Author: Badalian Vardan

Hurriyet Daily News
April 24 2014

‘Shared Pain’

TAHA AKYOL

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an issued a condolence message
addressing the Armenians because of the 1915 incidents.

This is a first in our history.

Two protocols had been signed in October 2009 to repair relationships
with Armenia and to consign the `genocide’ claims to historians. The
declaration of condolences has a feature of the continuation of the
same policy from Turkey’s perspective.

This issue should be handled not through the glasses of domestic
policies, but through the perspective of how to solve the deep
emotional issues between the two nations.

The perspective dominating the prime minister’s statement is the
emphasis that the years of the World War I have been `a difficult
period, full of suffering for Turkish, Kurdish, Arab, Armenian and
millions of other Ottoman citizens.’

As a matter of fact, the declaration said, `Any conscientious, fair
and humanistic approach to these issues requires an understanding of
all the suffering endured in this period, without discriminating as to
religion or ethnicity.’ The sufferings of Armenians are also
approached from the same general perspective:

`It is a duty of humanity to acknowledge that Armenians remember the
suffering experienced in that period, just like every other citizen of
the Ottoman Empire.’

The last sentence of the declaration is as such: `Regardless of their
ethnic or religious origins, we pay tribute, with compassion and
respect, to all Ottoman citizens who lost their lives in the same
period and under similar conditions.’

I find it absolutely correct that the incidents were called `our
shared pain’ in the statement and a call to a humanistic approach was
made.

Domestic policy glasses

Depending on our approach to the topic, we may find shortcomings and
extras in the prime minister’s statement. But we should not forget
there is a Turkish-Armenian issue that needs to be solved; it has
become international. It can only be solved with mutual steps, not all
at once.

Since the discourse `Armenians slaughtered us’ has been outdated for a
long time, the insistence on `genocide’ is also obstructing the
solution.

Turkey’s putting forward a perspective that both rejects `genocide’
and at the same time approaches with understanding of all the
sufferings endured in this period will make its words more effective;
there are more than a few examples of this.

The declaration is also not one sided; there is also a call to the
Armenian nationalists to abandon the road of `deriving enmity from
history ¦ constructing hierarchies of pain ¦ using [these incidents]
as an excuse for hostility against Turkey ¦ turning this issue into a
matter of political conflict.’

You will see; this statement will generate positive effects in favor
of Turkey in the world diplomatic community.

Time to heal wounds

Now, Armenia and the diaspora should moderate their discourse and
develop other agreeable concepts instead of the `genocide’ term which
causes the fight.

Following the French Constitutional Council, also the verdict of the
European Court of Human Rights dated Dec. 17, 2013 in the Perinçek
case has demonstrated that the `genocide’ concept cannot be
interpreted widely.

In historic research, new perspectives are developing, thus leaving
behind the dark well of `Who slaughtered whom?’ The clash of Muslims
and Armenians who had lived peacefully for centuries has caused
horrendous calamities for both sides¦

It is high time to heal the wounds.

Now, both sides should use a language with utmost care on `healing the wounds.’

San Francisco Examiner
April 24 2014

San Francisco Armenian-American community marks 99 years since genocide

by Rob Nagle

The San Francisco Armenian-American community on Sunday plans to mark
the 99th anniversary of what many say was the beginning of mass
killings of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

Though the official anniversary was Thursday, a commemoration is
planned for Sunday at the Mount Davidson Cross in The City.

Sunday is also Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the local Armenian
community chose that day to bring attention to what many call the
first modern genocide, an event that precedes the Holocaust by at
least 25 years.

Where’s the story?1 Points Mentioned

Estimates vary between scholars and sources over how many Armenians
were killed between in 1914 and 1918, with some saying it was as much
as 1.5 million.

At least 23 countries officially recognize that the Armenian genocide
occurred. The U.S. is not among them. However, as of 2011, 43 states
and several U.S. agencies and politicians do recognize it.

Turkey, the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, says the word
genocide is not an accurate description of what happened.

Alex Bastian, a spokesman and attorney in the District Attorney’s
Office who’s also of Armenian descent, will be in attendance Sunday.
He said commemorating the genocide is not just an Armenian issue but a
matter of justice.

“This is a human rights issue,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons why
I’m even involved in the justice system.”

Sunday’s commemoration will begin at 2 p.m. at the Mount Davidson
Cross, which is the Armenian Genocide Memorial. It received that
designation in 1997 after the Council of Armenian-American
Organizations of Northern California bought the cross from San
Francisco.

Al-Monitor
April 24 2014

Erdogan erases Armenian taboo

Author: Rasim Ozan KutahyaliPosted April 24, 2014

A day before the annual commemoration of the 1915 Armenian genocide,
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his condolences
to the grandchildren of those who lost their lives. As the BBC noted,
Erdogan’s message, issued in nine languages, was unprecedented in the
history of the Turkish republic. Specifically, he said, `We wish that
the Armenians who lost their lives in the context of the early 20th
century rest in peace, and we convey our condolences to their
grandchildren.’ He also stated, `Millions of people of all religions
and ethnicities lost their lives in the First World War. Having
experienced events which had inhumane consequences ‘ such as
relocation, during the First World War ‘ should not prevent Turks and
Armenians from establishing compassion and mutually humane attitudes
towards one another.’

Summary?’ Print Most Turks are still conditioned against Armenians, but
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s message can help change
attitudes.
AuthorRasim Ozan KutahyaliPosted April 24, 2014

Devlet Bahceli, chairman of the opposition Nationalist Action Party
(MHP), when asked to comment on Erdogan’s statement said, `There is
nothing to assess here. It is too much to torment this nation like
this.’

Faruk Lologlu, deputy chairman of main opposition Republican People’s
Party (CHP), said the most important aspect of Erdogan’s statement was
his use of the word `condolences.’ He asserted, `Condolence is a
sacred notion, so there is no need to take offense.’ Lologlu did,
however, question why, after being in power so long, Erdogan had
chosen 2014 to make his statement.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu added his voice, stating, `History is
not black and white. ¦ Everyone needs to show virtue by sharing the
pains of the past. I hope the hand we extended will be reciprocated.
Turkey does not make such statements under pressure. It is not a
declaration made because of timing requirements.’

Armenia and the Armenian diaspora want the deaths of some 1.5 million
Armenians forcefully deported during the Ottoman Empire to be
recognized as genocide. Some 20 countries, including France, Germany,
Russia and Sweden, recognize the 1915 events as such, but the United
States, with a large Armenian diaspora, has not yet done so. I am one
of those Turks who considers the deaths genocide and have openly said
so in the Turkish media and through Al-Monitor. Many people recognize
me on the street in Turkey because I am also a TV personality. Some
Turks support me for this opinion, but others hate me.

The reality is that in pre-Erdogan Turkey, no one ‘ whether a
well-known, popular media figure or someone working in the most
marginal media ‘ would have written that the 1915 events were
genocide. Doing so would have resulted in immediate imprisonment. In
the Erdogan era, speaking about 1915 has gradually come to be
accepted. Today in Turkey, the Armenian genocide can be freely
discussed. Turkey has made significant progress in respect to freedom
of expression on this and the Kurdish issue.

Some writers who personally dislike Erdogan and the Gulenist movement,
whose secretive penetration of the state is now known, still insist on
presenting an incorrect portrait of Turkey to the world. Sure, some of
Erdogan’s policies have been bad ‘ there is much to criticize about
his 11-year rule ‘ but as prime minister, he has proven that he is a
leader who learns from his mistakes. He has no immovable obsessions
and is flexible. His political speeches are provocative, and he stands
firm against his rivals, but when it comes to official policies, he
can dispense with rigidity and reverse positions.

For example, Erdogan’s analysis of the situation in Syria was faulty,
which led to bad policy decisions. With his Syrian policy at an
impasse, Erdogan is now likely to take a more realistic position. We
should not ignore, as Mustafa Akyol’s analysis for Al-Monitor
suggests, that Erdogan will be the most important political figure in
Turkey for the next 10 years. The Erdogan phenomenon must therefore be
examined impartially, free of personal animosities.

A prominent Turkish writer who knew and shared my views about the 1915
Armenian genocide predicted that Erdogan would have me fired from my
newspaper. I disagreed, saying that I understood Erdogan’s approach to
the Armenian issue, but being a wise politician, he would tackle
public perceptions step by step and at the end eliminate the taboo
surrounding 1915. I do not feel that anything justifies portraying
Erdogan as a reactionary in regard to the Armenian question.

I asked a friend of mine sensitive about the Armenian issue if he
would still be unsatisfied if on April 24, 2015, Erdogan traveled to
Yerevan as the new president of Turkey, prayed for the genocide’s
victims and laid a wreath on their memorial. His response was that
Erdogan should not be the president of Turkey, and that we had to be
freed of the man. My friend was accepting that anyone other than
Erdogan become president, even if he was a fascist who would justify
what we did to the Armenians.

Erdogan’s Turkey will from now on confront 1915. Many more steps could
follow in 2015. When it comes to facing up to the past, Erdogan is far
ahead of his party and cabinet. Davutoglu’s comment on the issue was
in a language reminiscent of the Kemalist diplomatic tradition.
Turkish diplomacy under Davutolgu must support Erdogan’s courageous
move and not create obstructions for Erdogan.

With Erdogan’s statement on 1915, the last taboo of the Turkish
republic is gone. True, most people still think as they were
conditioned to by Kemalist Turkish nationalists, but Erdogan’s
approach will soften this unaccommodating mentality. Erdogan is a
leader who can change the minds of people. The Turkish nation must,
indeed, convey our condolences to the grandchildren of our Armenian
brothers and sisters massacred by the Talat Pasha government in 1915.
In this, Erdogan has once again proven to the world that he is not a
leader from the usual mold. Those assessing Turkey in Washington must
take care to accurately analyze the Erdogan phenomenon.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Institute of Asian and African Studies
Hebrew University,
Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel
Prof. Michael E. Stone
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 972/ 2/ 642 6631

Institute of Asian and African Studies
Armenian Studies Program

Jerusalem Center for Genocide Prevention
Combat Genocide Association

Commemorating the 99th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem commemorated the 99th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide on Tuesday, April 22, 2014. This
commemoration and Symposium evening, that has become a yearly
tradition, was organized by the Armenian Studies Program at the
university, the Jerusalem Center for Genocide Prevention and the
Combat Genocide Association – in cooperation with the Armenian
community and the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

The evening opened with a moment of silence and Bible reading of the
Vision of the Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14) in both Hebrew and
Armenian. This was followed by greetings by Father Pakrad, on behalf
of the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, Arch. Nourhan Manougian, the
Honorary Consul of Armenia, Mr. Tsolag Momjian, and the Dean of the
Faculty of Humanities, Prof. Reuven Amitay.

The evening’s keynote speakers were world-renowned genocide scholar,
Prof. Yehuda Bauer, and the founder of the Jerusalem Center for
Genocide Prevention, Prof. Elihu Richter.

Professor Bauer spoke about the Armenian Genocide and its historical
context – the decline and collapse of the Ottoman Empire, ongoing
hostilities against Christian minorities, and a rise in nationalism in
the late 19th century.

Professor Richter, an expert in public health and epidemiology, spoke
about the role of medical doctors as perpetrators of the Armenian
genocide and their influence on Nazi medicine. He said that many
attempts to stop genocide fail because they begin too late, after the
killings begin. He emphasized that in order to effectively prevent
genocide; the early warning signs (such as incitement and hate
language against a particular group) must be identified and stopped.

Professor Stone, who moderated the evening, said that one of the
results of genocide is not only the physical destruction of a group,
but also the eradication of a language and culture. Students from the
St. Tarkmanchatz Armenian school and from the Armenian Theological
Seminary in Jerusalem celebrated the survival of the Armenian culture
by reciting poems and performing Armenian songs during the event.

For further information about the event, please contact Tamar Pileggi
at [email protected] and for information about the Armenian Studies
Program at the Hebrew University contact Prof. Michael Stone at
[email protected].

Attached are 5 pictures from the event:

No.1 the choir of students from Sts. Tarkmanshatz school

No. 2 Left to right: Prof. Elihu Richter, Prof. Reuven Amitai, Consul
Tsolag Momjian, Prof. Michael Stone and Fr. Pakrad.

No. 3 Prof. Yehuda Bauer (talking) with Prof. Richter and Prof. Stone.

No. 4 Consul Tsolag Momjian with Prof. Stone and Prof. Amitai.

No. 5 A moment of silence.

Pictures by Carino Casa and Yoav Loeff

For higher resolution versions please contact Yoav Loeff at:
[email protected].

ARMENIA PRESIDENT: ILHAM ALIYEV TRIED TO ASSUME ROLE OF TURKEY’S ADVOCATE

April 25, 2014 | 18:46

Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev tried to assume the role of
Turkey’s advocate, Armenian leader said during the Eastern Partnership
high-level meeting in Prague.

Addressing the participants on the second day of the meeting, Serzh
Sargsyan confirmed Armenia’s interest in further development of the
Eastern Partnership format.

“It should continue to serve its major objective – united Europe that
is free of dividing lines, stable and prosperous. It is important
for the Eastern Partnership to be responsive to the vital interests
of all the participating states. For Armenia it is first of all the
unblocking of the closed border with Turkey,” he said.

“It is an unfortunate reality that there is still no full-fledged
collaboration between the partner states. Sometimes, we not only evade
cooperation to achieve shared objectives but even display enmity and
hatred towards each other. Yesterday’s statement by the President
of Azerbaijan is the striking illustration of my words. Of course,
his absence from today’s session deprives me of an opportunity to
touch upon his speech in details. Instead of speaking about present
day’s numerous issues he tried to assume the role of Turkey’s advocate.

Instead of making a constructive proposal on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict he touched upon the four twenty one-year-old UN Security
Council resolutions whose implementation had been brought about an
abortion by Azerbaijan at that time.

The peaceful settlement of the conflicts in the European continent is
of primary importance for the peace and prosperity. The settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains to be of vital importance
for Armenia.

It is a matter of plain fact that Nagorno Karabakh has got a system
of government based on the European values and corresponding to
the democratic principles. It is long overdue to affirm de jure the
factual exercise of the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination”.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

KESSAB COMMANDER: ARMENIANS CANNOT BE DESTROYED UNLESS THEY COMMIT SUICIDE

Lragir.am
Interview – Wednesday, 23 April 2014, 11:19

Architect Hakob Peterjikyan of Kessab is one of those people who are
volunteered to join volunteers to liberate Kessab. Peterjikyan held
an interview with Veratsnund newspaper.

Mr. Peterjikyan, some forces and politicians claim that Armenians
should keep neutral in regard to Kessab and generally Syria. What is
your opinion?

I will answer your question with a question. We were peacefully living
in our houses, since the rallies in Syria 2011 we were busy with our
everyday chores, we worked the land, even the families of opposition
worked for us. And one month ago the opposition came and took our land,
the people of Kessab were evacuated to Latakia, a young man of Kessab
was killed. Now the Syrian army has come and wants to return Kessab
to us. Now tell me whether neutrality is right.

In 1938 Iskenderun was annexed by Turkey. Kessab was part of
it. The people of Musaler were transported free of charge. A place
was provided for the people of Kessab in the south of Lebanon. The
Armenian catholic patriarch, Cardinal Grigor Petros Aghajanyan
(of Akhaltskha), a charismatic personality, was able to influence
Vatican and France and in 16 months Kessab united with Syria. In 1996
Aghajanyan’s 100thanniversary was marked. We built a monument to the
memory of this person.

And one month ago the opposition displaced us from our homes, those
left in Kessab were sent to Vakifli (an Armenian village in Turkey).

Now tell me what this is if not a Turkish plan. We didn’t have any
problems with any force in Syria except the forces which promote the
Turkish policy in Syria. We have a serious problem with those forces.

People of all the regions of Syria have houses and land in Kessab. And
we have warm relations with all of them. Whether we want it or not,
though we have an Armenian background, we are citizens of Syria and
the Syrian state has done a lot of favors to us. So how can I be
neutral and what does neutrality mean in this case?

What do the supporters of neutrality fear?

They are afraid that our self-defense will harm Armenians living in
Aleppo, Damask or Deir ez-Zor. No Armenians are left in Deir ez-Zor.

Armenian refugees move to regions controlled by the government. The
opposition lives according to the wild Ashiret rules, there is a lot
of evidence how they crucify Christians, what ravage they commit.

There is a big issue of freedom of belief in the regions that have
appeared under their control. We sing military songs during our
weddings but we say keep away from the gun, keep neutral when it is
time to fight.

Are there fears that after liberation Kessab may again appear under
the control of insurgents?

There are regions in Syria that were liberated and then again appeared
under the control of the insurgents. It is difficult to keep Kessab
but it is possible. If the Armenians and other peoples living in Kessab
agree to keep Kessab, it will be easy. Turkey’s role is important too,
which must close its border and refrain from use of firearms.

What was your attitude to the calls of the Armenian government and
the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party to keep neutrality?

I don’t want to insult them, it is possible that they deal with
politics more seriously and have more serious information. They used
to say about the Diaspora that people living in expensive houses
and eating oranges should not be the one who decide the destiny of
Armenia. I regret now that people living in luxurious mansions in
Armenia are trying to decide the destiny of Armenians. If you cannot
help, don’t hinder either. The Armenians of Kessab decide the destiny
of Kessab.

What was your emotion when a group of former commanders of the Karabakh
war headed by Vahan Badasyan visited you? Are they able to help you?

We welcomed Vahan’s group with great joy. He took me 30 years back, to
the years when I was a student. Everyone wants to live among civilized
people. You can create that civilization with your identity. However,
as soon as you separate from land, you lose your national identity.

The Sahara Desert has a lot of sand but Egypt has to import sand for
concrete, the desert sand is not good for concrete. It turns out that
we receive sand from Karabakh to make concrete. The Armenian people
cannot be destroyed unless it commits suicide.

– See more at:

US BEARS POLICY OF NOT RECOGNIZING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE – ANALYST

April 25, 2014 | 12:11

YEREVAN. – With his statement, Turkey PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not
recognize the Armenian Genocide yet again, but this time, on the day
of remembrance of the Genocide victims.

Analyst Haykazun Alvrtsyan stated the aforementioned at a press
conference on Friday.

“With this statement, Erdogan once again confirmed the Turkish view
that they don’t have an issue of Armenian Genocide recognition, [that]
they have Ottoman citizens who fell victims to military operations
during the First World War.

“[And] all interested organizations and political centers–such as
the European Union–that share this view immediately responded [to
Erdogan’s address]. The US, which is the bearer of the policy of not
recognizing the Armenian Genocide, also welcomed Erdogan’s statement,”
Alvrtsyan noted.

The analyst added that, with this move of his, the Turkish PM is
forming a tradition of statements, within the framework of which he
will deny the Armenian Genocide every year on April 24.

THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS FAILURE OF OUR FOREIGN POLICY ARAM HARUTYUNYAN

14:40 / 25.04.2014

If till now we were saying that our authorities are building
Armenian-Turkish relations, holding football diplomacy, chess
diplomacy, now we can say that they are not playing football or chess
but a game called ‘stone, paper, scissors’ with a predictable end,
leader of National Reconciliation party Aram Harutyunyan told the
reporters today.

“If they [authorities] know that Turkey will show scissors they show
paper,” Harutyunyan said, referring to the message of the Turkish PM
Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The political figure said the statement of Armenia’s President Serzh
Sargsyan voiced at the Defense Ministry recently again harmed Armenia
and showed what harm the Armenian-Turkish relations did. “We see lack
of analytical thought. We did not need that statement which harmed the
genocide and the Karabakh issue. The Armenian-Turkish protocols were
failure of our foreign policy it divided Diaspora and did not give
anything to us. It means that the time for the Armenian authorities
to change has come,” Harutyunyan said.

Nyut.am

IF FIRST WORLD WAR IS CLOSED PAGE FOR EUROPE, IT REMAINS OPEN AND BLOODY WOUND FOR ARMENIANS: ARMENIA’S AMBASSADOR TO ROMANIA

18:14, 25 April, 2014

BUCHAREST, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. The well-known Romanian Adevarul
daily published an extensive interview with the Ambassador of Armenia
to Romania in its adevarul.ro electronic version on April 24. The
interview was entitled “If the First World War is a closed page for
Europe, it remains an open and bloody wound for Armenians”, which
Armenpress introduces with partial briefings.

Mr. Ambassador, from this year the 100th anniversary of the First
World War is celebrated everywhere in Europe. In parallel to that,
the Armenians around the world are going to celebrate the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. What connections are there
between these two dramatic events?

-Direct, since the final phase of the Armenians deportation and
extermination was carried out just under the veil of the World War.

The Armenian people had the largest and irreversible loss in that war.

If we look at the numbers, we will see that of 10 victims in the war
one was Armenian.

Unfortunately, these numbers have not been reflected in the First World
War Chronicle. The terrible massacres of Armenians seem to happen
in another planet and not on the earth, on their own historical
homeland. In his prominent “The book of Whispers” novel Varujan
Vosganianwrites that those who win write the history, not those who
lose. Really, years ago on a humid and rainy November day I attended
the traditional commemoration event in front of Verdun, Ossuaire de
Douaumont and my heart was insulted when the General speaker while
commemorating the victims of the participant countries in the First
World War did not say a word about the huge losses of Armenians.

PARIS MAYOR: GENOCIDE RECOGNITION CRUCIAL FOR TURKISH PEOPLE

April 25, 2014 – 20:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Paris hosted an event, initiated by Mayor Anne
Hidalgo, to commemorate the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Representatives of the city authorities, MPs, senators, politicians,
artists and celebrities were among numerous attendees.

In her opening speech, Ms Hidalgo called Ankara to face the truth,
with the recognition of the Armenian Genocide crucial for Turkish
people. She further briefed the guests about the events to be organized
in the framework of the Genocide centenary commemoration.

Her statement was followed by that of the Co-ordination Council of
Armenian Organizations of France representatives who slammed Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s condolence message, noting
Ankara’s policy of denial as ineffective.

“It is our hope and belief that the peoples of an ancient and unique
geography, who share similar customs and manners will be able to
talk to each other about the past with maturity and to remember
together their losses in a decent manner. And it is with this hope and
belief that we wish that the Armenians who lost their lives in the
context of the early twentieth century rest in peace, and we convey
our condolences to their grandchildren. Regardless of their ethnic
or religious origins, we pay tribute, with compassion and respect,
to all Ottoman citizens who lost their lives in the same period and
under similar conditions,” Erdogan’s statement said.

Armenia’s ambassador to France Vigen Chitechyan, in turn, thanked
Paris municipal authorities for their consistency in promoting the
Genocide recognition.