Author: Kajoyan Gevork

IS IT ENOUGH FOR TURKEY TO SAY SORRY TO THE ARMENIANS?

New Europe, EU
April 27, 2014 Sunday 9:49 PM EST

Apr 27, 2014
by Monnet Matters

Last week, Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan issued an unexpected
written declaration.

He said that ‘We wish that the Armenians who lost their lives in the
context of the early 20th century rest in peace, and we convey our
condolences to their grandchildren’.

For decades, every effort on the part of Turkey to move towards
democracy and any discussion about its European future were
overshadowed by the question: When will Turkey recognise the genocide
of the Armenian people that was committed by the Ottoman Empire
in 1915?

Erdogan’s statement may not be a clear recognition of the Armenian
massacre, but it is something. It is something important without
question. For anyone who is knowledgeable of Turkish historical,
sentimental and political background, this declaration was a very
serious step for Erdogan.

But to whom is it addressed to and for what purpose?

At the domestic level, the Armenian issue isn’t a first-class
political issue. The Turks of Armenian origin, although a minority,
live without problems in the Turkish Republic and they enjoy the
same rights as other citizens. They do not represent a powerful lobby
and have no impact on the decisions of the Turkish government on an
international level.

That said, the Turks of Armenian origin couldn’t do anything against
Turkey’s alignment with Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue or
have any impact on any Turkish position related to Caucasus affairs.

If this is the case, then why did the Turkish PM make this now-famous
statement?

The most probable explanation is that the statement has two directions,
both far away from the Turkish land.

The latest political movements of Tayyip Erdogan, as well as the
general atmosphere in Turkish politics, have rendered serious damage
to his profile. Erdogan worked hard for decades to build an image of an
incorruptible, religious man who has a modern vision for his country.

But the latest corruption allegations against him, as well as his
anti-democratic behaviour against protesters and political rivals,
presented another face – an ugly one.

In Europe, mainly in France, as well as in the United States, the
Armenian issue has considerable weight in politics.

The Armenian Diaspora with powerful lobby groups has worked and has
managed to put up obstacles to Turkeys diplomacy in the West.

Erdogan’s statement is exactly what Western leaders would like to
hear. It is also an opportunity to show he is not as cruel as the
media present him to be.

Ukraine’s crisis, which has endangered the lives of Turkish origin
Tatars of Crimea, has given Erdogan an opportunity to partly regain
his popularity among nationalist elements inside Turkey. But any
serious exposure on the subject represents another danger, that of
Turko-Russian relations.

Russia is home to the largest concentration of Armenian Diaspora and
Armenia is the privileged partner of Moscow in the Caucasus region.

Armenia will become member of the Eurasian Economic Union this summer.

Turkey was in a certain way also invited to join by the Kazakh side,
to cooperate strictly with the Moscow backed economic community.

So, it is easy to understand why Erdogan issued the statement, which
was directed especially to the international community.

However, despite the fact that it is a very important step, Turkey
must reconsider its recent political period and recognise that it must
work harder to rebuild friendships in Europe by condemning all the
anti-democratic methods applied by Erdogan and to combat corruption
at any level.

ARTUR SAKUNTS TO THE AMBASSADOR OF RUSSIA TO ARMENIA, “LET HIM TAKE HIS BELONGINGS AND LEAVE OUR COUNTRY.”

April 29 2014

“Persona non grata, let him take his belongings and leave our
country,” so expressed his opinion the Chairman of HCA Vanadzor
office Artur Sakunts in the Freedom Square, attending today’s failed
rally against the Customs Union, referring to the statement of the RF
Ambassador to Armenia. Recall that RF Ambassador to Armenia had said,
“The Russian side will wreck any aggressive intervention to internal
affairs of its friendly countries that would be made under the pretext
of introducing alien ideas to our minds and hearts”. Artur Sakunts
insisted that people in Russia should understand the following, “If
the Ambassador thinks that Edik Nalbandyan and Serzh Sargsyan cannot
counter each other, then let him understand that there are citizens
who reverse. Russian Federation is a Nazi system and the Ambassador
as a representative of the Nazi system, moreover, has nothing to do
here.” To the question of Aravot.am what such statements voiced by
Russia are caused by, Mr. Sakunts responded, “The RA authorities
did not respond to this statement in any way. Armenia, basically,
is governed not from Baghramyan 26, or the government, but from the
Ambassador of the Russian Federation. The Ambassador’s statement was
an indication to the authorities of Armenia on what to do with the
activists, and political movements that would try to destabilize the
situation. The Armenian elite does not reflect the interests of the
RA citizen, otherwise they would accept the new appointments with
exclamations. The matter that the political elite pursue the goal to
surrender Armenia to Putin’s dominance and the Kremlin is also a fact.”

Tatev HARUTYUNYAN

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ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATED IN NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL

15:53 â?¢ 29.04.14

Notre-Dame de Paris, the historical Catholic cathedral of Paris,
hosted on Sunday a commemoration ceremony dedicated to the 99th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The church’s bishop delivered a commemoration prayer to open a
liturgy. The holy mess, served in accordance with the Armenian
tradition, was conducted by Bishop Hovhannes Teyruzyan, the prelate
of the Armenian Katoghike church of France, and Archimandrite Mesrop
Parsamyan, the vicar of the Armenian Apostolic Church’s diocese og
France, reports the Foreign Ministry’s press service.

The event was attended by Armenian Ambassador to France Vigen
Chitechtan, the chairman of the Armenian Genocide Centennial
Commissiion Alexy Govsyan, the chairman of the Hayastan all-Armenian
Fund’s French affiliate, Bedros Terzian, outstanding French-Armenians,
public figures, media representatives, as well as hundreds of French
people and foreigners.

Armenian News – Tert.am

TURKISH PM SAYS ARMENIANS LIVING IN TURKEY PROVES THERE WAS NO GENOCIDE

16:59 29.04.2014

Armenian Genocide, Turkey

Only a week after expressing condolences for the 1915 deportation and
killings of Armenians, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
said the small Armenian community still living in Turkey was proof that
there was no genocide in the past, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Speaking in an interview with Charlie Rose from PBS, Erdogan said
what happened in 1915 could not be described as “genocide.”

“This is not possible. Because if there were a genocide, there would
not be Armenians still living in Turkey,” Erdogan said, reiterating
that Ankara was ready to open its historical archives.

“We see genocide as a crime against humanity. We will never shut our
eyes to it. We are ready to open our archives. Armenia and other third
party countries should do it too,” he said, adding if documents prove
it, then Turkey would apologize.

“These events did not happen under the Turkish Republic, but the
Ottoman Empire. If the documents show it, then we will not avoid
apologizing and accepting the consequences,” he said.

Family Members of Accused in Fatal Restaurant Beating to Go on Trial

04.30.2014 14:31 epress.am

Criminal proceedings over the incident that occurred in the courtroom
while the verdict in the “Harsnaqar case” was being read have been
launched with the investigative department of the Nor Nork Police
Division under the charge of “contemptuous treatment of court” (RA
Criminal Code Article 343 Section 1). This news was conveyed to
Yerkir.am [AM] by Shahen Tonoyan, head of the Public Relations
Department of the RA Prosecutor General’s Office.

According to him, the grounds for launching criminal proceedings were
the contents of the audio recording of the court session examined by
the RA Prosecutor General’s Office, as well as videos disseminated by
the local media.

Recall, on March 24, Judge Davit Harutyunyan in the Court of First
Instance of Avan and Nor Nork Communities of Yerevan sentenced the
defendants in the “Harsnaqar case” to 12 years in prison.

After the verdict was announced, there was a commotion in the
courtroom. Relatives of the accused began to curse the court and the
prosecutor, then subsequently insulted journalists who were covering
the trial.

Zhoghovurd: Former PM leaves media field

11:50 29/04/2014 » DAILY PRESS

Former Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan has stopped financing
ATV and a number of other news websites and newspapers, Zhoghovurd
writes. Thus, he left the media field. The newspaper adds that Tigran
Sargsyan has not yet made a decision on his future career.

Source: Panorama.am

UN official responds to Armenian FM’s concerns over Kessab

NEWS | 30.04.14 | 09:59

UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has
replied to Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandian’s letter in
which he expressed concern about the situation around the
Syrian-Armenian town of Kessab and neighboring villages which were
attacked by Islamist militants last month.

Pillay said that her regional human rights control team followed the
situation and had already spoken with many families, who had been
evacuated as a result of the attacks.

The UN official gave assurances that the human rights situation in
Kessab and neighboring villages will be included in the upcoming
report of the UN Secretary-General according to Security Council
Resolution 2139.

Markey Praises White House Display of Armenian Orphan Rug

Contact: Giselle Barry (Markey) 202-224-2742

Washington (April 30, 2014) ` Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today
announced that the treasured `Armenian Orphan Rug’ will be displayed
later this year and praised President Obama and the White House for
working to display this important symbol. The Armenian Orphan Rug was
made by survivors of the Armenian Genocide and presented to
then-President Calvin Coolidge in 1925 in appreciation of American
assistance to the survivors of the genocide. It took Armenian girls in
the Ghazir Orphanage of the Near East Relief Society ten months to
weave. The rug could be displayed as early as late summer or early
fall and a timeline for exhibition will be finalized but the White
House soon. A venue for the display that is appropriate, sensitive and
open to the public is currently being sought.

`The Armenian Orphan Rug is an important symbol of the longstanding
friendship between America and Armenia,’ said Senator Markey.
`Displaying this significant piece of history will serve as reminder
that we will never forget the Armenian Genocide and highlight the
continued need to work towards its proper recognition. I commend
President Obama and the White House for working with me and my
Congressional colleagues to ensure that this rug is given the historic
exhibition is truly deserves.’

`The display of this tangible expression of gratitude for America’s
humanitarian intervention to save the survivors of the Armenian
Genocide is a positive development,’ said Armenian Assembly Executive
Director Bryan Ardouny.

`We thank Senator Markey for his continuing efforts to seek the
release and respectful display of the Armenian Orphan Rug, a powerful
symbol of the American humanitarian spirit, woven by child survivors
of the Armenian Genocide,’ said Aram S. Hamparian, Executive Director
of the Armenian National Committee of America. `The fact that we are,
today, speaking about finally holding an event for a historic piece of
art, that has been hidden away for decades, is a strong statement
about the tireless leadership of our Congressional friends in finally
securing the release of this iconic American artifact.’

Senator Markey wrote to President Obama in December to urge him to
make the rug available for display, consistent with the need to
protect and preserve this precious reminder of a dark chapter in the
history of Armenia and the world.

ARMENIE
Le nouveau Conseil suprême de la FRA d’Arménie élu

A la conclusion de la convention suprême de la Fédération
Révolutionnaire Arménienne un nouveau Conseil suprême de la FRA
d’Arménie a été élu.

La convention, qui a débuté Ã Aghveran, a élu un nouveau corps, qui
formulera et exécutera les politiques du parti en Arménie pour les
deux années à venir.

Le nouvel organisme est composé d’Armen Rustamian, Artsvik Minassian,
Aghvan Vartanian, Lilit Galstyan, Hratch Tadévossian, Mikael
Manoukyan, Petros Meghryan, Artashes Nikoyan, Hovhannes Tadévossian,
Vartan Alexanian et Samvel Yeranyan.

La Convention suprême a ré-approuvé la décision du Conseil suprême
précédent en ce qui concerne la décision du parti de ne pas participer
au nouveau gouvernement qui sera bientôt formé en Arménie.

mercredi 30 avril 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

Armenian Assembly of America News
1334 G Street, N.W., Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20005
Tel: (202) 393-3434
Fax: (202) 638-4904
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

The Murder of Memory
By Samantha Testa
April 30, 2014

This time next year will mark the 100 year anniversary of the death of 1.5
million Armenians during the genocide that began in 1915. To this day,
however, Turkey has gone to great lengths to deny that genocide occurred
and that denial is coming at a high cost. This denial has created ongoing
tension not only between Turkey and Armenia, but between Turkey and other
nations as well.

The Armenians cannot move on from their past until they feel
they have been given the recognition they deserve. “History’ declared
Turkish writer Sechuk Tezgul, `is waiting for that honest Turkish leader…
who will apologize to the Armenian
people…”[i]An
apology for genocide may be hard to make, but it is necessary. It
enables Turkish society to question why this happened and to avoid doing it
again in the future.

Turkey has gone to great lengths to cover up evidence that they intentionally
killed the Armenians. Turkish author, Orhan Pamuk, was charged by law
enforcement for referring to what happened to the Armenians as genocide.
Pamuk was charged under the Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, which
states that anyone who denigrates Turkishness is a criminal. This law,
which helps cover up the genocide, is a violation of human rights in the
eyes of the European Union (EU). Essentially, Article 301 and the Turkish
government’s use of it to stifle discussion of the Armenian Genocide is
costing Turkey a place in the EU.

Genocide denial is costing Turkey a lot more than just the EU, it is
keeping alive hostile feelings between Armenians and Turks. In 2007, a
Turkish citizen of Armenian ancestry who worked as the editor-in-chief of a
Turkish-Armenian magazine, Hrant Dink, was murdered. Just two years prior
to his death, Dink was arrested and charged under Article 301 for openly
discussing the Armenian genocide. When he turned up dead shortly
thereafter, it was not hard for people to deduce that his death was related
to his statements about the
genocide.[ii]The
government may not have physically executed his death, but they did
inspire the act that killed him. The law promotes Turkish nationalism, so
it is no surprise that a patriotic Turk came forward and murdered an
Armenian for speaking out against Turkey.

Turkey has not only internal problems, but international ones as well. In
2007, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a bill that would
formally recognize the events from 1914-1918 as genocide. Turkey’s
immediate response was to withdraw their ambassador and to threaten to deny
the U.S. access to the NATO airbase in Turkey. At the time the U.S. was
heavily involved in that area of the world, so efforts to bring the bill to
the House floor for a vote were suspended due to pressure put on the U.S.
by Turkey.[iii]

Genocide denial is also dangerous because it puts Turkey in the position to
commit genocide again. `Studies … prove that the single best predictor of
future genocide is denial of a past genocide coupled with impunity for its
perpetrators… Genocide deniers are three times more likely to commit
genocide again.'[iv]Who
is to say they will not go after the Armenians or the Kurds, like they
have in the past?

Turkey claims that what happened to Armenians occurred in the context of
war. For a mass killing to be defined genocide the intent to exterminate
the race or group in one way or another must be there and Turkey claims
that this was not their intent. They were simply acting in self-defense.
However, numerous scholars and other historians have found overwhelming
evidence that what the Turkish government did was premeditated and not out
of defense, but out of desire to exterminate the Armenian people. Is the
nature of war so different that it becomes acceptable to intentionally
murder over one million innocent men, women and children? Today, many Turks
believe that this is the case and that is why they did not commit genocide.

According to Jay Winter, war and genocide very much go hand in hand. Thus,
Turkey’s `cover of war’ argument cannot stand. =80=9C… A substantial part of a
long-established and prosperous civilian community with identifiable
religious and cultural beliefs had been wiped out; these people were
sentenced to death because of who they
were.'[v]That
is the nature of genocide, the extermination of an entire race. The
Turkish government nearly wiped the Armenians and their culture completely
off the planet, and that was no accident. That is not necessary to win a
war, not ever.

After all this time, Armenia still wants to mend its relationship with
Turkey. They will never be able to form a real relationship with Turkey,
however, until Turkey gives them the recognition they deserve. The Armenian
people need closure, they need peace, and most importantly they need to
know that this will never happen again.

As mentioned before, a leader can come to power in Turkey who will admit
what his ancestors did and attempt to create a healthy relationship with
Armenia. Another possible solution is that other world powers could put
pressure on Turkey to admit to the genocide, because it is the right thing
to do. When U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau was in Turkey during the
genocide he spoke with leader Talaat Pasha. Talaat asked him, `Why
are you
so interested in the Armenians anyway? You are a Jew, these people are
Christians..’ to which Morgenthau replied: `You don’t seem to realize that
I am not here as a Jew but as the American Ambassador…..I do not appeal to
you in the name of any race or religion, but merely as a human
being..'[vi]This
life should not be about politics, it should be about the shared human
experience. Air space and naval bases should not be more important than
human rights. Once the world believes this, the Armenians will get the
justice they deserve.

Samantha Testa is a Sophomore at Villanova University School of Business
in Villanova, Pennsylvania. This article is summarized from an academic
paper that was submitted for the course `The Nature of Genocide.’

——————————

[i]
Jones,
Adam. Genocide: A Comprehensive Introduction. London: Routledge, 2006.
115. Print.

[ii]
“Turkish-Armenian
Writer Shot Dead.” BBC News. BBC, 19 Jan. 2007. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

[iii]
“Turkey
Recalls Ambassador to U.S. Over Armenian Genocide Bill.” Fox News. FOX
News Network, 11 Oct. 2007. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

[iv]
Stanton,
Gregory. “The Cost of Denial.” Genocide Watch. Genocide Watch, n.d. Web.
18 Apr. 2014.

[v]
Winter,
Jay. “Under Cover of War.” The Specter of Genocide: Mass Murder in
Historical Perspective. By Robert Gellately and Ben Kiernan. New York:
Cambridge UP, 2003. 189-213. Print.

[vi]
Morgenthau,
Henry. Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page,
1918. 333-34. Print.

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