to Turkey would be the right decision, even with his enemy, one must have a normal enmity," said H. Bagratian, part of the leadership of the Armenian National Congress (HAK), an alliance of opposition formations led by L. Ter Petrossian. "We do not have the right to feel offended," he said to journalists, stating that the conduct of the Head of State should be guided by the best interests of the State. The President Sarkissian had indicated last month that it would not be in Turkey as it will not take "concrete steps" towards reopening the Armenian-Turkish border. It was on this occasion recalled that the governments of both countries had agreed on the reopening of dialogue at over a year initiated between Yerevan and Ankara, including the visit of Gul in the Armenian capital had been the highlight. Mr. Bagratian felt that the statement of Armenian President was driven by passion rather than reason, especially since it was behind this process and could not withdraw from halfway. HAK officials, starting with L. Ter Petrossian, have repeatedly denounced the policy of rapprochement of Armenia with Turkey, including the former Armenian President had yet tried to sponsor his time. Today Sarkissian Ter Petrossian accused of deliberately sacrificing American recognition of the genocide of 1915 on the altar of a hypothetical lifting of the land imposed on Armenia by Ankara since 1993. Levon Zurabian, which coordinates policy HAK reiterated these criticisms before, saying that "Turkey has reached its objective at the expense of Armenia." H. Bagratian, it seems less critical of the policy of rapprochement with Turkey outlined by President Sarkissian, even if it means a "slap" that the endorsement seems to have given the head of state to the Turkish proposal of a joint commission to examine the nature of the events of 1915. "I think Turkey has made a mistake in April-May by violating the agreements [with Armenia], however, granted the former prime minister. Mr. Sarkissian recalled last week that the agreements related to the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations independently of a settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh, a link was restored, however, Turkish officials in recent months, the risk of render meaningless the process of negotiations.

Twice As Many Armenians Vacation In Antalya
, 7 August 2009, by Jean Eckian / armenews Despite the wind that blows now between Ankara and Yerevan, the Armenian holidaymakers flocking to Antalya, a seaside resort in Turkey very popular abroad for the quality of its welcome. A travel agency in Yerevan notes that demand has doubled. "The 4 flights per week are no longer sufficient to meet demand," said one official.

"Anarchism In The Middle East" ,
7 August 2009, by Stéphane / armenews In the light of events both historical and recent, we can easily say that the Middle East is and has been of central importance to many developments around the world. As in Africa, this region has seen a first wave anarchist develop first in its margins, the Armenian anarchists, for example, found themselves under the control of the Ottoman Empire from the late 19th century because of their activism on a large scale. Among them, Alexander Atabekian has maintained a very international, with many contacts with the international anarchist movement, counting among his friends Petr Kropotkin, Reclus and Jean Elisée Grave when he was studying in Geneva. His friendship with Kropotkin was so close in fact he found to his deathbed and then helped organize the famous his funeral procession through the streets of Moscow. Atabekian several books translated into Armenian anarchists, he published and distributed a newspaper called The Anarchist Community (Hamaïnk) which was also translated into Persian. Atabekian really began to adapt the political anarchist to the political situation in the Middle East. Through his writings there is clearly a double opposition to the domination of the Ottoman Empire on Armenia and interventionism and domination on the European region in general. This leads to the development of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsouthian), a coalition of anarchists, nationalists and socialists who, among other activities, publish and distribute leaflets many anarchists throughout Armenia. While they already evident before the rhetoric of Russian nihilists, anarchism of Dashnaktsouthian seems to have been largely replaced by Marxism-Leninism in a few years. However, as Marxism-Leninism gained popularity in Armenia, anarchist ideas became popular among the Armenian immigrants who earned the nation states of the West, as was highlighted several published anarchist newspapers in Armenian language in the United States at the same time (ref. Stiobhard). Apart from Armenia, Malatesta is known to have stayed in anarchist communities in the port cities of Beirut, Lebanon, and Izmir, Turkey (ref. Stiobhard). However, we know very little about the nature of these communities or their influence as a local anarchist movement among non-immigrant populations. As we have seen for Alexandria and Tunis, the population of the port cities of the Mediterranean was very diversified and there are chances that these communities anarchists were first made of Italian immigrant workers. But more than any other country, it is in Palestine / Israel that anarchism was the strongest presence. Before the establishment of the State of Israel in the first quarter of 20th century anarchist movement was already apparent among Palestinians and Jews, who opposed the creation of a Jewish state and worked the opposite for a pluralistic society without state, direct democracy, bringing together Jews and Arabs. The sections of the anarchist movement "community", inspired by the collaboration of Jewish anarchists also distinguished as Gustav Landauer and Rudolf Rocker, formed the basis of the kibbutz movement in its infancy in Palestine and, according to Noam Chomsky, was the original meaning of the term "Zionist". Communitarianism original Zionists opposed the creation of a State, because it "would require a subdivision of the territory and marginalization, on a religious basis, a significant proportion of its population poor and exploited, rather than meet based on socialist principles "(Barsky, 1997, p. 48). Communitarians among the anarchists of this period, Joseph Trumpeldor was one of the largest, attracting members of the first to kvutzot thinking anarchist-communist Petr Kropotkin. In 1923, The Mutual of Kropotkin was one of the first books to be translated into Hebrew and distributed throughout Palestine, a first preparatory work by anarchist activists as Trumpeldor had a great influence on the thinking of Yitzhak Tabenkin, a leader of the fruitful Hameuhad the kibbutz movement. The anarchist community newspaper Problems [Problemen] was the only international anarchist periodical to be published in both Yiddish and Hebrew, and was one of very few spokesperson for peaceful coexistence of Jews and Arabs in the way community that existed before the creation of the State of Israel. This movement eventually disappear after 1925, with the creation of the movement for a State of Israel and a structuring of the party (Oved, 2000, p. 45). http://raforum.info/spip.php? article3229 Bibliography (in English) Baku, H. (2001) Anarchism in Turkey Brandstatter, K. (1997) Update on the Sierra Leone IWW Chilcote, R. (1974) The Brazilian Communist Party: Conflict and Integration 1922-1972 New York: Oxford University Press Dirlik, A. (1997) Dimensions of Chinese Anarchism: An Interview with Arif Dirlik Dirlik, A. (1991) Anarchism in the Chinese Revolution Berkeley: University of California Press Do or Die (1999) Direct Action in Israel Erickson, K. (1977) The Brazilian Corporative State and Working-Class Politics Berkeley: University of California Press Federacion Libertaria Argentina (2002) Argentina: Between Poverty and Protest [Leaflet] Held, D. (1980) Introduction to Critical Theory. Berkeley: University of California Press Joll, J. (1970) Anarchism Today New York: Anchor Books Katsiaficas, G. (1987) The Imagination of the New Left: A Global Analysis of 1968 Boston: South End Press Poole, D. (1977) Land and Liberty: Anarchist Influences in the Mexican Revolution - Ricardo Flores Magon Montreal: Black Rose Books MacSimion (1991) The Korean Anarchist Movement [Lecture in Dublin, Ireland] Meltzer, A. (1998) The floodgates of Anarchy Munck, R. (1987) Argentina; From Anarchism to Peronism; Workers Union and Politics 1855-1985 London: Zed Books Oved, Y. (2000) Kibbutz Trends [Journal] No.38, pg. 45 Rao, N. (2002) Bhagat Singh and the Revolutionary Movement Stiobhard, (2001) Libertarians, the Left and the Middle East Van der Walt, L. (2002) (Personal Communication) Wolfe, J. (1993) Working Women: Working Men: Sao Paulo and the Rise of Brazil's Industrial Working Class 1900-1955 Durham: Duke University Press Zarrow, P. (1990) Anarchism and Chinese Political Culture. New York: Columbia University Press

Joint Turco-Azeri Diaspora In The USA To Obama 6 August 2009, by Jean Eckian / armenews

Probably in response to the letter written by 80 representatives of the Chamber of the USA 31 July 2009 (see article) to attract the attention of President Obama on the de facto retreat from Turkey, the "diaspora" Azeri and Turkish to U.S. have written a letter. The Trend News Agency Azerbaijan publish excerpts in the following article. The words are particularly revealing and evident bad faith. Of course, no mention is made of pogroms in February 1988 in Baku and Sumgait, or the legality of self-determination of people of Karabakh, nor the fact that this region has been mostly populated by Armenians, or the conditions in which this region was attributed to Azerbaijan of a pen of Stalin. There is no question of the right of peoples to self-determination, yet in the United Nations Charter and constantly reaffirmed by the OSCE. The authors do not hesitate to advise the President of the United States of America to be determined depending on its interests and friends. Hope they do so this time, less interest and genuine friendship. The example of his predecessor Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt. It is not known whether the letter had actually been written, but it would surprise the president by Obama's argument unpleasant, sometimes even moved. G. Béguian 05.08.2009 Baku, Azerbaijan Trend News Agency informs to have received a letter from the US-Azerbaijan Council informing him of a letter that the Azerbaijani and Turkish diasporas in the United States had sent to President Obama. The letter said that the war last year between Georgia and Russia punctuates the perpetual threat to peace and security in South Caucasus issues of unresolved territorial conflicts that have stretched over two decades since the fall of 'Soviet Union. Recently several Iranian officials have openly threatened Azerbaijan for having received the President Simon Peres in Baku, said the letter. In addition, four Security Council resolutions calling for the withdrawal of Armenian forces and end the occupation of territories of Azerbaijan since 1993 have had little success in the million refugees displaced. All this adds to the urgency of reaching an acceptable peace based on the fundamentals of international law and human rights, or, as you said earlier, "a serious and lasting solution to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh "said the letter. The South Caucasus, a global strategy, holds many promises for peace and regional prosperity and global. Although the potential of the region has been interrupted and offset by two decades of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, development of Armenia was paralyzed as a result of his own isolation of major projects in the region. More than a million Armenians have left Armenia because of a bad government, poor economy and bad services. While the residents of the Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan have suffered from ethnic cleansing, displacement and destruction of their personal and cultural, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh still live in the political and economic uncertainty. The occupation by Armenia of Azerbaijan costly from several points of view. A peace settlement would be serious and lasting positive change in the South Caucasus. The Georgian-Azerbaijani partnership has already shown what can be created when the parties work together in cooperation, said the letter. While the Armenian leadership demonstrated pragmatism productive, this would help to integrate the nation in the democratic and economic future of the region, consolidating peace and security for its people. Such a future would include communications and free borders, including the Turkey-Armenia border, which was closed in response to the invasion of Armenia and occupation of the Azerbaijani region of Kelbajar outside the region of Nagorny Karabakh in 1993, said the letter. A serious and lasting peace would be for U.S. interests because it would contribute to lasting stability in a strategically important region where the United States needs friends strong. Significantly, while the value of hydrocarbon resources of the Caspian for increasing the security of energy supplies in Europe and the South Caucasus corridor serves as a passage to reach Afghanistan, peace solid and lasting peace in the region becomes an even higher priority. Therefore, on the part of the Azerbaijani and Turkish American American, we support and encourage your good offices to intensify the efforts of USA towards a just peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan based on the resolutions of the Security Council United Nations and the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, and seize this historic opportunity. While we recognize the pressures that relate to interests opposed to the peace for various reasons, particularly nationalists and religious, which have shattered all previous peace efforts, we hope that the vision of America for the South Caucasus is based on its national interests and its relations with strategic partners in the region, said the letter. The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988 when Armenia has territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan lost the Nagorno-Karabakh with the exception of Shusha and Khojali in December 1991. In 1992-93 Armenian forces occupied Shusha, Khojaly and 7 districts around Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a cease-fire in 1994. The co-chairmen of the Minsk Group - Russia, France and the USA hold peace negotiations.

Upcoming Armenian Genocide: Metsamor ,
04 August 2009 Metsamor nuclear power plant, was built in 1950’s, can be seen by the naked eye from Igdir and is constructed over seismic belt. Settled close to Turkish border, on 16 kilometers distance to Igdir, Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant disturbes the citizens of Igdir. The construction technology of the reactor is known as one of the most problematic reactors in the world. Citizens of Igdir state that they are concerned about the security risks of the old-technology Nuclear Power Plant and they wanted for provisions to be made before any accident happens. People of Igdir state that they are afraid of the probability of radioactive material leakageto nature. Concerns of citizens of Igdir, mobilized officials. Several researches are made about the issue and examples taken from the field were sent to Turkish Atomic Energy Institution. Although the results of analysis showed that there is no abnormality in the field, citizens still do not feel safe because of the events like being born of bicephalous animals. Igdir’s city governer Saim Saffet Karahisarl“said, “Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant is very old. It was kept closed for a long while because of the damages in the earthquake in 1980’s. Power Plant was built over seismic belt. Operating such plant may result in a big accident which would hit whole Armenia and Igdir. Therefore, Armenia needs to find another way to produce electricity. Metsamor is needed to be analyzed by scientists. If it is forming a threat, it should be closed.” Igdir’s Director of Civil Defence Muslim Celik said that the radiation that is released by Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant is being tracked. “We did not see any number that is high enough to threat human health. But the danger that is being created by the old Metsamor Power Plant cannot be ignored,” said he. Stating that the construction area of the Nuclear Power Plant is over a seismic belt, Celik said, “An earthquake would return a huge natural disaster. Even mentioning such probability is very scary. Because earthquake would trigger the leak from the Power Plant. We cannot even foresee how many people would die if such accident takes place.” www.historyoftruth.com

World Community Increases Pressure On Armenia,
04 August 2009 The main parties in the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict are Azerbaijan and Armenia, Chief of International Affairs Department of Azerbaijani President“s Administration Novruz Mammadov said. “Azerbaijan”s position is known to the entire world. The conflict should be solved within Azerbaijan“s territorial integrity. But Azerbaijan wants to solve it through negotiations and in a peaceful way. The question is „What will Armenia“s position be?” Armenia impedes the solution of the conflict by frequently changing its position,“Mammadov said. “In this respect, I think if Armenia, like Azerbaijan, demonstrates will and does its best for the peaceful solution to the conflict, the conflict will be solved irrespective of the co-chairs.” “Each of the co-chairs represent one country, they simply try to simplify the settlement of the conflict. Of course, the co-chairs have worked for certain time, have experience in this field, deal with the problem. I think they will continue working till the end of this year. But if both parties demonstrate will, especially if Armenia has constructive position, the problem may be solved,” he added. “The recent processes make the settlement of the conflict necessary. Pressures on Armenia have increased. Armenia-Turkey issues, recent process of negotiations, the increase of the co-chairing countries” interest in the settlement of the conflict, Azerbaijani president“s recent steps, joint statement issued in Italy by the presidents of the US, Russia and France, the opinion of the U. S. Department of State on the Madrid principles and Russia”s activeness in this issue increase pressure on Armenia.“ “On the other hand, if we take into account the global financial crisis, this leaves Armenia in a difficult condition. Armenian authorities should understand that they have no alternative way to the settlement of the conflict. Despite this, they have become prisoners of their ideas, they still hesitate in taking serious steps concerning the solution of the conflict. But now the negotiations are on active phase and very likely a step will be taken forward in one of the forthcoming meetings.In this respect, we should wait for the co-chairs” visit to Azerbaijan. What will they suggest basing on the Madrid principles? Only after that something concrete may be said,“Mammadov said.

"Maybe Our Kids Will Manage To Reach Mutual Understanding"
04 August 2009 “We can't live in anger and hostility atmosphere forever. We have to create grounds for Turkish-Armenian rapprochement. First step is the most important one, no mater whether it's undertaken through „football diplomacy“ or as an expression of good will,” Armenian Literature Institute Director Avo Isahakyan said. According to him, recent Turkish-Armenian rapprochement -related events proved Turkey tries to secure concessions on Nagorno-Karabakh issue from Armenia without trying to improve relations. “I wish we had normalized relations with Turkey,” Isahakyan stated, expressing a hope that at least Turkish and Armenian youth will manage to reach mutual understanding.

Turkey Tries To Secure Concessions From Armenia,
03.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ "We can't live in anger and hostility atmosphere forever. We have to create grounds for RA -Turkish rapprochement. First step is the most important one, no mater whether it's undertaken through "football diplomacy" or as an expression of good will," RA Literature Institute Director Avo Isahakyan told a news conference today. According to him, recent Armenian-Turkish rapprochement -related events proved Turkey tries to secure concessions on NKR issue from Armenia without trying to improve relations. "I wish we had normalized relations with Turkey. Too bad Armenia is more ready to improve ties than Turkey is. We're not the ones who committed the Genocide, we're not the perpetrators," Isahakyan stated, expressing a hope that at least Turkish and Armenian youth will manage to reach mutual understanding.

Armenia As A "Bone In The Throat" For Turkey In Respect To Dissemination Of Panturanism,
03.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian writer Hakob Movses is pessimistic about development of the Armenian-Turkish relations. "Our countries do not have the political, social, economic and cultural bases to create a positive atmosphere for developing relations," Hakob Movses said today at a press conference. "From a political point of view, every action is a" commodity ". Accordingly, the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border is also a commodity, which either we offer or is offered to us. It is not clear how much this product costs. The situation is limited to the emotional approach ," he added. With regard to the possible cultural expansion, according to Hakob Movses, cultural expansion can be avoided, "if each of us will be a bearer of his culture. Turkish culture will penetrates our culture as much as a Turk lives inside of every of us." Speaking about recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey, the writer noted: "I do not believe in it. Turkey is a State having the burden of immoral act on its conscience, a country that has never deny their panturkism plans. Armenia is a "bone in the throat" for Turkey in respect to dissemination of panturanism ideas.

Kremlin Burning Bridges With Every Neighbor,
By Vladimir Ryzhkov, The Moscow Times, Aug 4 2009 Russia's foreign policy failures are snowballing at such a rate that they threaten a second geopolitical collapse on a par with the disintegration of the Soviet Union 20 years ago. What makes this tragedy so comic is that our leaders are essentially running backward into the future and calling it progress. At the same time, they shake their fists and foam at the mouth as they rant about Russia's greatness, claim that it is "getting up from its knees" and endlessly repeat myths about its "new successes" and "historical initiatives." By running backward, Russia inevitably stumbles and falls, while its clumsy foreign policy initiatives become the laughing stock of the world. The Kremlin was not able to exploit its huge reserves that it accumulated after eight years of an oil boom by turning its economic power into political clout in the global arena. On the contrary, Russia's global standing has worsened across the board. Russia's leaders have managed to alienate even its strongest allies. The alliance with Belarus is crumbling before our eyes as Kremlin leaders attempt to punish Minsk for years of foot-dragging over the sale of Belarus' largest enterprises to Russia's inefficient and nontransparent monopolies, for delaying plans to introduce a unified currency and establish other political and economic institutions intended to strengthen ties between the two states. Russia reacted with "milk and meat wars," and Minsk responded in kind by refusing to attend a Collective Security Treaty Organization summit even while it was supposed to hold the rotating chairmanship of the organization -- an embarrassing, if not humiliating, snub to President Dmitry Medvedev. What's more, Belarus has joined the Eastern Partnership offered by the European Union and has actively diversified its foreign policy
Armenia, which is hemmed in on all sides by closed borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey, suffered greatly during the days of the Russia-Georgia war last August. This quickly drove Yerevan to intensify its dialogue with Turkey over prospects for opening their common border that has been closed for decades, and, like Belarus, to join the EU's Eastern Partnership. Russia has also burned bridges with Turkmenistan. Throughout the recent economic boom years, Turkmenistan pumped gas to Russia to compensate for its growing deficiency, thereby helping to save the reputation of Gazprom -- and thus Russia -- as a reliable supplier of gas to Europe. But Moscow's gas war with Kiev forced the EU to cut back sharply on purchases of Russian gas. This led to a drop in gas prices, and once that happened Moscow unceremoniously reneged on its contractual obligations to purchase gas from Turkmenistan. In early April, Russia shut the valve on the pipeline that imported Turkmen gas. This was the alleged cause of a major explosion in Turkmenistan --and a major explosion in Russian-Turkmen relations as well. The result is that Turkmenistan is now searching for more reliable commodity markets, has offered to join the Nabucco project as a gas supplier, is ready to discuss the Trans-Caspian pipeline project and has already given the Chinese access to its gas fields. A gas pipeline to China is also under construction. Moscow was entirely alone in its decision to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Besides Nicaragua, not a single country followed Russia's example. Russia has even managed to sever ties with Georgia -- a country with a Russian Orthodox population that has always enjoyed warm relations with Moscow -- for the highly questionable goal of wanting to maintain two microscopic puppet-satellite states in one of the most explosive regions of the world. If the Kremlin's goals were to achieve international isolation and disdain and to increase the threat of a military conflict in the Caucasus, it was very successful. Russia's unnecessarily antagonistic actions toward Ukraine have turned the otherwise "brotherly relationship" into a hostile one. In the 1990s, when Ukraine also had trouble paying for its imports of Russian gas, the shortfall was simply added to its external debt, which it later paid back. Today, Moscow's actions have helped consolidate Ukrainian society around an anti-Russia platform, prompting Kiev to seek membership in the EU and NATO. It also pushed Ukraine toward formulating a new national idea that is based on a rejection of the historical fraternity between our two nations. The EU also drew its conclusions about Russia's unreliability after the latest battle in January of the endless succession of gas wars, which resulted in more than 20 European countries being left without heat in bitterly cold temperatures after Russia cut off gas shipments that had already been purchased. Consequently, the EU reduced its purchases of Russian gas, made headway on developing the Nabucco pipeline, including allocating increased funding for the project, and stepped up the development of projects to import gas from Africa and the Middle East. The EU also invited Ukraine to join an alliance for purchasing gas from countries other than Russia. Both South Stream and Nord Stream have experienced setbacks that may complicate the future development of these pipeline projects. In short, this is the lowest point in the 16 years of EU-Russian relations. Meanwhile, Russia's relationship with NATO is also becoming increasingly adversarial. Azerbaijan is distancing itself from Russia and aligning itself more with the West. Moscow gave financial aid to Kyrgyzstan to push Bishkek to close the U.S. military base at Manas. But in the end, the Americans were allowed to stay after they increased the rental payments and renamed the base as a "transit center." Despite U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Moscow for the July summit, no "reset" in U.S.-Russian relations has taken place. In fact, they remain unchanged, as is evidenced by Vice President Joe Biden's recent visits to Kiev and Tbilisi and by the sharp comments toward Russian that he made in his interview with The Wall Street Journal a week ago. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's attempt to restore Russia's influence over the former Soviet republics has failed miserably. Moscow's standing in the region is weaker now than it was even eight years ago, when Putin took over the presidency from Boris Yeltsin. This is a direct result of Putin's failed policies during his two terms as president -- the inability to modernize the economy, the systemic destruction of the country's democracy, the sharp rise in corruption and the increase in the monopoly control of key industries under his state capitalism model. If you add to all of this a countless string of inept foreign policy disasters, it is easy to understand why Russia's neighbors have turned their backs on Moscow and are looking to Western military, economic and political institutions for support and cooperation. Vladimir Ryzhkov, a State Duma deputy from 1993 to 2007, hosts a political talk show on Ekho Moskvy.

Oskanyan Says Armenia Should Raise The Bar In Karabagh Negotiations
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-Former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian urged the Armenian government to raise the bar in its negotiations around the Karabagh conflict resolution, saying current policies fundamentally differ from that of his administration. Oskanian said that the position of the Kocharian administration, under whi ch he served as foreign minister, were based on national interests, arguing that he and his ministry had raised the bar high. Within the same context, Oskanian said that the opposition should focus the debate on the level of the bar set by the authorities in the talks. "Today their task must be to clarify what the bar set by the authorities is," he said. "Our bar was set high. I have many doubts about today's bar," he added. "Azerbaijan says whatever it wants. [Minsk Group US Co-Chair Matthew] Bryza talks about the return of six to seven territories. [Azeri President Ilham] Aliyev rejects Nagorno-Karabakh's independence and our leaders are silent. This is the concern," explained Oskanian saying that the public and the opposition should concern themselves with this issue. The most fundamental issue, Oskanian said, is where that bar is set today. In discussing the so-called Madrid principles, based on which the current talks are being guided, Oskanian said that of all the earlier proposals, those principles were the most favorable for Armenia, pending the proper course of discussion on the details of the provisions. "Whereas in the past we were offered at worst a high degree of [Karabagh's] autonomy within Azerbaijan and at best horizontal ties between Azerbaijan and Karabagh within the framework of a common state, the Madrid principles =80¦ provide for the self-determination of the Nagorno-Karabagh people, which obviously means Nagorno-Karabagh's independence or reunification with Armenia," said Oskanian. "I am convinced that if we let slip this recognition of the Nagorno-Karabagh people's right to self-determination, it will be very difficult to gain it again in the future and the negotiations could go in a totally different direction and they could start upholding [Azerbaijan's] territorial integrity," he said. He explained the Madrid points were based on four principles: the status of Nagorno-Karabakh; the return of territories; resettlement of refugees; and international security guarantees. Oskanian stressed that any future processes or documents would also be based on the aforementioned four points, warning that the abandonment of these points as a basis to any negotiations would bring back other principles which envisioned Karabagh as part of Azerbaijan with no land route to Armenia. "If the Armenian side wants to exclude the issues of return of territories, return of [Azeri] refugees from future principles and be guided by the principle of 'not a single inch of land to the enemy,' which would be a wonderful solution, then Armenia or Nagorno-Karabagh or both of them should pull out of the negotiations," he said. "If we are to negotiate, these principles will always be on the table." He emphasized that the key to the success of the talks was the approach to the finite details of the principles and how well the Armenia side is able to maneuver the details in the process. Oskanian also discussed Armenia-Turkey relations and the so-called "roadmap" agreement, saying "Turkey has gotten from this Turkish-Armenian process what it wanted. The Armenian side has not gained anything yet." Oskanian was unimpressed by President Serzh Sarkisian's recent announcement that he will not travel to Turkey this October for the return match of the two countries' national soccer match unless Ankara takes "real steps" to reopen the Turkish-Armenian border. He said Sarkisian should have made a more explicit linkage between the visit and an open border. "He left the window open," said Oskanian. "I think that's what the Turks want =80¦ I just don't know when our authorities will finally realize that the Turkish side is exploiting the process. They should have realized that a long time ago." California Courier

Nothing New: Armenian-Turkish Relations And CSTO,
Karine Ter-Sahakyan, 01.08.2009 With the Armenian-Turkish border opened, Ankara's chances of joining the EU will not swell so much as to expect the integration in near future. The past week was rather eventful for Armenia, which is already quite a typical state for her. However, all the events were a sequential repetition: Armenian-Turkish relations, promulgation of the Madrid principles. But the thrill of the week was Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's statement on the impossibility of his visit to Turkey over a closed Armenian-Turkish border. /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Sargsyan's statement, made during a joint press conference with his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic, was later repeated at the meeting with Armenian Diaspora representatives. Unarguably, the Armenian President said what he was to say. Ankara's immediate reaction followed. If we leave out Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's statements, we can directly declare that Ankara is convinced of Sargsyan's visit to Bursa for the purpose of attending the football match between the Armenian and Turkish national teams. Azerbaijan couldn't but react to the incident either. Azeri political scientists expect that the Armenian President will after all attend the football match and ground their predictions with the expected visit of Vladimir Putin to Ankara due in August 2009. Baku's judgment is, as usual, simple: Putin will order, Sargsyan will go. Apparently, President of the "independent and sovereign Azerbaijan" does what he is ordered by Erdogan and Gul. Nevertheless, we must admit that the degree of probability of the Armenian President's presence at the match Turkey-Armenia is not so high. There is also the factor of the EU, which in this case plays against Turkey. Even if the Armenian-Turkish border is opened at least for two hours, it will be impossible to close it back, no matter how opposed Azerbaijan is to its opening. With the the Armenian-Turkish border opened, chances of Ankara to join the European Union will rise but not so much as to expect the integration in near future; however the negotiations will go more easily, and Turkey is well-aware of it. The second event of the week was the already traditional "without tie" meeting of the CSTO members in Kyrgyzstan. Everybody was present, including Alexander Lukashenko and Islam Karimov, who has not so far decided whether CSTO is necessary to Uzbekistan or not. After all, it is necessary: the border disputes between the Central Asian countries can best be addressed with the participation of a third country, i.e. Russia. Whether anyone likes it or not is quite a different question, but the fact is that thus far in the post-Soviet territory this Organization replaces NATO, for the countries drawn into the orbit of Russia. At the summit the Presidents evidently discussed the issue of establishment of collective rapid reaction forces (CRRF), but it is hardly possible that they arrived at an understanding. In our view, the problem is not financing, but the fuzziness in the spheres of activity of CRRF. Belarus and Armenia rightly believe that their subdivisions will have to participate in military operations in Central Asia, while CSTO has been repeatedly declaring about the non-intervention of the forces of Organization in the Karabakh conflict, in case Azerbaijan starts military aggression. All this, of course, cannot but put Yerevan on her guard. It seems CRRF will remain a pious wish until the end of the year like many other initiatives within the framework of the CIS and the CSTO. And, finally, at the end of the week Tehran began trials against the opposition politicians, who are accused of provoking riots. The case of 100 people suspected of causing tension after the presidential elections in Iran, will be considered at the court trial, reported news agency Fars. The defendants are mostly political activists of the camp of reformists. Those detained are accused of conspiring with terrorist groups, laying a bomb, carrying firearms and hand grenades, as well as intentionally attacking the police and volunteers, providing the enemy press with photographs related to the rallies, robbing, violating the law and damaging general and public property. Iran is presently "renowned" by the atrocities against those thinking differently and those violating the regime of ayatollahs. But this time there may be quite a different outcome: Tehran needs participation in Nabucco, and for that reason she would like to look a civilized country in the eyes of the West.

Is The Armenian-Turkish Rapprochement In Jeopardy?, by Liz Fuller,
Radio Free Europe, August 3, 2009 Over the past month, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has expressed frustration on three separate occasions that the Turkish government is apparently backpedaling with regard to its April commitment to seek ways to "normalize" bilateral relations without preconditions. Turkey's response to those statements has been cautiously muted. Sarkisian first publicly called for unconditional rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia over a year before his election as president in February 2008. In September 2008, Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Yerevan at Sarkisian's invitation to watch a soccer match between the two countries' national teams. Then in April, following months of Swiss-mediated talks, it was announced that the two sides had agreed on a "road map" intended to lead to the establishment of formal bilateral relations and to the opening of their common border. The first unconfirmed reports of that impending announcement surfaced in late March and triggered outrage in Azerbaijan, whose leadership had for years argued that any formal agreement by Turkey on closer relations with Armenia should be contingent on key concessions by the latter on the terms for a solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. On June 16, Turkey's Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic told Azerbaijan's APA news agency that no steps had been taken to implement measures outlined in the road map. "Nothing is being done. Nothing has changed," he was quoted as saying. Commenting on July 21 on the apparent stalemate, Richard Giragosian, who heads the Armenian Center for National and International Studies, made the point that "Turkey is surprised: it underestimated the reaction of Azerbaijan and overestimated its own leverage." The lack of progress in implementing the road map, in conjunction with increasing opposition criticism of the most recent draft of the so-called Madrid Principles for resolving the Karabakh conflict, clearly irks Sarkisian. Speaking in Yerevan on July 6 following talks with visiting Cypriot President Demetris Christofias, Sarkisian said, "we want to eliminate closed borders remaining in Europe and to build normal relationships without preconditions. But in that endeavor, we do not intend to allow [anyone] to use the negotiating process for misleading the international community." Three weeks later, on July 28, Sarkisian implied that he might refrain from traveling to Turkey in October as planned to watch the return soccer match unless Ankara takes "constructive steps" to "create a proper environment" for that visit. "I will leave for Turkey if we have an open border [by then] or stand on the brink of the lifting of the blockade of Armenia," Sarkisian said. Then on July 30, at a meeting with young diaspora Armenians, Sarkisian explicitly rejected attempts to link the desired normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations to progress in resolving the Karabakh conflict. Sarkisian recalled that Armenia had "found the strength" to extend a hand in friendship to Turkey despite the legacy of the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. He said that "Armenia and Turkey have been conducting negotiations for a whole year, we have reached agreement on two documents, but now certain Turkish political forces are trying to put forward preconditions and link the establishment of diplomatic relations with Armenia to the Karabakh conflict and to Armenian-Azerbaijani relations." Sarkisian acknowledged that Turkey is a large and influential country. But he warned at the same time that "we Armenians are an independent nation, and it is inadmissible to talk to us in the language of preconditions. Any tough step brings about a counterreaction." He did not elaborate. Some Turkish commentators have suggested that such statements by Sarkisian could jeopardize the rapprochement process. But Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu took a softer position, saying that the "cold war" in bilateral relations is over and that the two countries no longer regard each other as enemies. Davutoglu said he considers it unlikely that Sarkisian will cancel his plans to visit Turkey in October.

Whistleblower Asked To Testify In Ohio Genocide Denial Case
WASHINGTON—Attorneys for FBI whistleblower Sibel D. Edmonds have requested that Attorney General Holder review the state secrets privilege invoked in her case and reverse the decision made under former President Bush. This will free her to testify on behalf of Democratic Congressional candidate David Krikorian, in connection with a complaint initiated by Genocide denier Rep. Jean Schmidt before the Ohio Elections Commission Edmonds was illegally fired from the FBI due to her protected disclosures. An independent investigation by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General confirmed the serious misconduct committed by the FBI and the illegality of her termination. On or about October 18, 2002 the previous administration invoked the state secrets privilege in order to have Ms. Edmonds’s whistleblower/First Amendment claims dismissed and to protect the government from embarrassment. Edmonds has now been requested to provide sworn deposition and affidavit testimony in a case pending before the Ohio Elections Commission in the Schmidt v. Krikorian case. This case raises nationally significant issues of electoral fraud and violation of law. The state secrets privilege has stifled Ms. Edmonds for the past seven years, and this deposition will be the first time that she will put her knowledge on the record. Schmidt has brought charges against her likely Democratic opponent in the 2010 election for what she claims are false statements made by Krikorian in connection with Schmidt’s vocal opposition to Congressional measures to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. During the last election cycle, Schmidt received more than $30,000 in contributions from individuals and political action committees advancing the Turkish government’s position to deny the fact of the Armenian Genocide and oppose Congressional measures to commemorate what is widely acknowledged as the first Genocide of the twentieth century. The trial on Schmidt’s charges is scheduled for August 13 before the Ohio Elections Commission. Since her election to Congress, Jean Schmidt has become an active and vocal apologist for the Turkish government’s position on the Armenian Genocide and has solicited and received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Turkish Americans and affiliated political action committees. David Krikorian has been working to expose the connection between Schmidt’s actions as a Member of Congress and her political contributions. “Jean Schmidt’s active participation in the Turkish Government’s campaign to deny and cover up this internationally recognized crime against humanity is well documented and readily traceable” said said Mark Geragos who will serve as the lead attorney on the case. “Schmidt’s mertiless complaint against David is yet another attempt by the Turkish Government and its apologists to intimidate those with the audacity to speak the truth about this ongoing human right violation. David Krikorian understands that the Turkish Government’s attempt to suppress the truth about the most heinous crime known to humankind transcends the interests of Armenian Americans and is a cause for concern to all those of good conscience. David is a man of principle and despite Schmidt’s specious allegations, remains undeterred in his resolve to bring this important human rights issue to light,” added Geragos. Given the pendency of this case and the request for her testimony, the National Whistleblowers Legal Defense and Education Fund requested that the Attorney General immediately and independently review the basis upon which that privilege was initially invoked, and formally and in writing withdraw that privilege. At the time of this release, two separate deadlines for the Department of Justice to respond to the attorney’s letter had passed, and consequently the deposition has been scheduled for Saturday. Although a request was hand delivered to the Department of Justice, the Attorney General’s office informed counsel that they were having difficulty locating it. According to Stephen M. Kohn, the Executive Director of the National Whistleblowers Center and one of Ms. Edmonds’s attorneys, “The Obama administration must take a fresh look at how the state secrets privilege was improperly used to hide government misconduct from the public view. The Edmonds case was the first case the ‘privilege’ was invoked, and it must be the first case the ‘privilege’ is revoked. The government’s misguided attempt to cover up wrongdoing by abusing the state secrets privilege to bully a whistleblower must end. Ms. Edmonds has been requested to provide testimony in court. She will do so unless the government again invokes the privilege to quash her First Amendment rights.” Edmonds’s deposition is scheduled for Saturday, August 8, at 10:30am. It will be held at the National Whistleblowers Center at 3238 P. St. NW, Washington, DC. The event is open to the press. /Asbarez/

1915 Genocide And Spanish Inquisition Are Related,
August 2 2009 "The Spanish Inquisition was a central topic; the tortures were studied in excruciating detail" by us. This note from Roy Tov, a former Israeli citizen, requires clarification and comment: Inquisition was at first instituted in order to torture those Jews who for appearances sake were converted to Catholicism but in reality they kept practicing their Jewish religion in secret. There were some from so-called Marranos who were not sincere in their conversion to Catholisism, the inquisition (the head of Inquisition in Spain was actually a Jew converted to Catholicism) tortured those when they got their hands on them. Recently I watched a movie about the life of the Spanish painter GOYA, there it was shown the sad lamentable role of the Inquisition, indeed a very tragic fate has fallen upon those fake converts. As to us Armenians, this fact concerns us very much. When the Empire of the Khazar Turks in southern Russia fell in 9th century AC, those Turks immigrated and run toward the west, even as far as to Spain. The Ottoman Empire came much later on, the Byzantine Empire, which was an ally of the Russians rejected those Khazar Turks also. The Romans, after destroying Jerusalem in 70 AC did not exile the Israelites, exiling was not the custom of the Romans, as an Israeli historian mentioned those fact recently in a best-seller book published in Israel. Most of those belonging to the Jewish religion in Europe were those Khazar Turks, plus some native non-Turkish population of Europe who took Judaism as a religion. Most of the real Israelites remained in the Middle East and they did voluntary convert to Christianity and to Islam. Now when Spain expelled its Jewish population in 15th century, those Spanish Jews, mostly of Khazar Turkish origins, came to Italy then to Salonika of Greece which was part of the Ottoman Empire. Some of those Spanish Jews of Salonika converted to Islam, after a Jewish prophet Sabatai Zevi from Izmir, Turkey, who was forced to convert to Islam by the Sultan or be beheaded. He converted to Islam along with his followers. Later on, those followers organized the Young Turks movement who were in power in Turkey during the Armenian Genocide. They were Muslims, known by the Turks as Domne, they were not sincere in their conversion, and mostly they were from those expelled from Spain centuries ago being of Khazar Turkish origins, secretly they practiced a kind of satanic occultic religion that was a blend of Judaism-Islam-Sufism-Kabbala and the worship of Baal. Those Young Turks confessed and prided themselves that they have studied every torture method practiced by the Inquisition, they said so to Henry Morgenthau, the American ambassador, who put that confession in his famous book about our genocide. Those Young Turks were after revenge, revenge, revenge, for all the torture that Christian Catholicism did to their kin. Eye for eye, blood for blood, torture for torture; that was their motto. They found Christian Armenians to take their revenge upon them and they carefully planned it for decades; Sultan Abdul Hamid, the red sultan, was their puppet, but the Sultan previous to Hamid was a pro-Armenian and a protector of the Armenians. http://jewishracism.com/

Armenian Translations To Take Turkish Lit Across Borders,
August 4, 2009, Vercihan Ziflioğlu, Yerevan - Hürriyet Works by leading poets of contemporary Turkish literature will be translated for the first time into Armenian. The project will be backed the Turkish Culture Ministry's Translation Subvention Project Armenian translations to take Turkish lit across borders Armenia is taking a radical step: From now on, not only the works of authors who sympathize with the Armenian problem but also the leading names in Turkish literature will be translated into Armenian. As part of a project coordinated by Yerevan State University and Armenian Authors’ Union member, poet, critic and interpreter Professor Arthur Antranikyan, more than 20 poets who have left their mark on Turkish literature will be translated into Armenian by a commission of specialists. Armenian readers will have access to works by well-known Turkish poet Orhan Veli Kanık, who played a leading role in modernizing Turkish poetry, in the form of a 300-page special selection. Turkish support via TEDA project “Let’s realize this project together. We can’t overcome our problems unless we know each other. We need to jointly contribute to this project. I am waiting for support from you,” said Antranikyan, calling on the Turkish Culture Ministry and Turkish artists. The Turkish Culture Ministry Translation Subvention Project, or TEDA, coordinator and Publications Deputy General Manager Ümit Yaşar Gözüm said they were ready to support the project. “This project is important in helping the two publics become closer,” he said. “We are ready to make things easier for Armenia for copyright matters. We can start working once we receive the applications.” Turkish literature through Russian The people of Armenia experienced Turkish literature for the first time during the period of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. They read Turkish works in Russian. It did not change after the union dissolved because the Russian language is still significant in all of the republics, which acquired their independence in the beginning of the 1990s. In recent years, interest in their mother tongue has increased in the young republics of the Caucasus, which started to turn their face to the Western world. Although the old generations did not abandon their tradition and attempted to keep Russian culture alive, the new generation has already given signals of change. ‘I wish Pamuk was shown interest in my country due to his literary value’ Interest in Turkish literature has increased in Armenia in recent years; many books have been translated into Armenian. The most recent one was Nobel laureate author Orhan Pamuk’s “Kar” (Snow). The book was translated with the initiation of the Hamazgayin Education and Culture Institute in Yerevan. But the most important detail here is that almost all authors whose books are translated into Armenian are those who sympathize with the Armenian problem. Antranikyan criticized the special interest in Pamuk: “Pamuk is a master, and the Nobel Prize is the biggest evidence to that. The reason Armenia shows a special interest in Armenia is evident. I wish Pamuk was shown interest in my country for his literary value.” Pamuk’s statements such as, “One million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds have been murdered on this land,” before he won the Nobel Prize were applauded by Armenia and diaspora. Antranikyan calls for common sense Because of threats that he received after his statements, Pamuk did not talk about the issue again, causing confusion among the Armenian community. Although he doesn’t mention names, Antranikyan defends the idea that some Turkish authors take advantage of the Armenian problem for their own benefit in order to make their names heard internationally. He said this manner made the already troubled Turkish-Armenian relations more complicated. “It cannot be denied that people have suffered too much. But we must think of our own people more than our personal interests and act with common sense,” he said. Turkish, Armenian interaction Antranikyan made some Turkish literature translations from Russian to Armenian in the 1980s. He said the project on which he worked had been shaped in those years, adding that as part of his project, he also searched for the effects of contemporary Turkish literature on Armenian literature in Istanbul. Based on his research, Antranikyan said common themes like “otherness” and “alienage” existed both in Turkish and Armenian literature, and they had a strong interaction with each other. “Orhan Veli Kanık’s effects on Istanbul Armenian poems especially cannot be denied,” he said. He said he attached great significance to translating Turkish literature into Armenian. “This project will be realized by any means,” he said. “Another step of this project will be translating Armenian literature into Turkish. I will form a commission and work with members of the Turcology department from Yerevan State University.”

‘Peace Passage’ Over Aras River,
August 3, 2009, Vercihan Ziflioğlu, Yerevan - Hürriyet Armenia is calling on Turkey to help build a 'peace passage' over the Aras River. Former deputy culture minister of Armenia, Gagik Gürcüyan, talks about the history of the restoration process for the Surp Haç (Saint Cross) Church on Akdamar island in the eastern city of Van. Armenia has called on Turkey to help build a “peace passage” between the two countries. The president of the Armenia International Council of Monuments and Sites, and former deputy culture minister of Armenia, Gagik Gürcüyan, has proposed restoring the millennia-old bridge at the Ani ruins. Located on both sides of the Aras River, with one end in Turkey and the other in Armenia, his idea was to reopen the bridge as a peace passage between the two countries. Gürcüyan, who served as deputy minister from 2004 to 2009, explained the details of the restoration process for the historic Surp Haç Church on Akdamar Island in Lake Van in the eastern district of Gevaş. First official contact with Armenia “Everyone thinks the dialogue process between Turkey and Armenia started last year during the national football game. This is a big mistake,” Gürcüyan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. He said the first official contact between the two countries started during the restoration process of the Surp Haç Church by former culture minister Atilla Koç. “Right after the general elections in Turkey in 2007, Koç was left out of the new Cabinet. If he remained in the Cabinet, he would have started the first official contact with his Armenian counterparts for the restoration of the Ani ruins. It was bad luck,” he said. Controversial cross at the Patriarchate Gürcüyan, who is also an architect, has closely followed the restoration process of the church. He said the restoration was flawless, but that the cross was not put on top of the historic church because the media in both countries had politicized the issue. “The manner of media made the process tense. The issue was brought into the political arena. Otherwise the cross would have been put in its former place.” Gürcüyan said the cross that was delivered to the Turkish Armenian Patriarch Mesrop Mutafyan was a true copy of the original. He said he believed the cross would be put in its original place in the near future. Armenian draft in world congresses The joint restoration work to be carried out for the Ani Ruins could make great contributions to Turkish–Armenian relations, Gürcüyan said. “First of all we can restore the ruined bridge over the Aras River. We can connect the two countries thanks to this bridge and call it a peace passage,” he said. He said UNESCO had come up with the same idea 10 years ago but was not able to fulfill it. “As the ministry, we sent a letter to Turkey via the Moscow Embassy saying that we were ready to realize this project. It was the beginning of the 2000s and the Armenian draft was highlighted in world congresses. This is why the project was stopped.” Yerevan and St. Petersburg documents Russians carried out the most comprehensive work on the Ani Ruins from 1896 to 1918, according to Gürcüyan. He said an Armenian scientist Toros Toramanyan joined the research and the resulting documents were collected at the St. Petersburg Royal Academy and in the Armenian National Archives. There were hundreds of drawings, documents and information in the archived documents, Gürcüyan said. “We are ready to share all types of documents for the restoration of the Ani Ruins to be finished in the shortest time and in the best way. We want to be a part of the restoration process,” he said.

Human Stories Through Objectives Of Armenian, Azerbaijani And Georgian Youth
August 2, 2009 Vercihan Ziflioğlu Istanbul - Hürriyet The communication between Armenian and Azerbaijani people is almost nonexistent. Realizing this problem, the Internews organization started in 1995 to implement joint projects between the countries. The target was children and youth, and the result was a project named 'Dialogue Through Film' Human stories through objectives of Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian youth Youth from Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijani and Nagorno-Karabakh have gathered to film human stories as part of a project called “Dialogue Through Film.” The goal is to remove prejudices between societies. Mutual talks have been ongoing to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Although politicians tell international audiences that positive steps are being taken toward a solution, Armenia’s current situation does not live up to expectations. Much time and patience is needed to find a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem despite all interventions. Communication between Armenian and Azerbaijani people is almost nonexistent. This situation makes the abyss between them deeper. Realizing this problem, the Internews Media Support Organization in Armenia started talks with Azerbaijan in 1995 to implement joint projects for children and youth. Internews got positive answers from its Azerbaijani partner, the Internews Public Association, and Georgia has now been included in the project, too. Armenian, Georgian and Azerbaijani children were brought together in Georgia and Turkey. Later on, the youth living under the Nagorno-Karabakh administration were included in the 14-year-old project. TV in both countries vetoes Karabakh project “We put effort into our people’s conciliation. This is why children and youth are very important,” project manager Nouneh Sarkissian told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. Young people between 13 and 25 are eligible for the project. They make short films and documentaries featuring human stories from their own countries. The films are broadcast on Armenian, Azerbaijan and Georgian televisions. Sarkissian said they had encountered a problem on the Karabakh side of the project, adding that films made there for the project were not shown in Armenia and Azerbaijan. She said they found a solution with their Azerbaijani partners and distributed films on DVD. Youth come together in Georgia and Turkey Talking about the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, Sarkissian said Russia played a big role in deepening the problem. “If Armenia and Azerbaijan had declared their independence when the Karabakh problem occurred, the problem would not have been so deep. The USSR had a big role in bringing the Karabakh problem to a dead end,” she said. She said Armenian and Azerbaijani youth could not visit each other because of the current situation and this is a big deficiency. This is why they often come together in Georgia and Turkey. Azerbaijani youth make Turkish translation for Armenian youth Sarkissian said that together with young people in the project, they had come to the Mediterranean city of Antalya’s Kemer district for one-week summer camp the previous year. “During a long and tiresome trip, the youth became friends on the bus. The Azerbaijani youth translated the Turkish for the Armenians during the week. They are still in contact.” Sarkissian said they also planned to launch similar projects between Turkey and Armenia in the near future. “We believe in the significance of our project and are determined to continue with a strong belief,” she said.

Expert: Border Gate Opening To Rupture Turkish Ideology,
Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am Aug 7 2009 Armenia Armenian-Turkish border gate opening and resumption of bilateral relations might bust stereotypes and taboos set in Turkish people's minds, Noravank Foundation expert Ruben Melkonyan told journalists August 7. "Armenian-Turkish border gate opening might exert significant influence over Turkish people's obsessed minds," Melkonyan said. According to him, the border opening might incite crisis and ideology-based Turkish society will 'rupture'. Expert considers that Armenian-Turkish communities' dialogue is currently more significant than the establishment of interstate relations. Melkonyan considers Turkish society encounters difficulties in perceiving the truth and this is greatly assisted by Turkish mass media: "Turkish media unlike Armenian supports Governmental position on Armenian-Turkish issue." Minor part of Turkish society is willing to establish a direct contact with Armenians, however in Armenia the contrary is the case: "There is a moderate and superficial approach to this issue in the society. Armenians have unmindful toward the prospects of Armenian-Turkish rapprochement."

Dashnak Leader Sees Increased Pressure On Armenia Irina Hovannisian,
Armenialiberty.org http://www.azatutyun.am Aug 7 2009 Turkey's preconditions for normalizing relations with Armenia have left Yerevan under stronger international pressure to make concessions in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a senior member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) said on Friday. Giro Manoyan said the United States and other mediating powers are pressing the conflicting parties to sign up to their basic principles of a Karabakh settlement before an October 14 football match in Turkey which Ankara hopes will be attended by President Serzh Sarkisian. "Their haste is in effect related to Turkey's precondition that it will not sign a [normalization] agreement with Armenia until there is progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue," Manoyan told RFE/RL. "As far as Karabakh is concerned, this haste is against Armenian interests because it does not stem from the logic of the conflict's resolution." Dashnaktsutyun, which pulled out of Sarkisian ruling coalition in April, is strongly opposed to the framework peace accord drafted by the American, French and Russian mediators co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group. The nationalist party has also been highly critical of Armenia's rapprochement with Turkey that was initiated by Sarkisian. The dialogue between the two nations gained momentum when Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Yerevan last September to watch the first-ever game between the two countries' national soccer teams. Sarkisian has made clear that he will not travel to Turkey for their return match this fall unless Ankara takes "real steps" to reopen the Turkish-Armenian border. Novruz Mammadov, a top aide to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, likewise claimed earlier this week that the Karabakh mediators have stepped up pressure on the Armenian side not least because of the Turkish-Armenian dialogue. The Armenian Foreign Ministry brushed aside the claim. Visiting Turkey on Thursday, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin reaffirmed his country's stated commitment to ending the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. But he said Moscow can not force either party to go along with the compromise deal. "We will by all means assist in finding agreements and compromises that will lead to a final and complete settlement of the conflict," Putin told a news conference in Ankara.

Aram Safaryan For Armenia-Turkey Dialogue,
Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am Aug 7 2009 Armenia "I share the position of RA President as it reflects the opinion of political circles. We are for the establishment of diplomatic relations with Turkey without any preconditions. The negotiations should be completed in due time. It is our common position and I am confident it is firm," Prosperous Armenia MP Aram Safaryan told NEWS.am. Serzh Sargsyan has recently stated that he will not go to watch Turkey-Armenia football match if the border gate is closed or in the process of doing so. Safaryan considers that Turkish authorities link Armenian-Turkish rapprochement with the progress in Karabakh peace process. "They say Armenian-Turkish relations' improvement is improbable without progress in the Karabakh conflict settlement. I find Sarsyan's position principle and I am for further negotiations with both neighboring countries. I believe that efficient participation in the process speaks for Armenia's image in the international scene."

Turkish Society Has Formed A Negative Image Of Armenians
07.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Turkish society has formed a rather negative image of Armenians, and the problem has very deep roots. Turkish society's negative attitude to Armenians is worsened by official ideology and relevant school curricula,' Turkish studies expert Ruben Melkonyan, lecturer at YSU Turkology chair, told today a news conference. Answering journalists' question as to what steps Turkey's Armenian community makes to improve the situation, the speaker noted that Turkish-Armenians did not make any steps to improve the distorted image of Armenians, despite being good citizens of that country. Any Turkish-Armenian taking a tough stance will first of all become a target for Turkish society and state system, Melkonyan said, referring to "Agos" daily's Editor-in-Chief Hrant Dink's assassination by a Turkish nationalist on January 19, 2007. The Armenian community in Turkey is in a grave condition and fears to raise the issue of its national identity, the expert said. "That's because primate of Armenian Apostolic Church in Constantinople is seriously ill, and Archbishop Aram Ateshyan who replaces him lacks enough charisma to unite Turkish-Armenians," Melkonyan said.

Armenians Have Superficial Knowledge About Turkey
07.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Turkish schools begin their classes with a prayer which contains Ataturk's well-known slogan saying, 'I am happy to be a Turk'," Lecturer at YSU Turkology chair Ruben Melkonyan told a news conference in Yerevan. In a multi-national state like Turkey, such slogan sounds very chauvinistic and pursues assimilatory goals, Melkonyan said, adding that a law firm in Diarbekir has applied to the Constitutional court with a request of declaring the oath anti-constitutional. Armenian expert attached special importance to that, considering that such kind of protests may help Turkey overcome existing taboos. Mr. Melkonyan also finds that Turkish state's ideology sometimes escalates to nationalism. "In that context, border opening and establishment of ties can be considered effective tools for eliminating such taboos," he stressed. Establishment of Armenian-Turkish ties may cause crisis in Turkish society, with ethnic identity being a key issue, Melkonyan finds. "Opinions in Turkish society vary, but I am deeply convinced that the radical position is prevalent," Armenian expert said, noting that Armenians have superficial knowledge about Turkey, and take a very soft and incautious approach to border opening.

Armenian Criminal World Not To Avoid "Global War"
07.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian writer Sergey Galoyan, author of 26 books, has finished his recent book about Vyacheslav Kirillovich Ivankov, a Russian "underworld lord" (nickname: Yaponchik). It took the author 10 years to write the book, as he said today during a meeting with journalist. Touching upon the recent assault committed against Ivankov on July 28, the writer characterized it as an attempt to intimidate Yaponchik. "Heaven forbid if Ivankov died. If that happens, criminals all over the world will start a 'global war', because the sphere of their activity covers the whole planet, from America to Japan, and Armenia will not manage to avoid the war." There are 592 "underworld lords all over the world, Galoyan said, stressing the seriousness of their role in "governing states and actually the entire planet." On July 28, Vyacheskav Ivankov (Yaponchik), one of the best-known figures of the criminal world, was assaulted in Moscow. The "underworld lord" was hospitalized in grave condition. In early 1990's, Yaponchik was considered a mafia leader in US, FBI reports. However, accused of extorting money from Chara bank, he was later sentenced to a long-term imprisonment.

Turkish Media Reflects Government's Position On Armenian-Turkish Relations
07.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish media influences formation of public opinion, according to specialist in Turkic philology Ruben Melkonyan. "Newspapers spread a great number of printed copies, which are well sold. At that, Turkish media reflects the government's position on Armenian-Turkish relations," he told a news conference today. "This helps formation of a unanimous public opinion on the issue," Melkonyan said.

First "Pass" To Turkey Was Made By Levon Ter-Petrosyan
07.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Serzh Sargsyan is not to blame for Turkey's permitting itself to discuss NKR issue. Using football terminology, one could say the first "pass" to Turkey was made by RA first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, and not Serzh Sargsyan. The blame must not be shifted on current RA President, politologist Sergey Shakaryants told a news conference in Yerevan. "Some might have forgotten, but still, Turkey is a member of MG OSCE, NKR conflict settlement mediator, so Turkey can't be forbidden from discussing NKR-related issues with other Presidents," RA politologist noted. "Levon Ter-Petrosyan seems to love Turkey. But then, we're living in a democratic country," the politologist emphasized. "Turkey is no more what is was once. If earlier Turkey was a strong state, which could allow itself to advise Armenia on different issues, currently it is in rather deplorable state and allows itself to be manipulated," Shakaryants noted.

Opening Of Armenian-Turkish Border Depends On A "Small Country"?
07.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey's decision to reconstruct an Armenian Church and even hoist a cross on it will not influence the process of reconciliation between the two countries, an Armenian expert said. "The Church will not function since it will have no flock," Sevak Sarukhanyan, deputy director of Noravank research center, told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. As to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's recent statement that he will attend the football match in Turkey this October only in case the border is open, it's quite justified, according to him. "It's clear that Turkey is not going to open this border. This move does not depend on Turkey or Europe. It depends on a "small country" named Azerbaijan," Sarukhanyan underscored. "Azerbaijan doesn't stop blackmailing Turkey. That is why the Armenian-Turkish relations see no progress," he said.

Armenia Can Join Nabucco?
07.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Inclusion of almost all countries of the region in South Stream and Nabucco projects does not mean that Armenia is isolated, according to Sevak Sarukhanyan, deputy director of Noravank research center. "Armenia's participation in South Stream is unreal. However, I can't say the same about Nabucco," he told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. "If Iran joins Nabucco, Armenia's participation in the project is not ruled out." Sarukhanyan also said that Armenia's exclusion from these projects will not affect the country's economy.

Russian-Turkish Dynamic Relations Not To Affect Armenia
07.08.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The meeting between Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan proved very efficient for Moscow, an Armenian expert said. "Russia succeeded in engaging Turkey into South Stream. This move will whip up the U.S. and Europe to launch new projects," Sevak Sarukhanyan, deputy director of Noravank research center, told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. He also said that Russian-Turkish dynamic relations will not affect Armenia. "Russia will always be interested in Armenia. Armenian-Russian relations are not linked to Russian-Turkish terms," he said

Armenia's Not Making Concessions Complicates Negotiating Process: U.S Expert
Today.az Aug 6 2009 Major problem regarding settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is that Armenia does not make required concessions which complicates negotiating process, said research assistant of International Security Program and research director on Caspian studies project in the Belfer center Brenda Shaffer. She said that bilateral visits of Armenia-Azerbaijan intellectuals to Nagorno-Karabakh are important. "But people fail to solve this problem without support of great powers. I mean countries with interests in the region. They must have impact on Armenia. But they have not made it yet," Shaffer said. "By laying all responsibility on sides of conflict great powers even more freeze negotiation process," the expert said. For example, Shaffer said Russia can impact on Armenia in exchange for peace with Azerbaijan. "But Shaffer does not see any active actions in this sphere. Meetings of presidents in Russia are organized to create vision that there is any action."

Rapprochement Between Turkey And Russia Can Positively Affect Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Settlement: Former Analyst Of Turkish National Intelligence Organization,
Journal of Turkish Weekly Aug 6 2009 Former analyst of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization considers that rapprochement between Turkey and Russia can positively affect the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. "I think that Erdogan and Putin will discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict behind closed doors and rapprochement between Turkey and Russia can positively affect the solution of the conflict," former analyst of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization, Mahir Kaynak, told Trend News by telephone from Ankara on August 6. The Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin is on a visit to Turkey today, Turkish CIHAN news agency reported. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7 districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations. Kaynak considers that non-settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an obstacle for Turkey's policy in Caucasus. Turkey proposed to establish Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform to ensure stability and cooperation in the Caucasus on the backdrop of the Georgia-Russia conflict in Aug. 2008. "Turkey's balanced policy towards Azerbaijan and Armenia in Caucasus is accepted by both sides with jealousness," Kaynak said. He considers that Turkey's success in its Caucasus policy is possible only after the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Do you have feedback? Contact our journalist at: trend@trend.az

Turkish National Assembly Blocks Distribution Of Genocide Book To Members, By Ayse Gunaysu
Armenian Weekly columnist Ayse Gunaysu reports from Istanbul on yet another effort by the Turkish Grand National Assembly to stifle discussion about the Blue Book. The delivery of the Blue Book to the members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) has been rejected by the Speaker of the TGNA. The 550 copies of the new authorized Turkish translation of “The Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire 1915-1916,” a 1916 publication of the British Parliament known as the Blue Book, had been individually packed and addressed to each member of the TGNA after the launch of the book in Ankara by Lord Avebury, vice-chair of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group and Ara Sarafian, director of the Gomidas Institute, on June 26, 2009. The 550 copies were returned to the printing house. Delivery through a cargo company in Ankara was later arranged. The Turkish edition of Blue Book released in Ankara was published by the Gomidas Institute (London), which had also published the uncensored editions of the original 1916 publication, edited and with an introduction by Ara Sarafian, in 2000 and 2005 respectively. A report published in the August 5 issue of the daily Hurriyet revealed the truth behind the TGNA’s refusal of the books. In a news item by Hurriyet correspondent Sefa Kaplan, Sukru Elekdag is quoted to have said that it was he who called Speaker Koksal Toptan (the deputy of the ruling AKP) and told him not to give permission for the distribution of the books. Here is how Sukru Elekdag justified his action: “Toynbee had himself confessed that the book was a collection of lies. I consider it my duty to stop the delivery of the books. I don’t think that this is censorship. It is inappropriate to let a book which is nothing but a propaganda tool distributed and promoted.” Sukru Elekdag said he hadn’t received any invitation from Sarafian but he is ready to discuss the Blue Book issue with Sarafian either in England or in Turkey. Ragip Zarakolu, the owner of the Belge Publishing House and the Vice-Chair of the Human Rights Association in Turkey, organized the delivery of the books through a cargo company. He said the ban on the book by the Speaker of TGNA was a scandal and a usurpation of the right of MP’s to exercise their free will. Zarakolu said they will send the copies to the home addresses of the TGNA members. Contacted by phone, Ara Sarafian commented, “Elekdag is concerned about his own legacy. He has misled and compromised the TGNA on the Blue Book issue for many years. Now he wants to stop his colleagues from finding out what he has done. We will invite Elekdag to a public meeting and hold him accountable for his views.” Sukru Elekdag is a retired ambassador and the architect of Turkey’s domestic and international strategy against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. He was the one behind the well-known TGNA letter to the British Parliament, signed by 550 members, demanding the withdrawal of the Blue Book and acknowledgement of the fact that it is nothing but a war-time propaganda tool, a “fabrication.” For more information about the blue book issue, including copies of the invitations sent to Elekdag and his colleagues for a dialogue regarding the Blue Book see www.gomidas.org. Asbarez/

Hatred For The Armenians Will Lead Baku To Nothing Good
04.08.2009 It is no longer a secret that the highest echelons of Azerbaijan "lack understanding" of what exactly the President wants. What Ilham Aliyev has been able to do during the six years of his presidency is the instillation of zoological hatred for the Armenians in the Azeri population. It is done purposefully so that no one would ever doubt who is the real enemy of the Caucasian Tatars, who call themselves Azerbaijanis and copy the history of the whole region in favor of the ambitions of the Aliyev clan. /PanARMENIAN.Net/ One cannot say that this campaign has begun only recently: Ilham Aliyev simply continues the work of his father, who devoted all his life and activity to the extermination of the Armenian cultural and physical presence in the Soviet Socialist Republic of Azerbaijan. Reading over the Azeri press, you arrive at the conclusion that this country is in no way interested in anything else but Armenia. Any information from any part of the world is brought into connection with "insidious" Armenians. All this would be ridiculous, but for one circumstance: population of the neighbouring republic is intensely prepared for a war, which, in the words of Ilham Aliyev, can break out at any moment, since "the patience of the Azerbaijani people is not limitless". It's true that Aliyev has been repeating this sentence for three years already, but now the matter seems to take a serious turn. It is no longer a secret that the highest echelons of Azerbaijan "lack understanding" of what exactly the President wants. On the one hand he makes declarative statements on the return of Karabakh at any price, on the other hand expresses desire to, even so, continue the negotiations. But in order the Aliyev clan would continue to reign in the form of its sultanate, it is necessary that people be kept in the state of constant hysteria. And the best object for this purpose are the Armenians. The clan knows well that as soon as the anti-Armenian hysteria ceases, the population of Azerbaijan will see in what a beggarly state it lives. In fact, all praises about the beauty of Baku and its dynamic development are nothing else but empty words. Here they can reproach us on the fact that we have not been to Baku and it's not us who can judge it. We, certainly, have not been there, but based on some 'unpaid' commentaries we can see in what need our neighbours live, in spite of having hydrocarbons reserves. And if we comment on the possible war, we must admit that the thirst for revenge may bring some success to the Azerbaijani army, but only in the first stage. And the success, in our view, will consist in the fact that the valiant Azeri army will not immediately run away from the battlefield. The blitzkrieg, so much dreamt in Baku, will fail, and the matter is not only the Armenian army, which, irrespective of the number and armor of the Azeri armed forces, will not return a single inch of earth. Aliyev will at best suffer the same fate as Mikhail Saakashvili, who so poorly began and lost the "reestablishment of constitutional order" in the territory of Tbilisi. But there exists also the worst version for the clan: renunciation of the West from all gas projects connected with Azerbaijan. And it is appropriate here to speak of the first alarming bell that has already rang for Baku: the position of Turkmenistan on the status of the Caspian Region. Ashgabat accuses Azerbaijan of misappropriation of oil-gas fields in the central part of the Caspian Sea. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov ordered to address the international experts and high-degree lawyers to learn the Azerbaijan's claims over the disputed fields in the Caspian Sea and legality of the foreign oil-gas companies' operation in those fields and then to send the documents to the International Court of Arbitration. "Such unilateral actions in the Caspian, particularly exploration of the fields without the agreement of the interested parts are unacceptable for Turkmenistan. Based on the principles of the international cooperation, Turkmenistan brought the disputed territories on the agenda of the Turkmen-Azerbaijani negotiations, but there was no agreement. The existent situation is delaying the exploitation of the natural resources of the Turkmen shelf of the Caspian, implementation of the important programs for the economic development of the region and protection of the environmental welfare of the sea and coastal areas," declared! the Pres No matter how hard Baku propaganda and agitation section tries to disavow the statement of Ashgabat and its intention to turn to the International Court of Justice, it is possible to definitely say that Aliyev has run into serious difficulties. Let us also add that the initiators of Nabucco are more interested in the Turkmen gas, than in the Azerbaijani. And if it is actually so, chances of Baku for normal cooperation in natural gas projects and an acceptable for it settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem is put off into a very distant future, or, even, into eternity. This is how matters stand, and Baku knows it better than Yerevan....

Israel Comments On Iran's Influence On Armenia,
news.am Aug 7 2009 Armenia Solely based on media publications, Israel can make no judgment on somebody's actual involvement in anti-Israel terrorist acts in Iran -Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Channel-9 commenting on Corriere della sera's information on Iran's influence expansion in Armenia. The article says Tehran-Yerevan TU-154 aircraft crashed as arms intended for Hezbollah were transported in cargo compartment. "Iran is very active and influential in former Soviet republics, especially in places like Armenia and Tajikistan. This cannot be disregarded. It is still unclear to what extent it has involved these countries in its terrorist activity against Israel, and we cannot base ourselves just on media reports," Lieberman declared. Corriere della sera published an article that arms (including detonators) were transported for Hezbollah in the cargo compartment of Tehran-Yerevan TU-154 aircraft (crashed July 15). According to the source the cargo was heading to Lebanon via Armenia, Turkey, and Syria. Armenian Foreign Ministry called the publication "groundless and ridiculous". "The statement on arms transit through Armenia is nothing but a mean provocation, it is marasmus," said RA FM Spokesman Tigran Balayan. He outlined that Armenia's contribution to struggle against international terrorism has always been appreciated by international community.

Azerbaijan Must Sign A Non-Aggression Pact With Armenia: European Armenian Federation For Justice & Democracy, Bruxelles, 2 August 2009 Brussels, 1st August 2009 - In a call to the OSCE, the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy expressed its profound concern about the danger to the Caucasus security, and in particular to Armenia and its population, resulting from Azerbaijan’s increased arms build-up and militarist policies. The call refers to Azerbaijan’s excessive new investment in military hardware and technology and the policy statements of the Azeri President with respect to peace negotiations concerning the Karabagh conflict, under the aegis of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Given the present realities in Azerbaijan and the threatening posture of the Aliev regime, the Federation concludes that Azerbaijan has violated the fundamental principles of international negotiations by seriously committing itself to the military option while giving lip service to the OSCE process. The Federation strongly urges the Co-Chairs to refocus their efforts, first and foremost, on the grave security threats resulting from Azerbaijan’s current national priorities. Azerbaijan cannot be allowed to negotiate from a position of open belligerence while the Armenian side negotiates in good faith. Indeed, Azerbaijan has multiplied by 1300% its budget for armaments, from 175 Million US dollars in 2004 to 2.5 Billion dollars in 2009. President Aliev’s intensified warmongering declarations are thus substantiated pointing to a real possibility of an Azeri resumption of hostilities. The Federation denounces recent statements made by President Aliev in London, which highlight his refusal of any concession on the Karabagh issue, and his persistence to speak about mere “autonomy” for Karabagh under Azeri sovereignty, a position which, in effect, puts an end to the OSCE negotiations process as it has existed so far. The European Armenian Federation calls on the Co-Chairs to take Azerbaijan’s military ambitions in the region seriously and, therefore, demand solid non-aggression guaranties from the Azeri state prior to any further discussions relating to the Minsk Group agenda. In the present circumstances, a non-aggression pact obligating Azerbaijan to peace is the only meaningful objective for OSCE before any further moves could be considered. “Armenia and the Nagorno Karabagh Republic have a right to secure themselves against the continuing threats from Azerbaijan. Furthermore, the future negotiating process must not exclude the Nagorno Karabagh Republic, as a full-fledged party to the negotiations. The Azerbaijani security threats are first directed at the people of Nagorno Karabagh, which must have its independent say in the process,” stated Hilda Tchoboian, President of the European Armenian Federation.

Renovation Of Armenian Church Of Akhtamar Will Not Affect Normalization Of Armenian-Turkish Relations
by Sevag Saroukhanian 8 August 2009 by Krikor Amirzayan / armenews "We are pleased that Turkey is considering the renovation of the Church of Sainte-Croix Akhtamar and put a cross on the church. But this has no effect on the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, "said Sevag Saroukhanian, vice-president of the Center for Political Research" Norvank. According to S. Saroukhanian, it will be difficult for Turkey to resume the work of the church ... for lack of faithful at the scene. By this action, as the Armenian political scientist "Turkey wants to show an image in the world and say it is for the resumption of Armenian-Turkish relations ... but at the same time it is not really ready to open its borders" . Finally, according to S. Saroukhanian Turkey is under pressure by a small State, Azerbaijan "in order to condition the resolution of the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, the reopening of its border with Armenia. Krikor Amirzayan

Ankara Maneuver Skillfully Between Brussels And Moscow 8 August 2009, Ara / armenews By signing an important energy agreement with Russia on 6 August 2009, similar to that which it had signed with the European Union on July 13, Turkey is positioned at a key on the European energy scene. And earns considerably in political and geopolitical. The visit of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to Turkey on 6 August 2009, was crowned with success "quite unexpected," said the Moscow webzine Vzgliad: twenty first agreements were signed, including twelve in energy. Ankara has agreed to include the gas pipeline South Stream, wanted by Moscow, is in its territorial waters in the Black Sea. The Ankara Agreement was important to be able to Pharaonic site launched a $ 25 billion, led by Russian Gazprom and Italian ENI, which is supposed to allow for 2010 to deliver gas to Europe bypassing Russia by Ukraine. Same satisfaction in the columns of the Turkish daily Milliyet in the plume of Sami Kohen: "If we take into account the many agreements signed and the results that Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan [Turkish Prime Minister] is reached, we can no doubt that the short visit of Vladimir Putin has been the most successful in recent years. " The journalist examines the reasons for the Russian-Turkish rapprochement: "Ankara sees in Russia a powerful country that respects its economic and political interests, as well as its efforts to be a balancing factor in the region. Turkey has also discovered great economic potential in Russia, especially in the areas of trade and tourism. Moscow, for its part, is that Turkey is a country that acts independently and impartially in the region. Its status as a transit country for gas encourages Russia to give it even more important. The atmosphere of distrust has disappeared between the two countries, particularly through the development of economic ties. " Erdal Safak, editor of the daily Sabah, provides another argument. "In August 2008, during the Russo-Georgian war, Moscow has changed its views on Turkey due to the balanced and measured what led Ankara. Perhaps it is a mere coincidence that Putin came to Turkey on the eve of first anniversary of this war, but the message is simple: the relations between Turkey and Russia have changed. " However, the Moscow daily online Gazeta.ru remains cautious: "It is not fully guaranteed that Turkey does not agree" on South Stream, "he wrote. "Ankara might use its good relations with Russia, or to accelerate its entry into the European Union (EU) is to maintain its independence on the international scene, very advantageous in terms of geopolitics." It has not escaped the daily, 13 July 2009, Turkey had signed with the EU energy agreement similar to that of South Stream, but this time, to launch the construction of the Nabucco pipeline, designed to deliver gas from the Caspian Sea to Europe bypassing Russia and thus to allow the EU to reduce its energy dependence vis-à-vis Moscow. "Between South Stream and Nabucco, the Turkish authorities will choose the most advantageous economically and politically," says Gazeta.ru. Gila Benmayion, columnist of the daily Hürriyet, also notes the ambiguity of the situation: "We must not forget that South Stream and Nabucco are projects. The experts stress that, inevitably, one of the projects should be postponed for lack of funding. So why give the green light to a project that endangers Nabucco? " www.courrierinternational.com

Turkish Language Promised A Bright Future
8 August 2009, By Stéphane / Armenews Since 1 January 2008, by decision of the National Audiovisual Council (CNA) programs, films and television news in foreign languages are banned on television Azerbaijan. The language specified in the first place is Russian. Is only "saved" Turkish, "understood by the population" (Azeri belongs to a group of Turkic languages), explains the daily 525-ci Baku Qazet. Now, foreign films will be dubbed in Azeri, and fans of the language of Pushkin that will subscribe to cable and satellite, pleasure is quite expensive. The most virulent critics who doubt the capacity of the national television to produce quality programs and implement a suitable dubbing. The Russian-Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo fustige vulgarity from the small screen: "Do not forget to turn off your TV, because there is nothing to see ... except concerts cheap, people gossip galore and emissions where you ask stupid questions. In contrast, the intellectual game tchto? Gde? Kogda? [What? Where? When?], Russian issue, the most interesting of our audiovisual landscape is threatened ban. Even Imam Ilgar Ibrahimoglou defended the program, including making index, according to him, 'an attempt to hinder the intellectual development of Azeris. " The editor of Zerkalo, Eltchine Chikhlinski, quoted by the news site trilingue Azeri-Russian-English Day.az, warns: "Our fellow Russian who opt for the cable will be under the direct influence of politics Information of Russia. "It's not just the Russians (8% of the population) who are Russian speakers, as recalled Mikhail Zabeline, MP and chairman of the Russian community of Azerbaijan: the new NAC policy also violates the rights of ethnic Azeris who are not fluent in their native language enough - the majority of the population of Azerbaijan is Azeri-Russian bilingual. The President of NAC Nourichevan Maherramli, does not mince words with respect to the Russian: "In seventeen years of independence, the Russian still have not learned to speak and think in Azeri. Worse, they believe to be of great intellectual and azériphones regard as inferior. "This campaign of marginalization of the Russian language comes two months after the holding in November 2007 in Baku, the 11th Congress for the friendship, fraternity and cooperation between the Turkish-speaking countries. Turkic states - Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan - have decided to choose a common language. "By 2010, Turkish is the language of Turkic peoples, which will adopt the Latin alphabet," reports the webzine Central Fergana.ru information.

Sarkisian Urged To Visit Turkey,
05.08.2009, Ruben Meloyan A prominent Armenian opposition politician urged President Serzh Sarkisian on Wednesday to visit Turkey for the second football match of the two countries’ national football teams, saying that failure to accept his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul’s invitation would be an “absolute stupidity.” “In my opinion, going [to Turkey] would be the right thing because even with your enemy you have a normal enmity,” said Hrant Bagratian, a former prime minister and senior member of the main opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK). “We have no right to feel vexed,” he told reporters. “On the line are the interests of the state.” Sarkisian made clear late last month that he will not travel to Turkey and watch the October 14 match with Gul unless Ankara takes “real steps” to reopen the Turkish-Armenian border. He said the two governments agreed on border opening during their year-long dialogue that gained momentum with Gul’s historic September 2008 trip to Yerevan. “It was a boyish statement,” said Bagratian. “Himself started the process. Why is he antagonizing [the Turks] now?” The HAK’s top leader, Levon Ter-Petrosian, and his close associates have repeatedly denounced Sarkisian’s policy on Turkey as a gross failure. Ter-Petrosian has accused Sarkisian of willingly sacrificing U.S. recognition of the Armenian genocide while failing to secure the lifting of the Turkish economic blockade of Armenia. Levon Zurabian, the HAK’s central office coordinator, reaffirmed the criticism on Tuesday. “Turkey has achieved its goal at Armenia’s expense,” he said. Bagratian appeared more sympathetic to the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement, even if he described as a “serious blunder” Sarkisian’s apparent acceptance of a Turkish proposal to form a joint commission that would look into the 1915 mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. “I think Turkey committed a mistake in April-May by violating agreements [reached with Armenia,]” he said. Sarkisian said last week that those agreements envisaged the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations regardless of a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Turkish leaders, however, have repeatedly stated in recent months that their country will not establish diplomatic relations and reopen its border with Armenia before a Karabakh settlement.

Anny Bakalian To Present "Subversive Tourism?
Armenian Pilgrimage To Historic Cilicia" in New York, August 5 NEW YORK -- Dr. Anny Bakalian will present an illustrated talk entitled “Subversive Tourism? Armenian Pilgrimage to Historic Cilicia,” on Wednesday, August 5, 2009, at 7:00 p.m., at Alwan for the Arts, 16 Beaver Street, 4th Floor, New York City. The event will be co-sponsored by Alwan for the Arts and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). Many Armenian Americans have grandparents and great-grandparents who were born in areas of Historic Armenia in present-day Turkey. Cilicia is the western region of their historic homeland, where a nobleman from Greater Armenia founded the Rubenian dynasty in the 11th century along the Mediterranean. King Ruben and others who followed him were staunch allies of Crusaders from Europe. These kingdoms came to be known as Lesser Armenia. The Armenian population was decimated by the pogroms and genocide against Armenians in 1894-96 and 1915-22. By 1923, the only significant Armenian community in Turkey was in Constantinople. The names of the villages and towns of their ancestors are vivid in the memories and personal history of the descendants of Genocide survivors. Yet few have ventured to trace their roots there. This presentation documents the pilgrimage in May-June 2009 of 22 Armenian Americans to Cilicia and environs. The trip was sponsored by the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). Prof. Richard Hovannisian of UCLA was the scholarly guide, putting the landscape and places in a historical context that has disappeared from guides to Turkey. Dr. Bakalian’s presentation documents photographically this experience of “Subversive Tourism”—including many of the reactions the locals had to this group of Armenian tourists returning to the lost lands of their heritage— which for its participants was socially, spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally transformative. Admission to the lecture is free (donations appreciated). For directions visit www.alwanforthearts.org/directions. More information about the lecture is available by calling 617-489-1610, faxing 617-484-1759, e-mailing hq@naasr.org, or writing to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA

The History Of Asala In 800 Pages,
9 August 2006 by Krikor Amirzayan / armenews © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

Are as is "Armenia, do not forget" ( "Haïastan Tche mornank" in Armenian). Written by Vladimir Bedrossian and published in Yerevan, this 800-page book traces the history of the Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA). The book was submitted in early August in the room "Nemesis" in Yerevan. Writing this book was begun in 1994 with the study of archives related to ASALA. "Unfortunately we still lack other sources of archives for a more complete vision of the organization, including those of the FRA Dashnaktsoutioun in Boston who are currently not available (...) Now that the party returned to Armenia, it would be desirable that the archives can also return to Armenia "confided V. Bedrossian in a newspaper interview "AZG" of Yerevan.

Armenians Put Aside The Past And Choose Turkey For Summer Vacation, Marianna Grigoryan
7/27/09 But They Have Such Nice Beaches, Marianna Grigoryan, Transitions Online, http://www.tol.cz/, July 28 2009, Czech Republic Some Armenians call it "a disgrace." Others put it down to price. Turkey’s popular Mediterranean resort town of Antalya ranks as Armenians’ number-one summer vacation destination, travel agents say, and no amount of controversy over Turkish-Armenian ties looks likely to reverse the trend. Yerevan travel agency managers report that, amidst a grueling economic slowdown, Antalya’s reputation for low prices and high-quality customer service outweighs for many customers the fact that it is located within the borders of longtime foe Turkey. Tez Tour’s Armenia office director, Narine Davtian, estimates that by summer’s end her Russian-owned agency will have twice the number of Antalya-bound customers as the 8,000 who chose to travel to the Turkish town in 2008. Armavia’s four direct flights to Antalya each week from Yerevan, a service offered by Tez Tour, are regularly full, she said. "I am a patriot, but let’s not mix tourism and politics," Daytian commented. "No other country can provide the same range [of travel options] and quality. People want a good vacation and they get it." Other travel company managers echo that assessment. "We offer tours to different destinations -- Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Georgia, Jordan -- but the hottest tours are to Antalya in Turkey," said Flight agency manager Marine Ayvazian, who estimated that the town is the choice of 70 percent of Flight’s customers. The government has no data on the number of Armenians who travel to Turkey each summer. Armenian travel agencies, it says, will not share the information, and the lack of diplomatic ties with Turkey means no alternative option for the data exists. But while the notion of swimming in the Mediterranean Sea may appeal to many landlocked Armenians, posters promoting Antalya’s "delightful" sun-drenched beaches only bring to mind politics for others. A youth group associated with the nationalist Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiun has requested the Yerevan mayor’s office remove all street posters advertising Antalya and "to deal seriously" with the issue. The mayor’s office has not yet acted on the request. "Advertisements for a vacation in Antalya are springing up like mushrooms and, instead of spending their vacations in Armenia, people are leaving for Turkey. Is this normal?" complained Haroutiun Melikian, who runs an anti-Antalya protest campaign for the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s Nikol Aghbalian Student Union. "The money that goes to arm and strengthen Turkey [via tourism] could remain in our country and contribute to our own strength," he added. To combat Antalya’s popularity, the Nikol Aghbalian Student Union has hung posters throughout Yerevan that declare that "Armenians who spend their vacation in Antalya are arming the Turkish army." Other placards focus on Ottoman Turkey’s 1915 slaughter of ethnic Armenians, on slain Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink or on Mount Ararat, a symbol of Armenian ethnic identity located within Turkey. "We decided to remind people of something they seem to have forgotten, to sober them up," explained Melikian. Some Yerevan residents heartily second that decision. "Turkey shouldn’t have won us over, since political pressures still persist and the word ’Turk’ is still a curse for us," 34-year-old actor Vahe Nersesian commented. Employees of several government ministries tell EurasiaNet that unwritten rules forbid state employees from spending their vacations in Antalya -- this despite the recent official push towards some form of rapprochement with Turkey. But the disapproval tactic does not always work. "If I have to choose between the high prices of Armenian resorts and an all-inclusive vacation at the seaside in Antalya, I’ll pick the sea for my family and me, especially when the difference in prices makes no sense," commented one Yerevan resident booking an Antalya trip in a travel agency. On average, travel agencies charge as low as $450 per person for a week-long package tour in Antalya, while a similar vacation at Armenia’s Lake Sevan, the mountain resort of Tsaghkadzor or the mineral water spa of Jermuk start at about $700. Yerevan State University psychologist Nelly Haroian believes that, lured by the attractive prices, Armenians are able to put aside misgivings about the past and feel "comfortable" visiting Turkey since "Turks are serving them." Given the crisis-friendly prices for tours to Antalya, expecting any other reaction is not realistic, commented sociologist Aharon Adibekian. "There are many questions linked to national self-esteem, but people are free to decide where to have a vacation and what to do," Adibekian said. The Armenian government says it plans to help with that decision - and beat the competition -- by promoting tours to the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabkah as an alternative to Antalya. "We have no sea, and this is a difficulty. We plan serious steps for developing domestic tourism to Nagorno Karabakh," said Mari Grigoryan, deputy director of the Ministry of Economy’s department of tourism and territorial economic development. "The prices will be reasonable and will counteract those of Turkish resorts," Grigoryan continued. "Travel agencies working in this direction will get serious benefits." She did not elaborate. But, while rich in mountain vistas and historical sites, Nagorno Karabakh, a favorite with Armenian Diaspora groups, has no resort hotels or seaside sunbathing on offer. That brings the question of a summer vacation back to the simple matter of individual choice, Yerevan travel agents argue. "We all are patriots," said Tez Tour’s Daytian. "And spending a vacation in Turkey does not mean being less Armenian." Editor's Note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance journalist based in Yerevan. Comments:

- The Placards Anouncing-Advertising Tours To Antalya Moe Than A Month Ago,Rather Just The Word In Big Letters "Turkey" were on Mashtots Ave. and stayed there hardly a few days-more thana mon th ago -beginning of June and when the mentioned and a lot of people protested, they were brought down...

Mr. Adibekian-a friend of mine-errs...THERE ARE OTHER SOLUTION.BUT BEFORE I GET TO THAT...said Tourist Agency was also pafrticipating with a stand in June in a Fair called Entertain ment and vacations ..to that efffect...

In short they had already perpetrated in the Touristic business of Armenia (while, most Armenians ,including my friend,were having a siesta..)

This trend started a few yrs ago..when at the Foreign Ministry ,the equivalent of now rep.of Diaspora relations´functionary´s son a 20 yr old kid-when taking me to his uncle´s modest farm ,commented ,when I told him a gov. civil servant had told me about it and boasted that he had gone and enjoyed stay at Antalya at low prices...and I quote" Esh en" they are donkies, implying those who go..

This 3 yrs ago...I am in Yerevan for a stint of 2.5 months beginning April and a girl a t a Travel aGency confirmed that to0 me that many young girls(unfortunately ...go their for sun bathing and swimming" and... I cut her short asking you mean those who go for "the oldest trade" she said "unfortunately No".These are not of that type , but good educated and non-profit seeking ones..but once there, they get(some of them) involved with handsome turkish youngmen and ..get married...

You see, Armenians¨ "Khlke Oush gouka"..and the turkish mindset is there to ACT FAST.. .

- I am not condemning nor condoning, just saying . . .Armenians eat Turkish food, wear Turkish cloths, watch Turkish TV, . . . have human trafficking to Turkey . . . What can I say?

Sargsyan’s Statement Will Be Eyed By Turkish Government As Diplomatic Discourtesy: Turkish Expert, Panarmenian, 30 July 2009 © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s statement on possible cancellation of his visit to Turkey has aroused discontent in Ankara. “I think this statement can damage Turkish-Armenian reconciliation,” Aybars Gorgulu, Assistant Program Advisor of TESEV FPP said. “Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Armenia without preconditions. At that, Mr. Sargsyan’s statement will be eyed by the Turkish government as diplomatic discourtesy," he said. "Such ultimatums do not help resolution of problems.” “If the Armenian President cancels his visit, Ankara will become more reluctant to normalize relations with the neighboring country,” he said, adding that Turkish opposition also slammed Serzh Sarsgyan’s statement.

"Bank Ottomane" Exciting Historical Novel, Alexander Topchyan,
26 July 2009, Krikor Amirzayan / armenews The capture of the Ottoman Bank on 26 August 1896 by a group of Armenians Fedayi members of the FRA Dashnagtsoutioun is a major historical event. The writer and literary critic Alexander Topchyan who lives with his wife and actress Yerevan Anahit between Paris and back on this episode of history. His novel "Otoman Bank (" Bank Ottomane ") published in Armenian in Yerevan (éditions" Gasprint, 2008) places the story within the reach of all players, giving a new vision and romanticized panting. Number of revelations or forgotten moments of this crucial episode in the history of Armenia are available to readers. Of these elements, we noted the case of the parrot of Sultan Abdul-Hamid II sadly known for the massacre of 300 000 Armenians. On the occasion of the celebrations which were to be given to Yildiz Palace on the occasion of 20th anniversary of the arrival at the Sublime Porte of the "Red Sultan", the parrot was the sultan pronounce a sentence praising the greatness of the Sultan ... Alexandre Topchyan but reveals only a few days of ceremonies, the bird suddenly died. Panic at the palace, the Sultan sent an urgent request to his ambassadors to get a new parrot can talk. The Ottoman ambassador to London arrived to find a parrot. But with very poor English, Turkish diplomat will not be able to distinguish that the sentences imposed by the parrot are actually insults ... and nobody dares around the Sultan's words translate this parrot for fear of 'his head was cut off ... From historical facts and details that have made history, Alexandre Topchyan takes the reader spellbound from first to last page of the novel. At a time when the Armenian community regrets the disappearance of the Armenian newspaper "Haratch" reading books in Armenian could somewhat contribute to bridging the deficit of the alphabet Machdots while encouraging literary Armenian Yerevan. "Ottoman Bank (Editions" Gasprint ", Yerevan 2008) Alexandre Topchyan novel, published in 500 copies. Also available from the author. Mail: atoptchian@hotmail.com. Krikor Amirzayan

Turkish Television Ready To Broadcast In Armenian,
26 July 2009 by Stéphane / armenews The signal remains strong for a reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia has said responsibility for the dissemination of radio and state television in Turkey to Turkish daily Hurriyet revealing plans for an initial distribution of TV language Armenian in a year. "I sincerely works to the common future of both peoples," said a member of the team. After she started broadcasting radio programs in Armenia, the establishment of Radio and Television, or TRT Turkey, is now preparing to launch a TV channel in Armenia. According to one source, who declined to be named, the initial project of the Armenian issue began after a meeting between Turkish President Abdullah Gül and his Armenian counterpart, Serge Sargsyan, in September 2008. Senol Goka responsible TRT broadcasts foreign language has confirmed that the television broadcasts in Armenian begin within a year. Senol Goka refused to provide any details of the preparations, but said that the work accelerated. However, she explained that the decision to launch a radio Armenian was taken about 18 months ago. Emissions Armenian bear a message to Armenia and the world said Senol Goka. "We look to the history of both nations. We emphasize our common values to strengthen the links between the two peoples. " He said that the TRT was proud to be one of the most popular radio stations in Armenia. But he also criticized the head of the Public Television of Armenia Haroutunian Alex saying "it was in Turkey a few weeks ago and made a statement indicating that he was unaware of the TRT in Armenian. To tell you the truth, I was very upset. The only thing I will say is that they know our emissions. " The two men signed an agreement last year to prepare programs. To the question on the issue of the Armenian language used namely East Armenian is used primarily in Armenia rather than the employee by Western Armenian Armenians in Turkey and the Armenian diaspora, Senol Goka reply "at the beginning, when we decided to launch such a service, our target audience was Armenia, not Istanbul. We see these issues as a key to developing good relations with Armenia. " Senol Goka said he could not understand all the controversy surrounding the TRT in Armenia, noting that the TRT radio broadcasts in 31 different languages. The team is responsible for emissions Armenian being held away from the public eye. Margarian Ernest born in Armenia is a member of this team. Ernest Margarian told Hürriyet he released his identity for the first time and said he had migrated to Turkey in 2004 and decided to move to Ankara. When the journalist asked why he wanted to hide his identity, he said: "I have no real reason. I do nothing that will attract criticism. I just did not want to become a public person. " Any potential criticism of Armenia as it is not discouraged, he Renu specify "Because I work sincerely for the common future of both peoples."

Turkey: Djemal Pasha, The Savior Of The Armenians?
, 27 July 2009 by Stéphane / armenews www.collectifvan.org - The Turkish daily Hurriyet published on 13 March 2009 an article devoted to the book edited by Prof.. Hikmet Özdemir, former Head of the Armenian office of the Turkish Institute of History. The book has just appeared under the title "Pasha Djemal and Armenian immigrants, humanitarian aid from the 4th Army. This book published by Remzi Kitabevi, contains striking details which, according to Hurriyet, "will change our view on the Armenian issue. More specifically, support for Djemal Pasha by Halide Edip - that saved Vartabed Komitas, renowned Armenian musician, and strongly criticizing the policies [anti] Armenian Government Union and Progress - accentuates the importance of what is told . According Halide Edip Adyvar include intellectual environment Unionist, Djemal Pasha had established during the genocide to eliminate the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire, a great humanitarian campaign to help women and Armenian children, ranging in this against the decisions taken to Constantinople. © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

"The Armenian women said that the Pasha had come to their aid as a savior and angel wore his picture around the neck." On 16 September 2007, another article dedicated to Professor Hikmet Ozdemir, was one of his previous books , a volume of 336 pages (Üç Jöntürk'ün ölümü '-' The death of the three Unionist ') in which he highlighted that Talat Pasha, Enver Pasha and Djemal Pasha were killed by Armenians. He told how the three 'patriots' (interesting concept when you know it applies to genocide of the Armenian people, Greek and Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriac) were murdered during the disputes between the power and Kemalists unionists. Professor Hikmet Ozdemir had found numerous documents and letters highlighting the differences between the Kemalists and Unionists, but this did not stop to say that the three main leaders of the genocide of the Armenians were real patriots and were killed by Armenians blinded by mystical beliefs (to be read in Turkish: Hurriyet). But back to the new book by Prof.. Hikmet Özdemir. Le Collectif VAN offers the translation of the article published in Turkish Hurriyet published 13 March 2009 regarding the speeches Djemal Pasha for Armenian refugees in Syria. Armenian Women Were Djemal Pasha's Picture Around His Neck ,
13 March 2009 , Sefa Kaplan Hurriyet © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

The book edited by Prof.. Hikmet Özdemir, former Head of the Armenian office of the Turkish Institute of History, has just been released: "Djemal Pasha and Armenian immigrants, humanitarian aid from the 4th Army. Established orphanages for Armenian children, the aid given by Djemal Pasha, one of three leaders of the Union & Progress, the Armenians were deported to Syria, are recounted in this book. While a telegram recently discovered in the Ottoman archives of ministries, issued by Prof.. Özdemir, shows that 33 days after the deportation, not only opening a school, but even sending a telegram in Armenian were prohibited. Much research has been done and many books have been published on two of the famous trio of the Union & Progress, Enver Pasha and Talat Pasha, the roles they played in the Armenian deportations of 1915. For against, it has not really been studied how Djemal Pasha, Minister of Marine and commander of the 4th Army, has the features of the 4th Army, which oversaw the deportation to Syria, at the service of the Armenians. The reason for this lack of discussion is probably hiding in some elements of the attitude of Djemal Pasha awkward for both those who say that there was a "genocide" and those who say "there was no genocide . Despite orders from Istanbul, Djemal Pasha had tried to save the Armenian women and children who were in a pitiful state. The other face of the tragedy is his assassination by Armenian gangs. There are doubts about the assassination [CVAN Note: In an article published in the Turkish Armenian newspaper Agos, N ° 653 of 10/10/2008, the Turkish historian Ayse Hur asked "Cemal Pasa'yi kim öldürdü? "Who murdered Djemal Pasha" and showed that he had certainly not been murdered by the Armenians. The article highlighted the existence of potential suspects: the secret services English, Russian and Turkish nationalists] but what is known is that he had saved Armenians were aggrieved by his assassination. The testimony of Halide Edip The book edited by Prof.. Hikmet Özdemir, former Head of the Armenian office of the Turkish Institute of History, has just been released: "Djemal Pasha and Armenian immigrants, humanitarian aid from the 4th Army, and he intends to fill this gap. This book published by Remzi Kitabevi, contains striking details that will change our view on the Armenian issue. More specifically, support for Djemal Pasha by Halide Edip - that saved Vartabed Komitas, renowned Armenian musician, and strongly criticizing the policies [anti] Armenian Government Union and Progress - accentuates the importance of what is told . Prof.. Özdemir relate the witness of Halide Edip: "Halide Edip is one of those highly critical of the decision of Union and Progress on the relocation of some of the Armenians in 1915. Therefore, his views and analysis on Djemal Pasha are of value appreciable. In the words of Falih Ryfky Atay, "it is at the head of some people criticizing the policy [anti] Armenian" despite the fact that Djemal Pasha had asked to help the Armenian immigrants. He [Djemal Pasha] came as Hizir [Note CVAN: an ancient immortal prophet who comes quickly to rescue people in trouble]. Halide Edip Adyvar wrote that Djemal Pasha had an attitude worthy of a statesman Ottoman: it had even hanged a person following an attempt to massacre the Armenian population in Syria. The greatest difficulty in Djemal Pasha was the problem of nutrition of the Armenians, Arabs and even the Army. Despite this, the Army had decisively shown great generosity by giving donors a portion of its own provisions (...). According Halide Edip Adyvar among Unionists, Djemal Pasha and the prefect of Izmir, Rahmi Bey, were most respected by the Armenians. So much so that Djemal Pasha had run two Unions who plotted against the Armenians. Also according Halide Edip Adyvar, Djemal Pasha had a great start humanitarian campaign to help women and children of Armenia. Armenian women said that the Pasha had come to their aid as a savior and angel wore his picture around the neck. Why the names were changed As Prof.. Özdemir stated, Halide Edip, who was in the region as a volunteer humanitarian aid, would explain why Armenian children were forced to change their names in order to save their lives, Djemal Pasha had settled in the orphanages Muslims and to bypass the administrative procedures of the Turkish and Muslim names had been given to these children. Years later, she would deny saying "About orphanages, we have had discussions with the virulent Pacha deceased" and she would add: "I myself am opposed to the fact that children bear the names Armenian or Turkish Muslims. Djemal Pasha explained the need in the following way: in Damascus, there were a number of orphanages run by the Armenians who were supported by the management team of Djemal Pasha. They accept that the Armenian children. There was no place in these orphanages and financially there was no possibility of grant aid. Ayin Tura [Note CVAN: name of the orphanage for Muslims] was intended only for Muslim children and there were always places. For children not recovered by Armenian orphanages in Armenia are accepted Ayin Tura, it was mandatory to call with Turkish and Muslim names. In truth, there was no religious education. That is to say that there was no desire to convert them to Islam. " In the background of this case, there is a telegram sent by the Istanbul government departments to Ourfa and Zor préfectorats and Syria, Ourfa and Moussoul only 33 days after the Order of Deportation of the Armenians dating 27 May 1915. This telegram published, as far as is known, for the first time by Prof.. Özdemir, he had found in the archives of the presidency, contains very important details. Because, with this encrypted telegram sent on 1 July 1915, new instructions were added to orders sent previously regarding the Armenians. Observation of Halide Edip "Ayin Tura was assigned only to Muslim children and there was always room available. When the Armenian orphanages could no longer accept children wandering alone were admitted to the Ayin Tura but they had to give names or Turkish Muslims . Mainly there were no courses in religion. That is to say that there was no purpose to convert them to Islam. " The splendor and misery of an Ottoman Pasha Djemal Pasha was born on 6 May 1872 in Midilli. In 1893, he graduated from the Military College of Harbiye. In 1898, when he was serving in Salonika, he joined the Union & Progress Committee and took charge of the military wing of the organization. When he was Inspector Rumeli [CVAN Note: region of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan Peninsula], it is assured the organization of Union and Progress. In 1907, in the 3rd Army he worked with Major Fethi (Okyar) and Lieutenant Mustafa Kemal. After the coup d'état known as the 'Babyali Baskyny' (23 January 1913), the Unionists came to power and he [Djemal Pasha] is appointed Prefect of İstanbul. He supported France, but before of the 1st World War he could not get the support of France. So with the Pachas germanistes Enver and Talat, he supported the alliance ottomano German-sealed on 2 August 1914. During WW1, he was raised to the rank of Commander in Chief of the Ottoman Army [Note CVAN: Bahriye Naziri is equivalent to Minister of Marine and naval forces, but at the time this amounted to Commander Chief of the Army and Minister of Defense]. During the period 1908/1918, it was recognized as one of three leaders of the Union and Progress with Enver Pasha and Talat Pasha. After the defeat of the First World War, he fled abroad on 1-2 November 1918 with the executives of Union and Progress. He first went to Berlin, then in Munich and in Switzerland and has worked there for the Union and Progress Committee. He was accused of having provoked the revolt of the Arabs living in the Ottoman Empire and the Court Martial and was sentenced to death in absentia. It has moved from Switzerland to Russia, and went to Afghanistan to modernize the Afghan army [Note CVAN more likely to achieve the dream of pan-Islamic Union & Progress Committee]. The differences with the policy of the Bolsheviks put in a difficult position and he moved to Tbilisi. That is until 21 July 1922, he was killed with his two deputies, two Armenians Karekin Lalayan and Vartanyan Sergo. But accusations reveal important that this attack was organized by order of Stalin, by Lavrenti Beria, who was at the head of the Secret Service Tcheka of Georgia. His body was taken to Erzerum by the command of the Army of the Eastern Front Kazym Karabekir and was buried in the cemetery of the martyrs' Karskapy Sehitligi. The telegram quantified the Staff 1 Armenians of eastern Anatolia near the Russian border and the region Zeytoun, Syria to Adana, which are scattered over there, can make their national or international only in Turkish. 2 In regions of Armenia, it is absolutely forbidden to create Armenian schools, all young Armenians and the children will be educated in state schools. 3 Currently, the only Armenian newspaper in Istanbul are tolerated in other areas will be closed Armenian newspapers. Translation: 29 June 2009 collectifvan.org

Welsh And Armenians Demonstrate In Front Of The British Parliament Arrest Of Eilian Williams,
27 July 2009, By Jean Eckian / Armenews © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

For the first time, Welsh and Armenians have all shown to parliament on matters of interest to both nations. Monday July 20 and last Tuesday (the last two days of the session of parliament before the summer), leaflets were distributed to members of Parliament when they arrive, asking them to sign the Motion EDM 1588 on the Restitution of Turkey because of genocide, particularly the return of land where more than 2 000 churches were erected until 1915 genocide. These churches and monasteries were confiscated by the state of modern Turkey in 1923 under the so-called "law of abandoned properties." This law confiscating the property of victims of genocide or other crimes against humanity, is denounced by any official organization worldwide. On the same tract included a call for the resignation of Immigration Minister Phil Woolas after the removal of two young girls who had arrived at Heathrow on 18 and 25 May, which belong to the Welsh community in the province of Chbut of Patagonia, Argentina. They traveled to Wales to improve their use of the Welsh language. The response of members of parliament in their way was quite unsatisfactory. Banners were displayed at the same time to the Ministry of the Interior to protest deportation girls. Welsh hymns were broadcast by loudspeaker from a car in front of the Ministry of the Interior, the 10 Downing Street and the entrance to the parliament. On posters put on the car was written "not to back the Welsh in Patagonia." The director of Armenia Solidarity was arrested twice after the act of terrorism prevention, section 44. Police interpreting the issue of Welsh hymns as' unauthorized protest. When Mr. Eilian Williams (Solidarity Wales-Armenia) defied the police and asked him what crime on the accused, he was told he would be accused of 'noise'. He was then arrested, handcuffed and detained for four hours. When it appeared that Mr. Williams had a criminal record devoid of any mention, the police agreed to release him against a fine of 30 pounds for having obstructed the entrance to parliament. © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

"In our view, this exercise was worthwhile to be executed, showing simultaneously on two issues relating to the Welsh and the Armenians in the same way." Eilian Williams ------------- The Combat Of A Welsh Berger, Armenian Adoption, 31 October 2007 By Stéphane / Armenews Where the story of Eilian Williams, Welsh hill farmer and sheep rancher who came to reconcile her job with a pro-Armenian activism leading to the erection of the first Armenian Memorial of Great Britain, specifically in Wales to Cardiff. With hair recalling those of his sheep, a ram that has not a drop of Armenian blood in the veins, but whose mind is entirely inhabited by the Armenians. Raised in Snowdon, the most beautiful and arguably the most Welsh part of Wales, he was interested in the Armenians, as they learn at school, through a weekly subscription to an encyclopedia. Thus his first readings in the face of massacres Sassoun in 1894. Then he read the book of the Armenian tragedy written by W. Llewellyn Williams, a former journalist became Welsh politician. Already in 1894/96, Wales had been deeply marked by the massacres perpetrated on the Armenians. Protest demonstrations were held across the country. The small Armenian community was working to provide relief. Then qu'Eilian Williams raises the question: Why were the people slain? At age 22, reading the monthly Ararat which wrote in 1916, the Armenian novelist Michael Arlen (Dikran Kouyoumdjian), it is struck by this sentence spoken by the character of Sarkis: "an unbearable sadness weighs on your soul. "From this day, he accentuated his research, shocked by the oppression and abuse of dominant Turks. © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

Motivation The Welsh have a natural empathy for the Armenians. They have a proverb dating from the 19th century, who said: "He looked like a Turk", in order to discuss the behavior of someone looking at the other with a quizzical air or evil. Eilian Williams had also been intrigued by the amazing similarity between the khatchkars Armenians and Welsh Celtic Cross. Just as some linguistic similarities of a distant relationship, such as: Dwr, in Welsh and Tchour (water), Hen, in Welsh and Hin (Old); Chwae in Welsh and Kuir (sister); Carreg, in Welsh and Kar (stone). In 1997, the pure raw ground began to create the Welsh Armenian Solidarity to promote friendship between the two peoples. But the injustice against the Armenian Genocide that the shoot: the annihilation of an entire people from their ancestral lands. Purpose: Recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the British Government. To achieve this ambition, Eilian Williams seized the opportunity offered to it by the recent independence of Wales in 2000. He then persuades a member of the Welsh Assembly to introduce a Motion recognizing the Armenian Genocide. A task of hard work leading after two years of effort. The first stage is passed on 24 April 2001 when the Prime Minister of the new National Assembly, Rhodri Morgan, laying a wreath at the Temple of Peace Cardiff in memory of victims of Genocide. On 30 October 2001, with the help of Dr Rostom Stepanian, a majority of parliamentarians of the National Assembly of Wales to sign a Resolution acknowledging the Genocide and called on British and Turkish governments to do likewise. In March 2004 a unanimous vote of the municipality of Gwynedd, recognizes the reality of the Armenian Genocide and the April 24 2005 by Cardiff County Council. The same day, the Welsh Council of Free Churches, in turn, recognized the Genocide. And in 2006, the majority of Welsh members of the British Parliament voted by a majority of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. For Eilian Williams, the task is far from complete. 2007 is the year of intense lobbying in the direction of the British whose attitude of denial repulsion see a memorial day of the Armenian Genocide. But for the tireless pastor nothing could be impossible. Helping to meet the four Armenian Great Britain: British Armenian All Party Parliamentary Group, Wales Armenia Solidarity, Armenian Genocide Trust of Great Britain and Nor Serount UK, with the help of the Armenian-Assyrian Alliance, 185 are members of British Parliament, on 460, which to date have signed the Early Day Motion 357 recognizing the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Totaling 200, including the individual recognition. Recently we learned that through the intervention of MP Andrew George (Liberal Democracy), Jim Murphy, Head of Department for European Affairs, has promised to discuss the Armenian question, with an open mind, with his parliamentary colleagues. © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

The Royal Gift of November 3 But that's not all. In addition to a petition posted on petitions.pm.gov.uk/armeniangenocide at the British Prime Minister on 3 November 2007, under his leadership, was opened in Cardiff, in front of the Temple of Peace, the first of Britain Memorial dedicated to victims of the Genocide of Armenians. A 100% Welsh under the leadership of John Torosyan. The monument donated by the Gallo-Armenian Cross is a stylized pink slate, shaped by the famous sculptor Leuan Rees Welsh. It will be unveiled in the presence of many British politicians, Wales and Armenia, under the double blessing of the Armenian clergy and Wales. Icing on the cake, the Secretary of State for Children and Families, Ed Balls, close to Gordon Brown sent a message wishing "all success" for Wales-Armenia Solidarity for the success of the event. This is the first time a government minister of the United Kingdom address a message to the Armenian community. Thus, after a struggle, the proud, quiet, but determined shepherd has allowed the Armenian community of Wales stroking closer, the dream that he himself had done at the dawn of its 20 years: honoring the people and to recognize the Armenian Genocide that claimed over 1 500 000 deaths a deliberate act of the government of Young Turks of the Ottoman Empire. Thank you Mr Williams Jean Eckian ----------
Solidarity Wales-Armenia Launches An Appeal For Help 24 October 2008 By Stéphane / Armenews Friends readers Let me introduce you to Mr. William Eilian, Solidarity Wales-Armenia, a good man, a shepherd of gentle valleys of Wales. Entirely dedicated to the Armenian Cause, Armenian adoption that led to considerably advance the issue of recognition of the Genocide of Armenians in the UK. We must, inter alia, the erection of the memorial in Cardiff and several interventions in the House of Commons. Today, returning from a trip to Iraq, Eilian calls us for help to save our countrymen persecuted in Mosul. Read his testimony. It will remind you of something tréfond buried in our souls. Something that could happen ... For his fight to help these people left to fend for themselves without resources, making the gesture that saves. Speaking personally, I would do because it is a man to whom I give all my trust. Jean Eckian __________ Dear Friends, Today, we launch a campaign around the world to help the Armenians of Mosul and Baghdad who had to flee for their lives. (Last week 15 Christians were assaassinés in Mosul) I make this call after my visit last Friday to the Armenian community of Havrest and Zeikho, and the Chaldean Church in Dohuk. Thursday, I visited the municipality of Ankawa, a Christian town located just outside Erebil. This is where the city officials informed me of what had happened to the Christians of Mosul the previous week. I also met the Foreign Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and I thanked him for the help he has given to Christians of the Arab countries controlled by the city of Mosul, and I asked him to ensure their protection. Friday, Zakho, Father Yousef Murad visit me Miran the Armenian Church, built in 1923 by survivors of genocide and there I was introduced to several people who had fled Mosul to go to Zakho. He agreed to receive the money collected in Europe and America to help refugees from Mosul and Baghdad. The father then took me to the village of Havrest, built for the Armenians by the Regional Government of Kurdistan. There was with me, Jwan Taher Ahmed a journalist who represents the city of Dohuk. About 60 people came to meet us and we sat outside the school. When I asked what were the main problems, their spokesman said they were helping the refugees arriving in the week by splitting in their homes. The refugees will receive nothing as help for themselves for several weeks or months. Later they will have approximately $ 40 per month distributed by the Kurdish government, and enough diesel to power generators that will provide 3 hours of electricity per day. That is why financial assistance would be welcome to solve these problems.

1 - For the moment, the new refugees do nothing government

2 - In an emergency, 9 children need a vehicle to get to the College of Dohuk. They would like to donate $ 12,000 to purchase a van that would transport to school. I was impressed by their willingness to help others in their same situation that is not thriving. If we want, we can certainly find 12 in 0000 dollars in the world to buy the vehicle and assist the arrival of new refugees. 1000 will be $ 20 times $ 20 000. When I asked them have you received help from Europe or America?, They said they had no contacts outside Iraq. Van can also be used to transport people who want to go to the doctor or to go to the hospital.

3 - I was then taken to the home of a family who gave us their daughter for two years. She has two holes in the heart, and when the family lived in Baghdad, a German doctor came with a German NGO to get the equipment necessary for the operation. Unfortunately, the doctor and the NGOs have been forced to flee Baghdad because of terrorism. Please can someone help us persuade the Governments of the United States, United Kingdom, France and the Armenian Government to provide 6 months visa for mother and daughter?
Anyone know have a humanitarian organization that could help? And can you put us in touch with a specialist of Armenian heart you know? Saturday in Dahuk, I was approached by the translator Kamal Hussain Mawlood to meet members of the Assembly Chaldean, Syriac and Assyrian, including President Jameel Zaito. They have confirmed to me the truth about the news of murders and robberies on the Christians of Mosul. I also met a brave lady, Ms Basima Issa Salman, a Christian member of the Council of Nineveh, which had been threatened with assassination 13 times. She gave me copies of letters that had been posted on the homes of Christians, ordering them to leave, and threatening to kill them in the name of Islam. And then, in the Chaldean Catholic church of Dahuk, I listened to the testimony of about sixty people on their experiences. Professor Samir Rahim began: "On 6 October had been quiet, but the next day it was like a volcano or a flood. The terrorists asked the people their identity cards and if any was Christian, he was immediately shot down. Thus began several killings in the streets. Two construction workers were also slaughtered for no reason by a terrorist group. One of the victims was named Amjad. At first the killings were sporadic, and they grew to become more intense. Before Thursday 9 October, 14 people were killed. They attacked three families kicked them out for their homes. After all stolen property, they blew up their houses. Moreover, they entered through the roof and slaughtered an entire family. The people now living in panic and terror. The terrorristes said: "We do not want Christians live among us. If you stay here, we will kill you. " For 10 days it is as if the municipality had never existed. Then on 8 October, we fled to Kurdistan to save our lives. These events are produced in front of the local police with the assistance of the army of surveillance that was not involved for 10 days. In total, more than 2000 families were forced to flee. " Ablahad Khoshaba Zaiya, showed me where they were sleeping in the church and said: "I do not know anything about my future. All I know is that now I live in the house of God. All of us have no future here. I just want a safe place to raise my children. They were 7 in his family: Gorges, Shamon, Esho, Haith, Petros and Faleel Eskandar. An Armenian woman Mariam Sarkismeherian sepan, told me that his family was from Dehé in Armenia. They had fled to Mosul after the Genocide of 1915. Only her father survived the whole family. All are too afraid to return to Mosul. Even if things improve, the willingness of terrorristes is to come back because they want the "Christian infidels" leave. Many are willing to join Europe if they were accepted. Contact Eilian Williams for more information eilian@nantperis.wanadoo.co.uk The money raised will serve the three problems mentioned in the article and especially to help and restoring the dignity of the refugees Havrest. In addition, Eilian Williams and father Miran we will give regular updates. Payment by check payable to EW - Wales-Armenia Solidarity Eilian Williams, Wales-Armenia Solidarity, Wales, United Kingdom

Armenian Genocide: The Testimony Of Halide Edib Adivar,
29-06-2009, www.collectifvan.org The Turkish author Murat Bardakci recently published in Turkey Les Cahiers black Talat Pasha under the title "Forgotten documents of Talat Pasha". The Turkish Hitler "had carefully recorded in his notebooks, the 972 000 Armenians disappeared from official records of the population of the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1916. In March 2009, Murat Bardakci was interviewed on this subject in an issue of Turkish television: there are said to be surprised that his book does not obtain more echoes in the Turkish media. Bardakci felt that the importance of the figures revealed (972 000) has probably upset the Turks, whereas he himself had waited 25 years before publishing his book, knowing precisely the Turkish public opinion was not ready to hear revelations of this type ... Bardakci of the book consists of several parts. The 1st and 2nd party, therefore the figures for the deportation of Armenians, figures recorded live by Talat Pasha, Minister of Interior of the Young Turk Government and the main instigator of the Armenian genocide of 1915. As for the 3rd party, Murat Bardakci publishes letters exchanged at the time by various unions [the name of Union & Progress Committee which planned the genocide of the Armenians]. Among these letters is the letter of Halide Edip Adivar which is particularly interesting. Le Collectif VAN offers a translation of an excerpt from the 3rd part of the book published by Murat Bardakci "forgotten documents of Talat Pasha". Caption: Halide Edib Adivar surrounded by orphaned Armenian converts to Islam Murat Bardakci Book: Talat Pasa'nin Evrak-i Metrûkesi Letter sent by Halide Edip Adivar on 1 March 1917 to Cavid Bey, the Minister of Finance Introduction [Note CVAN: summarized by us] "Halide Edib Adivar is a literate close of the movement of Young Turks, and it promotes the ideology of pan-turquisme and pan-Tourane. It is a close friend of some executives of the Union & Progress: Ziya Gökalp, Cavid Bey and Cemal Pasha. On 1 March 1917, Halide Edib Adivar, located in Beirut, wrote a letter to Cavid Bey, Minister of Finance, Government Unionist [the Union & Progress]. She commended his friend first Cavid Bey for his appointment to the 4th Department, and she explains everything she saw in the orphanages in Syria. Murat Bardakci Note: The exaggerated expressions extracted from the letter of Halide Edib must be attributed to its artistic and romantic personality. Testimony of Halide Edib Adivar: "... I arrived in Syria at a time when they were very unhappy. That's why I like both Syria and the Syrians. In truth, I have never seen a country as beautiful, as flawless. Like the eyes of its beautiful inhabitants, its valleys, mountains, seas are the heart cry of the people. In truth, these days, it seems to cry all over the world. In his suffering, there is something so overwhelming. Especially, the Armenians. Here, thanks to Cemal Pasha, there are many unfortunate Armenians who regained the right to live. The Armenians are housed in a building belonging to the school. They failed here after wandering in the desert, their stomach is inflated because of the fodder they have ingested. They have lost either their mother or their father, and most of their children. In fact, Cemal Pasha who has come here. The municipality gave them to eat, they sit ... With its unfortunate, we loved it immediately. I take care of children and women. We opened a class for younger kids. A Turkish Russian teacher that I had taken with me, care for them with love and sacrifice. A granddaughter of Armenian 11 years came from outside, his mother died of starvation and his father was murdered before her eyes, she sought asylum here. It revolves around me looking at me with his big innocent eyes, she kisses my hands constantly, without a reason and she cries. There is another tragic story in the garden! She [the woman] has lost the floor since his son was murdered before her, she does not know where were thrown his other son and his family [Note CVAN 'thrown' = sent by force]. Barefoot, eyes full of pain, she constantly shouts his pain with his hands. From time to time, the night she took his head between his hands, agitated, struggling all alone like a mother losing her child. During the day, when I hear his screams from my desk. I hurried to the window: in the garden, she moves her hands, she shouts imitating the sound of the ball acute piercing the heart of her son, she screams to the sky. There are like her, hundreds of thousands. Orphanages are filled with children who have lost something that can not be replaced by anything in the world, they are hungry and miserable. Armenians say "we have been waiting your arrival for two months without being able to sleep [CVAN Note: concerned], do something for us." What can I do myself? Everywhere I go, they would show scenes of abject poverty and they cry. They took me somewhere in the old streets of Damascus, there were men and women who told and told. Suddenly, a man that looked calm, began to cry loudly, his head between his arms. It's the same everywhere! The new government did it not stop the torture, suffering and provide unparalleled end to these murders, at least mitigate its intensity? Can he not grant human rights to all people alive today? If I could have prevented this horrible thing in the price of my life, I would have paid. But what is my life! Nothing! A little ridiculous! " ... CVAN Note: Bardakci Murat, descendant of a family of Unionists [the name of Union & Progress Committee which planned the genocide of the Armenians] has therefore seen fit to precede the letter of Halide Edip Adivar, the following commentary: "The exaggerated expressions extracted from letter Halide Edib be attributed to his personality and artistic fiction. " Mr Bardakci may not be aware that genocide is not pretty to see, or describe and can not leave a witness - though Unioniste in this case - any ... We can only advise him to read "The Song of tears" Annick Asso, published in 2005 by Editions de La Table Ronde. This book contains testimonies from survivors of the Armenian genocide, written with realism, without artifice "artistic" or "fiction." So much for the Turkish translation of a small excerpt from the book "The song of tears" Annick Asso Editions de La Table Ronde - 2005 "Sürgünler, Musul'a gönderilecekleri bahanesiyle, Deir-Zor has guruplar küçük halinde Ayri Ayri gönderildiler. Zeki Bey ve Marat Suvar çöllerini güzergâh olarak seçmişti. Bu kalabalik kitleyi öldürerek yok etmek mümkün olmadığı icin, kıtlık yaratarak suni bir karar yok etmeye vermist. Sürgünler önce eşşeklerini yediler, sonra kedileri, köpekleri, at ve deve leşlerini, son olarak da yiyecek hiçbirsey bulamadıklarında insan cesetlerini kemirdiler. Küçük çocuk cesetleri tercih edilenlerdi Kervan artık ... Bu şeytan çarpmişların karavanıydı. Sahit olunan manzaralar esi ender olmayacak fecii kadar ve dayanılmıyacak vahşetteydi, böylesine bütün insanlık tarihinde bir vahşet görülmemişti (...). Zeki Bey, yardımcılarının katliam iştahını açabilmek onları Sevki getirebilmek ve zaman zaman için atının üzerinden bir eğilerek ufak çocuğu kolundan yakalıyor havada bir iki kere yere döndürdükten sonra hızlı vuruyordu. Zavallı Çocuklar çarpıp eziliyorlardi yere. Zeki Bey ve yamaklarına bağırıyordu, "Suçsuz bir yavruyu öldürdüğümü zannetmeyin. Bu yeni doğan bebekleri insanların bile suçludurlar Zira intikam tohumlarını taşıyorlar. Yarınınızdan emin olmak istiyorsanız ufak çocuklar acımayın onları kurtarmayın. Diğerlerine hiç acımayın. " Translation 29 June 2009 collectifvan.org/

Armenian And Welsh Activists Hold First Joint Lobby Of Uk Parliament
LONDON - For the first time, Armenian and Welsh activists lobbied parliament together on issues affecting the two nations. On July 20 and 21, (the last two days of parliament before the summer holidays), leaflets were given to MPs as they arrived in parliament asking them to sign Early Motion 1588 on Restitution by Turkey for the Genocide, in particular the return of the land on which stood over 2,000 churches until the 1915 Genocide. These Churches and monasteries were confiscated by the modern state of Turkey in 1923 under the so-called "Law of Abandoned Properties." Such a Law confiscating properties of Genocide Victims, or of Victims of other Crimes against Humanity, is not recognized by any international body. On the same leaflet were calls for the Immigration Minister Phill Woolas to be dismissed after the deportation of two girls who had arrived in Heathrow on May 18 and 25 from the Welsh community in Patagonia in Argentina. They were on their way to Wales to visit family and to improve their Welsh language skills The response of passing MPs was quite poor. Banners were also held up at the Home Office protesting at the deportations. Welsh hymns were played on a loudspeaker from a car in front of the Home Office, 10 Downing Street and the entrance to parliament. The posters on the car read "HALT THE DEPORTATIONS OF WELSH PATAGONIANS" The director of Armenia Solidarity was stopped twice under section 44 of the prevention of terrorism act. The police interpreted the playing of Welsh Hymns as "an unpermitted protest." When Mr. Eilian Williams challenged the police on which crime he had committed, he was told he would be charged with "noise pollution." Eventually, he was arrested, handcuffed and detained for four hours. When it became that Mr. Williams had a clean record, the police allowed his release with a £30 fine for obstructing the entrance to Parliament "This was, we believe, a worthwhile exercise in campaigning simultaneously on two issues of concern to Welsh people and Armenians alike," an Armenia Solidarity spokesperson said. California Courier

Armenians Struggle For Health Care And Medicines,
2009 July; 87(7): 489–490. doi: 10.2471/BLT.09.010709. PMCID: PMC2704043, © WHO 2009 Private financing constitutes about half of total health expenditures in Armenia and most of that comes directly out of the consumer’s pocket. In the current economic downturn, fewer and fewer people can afford it. Monika Mkhitaryan and Onnik Krikorian report. Abstract In the Communist era, Armenia enjoyed one of the best health-care systems of all the Soviet republics, delivering comprehensive care on a centralized basis. Since then the system has fragmented along partially free-market lines and is today failing the majority of the people it is supposed to serve. Skewed towards expensive hospital interventions that swallow up more than 50% of the national health budget, the Armenian health system falters at the local community level and is often totally absent from rural areas. The Armenian government is trying to redress the problem, notably by introducing primary health care reforms with an emphasis on preventive care and the management of chronic diseases. But as Dr Ara Babloyan, Armenia’s minister of health between 1991 and 1997, puts it, “Despite efforts in the area of primary health care, the health system requires new improvements”, he said, adding that the scope and definition of primary health care should be revised and enlarged. One of the most pressing concerns is the cost of treatment and medicine for working Armenians who don’t benefit from the minimal social programmes that are in place. To address this, the ministry of health has implemented several programmes since independence in 1991 including a Basic Benefits Package (BBP) established in 1999. The package provides specific health-care services, including medicines, at no charge to vulnerable segments of the population, including children, the elderly and disabled, impoverished people and injured military personnel. Since 2006, primary health care services have been free of charge under the BBP. But, of course, being eligible is not the same as being covered. And concern about the BBP being stretched a little thin is expressed in the highest places: “Each year the number of people included on the ‘vulnerable’ list is increased by the Armenian authorities and as a consequence, the money attributed to each individual decreases,” explains Babloyan. In concrete terms this means that people like Naira Thovmasian, a 34-year-old woman living in Yerevan, who since 1999 has needed dialysis to compensate for her failing kidneys, cannot always get the medicines they need. “By law, the hospital has to provide the medicines for me, but what happens if they don’t have them?” Thovmasian asks. When the hospital can’t provide them, Thovmasian has to pay. And she is not alone. Elizabeth Danielyan, head of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Armenia country office, notes private financing constitutes about 50% of total health expenditures in Armenia, with 84% of that coming directly out of the consumer’s pocket, according to the national health accounts monitoring project. Just one month’s supply of albumin, one of the treatments Thovmasian takes, costs her the equivalent of US$ 32. Under the BBP, she receives a disability pension equivalent to US$ 27 per month. In other words this one drug costs more than her pension. So how does she manage? “Usually I can’t,” she says. “That’s why my blood pressure drops constantly. But, if we can’t afford to eat, what hope is there to pay for medicines and treatment we need?” The stark choice Thovmasian faces every month – between food or medicine – is familiar to many Armenians, and becoming more so in the current global economic downturn. According to the Central Bank of Armenia the economy will shrink by 5.8% in 2009, after several years of double-digit GDP growth driven by construction. According to the World Bank, the current downturn could push an additional 172 000 people below the poverty line, currently set at 12 600 dram (equivalent US$ 21) per month in Armenia, bringing the total number to 906 000 by 2010, that is to say one-third of Armenia’s three million population. As part of a rapid United Nations (UN) assessment of the impact of the global financial crisis, a study of the country was carried out in March and April this year. It revealed that people who had lost their job or who were no longer receiving remittances from abroad were already facing problems accessing health care before the economy took a nose dive. And now things are set to get worse. “People are beginning to self-medicate,” says WHO’s Danielyan. People wait to see if a medical problem passes or resort to home remedies rather than seek treatment from a doctor. People like Yevgenia Grigorian, a 51-year-old unemployed woman living in Yerevan’s Erebuni district, who says: “I have to use lemon, tea, vinegar, that sort of thing when any of us are ill.” Today’s crisis also contains the seeds of tomorrow’s catastrophe. Again according to the UN rapid assessment, because they lack the funds, some people no longer cultivate the land, which means less and poorer food in the shops in the coming months and years. Others struggle to feed themselves now, increasingly buying food with borrowed money. “Household dietary diversity has decreased with a drop in the consumption of meat and vegetables other than potatoes,” says Danielyan, referring to the results of the UN rapid assessment. In Yerevan, Thovmasian is buffered somewhat by the harsh realities of rural life, but even there, she sees the effects of the shrinking economy. “Now it’s getting worse,” she says. “Things are more expensive. We can’t pay for transport and we can’t pay for food.” And that’s when things are going relatively well. Because for all the hardships suffered by Thovmasian, her health-care needs are at least partially covered by the government. For those not qualifying for free services under the BBP, things get a good deal grimmer. There is a system of partial subsidy for people with less serious disability and pensioners without family support; and the ministry of health provides medicines free of charge for certain cancers, diabetes, tuberculosis, psychiatric diseases, epilepsy, myocardial infarction, familial Mediterranean fever and malaria; but beyond that, they are pretty much on their own. “It’s simple,” says WHO’s Danielyan. “The working population, people with low income, sufficient to pay only for food, cannot acquire essential medicines.” So what is to be done? Part of the problem is the lack of pricing regulation for medicines. A new draft law covering price regulation and reimbursement is under consideration. But would that be enough? When the International Monetary Fund published a gloomy report on the prospects for the Armenian economy in May, it recommended government spending to support the poor and vulnerable groups through the current crisis, particularly in the light of the shortfall in remittances. In other words: throw money at the problem until the global economy cranks up again. Indeed, it seems that the Ministry of Finance is now reconsidering planned cuts in the health budget. Danielyan isn’t convinced that this measure is sufficient to solve the problem. “There needs to be fundamental change in the way risk is shared, and service delivery model is organized and funded,” she says. “There is a need to ensure the correct functioning of social protection mechanisms that would make it easier for the population as a whole to afford health care.” But isn’t this the wrong time to be implementing major overhauls? Not necessarily, says Danielyan: “We need to take advantage of the current crisis in an intelligent way and initiate moves that would be less likely under normal circumstances, in the sense of applying insurance principles that have been used in western Europe for decades” she says

Ex-Armenian Consul Arrested In Los Angeles Immigration Probe,
2009/07/29 The July 28 Los Angeles Times reports that five people, including a former Armenian consul in Los Angeles and a Beverly Hills immigration attorney, have been arrested on charges that they sold official letters to illegal immigrants to help them avoid deportation, prosecutors said today. The arrests, which took place in the last 24 hours, were the result of a two-year investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The five are accused of supplying so-called letters of refusal from the Armenian Consulate for as much as $35,000 apiece, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Central District of California. These letters state that a country will not issue a travel document for a particular individual, essentially blocking that person’s deportation to that nation. Investigators believe many of those who purchased the letters were Armenian nationals facing deportation after being convicted of felony offenses in the United States. “These defendants endangered the safety and security of United States residents,” U.S Attorney Thomas P. O’Brien said in the statement. “The defendants allegedly exploited their community ties and knowledge of the immigration system to help dangerous criminals, among others, avoid deportation,” said Robert Schoch, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Los Angeles. The five defendants were identified as: Norair Ghalumian, 52, of Burbank, the Armenian consul in Los Angeles from 1999 through 2003. Hakop Hovanesyan, 54, of Glendale, a former employee at the Armenian Consulate in Los Angeles and current operator of Regency Travel in Glendale. Margarita Mkrtchyan, 41, of Glendale, an immigration attorney for Inman & Associates law firm in Beverly Hills, Calif., who was arrested last night. Oganes Nardos, 36, of Valencia, a substance abuse counselor. Elvis Madatyan, 47, of Glendale. They were expected to make initial appearances on Tuesday in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

Sarkisian Will Ditch Soccer Diplomacy Unless Border Opened
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Armenia’s President Serzh Sarkisian insisted on Tuesday that he will not travel to Turkey in October to watch the return match of the two countries’ national football teams unless Ankara moves to reopen the Turkish-Armenian border. Turkish President Abdullah Gul extended a relevant invitation to Sarkisian after paying a visit to Yerevan in September last year, during which the two leaders jointly attended the first Turkey-Armenia game. The so-called “football diplomacy” ushered in a Turkish-Armenia rapprochement that left the two neighbors on the verge of normalizing their strained relations earlier this year. But negotiations between the two countries have come to a standstill after the countries on April 22 issued a joint announcement on a “roadmap” to normalizing relations. The announcement came on the eve of the annual anniversary of the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Turkish government and its timing is believed to have allowed U.S. President Barack Obama to backtrack on his pledges to officially recognize the genocide. The statement was soon followed by repeated declarations from the highest levels of Turkey’s government conditioning the establishment of diplomatic relations with Armenia to a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict favoring Azerbaijan. “Given the existing situation, we certainly expect to witness soon constructive steps with which our [Turkish] partners would try to create a proper environment for the return visit of the president of Armenia,” said Sarkisian. That means taking “real steps” to honor Turkish-Armenian agreements reached during the year-long dialogue, he said. “That is, I will leave for Turkey if we have an open border or stand on the brink of the lifting of Armenia’s blockade,” added the Armenian leader. The remarks reflected Sarkisian’s frustration with Turkey’s unwillingness so far to unconditionally establish diplomatic relations and reopen its border with Armenia despite concessions made by him. Yerevan insists that the Turks dropped their preconditions for normalizing bilateral ties during months of fence-mending negotiations. Analysts close to the conflict, however, point to a long-running policy in Ankara that has sought to couple rapprochement with Armenia to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in an attempt to convince international mediators that the the success of one process hinges on the other. Sarkisian is accused of willingly allowing Turkey to gain a foothold in the Karabakh peace process and sacrificing U.S. recognition of the Armenian genocide without securing the lifting of the 16-year Turkish blockade or any guarantees for Karabakh. He is also being condemned for his apparent acceptance of a Turkish proposal to form a panel of historians that will “examine” the events of 1915. Earlier in July, a two-day Pan-Armenian conference in Stepanakert, organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, demanded Sarkisian make immediate and drastic corrections to his administration’s flawed approach to both the ongoing negotiations with Turkey and the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks. A resolution, unanimously passed by the summit’s 135 delegates on July 14, demanded that Armenia immediately break off from negotiations with Turkey. The ARF shortly after called for the resignation of Armenia’s Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian to eliminate “the negative consequences that have emerged in the foreign policy domain.” Under growing pressure at home, Sarkisian issued his warning to Ankara after talks with Serbia’s visiting President Boris Tadic. He said he briefed Tadic on his Western-backed diplomatic overtures to Turkey. Sarkisian said the two leaders agreed on the need for a peaceful resolution of conflict in the Balkans and the South Caucasus “in accordance with the principles and norms of international law.” “We believe that there are no universal ways of solving conflicts,” he told reporters. “Every conflict has its own history, causes and its own unique course.” It was an apparent rejection of parallels between the conflicts over Nagorno-Karabakh and Kosovo, a breakaway Serbian region that has been recognized as an independent state by much of the international community. Kosovo’s secession in strong support for the principle of territorial integrity voiced by Serbian leaders. Tadic himself has called for the application of that principle to the Karabakh dispute in the past. With journalists not allowed to put questions to either president, it was not clear if he stands by that statement. Also, Serbia was one of the few European nations that voted in March 2008 for a UN General Assembly resolution that claimed Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh and demanded an “unconditional” Armenian withdrawal from the liberated territories. Asbarez/ S. Sargsyan, "I Will Visit Turkey Only In Case Of Having An Open Border Or Being In The Threshold Of Lifting Blockade Of Armenia",
ARMENPRESS July 28, 2009 YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will accept the Turkish President's invitation on watching the response game of Armenian and Turkish national football teams only in case of the implementation of the reached agreements and the visibility of real steps. "I will leave for Turkey in case of having an open border or being in the threshold of lifting blockade of Armenia", - Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan noted at the meeting with the President of Serbian Republic Boris Tadic who has paid a 2-day working visit to Armenia. At their face-to face talk he presented the developments followed the undertakings directed towards the regulation of the relations. "A little time has remained for the response game of Armenian and Turkish national football teams. In the conditions of the present realities we expect to witness constructive steps in near future, by which our partners will try to provide corresponding environment for the response visit of the Armenian President", - the Armenian President underscored.

Review of a Little Known, Yet a Very Important Book, “The Martyred Armenian Physicians During the Genocide and Their Messages”,
Reviewed by Sarkis Y. Karayan, M.D. Part One Although much has been published in Armenian, as well as in foreign languages about the genocide committed by the Turks on Armenians, nevertheless, there are still large lacunae in the systematic documentation and recording of the events during 1915-1918. Until very recently, there was little printed documentation about the tragic fate of Armenian Health workers, like physicians, nurses, dentists, during these fateful years. Of course, the fate of the health workers, being killed by axes, drowned in the Black Sea north of Trabizond region or starved and killed in Syrian-Iraki deserts, could not have been different from the rest of the Armenian population, being killed en mass. To make a list of people dead, and give biographical information on them, in a mass catastrophe is no easy task. As the popular saying goes, “Dead people do not tell tales”. Sources on the fate of Armenian Health Workers The first publication about the names of the physicians killed by the Turkish government is by Teotig (Lapjinian) in “Houshartsan Abril Dasnemegi,1919”. Istanbul. This was reprinted, titled “Hushartsan Nahadag Mdavoraganutian” in Armenia in 1990, with a preface by the Armenian intellectual Kalusd Kaloyan. Teotig gives the names of about only 60 physicians who were killed. More recently, Arsen Yarman, from Istanbul, published a large, profusely illustrated book, in Turkish, titled “Osmanli Saglik Hizmetlerinde Ermeniler ve Surp Prgic Ermeni Hastanesi Tarihi” (Istanbul, 2001. 865 pages. Vol.1). The English translation of this book’s title is “Armenians in the Health Services of the Ottomans and the History of Surp Prgich Hospital.” My review of this book written in English appeared in Massis weekly on July 10, 2008) A new source discovered! I had been looking for this interesting book that I had heard about several years ago. It is only recently that I discovered it at the Glendale Public Library in the special Armenian Books Section, which is under the direction of a very capable librarian, Elizabeth Gregorian. The title of the book is, “The Martyred Armenian Physicians during the Genocide and Their Messages.” The author of the book, Dr. Kaspar Garoyan, was born in the village of Perchench, an Armenian inhabited village of 2,000 persons, located a few miles southeast of Kharpert. The village was renamed as Akcakiraz in 1955. Eventually, Dr. Garoyan migrated to USA and practiced his medical medical profession. Dr. Garoyan’s book is an excellent source of information about Armenian physicians and other health workers such as dentists and pharmacists. Based on the information presented in the book, it seems that probably around 125 physicians lived in Turkey in 1914-15. On page 232 of Dr. Garoyan’s book, we read the following information: “Just after World War, in 1919, the Armenian Physicians’ Union of Istanbul gave the following figures for the fate of health workers in Turkey during 1914-1915: 1 64 Physicians massacred 2 52 Physicians dead from infectious diseases –probably typhus or typhoid 3 15 Medical students 4 14 Dentists massacred or died of infectious diseases 5 73 Pharmacists massacred or died of infectious diseases 6 218 was the total number of health workers Dr. Garoyan warns the readers that the above mentioned figures are very conservative, because in 1919 there were no effective means of communication to facilitate the gathering of more comprehensive information. How were these physicians and other health professionals eliminated and killed? It is very well known that Armenians were never drafted as regular fighting soldiers in the Turkish army. However, the Turkish government deviated from this practice in the case of Armenian doctors and other health professionals. It is documented that many physicians and health professionals were drafted and strategically assigned to work in various hospitals all over Turkey. Obviously there was a hidden agenda in this practice because, the majority of the physicians and health professionals were brutally killed while they were taking care of and treating patients in the hospitals they had been assigned to. This inhuman and savage policy of the ruling Turkish government put the health services all over the country in a very critical situation, so much so that, in a confidential report, dated September 1917, Mustapha Kemal Pasha, the future Ataturk, sent the following report to Enver Pasha, the minister of War, “There are no bonds left between the Government and the people… For all alike the government is the power which insistently drives them to hunger and death. The best organized divisions lose half their members to desertion or sickness before they reach the front”. Obviously a big void was created in the health services because under the orders of the government a substantial number of Armenian doctors, dentists, pharmacists and nurses were brutally killed and eliminated. Unfortunately we do not know what was Enver Pashas’ response to Mustapha Kemal’s concerns and worries were. The contents of the Book In his book, Dr. Garoyan’s gives detailed biographies of 48 massacred Armenian physicians. (From page 25-139). Many of the names that he mentions and gives detailed information on are mentioned rarely in other sources. The following is just a sample list of names: 1. Dr. Nazaret Daghavarian (nee Chaderjian), who was born in Sepasdia, and was a founding member of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, AGBU, with Boghos Nubar Pasha.Dr. Garoyan has spent a lot of time and effort to collect a six page biography giving very interesting information about Dr. Daghavarian, who in addition to being a physician, was very active and visible community leader. 2. Dr. Dikran Kasabian. Born in Putania district,in Kenjelar village in 1883.Killed at age of 32, in 1915, while working in Galicia near Poland. His wife, an M.D. and two daughters were living in the Los Angeles area, around 1965. 3. Dr. Vahan Baron-Vartian. Born in Girason ,Ordu, 1885 Graduated 1912 from the French Faculty of Medecin of Beirut. Massacred in Dikranagerd 1915, at the age 30 years. 4. Doctor Minas Garabedian. Born 1867 in Gemerek, Gesaria region. Massacred at the age of 49, in Der Zor region, with all members of his family. 5. Doctor Arouant (Yervant) Sarafian. Born 1888, in Yalova near Ortakeoy. Got injured in his foot, died in a Damascus hospital in 1917, at the age of 28 years. 6. Doctor Woskan Topalian. Born in Marash in 1880. Graduated from the American University of Beirut in 1905 and was killed in Erzerum 1915, at age of 35 years. Evidence from a Turkish writer A Turkish writer, Adnan Atach wrote a book recently, in 1997, titled “20 Yuzyilda Shehit olan Saghlik Subaylari”. “The Martyred Turkish Health Officers during the Twentieth Century”.[The name Atach may be the name of a Turkish medical institute doing research in medicine probably in USA] Please note that the author does not mention the family names of some because they have the prestigious “Efendi” title:
1. Armenak Efendi,
2. Babikian Efendi,
3. Artin Balikyan,
4. Garabed Baronyan,
5. Corci Efendi,
6. Nazaret Daghavarian
7. Dikran Efendi
8.Agop Ekmekjian,
9.Elmayan Efendi,
10.Dilbetjian Efendi,
11. Hrant Hayrame,
12.Kevork Horhorian,
13.Garabed Efendi,
14. Mihran Efendi,
15. Tisyon Mikael,
16. Oskan Efendi,
17.Ohannes Terzian,
18.Ughurlian Efendi,
19. Vartan Efendi,
20. Vartanian Efendi,
21. Minas Yarmanian,
22. Ghugas Yilanjian,
23. Zirven Efendi
Other Sections in Dr. Garoyan’s book Dr. Garoyan’s book has several other interesting sections such as:
1 The leading role of Armenian physicians in the Ottoman Empire, since the 15th century. Pages 142-143.
2 The names and biographies of Armenian professors in the Imperiaml Ottoman Medical School in Istanbul. Pages 144-187.
3 Interesting information about Universities in various countries, where Armenian physicians have been studying and living in the diaspora since 1920. An appreciation Dr. Kaspar Garoyan, the author of this book should be thanked and congratulated –if he is still alive- for accomplishing single handedly such an indispensable work.

Dr. Garoyan has made a valuable contribution to Armenian history and the history of the Genocide by meticulously researching and finding the names and related information on the killings of Armenian physicians and other health professionals. Many of the names he mentions and gives information on, are not reported by any other writer. In Part Two of this book-review I will give a relatively comprehensive list of the names of all massacred doctors and I will identify the names of the physicians mentioned for the first time by Dr. Garoyan. Partial list of Medical doctors killed by the Ottoman Government between 1914-1919 As mentioned, Teotig was the first, in 1920, to publish the list of massacred doctors. The second printing of his book, mentioned above, “Hushartsan Nahadag Mdavoraganoutian” gives a partial list of physicians, dentists an pharmacists who were savagely killed by the Turkish government. Please note that any name in the list marked by one asterisk(*) is from Krikor Kaloustian’s book “Marash gam Kermanig and Heros Zeytoon.” Also, please note that any name marked by two asterisks( **) is from Doctor Garoyan’s book, and not mentioned by any other writer. Name of Doctor Birthplace Age when killed Place of killing
1. Apikian Maksoud Marzovan 32 Sivas
2. Ansourian, Kapriel Malatya 30 Urfa **
3.Arslanian,Hrant Mezire 29 Trabizon**
4. Azadian Kharpert
5. Azadian, Sarkis Marash 32 Nazareth
6. Azarian, Giragos Huseinik 37 Mush **
7. Azoyan, Sarkis Adana 60 Aleppo
8.. Ajemian, Nishan Tokat Erzinjan
9. Ayvazian Sgher
10. Arslanian, Ardash Kharpert 28
11. Arslanian, Levon Kharpert 48 (brother of Ardash)
12. Baghdasarian Misak‘ Erzinjasn 45 Erzerum
13 Baghdasarian Baghdasar Erzinjan Erzerum
14. Babikian Toros Svaz 34 Trabizon
15. Bakalian Nishan Dikranaberd Khnous
16.Bardizbanian, Levon Kharpert 28 Der zor
17.Baron-Vartian,Vahan Girason 30 Dikranagerd **
18..Chobanian Aniktos Erzinjan 30 Kharpert
19.Chilingirian (Sevag) Rupen Silivri 30 Changiri
20. Der Stepanian, Undzayig Marash 28 Marash *
21. Daghavarian Nazaret Svaz 53 Near Urfa (Founding member of Armenian Benevolent Unioin AGBU) with Boghao Nubar Pasha
22. Der Manuelian Khachig Kharpert 40 Malatya
23.Der Vahramian Nishan Kharpert 35
24. Donigian Hovhannes Amasya
25. Elmasian Severag 26 Eminian Svaz Zile
27.Garabedian , Minas Gemerek 49 Der Zor **
28. Gulbenkıan Krıkor Samson 25 Trabizon
29.Gulbenkian Krikor Divrig 28 Trabizon
30 Ghazarian Vahan Marzovan 40 Near Urfa
31. Ghazaros Kharpert 38 Erzerum
32. Guluzian Kevork Marash 55 Marash*
33. Halajian Dikran Gurun 34 Irak
34..Haleblian Levon Lutfi Ayntab 33 Bayburt
35. Halvajian Harutiun Dikranagerd 50 Kharpert
36. Haranian Armen Divrig 34 Svaz
37. Hisarlian Boghos Istanbul 28 Mamakhatun
38 .Hagop Sghert Sghert
39 .Hovhannesian, Hagop Eodemish 30 Izmir **
40. Ipranosian Karekin Denek Maden Ayash
41. Jeljelian Malatya
42. Kassabian Dikran Kenjelar 32 Galicia **
43. Kavafian, Harutiun Izmit 29 Kemakh **
44. Kavafian Vahram Izmit Erzinjan
45. Karageozian Mike Istanbul 35 Van
46. Khachadurian Norayr Erzinjan Terjan
47. Keshishian Hm. Iraq
48. Keshishian Hmayag Marash 28 Kars*
49. Kupelian Simon. Marash 30 Baghdad*
50. Manuelian Khach Kharpert 40 Malatya
51.Melkisetian Stepan Brusa 50 Brusa (This doctor hanged in Brusa )
52.Minassian, Berj Istanbul 28 Bitlis **
53. Momjian Sarkis Malatya 40 Ankara
54. Miskdjian Sdepan Istanbul 66 Der Zor
55. Najarian Kalousd Marash 64 Marash*
56. Nazlian Toros Gesarya 35 Gesarya
57. Nahigian Nishan Huseynık 37 Kharpert
58. Nazlian Hovhannes Tokat 38 Gesarya
59. Partoghian Simon Svaz near Svaz
60. Palabeyikian Boghos Istanbul 30 Mush
61. Panosian Misak Tokat 28 Tokat
62. Pashayan Garabed Gedik Pasha 51 Ankara
63. Tejirian Hagop Dikranagerd
64. Tulbendjian Minas Adapazar 45 Baghdad 65. Terzian Hovhannes Dikranagerd 32 Baiburt 66. Topalian Wosgan Kharpert 42 Erzerum 67. Torosian Benne Huseynig 32 Istanbul 68.Topalian, Vosgian Marash 35 Caucasus* 69. Sarafian, Arouant(Yervant) Yalova 28 Damascus* 70 Shahbazian Nerses Van 33 Mush 71 Sertlian Sarkis Erzerum 32 Erzerum 72 Seraydarian Armenak Svaz 35 Tokat 73. Vartanian Baghdasar Svaz 35 Svaz 74 Vezneyan Harutiun Kharpert 40 Malatya 75.Yarmayan Minas Tokat 38 Erzinjan Partial list of Dentists killed: 1. Altounian, Mihran Svaz Svaz 2.Albertian, Mgrdich Erzerum Erzinjan 3. Achabahian, Hampartsum Svaz . 4. Peniamin Samson Sari Kamish 5. Tabibian, Haygazun Gesaria 48 Amasya 6. Yegavian, Levon Arapkir Erzinjan 7. Yonchegulyan, Nishan Svaz Svaz 8. Manoug Kharpert Erzerum 9. Mghigian, Nishan Erzinjan Kemakh valley Partial List of Pharmacists Killed by the Ottoman Government 1.Ajemian. Parunag Brussa 40 hanged in Bandrma August 29, 1915 2. Armenag Brussa Shot in Atranos 3. Prudian Erzerum Near Malatya 4. Kuyoumjian, Hovhannes Papert Near Malatya 5. Kratlian, Sahak Svaz Near Svaz 6. Koyunian, Simon Kharpert on Kopi 7. Tashjian ,Yetuart Kharpert 35 killed in the prison in Kharpert 8. Torkomian, Khachadur Svaz 9. Lutfian, Harutiun Brussa 55 Shot in Atranos with 100 other Armenians 10. Khachadurian, Norayr Erzinjan 11. Gurjian, Karekin Kharpert 30 Near Malatya 12. Gurjian, Kevork Kharpert 55 Papert 13. Mesyayan, Yeghiazar Svaz . 14. Shidanian, Vahan Samson Svaz 15. Saraydarian, Khachig Svaz Tokat 16. Saraydarian, Dikran Svaz 32 Near Zile 17. Sarkis Svaz Vefaya 18. Sarikian, Hagop Ourfa 35 . 19. Sebouh Erzinjan Kemakh valley 20. Srabian, Kaspar Kharpert 32 21. Vartanian, Vahan Svaz 38 Near Saray 22. Derbabian, Puzant Svaz Endiros 23. Der Sdepanian, Mgrdich Kharpert 60 Malatya 24. Panosian, Levon Gesarya 45 Tomarza 25. Papazian, Yeghishe Erzerum 38 Malatya 26. Pasdermajian, Khachig Erzerum 38 Malatya 27. Kenderian, Hagop Kharpert 35 28. Keshishian, Khosrov Malatya 36 Malatya Khosrov was Protestant, a writer and Tashnagtsagan 29. Keshishian Kacher Marash 63 Marash 30. Keshishian Vartan Marash 37 Marash * MassisWeekly

Chevron Responds To National Campaign Exposing "Profit From Genocide Denial" Scheme, AZG Armenian Daily, 28/07/2009 SAN RAMON, CA -- Chevron Corporation tried to explain away its opposition to Congressional legislation affirming the Armenian Genocide, using the standard Turkish and Azerbaijani government talking points to justify their complicity in denying this crime against humanity, reported the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF). "As a major energy producer in the region, we support the integrity of multiple energy transportation routes and a diplomatic relationship between Turkey and Armenia," Chevron spokesman Justin Higgs announced, adding that the genocide resolution, "would have hurt, not helped, relations between Turkey and Armenia." "An enduring diplomatic relationship between Turkey and Armenia can only be based on truth," said AYF San Francisco chapter chairman Matt Senekeremian, leading the Bay Area protest. "Lobbying against the Armenian Genocide resolution is a pure and simple case of profiting from the denial of the murder of 1.5 million men, women and children -a short-sighted policy which only serves to fuel greater instability in the region." Chevron's comments came as the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) joined with Armenian Americans and human rights activists in kicking off a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about Turkish Government coercion of the energy giant and some five multinational corporations currently lobbying against Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.252). The resolution, spearheaded by Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA), George Radanovich (R-CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone and Mark Kirk, has over 125 cosponsors. Rep. Schiff chastised Chevron and the other corporations for opposing the Genocide resolution, noting "I don't think any major American corporation should be lobbying against the genocide recognition and become complicit in another country's genocide denial," Schiff told the Glendale News-Press. "I don't think that's being a good corporate citizen. It's certainly putting profits in front of the public interest." The protests began on July 22, 2009 at the Chevron headquarters in San Ramon, California and local stations across the U.S., including sites in Burbank, La Crescenta, Pasadena, San Fernando Valley, Orange County, Glendale, Fresno, as well as Bethesda, MD, Orlando, FL and Philadelphia, PA. An online letter writing campaign to Chevron CEO Dave O'Reilly was launched in conjunction with the protests, urging the company to publicly apologize for profiting from Genocide denial. A copy of the letter was hand delivered to the Chevron corporate headquarters by protesters in San Ramon. Concerned about public response to their action, Chevron's corporate headquarters had alerted their franchisees about the AYF led protest prior to the campaign launch. Washington, DC area protesters also reported that Chevron had sent their own photographers to the protest. Protests were covered in local newspapers, including the Orlando Sentinel, where AYF Keri chapter member Raffi Mekhdjavakian explained "It's contradictory of Chevron to have their motto 'The Chevron way' and say that they are responsible and ethical when they are lobbying against a human rights situation," said Raffi Mekhdjavakian, an Oviedo resident with the Armenian youth group. "If [the genocide] is denied it's as if it never happened." Mekhdjavakian referred to statements on Chevron's website -http://www.chevron.com/about/chevronway/ -- where the corporation prides itself on running the company the "Chevron Way" - responsibly, ethically and with respect to human rights. However, on June 13th, the Associated Press revealed that Chevron and 5 other multinational energy and defense corporations, including BAE Systems, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies and Goodrich have filed disclosure forms with the Senate and House "quietly" lobbying against H.Res.252 the Armenian Genocide Resolution, among a wide array of legislation. In first quarter of 2009 alone, the six firms have spent some $14 million in Congressional lobby efforts. This is in addition to the over $3 million spent annually by the Government of Turkey to block U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, a cornerstone of their foreign policy priorities. "Clearly, Turkey will spare to no expense to cover up its dark past,"said AYF Western Region Chairman Vache Thomassian. "Coercing corporations like Chevron to do its dirty deeds is just the latest tactic - exporting genocide denial to our neighborhoods, one gas station at a time." Complete information about Chevron's lobbying efforts - including lobby disclosures forms filed with the Senate and House - are posted at http://www.anca.org/chevron. A Facebook group calling attention to the effort has over 1300 activists. Armenian Youth Federation Eastern U.S., Watertown, MA 02472 - ayf.org Western U.S., Glendale, CA 91206 -@ayfwest.org AYF Keri Chapter members and supporters protest Chevron's anti-genocide recognition stance. AYF members in La Crescenta, CA express their opposition to Chevron's complicity in Armenian Genocide denial. Bay Area AYF Chapter Chairman Matt Senekeremian delivers a letter to a Chevron executive protesting that company's lobbying efforts against Armenian Genocide legislation. ANCA Leo Sarkisian interns team up with the Greater Washington AYF Ani chapter to protest Chevron's "profit from genocide denial" scheme

Armenia To Host A Group Of Turkish Youths On July 26-29, 27.07.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Since April 2009, "The future is yours" social organization has been implementing a program entitled "Tolerance through cultural and educational dialogues". The program aims at establishment of dialogue between Armenian and Turkish youth, based on tolerance and democratic values. Armenia will host a group of Turkish youths on July 26-29 within program framework. The 3-day visit will feature interactive games, dialogues on Armenian and Turkish culture, visits to museums and galleries. Young people from Turkey will meet RA Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan, US Ambassador to RA Marie Yovanovitch, Acting Head of OSCE Office in Yerevan Carel Hofstra. Foreign Ministry press service told Armenpress that the program is being implemented by "The Future is Yours" charity non-governmental organization with the support of the US embassy in Armenia and OSCE Yerevan Office. The goal of the program is through mutual cultural and educational visits create an atmosphere of tolerance and good will between Armenian and Turkish young people and support the dialogue started between Armenia and Turkey. At the meeting A. Kirakosyan presented the priorities of the Armenia's foreign policy and relations with the countries of the region . With the request of the guests the deputy minister referred to the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations as well as recent developments in Karabakh conflict regulation process.

Armenia Can Count On Soros Foundation's Financial Support, 27.07.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Soros Foundation will allocate USD 100 million to countries most impacted by world financial crisis. Among 20 states of Eastern Europe and Middle Asia, Armenia also counts on Soros Foundation's financial support, apollo.lv reported. The extent of crisis in the country will be considered during estimations, as well as population size, anti-crisis program length and co-financing possibilities. Besides Armenia, the following states have a claim on Soros Foundation's financial support: Latvia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Estonia Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Tajikistan and Ukraine.

Today's Zaman: Normalization Of Armenian- Turkish Relations To Ensure Peace In Region, 27.07.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to S. Enders Wimbush, senior vice president of international programs and policy at the Hudson Institute, the opening of borders between Armenia and Turkey will require intense and delicate diplomacy with Azerbaijan. However, both Turkey and Azerbaijan will benefit if they succeed , the Turkish edition of Today's Zaman writes in today's article. The article states that Russia, the dominant power in the region, is solely interested in maintaining its grip. As the region is part of the former USSR, it is in Russia's interest to preserve its influence in the region over the countries of the post-Soviet areas, particularly that of the South Caucasus. While doing so, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has attempted to manipulate the regional countries through long-protracted conflicts such as Abkhazia and South-Ossetia, two breakaway regions of Georgia allegedly supported by Russia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Last summer we witnessed two frozen conflicts unfrozen in Moscow's favor in Georgia. I am dubious that Moscow would support any resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh that reduced its leverage in Armenia and Azerbaijan from the status quo," the author of the article quoted the Director of Russian and Eurasian Program of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Andrew Kuchins. However, the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement could be regarded as a brilliant opportunity to drive Armenia out of the control of Russia, to pull the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict from stalemate and in effect, to bring peace and stability to the region. In contrast, Kuchins restated Russia's policy of dominance serving to keep the countries in the South Caucasus under its control in the region. He is skeptical that Moscow really supports the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement and the border opening since that would reduce the leverage that Russia has over Armenia.

Chernobyl / Armenia: Victims Still Suffer , 29 July 2009 by Stéphane / armenews by Marianna Grigorian and Gayane Mkrtchian, ArmeniaNow journalists in Yerevan. George Festa translation. Twenty years later, a new generation of children not receiving the necessary treatment for diseases caused by Chernobyl. The skin of Sennik Alexanian has yellowed, his bones out, his eyes are swollen. Mr. Alexanian is aged only 49 years but his immune system collapsed. Like hundreds of his countrymen's life is divided into two periods: before and after Chernobyl. Like other Armenians in 3000 - and tens of thousands of people across the Soviet Union - Mr. Alexanian was sent to assist in the reorganization, following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster two decades ago. Half of the Armenians sent there have severe health problems suffered by radiation and 350 are already dead. On 25 April a group of Armenian rescuers received and was rewarded by Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, who has promised more support, but many people ensure they have been abandoned by the government of independent Armenia . "I went to my work, but they prevented me," recalls Mr. Alexanian, who worked as truck driver in 1986. "They put us in a train without telling us or our family, where they sent us. If I did not go and if I had escaped, they would have held as an enemy of the people. " Nobody does rescuers invisible dangers of the area where they entered. "The radiations have no color or smell, you can not locate them," says Alexanian. "We just started feeling worse, it was continuously get headaches, dizziness, bleeding still on the nose." Mr. Gevorg Vardanian, who currently chairs the Association of Armenian Chernobyl, has spent eleven months in Chernobyl and suffers from a serious illness caused by radiation. "In Ukraine the public knew what had happened. At the 1st of May parade, a radioactive rain fell on the people, "he says. The most terrible is that there were students among those who took people out of Chernobyl. They never knew we had taken in an area devastated. " Six years after the disaster, this was the end of the Soviet Union and the Newly Independent States, such as Armenia, had to take care of the rescuers. However, unlike many other countries, Armenia has not allocated a budget for the medical treatment of survivors of Chernobyl. Although eligible for medical checks twice a year, patients say that in general they did not even had. Mr. Alexanian says his health is deteriorating each day, but he received no money for treatment. His family sold everything they could, even their apartment. He receives a pension of 21 000 drams, equivalent to $ 46 each month, but according to him, he would need much more to buy if only one of the medicines that are necessary. "When we turn to specialized services for assistance, they tell us surreptitiously - Alexanian says:" You should not have to go. " It did not depend on us, nobody went to a slow death in the knowing. " Six years ago, he and his wife had a son, but the child was also marked by the consequences of Chernobyl. The small Vachagan was born with chronic health problems, suffers from epilepsy and nervous crises. Mr. Gevorg Vardanian, many Armenian rescuers can no longer work. They live in poverty and lack of money for their basic needs. "We thought our problems had begun to Chernobyl ¸ completed in Armenia, but apparently they are not nearly finished," says Vardanian. It is not only the rescuers, but over thirty percent of their children who have multiple disabilities and are experiencing serious health problems. Many do not even have the chance to take their children to a doctor. " According to Mr. Vardanian, the Armenian government has not assumed its responsibilities effectively. "We have no specific law to protect the rights of those who participated in the work of emergency at Chernobyl and to give them the same benefits enjoyed by other rescuers in the former Soviet Union." Mr. Vardanian, the Armenian government has ratified a treaty that provided for the implementation of a law to protect the survivors of Chernobyl, but so far such a law has not yet been adopted. Only earlier this year that the parliamentary committee for social affairs, health and environment has drafted a bill providing protection to victims of Chernobyl and their children. Gaguik Mkheyan Mr. President of this committee, "the bill is under discussion." Its cost is already criticized by government ministers. "In my opinion, Armenia does not need such a law," we said Jemma Baghdasarian, head of the disabled and elderly to the Minister of Labor, arguing that current legislation regarding ensure social protection for survivors of Chernobyl follow-up meeting. Mr. Nikolai Hovhanissian, director of the Armenian Center for care and treatment of burns related to radioactivity, said that understanding the cause of Chernobyl rescuers, Armenia has simply not afford it. "The state plans to spend 100 000 drams ($ 222) for each patient, including the cost of electricity used by the hospital, the salaries of medical personnel, medicines and food," says Hovhanissian. What to say to that? This amount does not suffice to solve some problems of patients. " The survivors themselves placed little hope in this new law. According to them, the existing budget is woefully inadequate. "We feel the whole world against us, are like dead street, which nobody wants," says Vazguen Gyurjinian, a survivor of Chernobyl. Gyurjinian M., electrician, was aged 28 years when he was sent into the area of the disaster. Now aged 46 years, he speaks with a hoarse voice and breathes with difficulty. He already had three heart attacks. His third daughter, Lusine, born on his return, was disabled from birth and received only 3 600 drams (about $ 8) per month of support. "It's not just us, for whom life is a burden that we need this law, but our children and our grandchildren," says Gyurjinian. Some of us may have healthy children, but this does not mean we do not have any grandchildren sick. Our genes have suffered serious damage. " Source / Link: IWPR

Facing Poverty In Armenia, Asbarez.Com, Tom Vartabedian on Jul 24th, 2009 Man sits outside a lean-to call home outside of Yerevan. Photo by Tom Vartabedia © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

Man sits outside a lean-to call home outside of Yerevan. Photo by Tom Vartabedia YEREVANMenk an-o-tee yenk. These simple words sent my heart stomping as I left my apartment in Yerevan one afternoon in May. In my hand was a plastic bag containing the remnants of moldy bread headed for a dumpster nearby. Outside, a father and mother were camped out in a terrace by a small pavilion they were calling home. Nearby were two small children playing, presumably their own. It was a gut-wrenching scene one that left an indelible impression of conditions that were less favorable than others you might encounter in the big city. The bread is no good, I told the man. Its rotted. Impoverished woman at Etchmiadzin. Photo by Tom Vartabedian Dont matter, he answered. We are hungry. And with that, I handed over the bag and dipped into my pocket for a handout. Take this and buy yourself a good loaf of bread. The day before, I visited a village where people were living inside lean-tos and makeshift shelters. Others had set up homes in abandoned buildings with little or no resources. At Lake Sevan, a derelict was singing for survival and a young boy was being admonished for not selling his allotment of postcards. At Etchmiadzin, a forlorn woman was crouched against the majestic cathedral. My heart bled for her. Im not well, she told me, prompting another dip into my pocket. I dont want your money, she shot back. Instead, you can light a candle for me. Pray for me. © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

Impoverished woman at Etchmiadzin. Photo by Tom Vartabedian The scene reminded me of a previous trip to Armenia three years prior in which we had gone to Shushi and encountered a humble street-wanderer sitting on a curbstone with a paper bag containing his belongings. He asked me for money. I couldnt refuse. I want to light a candle in that church, he said, pointing across the way to a wondrous cathedral called Soorp Amenapergich. I appeared skeptical, until I went inside the sanctuary and there before me was the beggar lighting his candle in prayer. He was telling the truth. Poverty is rampant in Armenia. You cannot escape it. But one thing rests assured. No matter how bad the crisis, no matter where people live, no matter how scant the food, this is home. This is Armenia and theres no alternative. Its the old life prior to the Industrial Revolution weve all seen. They dont need cell phones and computers, fancy homes and cars just old values and hard work. When I see these young kids in schools dressed in uniform and addressing you properly, its something you wouldnt necessarily suspect from a Third World Country. No matter how bleak the environment, the children appeared well maintained. My first venture there in 2006 was far different than the second this past April. My wife and I brought along $100 in singles with the idea that we would patronize the needy population. © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

Woman fills buckets of water in the village of Dogh. Photo by Tom Vartabedian Others in our tour group were equally as generous. Not candy, or toys but cash. In two weeks time, we exhausted our allotment. At the time, I didnt realize that handing out an American dollar in some remote village would be useless. Where would they redeem it? More than the children, it bothered me to see the elderly make an advance. With kids, we were told that giving away money would be teaching them bad habits that they should be taught to sustain themselves and not live off a free handout. The elderly tend to be more persistent in their character. Some offer you wares. Others, nothing at all. They dont let go very easily on the street. However modest the means, its called survival, and its something the government must address in order to preserve the tourist trade. Woman fills buckets of water in the village of Dogh. Photo by Tom Vartabedian Yerevan is booming. High-rise apartments are sprouting up like mushrooms inside the inner-city belt, catering to the affluent. Yet, 20 miles outside the capital, people are living from hand-to-mouth. There is no economy. A 50 percent unemployment rate is hardly a comfort zone. What few jobs that exist offer a pittance for the most part. Professionals are earning what somebody on welfare may be getting in this country. People are learning to live more with less. Despite the extreme poverty, the table is usually sagging with food and hospitality is open to one and all. There are no strangers in Armenia, usually friends waiting to meet. Just pass by a home and an invitation becomes automatic. What bothered me more than anything this time was an incident that occurred at the Yerevan Opera House. Determined to get a ticket for Khachaturians Spartacus, I arrived at the box office brimming with ecstasy. Ive listened to the ballet repeatedly, much as Ive done with his Gayane Suite. The news was grim. Sorry, were all sold out, said the clerk. I asked about another concert and was told there was one that very evening featuring the Leningrad Symphony with an appearance by a noted Armenian diva. Not Spartacus but certainly an alternative. Upon inquiring about admission, I was aghast. That would be $30,000 grams, and includes a reception later, the woman replied. Some fast figuring told me that was more than $100 a ticket American money, given the 3.75 exchange rate for a dram. I refused the offer, packed away my sentiment, and off I went toward a coffee house. On the way, an impoverished woman asked for money and I felt in an overly-generous mood. I wound up treating her to a meal inside the Marriott. Come to find out, shes lived in Yerevan all her life and this was her first visit inside the hotel. She gave me a hug for my money. All of a sudden, my spirit in humanity had been restored. good samaritan Re: Facing Poverty In Armenia . Yerevan—“menk An-O-Tee Yenk.” July 27 2009, Thanks Tom for writing this, but its going to be ignored by most Armenians, anyway thanks for the try. The thing that upsets me is that in Yerevan they have a fetish obsession with Fireworks, they spent thousands of $ and millions in drams for firework shows for every occassion and for no occassion at all. The toxic chemicals given by those fireworks does further contaminates Yerevan and its people, specially if taken into consideration that they like their fireworks in very low altitude inhaling the toxic fumes. Enough of those fireworks! instead give those thousanda $ and million in drams of firework budget to the poor who are hungry, or just go buy food for the poor if you fear that they are going to spent that charity on vodka. Don't tell those poor to go eat biscuits and chocolates! All they want is a piece of bread, and few kopeks to light a prayer candle. Man sits outside a lean-to call home outside of Yerevan. Photo by Tom Vartabedia Impoverished woman at Etchmiadzin. Photo by Tom Vartabedian Woman fills buckets of water in the village of Dogh. Photo by Tom Vartabedian

Turkey's Anti-Armenian Devilish Ideology Chronic, 29.07.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The statement made by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is a serious and responsible diplomatic move, an expert said. "The Armenian leader delivered a clear message that his visit to the neighbor country will take place only if the border is open or on the threshold of lifting the blockade. This proves Armenian-Turkish talks have reached a deadlock," David Davtyan, expert at ANALITIKA.at.ua information center, told PanARMENIAN.Net. President Sargsyan's statement cannot be viewed as a condition, according to him. "It's a test for the Turkish side, which avoids fulfilling agreements reached earlier. Armenian President's presence at the return match will legalize the sham of reconciliation. Now, the Turkish government has fallen into its own trap. It will either have to open the border and lose Baku's credit or to confess to unwillingness to normalize relations with Armenia, thus proving Turkish authorities' impotence to resolve problems in a civilized way," Davtyan said. "Turkey's anti-Armenian devilish ideology is chronic. The promise to inaugurate a cross of the Armenian church on Akhtamar island is nothing but populism," he said. "Another problem is the incapacity if Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan. New election is inevitable and it appears as a real puzzle for Ankara. The trouble is Turkey's "democratic laws" which allow Turkish citizens or natives only to be elected Patriarch. Under the circumstances, the Armenian community tends to have a spiritual leader who could be less dependent on the government. Blocking of independent candidates will prove Turkey's anti-Armenian policy, making its leader a victim of their own crafty designs," Davtyan said. "Moreover, Yerevan will show Ankara a red card if Armenian footballers do not go to Turkey at all," he concluded.

Turkey Alters Stand On Armenia? , 27.07.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey's Chief EU Negotiator, Egemen Bagis said the reconstruction of the Armenian Church on Akhtamar island will be accomplished before Serzh Sargsyan's arrival in Turkey. "We will finish the reconstruction before the Armenian President's arrival and inaugurate a cross on the Church," Bagis said. "All religions are respected. If Europe puts no bans on opening mosques, so why should we do so? Besides, this church will attract Armenians here, what will help develop tourism."

An Inconvenient Truth Yet, 1 August 2009, by Stéphane / armenews "The denial can be a good speaker, you can not practice the art of conversation with him because he lies and he knows it well. Whatever the evidence, he denies because he does not want to hear truth but to impose its own false version. " These simple words, we can outline a clear picture of the policy adopted by the Turkish state, a policy of negation and absolute denial of the Armenian genocide. On 24 April 2008 is for all Armenians a day of national mourning, and they commemorate the 93rd anniversary of the crime of genocide perpetrated against them by the Turks in 1915. We see each year on this day of mass demonstrations organized by the Armenian communities scattered throughout the world. These echoes cause us to revise history and fatal to refocus our future beyond the limits of a simple contemplation and sterile. As we approach that date, Turkey is mobilizing its allies and blamed European countries while increasing its negationist releases, and acknowledge the Armenian side to distort history by advancing accusations. On the other hand, the authorities in Ankara make their archives available to the Turkish and foreign historians, and propose to the Armenian State the establishment of a joint committee to study historical facts. This memory of the genocide awareness once again the international conscience and reminds the magnitude of the historical injustice assigned to the Armenian people in the early twentieth century. Through its humanitarian culture, its soul and its militant desire to perpetuate the memory of Armenia, the Armenian people managed to transform the tragedy into strength to survive. And, without falling into the trap of racism and chauvinism, avoiding the isolation and confinement, he alerted the international authorities to conduct a fight for the universal recognition of the genocide. On the other hand, the denial of genocide among the Turks is at its peak. The Ministries of Culture and Tourism of Turkey have created a website entitled "Armenian Allegations and truth." Turkey takes many facts and data in this ideal Republic (secularism, democracy, modernity), refraining from any democratic rationality in relation to the following folders: denial of the Armenian genocide, denial of the Kurdish issue, refusal to recognize Cyprus. "One and a half million Armenians were killed, and nobody dares to admit it but me." These words of the Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk have been published in a Swiss newspaper, three years ago. "And if you try to bury the memory, there will always be some who escape to the surface: I am this part," he said. The authorities in Ankara would be better advised to reflect on the contribution that it, in the wake of "new historians" Turkish begin to break taboos, could make the recognition of a liability in the horrors of 1915. This work is painful memory in the eyes of Turks. It is all the more difficult it touches the very foundations of the Kemalist Republic. The genocide was committed. The martyrs are Armenians. Their number is a million and a half. Most of the Armenian land is confiscated by Turkey. Recognition with damages is essential. There is an urgent need not to forget. Agop Kassardjian L'Orient-Le Jour

Pro-Armenia Congressmen Appeal To Obama More than 80 members of the US House of Representatives have sent a joint letter to President Barack Obama claiming that Turkey has backtracked from an April agreement to normalize relations with Armenia and appealed to the president to treat his past promise to recognize an alleged Armenian genocide separately from the Turkish-Armenian reconciliation process. In the July 29 letter, initiated by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone and Mark Kirk as well as Adam Schiff and George Radanovich, both lead sponsors of a draft resolution in the House calling for US recognition of the alleged genocide, the congressmen said Turkey's commitment to normalizing relations with Armenia, under a deal Turkey and Armenia announced in April, was questionable. The announcement that the two countries reached an agreement on a “roadmap” on how to normalize their relations came just two days before the April 24 “genocide” commemoration day. Obama, who pledged to recognize the genocide claims in his election campaign, avoided using the g-word in his traditional April 24 message. He said earlier that he did not want to harm Turkish-Armenian reconciliation prospects. “It would appear that Turkey, in an effort to block US recognition of the Armenian Genocide, agreed to a roadmap it did not intend to uphold,” the letter read. “Therefore, we urge your Administration to separate the issues of normalization and genocide recognition. We hope that renewed efforts and focused resources from the Administration can be utilized to nurture the Armenia-Turkey normalization process without preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe and continue to remain strongly supportive of your stated campaign policy to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.” 01 August 2009, TODAY'S ZAMAN

Sarksyan Rejects Preconditions In Turkey Talks Armenia has put aside its historical grievances and worked in goodwill for reconciliation with Turkey and now expects Turkey to put aside preconditions to advance peace talks, Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan has said. Sarksyan, speaking to a group of Armenian students from Russia, Egypt, Georgia, Ukraine and Turkey, said his country has exerted its best efforts despite the “Armenian genocide” to normalize relations with neighboring Turkey, an Armenian news report said on Friday. He complained that Armenia's goodwill was not reciprocated by Turkey, which now appears to want to use the progress made to normalize relations with Armenia to advance efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “Within past years we conducted negotiations, signed two documents, still, some Turkish officials decided to set preconditions and link Armenian-Turkish relations with [the Nagorno-Karabakh] issue,” Sarksyan was quoted as saying by the PanARMENIAN news portal. “We can't accept preconditions … Turkey has to understand no preconditions should be set in [the] 21st century, as preconditions lead to counteraction.” Turkey and Armenia reported progress in their talks to restore their relations in April and said they reached an agreement on a road map on how to normalize their ties. But the process has become complicated since then, as Azerbaijan, a close ally of Turkey, protested the Turkish-Armenian talks. In a subsequent visit to Baku, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan assured Azerbaijan that Turkey will not open its borders with Armenia, which have been closed since 1993, unless Armenia withdraws from Nagorno-Karabakh, a region occupied by Armenian forces in a 1991 war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Earlier this week, Sarksyan said he would not visit Turkey to watch a World Cup qualifying game between national soccer teams of the two countries in September if the border is still closed. Responding to Sarksyan, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said on Wednesday that the government was still committed to normalizing relations with Armenia. "But at the same time, it is important for us to see the same determination from the international community, and especially from Armenia, on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan," he added. 01 August 2009, TODAY'S ZAMAN

We Are Like Provincial Folks Among Strong And Experienced Players: Armenian MP, 31 July 2009 Today.Az We are like provincial folks among strong and experienced players, Armenian parliament’s Heritage faction chief Larisa Alaverdyan said while commenting on Armenian president’s statement that he will not visit Turkey to watch return match between two countries’ football teams until Armenia-Turkey border is opened and Armenia’s blockade is lifted. “This statement is a sign of unskilful foreign policy. First, a sharp embrace and then an equally sharp reverse. This is unbalanced foreign policy. Indeed, we do not have policy. We have no long-term forward-looking political doctrine.” “People involved in politics lack “taste”of management. There is a desire to act but there is no desire to think and to handle a lot of information. We do not have scrupulous politicians, unfortunately,” she said. “We look like provincial folks among strong and experienced players. But we must realize that we are doomed to have a role in the region, whether want it or not. This game requires trained personnel. We can not do without special institutions to train such professionals.” she said. “We, on the one hand, have an absolute shortage of people capable of addressing serious issues in politics, but on the other, the reluctance of the authorities not to produce qualitatively new stuff,”

President Of Armenia: Some Turkish Officials Trying To Make Preconditions After We Have Coordinated Two Documents With Turkey, ArmInfo 2009-07-31 ArmInfo. "Despite historical problems - Genocide of Armenians, Armenia has displayed good will and has done its best to normalize the Armenian-Turkish relations. Armenia proved strong enough to propose the Turkish authorities to establish diplomatic relations and open borders without any preconditions and then study any issue we will consider convenient," President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan told the participants in the program "Return Home" organized by the Armenian Diaspora Ministry on the Lake Sevan. In response to the question by a participant from Turkey, the president said: "We had been negotiating with Turkey in rather pleasant atmosphere for the whole year. We have coordinated two documents. Afterwards some Turkish officials tried to propose us preconditions and link the Armenian-Turkish relations with the Karabakh conflict and the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations," the president said. He called any preconditions inadmissible to Armenia. "We are well aware that Turkey is a big and powerful state and we are well aware of Turkey's role in our region and in the world. Nevertheless, Turks should admit the fact that we are Armenians and we are an independent country", Serzh Sargsyan said. Turks should realize that speaking of preconditions in the 21st century is inadmissible. "Any precondition or hardline approach leads to counteraction", the president said. In addition Serzh Sargsyan declared: "I am very glad to see that the Armenians residing in Turkey have preserved their language and identity. The stronger is the Republic of Armenia, the stronger is the Armenian genius in other states. It is one of our goals."

Diaspora Is Armenia's Richest Resource, 30.07.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Serzh Sarsgyan met Thursday with participants of Come Home program implemented by the RA Ministry of Diaspora. He hailed the young people's decision to visit their historic homeland. "Diaspora is a bridge and Armenia's richest resource. It's Armenia's mouthpiece in other countries. Now we use only a part of the existing potential but I am confident that our homeland will be stronger one day and you will see it," the President said. The program participants shared their impressions about Armenia. Most of them said they wish to acquire Armenian citizenship.

Congressional Armenian Caucus Sends Letter to Obama Protesting Turkish Inaction 2009/07/31 The Armenian Assembly of America reports a bipartisan group of U.S. legislators sent a letter to President Barack Obama highlighting Turkey’s failure to live up to its commitments regarding normalizing of relations with Armenia without preconditions, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). The letter read in part “We write to you [Mr. President] with our concerns about Turkish backpedalling on the agreed upon roadmap to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia.” Recalling stated U.S. policy “that normalization should take place without preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe,” the letter pointed out Armenia’s constructive approach and raised concerns about Turkey’s counterproductive actions: “While the Government of Armenia remains committed to this roadmap and has long offered to establish ties with Turkey without preconditions, Turkey’s public statements and actions since April 24th stand in sharp contrast to this agreement and undermine U.S. policy that normalization take place without preconditions.” The letter was spearheaded by the leadership of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs, Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), along with Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and George Radanovich (R-CA).

Sarkisian Steps Up Criticism Of Turkey, Warns Of Reprisals YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–President Serzh Sarkisian has stepped up his criticism of Turkey’s preconditions for normalizing Turkish-Armenian relations, saying that they run counter to agreements reached by Ankara and Yerevan during their year-long negotiations. The criticism was echoed by more than 80 U.S. lawmakers who accused Ankara of backpedaling on a U.S.-brokered “roadmap” to establishing diplomatic relations between the two neighboring nations and reopening their border. “For one year, Armenia and Turkey held negotiations and agreed on two documents,” Sarkisian said in televised remarks aired late on Thursday. “But since that some political forces in Turkey have been trying to set conditions and link the establishment of diplomatic relations with Armenia with the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Armenia’s relations with Azerbaijan.” “We do accept that Turkey is a big country, we do accept its role both in the region and the entire world,” he said. “But at the same time, we Armenians are an independent nation, and it is inadmissible to talk to us in the language of preconditions. Any tough step brings about counter-steps.” He did not elaborate on the warning. Sarkisian spoke during a visit to Lake Sevan where he attended a summer festival organized by his government for visiting young people from the worldwide Armenian Diaspora. Many in the Diaspora have followed with unease Armenia’s rapprochement with Turkey that began shortly after Sarkisian took office in April last year. Sarkisian has been criticized by Armenia’s opposition and the Diaspora for allowing Western-backed process to develop in Turkey’s favor without earning Armenia any tangible benefits. The process thus far has allowed Turkey to couple its talks with Armenia to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and hamper efforts for US recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Sarkisian’s remarks came just two days after he again made clear that he will not travel to Turkey to watch the October 14 return match of the two countries’ national football teams unless Ankara takes “real steps” to reopen the Turkish-Armenian border. The two teams played their first game in Yerevan last September in the presence of Sarkisian and Turkish President Abdullah Gul. Gul’s visit to Armenia was followed by more Turkish-Armenian talks, with the Turks reportedly agreeing to drop their long-standing linkage between the normalization of bilateral ties and a Karabakh settlement acceptable to Azerbaijan. However, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other Turkish leaders have repeatedly said in recent months that the Turkish-Armenian border will remain closed as long as the Karabakh conflict remains unresolved. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu reaffirmed this precondition on Wednesday. Despite these statements, Sarkisian until recently sounded cautiously optimistic about the success of the Turkish-Armenian dialogue. It was not until July 6 that he first publicly expressed his frustration with Ankara’s stance. Highlighting that frustration, 82 members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday sent a joint letter to President Barack Obama expressing concern about “Turkish backpedaling” on the still unpublicized “roadmap” deal that was announced on April 22. “Turkey’s public statements and actions since April 24th stand in sharp contrast to this agreement and undermine U.S. policy that normalization take place without preconditions,” the letter said. “It would appear that Turkey, in an effort to block U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, agreed to a roadmap it did not intend to uphold,” the legislators charged. “Therefore, we urge your Administration to separate the issues of normalization and genocide recognition.” In an April 24 statement, Obama refrained from properly recognizing the Genocide, implicitly citing the need not to undermine the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement. /Asbarez/

ANC Believes Ra President-Set Deadline For Border Opening A Mistake, 30.07.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Turkey won't make a single step towards RA-Turkey border opening until significant progress in NKR conflict settlement is registered," ANC Coordinating Council member David Shahnazaryan told a news conference today. Commenting on recent statement of RA President Serzh Sargsyan that he'll visit Turkey to attend return football match between RA and Turkey's teams only upon opening of Armenian-Turkish border, Shanazaryan noted that RA President-set deadline for border opening was a mistake. David Shahnazaryan believes situation around RA - Turkey border opening unlikely to change before the football match.

Armenian Assembly of America Press Release, July 30,2009, aaainc.org Lawmakers Address Turkish Backpedaling 82 Members of Congress Send Letter to President Obama Washington, DC - Earlier today, under the leadership of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs, Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), along with Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and George Radanovich (R-CA), a bipartisan group of legislators sent a letter to President Barack Obama highlighting Turkey's failure to live up to its commitments regarding normalizing of relations with Armenia without preconditions, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). The letter read in part "We write to you [Mr. President] with our concerns about Turkish backpedaling on the agreed upon roadmap to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia." Recalling stated U.S. policy "that normalization should take place without preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe," the letter pointed out Armenia's constructive approach and raised concerns about Turkey's counterproductive actions: "While the Government of Armenia remains committed to this roadmap and has long offered to establish ties with Turkey without preconditions, Turkey's public statements and actions since April 24th stand in sharp contrast to this agreement and undermine U.S. policy that normalization take place without preconditions." Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny commended this bipartisan initiative stating that "Armenia has repeatedly offered to normalize relations with Turkey without preconditions only to be rebuffed by Turkey. We also support the position espoused by the Members that the Administration should separate the issues of normalization and Genocide affirmation. U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide should not be held hostage to normalization of relations." Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt membership organization. ### Editor's Note: Letter Signatories - Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Mark Steven Kirk (R-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), George Radanovich (R-CA), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Joe Baca (D-CA), Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Howard Berman (D-CA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Bruce Braley, (D-IA), John Campbell, (R-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Steve Driehaus (D-OH), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Bob Filner (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Elton Gallegly (R-CA), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Dale Kildee (D-MI), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), James Langevin (D-RI) Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander Levin (D-MI), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) Daniel Lungren (R-CA). Stephen Lynch (D-CA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), James McGovern (D-MA) Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Candice Miller (R-MI), Walt Minnick (D-ID), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Richard Neal (D-CA), Devin Nunes (R-CA), John Olver (D-MA) Payne, Donald (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Peter Roskam (R-IL), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Edward Royce (R-CA), Bobby Rush (D-IL) Paul Ryan (R-WI), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD) James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Mark Souder (R-IN), Zack Space (D-OH), Jackie Speier (D-CA), John Tierney (D-MA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tim Walz (D-MN) Henry Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Frank Wolf (R-VA), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)

Turks Censor YouTube Censorship, Nick Danforth, July 31, 2009 Turkey's lingering reputation for authoritarianism hardly does justice to the increasingly free and democratic country it has become. Still, some troubling examples of a repressive mind-set remain. One of the most striking is the government's 2-year-old ban on YouTube. After typing www.youtube.com into a browser in Turkey, you see a blank page with the bright red words "Access to this site has been blocked by order of the court." In 2007, a Greek youth posted a video titled "Ataturk Gay Turk," which claimed, with the help of cartoon flowers, fake tears and a singsong voice, that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the revered founder of modern Turkey, was gay. The Turkish government responded by banning YouTube, while ordinary Turkish citizens did their part by posting video after video documenting the long history of "Gay-reek" homosexuality. People with any technical skill can avoid the ban with ease, either by viewing YouTube through a proxy server, or by changing their DNS settings to make it appear they are in another country. Turkey's prime minister once absent-mindedly referred in a speech to a YouTube video he had seen. Despite many anti-Turkish groups, Facebook is still used by millions of Turks. Lazy enforcement has generally meant lazy protests. The cleverest and most recent exception is a new campaign from the organization "Censor Censorship." It began with a series of videos from director Ilkay Kopan. In the first (available on YouTube where YouTube is available) a man walks hurriedly into a bathroom, unzips his fly, stops, then walks out swearing. The camera pans to a sign across the urinals reading "Access to these urinals is blocked by order of the court." Another features a woman at the grocery store whose desire for deli meat is thwarted by a sign blocking access to the shelf. "What did the sausages do?" she wonders as the spot ends. The campaign has now spilled from the Internet into real life. Visitors to the Censor Censorship Web site ( www.sansuresansur.org) can print out signs and stickers reading, "Access to this is blocked by order of the court." So far, participants have used their signs to block access to escalators, payphones, benches, streets, text messages, kokorech (a greasy late-night snack made from fried, spiced lamb intestine), classrooms and the city of Istanbul. Censorship has a unique ability to confuse the serious and the absurd. The same Turkish courts that blocked the Web site of British atheist Richard Dawkins also blocked moonamtrak.com, which features pictures of people mooning Amtrak. Turkish internet cafes ban two kinds of sites: pornographic and Kurdish separatist. Until recently, it would have been easy to dismiss YouTube as being in the same category as pornography and moonamtrak - free speech in principle but inane in practice. As Iranian protesters demonstrated, though, the medium has its serious side. As Turkey's army vigilantly defends the border with Greece, Turkish courts have ceded control of the country's Internet to any Greek teenager with a computer. It is an elegant lesson in the self-defeating nature of censorship for developing and developed democracies alike. Nick Danforth blogs for the Project on Middle East Democracy. San Francisco Chronicle

Over 80 House Members Slam Turkey’s Reversal On Proposed ‘Roadmap’ Congressional Letter Urging “Administration to separate the issues of normalization and genocide recognition” Comes as Turkish Leaders Reiterate Preconditions on Dialogue WASHINGTON–Over 80 House House Members on Thursday expressed concern about Turkey’s backtracking on a so-called “roadmap” to advance Armenia-Turkey dialogue, urging President Obama to separate Armenian Genocide recognition from normalization of ties between the two countries, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA.) “We commend the leadership of Representatives Pallone, Kirk, Schiff, Radanovich and their 78 colleagues in calling attention to Turkey’s efforts to inject the resolution of the Karabakh conflict as a precondition to lifting the its illegal blockade of Armenia,” said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. “U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide should not be held hostage to a sham ‘roadmap’ designed to prolong U.S. complicity in the denial of that crime against humanity.” In a July 29th letter to President Obama, initiated by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) as well as Armenian Genocide resolution lead sponsors Adam Schiff (D-CA) and George Radanovich (R-CA), Members of Congress questioned Turkey’s commitment to talks normalizing relations with Armenia, as stated in a “roadmap” agreement signed just two days prior to April 24th, the international day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. Turkey has since added preconditions to continued discussions, which have led most observers of the process to conclude the effort to be stalled indefinitely. “It would appear that Turkey, in an effort to block U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, agreed to a roadmap it did not intend to uphold,” notes the letter to the President. “Therefore, we urge your Administration to separate the issues of normalization and genocide recognition. We hope that renewed efforts and focused resources from the Administration can be utilized to nurture the Armenia-Turkey normalization process without preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe, and continue to remain strongly supportive of your stated campaign policy to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.” The letter comes just days following a statement by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu once again citing that the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict as a precondition to Armenia-Turkey normalization efforts. In recent weeks, Western diplomats have stated that dialogue between Armenia and Turkey is virtually frozen. An ANCA fact sheet outlining Turkey’s backtracking from the April 22nd “roadmap” agreement can be viewed here. Over the past two weeks, Armenian Americans have been contacting their legislators to cosign the Congressional letter. ANCA Leo Sarkisian intern Nareg Aghjayan documented the grassroots community efforts to educate Congress about Turkey’s backtracking on the roadmap in a “Capital Perspectives” piece issued Thursday, posted on the ANCA Leo Sarkisian 2009 blog page: Joining Reps. Pallone, Kirk, Schiff and Radanovich in cosigning the letter to President Obama were Representatives: Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Joe Baca (D-CA), Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Howard Berman (D-CA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Bruce Braley, (D-IA), John Campbell, (R-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Steve Driehaus (D-OH), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Bob Filner (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Elton Gallegly (R-CA), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Dale Kildee (D-MI), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), James Langevin (D-RI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander Levin (D-MI), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Daniel Lungren (R-CA). Stephen Lynch (D-CA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), James McGovern (D-MA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Candice Miller (R-MI), Walt Minnick (D-ID), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Richard Neal (D-CA), Devin Nunes (R-CA), John Olver (D-MA) Payne, Donald (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Peter Roskam (R-IL), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Edward Royce (R-CA), Bobby Rush (D-IL) Paul Ryan (R-WI), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD) James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Mark Souder (R-IN), Zack Space (D-OH), Jackie Speier (D-CA), John Tierney (D-MA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tim Walz (D-MN) Henry Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Frank Wolf (R-VA), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA). The full text of the letter to President Obama follows: July 30, 2009 President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: We write to you with our concerns about Turkish backpedaling on the agreed upon roadmap to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia. On April 22, 2009, just two days before the 94th commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, the Department of State released the following statement: The United States welcomes the statement made by Armenia and Turkey on normalization of their bilateral relations. It has long been and remains the position of the United States that normalization should take place without preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe. We urge Armenia and Turkey to proceed according to the agreed framework and roadmap. We look forward to working with both governments in support of normalization, and thus promote peace, security and stability in the whole region. Two days later, instead of recognizing the Armenian Genocide, the Administration opted to focus on this new roadmap to Armenian-Turkish normalization. “I also strongly support the efforts by Turkey and Armenia to normalize their bilateral relations,” you wrote. “Under Swiss auspices, the two governments have agreed on a framework and roadmap for normalization. I commend this progress, and urge them to fulfill its promise.” While the Government of Armenia remains committed to this roadmap and has long offered to establish ties with Turkey without preconditions, Turkey’s public statements and actions since April 24th stand in sharp contrast to this agreement and undermine U.S. policy that normalization take place without preconditions. On May 13, 2009, Prime Minister Erdogan publically conditioned normalization of relations with Yerevan on Azerbaijan’s approval of a future settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict that fully meets Baku’s satisfaction. “I want to repeat once more that until the occupation ends, the border gates [with Armenia] will remain closed,” Erdogan told the Azeri Parliament. On June 17, 2009, EU South Caucasus Envoy Peter Semneby said Turkey had taken “tactical steps backwards” in the normalization process with Armenia. It would appear that Turkey, in an effort to block U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, agreed to a roadmap it did not intend to uphold. Therefore, we urge your Administration to separate the issues of normalization and genocide recognition. We hope that renewed efforts and focused resources from the Administration can be utilized to nurture the Armenia-Turkey normalization process without preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe, and continue to remain strongly supportive of your stated campaign policy to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. Sincerely, Asbarez

Armenia, Turkey Reached The Moment Of Truth 30.07.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ There have been doubts growing about Turkey's sincere wish to normalize relations with Armenia, a Russian expert said. "Turkey could use the talks to gain political dividends from the West. Now, it's the moment of truth for the two neighboring countries," Mikhail Alexandrov, head of Caucasus department at the Institute of CIS Studies, told PanARMENIAN.Net. "There are two variants: either Turkey wanted to weaken the worldwide campaign for recognition of the Armenian Genocide or it really wanted to normalize relations. At that, presence of Turkish President Abdullah Gul at the football match in Yerevan last year was a serious diplomatic move," he said. According to Mr. Alexandrov, if Turkey doesn't take action to improve relations with Armenia, it will cast doubt on its intensions. "In this case, Armenia will have to suspend talks and resume efforts for Genocide recognition," he said. In a joint press conference with Serbian Minister Boris Tadic, Armenian leader Serzh Sargsyan said he will attend the return match between the Armenian and Turkish football teams in Bursa only if the border is open or on the threshold of lifting the blockade.

Turkey Displeased WITH RA President's Statement, 30.07.2009 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's statement on possible cancellation of his visit to Turkey has aroused displeasure in Ankara. "I think this statement can damage Turkish-Armenian reconciliation," Aybars Gorgulu, Assistant Program Advisor of TESEV FPP, told PanARMENIAN.Net. "Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Armenia without preconditions. At that, Mr. Sargsyan's statement will be eyed by the Turkish government as diplomatic discourtesy. Such ultimatums do not help resolution of problems." "If the Armenian President cancels his visit, Ankara will become more reluctant to normalize relations with the neighboring country," he said, adding that Turkish opposition also slammed Serzh Sarsgyan's statement.

True Communist Must Not Be Nationalist Or Chauvinist Like Armenian Communists: Azerbaijani Communist Party Chief, Today.Az July 30 2009 "A true communist must not be nationalist or chauvinist like Armenian communists," chairman of the Azerbaijan Communist Party based on Marxism and Leninism Telman Nurullayev said while commenting on refusal of Armenian communists to cooperate with Azerbaijani counterparts on Karabakh problem. "Such a position always befits the Armenian side. Nationalism and separatism prevails in a left-wing Communist Party of Armenia. Internationalism is a fundamental principle of any communist. Communists must be international and ready for a dialogue with their counterparts from other countries. The Communists of Armenia are isolated and do not cooperate with the communist parties of the post-Soviet area," he said. "Left parties of Azerbaijan made proposals to Armenian to initiate discussions on the Karabakh conflict. This is our stance and we firmly believe that we can come to the negotiating table with Armenian communists," Nurullayev said. "As communists and leftist parties are part of the labor force and labor force have never wanted a conflict or war between nations, from this point of view we turned to the Armenian-left parties to jointly discuss ways to resolve conflict peacefully," he added. "We suggested in advance that the Armenian side will provide a negative response, but we fulfilled our duty. If the Armenians are not communicative and does not want to negotiate with us, it is their stance," he said.

Border Town Of Hopa Hosting First Ever Caucasus Film Days Despite launching a number of film festivals in the last five years, Turkey still does not boast very many cinematic gatherings. Moreover, most of the existing film festivals are held in metropolises. But later this summer, a new -- albeit tiny -- event is to be added to the country's slate of film festivals, placing the coastal town of Hopa in Turkey's easternmost Black Sea province of Artvin on the map for filmmakers from the Caucasus. The first Caucasus Film Days festival is coming to Hopa, near the Georgian border, from Aug. 9 to 13, introducing just five feature films from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Russia and Turkey to moviegoers in its first year. The event will also screen six Turkish documentaries and will include a workshop on documentary making. The Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry is one of the sponsors of the new festival, which is a joint effort by the local Biryaşam Culture and Ecology Association and the İstanbul-based movie production company Kuzey Film. The Russian entry in the festival is “Alexandra” from master filmmaker Alexander Sokurov. The film, which had its world premiere at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, presents a different perspective on the tension between the Russians and Chechens. Georgian director Julie Bertucelli's 2003 film “Depuis qu'Otar est parti...” (Since Otar Left), which won the Critics Week Grand Prize at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival and the Best First Film Award at the Cesar Awards, France's equivalent of the Oscars, is the second film in the lineup. Azerbaijani director Huseyin Mehdiyev's "Özge Vaxt" (Strange Times), a striking story about a father-daughter relationship, and Armenian director Harutian Khachatrian's “Border,” which questions the whole concept of borders, are the other two films on the slate. Young Turkish filmmaker Özcan Alper's internationally award-winning first feature film, “Sonbahar” (Autumn), is the festival's Turkish entrant. Alper will also be among the lecturers at the festival's documentary workshop, alongside such professionals as film editor Çiçek Kahraman, film critic Senem Aytaç and documentary directors Ethem Özgüven and Selçuk Erzurumlu. The Caucasus Film Days will not only screen movies, but will also feature musical performances. The event will open with a concert by jazz pianist Ayşe Tütüncü on Aug. 9 and singer Şevval Sam will entertain festival goers with her live performance of Anatolian songs on the festival's second day. The films in the first Caucasus Film Days festival are to be shown either outdoors or in the convention hall of the Biryaşam Association as Hopa no longer has a movie theater after the recent closure of the Kazım Koyuncu Culture Center. Named after the late singer-songwriter Kazım Koyuncu, one of the most prolific and famous artists the town has raised, the center used to host all sorts of cultural activities such as theater plays, concerts and movie screenings in the town until the municipality decided to close it following the local elections in March. Documentary hub for the region Although starting off as an 11-film showcase, the Caucasus Film Days is actually aiming to have quite an important role, hoping to become a major film festival in its surrounding region, one which showcases the capabilities of younger generation film directors in the region. Director Alper, a native of Hopa, acted as a consultant for this new film festival and notes how important this aim really is, emphasizing that there is great demand for this kind of event in the region. “There is a huge demand, especially from young people in the city,” says Alper, adding that the underlying aim of the festival is not only to showcase films, but also to create a new cultural center for the city. “We want to hold a festival on the level of those held in Yerevan and Tbilisi. Perhaps films done by the young people in the workshop this year will be shown at next year's festival,” says Alper. He also notes that further assistance from local and regional administrations is a firm expectation of the festival's organizers. Alper says that this being the first year of the event, word did not spread very far or fast about its launch. Among the six documentaries to be featured in the Hopa festival are Rüya Arzu Köksal's 2007 documentary "Son Kumsal" (The Last Beach), which depicts how the Dutluk beach in the Black Sea town of Vakfıkebir was destroyed by the construction of the Black Sea highway, and “4857,” co-directors Petra Holzer, Selçuk Erzurumlu and Ethem Özgüven's account of the lives of dozens of laborers who work under unsafe conditions at shipyards in İstanbul's Tuzla district. The traditional architecture of the eastern Black Sea region is examined in Süha Arın's “Sisler Kovulunca” (When the Fog is Swept Away), and “Şairin Ölümü” (Death of a Poet) by Elif Ergezen will take a look at the life and times of Hopa poet Helimişi Xahasın, who spent the last days of his life in the former Soviet Union. Evening screenings at the festival will take place at an open-air theater to be erected on Kopmuş Beach on the Black Sea coast in Hopa. Daytime screenings are to be held indoors at the Biryaşam Culture and Ecology Foundation headquarters. 28 July 2009, ALI KOCA

Turkey-Armenia: War And Linguistic Media 1 August 2009, by Stéphane / armenews "Universities in Turkey are better that the best departments of Armenian language and literature," reports the newspaper Golos Armenii Yerevan. This phenomenon observed in Istanbul, but also in provincial universities, has resulted in "a shortage of teachers of Armenian. This surprising trend "is not the altruistic intentions," the title analysis. Turkey is aware that anyone, including friends and allies, do not believe the fact that genocide [of 1915] did not take place. This will be used as a means of pressure on Ankara [by the community International]. Turkey realizes that she not be able to stop this avalanche, and attempts to minimize the damage. " Turkey argues How does his denial of the genocide? "In saying that, in its archives, there is no documentation confirming", said Golos Armenii. Ankara argues that the archives are open to all, but "seeks to 'comb' and some sort, with a total audit Armenian documents. Of course, everyone can not have access to this type of task. This requires people safe. It is to prepare these auditors that Turkish universities have been responsible for recruiting. That is why there is a selection of those who want to become a professor of Armenian. " On a policy of blind denial of the genocide, Turkey has risen to an against-propaganda. To this end it began in 2008 to broadcast in Armenian on the Armenian territory. She wants to come as a tolerant, democratic, full of love for his neighbor. " According to the newspaper, Yerevan is losing the media war in Ankara. "We do not even have a little news of fifteen minutes in Turkish. And if the archives open to the public effectively, we will send to person, since we do not even have a language specialists Turkey, "laments the title.

Atom Egoyan Explores Genocide Through A New Art Exhibition , 1 August 2009, by Stéphane / armenews Atom Egoyan presented his latest project "Stay to be seen at an exhibition in Toronto. Produced under the auspices of the International Institute for Genocide Studies and Human Rights in Toronto, the multimedia exhibition hopes to raise public awareness on the issue of genocide. Showing the work of 16 artists across North America, Atom Egoyan said that exposure to Lennox Contemporary Toronto arrive at the heart of what the human genocide really means. "There is one thing a journalist can do. But the work of an artist can pierce the heart in a different way, "says Atom Egoyan. "In the case of genocide there is so much history of denial," said the Director-old Canadian now 48 years. Support for the Institute Zoryan in Canada with his wife Arsinée Khanjian the two artists have created a fund to raise money in 2003. The aftermath of genocide are at the heart of the work of Ulysses Castellanos, Joyce Lau, Steven Loft, Katie Pretti, Shannon Scully, Veronika Szkudlarek, Bill Wolff and Arie Galles. "This is not a propaganda show," said the artist Arie Galles, who was born in Uzbekistan in 1944 and raised in Poland. Contributions of Wales at this exhibition are based on aerial photography taken during the Second World War. But each e artist, he says, explores the intensity of being involved or witnessing a genocide. "This work has an incredible force," said Arria Wales. "Genocide does not happen in a Martian landscape. It happens on this earth. The horror is that mankind can commit it's incredible blue marble on which we fly. "

Iranian [Armenian? Safarian Mesrob?] Wants His $18.5 Billions Back Fom Turkey, 29 Jul 2009, Press TV of Iran A Turkish lawyer has claimed that his Iranian client has transferred an $18.5-billion treasure from Iran to Turkey through courier services. Senol Ozel told Turkey's independent Kanal D channel that his client, Esmael Safarian-Nasab, is a respected Iranian businessman and has transferred the money to Turkey through legal means. The container-load of US dollars and gold bullion was delivered to Ankara Customs Office on October 7, 2008, Ozel said. He noted that the container contained $7.5 billion and 20 metric tons of gold. In a recent speech, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had boasted of the huge fund transfer as an indictor of his government's success in attracting foreign investment despite the economic downturn in the world. Erdogan had not revealed anything about the origin of the wealth. Ozel says Turkish government's move to adopt new regulations to facilitate foreign investment in the country had encouraged his client to take his wealth to Turkey. According to Kanal D, the Turkish government had adopted a new regulation dubbed as the Suitcase Law to alleviate the harsh effects of the economic crisis on the country. The new law allowed anybody to take any amount of foreign currencies into the country from anywhere without being scrutinized. Now the problem is that Safarian-Nasab wants his money back from Turkey, which could create a big hole in the Turkish Central Bank's balance-sheet. Ozel said his client will arrive in Turkey in the near future to discuss the issue with the Turkish Central Bank. There is no word yet from Iranian authorities as to the source of the funds and the circumstances surrounding their export to Turkey. http://www.presstv.ir/

An Armenian grave? Selim discovered , 31 July 2009, by Jean Eckian / armenews Following the serious flooding that occurred on July 28 to Selim, near Kars, poplars and willows have been uprooted, resulting in their falling hills heaps of stones and bones. © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

Witnesses report having seen a jumble of bones in the arms, legs and ribs. "We do not know where these bones," they say. Adding, "perhaps the tomb of the cemetery of the Armenians or Muslims, but they are down" © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

Since he lives in Selim, Muhtar Ilhan Keskin, said he had never seen such a disaster. "Even the bridge was destroyed," he said. Ayse and Akas, farmers have lost all their possessions in the flood, carrying chickens and geese.

The Trouble For "Kybele", The Turkish Galley Coolly Received In Marseille Turkish Cultural Season In France Starts Badly. The Armenian Community Satisfied ... , 1 August 2009 by Krikor Amirzayan / armenews © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

Parakian Didier, Deputy Mayor of Marseilles had warned the arrival of a vessel under the flag of Turkey for the launch of the Turkish cultural season in France outraged the Armenian community of the city is almost 100 members and 000 from the Most survivors of the genocide. It was listened to by Mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin, the city of Marseille reduced to "minimum" program of the Turkish cultural season since the arrival of this ship should be the only official and public event in the city . In addition, at the request of the Armenian associations of the city, followed by Didier Parakian at the official discourse, or by statements in the press Pascal Chamassian, national secretary of the CFC, the municipality had to recall the arrival of the Armenians Marseille, following the Armenian genocide of 1915 and establish hope that Turkey recognizes in turn the crime. © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

Daniel Hermann at the center saying the word -genocide-, Didier Parkian -Deputy- and the Turkish officials -shocked After the official ceremonies were held at Fort Saint-Jean, in a statement read out before the Mayor of Marseille and in the presence of elected officials-including Daniel Hermann, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Culture and Didier Parakian, deputy in charge of business development abroad Elyane-Kazandjian, President of CFC-Marseille, satisfied, said "The council has not rolled out the red carpet." In a joint letter with the Greek Cypriot and associations, she thanked Jean-Claude Gaudin did not have "personally received" the ship. Obviously, this transaction insidiously charming, usurping the image of a civilizing Greece, wants to forget that of a conquering Turkey destructive and that flouts the rights of minorities. "" We are well aware that setting instead of the Turkish season in France has placed in a dilemma with one hand, the obligation was made to the City to receive this crew, and also your commitment to the citizens of Armenian origin and that we are you've always argued the case. This Thursday 30 July 2009 the Turkish vessel was finally thrown its anchor in a corner of the port of Marseilles without the pomp that was expected. You have decided not to personally welcome. We interpret your decision as a further demonstration of your support for our cause. We are very sensitive and you express our gratitude. © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

On the left the Consul of Turkey in Marseille requesting explicatiions Harmann Daniel and Didier Parkian We regret that the other cities in France attach disproportionate importance to this season of Turkey pays tribute to an heir to a state criminal past that he refuses to acknowledge and which claims to have its place in a Europe which is far from share values. We see these events reflect some form of denial against which we are not protected. That is why the consideration and vote by the Senate of the criminal law punishing the denial of genocide becomes more urgent and necessary to dispel our concerns and preserve civil peace in France. Thursday 30 July, the Kybele "replica of the ancient galley borrow their way to Protis, moored on the quay Saint Jean at the entrance to the Old Port of Marseille. One hundred visitors and some officials greeted the ship. For Jean-Pierre Salvetat, president of the Association France-Mediterranean Turkey, "it is a cultural event, which deals with historical facts dating back to 2600 years." The controversy is not of be "and" the pressures are not relevant, "he says in the press. He was initially Cybèle dock in the Old Port, has finally anchored at Fort Saint-Jean, at the entrance to the Old Port. His arrival in Marseille had yet been made by the French Consulate in Istanbul as "one of the major events of the season in Turkey in France." © This content Mirrored From http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

Some members of CFC-Marseille before the Mayor of Marseille. At the center Elyane Kazandjian and Didier Parakian Thursday afternoon, the twenty crew submarines, archaeologists and students-was welcomed by the Deputy Mayor for Culture, Daniel Hermann at a small ceremony attended by the Consul General of Turkey Marseilles, Özer Aydan. The mayor of Marseille Jean-Claude Gaudin and his first deputy Roland Blum had preferred not to be present at this ceremony that became a sort of "flop" or "hard" for the Turkish propaganda. Small false note, major consequences, in his welcoming speech D. Hermann who had insisted on the tradition of hospitality in Marseille forgot my pronounce the "genocide". But including the effects of his "forgetfulness" and before the strong protests from members of the Armenian community he was shocked and saying "I forgot a word I wanted to say (...) genocidal tragedy" as regards Armenians. Coup de froid Turkish officials, including the Consul of Turkey in Marseille, Özer Aydan. The Turkish cultural season in France begins in Marseille with a hint of scandal and indignaton leaving indelible traces on the course of events. Turkish cultural season could not start worse. Text and photos reportage Krikor Amirzayan Daniel Hermann at the center saying the word "genocide", Didier Parkian (Deputy) and the Turkish officials "shocked" On the left the Consul of Turkey in Marseille requesting explicatiions Harmann Daniel and Didier Parkian Some members of CFC-Marseille before the Mayor of Marseille. At the center Elyane Kazandjian and Didier Parakian

Book Review: ‘My Grandmother’ by Fethiye Çetin Lawyer Fethiye Çetin tells the story of her discovery of who her grandmother really was in “My Grandmother.” I never knew my maternal grandmother. She died before I was born. In fact, I never knew any of my grandparents. But it was my grandmother's story that fascinated me the most. She was a woman of grit and courage. She had raised my mother on her own, as a widow in the depths of the poverty of the 1920s. She had a tough job, as a mental health nurse in an age when there were few drugs available to stabilize the often violent patients, and worked long hours, including Christmas Day. But Kitty was, according to my mom, always positive and bright, and this attitude toward life made her very popular. But her start in life was tough, too. All we knew about her background was that, in the last decade of the 19th century, she and her little brother David were taken in as orphans by Coram's Fields' Foundling Hospital. This charitable foundation, endowed by a wealthy ship owner called Thomas Coram to care for poor children who otherwise had no other hope of care, still exists in London. I remember visiting the garden there with my mother, and she told me the few things her mother had been able to tell her. Life was fairly tough in the orphanage, but there was food and warmth and schooling. Kitty did well in her studies, and her teachers were pleased with her. The only relative in the world that she had, her little brother David, died of tuberculosis while they were both still young children, so this tragedy left her truly alone. Nevertheless, as she grew up, the teachers could see the potential in her and encouraged her to go into nursing so she would have a career. My mom was so affected by her mother's own story that when my older brother was born, she named him David, after the only maternal relative she had heard of. With the increase in interest in family roots sparked by television programs such as “Who Do You Think You Are?” where famous people trace their family tree back a few generations and often find surprises, and the climate of freedom of information, foundations such as Coram's Fields have opened their records to the public and even now employ research officers to assist former residents of the home, and their families, to discover more about who they really are. Having turned 80 years old herself, my mother wanted to find out more about Kitty and David. All we could guess is that my mother's grandmother had fallen on hard times, perhaps when she was widowed herself. She must have been desperate to give up two children. Maybe my mother could discover her real surname. Kitty had been given a surname by the trustees of the institution. So my mother applied to the Foundling Hospital to find out more about Kitty and David. After a few weeks, she received a letter inviting her to come for an interview with a family liaison officer who could give her the results of research into their archives, now over 100 years old. I was here in Turkey, so could not accompany her, but my older brother David went with her. The researcher was charming and provided a lot of information and patiently answered their questions. She gave them a typed report, and my mother and I have read it through many times together. My maternal great-grandmother came from Scotland. She had been “in-service” as a maid in a wealthy family in London. But she was not allowed to continue working once she had a child. Her choices were to see her child starve or give her away to be cared for. The researcher assured us that, in the strict Victorian moral climate of the day, the trustees would only take in children of respectable women and backgrounds were researched thoroughly. One of the biggest surprises was for us to find out that David was not really Kitty's relative. The institution's policy, amazingly advanced for its day, was to place young children in foster homes, often two or three children with the same foster parents. Only when they were four or five would they then be taken in to the Foundling Hospital. Kitty had been fostered as a baby, and David then fostered by the same family. As they had entered the Foundling Hospital together, they assumed they were real brother and sister. Many tears were shed as we read and re-read the facts of Kitty's report together. The A4 sheet of typed information brought the story of life in another age, with no state social care, with a different moral code and well-intentioned but strict caretakers filling in the gaps. You will probably shed tears when you read the story of Fethiye Çetin's discovery of who her grandmother really was. Any family history, although seeming to be just a superficial investigation into roots, may reveal areas of taboo. A human story bears witness to the sweep of political and social history in a way that newspaper articles and history textbooks fail to do. A young Turkish lawyer, Çetin was to discover from her grandmother's painful memories, related to her over a series of months, that her family history had many secrets. “I would never have believed any of this, unless it was my grandmother telling me,” she says. Her grandmother was not, in fact, as her ID card stated, the daughter of Esma and Hüseyin. “For the same reason that her mother's name wasn't Esma and her father's wasn't Hüseyin, my grandmother's real name was not Seher, but Heranuş. This, too, I found out very late.” Heranuş was in fact an Armenian born in Elazığ province, and when her family was forced on a death march from which very few survived, she was taken in by a Turkish gendarmerie officer and brought up as his own. “As I went in search of my grandmother's family, I was to learn many facts.” Finding out the truth about her own history was to send shockwaves through this young Turkish lawyer, who practiced in Ankara. “My distress ran very deep.” This sensitive and moving portrait has been written “to reconcile us with our history and reconcile us with ourselves.” The events of the time are exceedingly controversial. They are dealt with in a brief and sympathetic way. The book is as much about her grandmother's happy childhood as it is about facing the horrific memories she has. The discovery that many of the “facts” of her family just simply were not true had a profound affect on this child of the republic. “We formed a special and very secret alliance. I sensed her longing to rid herself of the burden she had been carrying all these years -- to open the curtains that hid her secret, to tell this story she had never shared with a soul -- but I think she also knew that, having gone through life knowing none of it, I would find it deeply upsetting. She was protecting me.” Despite the controversial subject, this book has so far been reprinted seven times in Turkish. It has been written, and must be read, in a spirit of reconciliation so that, in the words of Seher/Haganuş, “these days may vanish, never to return.” “My Grandmother: A Memoir,” by Fethiye Çetin, published by Verso, 12.99 pounds in hardback, ISBN: 978-18446719-4 02 August 2009, MARION JAMES, Zaman

Armenian Genocide Resource Center

30.8.09

2942) Media Scanner Aug 2009 (162 Items)

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