Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Responsibility towards history
ETYEN MAHCUPYAN

Today’s Zaman
April 26 2012
Turkey

The most concise statement with respect to understanding the political
and social transformation Turkey is currently undergoing was uttered
by the prime minister after he underwent a medical operation: “We have
a responsibility towards history.” In general, politicians assume
responsibilities concerning the future, but the prime minister was
right, because in countries like Turkey, it is impossible to make
meaningful propositions about the future without clearing away the
traces of the past. Every meaningful proposition about the future
necessarily urges you to face the past.

>From this perspective, the judicial processes concerning Ergenekon,
a clandestine organization nested within the state trying to overthrow
or manipulate the democratically elected government, the Sledgehammer
(Balyoz) coup plan, the Sept. 12, 1980 coup, and the Feb. 28, 1997
coup have an aspect of revenge about them, but they have to. This is
because all coups nurture an implicit tendency to take revenge. The
“republican” regime in Turkey not only saw society in general,
and pious Muslims in particular, as a “backwards” mass and kept
them outside the public sphere, but also treated them with an open
contempt, without feeling the need to hide it. On the other hand,
Islamic groups both sought to accept the Kemalist elites that ensured
the country’s independence and sovereignty, and closed themselves
to and resisted these elites’ ongoing, systematic, authoritarian,
secularist practices. This led to a form of behavior that told
Islamic groups to side with the state with respect to “national”
issues, such as the Armenian issue, and to put up with the economic,
social and cultural isolation they faced.

If the military had not attempted to overthrow the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP), most probably, the tension between the state
and the Islamic community would have been covered up and the whole
matter would have been reduced to a “good soldiers and bad soldiers”
discourse and the assertion that the military would be respectful of
democracy from now on would sound melodious to Muslim ears. They would
assume that justice had been served by ensuring the reunification of
the military with the nation, a picture that would be reminiscent of
the Ottoman era.

Yet, for those who knew the true nature of the regime in Turkey,
it was just a fantasy. Indeed, after the AKP won the first election,
the military rolled up its sleeves to brainstorm and make plans about
how to overthrow it, and it continued to update these plans until 2010.

Even today there is no guarantee that a group of military officers do
not engage in similar activities. So, these developments ironically
didn’t allow pious Muslims to be deceived. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan first learned about the Sledgehammer coup plan in 2004, yet,
at that time, the government did not want conflict with the military.

Rather, it was expecting that it would be considered as a “normal,”
ordinary government and tried to earn this consideration by showing
that it had adopted modernity. However, the military was aware of the
nearing “danger.” Under a democratic regime, it was not legitimate
to overthrow the elected government or employ some legal tricks to
prevent the majority from ruling the country.

However, it was impossible to repeat the Feb. 28 coup as well, because
this coup was made possible by fabricating the perception that Islamic
groups were increasingly becoming “reactionary.” The media networks
had lent support to it and they had become its voluntary tools.

Virtually all of the employers’ and trade unions, even the judiciary
and academia chose to function as voluntary accomplices in the
military’s manipulations. When a party that cannot be accused of being
“reactionary” was in office after 2002, the media started to diversify
and civil society gave rise to democratic formations. Therefore,
a coup could be made possible only if chaos could be created, and
this required “criminal” acts.

In early 2007, the AKP was maintaining its silent and passive
position, but the party management now knew in fine detail what
was happening. They were hesitant about launching a crackdown on
the coup attempts because they knew that this would trigger an
Islamists-want-to-seize-the-state campaign which would be readily
accepted by Western public opinion. The discovery of an arsenal in
Umraniye in the spring of 2007 and the politically motivated murders
pushed the government into action. The memorandum the military
issued on April 27, 2007 terminated the AKP’s sure-footed approach
to the state.

The rest of the story is about how the government assumed a holistic
approach over time and realized its “responsibility towards history.”

In countries like Turkey, the democracy-building process still needs
the courage to shoulder this responsibility. The intellectual ownership
of this process is still claimed by individuals in the secular groups,
but their social actors are inevitably pious Muslims.

From: Baghdasarian

TURKEY SLAMS OBAMA AND FRENCH LEADERS ON ARMENIAN KILLINGS

Hurriyet
April 26 2012
Turkey

Turkey expressed “deep regret” over United States President Barrack
Obama’s April 24 statement on the Armenian massacres, saying that it
was “extremely problematic and distorting historical facts.”

A foreign ministry statement said that Obama “once again demonstrated
a baseless approach reflecting the Armenian views regarding the
dispute between Turks and Armenians on the painful part of their
common history.” It cautioned that such “one-sided statements are
not only misguided, but also make the normalization of Turkey and
Armenia relations difficult” and called on Washington “to encourage
the Armenian side, which avoids mutual historical research, to be
more realistic and conciliatory.”

Ankara made a similar statement last year after Obama, heeding previous
U.S. presidents, avoided the “genocide” word in his statement,
while calling the killings a “great disaster” (Meds Yeghern), The
foreign ministry also denounced French President Nicolas Sarkozy and
presidential candidate Francois Hollande for attending “genocide”
commemoration ceremonies in Paris, stressing that the two had
“displayed another example of politically exploiting disputed
historical issues.”

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE PROTEST AND REMEMBRENCE MARCH

My Fox LA

April 26 2012
CA

LOS ANGELES – Tuesday, protests and memories marked the the 97th
anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide, and in Glendale,
the face of that commemoration…was a 12 year old girl.

FOX 11 News Reporter Hal Eisner was there…watch the Video Report
in the Media Player

The Turkish government disputes the claims of an Armenian genocide.

They say the claim that one and a half million Armenians were killed
is inaccurate…pointing out there were far fewer than one point five
million Armenians living in the ottoman empire in 1915.

They also point out that two point five million Muslims were killed in
the period between 1912 and 1922, as well as many Christians and Jews.

Finally, turkey claims there is no direct evidence that any ottoman
leader ordered the destruction of the Armenians…and it was, in fact,
the Armenians who waged war against their own government.

…and so the argument goes on.

From: Baghdasarian

LAYYOUN IN YEREVAN AS CITY NAMED WORLD BOOK CAPITAL

The Daily Star
April 26 2012
Lebanon

BEIRUT: Culture Minister Gaby Layyoun met Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan Wednesday during a visit to the Armenian capital Yerevan.

Accompanied by a delegation, Layyoun visited Yerevan on the occasion
of the 500th anniversary of printing in the Armenian language and to
celebrate Yerevan as World Book Capital 2012.

Layyoun also met with Catholicos Karekin II at Etchmiadzin, the seat
of the Armenian Orthodox Catholicosate in Armenia.

Yerevan received the title of World Book Capital earlier this week
from Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires.

From: Baghdasarian

THE ASH OF THE GENOCIDE CALLS FOR JUSTICE
Leonid Martirossian

Tuesday, 24 April 2012 05:50

Today, April 24, the Armenian people around the world will commemorate
the victims of the greatest crime in human history – the Genocide
of Armenians committed in the Ottoman Empire in 1915. 97 years have
passed since that terrible disaster, but the wound in the soul and
the body of our people continues to bleed, echoing the unbearable
pain in the human memory.

Today, early in the morning, the citizens of Armenia and Artsakh will
honor the memory of innocent victims. In Yerevan, people will go to
the Tsitsernakaberd and in Stepanakert – to the Memorial Complex. In
the Armenian Diaspora, the places of pilgrimage will become many
cross-stones erected in memory of the innocent victims.

In churches, funeral prayers will be served. And everywhere, people
will lay flowers at the monuments to those deceased and will once
again remind the world about one and a half million of Armenians in
Western Armenia who became victims of the criminal and man-hating
policy of Young Turks, about the terror committed by the apologists
of pan-Turkism at the beginning of the last century.

No statute of limitations… This capacious and concise legal phrase
qualifies heinous crimes that cannot be forgiven. That, in spite of
the time elapsed from the date of commission, must get a legal and
political assessment, and their organizers and executors must appear
before the court of history.

No statute of limitations… These words are fully applicable also
to the collective memory of the Armenian people and representatives
of other nations who have recognized and condemned the crime against
humanity – Genocide, that is, the murder of an entire nation. Nearly a
century has passed since 1915, but the time is unable to forget this
tragedy, which abruptly changed the natural history of the Armenian
people and continues to have a negative impact on its history today.

The injurious consequences of the Genocide committed by the Ottoman
Turkey have not been overcome so far. A significant layer of the
Armenian people lost its homeland and is forced to live outside
Armenia, outside the national statehood, as a result of which a
substantial part of its material and intellectual potential serves
to other states.

Unfortunately, even after almost a century the issue of Turkey’s
responsibility for the Genocide is not resolved yet. Despite the
ongoing process on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the
world, modern Turkey, which, as we know, does not consider itself
the successor of the Ottoman Empire, however, does not wish to join
these countries and thereby to reconcile with its past. Moreover,
Turkey has adopted a policy of the Genocide denial, spending enormous
political, intellectual and financial resources in order to prevent
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. An eloquent testimony to
this has become the recent blocking by the Constitutional Court of
France of the bill on criminalizing the denial of Genocide, including
the Armenian Genocide, which was the result of Turkey’s efforts. It
is noteworthy that Turkish Minister on the EU Affairs Egemen Bagis,
commenting on the bill, called it “a piece of paper.” This cynical
phrase reflects the essence of Ankara’s attitude towards the European
values, the carrier of which is the European Union, a member of
which Turkey persistently seeks to become, and towards the Armenian
Genocide itself. But, one cannot ignore the highest moral values,
continue to deny the horrible crime in human history and still claim
for membership in the European Union uniting the civilized nations.

Not recognizing and not rejecting even the fact of a huge massacre
of the Armenian people, impeding in all possible ways the process of
its international recognition in order to avoid the responsibility
for this crime, the current Turkish state, in practice, proves that
Turkey of the early twentieth century and Turkey of the early twenty
first century do not differ in any way. Both then and now the hatred
towards Armenians was and still is a part of the state policy, and
there are no signs that the Turkish authorities will refuse of it
in the nearest future. Not to mention the penance for the Genocide
itself. So, the possibility of the Genocide recurrence cannot be
excluded. And there is no exaggeration.

The Armenian pogroms in Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad and other settlements
of Azerbaijan in 1988-1990, the war against Nagorno-Karabakh, in which
Turkey provided all possible assistance to Azerbaijan, including
military, indicate that the risk of the Genocide recurrence has
not disappeared. It should be noted that both Turkic states created,
including in the areas of historical habitation of the Armenian people,
continue their common hostile policy towards Armenia and Artsakh. I
must say that Azerbaijan, like Turkey, is responsible for the Armenian
Genocide, because the extermination and expulsion of the Armenian
population of Nagorno-Karabakh in the early twentieth century was one
of the links of this monstrous crime. Like Turkey, Azerbaijan has not
shown repentance for its crimes and does not even hide its intention
to commit new ones, having unleashed another war against the NKR.

This behavior of both these states, which are not willing to
acknowledge the shameful pages of their history, rejecting the very
possibility of establishing civilized relations with the Armenian
people, which became a victim of the Genocide perpetrated by them,
should be a signal to the international community to take the necessary
measures to prevent another tragedy, and, first of all, to prevent
the threat of new armed aggression against the people of Artsakh. To
this end, the actions of Turkey and Azerbaijan should be given the
corresponding assessment – both the moral and political-legal. The
ash of the Genocide calls for justice.

From: Baghdasarian

FAIR SETTLEMENT NOT TO BRING DECEASED BACK – RAKEL DINK

tert.am
25.04.12

Tert.am interviewed Rakel Dink, widow of Hrant Dink, editor of the
Agos newspaper murdered in Turkey on January 19, 2007.

A descendant of the Varto clan, one of the largest clans in
south-eastern Anatolia, Rakel Dink (nee Yagbasan) is now its only
representative in Turkey. She is also a resident of Switzerland. She
was the first woman to oppose the Varto clan’s traditionally practiced
endogamy by marrying Hrant Dink.

– Do you think the manifestations of solidarity in Turkey, when
people gather and cry out ‘We are all Dinks, we are all Armenians’,
are sincere?

– I can say that 90 of the 100 people you see are sincere. They
are people desirous of reforms in Turkey, and they are all exerting
efforts for the Armenian Cause issue to be settled. They are against
Turkey’s official position on the Armenian Genocide. They want to tell
people the truth of the past for the young generation to realize it
and prevent the same in the future.

– Do you think the Armenian Cause issue can be fairly settled, which
was actually Hrant Dink’s goal?

– A fair settlement… you cannot bring the deceased back by means
of a fair settlement. A fair settlement is the present generation
realizing the actuality even if they do not fully accept it. This is
the entire humanity’s task, not only that of Armenians.

– What is Armenian citizens’ help for you? How can they help you?

– I am sure they are and will go on supporting us. What can they
do? I have seen an announcement on your website. We are trying to
inform of the events, without hurting anyone’s feelings. Love must
be the language of our articles.

– Hrant Dink’s tomb has turned into a place of pilgrimage. Armenians
come here to pay respects and Turkish producers, inspired by Dink’s
deeds, are making films.

– Hrant Dink’s activities influenced them greatly – their body and
soul. They are sparing no efforts to push Hrant’s cause forward. Each
of them considers Hrant a hero, because they are aware he consciously
sacrificed his life for his cause and for justice. Each person that
has the same cause honors Hrant.

– What are your impressions of your visit to Armenia, Armenian
Remembrance Day?

– My first visit to Armenia on April 24 was in 1999. I was greatly
impressed by the silent respect. So I demanded the same during my
husband’s funeral…

From: Baghdasarian

PM OF ARMENIA RECEIVES REPRESENTATIVES OF ASSYRIAN COMMUNITIES OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

ARMENPRESS
25 April, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS: On April 25, PM of Armenia Tigran
Sargsyan received representatives of Assyrian communities of different
countries, government’s press service told Armenpress. Welcoming the
guests, the PM said: “I want to assure that the government will do
everything possible enabling the Assyrian community to feel at ease in
Armenia. All the issues of the community will be in the focus of our
attention so that you manage to arrange your spiritual and cultural
life in our country without any obstacle.” Tigran Sargsyan said that
in the running year the government has doubled the financial support
provided to the Assyrian community every year.

The representatives of the Assyrian communities expressed gratitude
to Armenia’s authorities for assisting in opening of a monument to
innocent victims of Assyrian people in Yerevan and keeping the issues
of the Assyrian community in the center of its attention.

Assyrian community representatives asked for the Prime Minister’s
support for organization of the congress of the Assyrian Universal
Alliance in Yerevan in autumn, and received the affirmation of the
head of the government.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA FORCES AZERI TROOPS TO CEASE DOVEG SHELLING

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 25, 2012 – 16:28 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On April 25, ceasefire violation by Azerbaijani armed
forces was registered in the north-eastern region of the contact line
between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani side opened fire from various caliber weapons towards
the Armenian positions in village of Doveg, Armenia’s Tavush province.

The shelling left the local kindergarten and a GAZ-53 truck damaged.

Kindergarten students and staff were evacuated for security purposes.

As a result of necessary measures by the Armenian armed forces,
the Azerbaijani side was forced to stop the shelling.

The ceasefire violation claimed no casualties and wounded.

From: Baghdasarian

UNESCO HAS INCLUDED ANI IN INTERNATIONAL HERITAGE PRELIMINARY LIST

ARMENPRESS
25 April, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS: Turkey has revised its preliminary list
presented to UNESCO and made a suggestion to include 13 new monuments
and groups of memorials. Examining those suggestions, among which was
also presented city of Ani, UNESCO International Heritage committee
has confirmed them on April 13, 2012. Armenpress was informed from
“IKOMOS-Armenia” social organization that afterward among other unique
values registered in the preliminary list of Turkey, historical city
Ani also waits its turn to be registered in UNESCO International
Heritage list.

UNESCO International Heritage preliminary lists are formed by
International Heritage convention member-countries in pursuance of
Convention’s 11-th article, 1-st point. They are to be reviewed at
least once in ten years. According to procedure any cultural value or
value of nature cannot be registered in UNESCO International Heritage
list if it is not presented in the preliminary list of that country.

Turkey has presented Ani’s justification as an “outstanding universal
value” according to UNESCO 2-nd, 3-rd and 4-th standards. In
that justification is especially mentioned the great influence of
architectural school of Ani in the region and outside its borders, Ani
as an unique example of Armenian culture, art, architecture, as well
as of military architecture. In the justification of the suggestion
is mentioned that Ani Gagkashen Grigor Lusavorich Church’s design,
which was built by architect Trdat in 1001, is greatly influenced by
the temple Zvartnoch design which was built in the middle of 7-th
century, and also many Byzantine Churches can be met which had the
draft influence of Ani’s Churches.

From: Baghdasarian

TURKISH JOURNALIST TO SHARE HIS EMOTIONS WITH TURKISH READERS AFTER VISITING TSITSERNAKABERD

ARMENPRESS
25 April, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS: Journalist of popular in Turkey
newspaper “Radikal” Fehim Tashqetin on the eve of April 24 visited
Yerevan and closely followed the memorial ceremonies in the capital
of Armenia. The Turkish journalist shared with his emotions in his
article, where he described how a day before April 24 Armenian young
people, crying “Recognize the genocide”, “Compensation”, “We want our
lands back”, organized a torch-light procession from the Liberty square
to Tsitsernakaberd memorial to rise in memory of Armenian victims.

On April 24 the Turkish journalist visited Tsitsernakaberd and put a
flower in memory of 1 500 000 Armenian victims, who had died in Ottoman
Empire. He also visited the genocide museum. Tashqetin described how
both elder people and children went to the memorial.

“The old woman from Kars who had lost five relatives in Ottoman
Empire 97 years ago,said: “If Turkish government says that nothing
has happened, in that case where are my grandfather, his brothers
and sons”. The old woman was walking to the memorial holding her
grandfather’s and grandmother’s pictures,” he writes.

Turkish journalist mentions another old woman, who was keeping a
signboard with the picture of Hrant Dink under which was written
“1 500 000+1”. To the journalist’s question what means that note
the woman answered: “The murder of Hrant Dink is the continuation of
the genocide”.

Citing words of different Armenians whom he had met and talked to in
the memorial, Tashqetin mentioned that all Armenians had said that
at present they are angry with Turkey, but didn’t feel hatred against
Turkish people.

From: Baghdasarian