Massis Weekly Online
VOLUME 27, NO. 5 (1305)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2007
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– Turkey Warns US on Armenian Genocide Bill
– French Bill on Armenian Genocide Diminishes
– S.D. Hunchakian Party Participates In 19th Anniversary of the
Artsakh Movement
– SDHP "Sarkis Dkhrouni" Association Forum
– Canadian Armenian Community To Aid Villages In Armenia
– ACNIS Examines International Views on Upcoming Parliamentary
Elections in Armenia
– Simeon of Poland’s Travel Accounts Translated Into English by George
Bournoutian
-8th Annual Armenian Film Festival at Fresno State
– CSUN Armenian Studies Program to Host Armenia Travelogue & Slide Show
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-Turkey Warns US on Armenian Genocide Bill
ANKARA –Turkey’s prime minister said the US Congress would harm
bilateral ties if it backs a resolution recognising the 1915 mass
killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as a genocide. The
Democratic-controlled Congress is widely expected to back such a
resolution in April, but the Bush administration is opposed to it,
fearing the impact on relations its NATO ally.
‘We do not expect Congress to make such a decision. But if it
surprises us, I am worried this would cast a shadow over our strategic
partnership in the future,’ Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was quoted
as telling American businessmen. He did not say what Turkey might do
in such a case. In the past, it has temporarily frozen trade and other
ties with countries that backed the genocide claims.
Ankara was particularly incensed last year when France’s parliament
approved a bill that made it a crime to deny the Armenian genocide.
The bill did not become law. Erdogan accused the Armenian
diaspora-especially strong in the United States and France-of
exploiting the genocide issue to hurt Turkey.
Erdogan also insisted Turkey’s small Armenian community was safe
despite the murder last month of a prominent Turkish Armenian editor
Hrant Dink by a Turkish nationalist gunman. Dink had urged Turkey to
own up to its role in the 1915 killings.
Every spring Congress considers a resolution on the Armenian genocide
issue but the White House always blocks it. This year it has become
more worrisome for Turkey because the Armenian lobby has vocal
supporters among the newly dominant Democrats. Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul and General Yasar Buyukanit, head of the army General
Staff, have both lobbied members of Congress and the Bush
administration on the Armenian issue during separate visits to
Washington in the past two weeks.
-French Bill on Armenian Genocide Diminishes
PARIS — A French bill criminalizing the denial of Armenian genocide
in Turkey has failed to become law. France’s National Assembly last
October approved a socialist drafted proposal which stated that those
denying the genocide should be punished by one year in prison and pay
a fine of 45,000euros.
In order to come into force, the bill would have had to be approved by
the country’s senate where the current centre-right government of
Dominique de Villepin and President Jacques Chirac – both opposing the
bill – holds a majority.
The bill was introduced and passed the same time as an EU deadline for
Ankara to fulfill prerequisite diplomatic obligations or face a freeze
of its EU membership talks and was seen in Turkey as yet another
negative political message against its European aspirations.
At the same point the bill was heralded by many ethnic Armenians
living in France as a tool against those who wished to distort
historical truth and deny the genocide conducted by the Turkish
Ottoman empire against its ethnic Armenian citizens.
French diplomats confirmed the bill has not been put on the upper
house’s agenda due to political pressure and that the parliamentary
session is now almost over ahead of the electoral campaign for the
presidential and legislative poll to be held in April, May and June.
For the legislation to be put into effect the authors of the bill
would have to start the process all over and the bill must gain a
majority vote again by the new National Assembly.
-S.D. Hunchakian Party Participates In 19th Anniversary of the Artsakh
Movement
YEREVAN — Commemorating the 19th anniversary of the Artsakh movement
over 5,000 attend rally for independence and freedom on February 20 in
Freedom Square.19 years ago Freedom Square was the gathering place for
the Armenian populace to voice their concern and demand justice for
their Artsakh brethren from the Soviet regime.
The rally was organized by "Alternative" public-political initiative,
contained the same concept as 19 years ago; to advance the voices of
the populace and demand to be heard by authorities for their betterment.
Attended by the young and elderly alike, rally participants voiced
their concern over the helplessness that many Armenian citizens feel
towards their government. Many stated the everyday grind that has
encompassed the lives of the average Armenian citizen is not being
helped by the current oligarchical regime of the Republic of Armenia.
In a statement the Social Democrat Hunchakian party acknowledged that
a great deal of apathy exists within today’s Armenian masses. This
indifference is due to continued corruption that exists within the
current regime. Yet as the rally organizers declared the only way to
enable a truly free and independent Armenia is to awaken the masses
and insure that their voices are heard. That is the reasoning of the
S.D. Hunchakian party’s solidarity with the organizers of today’s rally.
-SDHP "Sarkis Dkhrouni" Association Forum
The Social Democrat Hunchakian "Sarkis Dkhrouni" youth and student
association on February 17 continued its series of round table youth
forums featuring Aram Sargsyan as the panelist this week.
In 1991, Sargsyan initiated the establishment of the New Democratic
Party (NDP). Since then, he has been the Chairman of NDP and has
served as adviser of international trade to the President of Armenia
from 1998 to 1999. Currently, he is a member of the Armenian parliament.
This topic of discussion this week included the oppositional stance
toward the Artsakh negotiations with Azerbaijan, the positive and
negative impacts from the establishment of the Baku/Ceyan pipeline, an
open border with Turkey and the currently proposed legislation within
the Armenian Parliament granting dual citizenship in order to grant
Diaspora Armenians Armenian citizenship. In terms of the Artsakh
negotiations with Azerbaijan, Sargsyan said the talks are at a dead
end in light of the present geo-political situation. In order for
there to be progress towards the negotiation the geo-political
situations would need to altered. Yet Armenians must be cautious, for
the betterment of the Armenian people some of the hypothetical
alterations being discussed internationally as well as locally must
not be accepted. Agreements disguised as progress might in the long
run hurt Artsakh as well as the Republic of Armenia.
As for the proposed legislation granting dual citizenship in
parliament, Sargsyan states he is supportive of the concept of dual
citizenship, it is the right of all Armenians to become citizens of
their homeland, however the implementation factors contained by the
legislation are not acceptable, and must be addressed. Sargsyan
commended the SDHP "Sarkis Dkhrouni" youth and student association for
organizing the forum.
-Canadian Armenian Community To Aid Villages In Armenia
MONTREAL — The Congress of Canadian Armenians has announced that,
working jointly with the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada, it
will be actively supporting the Hayastan Foundation Canada to achieve
the commitment it has made to collect funds for the reconstruction and
economic development of two border villages in Armenia. The goal over
the next five years is to provide from Canadian donors all of the
required funds for these two villages. These funds will be channeled
through Hayastan Foundation Canada in accordance with its mission.
These two villages are part of fifty that have already been designated
by the Government of Armenia to be part of their newly announced Rural
Poverty Eradication Program. As the program gets underway this year,
fifty more villages will be designated.At the invitation of Vartan
Oskanian, Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, an important meeting
of donors for the Rural Poverty Eradication Program was held in Paris
on February 16, 2007. Arshavir Gundjian attended as the representative
of the Canadian Diocese and the Congress of Canadian Armenians.
At this meeting, the wishes of the Government of Armenia and all
aspects of the implementation of the program were reviewed in detail
and agreed upon. "We are pleased with the commitment made on behalf of
the Armenian community in Canada, and we thank the Canadian Diocese
and the Congress of Canadian Armenians for their active support", said
Vartan Oskanian. "Working together, we will give our rural people
hope, dignity and confidence in their future. Let’s build Armenia –
one village at a time."
Significant development disparities exist today between Armenia’s
cities and rural areas. Its three largest cities, led by Yerevan, have
experienced impressive economic growth during the past few years.
However, its rural communities continue to suffer.
Infrastructure remains devastated, economic and social activity is at
very low levels, and there is widespread poverty. This has resulted in
migration from these villages, many of which are on the country’s
Eastern and Western borders threatening their stability.
The Government of Armenia has therefore recently initiated an
important poverty reduction strategy, the main thrust of which is the
Rural Poverty Eradication Program. It has called on the Diaspora for
financial assistance, which together with funds from the national
budget will be used to improve the infrastructure of rural villages,
and to provide fair opportunities for the inhabitants to properly
develop their future. Roads, schools, water, telephone and health care
services will be the priorities of the program,together with training
and development of skills for increased employment.
The member organizations of the Congress of Canadian Armenians include
(in alphabetical order): AGBU Alex Manoogian School, AGBU Montreal
Chapter, Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, Holy Cross Church of
Laval, St. Gregory the Illuminator Church of Montreal, S.D. Hunchakian
Party, Society of Armenians from Istanbul, Tekeyan Cultural Association.
-ACNIS Examines International Views on Upcoming Parliamentary
Elections in Armenia
YEREVAN — The Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS) has commenced its 2007 seminar series with a policy roundtable
entitled "Armenia’s Parliamentary Elections and the Statements of the
International Community." The meeting brought together members of
Armenia’s political establishment, leading analysts, policy
specialists, political scientists, and media representatives.
ACNIS senior analyst Hovsep Khurshudian greeted the audience with
opening remarks. "The international press has been paying considerable
attention to Armenia in the recent months," he said. "It behooves us
to evaluate its message in light of domestic political developments."
In his address, ACNIS director of research Stepan Safarian reflected
on this message. He noted that the international community, having
resolved to settle various geopolitical matters, would pay special
attention to Armenia’s preelection processes. After reading out some
of the international community’s pronouncements to the Armenian
political arena, Safarian proceeded to separate them into three
categories: those relating to the Karabagh conflict, those relating to
Armenia-Turkey relations, and those relating to Armenia-NATO
relations. In his view, these messages are addressed primarily to the
authorities of Armenia with the goal of soliciting their positions and
gauging Armenia’s policy on the eve of republic-wide elections.
"The purpose of the message, delivered internationally in the form of
diplomatic announcements and publications by influential news media,
is to bridge the gap between the international community and those who
are preparing to form a government in Armenia," Safarian argued.
Boris Navasardian, chairman of the Yerevan Press Club, spoke next,
focusing on the projected reactions of international bodies to the
forthcoming elections. It is highly unlikely, he asserted, that the
West and its many institutions will intervene in a potentially
fraudulent election process in Armenia.
According to Navasardian, the world’s four major power
centers–regional intergovernmental organizations, the European Union,
the United States, and international NGOs–are disposed neither to
interfere in the electoral processes in the country nor to prevent or
condemn election fraud. "Placing our hopes on the outside world,
therefore, is pointless," Navasardian said. "Instead, we ought to dig
deep into our internal resources." He added that beyond its hope for a
stable and predictable Armenia, Europe is unconcerned with the
nation’s politics.
Participants in the ensuing discussion included Felix Khachatrian of
the Central Election Commission; Yerevan State University lecturer
Sasun Saribekian; political analyst Gevorg Altunian of the Armenia
Television Company; analyst Vakhtang Siradeghian of the Center for
Regional Development; Edward Antinian, deputy chairman of the Liberal
Progressive Party; ACNIS director of administration Karapet
Kalenchian; analyst Marine Karapetian of the Concord Center for Legal
and Political Studies; and Zhanna Aleksanian of Human Rights Watch.
-Simeon of Poland’s Travel Accounts Translated Into English by George
Bournoutian
European Travelers have left numerous accounts of the various
provinces of the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century. A rare and
important travelogue by Simeon, an Armenian acolyte from Lvov, Poland,
differs from all of these. His travels not only span a period of
twelve years, but his accounts are also the most detailed on both the
places he visited and the peoples he met.
The book reads like a travel guide to the Armenian, Coptic, Syrian,
Jewish, and Muslim communities in the European, Anatolian, and Arab
provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Moreover, his information on the
Armenian of Poland is extremely valuable, while his religious
background provides him with a very different perspective on his long
sojourn in Rome and Venice.
His information on the devastation caused by the Celali (Jalali)
bandits in Armenian Anatolia is a major source for scholars of that
period. Simeon has left a meticulous description of the cities he
visited, including Constantinople, Alexandria, Cairo, Jerusalem, Mush,
Diarbekir, Kharpert, Tokat, Kayseri, Malatya, Sebastia, Izmir, Angora
(Ankara), Damascus, Aleppo, Lvov, Rome, and Venice. He provides
practical information such as distances between towns, types of
terrain, tolls, and detailed descriptions of Armenian and non-Armenian
holy sites. He depicts the people, places, and buildings, as well as
local customs and traditions.
Simeon’s Travel Accounts is certainly an important source on the
history and geography of the Ottoman Empire, Poland, the Papal States,
Venice, and historic Armenia in the 17th century. The book, which
contains some 400 pages and seven specially-prepared maps will be
available shortly and may be obtained from Mazdapub.com, Barnes and
Noble, Amazon, or Armenian bookstores in the US.
-8th Annual Armenian Film Festival at Fresno State
The Armenian Students Organization and Armenian Studies Program of
California State University, Fresno are co-sponsoring the 8th Annual
Armenian Film Festival, from 7:00-10:00 PM on Friday, March 2, 2007.
The Festival will take place in the Leon S. and Pete P. Peters
Educational Center (in the Student Recreation Center) on the Fresno
State campus.
One of the featured films for the Festival is The Story of My Name: An
Armenian Tale (The Netherlands), directed by Dorothée Forma. The Story
of My Name is the story of Alex Luijten, who discovers that his
biological father is Armenian. At the age of 44, Luijten decides to
take on his father’s name, Alex Peltekian, and to find out the story
behind the name.
The Long Journey from the NFL to Armenia (California), produced by
Peter Musurlian and Dr. Arbi Ohanian, is the story of Tennessee Titans
football player Rien Vartan Long, as he travels to Armenia on a
twelve-day trip with his mother and grandmother.
Admission to the 8th Annual Armenian Film Festival is free and
filmgoers will have the opportunity to discuss films after the
screening of each film. The films, in English or Armenian, are all
directed and produced by a new generation of Armenian film-makers.
This program is supported, in part, by funds of the Fresno State
University Student Union Diversity Awareness Program. The 8th Annual
Armenian Film Festival is open to the public and admission
is free. Parking restrictions in Lot V will be relaxed after 6:30 PM.
For more information about the Film Festival, call the Armenian
Studies Program office at 559-278-2669.
-CSUN Armenian Studies Program to Host Armenia Travelogue & Slide Show
NORTHRIDGE — The Armenian Studies Program of California State
University, Northridge, will host a travelogue and slide show by the
author photographers Robert Kurkjian and Matthew Karanian.
The event is free and open to the public, and will be held at 7:30 pm
on Tuesday, March 6 in Room 451 of Sierra Hall on the CSUN campus.
Kurkjian and Karanian are authors of the newly released travel guide
"The Stone Garden Guide: Armenia and Karabagh." The presentation will
feature images from this new book, as well as photographs from their
earlier publications.
The travelogue–a 35-minute slide show–will depict scenes from
Armenia and Karabagh, and will illustrate both the historic beauty of
Armenia as well as its modernity. "Armenia and Karabagh" was published
September 1, 2006 and it has been the best-selling English language
book about Armenia for the past five months.
The First Edition of the book was Award Finalist for Best Travel Guide
by the Independent Publishers Association in 2005.CNN Traveller calls
the current edition "excellent." The book was featured on National
Public Radio in September.
For directions or other information, please call the office of the
CSUN Armenian Studies Program, 818-677-3456 or e-mail Prof.
Shemmassian [email protected]