Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

PanARMENIAN.Net

Khachkar in memory of Armenian Genocide victims inaugurated in Rome
13.10.2007 13:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A khachkar inaugurated in commemoration of the
Armenian Genocide victims was consecrated in Rome October 10. By
invitation of the Armenian community of Italy, the head of the German
Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Garegin Bekchian
arrived in Rome to hold the solemn ceremony.

In his welcoming remarks, shepherd of Italian Armenians, Archimandrite
Aren Shahinyan thanked the Italian authorities and people for the
noble measure. `The khachkar set up in Rome came as a symbol of
friendly Armenian-Italian relations,’ he said.

Catholicos of All Armenians, Garegin II sent a blessing to all
participants of the ceremony. `A killing of one man is a crime;
killing of a whole nations becomes a subject of dispute,’ his message
read.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Armen Bayburdian, Armenian Ambassador
to Italy Ruben Shugarian and members of the Italian government
attended the ceremony, reported the press service of Holy Echmiadzin.
From: Baghdasarian

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 12 2007

Armenia’s foreign minister to participate in meeting of European
Armenians in Brussels

YEREVAN, October 12. /ARKA/. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian will
head Armenia’s official delegation during the second meeting of
European Armenians to be held in European Parliament in Brussels on
October 15-16.

Oskanian will make a speech during the meeting, said Vladimir
Karapetian, RA Foreign Minister’s press secretary.

According to Chairman of the European Armenian Federation (EAF) Hilda
Choboyan, the latest topical political issues of Armenians in Europe
will be discussed during the meeting of Armenian political and
religious leaders.

By this event, European Armenians plan to introduce European
politicians to their opinion.
EU Special Representative in the South Caucasus Peter Semneby, French
Co-Chair of the OSCE Minks Group Bernard Fassier, as well as Armenian
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram the First will
participate in the meeting.

The participants will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the European Parliament and
will commemorate slain American-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink. Z. Sh.
-0–
From: Baghdasarian

Lragir, Armenia
Oct 12 2007

SOLUTION IS GOING TO COURT

`I’d hate to spoil the party but this euphoria yesterday and the day
before caused me to worry,’ stated the Moscow-based Armenian
political scientist Andranik Mihranyan on October 12 at the National
Press Club with regard to the affirmation of the Armenian resolution
by the U.S. House Committee.

`Our people easily get irritated and inspired. What has happened? It
isn’t the first time, is it? I was amazed when I was told it was the
first time. It was once discussed at the floor of the House. At that
time it was Clinton administration which held majority in both
chambers of the Congress, and this issue was prevented from
discussing under the pressure of the State Department and the White
House. Now let us assume the issue is put to vote, and considering
the low rating of Bush junior and the Democratic majority, the
resolution is passed. What will it give?’ Andranik Mihranyan says.

According to him, the moral importance is great but Mihranyan
questions recognitions. `France has recognized but without any
outcome, the Council of Europe has recognized but without any
outcome. For Turkey, which is the strategic partner, supporter of the
United States and a powerful state, recognition by this country is
not desirable. Gunduz Oktan, member of the Turkish-Armenian
conciliation commission, said if America recognizes, we do not want
it because if America recognizes, we have nothing to discuss with the
Armenians, now we are speaking, to have an obstacle, when America
does not recognize, we will consult and come to agreement,’ Andranik
Mihranyan who used to be a member of the Turkish-Armenian
conciliation commission reports the Turkish activist.

Mihranyan says in case the United States recognizes, the Turks are
probably thinking like the Russian saying that horrible end is better
than endless horror. `What if they recognize?’ Mihranyan says. He
also says Turkey cannot fulfill its threats against the United States
because these states are not at the same level, and if the United
States wishes, it can divide Turkey. `Turkey cannot afford a
confrontation with the United States, especially regarding this
issue,’ Mihranyan says.

However, considering the issue of Iraq, the problems of the United
States with Syria and Iran, Andranik Mihranyan says Turkey is highly
important for the U.S. administration, and the Turkish government
uses this to pressure on the United States. `I think, however,
Turkey’s possibilities are highly limited,’ the political scientist
says. Generally, he thinks the right track for the resolution of the
Armenian issue to get out of international political circles is to go
to court. `Only a decision that is binding,’ Andranik Mihranyan says.
From: Baghdasarian

ArmRadio – Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 13 2007

Gold medals to poetess Diana Ter-Hovhannisyan and literary critic
Yervand Azatyan
13.10.2007 13:50

RA Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan today awarded the Ministry’s
gold medals to poetess Diana Ter-Hovhannisyan and literary critic,
Ministry’s Adviser on Diaspora Issues Yervand Azatyan.

Greeting the participants the Miniser noted that every of them
deserves appreciation, since they have greatly contributed to the
formation and development of Armenian literature abroad.

`Literature is the only language we can proudly speak with the whole
world. The work of every literary worker in the Diaspora is extremely
important, since everyone contributes to the preservation of Armenian
identity and reinforcement of literary ties,’ Hasmik Poghosyan said.

The Minister promised that the awards to literary workers will become
traditional.
From: Baghdasarian

Sabah, Turkey
Oct 12 2007

Call for boycott

The passing of Armenian bill was protested in Istanbul and Ankara
with demonstrations. The union of consumers called for boycotting US
products.

‘Do not make reprisal’

The Armenian genocide bill passed although the president Bush and the
influential figures of the cabinet warned, which caused panic around
the government. The undersecretary of the foreign affairs said: "we
struggled to take a different decision. We hope Turkish government’s
reactions remains at the level of statement."

Armenian lobby has got the first results of its lobby activities
going on for years the day before yesterday. The US House of
Representatives has passed the bill recognizing the Armenian genocide
which Turkey could postpone for years. The warnings by the government
about the "strategic partnership and delivery to Iraq" could not
prevent the passing of the bill. The eminent figures of the US
parliament made statements to lower down the tension just after the
bill passed.

The undersecretary of the foreign affairs, Nicholas Burns, said: "our
government was very disappointed by the result. We struggled to take
a different decision. We hope Turkish government’s reactions remains
at the level of statement."
From: Baghdasarian

RESOLUTION DOESN’T HELP AND MAY HARM
An editorial / By Dale McFeatters

Scripps News, DC
Oct 12 2007

Other than placating their Armenian American constituents, it’s hard
to tell what interest the House Foreign Affairs Committee thought it
was serving when it approved, 27-21, a nonbinding, wholly symbolic
resolution condemning as genocide the deaths of over a million
Armenians when the Ottoman Empire, which was then not long for the
world, expelled them from eastern Turkey between 1915 and 1923.

Certainly it didn’t serve America’s geopolitical interests. The
resolution infuriated modern Turkey, which, as President Bush and
eight former secretaries of State of both parties pointed out, is
a vital NATO ally, a necessary partner in the war on terror, site
of an American airbase critical to supporting the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan and generally altogether pro-U.S.

The Turks immediately summoned their ambassador to Washington home
for consultations and their Foreign Ministry called in our ambassador
to express their "unease" over the resolution. These are diplomatic
ways of displaying extreme pique. And if the Turks are well and truly
angry they can legitimately cause us a lot of trouble in Iraq. They
are amassing troops, helicopter gun ships and armor near the border
of Iraq. So far they have only attacked Kurdish rebels on their own
side of the border but they are threatening to go after facilities in
Kurdish Iraq that they say support the rebels. This would destabilize
the one tranquil part of Iraq.

The expulsion of the Armenians is a part of its history that Turkey
has never come to grips with, and even today reconciliation talks
between Turkey and Armenia are moving very slowly — but nonetheless
moving unless this resolution impedes them.

The resolution should be allowed to quietly languish in the clerk’s
office, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seems determined to bring
it to a vote. Told that this was a bad time for the resolution,
the speaker said she’d been hearing that every year for the last 20.

Maybe there’s a good reason for that.

From: Baghdasarian

PROF. DR. AYDIN: ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS WERE FIRST PUT FORWARD IN 1895, BUT RECEIVED NO SUPPORT FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES

Turkish Press
Oct 11 2007

ISTANBUL – "Armenian allegations were first put forward in 1895, but
received no support from foreign countries," Prof. Dr. Mahir Aydin
of the Istanbul University Department of History, said on Thursday.

In an interview with the A.A, Prof. Dr. Aydin said that he completed
an article on "First Trial of the Scenario of Armenian Genocide"
to be published by the Istanbul University.

"The Treaty of Berlin, which was signed in 1878, was aiming at dividing
the Ottoman Empire. But Armenian community could not acquire its
independence since its population was not sufficient. Britain put
forward the idea of an imaginary Armenian state in Anatolia.

Inspiring from Bulgarian and Greek uprisings, Armenian gangs launched
intense acts of terror in Anatolia. Since the western states wanted
to base the imaginary Armenian state on sound grounds, they told
Armenians that if some of them were executed and some others were
massacred, they could rush to their assistance on the ground that
Turks committed genocide against them," he said.

"Consequently, Armenians rebelled to the Ottoman Empire in nearly 30
different places in Anatolia from the central cities of Ankara and
Yozgat to the eastern city of Van, from the northern city of Trabzon
to the southeastern city of Diyarbakir in 1895. Such a large-scale
uprising could not be casual. It was a mass movement. Britain did
not extend support to Armenian uprisings. But when Germany became
dangerous in Europe, Britain had to pursue policies of France and
Russia," he said.

Prof. Dr. Aydin kept on saying, "since France and Russia did not
support Armenians, the United States started supporting Armenians’
policy. The United States had already carrying out missionary
activities since 1830s. Nearly 200 American missionaries opened
schools in several places to make Gregorian Armenians Protestants.

6,448 Armenians died in the Armenian uprisings which were not supported
by Britain. This number was personally put by the military official
charged by the state."

"The U.S. House of Representatives prepared a resolution on January
31st, 1896 right after the Armenian uprisings in 1895. I found the
original text of the resolution in the archives. The resolution says,
‘let’s elect a commission formed by Christians. This commission can
choose a chairman to rule Turkey. Rule of Turkey should be taken away
from Turks and the country should be divided into provinces. This
new formation can be named as the United States of Turkey.’ There is
a message here. And it is that what happened in 1915 was nothing but
a scenario," he said.

Prof. Dr. Aydin added, "the Ottoman Empire decided to relocate
some Armenians in 1915. Britain took up the issue in 1916 since it
suffered a heavy blow during the Canakkale Battles and failed to help
Russia. Britain used Armenians once again. These allegations were put
forward by using Armenians. Armenians migrated from Anatolia to the
other countries including France and the United States. Allegations
regarding the year of 1915 stemmed from the scenario of 1895. There
were no one who could commit genocide against Armenians in Anatolia
in 1915 because of the ongoing war. There were only elderly people,
women and children…"
From: Baghdasarian

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

OCTOBER 5-11, 2007

HIGHLIGHTS:

"PRESS CLUB" CYCLE: POLITICAL BREAKDOWN BEFORE ELECTIONS

NEW SPORTS WEEKLY

"PRESS CLUB" CYCLE: POLITICAL BREAKDOWN BEFORE ELECTIONS

On October 10 another "Press Club" show went on the evening air of
"Yerkir-Media" TV company. The guest of the program was the leader of
Liberal Progressive Party of Armenia Hovhannes Hovhannisian. The subject for
discussion was the upcoming presidential elections, in particular the
breakdown of political forces, the possibility of the opposition nominating
one common candidate.

The next program of "Press Club" cycle will be aired by "Yerkir Media" on
October 17 at 21.40.

The "Press Club" cycle is produced under a project of Media Diversity
Institute, supported by Open Society Institute Assistance
Foundation-Armenia.

NEW SPORTS WEEKLY

On October 9 the first issue of "Sportn Aysor" ("Sport Today") newspaper was
published. The outlet goes out once a week on 16 A3 pages with a print run
of 3,000 copies. The founder and the publisher of the weekly is "’Gind’
Publishing House" LLC. The Chief Editor is Ishkhan Kishmirian.

When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.

You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]

Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]

Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
_____________________________________ _______
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
0002, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 10) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:
From: Baghdasarian

GENOCIDE MEASURE PASSES IN TIGHT VOTE

Jewish Telegraphic Agency, NY
Oct 11 2007

Seven of eight Jewish members on a U.S. congressional committee voted
for a resolution to recognize the Armenian genocide.

The non-binding resolution, which recognizes the World War I
massacre of Armenians by Turkey as genocide, passed the House of
Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday by a closer
than expected vote, 27-21. The resolution is likely to go to the
full House.

The only Jewish member to vote against was Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.),
who cited among other reasons Turkey’s close relationship with Israel.

The measure was expected to pass by a much wider margin but faced
a last-minute lobbying blitz by the Turkish government and the Bush
administration, which marshalled all eight living former secretaries
of state to oppose it.

Turkey has threatened to downgrade military ties with the United States
if the measure passed, and intimated it would do so with Israel, too.

The closeness of the committee vote suggests it will be more difficult
to pass the resolution when it comes to the House floor.

Turkey’s Jews have pressed U.S. Jewish groups to oppose the measure.

U.S. Jewish organizations have held back from lobbying but some groups,
including the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League,
have said a congressional resolution recognizing the genocide would
be a strategic blunder.

Jewish congressmen who supported the resolution included the committee
chairman, Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), the only Holocaust survivor in
Congress. Others, including Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) and Ron Klein
(D-Fla.), cited Holocaust remembrance as a reason for their votes.
From: Baghdasarian

CHICKEN CHARLIE ‘CAN DEEP FRY JUST ABOUT ANYTHING’
By Rebecca Lee

ABC News
Oct 11 2007

Charlie Boghosian Sells Deep Fried Chicken, Vegetables, Cookies and
Many Other Treats

It’s conceivable that Charlie Boghosian is single-handedly responsible
for America’s growing health problems.

Known as "Chicken Charlie" to his many fans, Boghosian, a 38-year-old
San Diego native, believes that everything, and he means everything,
tastes better when fried.

Boghosian is so serious about his passion for all things crispy that
he takes his fryer on the road for five months every year, traveling
to county and state fairs all across California.

"I can deep fry just about anything," he said.

Boghosian backed up that statement this past weekend at Big Fresno
Fair in Fresno, Calif. He was selling fried concoctions by the vatful,
and his mother, a traditional Armenian cook, still can’t get her head
around it.

"My mother thinks I’m crazy," he said. "She never in her wildest
dreams thought she would eat a deep-fried Oreo cookie or a deep-fried
avocado."

But deep-fried Oreos and veggies are just the tip of the iceberg for
this master of the double wide. To date, Chicken Charlie’s arsenal
of heart-attack inducing treats runs about 25 deep. Boghosian batters
up everything from cheesecake, cheese balls and hot dogs to s’mores,
Twinkies, and, as of last year, his famous Krispy Kreme chicken
sandwich, a piece of chicken nestled between two halves of a Krispy
Kreme donut.

But this year, he debuted his craziest concoctions ever — deep-fried
frog legs, deep-fried Coca-Cola, and, Elvis’ favorite, deep-fried
peanut butter, honey and banana sandwiches.

"I love peanut butter, bananas and honey. I grew up eating that and
I thought I’d just deep fry that sandwich," Boghosian said. "We’re
taking regular, ordinary items, mixing them together, dipping them
in different types of batter and frying them for just a couple of
minutes so that they ‘crispen’ up and then we put toppings on them
which even add to the calorie count."

But those extra calories don’t seem to be hurting Chicken Charlie’s
business. According to Boghosian, his trailer grosses approximately
$1.5 million every year. By his estimates, in the last five to six
years he has sold close to 100,000 Twinkies, about 200,000 Oreos,
at least 10,000 Krispy Kreme chicken sandwiches since their debut two
years ago, and approximately 300 to 400 of two of this year’s newbies
— s’mores and peanut-butter and banana sandwiches — every day.

With prices ranging from $1.75 per chicken wing to $11.75 for the
fried frog legs, Boghosian’s fare doesn’t come cheap.

"We get really busy," said the deep-fried guy. "We’ve got seven cash
registers. We sell between three and five thousand orders per day."

Despite the prices and the health hazards, these fried delicacies are
"worth dropping dead for" proclaimed one Fresno fairgoer. It seems
many people are willing to overlook hundreds, even thousands of
calories for a quick trip to fried food heaven.

"Everything that will kill me, it’s all wrapped up in one," said
another fair attendee ,holding up one of the Elvis-inspired treats.

"It’s great!"

Chicken Charlie’s is not health food. On the contrary, Boghosian
prefers to think of his creations as soul food — treats that, like
the fairs he frequents, make people happy and are associated with a
sense of fun and lightheartedness. Also, he added, people know what
they’re getting into when they order his decadent delicacies.

"They come out and they say, ‘How many calories does this have?’ And
we joke around with them and then they say, ‘Give us three,’" he
said. "They could care less."

With this year’s fair season drawing to a close, Chicken Charlie is
already testing out new recipes to find next year’s addition to his
fried food roster.

"We’re going to make chardonnay and Spam, dip it in batter, and deep
fry it," said Boghosian, sitting down to try his very first bite.

"Let’s try it out. Let’s see what happens.

"I’m sure there’s some stuff I haven’t thought of, but I love this,"
he said. "I’m young. I think we’ve got a lot of time. I’m going to
be deep frying a lot more things in the future."

For now, Boghosian will keep peddling his fried Coca-Cola and peanut
butter, honey and banana sandwiches, day in and day out, until the
hot days and bright lights of California’s fairs give way to shorter
days and cooler temperatures.

Maybe next year he’ll figure out how to deep fry a snow cone.
From: Baghdasarian