Author: Badalian Vardan

TURKEY WILL DISREGARD EUROPEAN VOTE ON ARMENIAN KILLINGS

Humeyra Pamuk

PUBLISHED15/04/2015 | 11:30

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has condemned a planned European
Parliament’s vote on the 1915 mass killings of Armenians, which the
pope this week described as “genocide”.

The European Parliament is due to debate a resolution to mark the
100th anniversary of the killing of as many as 1.5 million Armenians
under Turkish Ottoman rule.

“Whatever decision the European Parliament takes on Armenian genocide
claims, it would go in one ear and out the other,” Erdogan told a
news conference at Ankara airport before departing on an official
visit to Kazakhstan.

“It is out of the question for there to a stain, a shadow called
‘genocide’ on Turkey,” he said.

Read More: Anger as Pope calls Armenian massacre ‘first genocide of
20th century’

Armenia, some Western historians and foreign parliaments refer to
the mass killings as genocide.

Muslim Turkey agrees Christian Armenians were killed in clashes
with Ottoman soldiers that began on April 15, 1915, when Armenians
lived in the empire ruled by Istanbul, but denies that this amounted
to genocide.

Around 100,000 Armenians still reside in Turkey including those who are
Turkish citizens and those who are not and they are never mistreated,
Erdogan said.

“Both citizens and non-citizen Armenians are enjoying the opportunities
of our country. We could have deported them, but we didn’t,”
Erdogan said.

Read More: Kim to mark massacre of Armenians

On Tuesday, Erdogan warned Pope Francis his comment that the 1915
mass killing of Armenians was genocide, saying he should “not make
such a statement again”.

Pope Francis became the first head of the Roman Catholic church to
publicly call the killing of Armenians “genocide” on Sunday, prompting
Turkey to summon the Vatican’s ambassador to the Holy See and recall
its own.

“We will not allow historical incidents to be taken out of their
genuine context and be used as a tool to campaign against our country,”
Erdogan said.

“I condemn the pope and would like to warn him not to make similar
mistakes again.”

His comments are likely to put a focus on whether the United States,
a traditional ally of NATO-member Turkey, will eventually use the term
“genocide” for the mass killings.

Unlike almost two dozen European and South American states that use
the term, Washington avoids it and has warned legislators that Ankara
could cut off military cooperation if they voted to adopt it.

TURKISH HACKERS TARGET VATICAN WEBSITE AFTER POPE’S GENOCIDE COMMENT

Assyrian International News Agency AINA
April 14 2015

Posted 2015-04-14 19:11 GMT

Turkish hackers have brought down the official Vatican City website,
following Pope Francis’ statement in which he referred to mass killings
of Armenians by Turks as ‘genocide’.

According to reports, the website was first taken
offline on Monday evening with a Turkish hacker, named @THTHerakles,
announcing that he would continue to target the website should an
official apology not be issued from the Vatican City.

The hacker said that the Pope’s comments were “unacceptable” for
a respected religious figurehead. “Taking sides and calling what
happened with the Armenians genocide is not true […] We want Pope
[Francis] to apologise for his words or we will make sure the website
remains offline,” he added.

The site was restored within a number of hours, however according to
the apparent perpetrator the main server remained offline.

Turkish hacking groups are not the only community looking to target
the Vatican over the Pope’s recent comments. Both the Turkish and
Armenian government have even expressed their upset. Turkish foreign
minister Mevlut Cavusoglu argued that the statement was “out of touch
with both historical facts and legal basis.”

“Religious offices are not places through which hatred and animosity
are fuelled by unfounded allegations,” he added.

Hacking group Anonymous also claimed to take down the Vatican
website three years ago in protest against the ‘church’s crimes’,
namely controversial Catholic doctrines and the recently uncovered
sexual abuse of children by priests. During the same year, hackers
shut down the website of World Youth Day, an international Catholic
youth festival which took place in Madrid, Spain. The website was
intermittently available on the festival’s first day as Pope Benedict
XVI arrived to take part in the event.

At the time of publishing this article, the official Vatican City
website was not available.

TURKEY PROTESTS TO POPE FRANCIS AFTER HE BRANDS ARMENIAN KILLINGS ‘GENOCIDE’

The Telegraph, UK
April 12 2015

Pontiff’s run-in with Ankara comes two weeks ahead of 100th anniversary
of start of Armenian killings

By Alice Philipson Rome

Pope Francis has sparked a diplomatic row with Turkey ahead of the
100th anniversary commemorations of the mass killings of Armenians
under Ottoman rule, after describing the events as “genocide”.

The Pontiff’s comments, made in an address to Armenian politicians
and Orthodox church leaders in Rome on Sunday, led to the Turkish
foreign ministry summoning the Vatican’s envoy to Ankara for an
official dressing down.

There had been intense speculation over whether the Pope would use the
controversial term during yesterday’s service, which came two weeks
ahead of what Armenia regards as the anniversary of the killings on
April 24. Doing so risks alienating a potential ally in the Catholic
church’s efforts to stop radical Islamists persecuting Christians in
the Middle East.

However, the Pope made his intentions clear just minutes into the
service on Sunday, labelling the slaughter “the first genocide of
the 20th century”.

His comments will be seen as a clear decision to ignore previous
diplomatic protests from Ankara after he spoke about Armenian genocide
in an unofficial capacity two years ago. On that occasion, a Vatican
spokesman was forced to deny that the pronouncement signified his
official stance.

Armenia and many historians believe that up to 1.5 million people
were systematically killed by Ottoman forces in 1915. The deaths are
regarded by Turks as casualties from a civil war .

At Sunday’s Armenian Catholic rite honouring the centenary – also
attended by Serzh Sargsyan, the Armenian President, Pope Francis said
that humanity had lived through “three massive and unprecedented
tragedies” in the last century, the other two being Nazism and
Stalinism.

“The first, which is widely considered ‘the first genocide of the
20th Century’, struck your own Armenian people,” he said: “Concealing
or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without
bandaging it.”

He told the audience that it was his duty to honour the innocent men,
women, children, priests and bishops who were “senselessly” murdered
by Ottoman Turks.

More than 20 countries around the world, including Italy, France,
Russia, Germany, Argentina and Cyprus formally recognise the
massacre as genocide. Britain says the evidence is not “sufficiently
unequivocal” to do so.

Turkey’s foreign ministry reportedly told the Vatican’s envoy that
it was “disappointed” by the Pope’s comments, and that they caused a
“problem of trust” between Turkey and the Vatican.

Andrea Gagliarducci, a Vatican expert, told The Telegraph that Pope
Francis had always been close to the Armenian community and that it
was not unusual for the Pontiff to risk “diplomatic implications”
for issues he cares deeply about.

Pope Francis has already linked the deportation of Armenians from
Turkey to the plight of Christian refugees in the Middle East today,
many of whom have been forced to leave their homes by Isil militants
and other militant forces.

“I think with sadness about those regions such as Aleppo [Syria],
which a hundred years ago were a safe harbour for the few survivors,”
Pope Francis said last week during a meeting with 20 bishops of the
Patriarchal Synod of the Armenian Catholic Church. “Recently these
regions have seen the endurance of Christians, and not only Armenians,
put at risk.”

MAY DAY: COMMUNISTS TO HOLD MARCH AND SDHK TO HOLD RALLY IN YEREVAN

13:34 | April 15,2015 | Politics

The Yerevan Municipality has accepted a notification by Tachat
Sargsyan, First Secretary of the communist Party of Armenia (HKK),
on holding a march in downtown Yerevan at 12.00, May 1.

The march will start from the statue to prominent painter Martiros
Saryan.

The Municipality has also authorized a rally to be held by the Social
Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHK) at Charles Aznavour Square in Yerevan
at 6pm on May 1.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : QUAND LA SOCIETE TURQUE S’EVEILLE

Publie le : 14-04-2015

Info Collectif VAN – – France5 a diffuse dimanche
12 avril a 22:25, “Genocide armenien, le spectre de 1915”, l’excellent
documentaire de Nicolas Jallot consacre au genocide armenien et
a ses repercussions actuelles en Turquie, auprès d’intellectuels
turcs. Il donne la parole a Hasan Cemal, petit-fils de l’un des trois
genocidaires de 1915 (Djemal Pacha), dont le livre 1915 : Genocide
vient de paraître en France, et a l’avocate turque Fethiye Cetin qui
s’est decouvert sur le tard des racines armeniennes : sa grand-mère
maternelle lui a revele avant de mourir qu’elle etait une orpheline
armenienne, dont la famille a ete engloutie dans ce premier genocide du
XXe siècle. Ces deux voix turques ouvrent le champ des possibles mais
ne peuvent faire oublier que la population turque est majoritairement
alignee sur le discours ultra nationaliste et negationniste de ses
gouvernements successifs. Une realite masquee par la conclusion très
consensuelle de Fethiye Cetin, concernant la “reconciliation”.

Autre bemol : Hrant Dink est presente en ces termes :”journaliste
turc d’origine armenienne”. Or, la minorite armenienne de Turquie
beneficie officiellement d’un statut de minorite. Ses membres,
chretiens, sont identifies comme “Armeniens de Turquie”. Et non comme
“Turcs d’origine armenienne”, definition qui correspond aux Turcs qui
– comme Fethiye Cetin – se decouvrent pour partie armeniens a l’âge
adulte mais ne sont pas comptabilises dans les chiffres officiels
du Patriarcat armenien d’Istanbul. “Genocide armenien, le spectre de
1915”, a voir et revoir en Replay.

France5

Genocide armenien, le spectre de 1915

Diffuse le dim. 12-04 a 22h25

Nicolas Jallot / Realisateur Nicolas Jallot / Auteur Regis Gente
/ Auteur

Resume 1915. L’Empire ottoman est plonge dans la Grande Guerre,
qui entraînera sa chute. Dans ce contexte historique, plus d’un
million d’Armeniens sont massacres par les Turcs. Le premier genocide
d’un siècle qui n’en sera pas avare. En Turquie, son evocation a
toujours ete occultee. Pourtant, au sein de la societe turque, des
voix s’elèvent pour dire la necessite de la verite. A l’occasion du
centenaire de la tragedie, ce document s’interesse a deux personnages,
un Turc et une Armenienne de Turquie. Hasan Cemal, journaliste et
intellectuel, est le petit-fils de Cemal Pacha, l’un des planificateurs
du genocide. Son cheminement l’a amene a se rebeller contre l’histoire
officielle. Fethiye Cetin, avocate et militante des droits de
l’homme, a decouvert qu’elle etait la petite-fille d’une rescapee du
massacre. Elle oeuvre pour que la Turquie retrouve la memoire.

À visionner ici

Genocide armenien, le spectre de 1915

Lire aussi :

Agenda – Hasan Cemal : “1915: Le genocide armenien” aux Editions Les
Prairies ordinaires

ISTANBUL : CONCERT “IN MEMORIAM | 24 AVRIL”

Publie le : 13-04-2015

Info Collectif VAN – – Il y a 100 ans, le 24 avril
1915, 250 intellectuels armeniens de Constantinople (Istanbul) ont
ete victimes d’une rafle et envoyes sur les routes de la deportation
avant d’etre massacres. En souvenir du 24 avril 1915, l’ONG turque
Anadolu Kultur organise, le 22 avril 2015 a 20h30, dans le Palais des
Congrès d’Istanbul a Harbiye, un grand concert reunissant des artistes
turcs, kurdes, armeniens et d’autres artistes internationaux. C’est la
première fois, depuis un siècle, qu’un evenement culturel d’une telle
ampleur est initie – par une association turque – dans la ville meme
où a ete mise en oeuvre l’arrestation des elites armeniennes. Cette
rafle est consideree comme le prelude du genocide orchestre par
le gouvernement Jeune-Turc a l’encontre des Armeniens de Turquie
et des autres minorites chretiennes de l’Empire ottoman. L’action
d’Anadolu Kultur est d’autant plus remarquable et courageuse que le
genocide, dont on commemore le centenaire cette annee, fait l’objet
d’un negationnisme d’Etat de la part de la Turquie (et de son allie
l’Azerbaïdjan); ce qui encourage tous les passages a l’acte haineux,
y compris contre les Turcs qui expriment leur soutien aux Armeniens. Le
Collectif VAN vous propose ci-dessous la traduction de l’annonce en
anglais, en ligne sur le site Anadolu Kultur.

Anadolu Kultur

Concert “In memoriam | 24 avril”

Le Concert “In memoriam | 24 avril” aura lieu le 22 avril 2015 a 20h30,
au Palais des Congrès d’Ýstanbul (Ýstanbul Kongre Merkezi).

Kardeþ Turkuler, Ertan Tekin, Hasmik Harutyunyan, Karine Hovhannisyan,
Erkan Oður, Ara Dinkjian, Onnik Dinkjian, Haig Yazdjian, Þahan
Arzruni, Erman Ýmayhan, Eileen Khatchadourian, Henning Schmiedt, Haig
Sarikouyoumdjian, Gaguik Mouradian, David Mayoral et Jordi Savall se
produiront lors du concert dedie aux intellectuels armeniens, poètes
et ecrivains qui ont ete arretes, envoyes en exil et tues en 1915.

Les debuts de la composition de Zulfu Livaneli “Hommage a Komitas”
seront presentes au public.

En outre, auront lieu des lectures d’oeuvres d’ecrivains et de poètes
armeniens.

Le concert “In memoriam | 24 avril” est realise par Anadolu Kultur
avec le soutien de la Fondation Calouste Gulbenkian, de Fineco et de
Project 2015.

* Les billets pour le concert sont disponibles sur Biletix

** Les recettes du concert seront utilisees pour les depenses du
concert.

(c)Traduction de l’anglais Collectif VAN – 9 avril 2015 –

Lire aussi :

La societe civile turque, moteur de la reconciliation avec l’Armenie

Turquie : > du passe

La Turquie fonce vers 2015 avec une politique negationniste

La Turquie renove les eglises armeniennes d’Ani

Istanbul : Exposition sur la Memoire armenienne

Genocide armenien : Erdogan et Gul, Prix Nobel de la Paix ?

TELECHARGER : Affiche

Source/Lien : Anadolu Kultur

U.S. EMBASSY ORGANIZES A “CLARA BARTON READING TOUR” ACROSS ARMENIA

12:34, 14 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

In celebration of the Armenian National Library Week, the U.S. Embassy
is organizing from April 13-17 a “Clara Barton Reading Tour” to
schools in Yerevan and in each of the five American Corners in
Armenia. Ambassador Mills kicked the week off with a Clara Barton
reading at the Yerevan American Corner.

Each participating school is being visited by a pair of Embassy
employees, one American and one Armenian, who will read the book Clara
Barton, Our Angel Too in both English and Armenian to the students,
followed by a short discussion about Clara Barton’s life and work. The
American Corners in Vanadzor, Gyumri, Charentsavan, and Kapan will
each host a Peace Corps volunteer to lead the discussions.

Clara Barton (1821-1912) is remembered as a friend to Armenia, and for
her compassion, humanitarianism, and commitment to helping people,
regardless of race or nationality. Clara Barton, a nurse during the
American Civil War, founded the American Red Cross. At the age of 74,
in response to the humanitarian crisis in the wake of the Hamidian
Massacres, she travelled to Constantinople and opened the first
American International Red Cross headquarters there. Her efforts
helped save tens of thousands of Armenians.

The United States has been a steadfast friend to Armenia, and has
stood shoulder to shoulder with Armenia in times of need. Clara Barton
is an example of that solidarity. Her life showed the power of one
person to make a difference for thousands.

LES PROPOS DU PAPE SUR LES EVENEMENTS DE 1915 SONT UNE DISCRIMINATION ET UNE DIFFAMATION CONTRE LA TURQUIE, SELON CEMIL CICEK

TURQUIE

“Les propos du Pape Francois sur les evenements de 1915 sont une
discrimination et une diffamation” selon le president du Parlement
turc, Cemil Cicek, qui a accorde lundi, une interview a la chaîne de
television turque Haberturk.

“Il est inacceptable qu’une personnalite de ce rang exprime de
telles allegations, a-t-il affirme. Il s’agit d’une discrimination,
d’une diffamation.”

Pour Cemil Cicek, l’annee 2015 represente un tournant pour la Turquie
qui, selon lui, “preoccupee par la politique domestique depuis un
certain temps, ne s’est pas suffisamment interessee a ce qui se passe
a l’etranger.”

Ainsi, Cemil Cicek a fait savoir qu’il a rencontre plus d’une centaine
de chefs d’Etat, de Premiers ministres et de presidents de Parlement
pour leur expliquer clairement que les evenements de 1915 n’etaient
pas un genocide.

mardi 14 avril 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

BBC: POPE FRANCIS’ DECLARATION WAS A BOLD DECISION COHERENT WITH HIS PHILOSOPHY

00:31, 14.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia
Theme: Politics, Analytics

“Pope Francis, who visited Turkey last year, would have been perfectly
conscious that he would offend the moderate Muslim country by his use
of the word “genocide,” writes BBC reporter David Willey, commenting
on the declaration by Pope Francis at the Mass held on Sunday in the
Vatican, during which he acknowledged the Armenian Genocide.

“But the Pope’s powerful phrase “concealing or denying evil is
like allowing a wound to bleed without bandaging it” extended his
condemnation to all other, more recent, mass killings.

It now remains to be seen how far his remarks will impact upon the
Vatican’s future relations with moderate Muslim states. It was a bold
decision but totally coherent with Pope Francis’ philosophy of open
discussion about moral arguments.

Pope Francis’ focus today on Armenia, the first country to adopt
Christianity as its state religion, even before the conversion of
the Roman Emperor Constantine, serves as yet another reminder of the
Catholic Church’s widely spread roots in Eastern Europe and the Middle
East,” the author says.

As reported earlier, during the Mass on the occasion of the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Pope Francis said that humanity
had lived through “three massive and unprecedented tragedies” in
the last century. “The first, which is widely considered ‘the first
genocide of the 20th Century’, struck your own Armenian people.”

KIM KARDASHIAN’S VISIT THE BEST PROMOTIONAL EVENT FOR ‘ARMENIA’ BRAND – POLITICAL TECHNOLOGIST

YEREVAN, April 14. /ARKA/. The visit of Kim Kardashian, an American
reality show star and photo model of Armenian descent, has become
the best promotional event for ‘Armenia’ brand, Vigen Hakobyan,
a political technologist, told journalists on Thursday.

Kim Kardashian, accompanied by her husband Kanye West, a rapper,
their daughter North and sister Chloe Kardashian, arrived in Armenia
on April 8 and departed from it on April 13.

In Armenia they filmed another episode for ‘Keeping Up with the
Kardashians’ reality show.

“The visit of Kardashian and her husband was a good promotional event
in boosting Armenia as brand and in enhancing public awareness of
Armenian Genocide,” Hakobyan said.

He said the Armenian community treated this visit quite pragmatically.

“We have to take into account things in the world, which show that
some persons, regardless of our approaches to moral principles,
score more than 70 million subscribers in social networks and this
is a powerful propaganda instrument,” he said.

Kim Kardashian has 31 million subscribers in Twitter, 24 million in
Facebook 29.9 million in Instagram. —0—–