Author: Ekmekjian Janet

JEWISH GROUP JOINS FIGHT AGAINST ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

oup-joins-fight-against-armenian-genocide-resoluti on/
Mar 2nd, 2010
Washington

WASHINGTON (Hurriyet)-Turkey’s ambassador to the US, Namik Tan,
has enlisted the support of a Jewish organization in opposing the
Armenian Genocide Resolution. The Jewish Institute for National
Security Affairs (JINSA) released on Tuesday a position paper titled,
"The Armenian Resolution Should be Opposed and Defeated."

Ambassador Namik Tan met with "the representatives of almost all
Jewish lobbies and organizations in Washington" over the weekend,
according to sources in the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C.

According to the same sources, Tan met with the representatives of
"eight or 10 Jewish organizations," including the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL); American Jewish Community (AJC) and B’nai B’rith
International. They said the meetings were not only focused on the
Armenian Genocide bill.

JINSA, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that addresses the
security requirements of both the U.S. and Israel, released its report
a day after Tan’s meetings.

The report said that: "to the extent that either side believed
opposition to the resolution was a test of loyalty, or tied it to
extraneous issues, they made a mistake. The Armenian resolution -driven
largely by the Armenian-American community- should be opposed and
defeated. But the reasons stand without regard to the [increasingly
difficult] behavior of the Turkish government and without regard
to [increasingly difficult] Turkish-Israeli or Turkish-American
relations."

"As the Turkish government began to slide – and then rush – away from
its relationship with Israel and slide – and then rush – toward new
accommodations with Syria and Iran, the Jewish community has become
less inclined to use its organizational skill on behalf of the agenda
of a country that is less inclined toward the Western side of the great
divide. It doesn’t help that the Turkish ‘request’ for ‘help’ has begun
to sound more like a threat of damage yet to come," the report added.

Tan already met with the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, Howard Berman last week as well as several key members of
the House, the embassy source confirmed. He also met with the Turkish
associations working in the United States last week.

AZERI VIOLENCE CONDEMNED AT WASHINGTON DC PROTEST

ce-condemned-at-washington-dc-protest/
Mar 1st, 2010
Washington

WASHINGTON-On Feb. 26, Greater Washington, D.C. area Armenian Americans
remembered victims of Azerbaijani violence during an annual protest
in support of self-determination for the people of Nagorno-Karabagh
and against Azerbaijani aggression.

The demonstration, organized by the Greater Washington Armenian Youth
Federation (AYF) "Ani" Chapter and the St. Mary’s Armenian Church
Youth Organization (ACYO), coincided with the 22nd anniversary of
the Azerbaijani pogroms against the Armenian population of Sumgait,
which set the stage for similar attacks in Baku in 1990 and a cycle of
violence that continues to this day. Similar protests will be taking
place during the next few days in countries around the world.

"It was a very important event to remember and honor the victims
that died, whose only crime was being Armenian," said ACYO chairwoman
Megan Karanfil. "We cannot allow the Azerbaijani government to forget
these crimes against innocent people. We hope our efforts will bring
to light past events so that no other race or religion will have to
endure such atrocities in the future."

Azerbaijani threats against neighboring Armenia and Karabagh have
stepped up in recent weeks, with the Azeri Foreign Minister Safar
Abiyev warning of a "great war." Slamming the ongoing Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) peacetalks as ineffective,
Abiyev told French Ambassador to Baku Gabriel Keller, "Now it’s the
military’s turn and the threat is growing every day."

"Abiyev’s call for renewed violence, this week, is the shining example
why we must all stand in support of Nagorno-Karabagh’s independence,"
said AYF Ani Chapter chairman Hagop Simonian. "Since 1991, the
Nagorno Karabagh Republic has worked tireless to build a democratic
and peaceful society, in the shadow of Azerbaijan’s threats. We will
continue to work hand-in-hand with the people Artsakh to preserve
and build on that legacy."

At the end of the protest, Soorp Khatch Armenian Church pastor, Father
Sarkis Aktavoukian, and St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church pastor,
Father Hovsep Karapetyan, led participants in prayer in memory of
the Armenian victims of Azerbaijani atrocities.

LEADER OF AAC IRAQ DIOCESE ELECTED GENERAL SECRETARY OF COUNCIL OF CHRISTIAN CHURCH LEADERS IN IRAQ

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.03.2010 18:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The leader of Iraq’s Diocese of the Armenian
Apostolic Church (AAC), Archbishop Avag Asaturyan unanimously elected
General Secretary of Council of Christian Church Leaders in Iraq,
press office of Holy Echmiadzin reported.

"The assembly of religious leaders of Christian communities in Iraq,
which established the Council of spiritual leaders, was held in the
Armenian Church of St. Karapet in Baghdad. The Council consists of
two patriarchs, 26 archbishops and bishops, representing 30 Christian
church communities, " the report said.

The Council is aimed to unite opinions and positions over church-state
relations, to preserve and strengthen the Christian presence, as well
as to promote cooperation and enhance interfaith dialogue.

US CONGRESSMAN COMMEMORATES 22TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SUMGAIT MASSACRES

ArmInfo
2010-03-01 11:12:00

ArmInfo. U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., Co-Chairman of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues, issued the following statement Friday to
commemorate the 22th Anniversary of the Sumgait Massacres:

"Mr. Speaker, this Sunday will mark the tragic anniversary of the
massacres that took place against Azerbaijani citizens of Armenian
heritage in February of 1988, in the town of Sumgait, Azerbaijan.

This 3-day rampage, carried out by Azerbaijani nationals left dozens of
Armenians dead, a majority of whom were set on fire alive after being
beaten and tortured. Hundreds of innocent people received injuries of
different severity and became physically impaired. Women, among them
minors, were abused. More than 200 apartments were robbed, dozens of
cars were destroyed and burned, dozens of art and crafts studios, shops
and kiosks were demolished, and thousands of people became refugees.

Mr. Speaker, these crimes were never adequately prosecuted by the
Government of Azerbaijan, and most of its organizers and executors
were simply set free, many of whom are presently members of the Azeri
Parliament. Despite the attempt by the Government of Azerbaijan to
cover up these crimes, enough brave witnesses came forward to give
an accurate account of the offenses.

The Sumgait massacres are just another in a long line of Azerbaijan’s
aggressions against the Armenian people. The events in Sumgait were
preceded by a wave of anti-Armenian rallies that shook the city
in February 1988. Almost the entire territory of the city, with a
population of 250,000, became an arena for mass violence against its
Armenian population.

The attacks also marked the beginning of a larger campaign of ethnic
cleansing targeting the Armenian people, culminating in the war
launched against the people of Nagorno Karabakh. The war claimed nearly
30,000 lives and left over one million refugees in both Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The continued hostilities in Azerbaijan and the military
aggression against the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh in 1992 through
1994 led to the disappearance of a 450,000-strong Armenian community in
Azerbaijan within a span of just a few years. As this April marks the
95th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, we also pause to remember
the crimes committed in Sumgait and the pogroms conducted against
the Armenian people in Azerbaijan.

Mr. Speaker, this anniversary reminds us yet again of the historical
injustice the Armenian people have faced, unfortunately, throughout
their history. As we join with the Armenian people and all people of
goodwill in remembering these atrocities, I strongly urge Azerbaijan
and Turkey to cease their blockade and aggressive posture against the
Armenian people and work to achieve a lasting peace. It is time for
the United States to do all that it can and to use its geopolitical
influence to send a message that ethnically charged genocides,
illegal blockades of sovereign nations and the constant harassment
of the Armenian people will not be tolerated."

news.az, Azerbaijan
Feb 27 2010

West wants to bring Turkey to its knees before Armenia – Azerbaijani analyst
Sat 27 February 2010 | 08:11 GMT Text size:

Vafa Guluzade News.Az interviews Vafa Guluzade, former state adviser
on foreign policy issues and president of the Fund of political
studies of Caspian states.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan hurries Turkey to ratify the
Armenian-Turkish protocols on normalizing relations, threatening to
withdraw Yerevan’s signatures under these documents. How would you
comment on this situation?

I think the policy of blackmail is used against Turkey. The United
States blackmail Turkey saying if it doesn’t open border with Armenia,
the US Congress will recognize the so-called `Armenian Genocide’ by
the Ottoman Empire. This is a pure blackmail, because no Congress or
parliament have a right to take decisions on historical events due to
their incompetence. In this case Armenia’s policy consists of the
following components. First, Armenia does not want to discuss the
issue of `genocide’ because it does not want to query these events.
Second, it does not want to recognize the territorial integrity of
Turkey. And third, it demands from Turkey to ratify the signed
protocols. This brings the thought that Armenia and Russia do not want
these borders to open. But they want to accuse Turkey, set it in an
awkward state both diplomatically and politically, that is to accuse
Turkey of the failure to fulfilled the assumed obligations and ratify
the signed protocols. However, it was Armenia that created all
conditions for Turkey not to ratify these protocols.

Armenian president also said that if Baku’s pressure does not allow
Ankara to ratify the protocols, nothing prevents the Turkish executive
powers to open the closed border of Armenia before ratification of
protocols. Do you think Turkey may take this step?

The very formulation of Turkey’s inability to ratify the protocols
under Azerbaijan’s pressure is absolutely false. Turkey is quite a
strong and powerful regional superpower that can ignore Azerbaijan’s
opinion if its national interests demand this. But West wants to put
Turkey on its knees before Armenia and thus cause negative events in
Turkey that may hit this country and split the Turkish public,
simultaneously parting Azerbaijan from Turkey to put these countries
into dependence on enemies. In the reality, this is what they want
from Turkey. The borders between Turkey and Armenia are de-facto open.
We know that places are flying and there is a bus communication, while
Armenian citizens can go to Turkey for work and rest. This is the
reality. Thus, such statements are just a pressure to put Turkey on
its knees. This is the part of the Christian-Muslim confrontation that
started after the USSR collapse. You see, the Cyprus problem is not
settled because Cypriot Greeks do not want to see Cypriot Turks to be
equal to them. They want them to be second category citizens.
Meanwhile, the Turkish citizens of Cyprus cannot take this for normal.
Greeks want to drive Turks out of the Cyprus since all these problems
started after Cyprus was annexed by Greece and these trends continue.
The last time when Cypriot Turks agreed to be within Cyprus and join
the EU, Greeks rejected this and joined the EU themselves leaving
Turks outboard. The same occurs in relation to the whole Muslim world.

The internal political situation in Turkey is not easy connected with
bringing the military leadership of this country to responsibility for
the alleged preparation of coup. What do you think about the events?

I do not believe that the military forces of this country were
preparing a state coup. This game that causes a split in the Turkish
society, has been made up by external forces that are playing on the
Turkish political arena since the Turkish army has always had a
mission and unless there was the Soviet Union, the army positions in
Turkey have always been very strong. After the USSR collapse the
statements `Why do we need Turkey in NATO, this is a Muslim state’.
NATO and the European Union are Christian clubs while now there is
Muslim Turkey. Turkey has fulfilled the role of West’s shield during
the nuclear confrontation between the USA and USSR. Meanwhile, now
Turkey that has bore these tensions for long is not needed. Therefore,
pragmatic West thinks `why should we deal with Turkey’. There are
already plans about how to cause a split in Turkey, how to create a
Kurdish state there and how to pass a part of its territory to
Armenia.

Considering the current strained internal political situation in
Turkey, will this country be able to sustain West’s pressure and not
to take rapprochement with Armenia?

I think Turkey will cope with it. If it does not cope with the Armenia
issue, the processes in this country will worsen. Turkey must stand.
Like Premier Erdogan said, Turkey is quite a strong and powerful
regional superpower and it is ready to stand any pressure. Turkey must
demand fair execution of provisions of the signed protocols by
Armenia. In particular, Armenia should disavow its territorial claims,
changing its Constitution. However, instead of it Armenia has already
adopted the decision of its Constitutional Court, which makes the
ratification of these protocols by Turkey impossible. Armenia should
annul this decision. In addition it should make a goodwill gesture
releasing the occupied Azerbaijani lands. But it does not want to do
so. West supports Armenia. Like it supports Greece in the issue of
Cyprus, the same way he supports Armenia in the issue of occupied
Azerbaijani lands. The issue is clear here. Let’s view the US conduct
in this view. What right does the US have to provide material support
to the separatist regime of Nagorno Karabakh. The political side of
this issue is rather more important than the fact of granting some $8
mln to the regime. It turns out that the leading superpower supports
separatism against Azerbaijan. America could also support Basks,
Corsicans or Irish separatists to see how Europe would react. Before
our eyes Americans conduct the policy against Turkey and against
Azerbaijan.

What is the possibility of that the US President will not call the
events in Turkey as the `Armenian genocide’ in his traditional speech
of April 24?

I think he will not call this genocide. If he does, Turkey will leave
NATO. But first Turkey will put an end to the US bases in its
territory, including Injirlik base. Then Turkey will launch search of
new regional partners which will lead to its Iranian rapprochement. It
will also launch contacts with Russia targeting the United States.
Therefore, Barack Obama should think over this. Now, Iran has Syria
and Lebanon’s support in the Middle East. This thoughtless step of the
US government will promote Turkey’s participation in this bloc. By the
way, Azerbaijan will also join this bloc in such a case, because it
will follow Turkey.

Leyla Tagiyeva
News.Az

TURKISH DEPUTIES TO LOBBY IN US AGAINST ‘ARMENIAN GENOCIDE’ BILL

Hurriyet
Feb 26 2010
Turkey

Two groups of Turkish parliamentarians will visit Washington, D.C.,
to lobby against the "Armenian genocide" bill that will be voted on
by the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs on March 4.

Members of the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and the
Turkey-U.S. Parliamentary Friendship Group are expected to lobby in
the U.S. capital starting March 1.

Suat Kınıklıoglu, the ruling Justice and Development Party, or
AKP’s, vice president for foreign relations, described the upcoming
vote as "a misfortune" showing "lack of foresight" while the
normalization processes between Turkey and Armenia is still underway.

"The Armenian diaspora in the U.S. attempted [to pass this bill] in
2007, but failed. The bill was passed through the U.S. House Committee
on Foreign Affairs, but failed to pass in Congress," Kınıklıoglu
told reporters. "We are planning to prevent the bill’s ratification
by the committee. In case of failure, we will attempt [to lobby]
Congress to not vote for this bill."

The AKP official called the timing of the vote "absurd and
inappropriate" in regard to existing Turkey-U.S. relations. "We hope
our efforts will prevent this risky attempt, which may damage bilateral
relations," he said. "We act in unity as government, opposition and
NGOs in the U.S."

ASSEMBLY ANTHONY PORTANTINO MEETS WITH THE ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF PASADENA ON FEBRUARY 28

Noyan Tapan
Feb 25, 2010

PASADENA, FEBRUARY 25, NOYAN TAPAN-ARMENIANS TODAY. Assembly Anthony
Portantino will be meeting with community members on February 28. The
event is organized by Kevork and Houry Aposhian and the Pasadena
chapter of the Armenian National Committee.

According to , the event is an opportunity to speak
to the Assembly member about issues important to Armenian-American
families, businesses and the general community as well as a greed
fundraiser. The minimum contribution to attend is .

DIGITIZATION OF INDEX CARDS IN ARMENIAN NATIONAL LIBRARY FINISHES

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.02.2010 16:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Digitization of the index cards of the Armenian
language literature in the RA National Library will be finished this
year, said Luiza Berberyan, leading specialist of the department
on protection of cultural heritage and values in the RA Ministry
of Culture.

"2 538 465 book titles have been included in the database since 2002.

Along with that, the digitization of index cards of the
Russian-language literature collection is in process," she told a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Last year, there was an attempt to operate the search engine on
Internet through the index cards. However, it was found out that a
license costing AMD 6 650 000 is needed for each library connected to
the system. For that reason, the search engine is temporary inactive.

"It was planned to accomplish the program on the introduction of the
library network by 2012. However, due to the economic crisis, no funds
were allocated this year for the purchase of additional technical
equipment. We have no lack of personnel, but insufficient number
of computers makes the digitization process longer. An additional
server is needed to archive the huge volume of information," Luiza
Berberyan said.

12 libraries, including RA National Library, RA NAS Fundamental
Library, YSU library, RA Scientific and Technical Library and
others are included in the program. According to Luiza Berberyan,
all Armenian libraries will be involved in the overall information
network in a while.

ANC LEADER, EUROPEAN AMBASSADORS DISCUSS KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.02.2010 13:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian National Congress (ANC) leader Levon
Ter-Petrossian met with ambassadors of EU member states accredited
to the RA.

During the meeting, parties focused on social and economic situation in
Armenia, as well as issues related to corruption, democracy development
and human rights.

The discussion also centered on Karabakh conflict settlement and
Armenia-Turkey rapprochement, ANC press service reported.

Armenian National Congress: Before February19, 2008 elections, an
alliance of more than 20 political parties and initiatives formed
the all-national movement around presidential candidate, Levon
Ter-Petrossian, Armenia’s first President. On May 2, 2008 at the 2nd
Congress of all-national movement, Levon Ter-Petrossian put forward
the idea of establishing the Armenian National Congress. On August 1,
2008 the Armenian National Congress was formally established.

Among the basic requirements of ANC are the release of political
prisoners, restoration of the constitutional rights of citizens and
holding of early elections.

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR ADDRESSES LETTER TO UN SECRETARY GENERAL

24/karen-nazaryan
02:25 pm | February 24, 2010

Politics

UN Permanent Representative in the UN Karen Nazaryan addressed a
letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the occasion of the
anniversary of the tragic events, the massacre of the Armenian
population in Sumgayit and Baku.

Referring to the cheep propaganda and false facts presented by
Azerbaijan, Karen Nazaryan wrote: "Azerbaijan continues presenting
itself as a victim of so-called "Armenian aggression," distorting
the tragic events known to the whole world."

Ambassador Nazaryan, in particular, recalls the interview of
Azerbaijan’s ex-President Ayaz Mutalibov, where he describes how
the Azerbaijani opposition and militia were trying to prevent the
evacuation of civilians form the zone of military actions through
a mountain corridor. The opposition hoped to come to power via the
slaughter of its own compatriots.

The letter underlines that the international community has confirmed
the atrocities of the Azerbaijani government against the unprotected
Armenian population.

"In response to the peaceful and constitutional demand of the people
of Nagorno Karabakh to realize their right for self-determination,
the Azerbaijani authorities armed the mob, which perpetrated a
massacre of Armenians in Sumgayit in 1988. This was the first case
of mass killing on the territory of the Soviet Union. Immediately
after Azerbaijan gained independence, the murderers were set free
and declared national heroes."

"It should finally become clear that Azerbaijan launched military
aggression against Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia is confident that the
best solution in this situation is to restore the legal demand of
the people of Nagorno Karabakh to realize the right of peoples to
self-determination.," the Armenian Ambassador