Author: Jagharian Tania

Melkonian Educational Institute at Crossroads
Azad-Hye, United Arab Emirates
March 27 2005
On Sunday 20th March 2004 Azad-Hye visited the Melkonian Educational
Institute in Nicsoa (Cyprus), which is under the threat of closure
at the end of this academic year (see photo gallery).
About 120 students (mainly from Cyprus, Armenia, Iran and other
countries) are attending the lessons, almost certain that they will
need to find other places to continue their studies next year. Some
are lucky enough to be at the graduation year, but others need
to do arrangements for smooth transition to other schools, without
excluding the prospect of discontinuing their studies due to financial
difficulties.
The feeling of lose is predominant among the students. No new students
were admitted in at the beginning of the current school year. The
current students and thousand of graduates will soon be deprived
of their beloved school. It is not certain whether their collective
effort will change the course of events.
We met several citizens of Cyprus, who all expressed their concern
about the fate of the school, marking it as a sad day for all
Cypriots. Actually it is incomprehensive why AGBU insists to close
a school that can grant its graduates high school certificates,
recognized on the European Union level, now that Cyprus has joined
the Union.
The premises of the Institute, especially the main two buildings are
part of Nicosia’s architectural heritage. Together with the surrounding
parks they are chief landmarks in the capital city.
Two of Melkonian’s students approached and provided us with a written
text about the closure of their school. They signed the text with the
nicknames Ardziv and Paze. Here are the main parts of what they wrote
(translated from Armenian to English):
“The Fall of 79 years old school: For many years the Melkonian
Educational Institute has played an irreplaceable role in the
Armenian Diaspora cultural life. As a unique educational center,
it has provided numerous pupils with the necessary means for their
educational progress and development.
Only indifferent people and those who are totally overwhelmed with
financial considerations could take the decision for its closure.
Their excuses about the big financial loses of the Institute are
baseless, as, from its first day this school was a product of
benevolence and kindness, not a mean for business profit.
The suggestion of opening Melkonian Institute in Armenia is completely
ridiculous, because there are enough schools in Armenia to cover the
needs for national education there.
In the past, foreign invaders had ordered the closure of our schools,
but what we see today the Armenian hands are doing it, as if it
is not enough the closure of the other Diaspora schools such as
Murad-Raphaelian, etc.
In our opinion the closure of the school will have tragic consequences
on the Diaspora cultural life. It will endanger the struggle for
keeping our identity in the Middle East and Europe. This is why we all
consider the day that the decision for the closure of the school was
taken (16th March) as a black day in our history. We will continue
to protest and oppose to those who prefer to see the doors of the
Melkonian Institute closed forever.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KARABAKH ISSUE SOLUTION WAYS DEPEND ON POLITICAL WILL OF ALL PARTIES TO CONFLICT
PanArmenian News
March 26 2005
26.03.2005 04:57
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The role of the OSCE MG Co-Chairs lies in mediation,
not arbitration, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister
Dimitrij Rupel noted, Arminfo news agency reported. He again
underscored that the ways to solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
depend on the political will of all parties to conflict and the OSCE
mediation mission approaches to solution of conflicts in Nagorno
Karabakh, Georgia and Moldova differ and are determined depending
from the circumstances of the conflicts. ~SThe role of the OSCE MG
Co-Chairs lies in facilitating the talks that will lead to a lasting
and stable settlement of the conflict,~T Rupel noted.

CATHOLICOS ARAM I CALLS FOR DIALOGUE AND NATIONAL UNITY
ANTELIAS, LEBANON, MARCH 25, NOYAN TAPAN: On the occasion of Palm
Sunday, His Holiness Aram I, Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia, gave
a special speech to the believers gathered in the St. Gregory the
Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias on Sunday, March 20. During his
speech he spoke about the current political situation of Lebanon and
focused on the role expected from the Armenian Community. According
to the Press Office of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, His Holiness
said that Lebanon is currently facing difficult times, pointing out
that after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri,
popular protests and statements by politicians have left the people
worried and confused. “Lately, some people started to ask about
where the Armenian Community of Lebanon stands in this situation,”
His Holiness said, adding: “We are with Lebanon in the full and the
true understanding of the word. The Lebanese-Armenian Community is not
indifferent or neutral towards the events unfolding in Lebanon. It
has a clear view and a position that is based on its deep loyalty
and strong attachment to Lebanon and true love for it.” The Pontiff
assured that as a community comprising the vast Lebanese society,
the Armenians are with “Lebanon’s unity, integrity, sovereignty
and independence.” “We truly believe that Lebanon’s only road to
salvation is the unity of its people. Our community acted on and
defended this principle for thirty years.” The Catholicos added that
Armenians also support the harmonious cohabitation of the Christian
and Muslim communities. “Throughout Lebanon ‘s most difficult times
the Armenians of Lebanon tried to become a bridge between all sides
for the sake of preserving the cohabitation of the Lebanese society.
Now as well, this is the role of our community,” he said. His Holiness
emphasized that the Armenian community is with the preservation of
liberties and justice. Pointing out that Lebanon is a democratic
country and a country of freedom, Aram I highlighted the importance
of protecting these principles. He also said that the truth should be
revealed about the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
and an investigation must be conducted by the United Nations. “We are
with the full and exact implementation of the Taef Accord. Let’s not
forget that the Arab World and the international community support
the accord, which was signed with the participation of representatives
from all the communities of Lebanon,” said His Holiness, emphasizing
the imperative of the quick and full implementation of the Taef
Accord. Aram I assured that the Armenians support the establishment
of good neighborly relations between Lebanon and Syria, based on
the principle of mutual recognition of each country’s independence,
integrity and sovereignty. His Holiness reminded that the Armenians
of Lebanon have with the national consensus concerning the Hezbollah;
and he praised the initiative of the Lebanese people to unite under
the Lebanese flag with the same expectations, principles and the same
vision for Lebanon’s future. Aram I also said that the time has come
for the issues raised by the people to be discusses around the table of
dialogue. “The Armenians of Lebanon are ready to actively participate
in all the initiatives that spring from the approaches and principles
we already stated. We are continuously consulting with the different
parties in order to bring the country out of its current stalemate,” He
said. He praised the patriotic approach of the leaders of the Armenian
Community and advised them to continue their full participation in
strengthening Lebanon’s internal unity, sovereignty and integrity.

AZG Armenian Daily #053, 26/03/2005
Armenia-Russia
RUSSIA IS STILL ONE OF MAIN TRADE-ECONOMIC PARTNERS OF ARMENIA
Vladimir Putin’s Forth Visit to Armenia
Vladimir Putin, RF President, arrived in Yerevan on March 24. Mr. Putin
will officially open the arrangements of “The Year of Russia in
Armenia.” This is Putin’s fourth visit to Armenia. He visited
Armenia for the first time in 1999, then in 2001 and in the spring
of 2002. Putin participated in the congress of CSTO in Yerevan.
Robert Kocharian and other high-ranking officials met Mr. and
Mrs. Putins at Zvartnots airport.
Russia is still the key political, economic and strategic partner
of Armenia. Yerevan and Moscow closely cooperate both bilaterally
and within the framework of CSTO (Armenia, Russia, Byelorussia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan). The Russian military station
N102 is located in Gyumri and the Armenian and Russian frontier guards
together watch the Armenian-Turkish and the Armenian- Iranian border.
The Armenian-Russian trade-economic relations are still strong thought
there are no common borders between the two countries and they are
connected through Georgia. The latter has serious contradictions with
Moscow that directly influence the Armenian-Russian relations. It’s
worth reminding the Upper Lars events when the blocking of the
Russian-Georgian border directly hindered the Armenian goods and
passengers to get to their destinations.
The Armenian-Russian goods turnover amounted to $208 million in
2004. Russia became the main trade-economic partner of Armenia after
the collapse of the Soviet Union. On the other hand, Russia’ s role in
the foreign goods turnover of Armenia decreases year by year. Thus,
it amounted to 19,2% in 2001, then to 17,4% in 2002, 15,2% in 2003
and 12,9% in 2004.
At present, there are 589 Russian companies registered in
Armenia. About 300 of them effectively function. Igor Levitin, co-chair
of the Armenian-Russian Cooperation Intergovernmental Committee,
told Novosti agency that Armenal, Sibir air-company are among the
most effectively working Russian companies in Armenia.
The Armenian-Russian goods turnover and the Russian investments in
Armenia could be larger, if Moscow launched the Armenian companied
purchased within the framework of asset-for-debt 2002 program. Russia
purchased Mathematical Machines Scientific-Research Institute ($2,75
million), Management Automatic Systems SRI ($3,37 million), Mars plant
($56,29 million), and Hrazdan Hydro ($31 million) in 2002.
After getting the Armenia companies, Russia almost hasn’t made any
investments and this caused the dissatisfaction of the Armenian
side. The political experts who know Russia well say that in Russia
such companies are collapsing and one shouldn’t expect that Moscow
will restore them and make serious investments in the Armenian
companies. Recently, Victor Khristenko, RF energy minister, stated
that $21 million will be needed for restoring “Mars” plant.
Last year in Sochi the Russian President publicly expressed
dissatisfaction with the Armenian-Russian economic cooperation and the
goods turnover volumes. Armenia is not content, either. Particularly,
in Moscow, in summer, Vartan Oskanian expressed concern about the
current situation in the companies purchased within the framework
of asset-for-debt program. Andranik Margarian, RA prime minister,
expressed concern in February when Sergey Lavrov was in Yerevan. But
the reason was quite a different one. Mr. Margarian stated that
Russia is going to get connected with Iran through the territory of
Azerbaijan, while a railway system is functioning in the territory
of Armenia and it can connect all the countries of the region.
Indeed, Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi, Yerevan-Nakhijevan-Julfa railways
stretch in the territory of Armenia but, for known reasons, they
haven’t functioned for years. Even if we want it very much, the road
connecting Russia with the Persian Gulf can’t pass through Armenia. One
should take into account the fact that the unsettled Russian-Georgian
relations hinder the implementation of this project.
By Tatoul Hakobian

Providence Journal , RI
March 25 2005
Exhibit focuces on Armenian genocide
PROVIDENCE — An exhibit of prints dealing with the Armenian genocide
will be on display next month at the Mathewson Street United
Methodist Church.
The exhibit, “Man’s Inhumanity to Man: The Armenian Genocide — If I
Start to Cry, I Think I Will Cry Forever” is by John Avakian.
Avakian said the exhibit “represents an extraordinary journey into
darkness and suffering to reclaim my past, and honor my loving
parents who suffered so much,” according to the church.
There will be a program relating to the exhibit during Gallery Night
April 21. David S. Thomas, a professor of history at Rhode Island
College, will discuss “The Turkish-Armenian Conflict from World War I
to Present” at 6:30 p.m. The program, financed by the Rhode Island
Council for the Humanities, is free and open to the public.
The church said there will be time after the presentation for a
discussion with Avakian and Thomas. That will be moderated by P.
William Hutchinson, professor emeritus of theater at Rhode Island
College and chairman of the Committee for Ministries to the City and
Arts at the church.
For more information, call the church at (401) 331-8900 or (401)
232-3961.

Today.Az
Politics Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan made a statement on the
report made out by fact-finding mission of OSCE
24 March 2005 [14:27] – Today.Az
Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan made statement on the
report made out by Fact-finding Mission of Minsk Group of OSCE,
about settling facts in the occupied territories.
It is stated in the information received from Ministry for Foreign
Affairs, that sending of Mission was possible by principal position
of Head Assembly of UNO.
“Such mission has been held for the first time, since the territories
of Azerbaijan were occupied and UNO Security Council made relevant
resolutions on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”
Saying that, the mission confirms the settling of the territories and
uneasiness of Azerbaijan, MFA told that, the report was drown out
on the basis of large geological material presented by Azerbaijan
side and was prepared on the base of real materials as a result of
the process. MFA states that, despite of all objective difficulties
(climate and relief, short of time, artificial obstacle to the motion
in the occupied territories etc) the Mission achieved in fulfilling
its mission generally.
“The Ministry thank to the head and members of the Mission for their
activities.” Most of the figures presented by Azerbaijan side, coincide
with the conclusion of the Mission, the statement says. For instance,
according to the initial information of Azerbaijan side, 20.000-23.000
people were settled in the occupied territories. The corresponding
indication of the Mission is more than 17.000 people. Expressing its
alarm on organized settling in the region of Lachin, Azerbaijan side
showed that, 13.000 people were settled there.
The Mission shows this figure to be 8.000-11.000 in the report of the
mission. Azerbaijan side stresses the gift of the co-chairs of Minsk
Group of OSCE to the work of the mission , the co-chairs call in
their advice basing on this report ” Not to settle in the occupies
territories and make changes in the demographic structure of the
region any more “.
They stated that: “If the situation remains like that for a long time,
this might make the peace process complicated. “They apply relevant
international organizations and ask to dislocate the settled people
from the occupied territories and to study material and finance
needs in the region for settling the internally displaced people to
their permanent territories. Azerbaijan side highly appreciates
the decision of the co-chairs of Minsk Group on remaining this
matter on the agenda. The participation of government of Armenia in
the organized settling of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan,
it must be noted that, though the Mission has not answered directly
this question, there are enough proofs in its report, as well as in
the materials presented by Azerbaijan, in the statements made by high
ranking officials of Republic of Armenia confirming the fact that,
government of Armenia directly supports the settling.
It is doubtless that, there are mutual relations and activity between
Armenia and the separatist regime. It was established in Upper Garabagh
region of Azerbaijan and it needs no additional commentary. This matter
has not been touched upon in the report of the Mission. As concerns
the Mission has not found direct proofs about the participation of
Armenia in the settling, Armenia cooperated with the separatists in
Upper Garabagh.
The attempts to remove Armenia out of the frame of this matter are
vague and it is groundless. In accordance with the international
juridical norms, Armenia as an invader is fully responsible for any
kind of activity in the occupied territory, as well as for settling
Armenians to the territories where they didn’t live in before. The
report and advice made by the co-chairs of Minsk Group of OSCE on the
basis of the report paves the way to investigating and solving the
problem after it. The Ministry expresses hope that, international
union will support it in this matter. /APA/

The wrongs and rights of minorities
Mar 17th 2005
>From The Economist print edition
Turkey has yet to face up to its diversity
THE country has moved some way towards meeting the Copenhagen
criteria for EU membership. It has abolished the death penalty,
saving the life of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the PKK, an
outlawed Kurdish organisation responsible for a guerrilla war through
much of the 1990s. It has revised the penal code (previously
unchanged since 1926) and reinforced the rights of women. It has
introduced a new law allowing broadcasting in any language, including
Kurdish. And it has brought to an end the random searches that used
to be common, particularly in the east. Now nobody can be searched
without a court order.
The government has also introduced an official policy of zero
tolerance towards torture, for which its police and security forces
became infamous in the West in 1978 with the release of “Midnight
Express”, Alan Parker’s film about a young American imprisoned on
drugs charges. The punishment for torture has been increased, and
sentences may no longer be deferred or converted into fines, as often
happened in the past.
But changing the law is one thing, changing habits is another. A
villager in the east who gets searched by the state police may still
not dare demand to see a court order. The police forces, it is said,
are being retrained, but the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TIHV)
says that of 918 people treated at its centres in 2004, 337 claimed
they had been tortured. The comparable figures for 2003 were 925 and
340. The TIHV says that even in 2004, “torture was applied
systematically by police, gendarmerie and special units in
interrogation centres.” It claims that 21 people died in
“extra-judicial killings” during the year.
In its October 2004 report on Turkish accession, the European
Commission emphasised the need for further “strengthening and full
implementation of provisions related to the respect of fundamental
freedoms and protection of human rights, including women’s rights,
trade-union rights, minority rights and problems faced by non-Muslim
religious communities.”
Institutionalised intolerance
>From its very beginnings the republic has been confused about
minorities. In his book, “Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two
Worlds”, Stephen Kinzer, a New York Times journalist, wrote:
“Something about the concept of diversity frightens Turkey’s ruling
elite.” Officially the state recognises only three minorities: those
mentioned in the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, signed after Ataturk’s army
had thrown out the occupying forces left over from the first world
war. The treaty specifically protects the rights of the Armenian,
Greek and Jewish communities in the country.
In the early years of the republic there were Kurds in parliament,
and the deputy speaker was an Alevi (a religious minority of which
more later). But after Kurdish uprisings in 1925 and 1937 were
brutally suppressed, the republic went into denial about its cultural
diversity. The word “minority” came to refer only to the Lausanne
trio, who were non-Muslims and indeed were increasingly perceived as
non-Turks. If you are a member of a minority in Turkey today you are,
almost by definition, seen as not fully Turkish.
The Kemalists’ narrow brand of nationalism has helped to suppress the
country’s sensitivity to minorities. At Anit Kabir, one of the huge
murals in the museum below Ataturk’s tomb depicts the Greek army
marching through occupied Anatolia in 1919, with a soldier on
horseback about to bayonet a beautiful Turkish girl. In the
background is a Greek cleric brandishing a cross and inciting the
soldiers. The picture caption explains (in English): “During these
massacres the fact that clerics played a provoking role has been
proven by historical evidence.” As anti-clerical as Ataturk was
(whatever the faith), it is hard to believe that he would have
approved of such a message.
Turkey has also found it difficult to face up to the Armenians’
persistent allegation that the massacres of 1915, in the maelstrom of
the first world war, were genocide. Gunduz Aktan, the head of an
Ankara think-tank and a former Turkish ambassador in Athens,
dismisses the claims as “Holocaust envy”.
The most troublesome minority in recent years has been the biggest of
them all, the Kurds. Where minorities are concerned, size does
matter. The Armenians, Greeks and Jews in Turkey today number in the
tens of thousands; the Kurds up to 15m. In the 15-year guerrilla war
in the east between the Turkish army and security forces and Mr
Ocalan’s PKK, some 35,000 civilians and troops were killed. Many more
villagers were displaced (some say perhaps a million), terrorised out
of their homes, often by fellow Kurds, and forced to move to cities
far away. But nobody really knows what proportion of the Kurds the
PKK stands for.
The more extreme Kurds say they want their own
homeland-“Kurdistan”, a word that provokes shivers in Ankara-to
embrace their people living in Iran and Iraq as well as in Turkey.
The more moderate Turkish Kurds want to be allowed to speak their own
language, to be taught it in school, and to hear it broadcast-all of
which they are slowly and grudgingly being granted. DEHAP’s party
congress this year was attended by Mr Ocalan’s sister and Feleknas
Uca, a German member of the European Parliament. Both addressed the
meeting in Kurdish. The Kurds’ cause has received extensive publicity
abroad. Leyla Zana, a member of the Turkish parliament imprisoned for
ten years for speaking in Kurdish in the parliament building, was
released last year after intense pressure from abroad. The Kurdish
Human Rights Project, a London-based charity, has been effective in
bringing Kurdish cases to the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Panos
Panos
The Kurds are still waiting for better times
Among them are thousands of claims for compensation for loss of
property as a result of the military incursion against the PKK in the
1990s. Such cases, however, can be heard in Strasbourg only if
domestic laws offer no prospect of compensation, and Turkey recently
passed a law “on damages incurred from terrorism and combating
terrorism”. The governor of Tunceli, a town close to mountains where
the PKK was particularly active, said recently that 6,200 people in
his province had applied for compensation under the new law.
The government is also making modest attempts to help Kurds who were
forcibly removed from their villages to return home. Incidents in the
east are now few and far between, even though last summer the PKK,
renamed Kongra-Gel, ended a ceasefire called after Mr Ocalan was
arrested in Kenya in 1999. The organisation said the government had
reneged on a promised amnesty to its members.
Dark forces
So has the Kurdish problem been more or less resolved? Not if you
listen to the many Turks who believe in conspiracy theories. Such
theories thrive in a society that still thinks transparency in public
affairs is an oxymoron. After the tsunami disaster in Asia on
December 26th last year, the American embassy in Ankara felt obliged
to issue an official denial of colourful Turkish newspaper reports
that the wave had been caused by American underwater nuclear
explosions designed to kill large numbers of Muslims.
The conspiracy theory about the Kurds goes something like this: Mr
Ocalan, although held in solitary confinement on a remote island in
the Sea of Marmara, still controls the larger part of the
organisation through visits from his brother, his sister and a
lawyer. Since his captors are said to be able to control what
messages he conveys in return for supplying him with cigarettes and
other favours, why would he end the ceasefire unless dark forces
wished to resurrect the Kurdish uprising? And why ever would they
want to do that? In order to undermine the EU negotiations by
reigniting civil war in the east, concludes the theory.
This may not be as absurd as it sounds. There are powerful groups
inside Turkey who see no advantage in joining the EU, and many Turks
believe in the presence of dark forces inside the state. Anyone who
doubts the idea of an état profond, a deep state-a combination of
military officers, secret-service agents, politicians and businessmen
that pull invisible strings-is silenced with one word: “Susurluk”.
This is the name of a town in western Turkey where in 1996 a Mercedes
car crashed into a lorry, killing three of its four occupants. These
proved to be an eerily ill-assorted bunch: a notorious gangster,
sought by Interpol, and his mistress; a Kurdish MP and clan chief
suspected of renting out his private army to the Turkish authorities
in their fight against the PKK; and a top-ranking police officer who
had been director of the country’s main police academy. What they
were doing together that night may never be known-the sole survivor,
the clan chief, claims to remember nothing-but it is sure to fuel
Turkish conspiracy theories for years to come.
An unsung minority
There is another large minority in Turkey that has received nothing
like as much attention as the Kurds. Most Turks are Sunni Muslims,
whereas most Arabs are Shiites. But there is a group called the Alevi
who have lived in Anatolia for many centuries and who are not Sunni.
Their main prophet, like the Shiites’, is not Mohammed but his
son-in-law, Ali. Most of them maintain that their religion is
separate from Islam, and that it is a purely Anatolian faith based on
Shaman and Zoroastrian beliefs going back 6,000 years. Christian,
Jewish and Islamic influences were added later, though the Alevi
accept that the Islamic influence is the strongest.
Their number is uncertain, because no census in Turkey has asked
about religious affiliation since the early 1920s. At that time the
Alevi accounted for about 35% of the then population of 13m. Today
the best estimate is that they make up about a fifth of a population
that has grown to 70m, their share whittled down by the success of
the republic’s policy of “ignore them and hope they will
assimilate”.
Many of the Alevi are also Kurds. The most predominantly Alevi town
is Tunceli, once a PKK stronghold and a place notably short of
mosques. The Alevi are not keen on them because Ali, their prophet,
was murdered in one. Their houses of prayer are called cemevi.
In the cities they tend to practise their religion in private. Kazim
Genc, an Alevi human-rights lawyer, says he discourages his daughter
from mentioning her faith because Sunni Muslims think Alevi rites
include sexual orgies and incest. Of the AK Party’s 367 members of
parliament, not one has admitted to being an Alevi.
The current government treats the Alevi as merely a cultural group,
not a religious minority. That way it can sidestep its legal
obligation to set aside space in towns and cities for religious
communities’ “places of worship”. When in May 2004 a group of Alevi
in the Istanbul district of Kartal asked for land to be allocated for
a cemevi, the local governor said they were Muslims and Kartal had
enough mosques already. Indeed it has: almost 700 of them. But there
is only one cemevi. The Alevi have taken the case to an Istanbul
court and are awaiting a hearing.
Another case has gone all the way to the Court of Human Rights in
Strasbourg, a journey that the Kurds have taken with some success. It
involves a student who is trying to establish his right to stay away
from compulsory religious classes in school on the ground that they
teach only Sunni Islam. The authorities may have to learn to come to
terms with yet more scary diversity.
–Boundary_(ID_mZ7jZ2DaOer++qFwcUdYrw)–

Armenian authorities arrest three men in connection with U.S. smuggling case
By AVET DEMOURIAN
AP Worldstream
Mar 21, 2005
Armenian authorities have arrested three men in connection with an
alleged plot uncovered by U.S. authorities to smuggle Russian military
weapons into the United States, a top security official said Monday.
The three suspects allegedly worked with Artur Solomonyan, an Armenian
who was among 18 people charged by U.S. authorities earlier this month
in an alleged scheme to smuggle grenade launchers, shoulder-fired
missiles and other Russian military weapons into the United States,
said Grach Arutyunian, a National Security Service official.
He said no weapons have been smuggled out of Armenia, where the
Russian military has a base, and there was no evidence indicating
Russian soldiers were involved in the scheme.
Arutyunian said the three suspects arrested in Armenia _ Spartak
Elibekian, Armen Barekamian and Grigor Martirosian _ had helped take
digital pictures of weapons at Solomonyan’s request at an Armenian
military base. A check has shown that no weapons have been smuggled
from the base, Arutyunian told reporters.
He didn’t say when the arrests were made.
The arrests of suspects in the United States resulted from a year-long
investigation in which an FBI informant posed as an arms buyer who
claimed to have ties to al-Qaida. Using a digital camera, members
of the ring, which included Armenians and South Africans, provided
pictures of the weapons they said they had available for sale,
prosecutors said.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
03/18/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) ARF Responds to Georgian Official's Slanderous Accusations 2) Rights Group Calls Level of Abuses in Turkey Still 'Unacceptable' 3) Russia and Georgia to Hold Talks over Bases by End of Month 4) ANC Leads Effort to Address Problems at Grant High School 5) ANCG Hosts Afternoon with Endorsed Candidates 6) Celebrated Comedian Vahe Berberian to Perform for Anahid Oshagan Campaign 7) AYF Camp: Building for Our Future 8) Electoral Idiots 1) ARF Responds to Georgian Official's Slanderous Accusations In a recent interview published in the Georgian newspaper "Rao-Rao," advisor to Georgian president Saakashvilli Georgi Gachechiladze, leveled serious charges against the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. In the March 14 publication, Gachechiladze alledged that according to records of a closed session of a Russian Security Service meeting, released to him in 1991 by former Georgian president Georgian Zviad Gamsakhurdia, then Russian President Yeltsin's "national security advisor" A. Mihranian [who never held that title] told that session, "It is imperative to direct the energy of people of the North Caucusus to work against Georgia." Gachechiladze expounded, telling the paper that the approach is a classic doctrine of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, which envisions Georgia's collapse by way of the North Caucasus--for the creation of a "Greater Armenia" that expands toward the Black Sea and Abkhazia. Asked how Georgia would react if internal political forces sought to seceded from Georgia, Gachechiladze pointed to Javakhk Armenians, saying that it was exactly for that reason that they were slaughtered and subsequently driven from Turkey. "Coaxed by Tsarist Russia, those Armenians were ultimately betrayed; some found haven in Georgia. I don't think that they would blindly assume that role, once again, under the influence of Russia." Responding to Gachechiladze's remarks, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation released the following statement: 1. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation has never sought and does not seek "Georgia's destruction through North Caucasus." The ARF is pursuing the protection of the rights of the Armenians of Javakhk within Georgia. Statements such as those made by the Georgian president's advisor may only foment disturbance in the Caucasus. 2. On the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the Georgian president's advisor insults the memory of the Genocide victims, accusing them of becoming a blind tool in the hands of others. Actually, he is repeating the official position of Turkey, the perpetrator of the Genocide. Such a reprehensible stance of the Georgian president's advisor is incompatible to the high office he holds. 3. The Georgian presidential advisor's threats directed at the Javakhk Armenians are basis to suspect that the attempts to initiate disruption in Javakhk are aimed at justifying those very threats. The Georgian presidential advisor's intimidating tone is unbecoming of a state that claims to be a champion of democracy; it resembles the style of dictators speaking to their subjects in tyrannies. 4. The level of the Georgian presidential advisor's ignorance may be low enough to call a Yeltsin aide an ARF member, but it should not be as low as to overlook the real problems in Javakhk. 5. The ARF is ready to assist the Georgian authorities in protecting the political and civil rights of the Javakhk Armenians as well as resolving their socio-economic problems if the Georgian authorities take such steps. Continuing the discriminatory policies of the Georgian authorities towards the Javakhk Armenians can not result in favorable consequences for Georgia. 2) Rights Group Calls Level of Abuses in Turkey Still 'Unacceptable' ANKARA (AFP)--Human rights violations decreased in Turkey in 2004 but are still at an "unacceptable level" compared to European Union norms, Turkey's main human rights group said Friday. "We can speak of a general improvement when we compare the 2004 human rights record to that of 2003," Yusuf Alatas, the head of the Human Rights Association (IHD) told a news conference unveiling the group's annual human rights report. "But if we assess the figures without comparing them to previous years, the situation is not encouraging at all," he said. "Human rights violations are still at an unacceptable level and far from EU standards." A summary of the IHD report shows the group received 843 complaints of torture and mistreatment in 2004, compared to 1,202 in 2003. Alatas said the figure showed that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government had failed to live up to its "zero tolerance" promise as far as torture is concerned. The report said nine publications were seized or banned in 2004, compared to 285 the previous year. The number of non-governmental organizations closed down by authorities dropped from 47 to 13 during the same period. Prosecutors filed various charges against 467 people for only expressing their views, down from 1,706 people in 2003. The report, however, said the number of people killed in armed confrontations increased from 104 to 240. The figure appeared to reflect a rise in clashes between security forces and Kurdish rebels in the country's mainly Kurdish southeast since last June, when the rebels ended a five-year unilateral ceasefire with Ankara. In a landmark decision last December, the EU gave Turkey the green light for accession talks scheduled to begin on October 3, but the country is still under pressure to prove its full commitment to democracy and human rights. 3) Russia and Georgia to Hold Talks over Bases by End of Month MOSCOW (AFP)--Georgia said Friday that it was close to resolving the thorny issue of Russian military bases on its territory with Moscow. "The issue is practically resolved," Georgy Khaindrava, Georgia's minister for conflict resolution, said on a visit to Moscow. "We are working on the details and hope that a solution will be found before the end of May," he said in an interview with Moscow Echo radio. The Georgian official said that the three-year time limit that Moscow has requested to withdraw its two basesone in the mostly Armenian populated reagion of Javakhk--which Georgia inherited from Soviet times, was "reasonable." The two nations have agreed to hold talks on the issue, which has strained relations between Moscow and Tbilisi for years, before the end of March. Russia's two bases remaining on Georgian territory are in the Akhalkalak region in the south and Batumi in the west. "The bases are an anachronism... that dates to the Soviet times and were meant to protect the (Soviet) south," Khaindrava said Friday. "Today NATO and Turkey are not longer Russian enemies, so there is no longer an argument for their existence." Last week, the Georgian parliament passed a resolution that gave Russia until January 1 to close the facilities, but Russia is insisting it will need at least three years to withdraw its equipment and troops. In a joint statement signed by Russia and Georgia during a 1999 summit of member countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Istanbul, Moscow agreed to close two of four military bases in Georgia and to present a timetable for closure of the remaining two. 4) ANC Leads Effort to Address Problems at Grant High School NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA--The Armenian National Committees (ANC) of East and West San Fernando Valley mobilized on March 8, after a fight broke out between several hundred Armenian and Latino students at Grant High School, requiring police intervention. The incident resulted in the arrest of four and expulsion of eight students, and has garnered significant attention on television news, talk radio, and print media. The ANC met the following day with the Committee on Armenian Students in Public Schools (CASPS) and Grant High School officials to immediately quell the alarming situation. Within two days after the incident, the ANC co-sponsored a meeting with parents and Grant High School officials, attracting over 300 participants. During the entire week after the incident, members of the ANC were on campus collaborating with parents of Armenian students and school administrators to analyze the causes leading to the incident, and how to prevent such incidences from occurring in the future. "The fights that broke out at Grant High School between Latino and Armenian students are of serious concern to all communities including the Armenian American community," stated Manug Haladjian, Chairman of the East San Fernando Valley ANC. "This has been an issue at Grant High School in prior years, and this latest incident is evidence that this issue must be taken more seriously by all concerned parties," continued Haladjian. The ANC and CASPS (The Committee for Armenian Students in Public Schools), recently organized several meetings on the issue with experts in the field from various schools in the area. In addition to meeting with these specialists, parents, students, and school officials, on March 17, the ANC and CASPS also met with representatives from the City and County of Los Angeles Human Resources Commission, and the offices of State Senator Richard Alarcon, Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez, and Los Angeles Councilwoman Wendy Gruel to arrange a meeting between Armenian and Latino leaders in the area. "Excellent education can only be achieved through a safe, healthy, and positive school environment that fosters respect and understanding for all cultures," said Ara Papazian, who chairs the West San Fernando Valley ANC. "We strongly encourage school officials to view this issue with an eye toward system-wide, long-term solutions that raise the level of cultural understanding among school administrators, teachers, students, and parents." Beginning in 2004, the ANC recognized the need to address the issues facing the increasing number of Armenian students in the public schools. The ANC began implementing a course of action which sought to raise awareness of the challenges facing the Armenian students and look for ways to improve their educational environment. Over the past six months, the ANC has organized meetings with Los Angeles Unified School District Officials, including School Board Member Jon Lauritzen, Grant High School Principal Sandra Cruz, and various other LAUSD administrators and teachers. In an effort to improve their understanding of the cultural differences of Armenian students, 20 educators from Grant High School, including Prinipal Cruz, will be participating in the March 30 Armenian Cultural Conference in Pasadena. Now in its tenth year, the Armenian Cultural Conference, which is sponsored by the school districts of Burbank, Glendale, EIEP of Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Montebello, aims to raise awareness and understanding of the Armenian culture among public school teachers and administrators, so that they may deliver more effective and culturally sensitive education to students of Armenian descent. The ANC, along with CASPS and Grant High School, will co-host a meeting on March 31 with parents of Armenian students at Grant High School to discuss concerns and start looking for long-term solutions and programs to address the various issues with Armenian youth in public schools. In addition, a meeting will be organized for students, in April, to allow them to air their concerns. On May 4, the ANC, CASPS, and Grant High School will host a town hall meeting for the entire community on this issue. "We stand ready to work with school officials, parents, students and other community groups in the spirit of partnership, implementing programs that will address these issues and their root causes," affirmed ANC leaders in a joint statement released last week. 5) ANCG Hosts an Afternoon with Endorsed Candidates GLENDALE--Eager voters and concerned citizens gathered at St. Mary's Apostolic Church on Sunday, March 13, to meet the ANCG endorsed candidates. The event, hosted by the Armenian National Committee of Glendale, offered community members and candidates for city office a chance to speak one and one and exchange ideas. Unlike the numerous candidate forums that have been held, this event offered ArmenianAmericans an opportunity to ask candidates more specific and personal questions. Non-English speaking citizens were grateful for the opportunity to ask questions of non-Armenian speaking candidates with the assistance of a translator. Furthermore, the format of the event allowed candidates to spend time with individual voters. Rather than responding to questions in 30 seconds, candidates could spend as much time as needed to answer questions or listen to voter's concerns. "The candidate forum was an exciting opportunity to have supporters and community members ask questions about our platform, ideas and show their support for my candidacy," commented Ardashes "Ardy" Kassakhian, candidate for City Clerk. "The rally really fed into the energy and momentum of our campaign and the Glendale ANC is doing a tremendous job in raising awareness about this upcoming election." Anahid "Anna" Oshagan, candidate for City Council added, "These are great opportunities for voters to meet candidates and get to know them on a personal level. As a candidate, it's great to be able to spend time with the voters and listen to their concerns. After all, these elections are about the voters not the candidates, and only by knowing and understanding the communities needs can we candidates become strong leaders." Other candidates present included: City Council candidates Ara Najarian (current Glendale College Trustee), Larry Miller and Mayor Bob Yousefian; School Board Candidates Greg Krikorian (current school board President) and Chuck Sambar (current school board member), and Nayiri Nahabedian; College Board candidates Dr. Armine Hacopian (current trustee) and Victor King (current trustee). For more information regarding the candidates or ways to get involved, please contact the Armenian National Committee of Glendale at (818) 243-3444 or [email protected]. 6) Celebrated Comedian Vahe Berberian to Perform for Anahid Oshagan Campaign GLENDALE--Celebrated artist and comedian Vahe Berberian has stepped up to help Anahid Oshagan's Glendale City Council campaign with a benefit performance of his highly acclaimed first monologue, "Yevaylen" but with a twist. He will be performing "Yevaylen, Revisited" at Anoush Restaurant on March 22. A hysterical and smart monologue, "Yevaylen, Revisited" tackles topics as diverse as family, growing up in Beirut, and observations on the Armenian identity concentrating mostly on the Armenian archetype. Performed in Armenian, Yevaylen was presented in Pasadena to standing room only crowds for many months and toured around various cities in the US and Canada. "Yevaylen, Revisited" is based on the same monologue with added twists and turns and brand new material. "I think it's imperative for us as a community to get involved in local politics. It's very exciting to see all these young Armenians running for office, and what is even more exciting is the fact that they are intelligent, educated people with progressive agendas," says Berberian, "I love Anahid. She's a smart, warm, compassionate human being and I have no doubt that she will play a very positive role within city politics." In a string of fundraising events with an artistic focus, many local artists have donated their time and talent to aid Anahid Oshagan in her bid for a council seat. In early March, "Art for Oshagan" a silent art auction at Harvest Gallery involved twenty artists and was a huge success. Actress Lory Tatoulian is slated to perform one of her stage sketches at another fundraising event in March. Oshagan is running on a platform to bring our community together and improve the quality of life for all of Glendale. She will protect our environment, reduce the impact of traffic, build more mini-parks, support our police and fire departments, and support the development of arts and culture in our city. "There are many important issues in Glendale and one of them is arts and culture--this is one of my priorities in this race," said Oshagan. "Art is a universal language and it is a force that can unite many parts of Glendale's diverse mosaic of communities." Anahid Oshagan's candidacy for the City Council has a vision to bring harmony and mutual understanding to the diverse communities of Glendale. Stemming from her political experience and her dedication to the community, Anahid will bring a fresh new perspective and will become a unifying force for all of Glendale. Recognizing this fact, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-29) has endorsed Anahid's bid for the City Council as has Raffi Manoukian of the Glendale City Council, the Glendale ANC, the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats and the California School Employees Association. The community has also supported her bid in a big way: in January-February time period, her campaign was third in fundraising in a field of 19 candidates. Anahid's background is ideally suited for the city council. Coming from a family that instilled in her the values of hard work and helping her community, Anahid has developed a solid history of community involvement and service. As a student leader at CSUN, Anahid was instrumental in aiding the 1988 Armenian earthquake relief effort and raising awareness of Armenia's bid for independence. After graduation, she worked to aid victims of domestic violence and mentored juvenile inmates. She has taught English as a Second Language to immigrants and spearheaded fundraising efforts for a program to immunize children in Armenia and Karabagh. For the past three years, Anahid was Congressman Adam Schiff's District Representative working as the liaison to the City of Glendale and the Armenian-American communities throughout the 29th Congressional district. Anahid now works as a non-profit attorney. If elected, she will be the first Armenian-American woman to serve on the Glendale City Council. "Yevaylen, Revisited," will take place Tuesday, March 22 at Anoush restaurant in Glendale at 401 W. Colorado St. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance begins at 8 p.m. Suggested donation is $25. Mezze will be served. For reservations contact Christina at (818) 317-1710 or email [email protected]. Visit for info about Vahe. Donations to the Oshagan campaign may be made to "Friends of Anahid Oshagan" and sent to Friends of Anahid Oshagan, P.O. Box 4820, Glendale, CA 91222-0820. Political contributions are not tax-deductible. Please see <; for more information on Oshagan's candidacy as well as this and other events. 7) AYF Camp: Building for Our Future By Aram Madenlian Several generations of campers and counselors have learned vital facts about Armenian history and culture, shared in games and crafts, all while making lifelong friends at AYF Camp--now in existence for over two and a half decades. It is difficult to explain how a group of people that hardly know one another at the beginning of a week can come together--sleep, eat, and play--to become like family after only seven days. There are a myriad of reasons why we return to Camp each year--whether it is the pride you feel when you see an eight-year-old tearfully and passionately talking about his great grandparents and the importance of genocide recognition or watching a group of campers sing "Verkerov Lee" in unison. As we have all grown older, it is these memories that encourage us to volunteer our time in maintaining and improving camp for future generations. No matter what your age, you always feel a sense of connection to camp. As a camper, you would eagerly wait all summer long for those one or two weeks that you and your friends had talked about all year long. All of those detailed discussions about what color group (Red, Blue, or Orange) you wanted to be in or what counselor you hoped you had--or in some cases for the ones who were a little strict you hoped you wouldn't have--were of utmost importance. As 17-year-olds, many of us suffered from AYF Camp withdrawal. The camper age range is 8-16; however, you must be at least 18 years of age to be a counselor. That leaves a one-year gap away from AYF Camp, and for many it is a year too long. Most counselors are college students, who work part time, but choose to volunteer their time to the camp for a number of reasons. Most counselors feel a deep sense of loyalty and responsibility not only to AYF Camp, but most importantly, to the campers. Passing on what they have learned at Camp and continuing the traditions is an integral part of that process. They want to be remembered as "great counselors" and positive role models for their campers. Ultimately, many counselors aspire to be director one day. It is, once again, that sense of connection that draws the director back. Usually settled with family and career, a director takes a week of his or her vacation time and decides to spend it at camp. While the safety of campers is of paramount importance, the director also has to ensure that the campers are having fun while also learning about the Armenian Cause. A good director will know how to ignite that "spirit" inside the campers and counselors. Unfortunately, "spirit" alone is not enough to sustain our camp structurally, as AYF Camp is in dire need of renovation. In recent years, the Management Board has made it a priority to upgrade the facilities and as a result, a master plan was implemented for the renovation of AYF Camp. Improvements were prioritized according to importance and necessity. It was immediately assessed that the roofs on all of the cabins would not withstand another harsh winter; the Board, subsequently, planned to replace the roofs on all of the cabins. Beginning in May 2003, the Board organized the first of a series of camp improvement weekends. The Board members, along with a core group of volunteers, undertook the implementation of this project. These twelve volunteers removed two to three layers of asphalt shingle roofing, cut and installed new plywood panels, and installed a new 40-year asphalt shingle roof on cabins 4,5,6,7, and 10. In June 2003, a new walk-in freezer, along with a new motor, was installed in the kitchen. The installation was completed by a volunteer who donated his time, tools, and a portion of the materials at no cost to the camp. In July 2003, three new commercial grade hot water heaters were installed in all of the camper bathrooms. The volunteer provided the three 1,000 gallon water heaters at his cost, as well as his time, tools, and a portion of the materials. Also in July 2003, the ARF Shant chapter organized a work weekend, where members assembled and installed 33 new bunk beds, installed curtains in all of the cabins, and painted the interiors of cabins 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8. In October 2003, the Board members and a group of volunteers removed and replaced the roofs of cabins 8 and 9. In addition, cabin 8 was essentially rebuilt from the ground up, starting from the framing, to the installation of new windows, doors, siding, and a new electrical panel. A member of the Management Board donated the majority of the materials for cabin 8. In March of 2004, the same group of volunteers removed and replaced the roofs of cabins 2 and 3. In May and June 2004, a contractor was hired to completely renovate the Boy's bathroom downstairs. The framing was replaced one stud at a time. New sheathing, weatherproofing, exterior plywood, and siding were installed. The old plumbing and electrical were also replaced. In addition, new shower fixtures, toilets, urinals, sinks, windows, and doors were installed all accented with a natural slate stone tile. In June 2004, a small group of volunteers installed the interior drywall and painted the exterior of cabin 8. In October 2004, volunteers removed and replaced the roofs of cabin 1 and the roof of the boy's bathroom. All these improvements were necessary for Camp to continue its daily operations. They are, however, just the beginning. The AYF Camp Management Board has made this revitalization effort its top priority and is counting on you for your support. In December 2004, Dr. Garo Chalian pledged to sponsor the renovation of the infirmary ($25,000) in memory of his father. Actions have always spoken louder than words for the Chalian Family as a whole. Whether as campers, counselors, directors, or board members, the Chalian Family has always been involved in the Camp. Their role as activists within our community has truly benefited us all. We are confident Dr. Chalian's generosity will be contagious amongst our community members and that it will start the 2005 year with the momentum needed to see our revitalization project through to its fruition. The improvements on the infirmary are scheduled to start in May 2005. The following is a complete list of future improvements for which the board is seeking sponsorship: *Renovation of the Girl's Bathrooms--$25,000 *Renovation of the Infirmary--(Sponsorship Secured - Dr. Garo Chalian) *Renovation of the Camp Fire Pit--(Sponsorship Secured Garo Madenlian Fund) *Renovation of the Pool and Pool Bathrooms--$75,000 *Renovation of the Kitchen--$50,000 *Renovation of Cabins 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10--$12,000 Each *Renovation of the Staff Cabin--$15,000 *Renovation of the Lodge--$100,000 *Renovation of the Arts and Crafts--$30,000 *Construction of a New Cabin--$15,000 *Renovation of the Caretaker Cabin--$15,000 If you choose to become a sponsor, your name will be listed on the structure you have chosen and will remain there for as long as the Camp is in operation. Donations are not limited to sponsorships--any and all donations are welcomed and appreciated. For more information regarding sponsorship and donations, please contact Aram Madenlian at (714) 719-4608. 8) Electoral Idiots By Garen Yegparian It's all I can do to not use names in this piece--all in the interest of protecting the pride of the guilty. In a place called Glendale, a very heated contest is raging for the office of City Clerk. Who'd have thought that was possible? Well, it's true and we, as Armenians, are overly well represented-- accounting for four of the nine candidates. Two have earned the title above. Just this week we've learned that one hasn't voted in the last six years. That's nine elections! Remember, the City Clerk is the ELECTIONS officer of the city in question. What nerve! What astonishing obliviousness to political reality! What gall expecting our community's support when the candidate doesn't even consider it important enough to vote! The other candidate has seen fit to misuse the city seal for electoral purposes and been outed by another of the nine and the local newspaper. Remember, the City Clerk is the keeper of documents and records for the city. In this case, the candidate is also a long-time city employee and should have known better. What nerve! What astonishing obliviousness to political reality! What gall expecting our community's support when the candidate doesn't even respect the city they propose to represent! But they're not alone, in another race where our community is well represented, two school board candidates chose to boycott (I can't think of a better characterization) a forum organized a few weeks ago by the Western Diocese, and reported in this column. Why? Who knows. They were there, but not on stage. This was a panel that, if you'll remember, odars were dying to appear on. What nerve! What astonishing obliviousness to political reality! What gall expecting our community's support when they don't even see fit to respect our institutions and the programs they organize! Nor is Glendale alone in its submissions for this grand title. In other local elections, one candidate who seeks our community's support is constantly offending those who assist the campaign. There's no appreciation for the efforts on that candidate's behalf. On the contrary, only denigration of such support issues from the candidate's mouth, both publicly and privately. Add to this the offense given to broader, non-Armenian circles as well, and it's time yet again to exclaim: What nerve! What astonishing obliviousness to political reality! What gall expecting our community's support when they don't even see fit to respect community activists who support the campaign! And our final contender is someone who might actually have promise in the future, given the energy and enthusiasm exhibited in running for office. Tragicomically though, this candidate ran against a well entrenched incumbent and garnered a 'whopping' one-sixteenth of the votes. Why attempt political suicide but doing things like this? Build yourself up among the constituencies you'll be serving, then go for it! Here's my plea to all those with electoral ambitions. Once this round of elections is over, all those who are considering running next time should sit together with representatives of Armenian political organizations to hash out who has the best chance of winning in what seats. Then, let's get behind those people and support their campaigns. We'll all do better, both individually and as a community. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. 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CONFESSION FROM WRITER OF “BLUE BOOK”
Turkish Press
March 21 2005
HURRIYET- British historian Arnold Toynbee, the writer of the “Blue
Book” shown as an evidence of Armenian allegations, confessed in his
memoirs that they wouldn’t have written the book if they had known
that it was being prepared for propaganda. In his “Recollections”
written in 1966 and translated into Turkish, Toynbee, who died in
1975, confessed, “the Armenians were after their political ideals
since Turkish-Russian War of 1877-78. They hoped that they could
establish a state like the Greek. The political intentions of the
Greek and Armenians did not have any legitimacy because both groups
were minorities. They aimed to divide the empire. Turks discovered
that the local Armenians could work as ‘fifth wing’ for the Russians.
So, Turks decided to send away the Armenians from the war zone. This
can be considered as a security measure. Some other governments made
similar decisions under similar circumstances. For example, when the
Japanese attacked the United States in Pearl Harbor, the United States
forced citizens of Japanese origin to migrate.”