Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ARMENIE
Sa Sainteté Aram I reçoit des dons de M. et Mme Hagop Chilinguirian

A la veille de la nouvelle année, M. et Mme Hagop Chiliguirian ont
fait don de 200000 $ en reconnaissance pour le témoignage et la
sensibilisation du Catholicossat de Cilicie à la communauté.

En consultation avec Sa Sainteté Aram Ier, le couple a alloué 100000
dollars comme fonds de démarrage pour le Fonds d’affectation spéciale
du Choeur Shenorhali, et 100000 $ pour équiper la section radio et
télévision de l’Office d’information du Catholicos de Cilicie.

mercredi 30 avril 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIE
Le processus de condamnation du génocide pas compromis par les
protocoles turco-arméniens

Les protocoles arméno-turcs n’ont pas entamé le processus soit la
condamnation du génocie ou l’image de la politique étrangère de
l’Arménie a déclaré le président par intérim du Parlement d’Arménie
Eduard Sharmazanov aux médias.

S’exprimant en marge d’une conférence scientifique internationale
traitant de la Première Guerre mondiale et accueillie par
l’Institut-Musée du génocide Arménien à Erevan, Sharmazanov a déclaré
qu’en signant les protocoles en 2009 l’Arménie a acquis le statut d’un
Etat plus fiable et prévisible, tandis que l’échec à les mettre en
Å`uvre a lésé la Turquie.

« Pour nos partenaires internationaux, la Turquie est devenue un pays
qui viole les accords. Mais avant cela, c’était la Turquie qui
assurait au monde qu’elle était prête à établir des relations avec
l’Arménie sans conditions préalables `, a déclaré le fonctionnaire
arménien.

Lors d’une réunion avec des hauts fonctionnaires du ministère de la
Défense d’Arménie la semaine dernière le président Serge Sarkissian a
également défendu les accords de normalisation de son administration
avec la Turquie qui a attiré de vives critiques en Arménie et dans sa
diaspora à l’époque.

mercredi 30 avril 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

”

Today’s Zaman
Deputy PM: Turkey expects Armenia, US to respond to 1915 statement
2014-04-30

Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said on Tuesday that the US and
Armenia should respond to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s widely
welcomed statement on the events of 1915, saying that they should also
take steps to solve existing problems.

In his remarks at a conference organized by the Foundation for
Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) in Washington, Atalay
said Erdogan’s statement — in which he extended condolences to the
grandchildren of Armenians who lost their lives in 1915 — is “an
advanced statement.”

“We expect this message to be received by the US, the international
community, by Armenia and [the] Armenian diaspora, and [we expect]
further steps to be taken and further statements [to be released] for
the assessment and solution of problems,’ Atalay said, adding that
Turkey will also take further steps on the issue.

In a historic first for the Turkish Republic, Erdogan extended
Turkey’s condolences to the grandchildren of Armenians who lost their
lives in 1915. His surprising statement came the day before April 24,
when Armenians commemorate the events they describe as genocide under
Ottoman rule. The statement was widely welcomed by the West and
Armenians living in Turkey, but Yerevan is unsatisfied with the
statement.

Atalay said he met with US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson
and Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken during his visit to
Washington.

He underlined that negotiations between Turkey and the European Union
have made a major contribution to Turkey’s process of democratization.
Atalay claimed that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK
Party) started “EU mobilization’ when it came to power.

“The negotiation process [and] Copenhagen criteria were so important
to us. If there hadn’t been [Turkey’s] EU process, we couldn’t have
taken today’s democratization steps [with] only the internal
mechanisms in Turkey. They are still important for us. We are taking
new steps in order to accelerate [the] EU process,’ the Cihan news
agency cited Atalay as saying.

In March, the European Parliament (EP) approved a report expressing
concern that two controversial laws passed in the Turkish Parliament
in the aftermath of a corruption investigation that erupted with a
wave of detentions on Dec. 17 “are taking Turkey away from its path
toward the fulfillment of the Copenhagen criteria.’

The writer of the report, European Parliament’s rapporteur on Turkey
Ria Oomen-Ruijten, stressed that new media legislation and an Internet
bill is making Turkey drift away from the Copenhagen criteria, which
determine whether or not a prospective country is ready to join the
EU.

During the conference in Washington, Atalay was asked about remarks in
which he claimed the Jewish diaspora was behind the Gezi protests. The
deputy prime minister denied the claims, saying “I didn’t make such a
statement.”

Atalay claimed that a news agency had “misinterpreted” his remarks.

In remarks to reporters last July that were broadcast on Cihan’s
website, Atalay said: “There are those inside and outside the country
who envy Turkey’s growth. They are all uniting. On the one side, you
have the Jewish diaspora. You have seen the foreign media’s attitude
over the Gezi Park events, how quickly they bought into it and how
quickly and widely they started broadcasting before any assessment was
made.”

From: Baghdasarian

PRESS RELEASE
Glendale Public Library
222 East Harvard Street
Glendale CA 91205
Tel: 818-548-2030
Web:

FB:

The Repression of the Armenian Repatriates During the Stalin Era

By Armine Kundakjian

GLENDALE, CA On Thursday, May 22, 2014, at 7 pm, Armine Kundakjian will
present The Repression of The Armenian Repatriates During the Stalin Era
at the Glendale Central Library Auditorium, 222 East Harvard Street in
Glendale. The presentation is in Armenian. Admission is free. Library
visitors receive 3 hours FREE parking across the street at The Market
Place parking structure with validation at the Loan Desk.

The Repression of The Armenian Repatriates During the Stalin Era is a
scientific study detailing the fates of a portion of the 42,000 Armenian
repatriates who were persecuted during 1920-1953. The book is based on
information extracted from the National Archives of Armenia. It focuses
on individuals who emigrated to Armenia from abroad and who were
subsequently victimized. An audio CD accompanying this work contains
oral histories of three survivors.

Armine Carapetian Koundakjian was born in Iran. Since 1991 she has
created several auxiliary Armenian educational materials in the form of
instructional games for students or anyone interested in learning
Armenian. Koundakjian’s books have been published in numerous languages.
Her first book The Repression of The Armenian Repatriates During the
Stalin Era, was published in Yerevan and was translated from Armenian
into both Russian and English languages, while her second book, What Was
Written in Iran During the Armenian Genocide, is available in Armenian,
English and Farsi . Koundakjian is currently researching the lives of
the survivors of the repression to elucidate the historic facts and the
consequences of the repatriation.

Elizabeth Grigorian, Armenian Outreach Coordinator of Library, Arts &
Culture. City of Glendale. 222 E. Harvard Street. Glendale CA 91205 .
(818) 548-3288. [email protected].

From: Baghdasarian

VICTOR NADEIN-RAEVSKY: ERDOGAN’S ADDRESS ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CONTAINS NEW STATEMENTS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY INCONCEIVABLE

by David Stepanyan

Tuesday, April 29, 00:19

On the threshold of the 100th mourning anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, the process of international
recognition of the Genocide seems to be losing momentum. Do you agree
with such an assessment?

24 states of the world have officially recognized the Armenian
Genocide at the level of Parliaments and Governments. Turkey
seeks to join the EU, and the latter ranks the requirement of
Ankara’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide among several dozens
of conditions for Turkey’s EU membership. Actually, this requirement
is not vividly reflected in the documents and is restricted to verbal
statements of European officials. So, the issue of Armenian Genocide
is always in the spare magazine of Europeans. In the United States
the Armenian Genocide recognition issue has not gone further than
the Senate Committee so far. Nevertheless, if the Senate adopts a
relevant resolution, it will be of great significance to the whole
process of the Genocide recognition. This is what Turks fear so much
especially given President Obama’s rather harsh statements on April
24. The international community drew a line under the issue of the
Armenian Genocide culprits long ago, but Turks did not. The fact of
the Genocide was confirmed by the Ottoman leadership’s decrees and
by Istanbul’s court martial of 1919. In those years the Young Turks
annihilated not only Armenians, but also Greeks, Assyrians and to a
smaller extent Jews who were comparatively fewer in Turkey. Turkey
set up commissions to nationalize the “abandoned property” of the
Armenians, Greeks and Jews whom the Turks exterminated or deported. And
all the Turkish statements that only 300 thsd Armenians allegedly
died in Turkey sound too awkward and absurd. Turkey itself does not
officially recognize the fact of the Armenian Genocide yet.

What about the public? Does the Turkish Prime Minister’s recent
address reflect the public sentiments?

One can observe an idea of repentance in the Turkish society. Even the
leadership has changed its stance. Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign
Minister Davutoglu speak of “mass atrocities” and even apologize
for that. This is already a step forward. Some 20 years ago Turkey
propagandized hatred against Armenians. Some scientists are already
speaking of the crime of the Genocide openly though some Turks cannot
utter that term yet. This process is going on in a rather complicated
manner, because several generations were brought up on hatred against
Armenians. Therefore, the changes in the public consciousness are a
fact that has become possible after the Justice and Development Party
(AKP) came to power. It is the AKP that started speaking of the rights
of national minorities, first of all, Kurds. All we can do is hope
that the national courage of Turkey will prevail and clear the way for
future relations with Armenia. After all, this crime clears the way
for similar crimes as long as the Genocide remains unrecognized. I
am convinced that Turkey should recognize the Armenian Genocide,
because it will determine its future role in the world. It appears
that Erdogan’s recent address contains new statements that were
previously inconceivable.

Is this issue used in Turkey’s domestic policy?

It is used partially. There is a serious aspect concerning the
discrepancies between Recep Erdogan and Fethullah Gulen. Even Nursists
turned their back on the latter following his statements on Turkey’s
stance on Israel, for instance, condemnation of the Freedom Flotilla
campaign. It is noteworthy that Gulen avoids making any statements
on the Genocide of Armenians. At least, he has never used the term
Genocide. Nevertheless, Gulen’s supporters have faced a wave of
criticism after the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a
resolution condemning the Genocide of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey. In
Turkey they began to slam Gulen and his supporters for contributing
to the resolution along with the Armenian lobby in the Congress. It
must be admitted that Gulen bears no relation to that. However,
the Armenian factor was used in the domestic political fights in
Turkey. Incidentally, in Turkey they began digging into Gulen’s roots
to find any Armenian traces there. Earlier, they absurdly claimed
that Gulen had Donme roots.

So, one should not expect any tangible progress in Turkey’s policy
on recognition of the Armenian Genocide, even if the power is changed
in the countryâ?¦

One shouldn’t yet. Nevertheless, condemnation of the atrocities at
the legislative level is not impossible. What scares Turkey most
is the property restitution issue that will inevitable emerge if
Ankara recognizes the fact of the Genocide of Armenians. It’s no
secret that the Armenians in Ottoman Turkey possessed huge property
even for that period of time. Therefore, Turkey avoids the property
claims by Armenians not to face huge financial problems.

By the way, Israel does not recognize the Armenian Genocideâ?¦

The position of official Israel, which does not recognize the
Armenian Genocide, is not only unfair but also illogical and far from
humanity. The key reason of Tel Aviv’s such behavior is unwillingness
to lose “monopoly” of the only nation that officially suffered from the
genocide – Holocaust. Here the campaign that started in Turkey long
ago also played its part. I mean the campaign during which some mass
media and writers were trying to prove that those who organized the
genocide – members of the “Unification and progress” party were the
Jews who adopted Islam. Nevertheless, Israeli scientists recognize
the Armenian Genocide. Taking into consideration the fact that the
historical and political science is strong in Israel, it would be
simply funny, if not profanation. I think that the Israeli residents
are twisting round at the political level trying to restore relations
with Turkey that does not recognize the Armenian Genocide. This is
unworthy of the nation, which was hit by Holocaust. In a certain sense
in the political bargain with Ankara the Western countries are trying
to use the Armenian Genocide issue. In 1995 our State Duma adopted
a statement calling this crime – the genocide.

The year 2015 will mark the 100th mourning anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide. Do you think any progress will be registered in the process
of its international recognition?

I am confident that more attention will be drawn at the Armenian
Genocide recognition problem in the world in 2015. We may expect the
relevant steps from many states that do not depend on the political
relations with Turkey. However, only the key countries of the world,
which think they are the masters of the world, may finally settle
this issue, for instance, the USA, although the recent events have
demonstrated that not all the countries are ready to be vulnerable
to the USA. Today Russia does not have another choice. Meanwhile,
the Armenian Genocide has horrible consequences. I mean Hitler’s words
and other genocide actions, for instance in Africa and Cambodia. Only
the timely taken measures against display of Nazism may stop such
brutalities. For instance, young men in Ukraine, whose fathers and
grandfathers were fighting Nazism during the Great Patriotic War, were
dinned into head that Stepan Bandera is their leader. As a result,
these grass-green young men are in fact destroying Ukraine under the
nazi slogans of the “Right sector”. The Americans do not want to see
that. It is just a real politic for them and nothing else.

The impact of Islamism, particularly, the impact of Turkey in Russia’s
North Caucasus is one of the trump cards of Turkish diplomats in the
talks with Moscow. What is the situation like today?

At present, in its policy regarding Turkey Russia has been actively
using the Muslim factor. In 2013, in Petersburg a big sector

of “Nurjullar” sect (250 people) and another one – 120 people were
revealed. Both were headed by Turks, although Azerbaijanis and ethnic
Central Asia residents, etc. were within the sect. All these people
are being programmed not at harmless forms of Islamism. For this
reason, the activity of this sect is forbidden in Russia and even
the books by Said Nursi are also forbidden. As for the Caucasus,
here there are many propagandists and various Muslim movements, first
of all, Wahabi and Salafis, have been trying to infatuate the hearts
of the young people. The authorities do not take enough measures to
stop dissemination of such sects in Russia, although policemen have
become rather active for the last period of time when suppressing
terrorism. I’d say that traditional Islam is a serious obstacle on
the way of dissemination of such radical movements. Big funds should
be invested in the economy of North Caucasus to employ young people
and hinder their joining radical sects. Islamist movements are being
disseminated not only in the Caucasus but also in the Volga region,
Bashkiria and Tatarstan, although the Turkish vocational schools were
shut down here several years ago.

Would you specify the final goal?

The final goal of dissemination of the Islamist movements in Russia is
creation of the new elite oriented not at the Russians and Russia but
at Turkey. In Turkey they have already created such an elite, and we
see what it has resulted in. The conflict between Gul and Erdogan is
the conflict between the new elite brought up in the vocational schools
and universities created by the Hizmet and the authorities. All these
missionaries have been striving to split Russia through capturing the
hearts of young Muslims. They want to split the multi-national state,
which would make it possible to separate Russian Muslims from the rest
of the country. This is categorically inadmissible to us. Neighboring
Azerbaijan has found itself in rather a difficult situation resulting
from the Turkey-sponsored Muslim currents. Turkey’s pressure has even
forced Baku to fire Gulen’s Hizmet movement-friendly minister. The
movement is based on the Sunni Islam, while Shia Islam is a traditional
religion in Azerbaijan. Groups of Wahabi and Salafis are also a
major threat to the traditional Shia Islam. All this constitutes
threat to the incumbent authorities and the public in Baku. That is
why Azerbaijan tries by all means possible to avoid differentiating
nationality and religion and to keep integrity. They have even created
a range of myths to that end. One of the myths, for instance, says
that Azerbaijanis are just about to be the most ancient nation in the
world. Scientifically, all this looks quite silly, indeed. All these
efforts result from phobias and aspirations to create a nation from
nothing. However, this young country that has borrowed from Iran even
its name has no other way out.

From: Baghdasarian

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

His Holiness Aram I receives a delegation of Roman Catholic Bishops from
Germany

Antelias – 25 April 2014. A delegation of German Bishops, headed by
Archbishop Ludwig Schick, met with His Holiness Aram I as part of their
fact-finding trip in the region. They wanted to hear from His Holiness about
the situation of Christians in the Middle East. After describing the
situation, His Holiness emphasized the importance of strengthening the
internal unity of Christians and providing assistance to the communities to
help the displaced families. Catholicos Aram I also spoke of the
difficulties of Armenians in Syria and informed the delegation of the 100th
anniversary commemorations of the Armenian Genocide in 2015. The visit
ended with an agreement to strengthen relations between the Catholicosate of
Cilicia and the Roman Catholic Church in Germany.

Ordination and Consecration of Bishops in Antelias

Antelias – 26 April 2014. The ordination ceremony began Saturday evening
in the Cathedral where His Holiness Aram I presided over the ritual of the
examination of the faith of Very Rev. Meghrig Parikian (Prelacy of Canada),
Very Rev. Krikor Chiftjian (Prelacy of Aderbadagan in Iran) and Very Rev.
Magar Ashekian (Prelacy of Tehran). Following the reading of the
recommendations of the Dioceses requesting their ordination and prayers, His
Holiness Aram I led them to the ceremony of the confession of the true
Orthodox faith. The priests confessed their faith, signed papers and vowed
to remain loyal to the Catholicosate of Cilicia, to His Holiness Aram I, and
to the Church and its faithful.
On Sunday, His Holiness consecrated the foreheads and right hands of the
three priests with the Holy Muron, gave them their episcopal rings and
declared them Bishops. In his message the Catholicos described the vocation
of the episcopate as service, obedience, humility and accountability to the
people.

At the end of the two-day ordination and consecration ceremony His
Holiness received the new Bishops, Meghrig, Krikor and Magar, and the
pilgrims who had accompanied them for a final blessing.
##

From: Baghdasarian

UKRAINE
Les Arméniens en Ukraine veulent une « réaction adéquate » du
gouvernement Ukrainien à la mort de Ruben Avanesyan

Le gouvernement doit fournir une réaction adéquate à la mort d’une
personne, indépendamment de leurs préférences politiques, a déclaré le
président de l’Union des Arméniens d’Ukraine (UAU) Vilen Shatvoryan
lors d’une réunion spéciale tenue dans le cadre de la mort tragique de
Ruben Avanesyan à Slavyansk .

La ville dans la région de Donetsk en Ukraine est l’un des points
chauds des dernières confrontations entre manifestants locaux qui
cherchent la fédéralisation et les forces de sécurité ukrainiennes.
Avanesyan aurait été tué par des membres du groupe ultranationaliste
Secteur droit. Il aurait aidé les manifestants à s’opposer aux forces
gouvernementales.

« Les gens qui se font tuer dans la confrontation sont d’abord des
citoyens de l’Ukraine, des gens ordinaires dont les droits sont
protégés par la Constitution » a déclaré lors de la réunion Vilen
Shatvoryan cité par Analitikaua.net.

Il a dit que des lettres avaient été envoyées par les députés au
président par intérim d’Ukraine Alexander Tourtchinov et au Premier
ministre par intérim Arseniy Iatseniouk avec une demande d’assurer une
réaction appropriée à la mort des gens.

Plus tôt, Vilen Shatvoryan, un membre de la Rada suprême de l’Ukraine,
a exhorté tous les citoyens d’Ukraine de ne pas céder aux provocations
et à ne pas participer à des manifestations illégales.

« Les événements politiques qui se déroulent dans le pays préoccupent
tous les citoyens de l’Ukraine, indépendamment de leur appartenance
ethnique. Aujourd’hui, notre devoir est de faire tout ce qui est en
notre pouvoir pour préserver l’accord et la stabilité au sein de la
société » a déclaré le président de l’UAU.

dimanche 27 avril 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

AYF Australia holds silent protest to remember the Armenian Genocide

Thursday, 24 April 2014

Source:armenia.com.au

SYDNEY: Following on from their successful #SaveKessab campaigns of a
protest outside the Turkish consulate, as well as the luncheon which
raised over $20,000, over 25 members of the Armenian Youth Federation
of Australia (AYF Australia) held a silent protest in Martin Place
this morning to raise awareness within the Australian public of the
Armenian Genocide.

Often titled the `forgotten Genocide’, AYF Australia’s aim was to
educate the Australian public on the historical reality of the
Armenian Genocide. With such a close link between the Australian ANZAC
heroes and those Armenians who suffered during the genocide, AYF
Australia took to Martin Place with flyers and posters highlighting
how the ANZAC’s as well as those who remained in Australia helped the
Armenians through the toughest time in their history.

The flyers highlighted the relief efforts provided by Australia during
and after the Armenian Genocide including the `Australasian orphanage’
for child victims of the Armenian Genocide, shipments of aid sent from
Melbourne and other Australian ports, Australian newspaper articles
outlining the massacres as well as eye-witness accounts that were
recorded by ANZAC prisoners of war, detailing the inhumanities against
the Armenians.

AYF Australia Nigol Touman Chapter chair, Aram Tufenkjian said: “It is
with great pride that we stand here today and call ourselves
Australian. It is with greater pride that we can also call ourselves
Armenians and remember how our adopted nation as a result of the
genocide helped our motherland in its time of need.”

He added: “We felt as though we needed to educate the Australian
public on the Armenian genocide as it is also part of their history
culminating in the first major international humanitarian effort by
Australia. Over the past few months, the AYF has shown that it will
take a stand against the atrocities caused against the Armenians be
that 99 years ago, or present day and will continue to do so until we
receive our justice.”

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIE
Cinquante entreprises présent leurs produits et services au salon
international du tourisme à Erevan

Cinquante entreprises représentant les secteurs du tourisme et des
loisirs ont présenté leurs produits et services à la foire
internationale « Tourisme, Loisir et divertissement » qui a eu lieu
dans la capitale de l’Arménie.

Armand Zakarian, directeur de Prom EXPO LLS, l’organisateur de
l’exposition, a déclaré lors de la cérémonie d’ouverture que bien que
ce soit la première de ces expositions en Arménie, les participants, y
compris les agences de voyages, hôtels, motels et des représentants
d’un certain nombre de festivals, ont fait beaucoup de travail pour se
préparer pour cela.

Mekhak Apresyan, chef d’un département du ministère de l’économie en
charge du tourisme, a déclaré que le principal objectif de ce secteur
est la diversification et le développement de produits touristiques
alternatifs.

« Nous espérons que le nombre d’entreprises participant à cette
exposition va croître d’année en année », a-t-il dit.

dimanche 27 avril 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

Ottawa Citizen, Canada
April 24 2014

Armenians mark 99th anniversary of painful history

By Sammy Hudes, OTTAWA CITIZEN April 24, 2014

More than a 1,000 members of the Armenian community gathered on
Parliament Hill’s east lawn Thursday.

Photograph by: Pat McGrath , Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA — Nearly a century after hostilities between Turkey and Armenia
culminated in mass casualties, a pain that has spanned generations was
on full display once more Thursday in downtown Ottawa.

What appeared to be nearly 1,000 demonstrators gathered at Parliament
Hill with many marching to the Turkish Embassy to call on Turkey’s
government to formally recognize the conflict that occurred 99 years
ago with Armenia as a genocide.

The rally was met by a much smaller group of counter-protesters who
waved Turkish flags and held up signs which denounced the cause as
“genocide mongering.”

“It’s going to be 100 years next year that Turkey is still denying the
genocide, so it’s sad to see that,” said Hrag Jinjinian, who said his
Armenian ancestors were victims of the violence.

Some historians estimate that 1.5 million Armenians were killed in
1915 by the Ottoman Empire in the region now known as Turkey. The
battle over how that legacy will be remembered continues to this day.
Turkey rejects the term “genocide,” and says the death figure is
inflated.

This week, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called the 1915
deaths “inhumane” and offered his condolences. But his remarks failed
to satisfy Armenians who say compensation and official recognition is
what is needed.

On Thursday in Ottawa, the two groups of demonstrators were separated
by a fence and by police, as many shouted across the barrier.

Kevork Kazanjian said he is a “fourth generation survivor” of the
genocide because he still feels its effects every day while living in
Canada.

“I’m living outside of my homeland … One and a half million
Armenians were slaughtered including my great-grandparents. The
perpetrator of this crime is not punished yet and they’re still
denying it.”

Kazanjian said another reason for the rally was to thank Canada for
recognizing the Armenian genocide. The House of Commons first did so
in 1996, but those on the other side of the fence disputed the
validity of this recognition.

“No court in the world or reputable world organization has accepted
that there’s been a genocide over there,” Javat Zarrin said.

Zarrin, who is from Azerbaijan, said he came to stand in solidarity with Turkey.

“It was a World War and people were killed from both sides; Turkish
sides, Armenian sides, Russian, German, you name it,” said Turkish
protester Abdullah Bayat.

Bayat said Canada has unfairly supported Armenia in the conflict.

On Thursday afternoon, far removed from the land that gave rise to the
conflict, police kept an eye on demonstrators on both sides, making
sure no trouble developed on the street outside the embassy.

From: Baghdasarian