Author: Hunanian Jack

ARGISHTI KIVIRYAN OUT OF DANGER

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.04.2009 10:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Argishti Kiviryan is out of danger, a source told
PanARMENIAN.Net.

The medical examination showed that there no bullet wounds but he
has serious bodily injuries. His health state is rated as grave.

Life of Armenian Today news agency coordinator Argishti Kiviryan was
attempted last night.

Kiviryan was assaulted at 5 am near his house. Unknown beat him
severely and took shots at him.

At the moment he is in the resuscitation department.

Details are not made public. Kiviryan’s associates link the incident
to his professional activity.

IGOR MURADYAN FORESEES NEW POLITICAL MISALLIANCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.04.2009 21:53 GMT+04:00

ARF Dashnaktsutyun seceded from the ruling coalition because ANC
leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan and President Serzh Sargsyan may join,
according to an Armenian analyst Igor Muradyan.

He came to this conclusion while analyzing coincidences of two
political leaders’ views on relations with Turkey.

Mr. Muradyan disproved statements by Armenian analytics that U.S. and
EU are interested in opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. He deems
Russia is the reason.

"Turkey adapts the policy to its internal needs and is
successful. However, it contradicts to interests of the United States,
whose decision to develop a special system to frighten Turkey dates
back to 1990s," he said.

"Assurances that the U.S. is interested in soonest normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations are groundless. Europeans are not interested
in Armenia but they can us as a tool to prevent Turkey joining the EU,"
Igor Muradyan said.

JOINT HISTORY OF TURKISH AND ARMENIAN NATIONS SHOULD BE EVALUATED WITH AN OBJECTIVE AND SCIENTIFIC APPROACH, MGK

Anadolu Agency
April 28 2009
Turkey

ANKARA (A.A) – 28.04.2009 – In a meeting held on Tuesday, the Turkish
National Security Council (MGK) stressed that "joint history of
Turkish and Armenian nations should be evaluated with an objective
and scientific approach that is supported by undisputable proofs and
documents and is free of all pre-conceived notions".

The MGK discussed Turkey’s would-be additional contributions to the
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

In a statement issued after today’s meeting, the MGK said that issues
pertaining to Turkey’s security were discussed and a will to continue
the fight against terror in democracy and a setting under the rule
of law was stressed.

"We have evaluated our relations with Iraq and discussed in details
the fight against terrorist incidents stemming from north of Iraq. The
issue of Turkey’s energy needs was discussed from political, strategic
and diplomatic perspectives. We welcome with pleasure the early
elections that took place in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) in a peaceful atmosphere," the MGK also said. (SOL)

Pasadena Star News, CA
April 26 2009

Guest View: Just one choice for genocide
Posted: 04/25/2009 08:01:48 AM PDT

There were a number of reasons President Obama might have, like George
Bush, formally denied the Armenian Genocide again this year.
And by not calling it genocide in the statement he released on Friday,
he did just that, and we’re terribly disappointed in his decision. He
made some strong points – but again stepped back from telling the full
truth about what happened in 1915.

The president can argue America should continue to defer to the
Republic of Turkey’s position on the genocide, which is that it never
happened. Second, he could argue that the geo-politics, the need for
Turkish assistance in Afghanistan and Iraq, make the Armenian Genocide
a taboo that cannot be broached, at least not now. Third, he could
assert that the genocide is a matter of the historical record and so
it should not be considered in the political arena.

The president could make these arguments. But on each score, he’s
wrong.

The president’s first option of deferring to Turkey has a rich
precedent at the White House. The modern history of outsourcing
American foreign policy with respect to the genocide of Armenians was
begun in the Reagan era under George Schultz. It was an August 1982
edition of the State Department Bulletin that announced that the
"historical record of the 1915 events in Asia Minor is ambiguous."
>From this obscure document, administration after administration has,
contrary to the scholarly record, engaged in a transparent exercise of
denying genocide every April, the month we mark the anniversary of the
Genocide. What makes this policy so awkward is that it ignores that
our nation’s humanitarian campaign in response to the genocide set the
stage for the 20th-century development of American international human
rights work.

Presidents continue to make the "not now" argument and defer, for
another more convenient day, the truth. This approach has,
perennially, found fertile ground in the halls of Congress and the
confines of the West Wing. Mike Pence, R-Ind., took this approach in
2007 after admitting that there was a genocide at a congressional
hearing, explaining that "with American troops in harm’s way dependent
on critical supply routes available through an alliance that we enjoy
with the nation of Turkey, I submit that at this time, this is not the
time for this nation to speak on this dark chapter of history." This
same argument is carted out annually, with a dull familiarity, no
matter the circumstances in the Middle East.

The last and most precious option is to argue that you can’t legislate
history by declaring a genocide and that Armenians and Turks ought to
work this difficult matter among themselves. White House spokesman
Gordon Johndroe under George W. Bush explained this best when he
argued that the determination of whether "the events constitute a
genocide should be a matter for historical inquiry, not legislation."
President Obama touched on this argument when he made the following
remark to Turkish parliamentarians in Ankara earlier this month: "I
know there’s strong views in this chamber about the terrible events of
1915. And while there’s been a good deal of commentary about my views,
it’s really about how the Turkish and Armenian people deal with the
past. And the best way forward for the Turkish and Armenian people is
a process that works through the past in a way that is honest, open
and constructive."

The argument that a conflict requires a resolution does have
merit. What that argument ignores, in this instance, is that the crime
of genocide demands justice.

President Obama could have shaped and defined his administration’s
position on the most essential human rights subject of our time – the
crime of genocide. He also could continue the practice of kow-towing
to Turkey by denying the reality of the genocide. This would continue
a Bush-era tradition of our nation outsourcing to Turkey its policy on
the Armenian Genocide.

The better option for America, the moral option, the option consistent
with our values, is for President Obama to soon affirm the Armenian
Genocide, even after choosing not to last week. America’s complicity
in Turkey’s genocide denial is bound to collapse one day. What better
president to end the big lie than an improbable messenger of hope –
Barack Obama.

Raffi Hamparian was formerly a senior legislative assistant on foreign
affairs matters for Rep. Steve Rothman, D-N.J. He lives in San Marino
with his wife and three daughters.

ns/ci_12225632

EuroNews – English
April 25, 2009 Saturday

Genocide issue troubles Armenia-Turkey rapprochement

Armenia and Turkey may be approaching an understanding on their
troubled shared history, but memories of mass-killings still loom
large over relations between the two countries.

In a day of remembrance Armenia has been honouring the victims of what
it says was genocide by Ottoman Turks in World War One.

Turkey denies that as many as 1.5 million Armenians died and says that
the mass-killings were part of a wider conflict that claimed the lives
of many Turks as well.

It has been the biggest source of hostility between the two countries
for nearly a century. However, in an historic agreement on the eve of
today’s commemoration, both agreed on a road map to normalise ties. It
is a first step along what is expected to be a long path to
reconciliation.

"I welcome the fact that our countries are moving closer," one student
said. "But it’s unacceptable that our leaders can forget the genocide
and forget what the Turks have done to our great-grandfathers. I can’t
understand how they can sign an accord and forget the genocide."

Diplomatic sources say that the road map has yet to be signed, but add
that it sets a timeframe for the establishment of relations and the
opening of borders. It also plans for a special historical commission
to consider Armenia’s genocide claims.

But the issue is also complicated by Turkey’s relations with
Azerbaijan, which Ankara supported when Armenian-backed separatists in
Nagorno-Karabakh broke away 1993. An Azeri backlash could derail the
Armenia deal.

TURKEY MUST NOT BE ACCUSED OF UNCONFIRMED CRIME: TURKISH MP

TREND
April 24 2009
Azerbaijan

The Turkish opposition Nationalist Movement Party (NMP) said it is
not convincing that U.S. President Barack Obama will sound a genocide
expression at the congress on April 24.

"Turkey must not be accused of the unconfirmed crime which it did not
commit," Turkish Parliamentarian from the NMP Shenol Bal told Trend
News in a telephone conversation from Ankara on April 24.

Every year on April 24 Armenians mark anniversary of the so-called
"genocide", falsifying historical facts, making baseless claims
against Ankara. In 2006, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
proposed to Armenian President to create a joint commission. However,
the Armenian side did not accept the proposal saying that it did not
have a doubt on interpretation of the event.

Bal believes the U.S. president has not yet changed his opinion on
"alleged genocide" issue.

"Obama’s opinion on "genocide" issue is known, but despite this,
it is not convincing that a genocide expression will be sounded at
the congress. I think U.S. will not take such a step," Bal said.

RA PRESIDENT: APRIL 24 IS EVER PRESENT IN OUR REALITY

PanArmenian News
April 25 2009
Armenia

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian nation had defeats and victories, loses
and achievements all through its history. But there’s one dividing
point to our history, April 24 1915.

After this date we had to face a completely different reality, RA
President Serzh Sargsyan told when interviewed by Russia Today RF
TV Channel.

Millions of people were living on their lands, creating cultural
values, but suddenly had to abandon these territories. "Part
of them was killed and another part abandoned territories to
survive. Nowadays there’s practically no country in the world where
the Armenians wouldn’t have settled for residence. Half of today’s
Armenian population is Genocide survivors’ descendants," RA President
noted. According to him, Armenian-Turkish border is the last closed
border in Europe.

"Armenia gained independence in 1991. It’s been 18 years since, but
the border is still closed. I don’t cite the example to say we’re
being blockaded but so that it would be clear that Apr. 24 is ever
present in our reality." Serzhe Sarsyan stressed that as an Armenian
president he has to take every effort to mitigate consequences of
this atrocious crime and prevent its repetition.

International recognition of the Armenian Genocide is the most
effective way to reach it.

ARMEN RUSTAMIAN: IF ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES CHANGE THEIR POLITICAL COURSE ARFD WILL COME OUT OF COALITION

Noyan Tapan
Apr 24, 2009

YEREVAN, APRIL 24, NOYAN TAPAN. We should keep the memory of Armenian
Genocide victims by struggling to restore their lost rights, Armen
Rustamian, a Representative of the ARFD Armenian Supreme Body, who
visited Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex of Armenian Genocide victims
on April 24, stated in his interview to journalists. In his words, we
should not damage, break that struggle. It should be mentioned that
the day before the party adopted a statement condemning the joint
statement of Armenian and Turkish Foreign Ministries the day before
the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Day, on April 23. ARFD declared
its intention to discuss the issue of coming out of the political
coalition one of these days.

According to A. Rustamian, ARFD was taken aback by the hour, conditions
of adopting the statement of RA and Turkish Foreign Ministries,
as well as by the circumstance that the statement’s content was
not discussed with them: "it is certainly, a very important issue
connected with the coalition activity," he emphasized. According to the
ARFD representative, the problem is not statement’s proper content:
ARFD is not against normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations, the
most important is that the statement was adopted the day before April
24. "If the same statement were adopted a month ago, a month later, it
could have absolutely another significance, we would not be indignant
so much. To fit it into the context of the world-known commemoration
day of the Genocide means to carry out what Turkey wishes, directly or
indirectly, that is the problem, and, yes, it can be used by Turkey,"
A. Rustamian said.

In response to the question of when ARFD is going to discuss the issue
of coming out of the ruling coalition A. Rustamian said: "The Armenian
President was not here. <…> We should make sure whether it is a
sign of change in the political course, whether it can be this way:
it indeed can be seen, the continuation will lead to it. These issues
should be made clear with the President." A. Rustamian explained that
if the political course changes ARFD will come out of the coalition
without fail. "We have always been in the coalition for the political
course, <…> it is the main issue for us, otherwise we would also
cooperate with Levon Ter-Petrosian if we did not have a difference
in political courses," he stated.

RUSSIAN MP DOES NOT BELIEVE IN ARMENIAN TURKISH RELATIONS’ LONGEVITY

PanArmenian News
April 22 2009
Armenia

Even if agreement on normalization of Armenian-Turkish ties
is achieved, I still do not believe in the longevity of these
relations, RF MP Semen Baghdasarov said at TV space bridge entitled
"Armenia-Turkey: Progress in bilateral relations or geopolitical
games of world powers?".

"Even if relations between Turkey and Armenian are normalized, still
memories of tragic past will linger both in Armenia and Armenian
Diaspora," the MP stressed.

According to Semen Baghdasarov, Turkey has more to gain from opening of
Armenian-Turkish border than Armenia itself, and Armenian authorities
have to remember this. "By opening border with Armenia, Turkey will
play a more significant role in South Caucasus and strengthen its
presence in Central Asia. No wonder USA supports Armenian-Turkish
border opening," Semen Baghdasarov stated

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT WELCOMES JOINT STATEMENT OF ARMENIA AND TURKEY

NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 23, 2009
WASHINGTON

The U.S. State Department welcomed Armenia’s and Turkey’s joint
statement on coming to an agreement over an all-embracing range of
normalizing the bilateral relations. According to Radio Liberty,
State Department Spokesperson Robert Wood in his interview to the
Francepress agency meanwhile said that the U.S. for a long time and
currently holds the position that normalization should be without
preconditions and in reasonable terms. "We expect to work with the two
governments in support of the normalization and thus to promote peace,
security, and stability in the whole region," the State Department
Spokesperson stated.