Author: Chatinian Lara

Kansas City infoZine, MO
May 10 2005
Bush in Tbilisi: Why Is Georgia on His Mind?
President Bush’s schedule in Tbilisi on Tuesday includes meeting with
Georgian government officials and speaking to a crowd in the city’s
Freedom Square. Why is Bush in Georgia?
Washington, D.C. – Institute for Public Accuracy – infoZine – Ronald
Grigor Suny, a professor of political science and history at the
University of Chicago, is author of “The Soviet Experiment: Russia,
the USSR, and the Successor States” and “The Making of the Georgian
Nation.” He said today: “Bush’s trip to Georgia is more about U.S.
policy toward Russia than about American interest in the South
Caucasus. The timing, the choice of countries to be visited, and the
president’s public statements are all directed at lessening the
impact of the 60th anniversary of the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany,
a dampening of the Russian celebration of a victory that was largely
the result of Soviet efforts and losses. Georgia makes sense as a
place to visit because of the way it is seen in the West as a beacon
of democracy, though in the region the Saakashvili government is not
so universally praised. The alternative sites in the area — Armenia
and Azerbaijan — are more facade democracies than real ones, and
going to one or the other country would be seen as an affront to the
other. America’s interest in Georgia is primarily in keeping Russia
out and limiting Russian influence south of the Caucasus, though the
pipeline from Baku that runs through Georgia is also a real interest
of Washington.”
William Hartung, a senior research fellow at the World Policy
Institute in New York City, said today: “President Bush’s stop in
Georgia is about more than just democracy. From Special Forces in
Georgia to growing military aid to the undemocratic regime in
Uzbekistan, the Bush administration is seeking an expanded military
presence in the Caucasus. The motivation driving that presence goes
beyond terrorism to a strong interest in the region’s oil and gas
resources.”

Schröder und Stoiber streiten über Erweiterung
Spiegel – 08.05.05 16:34 Uhr
Kurz vor der Bundestagsabstimmung ist der Streit über die
EU-Verfassung erneut aufgeflammt. Kanzler Schröder und CSU-Chef
Stoiber warfen sich gegenseitig Populismus und Fehler bei der
Osterweiterung der Union vor. … zum Beispiel nach dem Massaker an
den Armeniern”, sagte Fischer der “Neuen Ruhr/Rhein Zeitung”. Es liege
an der Türkei, sich beitrittsreif zu …
Hoher Besuch bei den Feierlichkeiten in Moskau | Politik | Deutsche Welle |
Deutsche Welle – 08.05.05 15:10 Uhr
Auch wenn sich Putin über die Absage der Staatschefs von Estland,
Litauen und Georgien geärgert haben soll: Er bekommt noch reichlich
Besuch zu den Feiern zum 60. Jahrestag des Kriegsendes in Moskau. Die
Gästeliste. Albanien: Präsident Alfred Moisiu Armenien:
… … Präsident Robert Kotcharian Australien: Generalgouverneur
Michael Jeffery Belgien: Ministerpräsident Guy Verhofstadt
Bosnien-Herzegowina …
Putin setzt vor Feier in Moskau Nazis und Terroristen gleich
Basler Zeitung – 08.05.05 15:05 Uhr
Der russische Präsident Wladimir Putin hat den Kampf gegen den
Faschismus vor 60 Jahren mit dem Kampf gegen den heutigen Terrorismus
gleichgesetzt. Er traf sich am Sonntag mit den Präsidenten der
Gemeinschaft Unabhängiger Staaten (GUS). Nazismus, Extremismus
… … Präsident Ilham Alijew wegen des Konflikts mit Armenien um die
aserbaidschanische Region Berg-Karabach. Etwa 20 000 Polizisten und
Soldaten …
Neues Buch über das
[email protected] – 07.05.05 12:16 Uhr
Als Befreiungs- und Gedenkmal für die Opfer der Sowjetarmee im Kampf
gegen den Nationalsozialismus wurde es errichtet. Die Österreicher
haben es schnell zum “Russendenkmal” abgewertet. … dem Ingenieur
Michail Scheinfeld und dem Architekten Major Jakowlew “ein Armenier,
ein Ukrainer jüdischer Herkunft und ein Russe, die das …
Türkei muss laut Fischer Defizite bei Menschenrechten aufarbeiten
Newsclick – 07.05.05 09:06 Uhr
Die Türkei muss nach der Ansicht von Außenminister Joschka Fischer
ihre Defizite in Menschenrechtsfragen aufarbeiten. Sie wird sich auch
den unangenehmen Fragen stellen müssen, zum Beispiel nach dem Massaker
an den Armeniern , sagte Fischer der Neuen Ruhr/Rhein … … Zeitung
. Es liege an der Türkei, sich beitrittsreif zu machen. Wir haben ein
essenzielles Interesse an einer Modernisierung der Türkei …
Ankara kritisiert den Bundestag
Hamburger Abendblatt – 07.05.05 08:52 Uhr
… r hat laut der Zeitung “Milliyet” bei Bundeskanzler Gerhard
Schröders (SPD) Türkei-Besuch den Entwurf des Bundestages zur
Armenien-Frage kritisiert. Er sei unvereinbar mit der
deutsch-türkischen Freundschaft.Der Kanzler habe Sezer zugestimmt. Der
Entwurf fordert die Türkei auf, sich der Armenien-Frage zu
stellen. afp …
Türkei muss laut Fischer Defizite bei Menschenrechten aufarbeiten WEB.DE – 07.05.05 08:04 Uhr
Fischer: Türkei muss Menschenrechte achten
N24 – 07.05.05 08:59 Uhr
Außenminister Joschka Fischer sieht die Türkei in der
Menschenrechtsfrage unter Handlungsdruck. Hier gebe es Defizite, die
aufgearbeitet werden müssten, sagte Fischer der “Neuen Ruhr/Rhein
Zeitung”. Das Land werde sich auch den “unangenehmen Fragen” stellen
… … meinte Fischer mit Blick auf das Massaker an den
Armeniern. Nach Aussage des Ministers liegt es an der Türkei, sich
beitrittsreif zu machen …
Fischer: Türkei muss Menschenrechte achten Netzeitung – 07.05.05 08:49 Uhr
Sieges-Show in Moskau
Passauer Neue Presse – 07.05.05 04:25 Uhr
Altbundespräsi- dent Richard von Weizsäcker hat eine große Wahrheit
gelassen ausgesprochen: Der Untergang des Hitler-Reiches am 8. Mai
1945 wird von vielen Ostdeutschen nicht als Tag der Befreiung
empfunden, für sie ist das nämlich der 9. November 1989 mit
… … Das werden auch die Türken mit Blick auf den Massenmord an den
Armeniern 1915 noch erfahren. Auf den Bundespräsidenten aber kommt mit
seiner 8 …
Öcalan bringt Erdogan in Bedrängnis
Frankfurter Rundschau – 06.05.05 22:26 Uhr
EU-Gerichtshof prüft, ob der Prozess gegen den PKK-Chef neu aufgerollt
werden muss … … Bereits die in Europa geführte Diskussion um die
Armenier-Verfolgungen im Ersten Weltkrieg, ein türkisches Tabu, haben
in Anatolien eine Woge …
Sturm im Teeglas
TAZ – 06.05.05 21:21 Uhr
Der “angebliche Völkermord” an den Armeniern und der europäische
Umgang damit: Kein anderes Thema eignet sich so gut, um die Paranoia
türkischer Nationalisten anzustacheln. Während das Gedenken an die
Massenmorde im Osmanischen Reich, die sich im vergangenen Monat zum
90. Mal jährten, vielerorts längst wieder von anderen Themen verdrängt
wurde, bietet es nationalistischen Kreisen … … in seinem Land
seien 30.000 Kurden und eine Million Armenier ermordet worden. Die
Berichterstattung der deutschen Hürriyet-Redaktion wirkt nicht …
Armenien setzt auf Reformen in der Türkei
Tagesspiegel – 06.05.05 20:04 Uhr
Berlin – Armenien würde nach den Worten seiner Botschafterin in
Berlin, Karine Kazinian, die Aufnahme der Türkei in die EU begrüßen,
wenn das Land europäischen Kriterien entsprechen würde . Kazinian
sagte dem Tagesspiegel: Nach einer Aufnahme der Türkei
… … Schröder hatte auch die Massaker 1915/16 im Osmanischen Reich
an den Armeniern zum Thema gemacht, dabei aber das Wort Völkermord
vermieden. Der …
Armenien setzt auf Reformen in der Türkei Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten – 06.05.05 19:59 Uhr
Pingpong und die deutsche Geschichte
Berliner Zeitung – 06.05.05 18:35 Uhr
Junge Männer lehnen lässig am Tresen, sie tragen Baseball-Käppis und
Turnschuhe. Zwei Jugendliche spielen Tischtennis, andere schauen
zu. Ein ganz normaler Nachmittag im Kreuzberger Jugendzentrum
Naunynritze. “Sie wollen … … er spreche im Unterricht auch über
den Völkermord an den Armeniern. Da würden sich die türkischstämmigen
Jugendlichen stärker angesprochen …
Stichwort: Armenien | Politik | Deutsche Welle |
Deutsche Welle – 06.05.05 10:44 Uhr
Die frühere Sowjetrepublik Armenien ist seit 1991 ein unabhängiger
Staat. Das Land ist etwa so groß wie Brandenburg, die Hauptstadt heißt
Eriwan. Armenien liegt zwischen der Türkei, Iran, Aserbaidschan und
Georgien. Hier erfahren Sie mehr über Land und … … (über
100.000). Ungefähr acht Millionen Armenier leben im Ausland über die
ganze Welt verstreut. Die Diaspora reicht vom Vorderen Orient bis …
Armenien setzt auf Reformen in der Türkei
Tagesspiegel – 06.05.05 20:04 Uhr
Berlin – Armenien würde nach den Worten seiner Botschafterin in
Berlin, Karine Kazinian, die Aufnahme der Türkei in die EU begrüßen,
wenn das Land europäischen Kriterien entsprechen würde . Kazinian
sagte dem Tagesspiegel: Nach einer Aufnahme der Türkei … … um den
Dialog zwischen Armenien und der Türkei in Gang zu bringen, auch über
schmerzhafte Fragen . Die Botschafterin warb für die Aufnahme …
Armenien setzt auf Reformen in der Türkei
Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten – 06.05.05 19:59 Uhr
Trennung unabhängiger Staaten
Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten – 06.05.05 19:59 Uhr
Roten Sekt von der Krim wird es geben, schwarzen Kaviar aus dem
Kaspischen Meer und jede Menge Sonntagsreden: Am Wochenende treffen
sich die Staatschefs der Gemeinschaft unabhängiger Staaten (GUS) im
Moskauer Hotel President. Der Gipfel der UdSSR-Nachfolgegemeinschaft
… … Als mögliche Kandidaten werden Kasachstan und Armenien
gehandelt, die beide als loyale Verbündete Russlands
gelten. Bisher. Putin hat vor den …
Trennung unabhängiger Staaten Tagesspiegel – 06.05.05 19:51 Uhr
Stichwort: Armenien | Politik | Deutsche Welle |
Deutsche Welle – 06.05.05 10:44 Uhr
Die frühere Sowjetrepublik Armenien ist seit 1991 ein unabhängiger
Staat. Das Land ist etwa so groß wie Brandenburg, die Hauptstadt heißt
Eriwan. Armenien liegt zwischen der Türkei, Iran, Aserbaidschan und
Georgien. Hier erfahren Sie mehr über Land und … … Heute leben in
Armenien rund drei Millionen Menschen. Im benachbarten Georgien sind
sie mit 400.000 die stärkste Minderheit, im verfeindeten …
LEITARTIKEL: Schröder balanciert
Newsclick – 05.05.05 23:30 Uhr
Bei seinem Türkei-Besuch hat Bundeskanzler Schröder einen politischen
Balance-Akt vollführt.Auf der einen Seite vermied er es, den
türkischen Ministerpräsidenten Erdogan und dessen zuletzt reformmüde
Regierung unter großen öffentlichen Druck zu setzen. Mit
… … ausbalanciert waren auch Schröders Aussagen zur
Armenien-Frage: Der Kanzler forderte die Türken zwar zur Aufarbeitung
ihrer Vergangenheit auf …
Ein Besuch vergessener Opfer
Neues Deutschland – 05.05.05 22:42 Uhr
Verein KONTAKTE-KONTAKTb/I kümmert sich um Kriegsgefangene, die
Zwangsarbeit leisteten … … hier am Mittwoch zwölf frühere
sowjetische Kriegsgefangene aus Armenien, Belorussland, Russland und
der Ukraine vor. Betroffen hörten die …
Liebe Freunde in Zeiten wechselnder Stimmung
Frankfurter Rundschau – 05.05.05 22:24 Uhr
Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schröder besucht die Türkei und äußert viel
Verständnis für die Probleme des Gastgebers … … Umgekehrt hält der
Kanzler die Forcierung der Armenien-Frage in erster Linie für einen
christdemokratischen Sabotage-Versuch ist. Für den …
Schallgedämpft
Frankfurter Rundschau – 05.05.05 22:24 Uhr
Der türkische Ministerpräsident Erdogan gehört zu den Kollegen, die
Bundeskanzler Schröder um so demon-strativer mit Vertrauen bedenkt, je
mehr bei Außenstehenden die Zweifel an ihren lauteren Absichten
wachsen. Rein menschlich ist das eine schöne Haltung. … und im Falle
Armenien darüber hinaus. Wenn aus Massenmord “Ereignisse, die
seinerzeit stattgefunden haben”, werden, wird funktionale …
Türkei
Welt – 05.05.05 19:09 Uhr
Drei Ehrendoktorhüte hat Gerhard Schröder inzwischen beisammen; einen
aus Schanghai, einen aus St. Petersburg und einen aus Istanbul. China,
Rußland, Türkei? Ein Schelm der Böses denkt. Nun ist es keinesfalls
bewiesen, daß des Kanzlers Langmut mit heiklen … … sie finge beim
Stichwort Armenien damit einfach einmal an? Artikel erschienen am Fr,
6. Mai 2005

A1plus
| 17:40:13 | 06-05-2005 | Social |
ANOTHER REASON TO BE”PROU”
The reason to be”prou” this time is that in Armenia the new UA Embassy has
opened which surpassed all the UA Embassies in the would by its area. The
diplomats of the US Embassy comment on this fact by the warm attitude of
Armenia towards USA and the perspectives of cooperation.
The new building of the US Embassy is situated near the Yerevan lake on an
area of 90 thousand sq. meters. Since 2001 76 million UA dollars have been
used fro it. 600 Armenians have taken part in the construction works.
The old building of the embassy which is the property of the US Government
will be sold.
The UA deputy Ambassador also promised that they will be a good neighbor for
the Yerevan lake and will not pollute it still more.

AZG Armenian Daily #082, 06/05/2005
Region-EU
YOU ARE FAR FROM EUROPE
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU minister of external relations and the Issues of
European Neighborhood, said in the interview to ITAR TASS that it is too
early for Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova to become EU member states. “It~Rs
high time to be realistic. Look what poor economy these countries have! They
still have many things to change. They know about that very well,” Benita
Ferrero-Waldner said.

Semih Idiz: Turkey must keep its cool
TDN
Thursday, May 5, 2005
OPINIONS
Let no one mistake it, 1915 was a year of tragedy for the Armenian
people. As for the ‘numbers game,’ this is irrelevant. The Armenians
say 1.5 million died. Turks acknowledge that anything up to 600,000
Armenians died during the forced expulsions that started in May 1915.
But what difference does it make when you are talking about hundreds
of thousands of innocent people who lost their lives in brutal
circumstances.
Semih IDIZ – Let no one mistake it, 1915 was a year of tragedy for the
Armenian people. As for the “numbers game,” this is irrelevant. The
Armenians say 1.5 million died. Turks acknowledge that anything up
to 600,000 Armenians died during the forced expulsions that started
in May 1915. But what difference does it make when you are talking
about hundreds of thousands of innocent people who lost their lives
in brutal circumstances.
Let no one mistake it that these years were also years of tragedy
for the Turks, Kurds and other Muslim peoples of Anatolia. Again,
the numbers game is irrelevant, but the number of innocent Muslims
killed in Anatolia, the Balkans and the Caucasus during those years
runs into the millions. Their tragedy is no less than that of the
Armenians, even if many in the West insist on looking at this whole
affair from a skewed perspective, disregarding this basic fact for
historic, cultural, and religious reasons.
Armenians acknowledge that many Turks were killed during that
period. They usually say, however, that this is the price they paid
for “starting the fight.” This is like saying — as many Czechs and
the Poles do today — that the millions of Sudeten Germans who were
brutally murdered in horrific acts of vengeance at the end of World
War II deserved this so there can be no accountability. Tell that to
the millions of East Prussian Germans who are still seeking justice
for what was done to them.
History tells us that simple people do not start these big
fights. Their leaders do. Otherwise, if left to their own resources,
simple people can coexist in harmony, the way the Turks and Armenians
did for centuries. On the Turkish side it was the “Ittihadists,”
the first “coupists” in modern Turkish history, who co-engineered the
Armenian tragedy. On the Armenian side it was the equivalent of the
Ittihadists, whether they went under the name of the “Dashnaks” or the
“Hunchaks,” who led their own people down a blind alley by falling
for the promises given to them by the big powers, most notably Russia,
France and Great Britain — thus cultivating dreams of independence —
only to find themselves deserted over and over again in their hour
of need.
The question today, therefore, not only revolves around the issue of
whether the events of 1915 can be termed genocide or not. There is
a broad history that has to be unearthed to be able to see the “big
picture.” Since the term “genocide,” on the other hand, like the term
“homicide,” is a legalistic term, all that can be said today is that
a valid court of law — or a tribunal like the Nuremberg Tribunal
set up for the Germans at the end of World War II – has not ruled
that what happened in 1915 was genocide.
The only court that convened for the atrocities against the Armenians
sat in Istanbul, when that city was under allied occupation —
and everything was stacked in favor of the Armenians — after the
Ottoman Empire capitulated along with the Germans in 1918. That
court convicted some Ottoman officials for these atrocities but had
to let a much larger number go for lack of evidence. The attempt by
various parliaments in Europe today to “legislate history” with a
one-sided version of the events of 1915 does not alter this simple
fact. Parliaments can legislate that the sun should not set tomorrow
if they like, for all the good that will do.
Looked at what is transpiring today against this backdrop, one cannot
help but notice a correlation between the strong endorsement that
Turkey has gotten from the U.S., the EU and a host of influential
quarters, for its suggestion that Ankara and Yerevan set up a joint
commission to investigate the events of 1915 and the attempts by
“tangential” quarters to force-feed Turks with a one-sided version
of history under pressure from Armenian quarters.
The reason is not difficult to understand. Hardcore Armenians,
especially those led by the Dashnaks — who are still influential today
— and their non-Armenian sympathizers hate the idea of such a joint
commission, just as they hate any attempt at reconciliation between
Turks and Armenians. Those who doubt this can talk to the Armenian
members of the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Committee, set up a
few years ago, who were so intimidated by the Dashnaks with threats
and abuse that they had to resign from this committee in the end.
One can also follow the statements of the Armenian National Committee
of America on these topics in order to find the extent to which
ultranationalist Armenians are in a panic today in the face of the very
proactive and positive move by Turkey to open up all its archives,
demand that others do so too and call for the establishment of a
Turkish-Armenian Commission to investigate 1915. They are afraid,
of course, that the “other side of the story” will emerge — something
they are loath to see happen.
It is also apparent that the Armenian issue is an ideal device for
those in Europe who do not want to see Turkey in the EU and who are
using this to dampen the enthusiasm of the Turks for membership in
the union. It was interesting to note, for example, Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gül saying during an interview with Milliyet earlier this
week that there are such ugly pressures being applied on Turkey today
that it almost drives a person to say, “God, damn the lot of them!”
This was in fact an unfortunate — not to mention undiplomatic —
remark because it sent a signal to those quarters in Europe that
Gül was referring to and who are abusing issues like the Armenian
issue against Turkey to continue as they are “because the Turks are
near breaking point.”
To put it in a nutshell, there is an ugly game that is being played in
Europe today by a host of quarters who have become strange bedfellows
against Turkey. Some want to make Turkey eat humble pie for their own
prejudicial reasons based on historic events; others want to keep the
Turks out of Europe; and yet others want to salve their consciences
for having always dumped the Armenians in the past during their hour
of need after having incited deep hatred between Armenians and Turks.
This is why Turkey has to stand firm today and not lose its cool in
the face of all this while continuing to be proactive on the Armenian
issue, as its has started to be as of late. While doing this it also
has to free itself from ossified perceptions about 1915 and acknowledge
the great human suffering that took place during those years without
getting involved in “tit-for-tat” arguments about who started what.
As for the blatantly racist anti-Turkish chorus in the West that is
singing its ugly tune against this country today by using the Armenian
issue, among others: All that one can do is repeat the time-tested
Turkish saying, “The cur may howl, but the caravan moves on…”  
–Boundary_(ID_IFO/ZB4ink0n6M+CnIrb9w)–

IN CONTRAST TO THE CITIZENS, THE MAYOR IS PLEASED WITH HIS WORK
A1plus
| 15:02:47 | 02-05-2005 | Social |
«We are pleased with the tempo of the construction of the North
Avenue», said Yerevan mayor Yervand Zakharyan informing that the
main work will finish at the end of 2006 and the whole construction
will finish in 2007.
For the building of several parts of the Avenue the municipality has
announced a competition with the demand of $40 for one square km and
not 20 as it was envisaged by the Government. Yervand Zakharyan hopes
that the sum will increase. By the way, it is worth mentioning that
when Yervand Zakharyan was speaking about the North Avenue, the ex-,
that is – true residents of the Avenue gathered at the entrance of the
municipality and demanded to meet the mayor who has not only avoided
meeting them by now but also, according to the participants of the
meeting, “has ignored them”.
Speaking about the works in different spheres in the first 30month
period the mayor referred to the public transport problem. According
to him, 18 buses have been imported to Armenia. And is it true that
even if 700 buses are imported the route taxis will work? “Yes”
answered Yervand Zakharyan adding that “only those in good technical
conditions will work”.
–Boundary_(ID_CVHCBx8V/Gq2gnDZr+QbNw)–

Bella Online
May 1 2005
Sandy Mullins
BellaOnline’s Baha’i Editor

What if….
What if the children of the world were born without prejudice? They
are! That is an upcoming ad that will be played all over the U.S. by
the American Baha’is.
We sat today and watched a movie that I must admit brought me to
tears and anger. `Sometimes in April’. What we do to each other in
the name of God, righteousness or any other reason can sometimes be
just plan wrong. I imagined myself of either side of the Rwandans, I
imagined myself a mother, a young girl, I imagined myself as a
Baha’i. Would I have the strength and courage to hide out victims?
I must say, it brought me to tears my heart ached and my throat held
back screams. This movie brought so clear the strife that went on in
Rwanda for one of the darkest periods in world history. I was one of
the many people that knew only a little of what happened back in
1994. You hear of political strife, you hear of governments being
overthrown, but you can never imagine what the people of Rwanda went
through.
I remember a young man that I had the pleasure of knowing shortly
after this period. He and I both worked at the same place. I will
leave the names of the place and his due to know I understand just a
little of what he must have been hiding. I knew that he was a refuge
and he would never share anything of his homeland. I also knew that
as a Baha’i the look of refuges who were fleeing persecution for
religion or just being the wrong nationality.
By day 100, over an estimated 800,000 people were killed, in an
effort to eradicate their existence. Genocide is and can be a very
brutal word that we have to eliminate from humanities vocabulary.
Whether it was in America with the Native Americans, in Europe back
in the period of WW2 of Jews, in Armenia 90 years ago, Ethiopia,
Sudan, Cambodia, China, Aborigines in Australia, Hiroshima, Slovenia
Yugoslavia, deportation of 478,000 Checkens and Ingushis from Soviet
Caucasus, Guatemala, Columbia, Brazil, and Iraq were just a few of
the genocides that have been a part of the world’s dark history.
You are sitting there reading this and wonder what can I do? Well, my
answer is this first become more aware of how you think about things.
Do you know the true history of an event in history or just the way
it has been whitewashed? Do you have any prejudices, whether it is
bold or just a small misunderstanding of the group as a whole? Do you
stand up when an injustice happens or leave it to somebody else to
take care of? Or do you take a stand?
No, we as one person can’t save the world, but by joining together
and taking a stand for injustice whether it is in your corner of the
universe or around the world we can! Sometimes, the little things
make the difference and sometimes it’s the big thing. So I ask you,
what can you do today? Me it was bringing the movie `Sometimes in
April’ and a few of humanities darker moments to your eyes. Tomorrow
who knows . . .

Turkey “comprehensively” assesses Armenia’s letter on genocide probe –
ministry
Anatolia news agency
28 Apr 05
ANKARA
“We are comprehensively and positively assessing the letter that
Armenian President Mr Robert Kocharian sent as a reply to Turkish
Prime Minister Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s letter,” said Turkish Foreign
Ministry representative Manic Tan on Thursday [27 April].
Tan told reporters, “Mr Erdogan sent a letter to Mr Kocharian on 13
April, 2005 and proposed establishment of a joint commission of
historians from both countries to research incidents in 1915”.
“We are assessing the letter comprehensively and with a positive point
of view,” he added.

A1plus
| 13:12:08 | 26-04-2005 | Politics |
WILL FULFILLED
Today the wish of Garegin Nzhdeh, who made a will to be buried at the
Khustup Mountainside, will be granted.
Today the remains of Garegin Nzhdeh will be buried in Kapan, at the memorial
to the outstanding commander.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
April 26, 2005
THE MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS
AT THE ECUMENICAL REQUIEM SERVICE FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
(Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, Yerevan, 24 April 2005)
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dearly beloved faithful,
We are living in days of remembrance and spiritual evocation, dedicated to
the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. On the anniversary of this
great tragedy of history, we are joined by representatives of many nations
who have come to pay their respects and pray with us, as well as many
governments who have issued resolutions condemning the Genocide of the
Armenians.
Today we commemorate April 24 for the 90th time. From Armenian Church
altars throughout the world, the dispersed Armenian nation offers prayers to
heaven with Divine Liturgies; and in all corners of the earth, they humbly
bow their heads before memorials and monuments to the Armenian Genocide. On
the hill of Tsitsernakaberd, state officials of the Armenians, thousands and
thousands of our people, accompanied by representatives of different nations
and states, bowed down as well before the eternal memories of our martyrs,
and with heartfelt emotion in this evening hour of peace, we once again
entreat the Almighty to grant rest to their countless souls. We pray that
Almighty God keep and protect the world in peace and goodness, so that no
people ever again endure the tragedy of genocide. We pray for the creation
and progress of life, and in the brotherhood of peoples, which is the
significance and purpose of God’s creation, since the paths of life are the
paths of the Lord. “For He created all things, that they might exist; and
the generations of the world are wholesome.” Wisdom of Solomon 1:14
With this faith, our people survived the tragedy of genocide, and with the
hope of their re-born life, they commemorate its 90th anniversary. Our
people believe that they shall see the dawn of that righteous day, when the
first genocide of the 20th century will be universally recognized and
condemned.
Ninety years ago the Young Turk authorities decided that by eliminating the
Armenian population they would solve the “Armenian Question”. The turbulent
and confused circumstances of the First World War became the most opportune
time to organize the Armenian massacres and forced deportations. Western
Armenia was emptied of its native population. We lost more than 30
dioceses, and thousands of churches and clergymen. Our fragmented people
were dispersed throughout the world. Today, however, it is not merely the
pain of genocide in our souls, but also feelings of pride and consolation,
that Armenians, grief-stricken and displaced, settled on foreign shores,
were able to stand tall once again with faith and hope in their souls, and
rebuilt their homes and elevated their spiritual and national life.
We are proud and consoled to remember that in the catastrophic days of the
genocide, our people relying on God, unified their might to protect this
small piece of land in Eastern Armenia from the same murderers – land on
which our new statehood – the first Armenian Republic, was born. God willed
that our people, condemned to death by a wickedly conceived evil plan,
should live so that today the following question be raised before the
judgment of mankind: ‘Where are the three million Armenians who were living
in the Ottoman Empire, primarily on their ancestral homelands?’ Genocide
does not have a statute of limitations and it cannot have one, since mankind
cannot choose the paths of death. The paths of life are the paths of men.
Our time bears the responsibility to not leave the obligations of the
present day to tomorrow. The recognition of the first genocide of the 20th
century now will benefit the reinforcement of intolerance for violence and
prohibition of trampling of human and national rights, and will advance the
strengthening of humanitarian values.
As Pontiff of All Armenians, on behalf of our people dispersed throughout
the world, we extend words of gratitude today to all countries and peoples
who, in the most difficult times of our lives, accepted and welcomed the
Armenians who had survived the massacres. We also send a message of
gratitude to all states, international organizations and individuals who
have recognized the Genocide of the Armenians and who contribute their
efforts to make that recognition universal. Today, with prayer and
humility, we also remember those individuals, who in those dark days, raised
their voices of protest for the sake of our people being annihilated.
Our words of thanks also to the representatives of Sister Churches, official
delegations, members of non-governmental organizations, intellectuals from
different countries and ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic
missions accredited in Armenia, who are here on the occasion of the 90th
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide to pay their respects, pray together
with us and are present today for this requiem service. We bring our love
and blessings to the survivors of the Genocide present here today, who bear
the courageous spirit and will of our people, and whose reward, according to
the words of our Lord, is great in heaven.
May God hear our prayers we offer to heaven asking for rest for the innocent
souls of our martyrs, and bless all efforts borne from the love of peace,
justice and life. “For He created all things, that they might exist; and
the generations of the world are wholesome.”
May the grace, mercy and blessings from our Father in heaven be with us and
with all. Amen.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress