Author: Jagharian Tania

YEREVAN DIDN’T RECEIVE PROPOSAL FOR A MEETING BETWEEN ARMENIAN, TURKISH, AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2008 14:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Official Yerevan didn’t receive any proposal for a
meeting between Armenian, Azerbaijani and Turkish Presidents, the RA
Foreign Minister said.

"We were not informed about such initiative," Edward Nalbandian told
a news conference today.

Last week, the Azeri Press Agency quoted Turkey’s Ambassador to
Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic as saying that "a trilateral meeting between
Presidents of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Armenia is expected till the
yearend in Turkey."

Earlier, some Turkish media circulated reports that "Turkish President
Abdullah Gul is readying to take another bold step to contribute to
regional peace in the Caucasus by soon hosting a trilateral summit
with the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan."

MESSAGE DELIVERED TO OBAMA’S UNIVERSITY

Sabah
Nov 14 2008
Turkey

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan spoke at a conference held at the
university from which US President elect Obama Barack graduated,
Columbia University in New York, and stated; "We are expecting the new
US administration to pay close consideration to Turkey’s sensitivities
on certain vital issues."

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, delivered messages to the university
US President elect Barack Obama studied at. Erdogan stated that he
expects Obama to pay close consideration to certain sensitive issues
for Turkey, such as the Armenian genocide claims, and the struggle
against the PKK terrorist organization in northern Iraq.

COMPLIMENT FOR ORHAN PAMUK

For the first time ever, Erdogan mentioned the Nobel award winning,
Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk in a positive light. Erdogan also stated:
"I would like to express the excitement I feel in addressing you in
this cradle of education with more than 250 years of rich history
and rooted knowledge. I am sure that the new President elect Obama
Barack, having graduated from this very university, is a great
source of pride for you all. The fact that a Nobel award-winning
Turkish writer, Mr. Orhan Pamuk is a part of the educating staff is
just another reason for us to hold special importance for Columbia
University." Meanwhile, Erdogan, also called to congratulate the
37-year-old Turkish Professor Murat Gunel for receiving two million
dollars in grants from the United States government in order to further
research genes connected to cerebral hemorrhages. Erdogan, also made
a speech to the United Nations General Committee on "Peace Culture"
prior to his speech at Colombia University. During this speech he
touched on the importance of the struggle against terrorism and said;
"There should no longer be a division between good and bad terrorists,
and protecting terrorists of another country and supporting them
should be abandoned." Also touching upon the issue of freedom of
speech, he stated; "Cautious attention must be paid to the thoughts
put forth, as to how they may affect those from differing cultures,
for example this will be the only way we can change qualifying those
not like us as an ‘other’."

TURKISH PM EXPECTS OBAMA TO CONSIDER HIS COUNTRY’S SENSITIVITIES

Hurriyet
Nov 14 2008
Turkey

Turkey expects the new U.S. administration to take into consideration
Turkey’s sensitivities on matters which have vital importance,
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday.

"I sincerely congratulate Barack Obama and his team who won the
elections. Turkey and the United States, being two allies that have
very strong relations, supporting each other for more than half a
century," the Turkish prime minister said during his speech entitled
"Turkey’s role in giving a shape to the future" at Columbia University.

Erdogan said close cooperation between the two parties contributed
to the restoration of peace, security and prosperity in a region
extending from the Caucasus to Central Asia and from the Middle East
to the Balkans.

Preservation of a strategic partnership between Turkey and the United
States is not only important for the national interests of the two
countries but for global peace and stability as well, he added.

"Turkey and the United States experienced a negative period
regarding terrorist attacks stemming from the north of Iraq and
Armenian allegations regarding the 1915 incidents in 2007. However,
this period could be overcome through common political will and
endeavors. I am grateful for the support given to Turkey in this
respect. Further improvement of relations progressing on the basis of
strategic partners is very important for Turkey," Erdogan was quoted
by the Anatolian Agency as saying.

In addition to relations on politics and security, tangible steps
should be taken in diversifying economic, commercial, social and
cultural relations, he added.

"Turkey is resolved to maintain multilateral and close cooperation
with the new U.S. administration led by Mr. Obama. Naturally,
we particularly expect the new U.S. administration to take into
consideration Turkey’s sensitivities on matters which have vital
importance. This is also important not only for the bilateral relations
but also for peace and security," Erdogan said.

"It is important that Mr. Obama said U.S. support to efforts to deal
with terrorism would continue. We believe that cooperation and spirit
of solidarity between Turkey and the United States would continue to be
a landmark of strategic relations," the Turkish prime minister added.

PRIME MINISTER LEAVES FOR KISHINEV

Panorama.am
16:11 13/11/2008

Today, in the evening the Prime Minister of Armenia TIgran Sargsyan
and the delegation headed by him leaves for Kishinev, Moldova to take
part in the session of Heads of Governments of CIS member countries,
reported the public relations department of the Government.

BOGDAN BORUSEVIC: POLAND SUPPORTS RUSSIA’S POSITION ON KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.11.2008 14:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Poland stands for territorial integrity of Georgia
and supports Russia’s position on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
said Bogdan Borusevic, chairman of the Polish Senate.

"Poland does not criticize all Russia’s actions in the South
Caucasus. We welcome the latest meeting between the Presidents of
Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and the document on inadmissibility
of use of force signed by them," he said, Interfax reports.

ASSISTANCE RENDERED TO ARTSAKH WAR INVALIDS

DE FACTO
Nov 14, 2008

STEPANAKERT, 14.11.08. DE FACTO. Assistance in the amount of 250,
000 drams has been rendered to the invalids, who lost their sight
during Artsakh war.

According to DE FACTO own correspondent in Stepanakert, assistance
has been rendered due to donations of Israelian and Melian, Armenian
philanthropists from Moscow.

The funds were allocated at the Kantegh society; assistance was
given by Hakop Apresian, Celibate Priest of the Artsakh Eparchy of
the Armenian Apostolic Church.

ARMENIANS CRITICIZED GONUL WITH A LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN

ArmInfo
2008-11-13 16:29:00

ArmInfo. A group of more than Turkish-Armenians, in an open letter
to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have voiced their grievances
about remarks from Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul that defended the
deportation of Greeks and Armenians from Anatolia at the beginning
of the last century, describing his comments as "praising ethnic
cleansing and crime." Today’s Zaman reports Gonul, in a speech at
the Turkish Embassy in Brussels on the occasion of the anniversary
of the death of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on Nov. 10, claimed that if
Greeks and Armenians were still living in the country, Turkey would
not be the same nation-state it is today. He also hinted that Armenia
is supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

"If there were Greeks in the Aegean and Armenians in most places in
Turkey today, would it be the same nation-state? I don’t know with
which words I can explain the importance of the population exchange,
but if you look at the former state of affairs, its importance will
become very clear," Gonul said. The group, in their open letter
published on a Web site, stated that Gonul’s remarks contradict the
Constitution, which says that anyone bound to the Turkish Republic
by the citizenship is called a Turk.

"It is very difficult to understand, if we are talking about a
Turkish nation, why the Armenians and Greeks [non-Muslims] cannot
be a part of this nation, when Kurds, Arabs and Albanians [Muslims]
can be? To what extent does this mentality, which underlines that
religious unity is required in order to be a nation, fit in with the
contemporary state of law?" the letter asked. The letter suggested
that the changes made by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK
Party) toward democratization were considered by intellectuals to be
"positive," but that the rivals of the AK Party claimed these changes
are just a disingenuous effort to get the financial support of the
European Union. "The reaction of the AK party to Gonul’s scandalous
remarks will be a very good indicator of the sincerity of the policies
[of AK Party]," the letter claimed.

PRESENTATION OF GAZAROS AGHAYAN’S TORK ANGEGH TRANSLATION TO BE HELD IN MONTREAL

Noyan Tapan

Nov 12, 2008

MONTREAL, NOYEMBER 12, ARMENIANS – NOYAN TAPAN. Presentation of
Gazaros Aghayan’s Tork Angegh translation will be held on November
16 in Monreal’s A. Aharonian Hall. Agop Hacikyan is the translator
and the author of the book. It is illustrated by Talleen Hacikyan
and versified by Edward F. Franchuk.

FILMMAKER EXAMINES GENOCIDE
by Sarah Probst

UW Badger Herald
filmmaker_examines_g.php
Nov 12 2008
WI

Over 90 years after its onset, the murder of over 1 million Armenians
by the Turks in the Armenian genocide in 1915 is still a contentious
issue — and it most certainly hasn’t been forgotten. Documentary
filmmaker Dr. Carla Garapedian made this clear Tuesday night during
a lecture where she addressed this issue head-on.

The event, sponsored by the University of Wisconsin Genocide Awareness
Week and the Armenian Students’ Association, featured a screening of
her documentary "Screamers," a bold glimpse at the gruesome nature
of genocide seen through the lens of the band System of a Down and
set to the soundtrack of their music.

"If you came to see the political issues, I’ve got to warn you about
the music," Garapedian warned. "If you came to hear the music, I’ve
got to warn you about the genocide images."

"Screamers," which has won three awards and been translated into
12 languages, shows members of System of a Down — all four men are
Armenian — as a politically charged unit set to educate lawmakers
and fans alike about the Armenian genocide. At one point in the
documentary, frontman Serj Tankian demands the Turkish government pay
for what it’s done, and the band launches into the song "P.L.U.C.K.,"
or politically lying, unholy, cowardly killers.

Although the documentary begins a political travel diary of the band’s
European tour, the film, released in 2006, eventually evolves into
a broader look at genocide, the tragedies that follow the already
horrific events and why the public has long had little knowledge
about the Armenian genocide in particular.

"The Armenian genocide is actually well-documented — we just don’t
have moving picture," Garapedian explained, acknowledging that videos
from the genocide in Darfur or the ethnic cleansing in Sarajevo have
increased the public’s awareness of these atrocities.

Despite the countless photographs, many world nations — including the
United States — have yet to acknowledge the atrocities that occurred
in Armenia in the early 1900s as actual acts of genocide. For many
countries, Garapedian explained, this is to protect the political
interests of certain countries; some nations may fear that, by
acknowledging the acts of another country as genocide, that country —
the U.S., for example — may be accused of war crimes.

Still, acknowledging any situation as genocide isn’t the end, and
Garapedian indicated there’s still a long road to travel before the
Armenian government may take steps toward doing so.

"[Dealing with genocide is] a process; it’s as if the perpetrators
(are) still going through the process of what’s done," Garapedian
said. "That hasn’t happened in Turkey."

ESTONIA TO DEVELOP COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.11.2008 14:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Estonia’s newly appointed Ambassador to Armenia
Toomas Lukk (residence in Tbilisi) handed Tuesday the copy of his
credentials to Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, the RA
MFA press office reported.

"Armenia attaches importance to development of cooperation with Estonia
both at bilateral level and within the European Neighborhood Policy,"
the Armenian Minister said.

For his part, Ambassador Lukk said Estonia intends to develop
cooperation with Armenia and stressed the necessity to strengthen
economic and cultural ties.

The two also referred to a number of international and regional
problems.