Author: Felekian Ara

FRENCH AND RUSSIAN CO-CHAIRMEN OF THE OSCE MINSK GROUP TO VISIT THE SOUTH CAUCASUS REGION IN THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT WEEK

arminfo
2007-09-04 19:35:00

ArmInfo. The French and the Russian Co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk
Group Bernard Fassier and Yuri Merzliakov will visit the region in
the beginning of the next week, the Armenian Minister of the Interior
Vardan Oskanyan said in his interview with Radio Liberty.

According to him, after yesterday’s meeting of the Co-chairmen with
the Azerbaijani Minister of the Interior Elmar Mammadiarov they
overviewed the situation. But unfortunately no progress is recorded.

V.Oskanian noted that attempts to remove disagreements were
discussed. He expressed hope that during the visit to the region and
meeting with the countries’ Presidents, the Co-chairmen will be able
to reach certain agreements, he emphasized. If after the meeting with
the Azeri President the Co-chairman present cogent arguments, then
the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will probably meet again,
he pointed out.

V. Oskanyan also noted that the meeting taken place in Brussels opens
wide prospects for Armenia and gives it an opportunity to start
integration process. "This program document significantly differs
in its quality from those patterns of cooperation, which we have
been realizing with the European Union starting from 1996. In case of
correct implementation of the document we will attain positive results
both in economic and political planes", the minister emphasized.

THE TRUTH?
By Michael van der Galien

The Moderate Voice
e-truth/
Sept 4 2007

The more I read about what some call the Armenian genocide, the more
I understand how difficult and confusing the subject actually is.

There is a lot of material available for all on the web and in just
about every library. Some of the sources – many of them – indicate
that their was a genocide, others deny it, again others speak about
mass killings but not genocide as such. Today, the Jerusalem Post
published a good and interesting article by Lenny Ben-David about
this. Ben-David writes:

AS AN adviser for five years to the Turkish embassy in Washington,
until earlier this summer, I understood why the Turkish government and
people jump to deny claims that their ancestors committed a "genocide"
against Armenians some 90 years ago.

It occurred during a maelstrom of battles and massacres. It was
allegedly carried out by founding fathers who were bringing their
country into an enlightened 20th century. And it was waged against
an enemy guilty of the still unspoken crime of massacring hundreds
of thousands of Muslims and thousands of Jews.

Armenians and Turks see no shades of grey, and for now, at least,
demands are made only of Turkey to change its monochromatic narrative.

He then lists some of the autrocities committed by the Armenians
(who, no matter what source you read, were not exactly innocent
either). Some of the autrocities are: – There are accounts of Armenian
massacres, between 1914 and 1920, of 2.5 million of Armenia’s Muslim
population. From this source:

I killed Muslims by every means possible. Yet it is sometimes a pity
to waste bullets for this. The best way is to gather all of these dogs
and throw them into wells and then fill the wells with big and heavy
stones, as I did. I gathered all of the women, men and children, threw
big stones down on top of them. They must never live on this earth.

– Recently, Mountain Jews in Azerbaijan requested assistance in
building a monument to 3,000 Azeri Jews killed by Armenians in 1918
in a pogrom about which little is known.

– AND WITHIN our own lifetime – just some 15 years ago – Armenian
troops massacred hundreds of Azeri Muslims. In this regard, Ben-David
cites Newsweek from March 16, 1992:

"Azerbaijan was a charnel house again last week: a place of mourning
refugees and dozens of mangled corpses dragged to a makeshift morgue
behind the mosque. They were ordinary Azerbaijani men, women and
children of Khojaly, a small village in war-torn Nagorno-Karabakh
overrun by Armenian forces on Feb. 25-26. Many were killed at close
range while trying to flee; some had their faces mutilated, others
were scalped."

The author of the article concludes, and I fully agree with him:

Both Turks and Armenians have their grisly tales of persecution and
their vehement denials of genocidal designs. It is the task of the
Jewish community to express sympathy for all the victims and outrage
at all the perpetrators on both sides of the conflict. The US Congress
and the Jewish community should encourage historians on both sides
to objectively examine what took place.

Nations mature when they can look at themselves in the mirror and
see the grey, the wrinkles and the blemishes.

I would also like to point out that mass killings – yes even killings
on a grand scale – do not necessarily constitute genocide.

I agree with Ben-David: let everybody open up the archives, let
historians in and lets find out what exactly happened. For this to
happen, though, every country and people involved has to be willing to
live with the consequences. The attitude some have, which means that
the Armenians basically did nothing wrong and have nothing wrong but
that the Turks are ruthless killers and today’s generation dedicated
to cover-up the misdeeds of their ancestors, has to change.

Turks, on the other hand, have to stop automatically dismissing any
claims as well. Do the research, open up the archives, and lets see
what happens.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE NOT INCLUDED IN EU REPORT ON TURKEY

Yerkir
30.08.2007 18:31

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – "The Armenian issue is not reflected in any way
in the European Union report on Turkey’s progress," European Armenian
Federation chairperson Hilda Choboian has told Armenpress.

"The report specifically mentions the blockade of Cyprus by Turkey. The
European Armenian Federation will continue to work towards including
the Armenian issue norms in the report."

She said the organization members have planned meetings with European
Parliament members, and with Dutch Christian Democrat Oimen Guiten Gia,
the author of the report. The report is due in October.

ARMAVIA CJSC INCREASES THE VOLUME OF PASSENGER OPERATIONS BY 24.7% IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2007

arminfo
2007-08-29 16:38:00

The Armenian national air carrier, Armavia CJSC, increased the volume
of passenger operations by 24.7% to 227 thsd passengers in the first
half of 2007 as against 182.1 thsd in the same period of 2006, the
company’s press service reported to ArmInfo on Wednesday.

According to the source, within the period under review Armavia
transported 1310 tons of cargo, this index is by 10% higher than in
the same period of 2006. The number of regular flights increased by
24.9% to 2741 in the first half of 2007.

The company also reported that the steady growth dynamics is
conditioned by introduction of the strategic development program
and by the correct policy implementation. In particular, in the
second quarter of 2007 the "Code Sharing" agreement on joint air
transportation and the "Intreline" agreement on passenger and
cargo transportation in accordance with the international norms
IATA/MITA were reached. To increase the sale of air tickets,
the company introduced Online-Ticketing (booking) system in March
2007. Measures were taken to introduce e-tickets. New corporate
agreements were concluded with clients, and this also increased
the sale of tickets. The company noted that Armavia adheres to a
flexible price policy and, in this connection, it changed the prices
of air tickets in all directions. A new classification of ticket
reservation was also introduced. In the first half year of 2007,
Armavia acquired a Boeing 737-300. At the moment Armavia has A-320 and
A-319 aircrafts. The company is planning to acquire another A-320, as
well as "Russian regional jet" planes. Taking into account the growing
demand, new flights Yerevan-Cologne-Yerevan and Yerevan- Lyon-Yerevan
were opened within the period under review. The program of a new flight
Yerevan-Los Angeles-Yerevan was worked out, and it is currently being
discussed with the US side. To contribute to development of tourism,
in the first half year of 2007, the number of charter flights was
increased to 38, as against 8 in 2006. The air staff of Armavia
participated in traditional training in Toulouse, Stockholm, UAE.

In 2007, the company also raised the level of flight operating safety
by stiffening the rules of safety and bringing them in line with
international norms. For instance, different penalties were imposed
on 12 passengers for violating the rules of flight safety. The company
fights against smoking and using alcohol drinks on board the planes.

NUMBER OF FIRST FORMERS IS UNSATISFACTORY FOR US

KarabakhOpen
28-08-2007 09:53:44

This year we will have 2000 first formers. 230 schools will open for
the new academic year. According to the NKR minister of education,
culture and sport Kamo Atayan, the specialists from Armenia will hold
training for the teachers of first and second forms till September 20.

"There are schools in all the settlements where there are school age
children. Also there are no children who do not go to school," Kamo
Atayan said. In answer to the question if there are schools which
have no students, the minister said unfortunately there are. "This
issue was discussed in a recent conference of education workers of
the region of Shushi. In the region of Shushi and in the region of
Berdadzor (except for Yegtsahogh), there were not enough students
to form classes. There are villages in the republic where there are
no school age children at all. I think the government should focus
on the rebirth of villages. As to first form students, their number
tends to grow but it is not satisfactory. We must think about it,"
Kamo Atayan said.

They wanted to leave Chechnya for Karabakh long time ago

Rosa Satuyeva
The Voice of Chechen Republic, Groznyy, N13, 10.08.2007
25-08-2007 12:33:19 – KarabakhOpen

The Avanesyan family of Armenians can say they come from Groznyy. Irina
came to Groznyy when she was two and a half years old, her brother and
37-year-old son were born and grew up there. Today they want to move to
Armenia. Not because Chechnya is a dangerous region but because they
feel orphans in the country which became their fatherland at one time.
The Avanesyan family lives in a half-ruined apartment. They live in the
kitchen with one bed for all the three. They sleep sitting, or in turn.
They cannot sit, stand or walk in this hole. They have swollen and
aching legs all the time.
The army of cockroaches occupies the walls of the kitchen and the only
bed and the inhabitants of the apartment. There is an unbearable odor
all over the room. The fourth inhabitant of the apartment, the cat died
perhaps because it could not stand such a life any more. Before the war
Irina Avanesyan used to work at the maternity hospitals of Groznyy. Her
brother’s best memories are connected with the Dinamo Stadium. He
dedicated his youth to sports, he worked at the Sports Committee.
They lived in Groznyy all through the war. Their apartment was
destroyed by the war. They did not have another apartment, they could
get no help, and they lived in the only room which was not damaged.
Slava, Irina’s son, wanted to repair the roof to protect them at least
from snow and rain but the old rotten beams broke and he broke his leg.
He was taken to hospital but the leg did not heal normally and now his
leg aches all the time and he lies in bed most of the time. The
hospital is near their house but he has neither money nor energy to get
a treatment. They survive on humanitarian aid and Irina’s pension.
They wanted to return to Nagorno-Karabakh a long time ago. They are not
afraid of the unrest in the region, they have relatives who could help
them. Their departure is delayed because Slava has no identification.
His old passport got lost during the military actions. They want to get
a new document but in vain. An acquaintance who works for the social
service wanted to help them but lost the only document where the data
of Slava’s old passport were.
They are registered with the social service of their district. The
social worker visits them rarely. They say they get aid from the
Russian Red Cross. They get food aid once a quarter and a hygiene kit
twice a year. A nurse is hired for them. Of the humanitarian aid these
miserable people appreciate contact with people highest of all. The
feeling of solitude is worse than the lack of conveniences.
They get such aid in the framework of the Charity program which
involves care and aid to sick and elderly people. The program provides
aid to 875 people in the republic.
The International Committee of the Red Cross accidentally learned about
them and started to aid them. Zumrat Mammedova, a worker of the ICRC,
said they learned about this family and included them in the Charity
program of the Russian Red Cross. A former worker of the RRC
Abdulrashid Abdulkadirov tried to help them solve the problem of
passport but it turned out to be impossible. Zumrat Mammedova says one
of their colleagues in Moscow met an Armenian named Sarkis and told him
the story of this family. Sarkis is now trying to help them. He sent
them a mobile telephone to contact them. He turned to the Armenian
ambassador to Russia to arrange the documents the family needs to move
to Karabakh. Slava may be able to leave with his parents’ passports.
They will be taken to Pyatigorsk first, then to Armenia. Zumrat
Mammedova said they contacted their relatives in Nagorno-Karabakh to
find out if they can put them up. Gennady’s and Irina’s cousin told her
they can come to Karabakh.
The only precious thing left to them is two suitcases with books which
they will take along with them. These are works by world classics and
books on sports which they do not want to lose.
The family and the ICRC are waiting for news from Sarkis who deals with
their departure. They promised to send them clothes and prepare them
for the trip,

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Aug 25 2007

Prosecutor initiates an investigation over Prof. Halacoglu

Saturday , 25 August 2007

The Kayseri Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into a
speech delivered by Turkish Historical Society (TTK) President Yusuf
Halaçoðlu in which he made controversial remarks on Turkish Kurds’
ethnic identity.

The history professor’s comments came on Friday when he noted that
many Kurdish people are Turkmens in origin, in a speech he delivered
in Kayseri.

Halaçoðlu also claimed that Kurdish Alevis were originally Armenians.

Following an order from the Kayseri Prosecutor’s office, Turkey’s
Security Directorate is reviewing the transcript of his speech. Both
the transcript and media coverage of his controversial speech will be
sent to the prosecutor as evidence.

The Ankara Public Prosecutor — where the case was initially filed —
transferred the file to the Kayseri public prosecutor. The case
files, compiled following a complaint by the Hacýbektaþ Veli Anatolia
Culture Foundation and the Alevi-Bektaþi Federation (ABF), have yet
to reach Kayseri. Both groups state that Halaçoðlu made
discriminatory remarks when he said that Kurds were originally
Turkmen and Alevi Kurds are ethnically Armenian. Halaçoðlu’s claims
stem from a study in which he asserts that many Armenians identified
themselves as being `Kurdish Alevis’ in an attempt to save themselves
from the forced migration of Armenians which took place in 1915.

25 August 2007

MetroWest Daily News, MA
Aug 22 2007

ADL opinion on Armenian Genocide called ‘good news’

By Peter Reuell/Daily News Staff
GHS
Wed Aug 22, 2007, 10:00 AM EDT

Local rabbis and Jewish community leaders yesterday applauded the
national Anti-Defamation League’s acknowledgement of the World War
I-era Armenian Genocide, but said the reversal of its previous stance
raises as many questions as it answers.

The hope by many is that the acknowledgment, released yesterday
afternoon on the ADL’s Web site, will defuse a brewing controversy
that led to the firing of ADL New England Director Andrew Tarsy and
the resignation of several local board members.

"I think that’s very good news," Patty Jacobson, vice president of
marketing at the Combined Jewish Philanthropies, said of the
organization’s statement. "I think language matters and is very
important, and I’m very glad to see it happen."

The controversy that spurred the ADL to change its position began
last week, when Watertown officials voted to pull out of the ADL’s
"No Place for Hate" education program, citing the organization’s
refusal to recognize the Armenian Genocide. The New York-based
organization had called the deaths of up 1.5 million Armenians at the
hands of Muslim Turks between 1915 and 1923 an atrocity, but stopped
short of saying it was genocide – a planned extermination of the
Christian Armenian minority.

Watertown’s Armenian population is estimated at about 8,000.

Following the vote, Tarsy described what happened to the Armenians in
the time around the First World War as a genocide. His break with the
national ADL leaders led to his firing, which prompted at least two
New England board members to resign in protest.

But while the national organization’s reversal on the genocide seems
to lay one issue to rest, the question of Tarsy’s future with the ADL
remains.

It is a question many local Jewish leaders found tough to answer.

"I have the utmost in respect for our regional officers of the ADL
and for Andy personally," said Rabbi David Widzer of Franklin’s
Temple Etz Chaim. "I don’t know that I really have a comment on what
happens next. The national ADL and the regional ADL and Andy have
some potential difficult conversations to have or processes to work
through."

Harold Kushner, rabbi laureate of Temple Israel in Natick, yesterday
said he always supported recognizing the Armenian Genocide, and
believes the ADL should welcome Tarsy back to the fold.

"If I were them, I would take him back," he said. "How one does this
and saves face, I don’t know, but I would take him back.

"When you are an organization that stands for a moral cause, it is
never a mistake to do the morally right thing."

For area Armenians, the hope is that finally acknowledging the
genocide can lead to healing.

"It did happen, and it unfortunately has festered and remained
unrecognized for these 90 years," said Martin Deranian, a Worcester
dentist. "I believe the time has come for society to bring this to
attention. From a moral, historical point of view, it’s highly
appropriate" to recognize it.

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-4th, a co-sponsor of the Armenian Genocide
bill, said he was disappointed with ADL National Director Abraham
Foxman’s previous position.

"I think they made a mistake," Frank said. "I am very disappointed
with the national ADL, and I am proud of New England’s reaction."

The House resolution calls on the president to ensure that U.S.
foreign policy "reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity
concerning issues related to … genocide documented in the United
States record relating to the Armenian Genocide."

Fellow House member Rep. Edward Markey, D-6th, a co-sponsor on the
House resolution, said he believed the ADL had "taken a substantive
and significant step today."

"Simply put, ADL’s decision to recognize the reality of the Armenian
Genocide reflects the best traditions of the organization and its
charter," Markey said.

Following Tarsy’s firing, Jacobson said she hopes the ADL’s reversal
will bring some healing to the organization.

"Obviously, all of us here feel that the change in the position …
is the right decision for the national ADL to take," she said.
"There’s lots of work to do and as a community we need to focus on
how best to do that work and how best to move forward.

"I think this whole situation is a real blow to the regional ADL,"
she said. "I think regardless of who leads the regional ADL going
forward, there’s going to be some serious fence mending that needs to
take place."

As troubling as the controversy has been, though, Widzer takes some
comfort in the time of year.

"Whatever the ultimate resolution that comes, I am mindful that this
season of the year on the Jewish calendar (High Holy Days) is the
time of teshuvah," he said. "The fancy, five-dollar word for that is
repentance. But it’s more the season of the year where we can look
back on what, in the past year, hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to
and what are the steps we can take to correct it.

"I can’t speak to what any of the interested parties would do, but
that’s the season of the year we find ourselves in. I would hope some
sort of reconciliation or being able to move forward amicably would
happen."

(Peter Reuell can be reached at 508-626-4428, or at [email protected].)

(Material from the Associated Press was used in this report)

PRESS TV, Iran
Aug 25 2007

Iran to attend Armenia’s JENAM-2007
Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:33:14

Iranian astronomers are scheduled to attend the 16th International
Astronomy Conference, JENAM-2007, in the Armenian capital, Yerevan.

Some 300 scientists from Iran, Japan, Canada, Brazil, India, Mexico,
China, US, and CIS members will take part in the event to study the
latest astronomy and astrophysics developments.

In the opening ceremony Areg Michaelian, chief of the Armenian
Astronomy Society, said that Armenia’s achievements in the field were
the prime reason for holding the international conference in his
country, this year.

The five-day event hosted by the Yerevan State University, will focus
on gravitational wave sources and asteroseismology.

Demaz.org, Azerbaijan
Aug 24 2007

Nagorni Garabagh is Integral Part of Azerbaijan, and Conflict Should
be Regulated Peacefully in the Frames of Territorial Integrity of
this Country
24.08.2007

Member of Bundestag commission on foreign policy and defense, deputy
chairman of Christian-democratic party of Germany, Andreas Shokenhof,
declared it at the meeting with Milli Mejlis chairman, Oktay Asadov,
on August 22. At the meeting attended by his commission colleague,
chairman of PACE Monitoring Committee, Eduard Lintner, chairman of
German-Azerbaijan forum, Otto Hauzer, Bundestag commission member on
education and researches, Aksel Fisher, etc. Oktay Asadov spoke of
ancient history of Azerbaijani-German relations, having stressed that
after gaining independence by Azerbaijan our relations started more
intensive development. Having underlined that currently friendly
relations, economic, political connections between two states have
reached the highest level, MM chairman specially stressed the role of
visit of President, Ilham Aliyev, to Germany that took place last
February, in development of mutual cooperation.
Then Asadov informed guests in details on reforms implemented in our
country, major directions of foreign policy, Armenian-Azerbaijani,
Nagorni-Garabagh conflict. He stressed that though OSCE Minsk Group
has been working on regulation of this conflict for many years, due
to destructive and aggressive position of Armenia the problem hasn’t
been solved yet. Leading world states, international organizations
should make pressure on Armenia in this respect. We are convinced
that after just solving the most serious problem of Azerbaijan, that
is the problem of Nagorni Garabagh, Germany will promote the program
on restoration of this territory.
Andreas Shokenhof underlined that Germany welcomes and supports
policy of Azerbaijan; he said that Azerbaijan is on the right way.
Having touched upon Armenia-Azerbaijani, Nagorni-Garabagh problem
German guest declared that his country supports position of
Azerbaijan in this respect. A. Shakenhof once again stressed that
Nagorni Garabagh is integral part of Azerbaijan and conflict should
be regulated peacefully within the frames of territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan.
Intensive development of relations between Bundestag and Milli Mejlis
was pointed out at the meeting and activity of Azerbaijani-German
inter-parliamentary work group was highly evaluated.