Author: Jalatian Sonya

CYPRUS ARMENIANS ALLOWED TO RETURN TO MONASTERY AFTER 33 YEARS

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
May 6, 2007 Sunday 6:18 PM EST

Nicosia

Two hundred Armenians returned to the abandoned medieval monastery of
Saint Magar in the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus Sunday,
where prayers were said for the first time in 33 years.

The pilgrims, most of whom used to spend holidays at the monastery
until the Turkish invasion in 1974, travelled in a convoy of five
buses escorted by a United Nations patrol and Turkish Cypriot police.

But despite the anticipation of return, the enthusiasm of many was
dashed by the poor state of the church and the destruction of all
inscriptions by prospective developers who had earlier set their
sights on transforming the monastery to a casino.

The looting of the site since the war that divided the island, had
also taken its toll on the buildings, many of which had no roof and
could fall within a few years, some bystanders said.

Archbishop Varoujan Hergelian led those present in a prayer of grace,
Hayr Mer in Armenian, while some had brought candles with them

to mark the holy day of the monastery’s saint, a Coptic recluse who
had lived in the caves below the present site of the monastery in
the 12th century.

"I held service and performed my last christening here in 1973,"
added Hergelian, who had travelled in civilian clothes so as not to
incite any reaction from Islamists or Turkish nationalists living in
nearby villages.

"It is in a tragic condition," he said, adding that the baptismal was
totally defaced from his last visit to the derelict monastery three
years ago.

But reconstruction of the monastery dating back to 1642 is highly
unlikely. The UN must ask the Turkish forces for permission since the

buildings and the 9,000-acre estate of olive, citrus and carob trees
that leads down to the northern sea shore, lies within a military
zone and near a Turkish Army camp in the Kyrenia mountain range.

"We only managed to halt the plans for development by the
intervention of the Vatican," said the Armenian deputy in the House
of Representatives, Vartkes Mahdessian, who had organized the trip.

Previous members of the Cypriot parliament had sought the intervention
of the Council of Europe when Turkish Cypriot developers

allegedly won the privatization license for the land and advertised
plans for a casino, hotel and leisure cafeterias.

"I will try to organise a similar pilgrimage next year as well, as
we must remind ourselves of our heritage before the older generations
start to disappear, the MP said.

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
May 6 2007

Searches held in apartments of 2 oppositionists in Armenia

06.05.2007, 03.55

YEREVAN, May 6 (Itar-Tass) – Armenia’s National Security Service has
held many-hours-long searches in the offices and apartments of two
major oppositionists – former deputy prime minister Vagan Shirkhanian
and former foreign minister Alexander Arzumanian.

Both men are cofounders of the Civic Disobedience movement and they
abstain from the parliamentary election scheduled for May 12.

Armenia’s law enforcement agencies did not make any comments on the
situation by the time of reporting.

"COUNTRY IS THREATENED WITHOUT LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT"

A1+
[06:48 pm] 04 May, 2007

The Republic Party, the New Times and the Impeachment Alliance held
their first joint meeting on May 3. They addressed a joint message
to Armenian citizens. "The regime which seized power through
falsification, coercion and fraud has shattered the foundation
of the Ar menian state, turned Armenia, a dignified member of
the international community, into a subject of mockery, and led
the Nagorno-Karabakh issue into a prostrating deadlock. Citizens’
rights of independent state are shortened in the republic, a whole
generation is demoralized and perverted," runs the joint message.

The three political forces, the authors of the message, state that
their goal of running in the election on May 12 is to impeach Robert
Kocharyan and his administration. "Despite the difference in our
programs and outlooks, we came together to solve the primary problem
of forming a legitimate government," state the Republic Party, the
New Times Party and the Impeachment Alliance. For instance, they
consider a legitimate government as the only chance for the country
to develop. They say the country and people are threatened without
a legitimate government.

"The election campaign of the Republic Party, the New Times Party and
the Impeachment Alliance made sure that these goals have considerable
support of all the layers of the public. In other words, if the outcome
of the parliamentary election is not distorted and turned upside down,
we will be parliament majority and impeach the president," runs the
joint message of the three forces. Together they urge the citizens of
Armenia to support the Republic Party, the New Times Party and the
Impeachment Alliance in the election of May 12 with natural desire
and determination to live a free and dignified life. The message was
signed by Nikol Pashinyan (Impeachment Alliance), Aram Zaven Sargsyan
(Republic Party) and Aram Karapetyan (New Times Party).

"HORROR FILMS" WILL ACCOMPANY MAY 12 ELECTIONS

A1+
[05:31 pm] 04 May, 2007

"The population want to see honest and decent people in the Parliament
without any nicknames," says the former Ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan,
who is on the Heritage Party majority list for the upcoming elections.

It is supposed that May 12 elections will be faked according to the
violations registered by the party, particularly Larissa Alaverdyan is
concerned about the atmosphere of fear and ignorance in rural places.

Voters even have declared which candidate or party they are going
to vote. The most striking is that residents of big towns are also
subjected to psychological abuse.

Ms Alaverdyan envisages that the election day will be accompanied with
horror scenes and "dead people in line with live ones" will participate
in the elections. "We receive the data of pre-election violations on
daily bases. The Heritage Party considers these violations were not
coordinated and systematized by the Government. Besides, there are
inaccuracies in the electoral rolls."

The Heritage Party doesn’t trust the figures introduced by sociological
centers. "According to Aharon Adibekyan only the Bargavach Hayastan
and the Republican parties will forge the upcoming elections as only
these two parties have electorate," says Larissa Alaverdyan.

Larissa Alaverdyan stated that the Armenian mass media’s role in
democracy building processes is more vivid and actual than that of
non-government organizations. "NGOs are scared to a special extent.

Mass media is more active in the pre-election period.

Anyway, the Central Electoral Commission and the RoA Prosecutor’s
Office ignore numerous election violations disclosed by the mass
media."

"ARMENIA AGREED ON STEP-BY-STEP VARIANT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT," ALIEV SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.05.2007 16:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Armenia has broken the agreement on confidentiality
over the negotiation process around the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement, Azeri President Ilham Aliev stated in Sabunchi district
of Baku speaking in the opening ceremony of a special village of
Ramani, which has been built for 450 displaced persons. He said,
"information about the negotiation process that the Armenian officials
are spreading, is being presented to the society in a distorted form."

Ilham Aliev stated that, "there exists a common agreement on returning
the 7 occupied regions of Azerbaijan by step-by-step approach, after
which displaced Azeri population will unconditionally return to their
native places." At the same time he says that both Armenia and the
international mediators accepted these offers.

Aliev stated the status of Nagorno Karabakh "can be discussed only
in the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. Alongside
Azerbaijan does not oppose the idea of placing peacekeepers on this
territory, which actually is Armenia’s initiative."

GARRY KASPAROV MAKES TIME 100 LIST

Chessbase News, Germany
May 4 2007

04.05.2007 – Once a year Time Magazine compiles a list of the 100
most influential people in the world. Oprah Winfrey made the list
a record five times, Bill Gates four times, George W. Bush, Bill
Clinton, Nelson Mandela and Condoleezza Rice three times. The 2007 list
which hits the newsstands today includes a chess player who today is
"leading a lonely fight for greater democracy in Russia."

Details.

TTIME 100 is an annual list, compiled by Time Magazine, of the 100
most influential people in the world. The list was first published
in 1999 as a list of the 100 most influential people of the passing
century. It soon became an annual feature, listing the 100 people
influencing the world most greatly every year. They are separated
into five groups: Leaders and Revolutionaries, Builders and Titans,
Artists aand Entertainers, Scientists and Thinkers, and Heroes and
Icons. Each category has 20 nominees, sometimes in pairs or small
groups. The magazine made it clear that the people recognized are
those who are changing the world – for better or for worse.

Record holders for TIME 100 nominations are Oprah Winfrey, who was
listed five times, followed by Bill Gates (four times), George W.
Bush, Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and Condoleezza Rice (three times).

This year’s list includes Queen Elizabeth, US presidential hopefuls
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,
Pope Benedict XVI, YouTube founders Steve Chen and Chad Hurley, film
director Martin Scorsese, and supermodel Kate Moss. Separately, Time
named 14 "power givers" including Bill and Melinda Gates, Angelina
Jolie, Queen Rania al-Abdullah of Jordan, George Soros. The list
includes 71 men and 29 women from 27 countries. It does not include
President Bush.

On the current TIME 100 list we find actors Leonardo DiCaprio,
Sacha Baron Cohen (of "Borat" fame), as well as entertainment
newsmakers Brad Pitt, Justin Timberlake, Cate Blanchett and America
Ferrera. Politicians include California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Nancy Pelosi (writeup by Newt Gingrich!), Michael Bloomberg, Angela
Merkel, Tzipi Livni, Sonia Gandhi and Ayatullah Ali Khamenei. Amongst
the Scientists and Thinkers we find Al Gore, Neil deGrasse Tyson and
Richard Dawkins. Builders and Titans include Richard Branson and Steve
Jobs, while Heroes and Pioneers include (tennis star) Roger Federer,
Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney and Michael J. Fox.

"The TIME 100 is not a hot list. It’s a survey not of the most powerful
or the most popular, but of the most influential," writes Editor
Richard Stengel. "We look for people whose ideas, whose example,
whose talent, whose discoveries transform the world we live in. Yes,
there are Presidents and dictators who can change the world through
fiat, but we’re more interested in innovators like Monty Jones,
the Sierra Leone scientist who has developed a strain of rice that
can save African agriculture. Or heroes like the great chess master
Garry Kasparov, who is leading a lonely fight for greater democracy
in Russia." Here’s his writeup:

Garry Kasparov By Michael Elliott Garry Kasparov likes to say he has
been in politics all his life. In the Soviet Union, the nation in
which he grew up, chess was a way of demonstrating the superiority of
communism over the decadent West, and a chess prodigy was inevitably
a political figure. Kasparov never dodged that fate; when he took on
and eventually defeated Anatoly Karpov, the darling of the Soviet
chess establishment, in 1985, his image as a prominent outsider –
Kasparov is half Jewish, half Armenian – was fixed.

Kasparov’s status has been maintained in post-Soviet Russia. His
organization, the Other Russia, a coalition of those opposed to the
rule of President Vladimir Putin, has held a series of demonstrations,
often broken up by the police. For Kasparov, Russia today, dominated
by a combination of huge energy enterprises and former security
apparatchiks (such as Putin), is a betrayal of those who dreamed of
democracy in the early 1990s.

Putin’s foes are fragmented and run from old-fashioned nationalists
to modern liberals; Kasparov, 44, insists he is just a moderator, not
a leader, of the movement. But by giving a voice to those who believe
that Russia can develop in a way different from the authoritarianism
that seems always to have been its fate, the retired grand master
shows that he has not yet made his last move.

SHAVARSH KOCHARIAN DOES NOT CONSIDER OYP AS OPPOSITION FORCE

Noyan Tapan
May 03 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The election campaign has a theatrical
character and reminds of a feast table where representatives of all
political forces say things like toasts. Shavarsh Kocharian, Chairman
of National Democratic Party, characterized the election campaign
this way. In his words, everybody lavishes promises irrespective of
the fact will he fulfil his promises or not.

Touching upon NDP’s preelection program, S. Kocharian confirmed his
thought voiced earlier that the key of solving the problems accumulated
in the country is to make the power controllable by the people. For
this, in the words of NDP leader, the voters should receive the
right to recall deputies, mayors, village heads not having proved
their value.

Touching upon the fact of holding joint rallies by the Impeachment
bloc, Nor Zhamanakner and Hanrapetutiun parties, S. Kocharian said
that it is impossible to achieve power shift through purely rallies:
this is purely means of gaining votes. As he affirmed, it is possible
to carry out a power shift in two cases: when oppositionists receive
majority of votes in the parliamentary elections or when a strong
wave of protest rises in case of falsifications.

S. Kocharian refused to comment upon the overheard talk of Orinats
Yerkir Party Chairman Artur Baghdasarian and the British diplomat, as,
in his words, "overhearing is an anti-constitutional phenomenon." In
his words, he does not consider OYP as an opposition force, as the
leader of that party "was Msra Melik yesterday and today wants to be
like David of Sassoun."

RAMIZ ABUTALIBOV: I GATHERED ABOUT 240KG OF ARCHIVE MATERIALS WHILE WORKING IN UNESCO

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 3 2007

I spent my leisure time on gathering information on Azerbaijan during
my 16-year activity in UNESCO.

I sent Baku more than 240 kg archive materials which I gathered
researching archives," celebrated Azerbaijan diplomat, former
Azerbaijan representative to UNESCO Ramiz Abutalibov told APA.

Ramiz Abutalibov, for whom the protection and researching Azerbaijan
cultural history is hobby, remembered Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
immigrants on the eve of May 28- the day of foundation of Azerbaijan
Democratic Republic.

"I threw light upon the rare photos and articles of Alimardan
Topchubashov, Jeyhun Hajibayli, Ahmad bay Aghaoghlu on Azerbaijani
history published in French press. The aim was to find unknown
materials. I presented my archives to the corresponding Azerbaijani
bodies".

Mr. Abutalibov shared his impressions on the then President Heydar
Aliyev. "I felt myself strong as I had his support. I was afraid
of nobody" The diplomat with pride spoke on his contribution to the
erection of monument to Alimardan Topchubashov and Ahmadiyya Jabrayilov
who led Azerbaijanis fight against Nazis in France.

Currently Moscow resident Ramiz Abutalibov commented on the
Great Russian Encyclopedia, which introduced Nagorno Karabakh
as independent republic." As the Encyclopedia is published it is
difficult to eliminate encyclopedia. But we should be consistent in
our struggle."

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

May 3, 2007

FIRST OF THREE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
FOR PRELATE WILL TAKE PLACE SATURDAY
The first of the three celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of
Archbishop Oshagan’s ordination to the priesthood, will take place this
Saturday, May 5, at the Marriott in Providence, Rhode Island. The New
England committee under the chairmanship of Yn. Joanna Baghsarian (Sts.
Vartanantz Church, Providence) and Avedis Garavanian (St. Gregory Church,
North Andover) has spared no effort to make this a memorable occasion.
The second event will take place next Saturday, May 12, at The Marriott
at Glenpointe, in Teaneck, New Jersey, with the participation of all of the
parishes in the Mid Atlantic, which includes New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC.
The final celebration will take place during the National Representative
Assembly (NRA) which is being hosted by St. Sarkis Church in Dearborn,
Michigan. This will take place on Friday, May 18, at Double Tree Hotel in
Dearborn, with the participation of the parishes in the Mid-West, as well as
the NRA delegates and guests.
For more information on all three events click
.html.

ECUMENICAL RECEPTION AT PRELACY TOMORROW
IN HONOR OF ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the ordination of His Eminence
Archbishop Oshagan, an Ecumenical Reception will take place in the Vahakn
and Hasmig Hovnanian Hall at the Prelacy headquarters in New York tomorrow,
Friday, May 4, beginning at 3 pm. Ecumenical leaders and friends will come
to congratulate His Eminence on the occasion of his milestone anniversary.

PRELATE WILL ATTEND 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
OF ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA
This Sunday, May 6, Archbishop Oshagan will be in Philadelphia with the
parish of St. Gregory the Illuminator on the occasion of the 40th
anniversary of the consecration of the church on Ridge Ave. His Eminence
will preside over the Divine Liturgy and ordination granting the right to
wear the stole (ourar) to Garabed Sarkissian. Following the services, His
Eminence will preside over the anniversary banquet in the church hall.

2007 DATEV INSTITUTE SUMMER PROGRAM
The 21st annual St. Gregory of Datev Institute Christian summer studies
program will take place July 1 to 8 in Elverson, Pennsylvania. For details
click

2007 NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY IN DEARBORN
The 2007 National Representative Assembly (NRA) will be hosted by St.
Sarkis Church, Dearborn, Michigan. For details click

Clergymen should note that the religious conference will begin Tuesday
afternoon, May 15, not Wednesday as previously announced.

PRELACY OBSERVER WILL ATTEND DIOCESAN ASSEMBLY
Astor Guzelian of St. Stephen’s Church in Watertown, Massachusetts, is
attending the Diocesan Assembly of the Eastern Diocese, as an observer on
behalf of the Eastern Prelacy. The Assembly is being hosted by Sts.
Vartanantz Church in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, beginning today May 3
through to Sunday, May 6. The Assembly is taking place at Sheraton Tara in
Nashua, New Hampshire.

PLG MOTHERS DAY LUNCHEON MAY 7
The popular Mothers Day luncheon presented by the Prelacy Ladies Guild
will take place this Monday, May 7, at the St. Regis in New York City.
This year’s Mother of the Year is Mrs. Lalig Bayrakdarian, mother of six
children, including the famed Metropolitan Opera star, Isabel Bayrakdarian.
A special presentation of "Musical Sounds of Armenia" will be provided
by a quartet made up of graduates and current students of Juilliard and solo
dance presentation accompanied by kanon and piano. For more information
click

30th ANNIVERSARY OF ST. ILLUMINATOR SCHOOL
The 30th anniversary of St. Illuminator Armenian Day School, Woodside,
New York, will be celebrated on Saturday evening, May 6, at Terrace on the
Park, Corona, New York. Reception begins at 5 pm followed by dinner. Bishop
Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General, will attend and present a letter of
blessing from His Holiness Catholicos Aram I to Mrs. Zmroukhd Markarian, in
appreciation for her many decades of service as an educator at the school.

"NEVER AGAIN" FOR ARMENIANS TOO
An op-ed article by Daniel Sokatch and David N. Myers, entitled "Never
Again for Armenians too" appeared in the May 1, 2007 issue of the Los
Angeles Times. The authors chide "several American Jewish groups who abandon
their anti-genocide zeal when it comes to Turkey’s massacre of Armenians,"
and find it troubling that some major Jewish organizations have lined up in
support of Turkey’s effort to keep the U.S. Congress from recognizing the
Armenian massacres as an act of genocide. Sokatch is executive director of
the Progressive Jewish Alliance and Myers teaches Jewish history at UCLA. To
read the entire op-ed article click
-thursday3.1may03,1,1961760.story?ctrack=1&cse t=true.

RWANDAN EXHIBIT OPENS AT UNITED NATIONS
The exhibit on the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda which was
scheduled to open at the United Nations two weeks ago, and postponed because
of protests from the Turkish Mission because of a one line reference to the
Armenian genocide, opened this past Monday. The Turkish diplomats had
originally asked that the entire reference to the Armenian genocide be
removed, which the organizers refused to do. The exhibit remained the same
except that "the Ottoman Empire" was substituted for "Turkey." In the
meantime the entire episode provided widespread press coverage, including an
editorial in the New York Times.

AND.ANOTHER HEADLINE MAKING ENCOUNTER
Margaret Ajemian Ahnert has just published a memoir of her mother, "The
Knock at the Door," which describes her mother’s experiences during the
Armenian genocide. The first-time author had a book-signing and book-reading
appearance at a Barnes & Noble on the East Side of Manhattan on Tuesday
evening. During the session several persons disrupted her reading, shouting
and passing out leaflets denying that the genocide occurred. One man was
arrested, and the incident resulted in a lengthy article in today’s New York
Times (page 3 of the Metro section). In the audience were former New York
Governor Hugh L. Carey and the Manhattan district attorney, Robert M.
Morgenthau, whose grandfather, Henry Morgenthau, was the ambassador to the
Ottoman Empire from 1913 to 1916.
A spokeswoman for Barnes & Noble said it was unusual for a reading to be
disrupted. Passing out pamphlets violated the company’s no-solicitations
policy, she said. "They were asked to stop passing out leaflets. They
refused. They were jeering the author. They were asked to sit down and they
refused." The police were called.
Last night Ms. Ajemian Ahnert was a guest on the Joey Reynolds show on
WOR radio (710 AM) which is heard Monday to Friday from Midnight to five o’clock
in the morning. A portion of the show was devoted to the new book and the
incident related above.
Crossroads suggests you order the book from Barnes & Noble via the
internet or in person.

IN CELEBRATION OF THE YEAR OF THE ARMENIAN LANGUAGE.
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has
designated 2007 as the Year of the Armenian Language. In celebration of this
year-long tribute, each week we will offer an interesting tidbit about the
Armenian language.
"Nerses Shnorhali [the Graceful] was one of the most remarkable figures
of medieval Armenian literature. Nerses was born in approximately 1100 in
the castle of Tzovk, the seat of the catholicos, in the Tluk province of
Armenian Cilicia. He received his education in Karmir Vank (the Red
Monastery) in the Black [Amanus] Mountains of southeastern Cilicia, where
his teacher was Stepanos Manuk.. Shnorhali was a prolific poet, theologian,
composer, pedagogue, and publicist. The poetic grace and clarity of his
style and the articulateness of his language are indications of the lucidity
and precision of his mind. He is the leading literary and religious figure
of the Silver Age.. Shnorhali’s literary output is rich and varied; he wrote
poems, sermons, canticles, riddles, and commentaries on Scripture. He also
enriched the liturgy of the Armenian Church with many hymns, anthems,
prayers, and sacred poems."
>From The Heritage of Armenian Literature, Volume II
To read the message of His Holiness in Armenian click
.
To read the message of His Holiness in English click

DAIL Y BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, May 3, are: Luke 10:25-42; Acts 15:1-29; 2
Peter 2:9-22; John 6:22-38; Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 6:1-6.
He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed
him. On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard
him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is
this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done
by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of
James and Joses and Juda and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?
And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not
without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in
their own house." And he could do no deed of power there, except that he
laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at
their unbelief.
For listing of the entire week’s Bible readings click
.

70th ANNIVERSARY OF THE HINDENBURG CRASH
This Sunday, May 6th, is the 70th anniversary of the crash of the
dirigible (zeppelin), Hindenburg, at the Navy base in Lakehurst, New Jersey.
It was the 20th century’s first transportation disaster captured by
newsreel, audio recordings, and still photos. The German zeppelin, with a
length of three Boeing 747s, was on its 63rd flight when it went up in
flames as it was preparing to land on May 6, 1937. Controversy still
continues about the exact cause of the accident.

APPARITION OF THE CROSS
This Sunday, May 6, is the Feast of the Apparition of the Cross
(Yerevoumun Sourp Khatchi). The Apparition of the Holy Cross is the third
feast of the Holy Cross. It is celebrated on the fifth Sunday of Easter, in
remembrance of the apparition of the sign of the cross that appeared over
the city of Jerusalem in 331 A.D. The apparition was brighter than sunlight
and seen by clergy and laity.

MEDITATION BY REV. FR. VARTAN KASSABIAN
We end this week with a meditation by Rev. Fr. Vartan Kassabian about
the tragedy at Virginia Tech. Der Vartan is pastor of St. Gregory Armenian
Apostolic Church of Merrimack Valley in North Andover, Massachusetts.
"In the wake of the recent school massacres at Virginia Tech, I have
thought time and again about how much we have progressed as a society. But,
I also have thought about just how apathetic and uncaring we have become. We
seem to be so wrapped up in this vicious cycle of life that we seem to have
become immune to the evils around us. The question still remains what could
have caused one human being to inflict such pain and suffering on so many
others for no apparent reason? Perhaps the answer comes to us and the
society and world we live.
"The worse sickness that we suffer today more than ever is the disease
of indifference, apathy, and not speaking out against what we know to be
wrong and unacceptable, especially since we claim to be a society endowed
with civility and respect for human life. Alas, reality tells a different
story. We have become a society which is now known as the culture of death.
There is no longer a sacred respect for human life and dignity. There is no
longer a sense of God, Faith, and the value of human life. Family life, the
concept of a community which loves and nurtures is for all intents and
purposes virtually nonexistent. What comes from such a tragedy is a wake up
call to each of us that we have to change and start caring more. We, too,
may someday receive the very news those grieving parents did on that day.
The decision to do what is right in the face of such evil is a choice only
we can make."

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

May 5-40th anniversary of ordination of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan in the
New England area will take place in Providence, Rhode Island.

May 6-30th anniversary of St. Illuminator’s Armenian Day School, Terrace on
the Park, Corona, New York, at 5 pm.

May 7-Prelacy Ladies Guild Mothers’ Day Luncheon, 11:30 a.m., St. Regis
Hotel, Two East 55th Street (at Fifth Avenue), New York City. Special
entertainment, "Musical Sounds of Armenia."

May 12-40th anniversary of ordination of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan in Mid
Atlantic area will take place at the Marriott at Glenpointe, Teaneck, New
Jersey.

May 12-Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, 50th anniversary concert
featuring Onnik Dinkjian and John Berberian.

May 12-Armenian Dance party, St. Gregory Church, Indian Orchard,
Massachusetts.

May 18-40th anniversary of ordination of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan in
Midwest will take place at the National Representative Assembly.

May 20-"Hello Ellis Island" and Reception, St. Stephen’s Church Hall,
Watertown, Massachusetts. $20 per person. Information, 617-924-7562.

July 1-8-St. Gregory of Datev Institute, 21st annual summer Christian
studies program for junior and senior high school students, at St. Mary of
Providence Center in Elverson, Pennsylvania. For information click

July 21-Sts. Vartanantz Church Ladies Guild, Providence, Rhode Island, and
ARS Ani Chapter present "A Hye Summer Night 2." For information
401-286-8107.

August 7-Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, annual golf
tournament at Blackstone Country Club.

August 19-Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, annual
church picnic.

September 27-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, 5th Annual Golf
Outing at River Vale Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey. Registration
begins at 11 a.m. and tee time at 1 p.m. For information, 201-943-2950.

September 29-Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, 50th
anniversary banquet at Pleasant Valley.

December 1-Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, annual
church bazaar.

December 9-St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, 50th anniversary
celebration. For information, (617) 924-7562.

Visit our website at

TABDC (TURKEY):
Tel: 90 (212) 236 00 17 Fax: 90 (212) 259 72 51
Email : [email protected]
Web site:

TABDC (ARMENIA) :Tel: 374 (10) 35 11 80 Fax: 374 (10) 35 12 40
Other TABDC branches
TABDC EU(Belgium) :Tel : 32 (495) 77 08 67. Email : [email protected]
TABDC (USA) :Tel: 1 (516) 869-7525 Fax: 1 (516) 365-0560

TURKISH – ARMENIAN
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
TABDC

***** TABDC encourage EU to build bridges between Turkey and Armenia –
A delegation meets with senior EU officials

Yerevan, Ankara, 27 April 2007. On April 18 and 19, a delegation of the
Turkish Armenian Business Development Council met with European
Commissioner for enlargement Olli Rehn and with EU Special
Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby. Mr Rehn plays a
leading role in preparing for Turkey’s accession to the European Union.
Mr Semneby has the responsibility of coordinating EU relations with the
South Caucasus countries and contributing to conflict resolution in the
region.

The TABDC delegation also met with experts and staff in think-tanks,
NGOs and EU institutions whose work touch upon relations between Armenia
and Turkey. The TABDC delegation was composed of Noyan Soyak, Burcu
Gültekin and Nicolas Tavitian.

The purpose of the visit was to brief EU leaders and opinion formers on
the status of relations between the two republics of Turkey and Armenia
and to encourage the EU to contribute to the normalisation of relations
between them. EU candidate country Turkey has kept the joint border
closed since 1993 and has no diplomatic relations with neighbouring
Armenia.

The delegation briefed the Commissioner for enlargement on the issue of
Turkish-Armenian relations and forwards their recommendations. They
stressed the importance of the issue, emphasizing in particular the
positive impact which the normalization of relations between Turkey and
Armenia would have on the Nagorno-Karabakh process, on stability and
development in the Southern Caucasus in general. They further
highlighted how both Turkey’s and Armenia’s relations with the European
Union would benefit, should relations be normalized, and encouraged the
EU to play an active role in mediating in good faith between the two
countries.

The TABDC representatives emphasized furthermore how little has been
done so far by the EU Institutions. There is no dialogue between
Armenian and Turkish authorities to speak of, and initiatives by
business or civil society to build bridges between the two countries are
virtually non-existent due to the many obstacles. Europe therefore also
has a role to play in ensuring that cross-border cooperation and
"people-to-people" exchanges are initiated between Turkey and Armenia
without further delay in preparation for the full restoration of
relations between the two countries.

Both EU Commissioner Olli Rehn and Peter Semneby agreed on the
importance of Turkey’s relations with Armenia. They expressed their
commitment to the issue and their support for bridge-building
initiatives. They also referred to the important role which the
Armenian Diaspora in Europe could play in the process.

The Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council is a non-governmental
network of Armenian and Turkish business leaders working since 1997 for
the restoration of normal relations between Turkey and Armenia and for
the reopening of their common border.

+++++++++++

*** TABDC Visits San Marino

San Marino April 11, 2007 –

The Turkish Armenian Business Development Council delegation, headed by
the Co-Chairman Kaan Soyak was introduced by Angelo Boccardelli,
Chairman of the Foundation "Giacomo Maria Ugolini Ambassador", to the
President of the Council of Europe H.E. Fiorenzo Stolfi who’s also the
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Republic of San Marino.
During the meeting, TABDC and the Foundation GMU shared the current
situation between Armenia and Turkey and several possible solutions were
discussed. In particular, the TABDC and the Foundation GMU expressed
their support for the establishment of Intergovernmental Commissions
between the two Governments to work on all the issues including history.
The Foundation "Giacomo Maria Ugolini Ambassador" of the Republic of San
Marino is willing to Team with the Turkish Armenian Business Development
Council and be active in the Reconciliation process in order to bring
Peace and Development in the Caucasus. In order to favor the
Reconciliation process, H.E. Fiorenzo Stolfi expressed his interest in
inviting the representatives of the Intergovernmental Commissions of the
two Countries to work in San Marino, the "Oldest Republic of the World"
and the symbol of "Liberty and Peace".
In this context, the Foundation GMU has in its calendar several
conferences and seminars promoting and supporting Turkey’s accession
into Europe