Author: Antonian Lara

Glendale News Press
March 15, 2005

Woman drives SUV into bakery

Patron pinned between SUV and counter. Three taken to hospital, but none of
the injuries were life- threatening, police say.

By Jackson Bell, News-Press and Leader

SOUTHEAST GLENDALE — A 30-year-old woman smashed her SUV through the Red
Ribbon BakeShop Monday afternoon, pinning one of the customers against the
counter, police and witnesses said.

At about 3 p.m., a motorist, whose name was not released, drove her gray
Toyota 4Runner over the sidewalk and into the Filipino bakery on East
Colorado Street, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

The driver of the SUV told police and patrons that she hit the accelerator
instead of the brake by mistake as she pulled into the parking lot, Lorenz
said.

Glendale paramedics rushed two patrons — a 40-year-old woman and
13-year-old girl — to local hospitals, Lorenz said. An employee was also
taken to a hospital. None of the injuries were life-threatening, he said.
The 40-year-old suffered two broken legs, police said.

Teresa Moody had stopped by the Red Ribbon Bake Shop Monday afternoon for a
quick snack in between running errands. She set her belongings on a table by
the window and was waiting at the counter for her order when she heard a
loud crash, followed by a woman’s screams.

She turned to see an SUV had crashed through the window and had pinned a
woman to the counter with the table Moody had planned to sit at.

“I could have been runover by the SUV,” Moody said. “I was shaking and
started saying, ‘Oh my God.’ Lucky, there were only a few of us at the
store. The place is usually packed.”

Ofik Abarmyan was trimming a client’s hair at California Cuts, a business in
the same strip mall, when she heard the crash. When Abarmyan looked to see
what happened, she said the driver was standing by her SUV, in a state of
shock and unable to speak. The 40-year-old victim, she said, was wedged in
the counter and unable to free herself.

The teenage girl had cuts on her legs and the floor was bloody from all the
glass cuts, she said.

“I tried to give the little girl water, but she was so shaken up that she
couldn’t even drink it,” Abarmyan said.

The business next door, Lilac Florist, had damage to the window and
refrigerators on the wall next to Red Ribbon, owner Sona Nazaryan said. The
accident marks the third time in 14 years a car has crashed into the strip
mall, Nazaryan said.

“I’d like to see some barriers put up,” she said. “It would be safer for us
and the customers.”

* JACKSON BELL covers public safety and courts. He may be reached at (818)
637-3232 or [email protected].

Azerbaijan says three soldiers killed by Armenian forces

.c The Associated Press

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) – Three Azerbaijani soldiers have died this week
as a result of gunfire from the Armenian side of a tense cease-fire
line separating troops near the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, the
Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

Two of the soldiers were fatally shot late Monday by ethnic Armenian
forces violating a 1994 cease-fire, ministry spokesman Ilgar Verdiyev
said. A third serviceman died from wounds suffered when he was shot by
a sniper on March 2, Verdiyev said.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry denied any violations of the cease-fire.

A mountainous region inside Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh has been
under the control of ethnic Armenians since the early 1990s, following
fighting that killed an estimated 30,000 people and drove a million
from their homes before the cease-fire deal was reached. The enclave’s
political status has not been determined, and shooting breaks out
frequently between the two sides, which face off across a
demilitarized buffer zone.

03/15/05 13:50 EST

UCLA Armenian Student Association
405 Hilgard Ave.
Kerckhoff 146
Los Angeles, CA. 90095
Contact: Publicity Relations Director Arpine Hovasapian
Email: [email protected]
Web:

March 7, 2005

UCLA Armenian Student Association Co-Sponsors Panel on Genocide & Denial

Westwood, CA. – On February 28, 2005 the UCLA Armenian Student Association
continued its week long of programming by co-hosting a discussion panel on
genocide denial, dubbed `Genocide & Denial: Past, Present, and Future.’
The event was the first in a series of events for `A Week of Awareness, A
Call to Action’ for the current genocide in Darfur. The panel was a joint
effort by the UCLA ASA, Hillel at UCLA, Progressive Jewish Students
Association, in coordination with the Darfur Action Committee.

Over 130 students and faculty gathered in the Kerckhoff Grand Salon to
listen to various renowned professors and researchers from all over
California speak about four major genocides in the 20th century,
including the Armenian Genocide, Holocaust, Rwandan Genocide, and current
genocide in Sudan. Speakers included, Professor Levon Marashlian from
Glendale Community College, Mr. Richard Eaton from the Simon Wiesenthal
Center, Professor Alexander Kimenyi from Cal State Sacramento, and Edmond
Keller from UCLA.

`This event tonight serves as an exceptionally uplifting symbol of how
powerful our collaborative energy can be, as cultures that are linked by
our shared experience of genocide,’ asserted Hillel president Rona Ram.
The event brought in students from all different backgrounds to learn
about the various genocides and how to take action with the current
genocide in Sudan.

The speakers discussed each genocide in the context of how others use
denial tactics to undermine such historical facts. Video presentations as
well as lectures were provided by the speakers. Furthermore, Professor
Keller gave background about the current genocide in Sudan. The event
ended with question and answer from the audience. `The program served as
a really purposeful foundation for the week of programming. I am pleased
with the fact that people want to see change happen so immediately’
[situation in Darfur] proclaimed Progressive Jewish Student Association
co-chair Sarah Novick.

This event illustrated one of the UCLA ASA’s major goals of the academic
year, to network with other student groups on campus. `I was amazed to
help put together this collaborative event and see the supporting
membership turnout. It is essential that we as people living in such a
diverse community not only teach others about our history but learn from
others history as well,’ asserted UCLA ASA president Raffi Kassabian.

The UCLA ASA is one of the oldest Armenian-American student groups in the
United States. This year marks the 60th anniversary of its existence. The
UCLA ASA seeks to cultivate a true understanding and appreciation of
Armenian history, heritage, and culture through cultural, social, and
recreational activities.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
March 13 2005

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION SUPPORTS AZERBAIJAN~RS POSITION
[March 13, 2005, 14:21:03]

Distribution by Armenia of the postage stamps on behalf of the
so-called ~SNagorno Karabakh Republic~T is inadmissible. Nagorno
Karabakh is an internal part of Azerbaijan. Making such step and the
assistance rendered by some countries to Armenia in this is estimated
as disrespect to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of
Azerbaijan.

These ideas were expressed in the letter sent to the member countries
by the UPU International Bureau~Rs Director General Edward Diane who
supported position of Azerbaijan, foreign ministry of Azerbaijan told
AzerTAj.

Azerbaijan Representation in the UN Geneva section and other
representations of the Republic accredited in the international
organizations have done much in this direction.

Shortly, MFA of Azerbaijan will send appropriate letters on
Azerbaijan position to official bodies of the countries it is
accredited, the Ministry said.

Cambridge Chronicle

Oleana chef knows where the spice is right

By Alexander Stevens
Thursday, March 10, 2005

Diners at Oleana in Cambridge seem to like the flattened lemon chicken with
za’atar, served on a Turkish cheese pancake. They also love the basturma
with hummus.

“We don’t ever take [those two dishes] off the menu,” says Oleana
co-owner and chef Ana Sortun. “They never go away.”

Those dishes, as well as just about everything on the Oleana menu, are
made possible by Cambridge’s proximity to Watertown, and its neighborhood
full of authentic Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, Armenian and Greek food shops.
Once or twice a week, Sortun or another staffer makes the 10-minute trip
from Oleana to Mt. Auburn Street in Watertown to pick up the spices,
cheeses, yogurts and specialty meats that are the foundation of Eastern
Mediterranean cooking.

The Watertown collection of authentic food shops may be unique in the
entire country. Conveniently clustered near each other, these are the stores
that help give Oleana its zing. And Sortun says they’re crucial to her
restaurant.

“If these shops weren’t here,” she says, “I’d have to go to Montreal.
Or figure out a way to import them myself.”

In Sevan Bakery, the aroma of spices is so rich that it might inspire
visitors to try cooking this cuisine, even if their knowledge of Eastern
Mediterranean cooking begins and ends withshish kebob.

“This is an undiscovered cuisine, because it’s not trendy like shopping
in Chinatown,” Sortun says. “People who are Armenian or Greek know where
these stores are, but the mainstream doesn’t.”

But Sortun is changing that fact, one class at a time. Three years ago,
she offered a tour of these Watertown shops to a culinary arts class at
Boston University. The tours became popular, and she extended them to the
general public. She presents another on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For Sortun, the tour centers on Sevan Bakery (599 Mt. Auburn St.). The
shop seems to evoke her warm memories of her time spent in Turkey studying
the cuisine. She’s clearly inspired, even emotional, about the care the
family-owned business takes in selecting food. It shows in the products and
produce. Sortun points out zucchini and cucumbers that are thinner than
Americans are used to because they’re not loaded with water; instead they’re
packed with flavor.

“Look at how blond those walnuts are,” she says, standing at Sevan’s
extensive nut bar. “You’re not going to get any of those bitter walnuts you
find elsewhere.”

She turns and points out a bottle of honey with a rich amber color
that’s so lush that it glows. Other honeys look jaundiced by comparison.
Running her finger over a row of jars imported from Turkey or Greece, via
Canada and New York, she says, “You don’t see those labels anywhere else.”

As with all the shops on this tour, Sevan has a distinctly European
feel. Pick a cheese and you’ll walk away with it hand-wrapped and moist, not
cellophane-wrapped and bar-coded.

“At most supermarkets, you’ll find one kind of Feta, and it won’t be
very good,” she says. “At Whole Foods, you’ll find three kinds of Feta, and
they’ll all be good. Here there are five kinds of Feta, and they’re
delicious.”

Sortun is a recognized figure in this neighborhood – the shop owners
know her by name, and tell her what’s new and good. They allow her to roam
into the Sevan kitchen in the back of the store, where cooks are making
lahmejune – thin, crisp bread sandwiched around meat. Combing bread and meat
is a favorite of this style of cooking, juices absorbed by the bread, and
delivered to the taste buds.

Sortun points out that the vibe is entirely different at the
neighboring Arax. There’s some overlap between Sevan and Arax, but mostly
the two stores complement each other. Sortun stops at Arax for vegetables,
picking up a handful of fresh summer savory and inhaling deeply.

“That’s fresh za’atar,” says Sortun. “It’s very hard to find.”

Across the street is an organic butcher, where tour patrons not only
learn about the meats, they try out a yogurt and soda water drink that
polarizes the visitors – they either love it or hate it. Sortun loves it.
Next to the butcher is Fastachi, where they’re nuts for nuts. Not within
walking distance, but also part of the tour, are the organic wine store,
Violette, and Fepal, where she treats patrons to an authentic falafel.

Sortun says that by and large, foods offered at these stores are not
cheap – comparable perhaps to the prices at Whole Foods. But not only does
she feel that it’s important to support the independent, family-owned shops
that help give a community its identity, she also knows, firsthand, that
fresh, authentic foods make a difference in a meal. Oleana is her proof.

Sortun has been enamoured of Eastern Mediterranean cooking since her
first trip to Turkey to study the cuisines.

“It changed my life,” she says.

She says the testament to the food is not just how it tastes, but how
it makes you feel. Americans are accustomed to meals loaded with butter and
cream. After eating, we feel bloated, incapacitated. By comparison, after
eating a four-hour meal in Istanbul, “they push back their chairs and
dance,” says Sortun. “That’s how the food makes you feel. If you went to
France or Italy and ate a four-hour meal, you’d be in a coma.” Ana Sortun
leads the Watertown Market Tour, Saturday, March 12, 10-2. Price: $75,
includes lunch and gratuities. To register, call 617-353-9852.

VARTAN GREGORIAN, STEPHEN FEINSTEIN, AND PETER BALAKIAN TO BE
FEATURED AT BANQUET HONORING GENOCIDE SCHOLAR VAHAKN DADRIAN

NEW YORK, March 10 (Noyan Tapan). Carnegie Corporation president
Vartan Gregorian and Holocaust specialist Stephen Feinstein will
be the keynote speakers, and author Peter Balakian will be Master
of Ceremonies, at the upcoming “Lifetime Achievement Award” banquet
honoring Dr. Vahakn N Dadrian, the eminent scholar of the Armenian
Genocide, the Press Office of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America reported. The Eastern Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America will bestow a special Lifetime Achievement Award
on Dr. Dadrian during a gala banquet on Saturday, April 2. His
Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, the Diocesan Primate, will
preside over the event and present the award to Dr. Dadrian. In
addition, the banquet guests will view a multi-media presentation
on Dr. Dadrian’s life and work, by the Zoryan Institute. Dr. Vahakn
N. Dadrian is recognized as the world’s foremost authority on the
Armenian Genocide. Over the past 35 years, he has laid the scholarly
groundwork for the study of the Genocide, and with his mastery of five
languages and his ability to integrate the disciplines of history,
law, and sociology, Dr. Dadrian is uniquely qualified for the work
of piecing together related facts from scattered sources. In addition
to his success in placing the Armenian Genocide in the mainstream of
international scholarship, Dr. Dadrian is one of the pioneers in the
field of comparative genocide research. His multi-level methodological
framework for the field of comparative genocide studies is considered
a major contribution to an ultimate “theory of genocide.” Vartan
Gregorian is the 12th president of Carnegie Corporation of New
York. Prior to his current position, which he assumed in June 1997,
Dr. Gregorian served for nine years as the 16th president of Brown
University. Gregorian has taught European and Middle Eastern history
at San Francisco State College, the University of California at
Los Angeles, and the University of Texas at Austin. In 1972, he
joined the University of Pennsylvania faculty and was appointed the
Tarzian Professor of History and professor of South Asian history.
He was founding dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the
University of Pennsylvania in 1974, and four years later became
its 23rd provost, serving until 1981. For eight years (1981-1989),
Gregorian was president of the New York Public Library. In 1989
he was appointed president of Brown University. Gregorian is the
author of The Road to Home: My Life And Times; Islam: A Mosaic, Not
A Monolith; and The Emergence of Modern Afghanistan, 1880-1946. He
has been decorated by the French, Italian, Austrian, and Portuguese
governments. His numerous civic and academic honors include some
56 honorary degrees. In 1998, President Clinton awarded him the
National Humanities Medal. In 2004, President George W. Bush awarded
him the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civil award. Stephen
C. Feinstein is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of
Wisconsin-River Falls, where he has taught history and art history
since l969. He has taught courses on Russian art and architecture and
lectures on Western European art. Dr. Feinstein has been a frequent
lecturer at universities in the U.S. and Europe on artistic responses
to the Holocaust and problems of representation. Since September 1997,
Dr. Feinstein has served as director for the Center for Holocaust
and Genocide Studies at the University of Minnesota, whose purpose
is to provide a resource for teaching about the Holocaust and other
forms of genocide. Since the establishment of CHGS, issues surrounding
the history and memory of the Armenian Genocide have been a central
part of both the program and the center’s website. Peter Balakian
teaches at Colgate University, where he is a Donald M. and Constance
H. Rebar Professor of the Humanities; he specializes in American
poetry, poetry writing, American literature, modern Irish poetry,
and genocide studies. His dramatic 1997 memoir, Black Dog of Fate,
told the story of his awakening to the Armenian Genocide, and its
unspoken effects on his own family. The book proved to be a milestone
in the popular recognition of the Genocide, and has gained worldwide
notice through its numerous translated editions. It was listed among
the New York Times and Los Angeles Times “Notable Books,” and won the
PEN/Martha Albrand Prize for memoirs. In Dr. Balakian’s recent book,
The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America’s Response
(2003), he returns to the theme of the tragedy of 1915 – this time
from the perspective of contemporary humanitarian responses to the
widely reported annihilation of Turkey’s Armenian population. The book
spent a number of weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and
was a “Notable Book” for both the Times and Publishers Weekly. Beyond
his roles as scholar, memoirist, and advocate, Dr. Balakian’s first
vocation is as a poet; collections of his arresting poems include:
June-tree: New and Selected Poems, 1974-2000 (2001), Dyer’s Thistle
(1996), a translation of Siamanto’s Bloody News From My Friend (1996),
Reply From Wilderness Island (1988), Sad Days of Light (1983), and
Father Fisheye (1979). He has contributed his poetry and essays to
The Nation, Art in America, American Poetry Review, Kenyon Review,
Partisan Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, and Poetry, among other
periodicals. He is the recipient of many awards, including a Guggenheim
Fellowship.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone 212.319.6383 x.118
Fax 212.319.6507
Email [email protected]
Website

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, March 10, 2005

ARMENIA’S PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE THE FOCUS OF SUCCESSFUL AGBU YPGNY SERIES

New York, NY – On Thursday, March 3rd, 2005, AGBU YPGNY wrapped up its
highly successful “Armenia Past, Present, Future” series of events that
began on February 17th. A trilogy devoted to informing and stimulating
interest in the Republic of Armenia, the Thursday night events were
attended by a variety of Armenians in the greater New York area.

AGBU YPGNY Vice Chair and Series Coordinator, Ani Manoukian, was
impressed by the strong community support for the series. “In planning
this series, our primary goal was to bring young professionals
closer to the actualities of life in Armenia. We had anticipated
some interest by our peers but to see that people left each event
feeling more connected to Armenia than before was inspirational,”
she said. Manoukian added that the kick-off “Armenia Past” event, a
screening of Armenian Canadian documentary, “My Son Shall Be Armenian,”
was particularly emotional for many in the audience that had not yet
visited Armenia.

The “Armenia Present” panel discussion that touched on a variety of
political, economic and social perspectives on the current realities
in Armenia included Aaron Sherinian of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia,
Konstantin Atanesyan of the World Bank, former Fulbright Scholar
Nicole Vartanian, entrepreneur James Tufenkian, and financial
consultant Greg D. Krikorian. Presentations focused on both data
and real-world experiences. In addition to statistics presented by
Atanesyan on the country’s economic achievement, Tufenkian outlined
his success in establishing a chain of luxury hotels throughout
the country. Vartanian, the moderator for the evening, discussed
the efforts underway to build a civil society of strong national
institutions.

The final event tackled the question of “Armenia Future,” and
was presented by Dr. Noubar Afeyan, “Armenia 2020” Executive Board
Member. Established in 2002, “Armenia 2020” is an organized network of
individuals working to build a shared vision and prosperous future for
Armenia. “Armenia 2020” advocates interviewed over 1,500 Armenians
from Armenia and elsewhere to develop possible future economic,
social, and demographic scenarios for Armenia.

“We are obsessed with our past and I, particularly for the younger
generation, would love to talk about our future, and to have the
language to talk about our future. And the language of the future is
not necessarily dominated by all the things that happened to us in
the past,” Afeyan said during the introduction to his presentation.

Proceeds from YPGNY’s Armenia series will benefit the American
University of Armenia (AUA) Digital Library, one of YPGNY’s many
fundraising initiatives. AUA is an indispensable resource for the
institution’s students, providing them with access to hundreds of
publications. AGBU YPGNY will also be holding a March 11th mixer to
benefit AUA’s Digital Library.

AGBU YPGNY is part of a global AGBU YP network which seeks to provide a
forum for young professionally-aged Armenians to undertake educational,
cultural, social and humanitarian activities under the umbrella of
AGBU. For more information on AGBU YPs, please visit:

MPs urge Azeri court to pass fair verdict on would-be Karabakh guerrillas

Trend news agency
9 Mar 05

Baku, 9 March: A group of Azerbaijani MPs has addressed the chairwoman
of the Appeals Court, Gulzar Rzayeva, in connection with the case
of the “Karabakh guerrillas” who the Grave Crimes Court sentenced to
different prison terms in December. MP Alimammad Nuriyev forwarded the
appeal to Gulzar Rzayeva, the press service of the Karabakh Liberation
Organization (KLO) has told Trend.

“The decision to imprison 21 people caused mixed responses in
society. We think that no heed was paid to these people’s involvement
in the Karabakh war, their health, family status and young age. They
received severe sentences because no consideration was taken of the
fact that their motive was to prepare for a guerrilla war and free
the occupied territories. No attention was paid to the boosting of
the patriotic spirit in the country either,” the address said.

In conclusion, the address urges the court to pass a fair verdict on
the basis of the above-mentioned.

The appeal was signed by MPs Sabir Rustamxanli, Alimammad Nuriyev,
Camil Hasanli, Nizami Quliyev, Qulamhuseyn Alibayli, Qudrat
Hasanquliyev, Mais Safarli, Fazail Ibrahimli and Sirzad Ayyubov.

The Appeals Court is due to consider the case on 14 March.

Soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, In Fine Form
by Tim Page, Washington Post Staff Writer

The Washington Post
March 7, 2005 Monday
Final Edition

Isabel Bayrakdarian has a high, bright soprano voice that she employs
with a lithe and winning energy; her Friday night recital at the
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, sponsored by the Vocal Arts Society,
had much to commend it.

The Armenian Canadian’s program began with Manuel de Falla’s
“Seven Popular Spanish Songs” — a favorite offering of the late
Spanish soprano Victoria de los Angeles, who died earlier this year.
Bayrakdarian brought a nice variety of mood to these simple, sturdy
pieces: “Jota” stole the show, as it usually does, with its exciting
reiterations that ebb and flow in volume and intensity as the song
progresses.

Samuel Barber assembled his “Hermit Songs” from poems, diary entries
and marginalia dating from the 8th through the 13th centuries.
Bayrakdarian sang with a minimum of vibrato (indeed, at times her voice
sounded almost boyish, befitting the monastic origin of the texts)
and a keen attention to emotional nuance. Barber was not necessarily
a great composer, but he was, most likely, the most immaculate of
American musical craftsmen. Every note in his work is there for a
reason, and some of the “Hermit Songs” have the concentrated intensity
of haiku. Bayrakdarian managed to give each song its individual due,
while working it into a larger totality.

A selection of songs by Rossini (including the familiar “La Danza”)
followed intermission and — for this listener, at least — provided
the evening’s greatest pleasures. The music is wonderful — warm,
inventive, full of humor and pathos — and Bayrakdarian gave it her
all, with teasing wit and expansive lyricism.

Thereafter, the evening’s uncommonly sensitive pianist, Warren Jones,
played a selection from Liszt’s “Annees de Pelerinage.” Jones has
exactly the right approach for Liszt, who can so easily sound windy,
rhetorical and pretentious. Instead, Jones simply sat down and let
the music happen, as if he were relaying an anecdote in the most
direct and straightforward language. Rarely has this composer seemed
so friendly and confidential.

Bayrakdarian then took the stage to close the evening with a selection
of four songs by Tchaikovsky — beautiful music, sung with abundant
feeling. My only general complaint about her work on Friday would be
that she seemed to overcompensate for a voice that is not naturally
very large by singing quite loudly — too loudly, on occasion, for
the intimacy of the Terrace Theater. Still, she is an artist and
deserves her following.

KurdistanObserver.com

The Most Distinguish Characteristic of Modern Turkish Nationalism:

Denial of Reality, Xenophobia, Racism, and Anti-Semitism

By: Amed Demirhan

Mar 7, 2005

The people in Turkey from elementary school and on are indoctrinated with
denial of historical realities and socio-ethnographical and cultural
diversity in their country. All form of mass media daily reinforces this
abnormality, and any one that questions this, will become subject of the
witch-hunt. When, one listens to mainstream Turkish politician and `educated
class’ one wonders if they are from the plant of Earth or somewhere else?
The recent debate in Turkey is a typical example of this abnormalities: the
government foreign policy; the mass medias which hunts against writer Orhan
Pamuk statement in regards to Armenian genocide and crime against Kurds, and
the Ministry of environment and forest changing name of wild animals just to
exclude words Kurdistan and Armenian, and the increase in Anti-Semitism are
typical characteristics of modern Turkish nationalism. This type of
nationalism as evidenced in many historical examples is harmful to every one
including the nation it advocate for, therefore, standing against current
Turkish nationalism is as important as standing against Nazism, Stalinism,
Saddams’ Regime and Bathism. It is in the best interest of Turkish people to
be liberated from this illness.

The government of Turkey still refuses to call Bath’sist (Sunni-Hanafi) and
Islamic Fascist in central Iraq terrorist. In the past many time Turkey had
strongly protested United States lead freedom forces victory in the city of
Falluga and Tell Afar, in Iraq, but until now it never protested terrorist
attacks against civilian in Iraq. At the same time it had characterized
Israel’s shelve defense acts against terrorist Islam-I Jihad organization as
state terrorism. Recently a Turkish news portal `Haber X (3/2/050) reported
that about 400 Turks are fighting against the USA lead freedom forces in
Iraq with terrorist leader Al-Zarkavi. It noted that these fighters are
veterans from Bosnian war against Serbia. This indicates that Turkish
government knows who are these `Turkish – Islamic’ fighters because almost
all of those fighters that went to Bosnia, Chechnya, and in the past to
Afghanistan went via Turkish intelligence services. In addition, in March
first of this year 200 Turkish `intellectuals’: journalists, professors,
writers, and some `civic’ organization representative visited Syria to show
their solidarity with Syrian dictatorship against Western pressure and the
United Nation request for Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon. Most of these 200
people are closely related to the state (its hard to call them civilian).
March 1, is significant, it is the day Turkish Parliament under Turkish
military pressure refused to let the USA lead forces go through Turkey and
open a second front against Saddams regime. This indicate that Turkish
regime is the most anti-Westernization and democratization of the Middle
East because it sees freedom as a treat to its regime.

One may expect a Turkey that had received a negotiation date from European
Union (EU) may act little better internally but looking in a recent debate
it is doubtful and domestic policy like its foreign policy is
anti-democratic. Last week one of the most famous Turkish writers Orhan
Pamuk in an interview stated, that One million Armenian and 30,000 Kurds had
been victim of the state (Turkish state). About 90% of media commentators
started a lynching company against the author and political organization
like infamous `Gray Wolfe’ movement send death treat to the author. In fact
Mr. Pamuk’s statement could have been subject of a serious debate and his
statement is very questionable because more than one million Armenian and
Assurian/Keldan have been killed and the number of Kurds have been killed
since foundation of the Turkish republic is very high and millions were
deported from their homes. This shows how much free debate is possible in
Turkey that prepares to join to EU?

The republic of Turkey prohibited every thing that wasn’t Turkish in
historic multinational and cultural diverse geography and named them in
Turkish from beginning. Apparently they have forgotten few wild animals name
like: “Vulpes Vulpes Kürdistanicum’ (A fox in Kurdistan area) and `Ovis
Armeniana’ (wild sheep in old Armenia) in their scientific classification.
The ministry of environment and forest acted right away on this discovery
and changed their name to Turkish. ( 3/5/05). I wonder
if any one knows or heard this kind of xenophobia, racism and hatred
anywhere? Even Sheep and Foxes cannot be Armenian or Kurdistani? The modern
Turkish nationalism is founded of the denial of reality and has been
indoctrinating its population in this denial and hatred on any thing that is
not Turkish. This is fundamental problem for every one who has to deal with
Turkish regime. Despite every thing the official doctrine is totally
bankrupted and regime is very weak. Change of regime is unavoidable in
Turkey and its necessary.

Amed Demirhan

e-mail: [email protected]

Florida, USA