KONSTANTIN ORBELYAN JUBILEE TO BE MARKED IN MOSCOW
PanARMENIAN.Net
26.01.2009 18:17 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Konstantin Orbelyan’s jubilee will be marked in
Moscow on February 24.
As a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter came to know from Armavia national
carrier, the sponsor of the event, Armenian and Russian pop stars
will perform at the concert dedicated to the 80th birthday of the
USSR People’s Artist and composer.
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Jan 25 2009
How Ergenekon evolved: the near past of a clandestine organization
ANKARA – Initial details about the Ergenekon terrorist organization
were published by Can Dündar, a columnist from the Milliyet
daily, and journalist Celal Kazda�Ÿl�± in
the book "Ergenekon," published in 1997. Although Dündar denies
the existence of the Ergenekon organization,
KazdaÃ?ŸlÃ? 2;± argues that the history of this
organization can be traced back to the early ’90s.
Speaking to Today’s Zaman, KazdaÃ?ŸlÃ?±
comme nted on the emergence of Ergenekon, saying: "Ergenekon, which is
not defined as a state within the state or the "deep state,’ is an
entity set up by the CIA in all NATO-member countries in the aftermath
of the Cold War. This was an American invention to fight against
communism. The organization, which did not rely on domestic
legislation, was referred to as Gladio in many NATO countries, but
while measures were taken against this sort of organization in these
countries, it remained influential in Turkey.
The Susurluk accident revealed the activities of this
organization. Ã?°stanbul’s Ziverbey Castle is where those
who tried organizing the March 9, 1971 coup and the intellectuals
supporting them were subjected to torture following a military memo
released on March 12, 1971. Gen. Memduh
Ã?Å`nlütürk was the commander of the Ziverbey
Castle. Those tortured there included �°lhan
Selçuk from the Cumhuriyet
daily. Ã?Å`nlütürk was the first military
officer to make mention of Ergenekon and provided brief details about
its organization."
Kazda�Ÿl 3;?± argues that the Susurluk
accident was an excellent opportunity to deal with the Ergenekon
investigation but that Turkey did not effectively capitalize on
it. Noting that those who survived the initial measures against the
organization took it to another dimension,
KazdaÃ?ŸlÃ?Â& #xB1; also notes that it was no
coincidence that the perpetrators of many murders committed after 1996
were all apprehended because of the "elimination of some parts of the
organization" during this period.
"The first serious assassination attempt made in Turkey after Nov. 3,
1996 targeted Human Rights Association [�°HD] President
Ak�±n Birdal.
The attackers, Bahri Eken and Kerem Deretarla, were detained shortly
after the attack. The perpetrators of most of the criminal acts,
including assault, murder and arson, were all apprehended. Suspects in
an attack on the Council of State, the Hrant Dink assassination, the
Father Santoro murder and the Malatya massacre were arrested shortly
after the incidents took place. However, such acts and offenses used
to remain unresolved before 1996. Retired Gen. Veli
Küçük was the first to arrive at the scene so as
to claim the body of Abdullah �atl�±, who died in
the car accident in Susurluk on Nov. 3, 1996."
KazdaÃ?ŸlÃ? ± said.
Kazda�Ÿl�± doubts that Ergenekon might
have deliberately been unveiled so that its leader could set up a
different organizational
structure. Kazda�Ÿl�± attributes this to
the Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) eagerness to distance itself
from this organization, adding that leftist-nationalist circles are
feeling close to the new entity. Noting that leftist parties expended
much effort revealing the details of the Susurluk scandal because
�atl�± was known for his affiliation with the
MHP, Kazda�Ÿl�± also said: "Leftist
parties held that this illegal entity involved the nationalists
alone. They are now opposed to the ongoing investigation because this
illegal entity took a different shape and form after being named
Ergenekon."
Traces of Feb. 28
Turkey has started questioning the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup now
that the Ergenekon investigation is under way because it has become
obvious that this organization played a determinative role in social
upheavals prior to the Feb. 28 process, which started with allegations
implying that the Welfare Party (RP)-True Path Party (DYP) coalition
government was not competent in dealing with religious fundamentalism.
Official visits by then Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan to Libya and
Nigeria raised tension in relations between the government and the
General Staff. Allegations were made indicating that military officers
discharged from the army were employed in municipalities run by RP
mayors. A fast-breaking dinner held with the participation of
religious leaders and sheiks at the official residence of the prime
minister, plans to build a mosque in Ã?°stanbul’s Taksim
Square and the re-conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque
heralded a new era of fear.
A polemic between Ã?°stanbul’s Mayor of Sultanbeyli Nabi
Koçak and Gen. Do�Ÿu
SilahçÃ?&#x C2;±oÃ?Ÿlu, who asked for the
erection of a statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in the town,
increased the tension. After retiring from the military,
Silahç�±o&#x C3;?Ÿlu began working for the
Cumhuriyet daily as a columnist. In his last column before the
initiation of the Ergenekon investigation,
Silahç�± ;o�Ÿlu argued that it was no
longer possible to deal with the Justice and Development Party (AK
Party) while relying on democratic
methods. SilahçÃ?±oÃ?Å ¸lu has not
published any article in the paper since. High-ranking military
officers convened in G�¶lcük on Jan. 22, 1997 to
discuss whether religious fundamentalism had become influential in the
country. Labor and business unions, professional organizations and
trade associations began speaking out against the government. Women’s
organizations held rallies to protest Shariah and promote
secularism. The General Staff started briefing members of the
judiciary, university rectors and journalists on religious
fundamentalism at its headquarters. The National Security Council
(MGK) made a number of decisions in its meeting on Feb. 28, 1997, and
presented them to Prime Minister Erbakan for approval. Erbakan was
forced to sign the decisions.
Erbakan subsequently resigned, handing over the prime ministry to his
coalition partner, Tansu Ã?iller. He presented the signatures of
270 deputies stating that they would vote for the suggested Cabinet to
President Süleyman Demirel, who was expected to ask
Ã?iller to form the Cabinet; however, surprisingly, he asked
Motherland Party (ANAP, now ANAVATAN) leader Mesut
Y�±lmaz to do so. The government formed by
Y�±lmaz was unable to get a vote of confidence in
Parliament. At this point, Demirel intervened in the process and asked
his confidants in the DYP to resign and join the Party for a
Democratic Turkey (DTP), founded by Hüsamettin Cindoruk,
thereby forming an alternative coalition government.
Why is Cindoruk serving as an advocate of Ergenekon?
The reason that former Parliament Speaker Hüsamettin Cindoruk,
who was removed from the political stage because of his role in the
Feb. 28 process, now serves as an advocate of Ergenekon may be found
in the works of the parliamentary commission set up to investigate
unresolved murders. Bing�¶l deputy Hüsamettin
Korkutata, who served on the commission at the time, comments on
Cindoruk’s mission during this period: "The military commanders
obstructed our work. We failed to get depositions from the military
officers because they asked Parliament Speaker Cindoruk to block our
work. We had noticed the traces of Ergenekon in our work back
then. Some groups were committing offenses and the state was hiding
their actions. All were aware that these groups were working in
cooperation with PKK informants and that Veli
Küçük held a crucial position in the
organization. It has become evident that their only concern was money
and material gain, rather than national sentiments. The commission
members had to deal with obstructions by Chief of General Staff
Gen. Do�Ÿan GüreÅŸ and other
high-ranking military commanders. We wanted to hear from some military
officers serving in the Special Warfare Unit in an attempt to get some
information about the murder of SavaÅŸ Buldan. Cindoruk
told us not to do this because the military was opposed to it."
The Western Study Group (BÃ?G) was another important entity that
came out of the Feb. 28 process. The group was formed within the naval
forces and assigned to collect information on fundamentalist
tendencies and actors within the state. The military has always denied
the existence of such an organization; however, a legal process was
initiated after Cpl. Kadir Sarmusak leaked information to the police
department. Sarmusak was acquitted by the military court, but the
military judges serving on the panel that ruled for Sarmusak’s
acquittal were all discharged from the military.
Resolved murders still inspire unanswered questions
There haven’t been any unresolved murders in Turkey since the
assassination of scientist Necip Hablemito�Ÿlu. This
implies that the perpetrators of murders since 2003 have either been
identified or caught; however, there are also murders that have
remained a mystery despite their perpetrators having been
identified. These include the murders of Ã?`zdemir
Sabanc�±, Hrant Dink and Father Andrea Santoro and the
attack on the Zirve publishing house in Malatya.
SabancÃ?±’s murderer was identified at the last
moment. He was murdered by Revolutionary People’s Liberation
Party/Front (DHKP/C) militants Mustafa Duyar, Ismail Akkol and Fehriye
Erdal on Jan. 9, 1996.
Duyar turned himself in at the Turkish Embassy in Damascus on Jan. 6,
1997. Duyar, who confessed the details of how they committed the
murder, said Erdal, an employee at the Sabanc�± Business
Center, confused the rooms. Duyar also said: "The target was
Sak�±p Sabanc�±. Because of the mix-up,
�`zdemir Sabanc�± and Haluk
G�¶rgün were murdered." The murder was seemingly
resolved; however, subsequent developments have inspired new questions
that remain unanswered.
Duyar was murdered in prison by the men of Vedat and Nuri Ergin, also
known as the Karagümrük gang, on Feb. 15, 1999. Erdal
was seized in Belgium on Oct. 27, 1999; however, she was never
extradited to Turkey. She is still at large, wanted by the Belgian
authorities.
In a book titled "Code," Zihni �ak�±r argued that
SabancÃ?±’s murder was organized by Abdullah
�atl�±, Hüseyin Kocada�Ÿ and
military officer Hüseyin Pepekal. The book also argues that
Erdal and Duyar were both used by intelligence units.
Mystery surrounding Hrant Dink murder
The perpetrators of the murder of Dink, a Turkish journalist of
Armenian descent, were apprehended shortly after the incident on
Jan. 19, 2007. It quickly became evident that the murder was committed
by Ogun Samast from Trabzon, but police informant Erhan Tuncel had
warned security forces of the planned murder months before.
This murder, which was committed in �°stanbul, also
pointed to something happening in the city of Trabzon, where Father
Santoro had been assassinated. First, military officers serving in the
provincial military unit were removed from office. Regional
Gendarmerie Commander Col. Ali Ã?`z was reassigned to
Bilecik. An investigation has only recently been launched into Ramazan
Akyürek, chairman of the Trabzon Police Department’s
Intelligence Unit.
Ã?`z spoke before the parliamentary Commission on Human Rights,
where he expressed concern for his life, adding that he would not
testify.
Prosecutors investigating the Dink murder demanded that the General
Staff hand over the ongoing investigation into Ã?`z; however,
the General Staff did not comply with the request. Ã?`z was
later assigned to General Staff headquarters. CoÅŸkun
�° 3;?Ÿci, uncle by marriage of Yasin Hayal,
who incited Samast to commit the murder, reportedly notified
gendarmerie Sgt. Veyşel �ahin of the
murder beforehand; however, Col. Ã?`z recommended that
�°�Ÿci not discuss such topics. As the
arguments suggesting that intelligence about the murder was
deliberately overlooked have become stronger, inquiries have been made
to reveal Ã?`z’s past.
Col. Ã?`z was allegedly involved in the Ulucanlar Prison
operation, which occurred when he was serving under Ankara Provincial
Gendarmerie Commander Col. Kemal Bayalan. Ten inmates were killed
during the operation in September 1999. Ã?`z was the first to
arrive at the crime scene where Professor Ahmet Taner
K�±ÅŸlal �± was
murdered. These may be coincidences; however, Turkey’s recent past
suggests that this sort of coincidence is unlikely.
The report prepared by the Prime Ministry Inspection Board with regard
to the Dink murder stressed that there were many vague points
requiring clarification and that public authorities had made grave
mistakes. For this reason, permission for a thorough investigation
into Akyürek has been granted.
The brutal incident in which Necati Ayd�±n, Tilmann
Geske and U�Ÿur Yüksel were brutally murdered in
Malatya was seemingly resolved. Even though the perpetrators have been
apprehended, further investigation has revealed that there are still
ambiguities in the case and that there may have been other actors
involved.
Sa�Ÿlar: There are 17,547 unresolved murders
Fikri Sa�Ÿlar, a member of the parliamentary commission
set up to investigate the Susurluk incident, which revealed
connections and cooperation between the police, politicians and
criminal gangs, argues that there are 17,547 unresolved murders in
Turkey. Noting that members of parliamentary commissions investigating
these murders have had to deal with many obstacles,
Sa�Ÿlar also said, "Three of my friends who were trying
to shed light on these murders were killed."
Stressing that the work of these commissions was obstructed by an
"invisible hand," Sa�Ÿlar says illegal entities within
the state were responsible for most of these murders. Emphasizing that
the Gladio-like organization founded in Turkey during the Cold War era
was the major actor in a number of unresolved murders and social
disturbances, Sa�Ÿlar argues that while most NATO
countries got rid of their Gladios, Turkey failed to follow the same
path.
Noting that these commissions have prepared excellent reports
resolving the plots staged by shadowy actors in Turkey but that the
political administrations have failed to implement their
recommendations, Sa�Ÿlar says the Ergenekon
investigation is Turkey’s last chance to purge the state of illegal
entities. "If the report prepared by the Susurluk commission and those
written up by the parliamentary commission for unresolved murders had
been considered by the prosecutors and the political administrations,
maybe we would not be talking about Ergenekon today. For this reason,
the prosecutors in the Ergenekon case should carefully review these
two reports. Both reports have clues and information about the deep
state. If these clues are traced, the illegal entities within the
state may be effectively eliminated. If we do not use this chance, we
will come back to the same point 10 years later," he explains.
By ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Source: TZ
PanARMENIAN.Net
Baku doesn’t settle down, insists on "Russian armament delivery to Armenia"
24.01.2009 13:20 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Official Baku will continue investigation of
"delivery of Russian weapons to Armenia," said a spokesman for the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
"There was a similar incident in 1996. The Foreign Ministry will study
any information and facts regarding to the issue," Elhan Polukhov
said, Novosti Azerbaijan reports.
Baku’s accusation campaign started after publication of some media
reports about delivery of Russian armament to the amount of $800
million to Armenia. Some two weeks ago, Azeri ANS TV quoted Russian
Defense Ministry’s spokesman Alexander Petrunin as saying that "Russia
delivered military hardware to Armenia in the framework of a
transnational agreement."
The Russian Foreign Ministry refuted the information. "Such untrue
anti-Russian publications undermine friendly relations between the
Russian Federation and Azerbaijan," it said in a note sent to the
Azeri MFA.
AMBASSADOR OF PHILIPPINES PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF ARMENIA
armradio.am
23.01.2009 10:50
The newly appointed Ambassador of Philippines to Armenia, Victor
Garcia III presented the copies of his credentials to the Foreign
Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian.
The interlocutors discussed the possible ways of development of
relations between Armenia and Philippines.
Reference was made to the issue of expanding cooperation between the
two countries within international organizations, particularly the
UN and its specialized agencies.
GEORGIA ACCUSES TO ARMENIANS OF ESPIONAGE
PanARMENIAN.Net
23.01.2009 18:32 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The intelligence agency at the Georgian Ministry
of Interior has detained two members of the Armenian community on
suspicion of espionage.
Grigory Minasyan and Sargis Hakobjanyan were detained in Samtskhe
Javakheti on January 22.
A criminal case in compliance with articles 18.1, 223.1 and 314
(formation of illegal armed unit and espionage) of the Georgian Penal
Code was initiated, Georgia Online reports.
January 23, 2009
Press Release
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
PRELATE TO CELEBRATE DIVINE LITURGY AT HOLY TRINITY CHURCH IN FRESNO ON THE
108TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE PARISH
This weekend, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, will
visit the Fresno community where he will celebrate Divine Liturgy at Holy
Trinity Church on Sunday, January 25th, in celebration of the 108th
anniversary of the parish.
During the service, the Prelate will present parish pastor Rev. Fr.
Vahan Gosdanian with a Pontifical Encyclical by His Holiness Catholicos Aram
I, granting him the privilege of bearing an ornamental cope.
Following Divine Liturgy, the Prelate will preside over the
anniversary celebration, which will take place in the church hall, during
which he will convey his message to the guests. Executive Council members
Mr. Khatchig Yeretzian and Mr. Varoujan Der Simonian will also be in
attendance. Three longtime servants of the church will also be honored for
their service and dedication to the parish.
On Saturday evening, the Prelate will meet with the Pastor,
Delegates, and Board of Trustees to discuss the recent endeavors of the
parish and their upcoming endeavors.
On Sunday afternoon, the Prelate will attend the 118th anniversary
of the A.R.F. The keynote speaker is Bureau member Dr. Viken Hovsepian.
PRELATE WELCOMES DAVIDIAN & MARIAMIAN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
REPRESENTATIVES
On the afternoon of Wednesday, January 21st, the Prelate welcomed to
the Prelacy representatives of Davidian and Mariamian Educational
Foundation, Board Chairman Mr. Vahik Satoorian and Academic Director Dr.
Onnik Hairapetyan.
The guests briefed the Prelate on the recent and upcoming activities
of the Foundation, specifically the Telethon scheduled for May 17th.
The Prelate commended the dedication of the Foundation members and
once again affirmed the support of the Prelacy.
The Davidian and Mariamian Foundation, which was established two
decades years, has witnessed tremendous growth over the years and today
serves a large number of Armenian students in public schools.
PRELATE TO BE REPRESENTED AT
THE ANNUAL RESPECT LIFE MASS
H.E. Cardinal Roger Mahony has extended an invitation to the Prelate
to participate in the annual Respect Life Mass. The Mass has been organized
by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and will take place on the evening of
Saturday, January 24th, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los
Angeles.
Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian will represent the Prelate.
CELEBRATING THE FEAST OF ST. JOHN THE FORERUNNER AND THE NAME DAY OF ST.
GARABED CHURCH
On Sunday, January 18th, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, celebrated Divine Liturgy at St. Garabed Church in Hollywood in
honor of the name day of the Church as well the Feast of St. John the
Forerunner which according to the Armenian Church calendar fell on Thursday,
January 15th. Assisting at the altar were Christian Education Co-Director
Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian and parish pastor Archpriest Fr. Vicken
Vassilian.
At the start of his sermon the Prelate thanked Almighty God for
granting the celebration and beseeched the Lord to bless the memories of
those who established the church and faithfully served towards the progress
of the parish. The Prelate commended also the present servants of the
church, the Pastor, Delegates, Board of Trustees, Ladies Auxiliary, Choir,
sponsors, and parishioners who continue to labor for the advancement of the
church.
In his sermon the Prelate reflected on the life of St. John the
Forerunner and on the mission God sent him forth to fulfill. He emphasized
that throughout his life St. John remained unfaltering in his faith and
steadfast in his teachings and prepared disciples for the coming of Christ
by inviting them to live virtuously so that they too would become children
of God.
The Prelate concluded his sermon by calling on the faithful to asses
their lives to ensure that they are applying the teachings of St. John to
their everyday lives, to be resolute in their faith, live and act justly,
love one another, and abide by the Lord’s commandments.
At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy the Prelate blessed the madagh,
which was then distributed to the faithful, after which the Prelate presided
over the reception at "Karapetian" Hall.
30 APPLICATIONS FOR "BEST SCIENTIFIC WORK" AWARD
Panorama.am
18:28 21/01/2009
30 applications have been presented to the "Best scientific work"
state competition, said Hrant Matevosyan, the director of "Development
of Science Foundation" to Panorama.am.
5 nominations are included in the competition: Armenian studies,
social, natural, technical, exact and information sciences.
Special jury committees are formed for each nomination, said
Mr. Matevosyan. The results of the competition will be announced
in March.
PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA RATIFIES BILL ON ALL ARMENIAN BANK
ArmInfo
2009-01-19 17:58:00
ArmInfo. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan ratified the Bill on
the All Armenian Bank on January 17.
Central Bank Chairman Artur Javadyan declared that the bank will
have a status of an open joint stock company. Central Bank and any
other subject of the law will come out as the shareholder on behalf
of the Republic of Armenia. It will become a universal development
bank. The key goal of the bank will be to contribute to formation
of the Diaspora potential based on knowledge and competition in
the international market. The Bank will receive relevant license to
function as a commercial bank. Armenian Central Bank will control
over the activity of the All Armenian Bank. The authorized capital
of the Bank is to be at least 5 billion drams, the standard for
commercial banks in Armenia. The side of the authorized capital,
which is envisaged at the level of 100 million dollars or 30 billion
drams, will be defined in the Bank’s business program. The share
of the government in the authorized capital of the bank will be at
least 20%, the remaining shares will be offered to representatives
of business cycles, entrepreneurs, and ordinary citizens including
non-residents. The Bank will have executive body and directorate. The
head and the members of the Bank Council will undergo attestation
by the Armenian CB. A. Javadyan said Central Bank of Armenia plans
to approve 6 billion drams to the Bank on behalf of the Republic of
Armenia. The bank will make investments only in profitable projects
and compete with local commercial banks. The Bank will announce
its programs at least on 1 November of each year. The program are to
undergo relevant examination and data on the programs will be available
at the Bank’s website. The Bank will also get an opportunity to take
big deposits. Management structures will be created at the bank on the
basis of corporate management principles. The Bank’s activity will
meet the activity of local commercial banks. Thus, annual activity
of the Bank is to undergo compulsory international audit. The Bank
will also get opportunity to place funds in the securities market.
Governmental Council for Competitiveness will supervise the
activity of the All Armenian Bank. The programs prior to the
Council for Competitiveness and the Government will become prior
also to the Bank. These are programs in the sectors of education,
tourism, health care, science, finance and infrastructures. The
Bank will receive also certain taxation privileges. In particular,
it will be exempted from profit tax that will be used to implement
business-project of Diaspora. In addition, the bank will pay state
tax for registration and license. In this connection, alterations and
amendments are proposed in the first reading to the Laws On Income
Tax, On State Tax and On Banks and Banking Activity. A. Javadyan
said the Bank will operate outside Armenia and finance projects
by representatives of Armenian Diaspora. Projects in Armenia will
be implemented with direct involvement of local commercial banks
through syndicated loans. Thus, when implemented a 30 billion drams
project, the Bank will provide 80% of funds, and commercial banks
will allocate the remaining 20%. In the territory of Armenia the All
Armenian Bank will not directly participate in financing of projects.
The Bank will have branches in various states. The Bank will have
11 members that will receive award fees (if it is a foreign citizen)
for travel and residence costs etc.. The members of the Bank will be
Armenian prime minister, finance minister, economy minister, chairman
of Central Bank, agricultural minister, minister of transport and
communication and the most prominent representatives of Armenian
Diaspora representing foreign business-cycles and banks. The bank’s
activity will be transparent. The bank will be found and registered
in an accelerated regime within 3 months instead of usual 6-12 months
required for registration of commercial banks.
RA PRESIDENT: ARMENIA INTERESTED IN DEMOCRACY STRENGTHENING
PanARMENIAN.Net
16.01.2009 12:49 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Serzh Sagrsyan met Thursday with
rapporteurs of the monitoring committee of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe, Mr. Georges Colombier and Mr. John Prescott,
to discuss the issues referring to implementation of PACE resolutions
1609 and 1620, the RA leader’s press office told PanARMENIAN.Net.
The Armenian President thanked the rapporteurs for their arrival on
the threshold of the PACE plenary session and emphasized that Armenia
is interested in strengthening democracy.
IT IS NECESSARY TO RID OF ILLUSIONS AND RETURN TO THE REALITY
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
12:25:49 – 15/01/2009
What is happening in the Gaza area on these days is a real humanitarian
disaster, a human tragedy. The Israeli-Palestinian war takes the lives
of innocent people, children, the wounded do not get medical aid,
there is no drinking water, people hardly survive. In this sense,
when innocent people are killed, when the peaceful population suffers,
the situation is to be condemned, no matter who wages a war and for
what purpose.
However, it is not news that in the world, whoever launches or wages
a war, its consequences for peaceful people are hardly ever taken
into consideration. On the other hand, most wars begin to protect the
peaceful population from regular attacks. Israel says to have launched
the war because the southern cities of Israel were regularly shelled
by Hamas from the Gaza area. To guarantee their security, since Hamas
did not respond to the calls to stop shelling, the army of Israel
entered the Gaza area to neutralize the fire emplacements of Hamas.
The people who track the news on the war from afar are divided into
two parts. One part sympathizes with the Arabs because they have
appeared in inhumane conditions and would not surrender, the other
part is for Israel which does not hesitate to defend its interests
with weapon despite the calls of the international community and th
e Muslim world, does not fear from the fact of being surrounded by
Arabs and protects its own state. Of course, underneath these human
judgments there is great politics, there are interests of great powers,
interests which perform a role both in terms of the staunch of Arabs
and boldness of Israel.
In our case the problem is judgment, the judgment of Armenians. After
the war in Gaza official Yerevan made a neutral statement, holding
out hope that the problem will be solved with peace. Perhaps more
would have been unnecessary. From unofficial Yerevan only the union
of Armenian volunteers spoke up which condemned the step of Israel
and supported the Arabs. There were individual responses, at the
level of political scientists, who mostly sympathize with the Arabs
and condemn the action of Israel. In addition, it should be noted
that response from Armenia is not based on the humanitarian factor
but political evaluation. If it were the humanitarian factor, it is
quite possible that we sympathize with the Arabs, not Israel. However,
the response refers to the political aspect.
On the whole, we may say that the Armenian official and unofficial
community is not adequate to the situation. It is adequate to its own
state of soul and mind. The point is that it was difficult to expect
other response from Armenia to the recurrent Arab-Israeli conflict
because the Armenian officials, experts, as well as the most part o f
the public and political community is guided by stereotypes, complexes.
Since we have always been victims, or historically we have mostly
been victims, we consciously and subconsciously sympathize with
victims. Besides, we may also think that since Israel does not
recognize the Armenian genocide, and the world is ruled by the Jews
who plot conspiracies against the Armenians, we must not be loyal to
any step of Israel. Meanwhile, several important circumstances in the
unofficial response from Armenia are ignored, which are worthwhile
to focus on in viewing the Israeli-Arab conflict. For instance, that
it has been a long time we were not victims, we are a winner society
and we must display mature judgment in such situations rather than
instill inhibitions and a feeling of victim in our society with a
weeping image of a future victim.
And most importantly the current Israeli-Arab conflict is evidence to
one more thing that there is no more reliable guarantee of security
than one’s own position. It should be taken into account and displayed
to the figures who are preparing to return territories to Azerbaijan
in return for international guarantees of security of Karabakh. The
example of Israel is the best evidence that there are only one’s own
guarantees of security, never international. And instead of telling
the world that by failing to condemn Israel the world encourages other
countries such as Azerbaijan to take similar actions, the Armenian
community should tell themselves that it is necessary to rid of the
illusion of international guarantees and return to the reality and
reinforce the reality rather than put it up for political sale.