Author: Hunanian Jack

ARMENPRESS

ARMENIA DOES NOT WANT ARMENIAN AND AZERI SOLDIERS TO
DIE: DEFENSE MINISTER

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS: `We want peace
on our borders, we do not want skirmishes, we do not
want Armenian and Azerbaijani servicemen to die, `
Armenian defense minister Mikael Harutunian said today
during a ceremony marking the 16-th anniversary of
Armenia’s independence.
He said whenever Azeris violate the truce by firing
on Armenian positions they get adequate retaliation.
He also swept aside media speculations claiming that
the situation on the line of contact is getting worse.
He said the amount of skirmishes is down 40 percent
now.
`In all likelihood, Azerbaijani authorities want
their nation to be vigilant and that is why they stir
up skirmishes and put the blame on the Armenian side,’
he said.

Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts
47 Nichols Avenue
Watertown Massachusetts 02472
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Sharistan Melkonian
617-347-2833

Newton, Massachusetts is No Place for Hate
— Mayor David Cohen calls for full recognition of the Armenian Genocide

Newton, Mass -Mayor David Cohen this week announced his decision to adopt
the recommendation of the Newton Human Rights Commission in full and "cease
participation in the (Anti Defamation League’s) No Place for Hate program
until national ADL takes definitive action consistent with the objectives
stated in the Commission’s letter to Mr. Foxman dated August 24, 2007,"
reported the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts (ANCEM.)

The Mayor of the state’s largest Jewish American community confirmed that,
`the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is an important step along the
path of freedom and justice, and crucial in combating other genocides now
and in the future.’

‘The Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts applauds Mayor
Cohen for standing up for truth and human rights by refusing to allow
Newton’s tolerance and anti hate program to be tainted by the policy
positions of the ADL– an organization which has unfortunately disqualified
itself as an effective spokesman for tolerance education through its
position on the Armenian Genocide,’ stated Sharistan Melkonian of the ANCEM.
`We are confident that Mayor Cohen’s principled stand will help combat
`genocides now and in the future’ and we hope that the Mayor’s leadership
will prompt the ADL-National to rethink their policies on this issue,
properly recognize the Armenian Genocide, and put an end their efforts to
prevent its reaffirmation by Congress.”

The Mayor’s decision comes following a September 11 meeting during which
local residents, university professors, human rights activists, students,
descendents of the Armenian Genocide and Holocaust survivors, converged on
Newton City Hall to make their voices heard to the local Human Rights
Commission (NHRC), which unanimously voted to cut ties with the ADL’s No
Place for Hate (NPFH) program until the former unequivocally recognizes the
Armenian genocide and supports H.R.106, the Armenian Genocide Resolution, in
Congress.

Two weeks prior to the September 11 meeting, on August 21st, the Newton
Human Rights Commission held a special meeting to discuss the controversy
surrounding the No Place for Hate program. The NHRC then sent a letter to
the New England ADL Board stipulating that program participation would
require the national ADL to "fully and unequivocally recognize the Armenian
Genocide" and "actively support Congressional resolution HR106."

The NHRC letter also suggested that the ADL’s own August 21 `Statement on
the Armenian Genocide’ fell short of expectations. `While we welcomed
today’s lukewarm announcement by national ADL Director Foxman that they
finally recognize the Armenian Genocide, we were disappointed by his stance
about the Congressional [Armenian Genocide] resolution.’

Interestingly at the September 11 meeting, ADL NE Regional Board member
Gerry Tishler made a passionate presentation in favor of US acknowledgement
of the Armenian Genocide. `I have studied, thought and written about the
Armenian genocide and it wasn’t `tantamount to genocide’ it was genocide. …
I am also in favor of the U.S. government acknowledging and commemorating
the Armenian genocide.’

Mayor Cohen’s action was applauded in a September 18 NewtonTAB editorial.
`Cohen made the right decision in opting to pull out of a program that is
practically endorsing hypocrisy. ADL National Director Abraham Foxman
continues to play with words when he says that the consequences of the
Armenian massacre of WWI were `tantamount to genocide.’ In too many
instances, the media is letting him get away with his subtle distinction
that allows him to sidestep directly labeling the tragedy a genocide. … We
are proud that Newton has participated in the program, and we are equally
proud that our community severed ties in order to make a very important
statement.’

`Mayor Cohen has proven that politics will not come above tolerance and
human rights, at least not in Newton. We hope that the United States
Congress will heed the Mayor’s example and pass the Armenian Genocide
Resolution,’ continued Melkonian.

The Armenian National Committee is the largest and most influential Armenian
American grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United States
and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANC actively advances the
concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

####

Mayor Cohen’s Statement on Newton as No Place for Hate

On September 11, 2007, the Newton Human Rights Commission unanimously
approved a motion recommending that the City of Newton to `cease
participation in the (Anti Defamation League’s) No Place For Hate program
until national ADL takes definitive action consistent with the objectives
stated in the Commission’s letter to Mr. Foxman dated August 24, 2007.’

After careful consideration I will adopt the Newton Human Rights
Commission’s recommendation. I will ask the Human Rights Commission to meet
in November, after the national ADL meeting, to determine whether their
objectives have been met.

The recognition of the Armenian Genocide is an important step along the path
of freedom and justice, and crucial in combating other genocides now and in
the future.

The City of Newton recognizes all that the New England chapter of the ADL
has done to bring about a change national ADL policy on the Armenian
Genocide, and we stand behind their efforts to change their policy at the
national ADL meeting in November.

Over the last seven years, the ADL’s No Place For Hate program has helped
bring informative forums and events to our citizens that have strengthened
our ties with one another, and made our City a better place. We hope for the
day when national ADL leadership fully and unequivocally embraces the
objectives stated in the August 24th letter, and the City of Newton can
again participate in the No Place For Hate program.

David B. Cohen
Mayor of Newton, Massachusetts
September 18, 2007

Globe and Mail, Canada

Acclaimed writers were made for each author

TOM HAWTHORN

Special to The Globe and Mail

September 21, 2007

VICTORIA — Each morning, the couple walk along the seashore of their
island home before settling into the studio in which they work.

The telephone is unplugged and e-mails go unheeded.

At 7:30 a.m., each begins the day’s labours, which will amount to
several hours of writing before breaking for a late lunch.

Writing, that most solitary of professions, is not supposed to be a
group effort. The writers hardly exchange a word after sitting at
their desks, which are arranged so one cannot see the other.

"There’s an invisible line down the middle which neither of us crosses
all morning," she said.

"It’s surprisingly amicable," he insists.

At one end is Peter Clarke, 65, a retired Cambridge professor and
author of several distinguished volumes of modern British history. At
the other is Maria Tippett, 62, also a retired academic and winner of
a Governor-General’s Award.

Over the years, the two have produced a groaning shelf of works. This
fall, after many months of effort in the studio, each is releasing a
new title. Dr. Clarke weighs in with The Last Thousand Days of the
British Empire (Penguin), a hefty effort that gives each of those days
about a half-page. Dr. Tippett’s latest is Portrait in Light and
Shadow: The Life of Yousuf Karsh (House of Anansi), a substantial
examination of the great photographic portraitist.

The works are unrelated, save for one iconic image. The first
illustration in Dr. Clarke’s book is of its central character, Winston
Churchill. The 1941 portrait by Mr. Karsh, undoubtedly the most famous
and reproduced image of his sterling career, is so familiar today as
to make it difficult to appreciate how striking it was on its release.

Wearing a suit, vest and bow tie, the British prime minister is shown
with left hand pushing back his coat to rest on his lower back. One
eye is half hidden by shadow, his lower lip slightly curled, his
expression one of steely determination.

The photographer famously captured this look after snatching one of
the wartime leader’s beloved cigars from his puss.

"Indeed, he did that," Dr. Tippett said of Mr. Karsh. "He didn’t want
to take another damned cigar portrait."

Mr. Churchill was commonly portrayed as a smiling leader who enjoyed
his cigar, she said, a counterpoint to the frowning images of Hitler
and Mussolini. After Mr. Karsh’s portrait, Mr. Churchill was no longer
a "Toby Jug prime minister." The Ottawa photographer provided an image
to match the force of the man’s rhetoric.

The photographer, an Armenian refugee who came to Canada at age 15 in
1924, was first approached by Dr. Tippett about a biography a decade
ago. She had long been impressed by his work, his role as an
ambassador for his adopted land, and his overreaching success as an
immigrant. ("Karsh is like a Jag, or a Burberry coat," she said. "He
never went out of fashion.") He rejected her overture, explaining he
had written an autobiography in the early 1960s and had nothing more
to add.

Instead, she spent the next several years on what would be a
controversial book examining the life and career of the West Coast
artist Bill Reid. She had earlier won a Governor-General’s Award for
her biography of Emily Carr, the eccentric Victoria artist.

After Mr. Karsh died in 2002, she approached the estate about access
to the photographer’s papers. Her proposal was accepted. Much to her
delight, she learned her subject was a packrat. His material occupied
64 metres of shelf space – imagine file boxes lined up two-thirds the
length of a football field filled with correspondence and financial
papers. (Long after the debut of office computers, Mr. Karsh insisted
on personally writing cheques for his studio.) She also pored over
thousands of prints and negatives.

"I didn’t find any skeletons in his closet," she said, "probably
because there weren’t any."

Renowned as a portraitist, Mr. Karsh also accepted corporate
commissions and journalistic assignments, photographing labourers in a
mill for a steel company, and workers on the assembly line for Ford.

Maclean’s magazine sent him across country to capture life in the
cities. In Vancouver, his subjects were Sikhs and the gritty
dockyards. In Toronto, he haunted a meatpacking plant and photographed
a child in an iron-lung. The images were stunning and controversial,
as residents of the cities made known their preference for the clichéd
images provided by tourism bureaus.

Dr. Clarke’s book reproduces two other Karsh portraits. Clement Attlee
is shown clutching a San Francisco newspaper. Harry Truman adjusts
round-rimmed spectacles in an unfamiliar image. It is Mr. Karsh’s
best-known subject who dominates the author’s look at the post-war
dismantling of the British Empire, particularly the partition of
Palestine and India 60 years ago.

"Almost every time I write about Churchill I go in thinking I’m going
to take this man down a peg or two," Dr. Clarke said. "In the end, I
find the things that irritate me are about the Churchill myth and the
over-loyal subscribers to it.

"I always give the devil his due. This isn’t a book that knocks
Churchill. It’s a book that shows you a human and fallible Churchill."

The history has been well-received in his native England, where the
reviewer for The Times of London offered the retired professor high
praise – "he doesn’t allow academic scruples to inhibit his talent for
storytelling."

On his resignation from Cambridge University in 2004, Dr. Clarke was
master of Trinity Hall, a college that lists masters to its founding
in 1350, more than a century before Europeans discovered the continent
on which he now makes his home.

His account of the sun setting on the British Empire marks his new
vocation as a writer living in Canada. While the couple maintains a
cottage near Cambridge, they now make their permanent home on South
Pender Island.

They met at London University, where Dr. Tippett, born in Victoria,
had gone to complete her doctorate. After many years of friendship,
and following a divorce for each, the couple married in Vancouver in
1991. She became a senior research fellow at Cambridge. Three years
ago, they retired from teaching to devote themselves to writing. The
result is competing titles on the fall lists.

For those keeping score at home, the wife maintains the lead on her
husband, 11 titles to eight.

Last night, the authorial tag-team is scheduled to be in Victoria for
an invitation-only celebration of the publication of their latest
books.

Dr. Tippett has but one regret about Mr. Karsh, who has occupied her
mornings for so many years.

"I wish he’d taken my portrait," she said. "I think everyone does."

ETHIOPIA: FLOWER EXPORTERS STRENGTHEN TIES TO JAPAN

AllAfrica.com, Washington
17 September 2007

Addis Fortune (Addis Ababa)

Flower exports to Japan reached 70,000 stems per week a year after
export was launched to world’s second largest economy in 2006. The
Japanese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Kinichi Komano, vowed in a traditional
flower arrangement demonstration held at the Addis Abeba City Hall
on September 13, 2007, that Japan would increase its flower imports
from Ethiopia.

A group of Japanese flower arrangement professionals arrived on the
eve of the millennium and demonstrated a flower arrangement ceremony,
ikebana, in City Hall lead by Richo Miyamota, grand master of the
Koryu-Toyokai school, which believes in valuing and admiring the
beauty and magnificence of even the tiniest flower. This culture is
believed to be deeply connected to the Buddhist philosophy popular
among the society.

The flower arrangement presentation was organised by the Ethiopian
Women Exporters Association and the Japanese Ambassador and staff of
the Embassy.

Brehane Deressa, mayor of Addis Abeba, said on the occasion that
Ethiopia and Japan have close cultural similarities and ties, which
is reinforced through cultural exchanges.

The Japanese professionals also staged another demonstration last
week Friday to give Ethiopians the opportunity to learn the art first
hand. The demonstration held in Armenian Ararat Sporting Club cost
50 Br for members of the Ethiopian Women Exporters Association (EWEA)
and 100 Br for non-members.

The flower industry in Ethiopia is labour-intensive and currently
employs 50,000 people, out of which 70pc are women. The sector is
exponentially expanding, particularly in Rift Valley area. However,
the fledgling businessis suffering the repercussions of lack of local
demand as almost all produces are exported.

Hadia M. Gonji, flower exporter and vice president of Ethiopian Women
Exporters Association, told Fortune that the country is benefiting
considerably from the sector and there is still unutilised capacity. A
significant proportion of the floriculture farms in Ethiopia
are located around Addis Abeba within a 10km radius. Although 200
projects in the floriculture industry have been licensed, only 60 of
the licensed flower farms go into operations currently.

Hadia also added that the demonstrations would help to increase
domestic consumption, boosting local demand to supplement the export
predominately to the Netherlands.

The Japanese Ambassador stressed that the success that has been
achieved in coffee export promotion through traditional coffee ceremony
should also be repeated in the flower sector through developing a
culture of local flower consumption.

Tsegaye Abebe, chiarman of Horticulture Producers and Exporters
Association, told Fortune the flower export to Japan and the rest of
the world has shown a continuous increase in volume and earnings.

Data from the Ethiopian Customs Authority show that in 2006/07,
Ethiopia generated over 63 million dollars from the export of flowers
showing a 289pc growth from that of the previous year.

ARF DECLARATION OVER FORTHCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

A1+
[07:17 pm] 17 September, 2007

YEREVAN (YERKIR) The 11th convention of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation, conducted in Stepanakert, adopted a declaration on
September 17 over the presidential election.

Below is the text of the declaration.

The forthcoming presidential election has an exclusive significance in
meeting the challenges the Republic of Armenia and Armenians are facing
as well as in dealing with state, public and national issues. The
election will create new opportunities for establishing balanced
authorities that would be able to correct and guide the strategy
of the country’s further development, maintain the spirit and the
goals of the constitutional reforms by implementing them in full,
and carry out system and fundamental reforms, ensuring solidarity
and security of the society.

The 11th supreme convention of the ARF Armenia Organization, taking
into account that:

-the slow pace of the national-state course — endorsed by the party
— and deep and comprehensive democratic reforms have set up grounds
for denying the national course;

-people’s growing alienation and disappointment of the authorities,
political forces and elections are seriously endangering the prospect
of country’s progress;

-the continuing integration of economy and politics have resulted
in enormous plutocracy and corruption and have set up conditions for
identification of the authorities and the government as being the same

Being confident that

-a fair and peaceful settlement to Nagorno Karabakh issue is possible
only by ensuring a speedy progress of the country;

-neutralize external and internal threats by directing the potential
of all Armenians towards resolving national issues and problems;

-it is possible to reach an effective governance though implementation
of progressive mechanisms of checks and balances, accountability of
the authorities and transparency;

-a real democracy is impossible without legal equality and respect
for human rights;

-economic freedom is impossible without fair competition;

-real election is only possible by putting forward alternative
solutions and programs and serious political discussions;

Resolves

-To nominate the party’s own candidate in the Republic of Armenia
presidential candidate;

-To carry out the nomination in two phases, calling an extraordinary
convention of the ARF Armenia Organization in November;

-The convention, crystallizing the organization’s views and taking
into account the opinions of the people and supporters will choose
between Vahan Hovhannisian and Armen Rustamian.

Today’s Zaman
17.09.2007
YONCA POYRAZ DOÐAN ÝSTANBUL

Source: =detay&link=122306

[MONDAY TALK]

Mesrob II: Diaspora deaf to Turkish Armenians

"The ‘Armenian genocide resolution’ pending in the US Congress
disrupts both the relations between Turkish people and Armenians in
Turkey and between Turkey and Armenia," said Patriarch Mesrob II
(Mutafyan), the spiritual leader of Turkey’s Armenian Orthodox
community.

"We had big problems in the past. I especially find the approach of
the Ýttihat Terakki’s (the Committee of Union and Progress) collective
punishment of Armenians quite wrong. It wasn’t the whole Armenian
community who took up arms against the government, but I believe the
Turkish Republic should not be accused of what happened then. The
diaspora would say that it should be accused as long as there is a
denial of what happened," Mesrob II said.

Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen died in a genocide
campaign by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, but Ankara
rejects the charge, saying both Armenians and Turks died in civil
strife when the Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern
Anatolia, siding with Russian troops that were invading the crumbling
Ottoman Empire.

There is currently a non-binding "Armenian genocide resolution"
pending at the US Congress. "We are the ones here living with our
Turkish friends everyday. The resolution’s passage would have a
cooling effect on our relations," Mesrob II said, adding that the
diaspora doesn’t care about Turkish Armenians’ sensitivities and that
"it’s a political issue for them."

Turkish Armenians are the biggest Christian community in Turkey with
approximately 70,000 people living in Anatolia. Mesrob II said that
since they lack schools of theology, the number of clerics is only 26
and bringing religious services to the community is tough.

For Monday Talk, Mesrob II told Today’s Zaman that the Armenian
community hasn’t been represented in the Turkish Parliament, even
though some of them have been interested in politics. The community’s
attitude toward the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is
generally positive, and the main reason behind this is the "aggressive
attitude" of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), especially regarding
the law of foundations.

As the Turkish-Armenian religious leader, Mesrob II has a different
stance from that of some Turkish circles regarding the secularism
debates. "I don’t think that secularism is under threat in Turkey.
Secularism has been so entrenched in the society since the time of
Atatürk that I don’t think anybody will be able to remove it," he
stated.

We’ve been trying to interview Mesrob II since Today’s Zaman was
founded on Jan. 16, but due to some unfortunate events — such as the
Jan. 19 assassination of Hrant Dink, editor of the Turkish-Armenian
weekly newspaper Agos, we were unable to until now. The Patriarchate
closed its doors to the media then after receiving many threats.
Nevertheless, the patriarch started to open up recently and discuss
the Turkish-Armenian community’s problems more.

For Monday Talk, we had a sincere interview with the patriarch,
ranging from politics to his personal life, beliefs and hobbies.

Could you talk about your childhood, your neighborhood, your education?

I was born in Ýstanbul in Tarlabaþý on Yoðurtçu Faik Street. We had
Muslims, Jews, Greeks and Armenians in the neighborhood. Everybody
knew everybody else’s important religious celebrations. We had
wonderful days having many celebrations together, especially on
holidays. I grew up in the Taksim neighborhood around Talimhane, where
Taksim square is. I went to the Esayan Armenian school in Taksim. I
continued my education at the Ýstanbul English High School for Boys.
Later I went to the Stuttgart American College in Germany. In the
United States, I went to the Memphis State University to study
sociology. Then to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, then to
Angelicum University in Rome, Italy and finally got my doctorate at
St. Mary’s University in Washington.

How did you benefit from studying sociology?

I was able to understand people better.

Did you decided to study theology then?

No. I decided to study theology later after I had an accident in the
United States. I was supposed to die but I survived. I lost my best
friend in that accident. After that, I felt like I re-started life and
dedicated myself to religion.

Why do you fast during Ramadan?

Otherwise I’d feel guilty at the time of the iftar (the evening
fast-breaking meal).

Why would you feel guilty?

If I participate in the iftar with others who fasted all day, not
having fasted myself, I feel guilty.

Do you fast throughout the month of Ramadan or just when you are
invited for iftar?

Fasting is also a Christian practice, so I do not have any problem
fasting throughout the month of Ramadan. It also helps to bring my
Turkish friends and me closer together.

Do you have fond memories of Ramadan?

I was in a village called Kýyýköy in Kýrklareli in 1974 at the time of
Ramadan. Together with the villagers, I would get up for sahur (a
small meal eaten before dawn; the final meal before the day’s fast
begins). This is a fond memory for me.

What is a typical day for you?

Among the patriarch’s duties is inspection of the churches and
attending liturgies at churches. I attend to my appointments.

Do you have hobbies?

I like traveling.

Where do you like to go most?

Jerusalem. I try to go there once a year. In Turkey I like to go along
the Bosporus. One of the places I like most is Kýyýköy. I also like
Mersin.

Do you watch television?

I usually watch news on TV.

Don’t you watch any of the hundreds of television series?

I watch "Yeþeren Düþler" (Revived Dreams)."

Why do you like that series?

It is about real life in a small village where one family tries to
domineer over the others. It is a real life situation.

How many patriarchates are there in the world?

In the world there are 23 patriarchs. In the Armenian church, there
are four patriarchates, the first one is in Armenia and the others are
in Lebanon, Jerusalem and Ýstanbul.

Are there different levels or are you all equal?

The Catholicosate in Armenia comes first. All others are autonomous.
We don’t meddle in each others’ affairs much.

A Muslim leader, Mehmed the Conqueror, founded the Patriarchate in
Ýstanbul in 1461. What is the significance of this?

The founding of the Armenian Patriarchate in Ýstanbul is unique. It
marks the first time in history that a Muslim sultan established a
Christian center. It’s quite positive for inter-religious dialogue.

What are the Turkish-Armenian community’s feelings toward the new government?

The community’s attitude toward the AK Party is generally positive.
One of the main reasons behind this is CHP’s aggressive attitude,
especially regarding the law on foundations. Because of this our
community tends to support the AK Party.

Are there Armenians interested in politics, interested in being
candidates perhaps?

Yes, there have been a few people.

Would they be interested in becoming independent candidates or be
under the umbrella of a party?

Most of them tend to support the AK Party.

If the AK Party had approached them, would they have entered politics?

They might have.

Have there been any Armenian members of Parliament in the history of
the republic?

I know one who was a school principal, indeed my principal, at the
Esayan school that I went to. Her name was Hermine Kalustyan.

Do you remember what year and from which political party?

I think from the CHP. The year escapes my memory.

What could have changed if there was an Armenian member of Parliament?

First of all we would have been represented. No members of any
minority groups — be it Jews, Armenians or Greeks — have been
represented in Parliament, even though it is our Parliament too.

Do you think the investigation into the murder of Hrant Dink has been
conducted thoroughly?

I’d like the real perpetrators behind this crime to be found.
Otherwise justice won’t be served.

Are you worried?

I’m worried about radical nationalist movements. We need to exercise
more tolerance in society. The same applies to relations with Armenia;
we need academics, young people and artists from both sides to visit
each other’s country more.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan has suggested the formation of a
committee of historians from both sides plus other countries to study
the history of the relations, but has not gotten a response from
Armenia.

His suggestion was quite positive. I don’t understand why the Armenian
side did not respond well to such a positive approach to study the
events of 1915.

You said ‘the events of 1915.’ Do you think there was a genocide?

We had big problems in the past; I find in particular the approach of
Ýttihat Terakki’s collective punishment of Armenians quite wrong. It
wasn’t the whole Armenian community who took up arms against the
government, but I believe the Turkish Republic should not be accused
of what happened then. The diaspora would say that it should be
accused as long as there is a denial of what happened

What do you think of the ‘Armenian genocide resolution’ pending in the
US Congress?

It’s quite negative because the Armenian genocide resolution pending
in the US Congress disrupts both the relations between Turkish people
and Armenians in Turkey and between Turkey and Armenia.

How so?

We are the ones here living with our Turkish friends every day. The
resolution’s passage would have a cooling effect on our relations.

Doesn’t the Armenian diaspora in the US think of these sensitivities
that you’ve just talked about?

I don’t think they care about our relations here. It’s a political
issue for them.

Do they have any contact with you?

No, they don’t.

Do you have any contact with them?

No, I don’t. There was a conference about the genocide issue in Dallas
that I was invited to attend and I did go. Armenian-Americans
protested my speech.

Why?

I presume that they see my approach to the whole issue as a denial of
the genocide. They do not understand the sensitivities involved.

Doesn’t your religious identity mean anything to them?

It seems like it doesn’t.

Would you go to such a meeting again?

I would go again.

So you resist protests…?

I say what I believe is right.

What is the worst scenario if the resolution passes?

Anything can happen. We receive threats every day.

Have you been provided enough protection?

Yes, there are quite a few security personnel around me.

What should Turkey be doing regarding the ‘genocide issue’?

Turkey has been changing in that regard. The issue has been discussed
much more. Turkey has been doing what it can do right now.

Should Turkey open the border with Armenia?

I’d like that because the relations of Turkey and Armenia have been
held hostage to the issue of genocide.

What else can be done?

Both sides need to improve relations among their people. They should
look at the future and not be restricted by history so much.

What can the Turkish government do for the Armenians living in Turkey?

First of all we need schools to be able to have clerics. We have a
shortage of clerics. We have to either send people to Armenia or
Jerusalem to study theology. There are no schools here. I suggest a
faculty of theology in one of the universities in Ýstanbul. We also
need a school of philology here to study the Western Armenian
language, which is different from the Eastern Armenian language.

And the issue of foundations?

Yes, our former president vetoed it.

Do you expect the new president to approve it?

I hope he does.

What is the population of the Armenians living in Turkey?

Approximately 70,000 — the biggest Christian community in Turkey,
living in 23 cities in Anatolia. There are only 26 clerics. With so
few clerics it’s very difficult to bring religious services to the
community. Most of the community, especially in Anatolia, lacks
churches and when the clerics visit the community, they have to pray
in homes.

You’ve been working to have a faculty of theology in Ýstanbul, right?

I’ve been working on this issue with the Higher Education Board (YÖK),
but it wasn’t possible to move forward until after the elections. I
have to follow up on it.

You visited Gen. Yaþar Büyükanýt recently. Why?

He is the head of the Turkish Army. I mentioned our communities in
Anatolia and our desire to visit those people. Without a doubt he
assured us that the gendarmerie forces would provide protection during
such visits. He was quite open and friendly.

What have been your observations during the election process regarding
the secularist-Islamist debate?

I don’t think that secularism is under threat in Turkey. Secularism
has been so entrenched in the society since the time of Atatürk that I
don’t think anybody will be able to remove it.

Has the issue been discussed in the Armenian community?

Our community has been very secular; they do not mix up religious and
civic life at all. Some erroneous reports indicated that I directed
the community to vote for the AK Party, but our community would not
take directions from me about whom to vote for.

[PROFILE]

Who is Mesrob II?

Mesrob II became the 84th patriarch of Turkey’s Armenian Orthodox
community in 1998 after Patriarch Karekin II passed away. Mesrob II
studied theology in 1979-1982 at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in
Israel. He held several positions in Turkey’s churches including
bishop, chairman of the Religious Council, patriarchal vicar for
Ecumenical Affairs, overseer of the Theological Auditorium,
vice-president of the Patriarchal Advisory Council and archbishop. He
is the editor-in-chief of the Shoghagat Theological Review. He has
academically worked on the "Vanakan Vartabed’s Commentary of Davoush
on the Book of Job." He is bilingual in Turkish and English and uses
classical Armenian, Hebrew, French and Italian in his academic
studies.

SEPARATIST REGIME’S ARMED FORCES IN NAGORNO KARABAKH HOLD MILITARY EXERCISES

Azeri Press Agency
[ 14 Sep 2007 12:55 ]

Armed units of the separatist regime in Nagorno Karabakh today started
active phase of the military exercises held since September 5, APA
reports quoting Novosti Armenia.

The armed forces staff chairman of the criminal regime in occupied
Azerbaijani territories, Levon Mnasakanyan said the exercises are held
in four phases. The first phase includes preparation for defense fight,
second conducting of defense fight, third preparation for attack and
the fourth attack operations. The war games will end on September
15.

NEWS FROM CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY
One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866
Tel: 714-628-7271
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Mary Platt
9/12/2007

Armenian Genocide to be Examined
at Chapman University on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m.

Professor Richard G. Hovannisian of UCLA, Recognized as One of the
World’s Preeminent Scholars of Armenian History, Speaks at Chapman as
part of the Holocaust Lecture Series

ORANGE, Calif. – A UCLA professor who is recognized as one of the
world’s preeminent expert on Armenian history will give a lecture, "Must
We Still Remember? The Armenian Genocide as Prototype," on Tuesday,
Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. in the Bush Conference Center, 404 Beckman Hall on
the Chapman University campus in Orange. Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian,
professor of Armenian and Near Eastern history and holder of the
Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History at
UCLA, will speak as part of Chapman’s Schwartz Holocaust Lecture Series.
The event is free of charge and open to the public. Call (714) 628-7377
or go to for more information.
Chapman University is located at One University Drive, Orange,
California 92866.

The Armenian Genocide – also known as the Armenian Massacre – is widely
acknowledged by Western scholars to be the first systematic genocide of
the modern age. As soldiers faced each other on the battlefields of
World War I, hundreds of thousands of Armenian civilians – men, women
and children; perhaps as many as 1.5 million – were singled out and
murdered throughout the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1918. Under
cover of war, the Armenian population was subjected to deportation, mass
execution and brutal death marches. A fortunate few escaped and were
hidden by their Turkish or Kurdish neighbors and friends. Today, 21
countries officially recognize these events as genocide; the government
of the Republic of Turkey, however, rejects the characterization of the
events as genocide. The United States does not officially use the word
"genocide" to characterize the events, but 40 of the 50 states have
adopted resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide as a historical
event. The controversy over nomenclature continues, and will be
addressed by Dr. Hovannisian in his talk.

Dr. Hovannisian is the author or editor of many books, including Armenia
on the Road to Independence (1967); The Republic of Armenia, 4 volumes
(1971-1996); The Armenian Holocaust (1980), and most recently Looking
Backward, Moving Forward: Confronting the Armenian Genocide (2003) and
The Armenian Genocide: Cultural and Ethical Legacies (2007). He is
currently editing and contributing to a series of volumes on historic
Armenian cities and provinces. He is the first social scientist living
abroad to be elected to the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, and
in 2007 was the first recipient of the "I Witness Award" of the Jewish
World Watch.

The Schwartz Holocaust Lecture Series at Chapman University is presented
by Chapman’s Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education and is funded by the
Jerry and Sally Schwartz Holocaust Education Fund, managed by the
Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Orange County, in
cooperation with the Jewish Community Center of Orange County.

###

ON THE AGENDA OF THE UN 62ND SESSION

Hayoc Ashkharh
12 Sept 2007

Two issues regarding the settlement of the NKR conflict will be
included into the agenda of the UN 62nd Session. The issues, one of
them proposed by Azerbaijan and the other – by GUAM, will be discussed
on September 25.

As reported by Vladimir Karapetyan, Head of the MFA Press and
Information Department, Armenia will not make any statement with regard
to any of the issues, as it considers it unnecessary to discuss them
in the United Nations.

The issues were included into the agenda of the 61st Session of the
General Assembly. One of them, submitted by the initiative of GUAM,
concerned the "frozen conflicts," while the other, submitted by
Azerbaijan, was on the "Situation of the Occupied Territories". As
the issues were not discussed during the 61st session, they were,
naturally, included into the agenda of the next session.

AZERBAIJAN MAY ARM AGAINST US THROUGH RUSSIA

Lragir.am
11 Sept

Member of Parliament Arthur Aghabekyan, ARF Dashnaktsutyun, chair
of the defense and security committee, the ex-deputy minister of
defense, stated in the seminar on the militarization of the Caucasus
on September 11 although the military budget of Azerbaijan was boosted
considerably, the figures mean very little. "Azerbaijan may boost
its budget to three billion, so may Georgia, but it does not imply
anything. It is possible to be the most effective with a very small
budget," Arthur Aghabekyan says.

Arthur Aghabekyan says if Georgia and Azerbaijan spend their boosted
military assignments on the social problems of the army, there is
no reason to worry. Arthur Aghabekyan thinks the better an officer
lives, the less he wants a war. Meanwhile, the member of parliament
says the life of the Azerbaijani officer is very hard.

"If Azerbaijan does not enlarge the personnel but spends more money,
it should worry us," Arthur Aghabekyan says. He says Azerbaijan may
welcome Russia which has seceded from the agreement on the limitation
of armament for the time being, because it is an opportunity for
unlimited armament of the military force. Arthur Aghabekyan says the
agreement was a restricting mechanism for military cooperation between
its members, and without this agreement military cooperation between
Azerbaijan and Russia is a new armament opportunity for our neighbor.