Month: March 2007

LE PARLEMENT ISRAELIEN REFUSE DE RECONNAîTRE LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

Agence France Presse
14 mars 2007 mercredi 3:38 PM GMT

Le parlement israelien a rejete mercredi une motion reconnaissant
implicitement la realite d’un genocide des Armeniens par les Turcs
en 1915.

"C’est le devoir du parlement israelien, en tant que representant
du peuple juif, de faire connaître son opinion sur la necessite de
reconnaître le genocide armenien", avait declare a l’AFP avant le
vote le depute Haïm Oron, auteur de la motion.

"C’est une dette que nous avons envers le peuple armenien et a l’egard
de nous-memes", avait ajoute M. Oron, membre du parti d’opposition
de centre-gauche Meretz.

Cette motion, rejetee par 16 voix contre 12, invitait le parlement
israelien a se joindre a une journee internationale de commemoration
du genocide armenien, le 24 avril.

Israël, qui a des liens très proches avec la Turquie, un des rares
pays musulmans avec lequel il ait des relations diplomatiques, n’a
jamais reconnu officiellement comme genocide le massacre des Armeniens
par les Turcs en 1915.

Les Armeniens soutiennent qu’un million et demi des leurs ont ete
massacres lors d’une campagne orchestree pendant les dernières annees
de l’empire ottoman.

Ankara dement cette thèse, assurant que 300.000 Armeniens mais aussi
de nombreux Turcs ont ete tues lors d’une revolte armenienne, soutenue
par la Russie.

–Boundary_(ID_Riv6reYks5p0uVvkoI8yxA)–

TURKISH JEWS ATTEMPT TO HAMPER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION ADOPTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.03.2007 16:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A delegation of Turkish Jews lobbied against
a resolution under consideration in the U.S. Congress that would
recognize the 1915 massacres of Armenians as genocide, reports the
Jewish Telegraph Agency. The three-person delegation, headed by Silvyo
Ovadya, the president of the Turkish Jewish community, attended this
week’s American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference
and met with Jewish leaders as well as members of Congress. Turkish
diplomats have been unsuccessful in mustering broad community support
against the non-binding resolution proposed by Rep. Adam Schiff
(D-Calif.), who is Jewish and has a large Armenian constituency.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKEY PROMISES CONTINUATION OF ARMENIA’S BLOCKADE

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.03.2007 17:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ If the U.S. Congress recognized massacre of Armenians
in Ottoman Empire in 1915 as genocide, it will damage the U.S.-Turkey
relations and ensure continuation of Armenia’s blockade, said Mehmet
Dulger, a member of the Turkish National Assembly and Chairman of
the Foreign Affairs Committee, reports Reuters. "The economy of the
region is awakening while Armenia is staying aside," the deputy said
adding that an oil pipeline, gas pipeline and abuilding railroad
bypass Armenia.

Despite the efforts of the Turkish side targeted against the adoption
of the Armenian Genocide resolution Dulger is pessimistic about
the issue. He thinks that resolution will be passed thanks to the
support of Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
reports RFE/RL.

TURKEY HASN’T DECIDE ON "PUNISHMENT" FOR U.S. FOR PASSING GENOCIDE RESOLUTION YET

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.03.2007 17:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey hasn’t decide on "punishment" for the U.S. for
passing the Armenian Genocide resolution yet, said Mehmet Dulger, a
member of the Turkish National Assembly and Chairman of the Foreign
Affairs Committee, reports Reuters. As possible moves he marked out
limitation of Incirlik air base use by the United States.

In his opinion, the adoption of the resolution will arouse
anti-American spirit in Turkey and will heighten the rating of radical
nationalists. "The adoption of the resolution will be hostile step
and will deliver a greater blow to relations with Washington than
refusal to use our territory for intrusion of U.S. troops into Iran,"
Dulger said, reports RFE/RL.

RUSSIA HOPES FOR SOONEST SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.03.2007 17:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia actively participates in the talks on the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement in the framework of the OSCE
Minsk Group, RF Ambassador to Armenia Nikolay Pavlov told reporters
in Yerevan.

There is nothing strange in the visits of U.S. and French Co-chairs to
the region, he said. "The mediators themselves agree on the schedule
of visits.

As a Co-chair, Russia stands for the soonest resolution of the Karabakh
problem," Amb. Pavlov emphasized.

OSCE OBSERVERS ARRIVING IN ARMENIA NEXT WEEK

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.03.2007 17:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The OSCE long-term observation mission will arrive
in Armenia by the end of next week. As a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter
came to know from a source in the OSCE, the observers will be in
Armenia by March 23. Some of them will leave Armenia a week or two
after the parliamentary election, upon completion of monitoring of
post-election processes. An OSCE short-term observation mission will
arrive in Armenia a week before the parliamentary election. In all,
the delegations will include 300 observers.

RA MFA CONFIRMED OSKANIAN-MAMMADYAROV MEETING IN APRIL

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.03.2007 18:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Foreign Ministry confirmed that
consultations between the RA and Azeri FMs will be continued in April,
RA MFA Spokesman Vladimir Karapetian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

The agreement was achieved during today’s ministerial meeting which was
attended by the OSCE Minsk Group and OSCE CiO’s Personal Representative
Andrzej Kasprzyk.

The sides set forth their positions and agreed on continuing
consultations. The mediators will schedule a new meeting.

DPA REMOVED STATEMENT "THE UN INTERPRETS A MASSACRE AS A GENOCIDE" FROM ARCHIVES

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.03.2007 19:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s Berlin ambassador M. Ali Irtemcelik
objected to the statement that the German agency DPA used in its
article published on February 14: "The UN interprets a massacre as a
genocide." The DPA has removed the statement from its archives and
announced it to its subscribers. Turkey’s ambassador sent a letter
to the agency two times and the agency accepted their fault in the
end. The agency announced that they have modified their records. In the
news of DPA under the title "Turkish ambassador: not genocide" it said:
"Turkish ambassador Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik emphasized that the concept
of ‘genocide’ was defined in the UN’s agreement in 1948. Irtemcelik
pointed out that there is no proof that one of the UN’s organs accepted
this definition and that the issue was only dealt by a sub-committee,"
reports Sabah newspaper.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

WCC’S MIDDLE EAST REPRESENTATIVE
VISITS HIS HOLINESS ARAM I

The director of the World Council of Churches’ (WCC) Middle East office
paid a visit to His Holiness Aram I in Antelias on March 13. Ecumenical
Officer Bishop Nareg Alemezian joined in the meeting between Dr. Micheal
Nseir and the Armenian Catholicos.

The purpose of Dr. Nseir’s visit was to inquire about the Pontiff’s views
on the international conference organized jointly by WCC and the Middle East
Council of Churches (MECC) in Amman, Jordan. The aim of the conference is to
elicit the support of churches in the Middle East peace process.

Pointing out that similar meetings have been held in Cyprus and Geneva
previously, the Armenian Pontiff suggested that the upcoming conference take
into consideration the announcements made in the past, as well as the
current circumstances. His Holiness Aram I made a number of proposals both
on the issue of participants in the conference and its agenda.

The Catholicos also expressed his viewpoints on several future WCC
projects and in particular plans associated to Europe and the United States.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

FAITHFUL WOMEN MARK
THE MID-LENT IN ANTELIAS

The weekly gathering and prayer sessions of over 100 Armenian faithful
women gained new momentum and enthusiasm during the Great Lent period. In
this spirit, the Christian Education Department of the Catholicosate of
Cilicia brought together these women and their friends, over 200 women in
total, in a special event held in Antelias on March 13 on the occasion of
Mid-Lent. The event was organized under the auspices of His Holiness Aram I.

Vice Director of the Christian Education Department, Rev. Fr. Torkom
Donoyan, delivered the opening remarks, expressing great satisfaction both
for the large number of attendants and the increasing popularity of the
regular Tuesday prayer sessions for Armenian women. Rev. Fr. Donoyan
expressed his gratitude to His Holiness Aram I, under whose guidance the
Christian Education Department is growing with all its various work fields
such as public educational lectures, publishing, music recording, etc.

The Grand Sacristan of St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, Archbishop
Gomidas Ohanian, also spoke during the event, focusing on the importance of
fasting in the life of Christians and encouraged the participation of the
faithful women in Armenian Church’s rituals and services. He also praised
the Mother Cathedral’s women’s committee and its active contribution to the
decoration of the church. The committee had prepared a bouquet of flowers
for the attendants of the event.

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