Author: Frangulian Shushan

GENOCIDE: LE CHEF DE LA DIPLOMATIE ARMENIENNE TEND LA MAIN A LA TURQUIE

Agence France Presse
25 novembre 2006 samedi
Correction Appended 5:09 PM GMT

Le ministre armenien des Affaires etrangères Vartan Oskanian a tendu
la main a la Turquie pour normaliser les relations entre les deux
pays, comme une etape-cle vers un accord politique sur le sujet
ultra-sensible du massacre d’Armeniens au debut du XXè siècle.

"Pour l’Armenie, la reconnaissance (du genocide) par la Turquie
n’est pas une condition prealable pour des relations normales de bon
voisinage", a declare a l’AFP M. Oskanian, lors d’une visite a Chypre,
qui s’est achevee samedi.

La Turquie n’entretient pas de relations diplomatiques avec l’Armenie
voisine en raison notamment du differend sur les massacres d’Armeniens
en 1915-17 sous l’Empire ottoman, qualifies par de nombreux historiens,
le Parlement europeen et la France de "genocide", une appellation
categoriquement rejetee par Ankara.

Les massacres et deportations ont fait plus de 1,5 millions de morts
selon les Armeniens, 250.000 a 500.000 selon la Turquie.

M. Oskanian a estime que les deux pays avaient besoin de "transcender"
leur passe commun.

"Cet obstacle (de la reconnaissance turque) peut etre supprime et
(les idees que les deux peuples peuvent avoir sur l’autre) peuvent
etre ameliorees par de nouvelles experiences", a-t-il ajoute.

Cependant, M. Oskanian a rejete categoriquement une offre turque de
mise en place d’un comite mixte d’historiens des deux pays pour faire
la lumière sur la question.

"La suggestion du (Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip) Erdogan a ete
un ecran de fumee", a-t-il dit, se demandant comment une commission
conjointe pourrait etre mise en place sans relations diplomatiques
entre Ankara et Erevan, capitale de l’Armenie qui a obtenu son
independance en 1991, après la chute de l’URSS.

"Vous devez gerer ce sujet d’un point de vue politique", a-t-il
poursuivi.

M. Oskanian a critique en outre ce qu’il a qualifie de nouvelle
"politique d’Etat" d’Ankara de negation du genocide.

"Alors que davantage de pays reconnaissent (le genocide), la Turquie
devient (…) plus agressive dans sa politique de negation", a-t-il
estime.

Une recente proposition de loi francaise rendant passible de prison
la negation du genocide armenien est, selon lui, "une reaction claire
a cette politique agressive de negation d’Ankara".

L’ecrivain turc Orhan Pamuk, laureat 2006 du Nobel de litterature,
a ete poursuivi par la justice turque en 2005 pour des propos tenus
sur le massacre d’Armeniens.

Accuse d’"insulte ouverte a la nation turque", il etait passible
de six mois a trois ans de prison. Sous la pression internationale,
les poursuites ont ete abandonnees debut 2006.

–Boundary_(ID_Mb3Kym7Dj4bi3FFX2X3LjQ)–

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POLICY, TRICK OR A POLITICAL BARGAIN?
[04:06 pm] 23 November, 2006

Today the guests of the `Hayely’ club were politician
Levon Zaroubyan, Rouben Hovsepyan, member of
Dashnaktsutyun Party and Paruyr Hairikyan, leader of
the Union of National Self-Determination.

`The recognition of the Armenian Genocide is but a
moral category. The worst point is that the acting
administration shifted the genocide issue into the
political sphere. Thus, it became a theme of political
debates and political bargain’, maintains Levon
Zaroubyan.

His opponent Mr. Hovsepyan noted, `Morality has no
place in this world, and it is inadmissible when the
authorities do nothing in connection with the
recognition of the massacre and build museums or
convene symposiums instead’.

Prior to Mr. Hovsepyan’s remark on museums, Levon
Zaroubyan had announced that their administration took
serious measures in view of the genocide recognition.
They have initiated their policy since 1991. The
Genocide Museum was opened in 1995 and the first
summit was convened with the participation of genocide
experts.

At that moment Paruyr Hairikyan entered the debate. He
said that the UNO has launched the recognition of the
Genocide since 1987 and our authorities could do
nothing on this score.

Mr. Hairikyan assumes that the criminal mustn’t be
sent for and asked whether he has committed any crime;
he must be immediately punished.

The leader of the Union of National Self-Determination
the authorities find the recognition of the Genocide a
game with their participation.

«Is there a law in Armenia under which the refuters of
the Genocide will be punished».

Levon Zaroubyan says that the current authorities use
the issue for two objectives; first of all they want
to divert people’s attention from many social,
political issues, and secondly, they want to enjoy the
votes of the Diaspora during the elections.

While speaking of the tendencies of the recognition
procedure, MR. Hovsepyan said that the procedure
lingers as the countries which were supposed to
recognise the Armenian Genocide have already done it
whereas the others are waiting for the USA’s final
decision.

As for the Turkey’s membership to the European Union,
Mr. Zaroubyan said that Turkey’s chances are few. But
Turkey’s membership is favorable for Armenia as we
shall have a predictable neighbour and a borderline
with the EU in that case.

By the way, Mr. Hovsepyan mentioned that when the EU
declares that its `doors are not open for everyone’ it
means not only Turkey, but also the countries of South
Caucasus, including Armenia.

On this score, Mr. Hairikyan said that the EU is first
of all a system of values; if you don’t accept this
system, you have no chance of membership.

News from Amsterdam, Netherlands
Nov 24 2006

More male and white MP’s

24 November 2006 – The number of ethnic minority MP’s will drop from
16 to 11 or 12, Allochtonenweblog predicts. Half of them are from
Amsterdam.

The Amsterdammers expected to be elected are Samira Abbos
(Social-Democrat PvdA), John Leerdam (PvdA), Sadet Karabulut (SP),
Laetitia Griffith (Conservative VVD), Naïma Azough (Green Party
GroenLinks) and Tofik Dibi (GroenLinks). The ANP news agency further
calculated that the share of women MP’s will drop from 39 to 36%.

The situation can still change if MP’s become members of the new
government and if non-elected candidates enter Parliament on the
basis of preferential votes. For example, Khadija Arib stands a good
chance of becoming an MP again if the PvdA will be part of the new
government.

Fatma Koser Kaya (Social-Liberal D66) might benefit from the campaign
Turkish organisations waged for her, to protest against the position
of PvdA and Christian-Democrat CDA in the debate about the Armenian
genocide. The preferential votes will be published Monday.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS MAKES JOINT STATEMENT
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 23 2006
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs made a joint statement on the results of
their last visit to the region, French Embassy told the APA.
The statement reads that Presidents accepted to meet in Minsk on
margins of the next CIS meeting.
” The Co-Chairs met with Presidents Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev,
as well as with Foreign Ministers. As a result of these meetings, which
took place in an open minded and constructive spirit, both Presidents
accepted Co-Chairs’ proposal to meet in Minsk next week on the margins
of the CIS Heads of States Council meeting. The discussions in both
meetings confirmed that the consultations between the Foreign Ministers
which took place in Moscow, Paris and Brussels in October-November
were useful in moving of the negotiations forward. The Co-Chairs hope
that, the upcoming meetings with the Presidents end Foreign Ministers
in Minsk will allow taking a step toward an agreement on principles
for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as endorsed by
the G8 leaders in St. Petersburg in July”.

ASHOT GHULIAN: “BRYZA AND GHUKASIAN WILL MEET ONE OF THESE DAYS”
By Ruzanna Khachatrian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 22 2006
The Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament Speaker announced in Yerevan on Tuesday
that Nagorno-Karabakh President Arkady Ghukasian, who is currently
visiting the United States, will meet with U.S. cochairman of the
OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza one of these days.
“As far as I am informed, it is planned that one of these days
U.S. cochairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza will have a
meeting with Arkady Ghukasian, who is currently on a visit to the
United States,” Ashot Ghulian told reporters.
OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen from Russia and France, Yuri Merzlyakov
and Bernard Fassier, met President Robert Kocharian and Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian in Yerevan today. The Armenian president’s
press service reported that the sides discussed “issues connected
with the current stage of the Karabakh settlement process and the
possible meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the
sidelines of the upcoming CIS summit in Minsk.”
Merzlyakov and Fassier left for Baku later today.

UN OFFICIAL SAYS TURKEY IS NOT READY FOR THE EU
Azka Khan
Daily Kent Stater, OH
Nov 21 2006
United Nations official Miroslav Jovanovic spoke last night in the
Governace Chambers about the controversy surrounding Turkey’s admission
to the European Union. About 50 people attended the lecture.
KATIE ROUPE | DAILY KENT STATER
United Nations official Miroslav Jovanovic thinks the controversy
surrounding Turkey’s admission to the European Union is not about
politics, but more about the country’s culture and society.
Jovanovic, economic affairs officer in the transport division of the
United Nations Economic Commission, presented his argument on the
issues surrounding Turkey’s addition to the EU last night in the Kent
Student Center Governance Chambers.
The lecture, titled “Turkey in the European Union: Euthanasia or the
Rejuvenation of Europe,” was sponsored by the Lemnitzer Center for NATO
and European Union Studies through its Gerald H. Reed lecture series.
The European Union made its world debut in 1992 and currently includes
25 member countries. The EU is a political powerhouse that represents
power, prestige and prosperity.
Turkey, a country that meets very few EU requirements, applied for
membership last year. The membership has yet to be finalized, but
the long wait has some critics speaking out.
“There are only two countries that the EU is considering for
enlargement, and those are Croatia and Turkey.” Jovanovic said. “The
controversy is really about the readiness of the European Union to
accept such a large and relatively poor country.”
According to Jovanovic, there are issues to consider about Turkey’s
readiness and willingness to accept the Union’s closed regulations,
policies and spirits.
“If you want to join a club,” Jovanovic said, “you have to follow
the rules of the club.”
Jovanovic provided a number of reasons why Turkey does not meet the
rules of the EU and why the country will most likely not be accepted.
“It’s not that Turkey has to change its constitution, but the EU has
to change its constitution if Turkey is accepted,” he said.
His first reason is Turkey’s past, in terms of political relations
with other European countries, specifically Cyprus and Armenia.
“Turkey doesn’t recognize Cyprus as a country,” he said. “Then there
is the Armenian Genocide of 1915, in which millions of Armenians were
slaughtered by the Turks.”
Jovanovic said Turkey must accept its past before moving forward with
involvement with the EU.
Civil rights is another issue, he said.
He continued by saying the freedom of expression in Turkey is at a
very low level compared to the EU standards. He also mentioned that
the treatment of women needs to be improved.
When focusing on Turkey’s economy, Jovanovic said Turkey would need
61 years in order to catch up with the average GDP of the EU.
“It is on its way to European modernity,” Jovanovic said. “But there
is still a few steps that it has to take.”
About 50 people attended the lecture.
“I think it is interesting to see both the EU and Turkey perspective,”
said Lisa Kurz, a junior international relations major.
“It’s also interesting to learn about the cost and restrictions of
the EU.”

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email [email protected]
Internet
PRESS RELEASE
November 22, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIER BERNARD LEWIS
AWARDED NATIONAL HUMANITIES MEDAL
— Pres. Bush Honors Recipients at White House
Ceremony
WASHINGTON, DC – Armenian Genocide denier and controversial Middle
East historian Bernard Lewis was amongst those honored by President
Bush this month with the prestigious National Humanities Medal,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA.)
President Bush, joined by First Lady Laura Bush, bestowed the medal
at a November 9th ceremony held in the White House Oval Office.
“The President’s decision to honor the work of a known genocide
denier – an academic mercenary whose politically motivated efforts
to cover up the truth run counter to the very principles this award
was established to honor – represents a true betrayal of the public
trust,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
Bernard Lewis, Professor Emeritus at Princeton University in the
department of Near Eastern Studies, began his career as a historian
with an honest assessment of the Armenian Genocide as a “terrible
holocaust.” He soon reversed his position, serving as leading
spokesman for the Turkish government’s denial campaign, along with
Princeton University Professor Heath Lowry. Lowry was exposed as a
paid spokesman for the Turkish government’s worldwide campaign of
genocide denial in the seminal journal article, “Professional
Ethics and the Denial of Armenian Genocide”, (“Holocaust and
Genocide Studies,” 1995).
Lewis’ genocide denial became international news on June 21, 1995,
when a French court condemned him for statements he made during a
1993 interview with French newspaper “Le Monde.” The case, which
argued that Lewis’ statements caused harm to Armenian Genocide
survivors, was filed by the International League Against Racism and
Anti-Semitism and the Forum of Armenian Associations, representing
a number of French Armenian organizations, including the ANC of
France. The Court found Lewis “at fault,” stating that, “his
remarks, which could unfairly revive the pain of the Armenian
community, are tortuous and justify compensation.” The court
further affirmed that, “the historian is bound by his
responsibility toward the persons concerned when, by distortion or
falsification, he credits the veracity of manifestly erroneous
allegations or, through serious negligence, omits events or
opinions subscribed to by persons qualified and enlightened enough
so that the concern for accuracy prevents him from keeping silent
about them.” Lewis was symbolically fined one franc and “Le Monde”
was ordered to reprint portions of the French court judgment, which
appeared two days later.
Nine individuals and one institution were awarded the National
Humanities Medal in 2006, including: Fouad Ajami, James M.
Buchanan, Nickolas Davatzes, Robert Fagles, Mary Lefkowitz, Bernard
Lewis, Mark Noll, Meryle Secrest, Kevin Starr, and the Hoover
Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace at Stanford University.
The National Humanities Medal honors individuals or groups whose
work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities,
broadened citizens’ engagement with the humanities, or helped
preserve and expand Americans’ access to important resources in the
humanities. The award, given by the National Endowment for the
Humanities, was established in 1988. The National Endowment for the
Humanities is an independent agency of the U.S. government that
supports research, education, preservation, and public programs in
the humanities. It was created by the U.S. Congress in the National
Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965.

GEORGIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY REFUTES INFORMATION BY AZERI MASS MEDIA
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 17 2006
At the request of ArmInfo, the Georgian Foreign Ministry Department for
Press and Information, refuted the statement by Azerbaijani Mass Media.
Thursday, some Azerbaijani Media spread information that 60 Georgian
scientists- members of the National Assembly of Georgia applied
to President Saakashvili for recognition of Georgian genocide by
Armenians. Azerbaiajni agency Trend reports the Georgian scientists
as stating that “in 1993 military formation “Baghramyan” together
with Abkhazians fought against the Georgian army. As a result, the
Georgians residing in Abkhazia were killed. Before the settlement
of Armenians in Javakheti, Georgia, by Tsarist Russia, there were no
Armenians in this region. However, now Javakheti is indicated as part
of Armenia. Armenians present the Georgian monuments as their own.
All this has a systematic nature. That is why, it should be considered
a genocide of the Georgian people.” According to the given statement,
Ambassador of Georgia to Azerbaijan Zurab Gumberidze has allegedly
stated that Georgian scientists had definite grounds for such
statement.
However, at the request of ArmInfo, the Georgian FM Department for
Press and Information stated that Georgian Ambassador to Azerbaijan
has not made such statement. In this connection, the Georgian Embassy
in Azerbaijan has already come out with a relevant statement. The
press-service of the Georgian Embassy to Azerbaijan told ArmInfo
that on November 16, Trend agency and other media spread information
on the statement by Ambassador Zurab Gumberidze on the application
of Georgian scientists to President Saakashivili for recognition of
Georgian genocide by Armenians. The press-service reports that the
statement by Ambassador Gumberidze was misinterpreted. The Ambassador
stated that he has no official information in this connection. The
Ambassador said he was informed of this information in Mass Media.
Hence, the Ambassador could not say that the scientists had grounds
when raising the question of Georgian genocide by Armenians, the
press-service reports.

HUNGARIAN COURT SENTENCES AZERI OFFICER FOR RESISTING PRISON WARDENS
ANS TV, Azerbaijan
Nov 17 2006
Azerbaijani officer Senior Lt Ramil Safarov, who has been sentenced
to life imprisonment by a Budapest court on charges of killing an
Armenian officer, stood trial again today. This time the Budapest
court examined a law suit filed by prison wardens against Safarov.
After witnesses and the sides testified at the trial, the sentence
was announced. According to the Azerbaijani embassy in Hungary,
Safarov was sentenced to eight months’ suspended imprisonment.
To recap, when prison wardens demanded that Safarov return a telephone
card on 19 June 2004, Safarov who does not speak Hungarian did not
understand what they wanted, which led to a conflict between them.

TOASTS TO TOLERANCE AS A TEENAGER DIES
By Kevin O’Flynn and Nabi Abdullaev, Igor Tabakov
The Moscow Times, Russia
Nov 17 2006
Some 80 people from different ethnic groups and nationalities sat down
to a sumptuous meal at City Hall on Thursday in an attempt to set a
new world record and to celebrate the United Nation’s International
Day for Tolerance.
But as they toasted friendship between peoples, news came that an
Armenian teenager had been battered to death in the Moscow region.
Narek Kocharyan, 15, was assaulted Saturday by a group of young men
who beat him, stabbed him several times and strangled him, the Union
of Armenians in Russia said Thursday.
A bandanna decorated with a skull and crossbones found at the scene
suggested that Kocharyan’s attackers belonged to an ultranationalist
group, the Union of Armenians in Russia said in a statement posted on
its web site. It also complained that law enforcement officials were
investigating the killing as a simple case of manslaughter rather
than a hate crime.
“Our esteemed guardians of law and order believe the killing was
inadvertent after a man was repeatedly kicked in the head, strangled
and stabbed,” the statement said. “And not a word about a racial
motive for the attack.”
Critics say the government’s response to rising extremism has been
inadequate.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Vyacheslav Lebedev, speaking before the
State Duma on Wednesday, said only six criminal cases related to
extremism had gone to court in 2005.
Police and prosecutors routinely disregard racial motives when
investigating such crimes because they can be difficult to prove
in court.
Vladimir Slutsker, deputy chairman of a joint commission on
nationalities policy affiliated with the Federation Council, said
Thursday that the current law on extremism was adequate for dealing
with “any manifestation of ethnic tension and xenophobia.”
The problem, Slutsker said, is that law enforcement avoids enforcing
the law. “This is the most direct path to the disintegration of this
country,” he said.
The Sova think tank says 39 people have died in hate crimes this year,
28 of them in Moscow, and more than 300 people have been injured.
The vast majority of the attacks were carried out by skinheads,
Sova’s director Galina Kozhevnikova said.
Back at City Hall, the organizers of the record attempt did their
best to maintain a festive atmosphere.
State Duma Deputy Speaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky was the guest speaker
at the banquet, which was organized by the Moscow Association of
Entrepreneurs. The event was designed to break the world record for
the most ethnic groups seated around a dinner table, as well as to
highlight Moscow’s multiethnic population.
Zhirinovsky was a somewhat surprising choice, since his Liberal
Democratic Party of Russia has often been accused of inciting racial
hatred, but the politician, a skilled chameleon, was on his best
behavior. When asked about immigration policy, he said: “Anyone who
wants to come to Russia can come.”
Zhirinovsky also apologized to Aslanbek Aslakhanov for comments he
made previously about Chechens. Aslakhanov, an ethnic Chechen, advises
President Vladimir Putin on ethnic relations. Zhirinovsky blamed his
Soviet education. “We weren’t taught that they were also citizens.”
With the tables piled high with food and drink, the event had a Soviet
feel to it as people from a host of countries and ethnic backgrounds
raised their glasses and toasted interethnic harmony.
The event was first held in Sweden in 2002, when 29 different
nationalities shared a sauna together in the town of Halmstaad and set
a world record. Last year, Moscow broke the record with representatives
of 57 ethnic groups and nationalities gathered around a table.
The lighthearted tone of the event could not conceal participants’
concern about the increasing frequency of hate crimes in this country.
“Things have gotten worse,” said organizer Oleg Goryunov, who once
built a giant pyramid out of bottle caps to get into the Guinness
Book of Records. “Last year we had better relations with Georgia.”
Guests bemoaned the lost era of Soviet druzhba narodov, or friendship
between peoples.
Ethnic harmony under the Soviets “was not a toy,” Aslakhanov said.
“It was real. If someone got attacked it was a state of emergency,
because we were all together.”
Now, he said, “it happens every day.”
“My wife is Russian. I fear for my child growing up half-black,
half-white,” said one of the guests, Ugandan Ambassador Sam Barteka
Sakajja.
“Enough is enough. My color does not matter. It is what is in my
brain,” he said. “I appeal to Russia’s youth to grow up and forget
racism.”