Author: Kalantarian Kevo

HRAPARAK: ARFD NOT INSPIRED BY IDEA OF ENTERING INTO COALITION

11:54 11/04/2014 >> DAILY PRESS

ARFD is not inspired by the idea of entering into the coalition and
by the news that David Lokyan may be appointed Deputy Prime Minister
or Minister, Hraparak writes.

“The point is that Lokyan is quite acceptable not only for Serzh
Sargsyan, but also for Hovik Abrahamyan and in case of becoming Deputy
Prime Minister, he will be out of control for ARFD and will almost
repeat Vahan Hovhannisyan’s path. Besides, Hovik Abrahamyan does not
want to work with current Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan and
wants to have his Deputy Prime Minister,” the newspaper notes.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIA’S TELECOMMUNICATION INDUSTRY: FINDINGS, PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

15:52 * 11.04.14

The Ameria group of companies recently presented its regular survey
into Armenia’s telecommunication industry, current situation,
challenges and prospects.

The survey involves cable TV, mobile communication and wire telephone
communication as well as the use of gadgetry in Yerevan. This industry
is rapidly developing, but the statistics on Armenia is not full.

Tert.am interviewed Mr Haykaz Fanyan, Advisor, Ameria management
advisory services.

What’s the reason for selecting the telecommunication industry for
the survey? What questions is the survey supposed to answer for the
industry and those interested in it?

The telecommunication industry is Armenia’s leading and dynamically
developing industry. Our survey enables us to conduct an in-depth
analysis of the industry, form a clearer idea of competition and
find out more attractive markets for the industry’s development. The
survey will also help enterprises to develop a flexible strategy to
plan their further activities and meet possible challenges.

Besides, we have tried to present the situation in the industry “as
seen by the consumer.” That is, the survey involves more than 1,000
respondents, which obviously shows the consumer behavior and allows
forecasts for the industry.

What problems did the survey focus on?

Armenia’s telecommunication industry is liable to regulation and is
being supervised by the Public Services Regulatory Commission. In
2011, the Commission decided to differentiate active users. However,
according to the information at our disposal, in presenting technical
reports, mobile operators partially meet the requirements envisaged by
the decision. The companies, which are subsidiaries of transnational
companies in Armenia, prepare technical reports applying their own
methods. I think that, to have a clearer picture of the industry,
we need to develop a methodology of preparing technical and economic
reports.

Moreover, cable communication is one of the most important
subindustries of the telecommunication industry, and we are still
collecting information on this relatively new subindustry. Armenia’s
Statistical Service is hardly keeping statistics on this subindustry.

However, a decision has been made on changes in report forms, which
implies that we will have detailed data on the subindustry next year.

What interesting trends did the survey reveal? Is there any finding
that you experts found surprising?

There are certainly interesting revelations; I will introduce some of
them. The survey found that 86 percent of the population aged 15-69
has only one mobile phone, with only about 12% using two. We expected
however, a greater number of people to have two or more mobiles. It
is further interesting to find that among those aged 25-34, one in
four is a user of mobile internet A surprising revelation for us was
that the wire telephone communication has not lost its actuality in
Armenia. Around 69% of those aged 15-69 use that form of communication
every day.

How about the competitiveness in the telecommunication sector?

It is, first of all, worthwhile to mention that the structural markets
in this sector (mobile telecommunication, wire telephones, internet
access service, cable TV) see different levels and different degrees of
intensiveness of cooperation. Though the Armenian telecommunication’s
main structural market, i.e. – the mobile market, is characterized
by the oligopolic structure, the telecommunication market is the
economy’s most competitive sector. Moreover, as our study reveals,
the Armenian telecommunication market is governed by the “three and
four rule”, which implies the presence of three main stakeholders on
the market, with the shares of the first, Viva Cell-MTS (approx 60%),
four times topping those of the third, Orange.

And that in turn testifies to the presence of an optimal competitive
environment.

Mobile numbers’ redirection service was launched on March 1. What
are your expectations and forecasts in this connection?

Our surveys conducted in Yerevan allow us to state that only 10
percent of the population has expressed a willingness to use that
service. But the countries’ experience demonstrates that the real
situation is going to be more restricted – five to seven percent.

Nonetheless, we do not rule out a different situation either, given
especially that the operators actively work in that direction. For
example, the market’s leader, VivaCell MTS, has initiated a competitive
positioning protection, which means it is working towards preventing
its customers’ flow, while Beeline and Oraange are trying offensive
marketing. The competitiveness measures have not been fully resolved
yet, but it is already clear that the competitiveness will grow
tenser. By the way, the outcomes of our survey in Yerevan demonstrate
that the VivaCell MTS subscribers are relatively less inclined to
use the mobile number redirection service.

STAFF OF ANELIK BANK JOINS JINISHIAN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION’S CHARITABLE ACTION IN SUPPORT OF KESSAB ARMENIANS

by Erik Abrahamyan

ARMINFO
Friday, April 11, 16:23

The staff of Anelik Bank joins the Jinishian Memorial Foundation’s
charitable action in support of Kessab Armenians.

The press service of Anelik Bank reports that for this purpose the
bank has opened a special account. “The Diaspora has been by our side
throughout our history.

The key idea of this action is not so much material as moral support,”
the bank’s PR manager Artskhik Martirosyan said.

The Jinishian Memorial Foundation has an office in Syria and can
quickly organize all measures for receiving donations.

The sole owner of Anelik Bank is Credit Bank S.A.L. from Lebanon. The
bank is affiliated to Anelik, MoneyGram and Intel Express systems. It
has 12 branches all over Armenia.

THERE ARE FAR MORE SERIOUS CASES ARMENIA’S PROSECUTOR’S GENERAL OFFICE MUST STUDY – DEM EM!

15:20 / 11.04.2014

Earlier today Armenia’s Prosecutor’s General Office released a
statement-warning to the members of Dem em! [I am Against!] initiative
over closing roads, describing it as violation of law in case of
repetition of which the participants of such-like actions will be
punished.

“Confronting pressure and anarchy is the right of people. Civil
disobedience is a contemporary and purposeful way of confrontation.

Civil disobedience is a peaceful way of expressing complaint over
the policy carried out by authorities by conducting rallies, blocking
roads, spreading leaflets, conducting strikes, refusing to cooperate
with authorities,” the statement of the initiative states citing
the Constitution.

“Don’t you try to restrict our right to express freely as well as
conduct peaceful gathering which are guaranteed not only by Armenia’s
Constitution but international documents ratified by the Republic
of Armenia. Besides, we would like to remind that impeding peaceful
rallies is a criminal deed,” the statement runs.

The initiative also called on the Prosecutor General’s office to
better deal with examination of the property of officials, reveal
the sources of millions possessed by wives of ministers, etc.

“We also call on the Prosecutor General’s office to study the main
goals of illegal money gathering trough Pension Funds unconstitutional
laws and reveal the real ‘beneficiaries’,” the statement runs.

PROJECT DESIGNED TO MODERNIZE BAGRATASHEN AND SADAKHLO BORDER CROSSINGS ON ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN BORDER LAUNCHED TODAY

YEREVAN, March 11. / ARKA /. A 4.3 million euro worth project
designed to modernize Bagratashen and Sadakhlo border crossings on the
Armenian-Georgian border was launched today. The project is financed
by the European Union and is to be implemented by the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP).

According to the head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Traian Hristea,
this project will introduce European standards of integrated border
management at the border crossing points on the Armenia-Georgia border
and facilitate trade, transit and enhanced movement of people across
the border.

The UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia Bradley Buzetto said
the border crossings will be modernized in conformity with the best
international standards to make it easier to cross the border, to
reduce corruption risks and red tape.

He said this requires a legal framework, high level of interaction
between various government agencies, as well as transparency of border
overseeing bodies.

In addition to the EBRD that has released 10.3 million euros, also the
European Investment Bank will release 30 million euros to finance the
modernization project. Funds will come also from the European Union’s
Neighbourhood Investment Facility and the United Nations Development
Programme and the government of Armenia. -0-

– See more at:

STATEMENT FROM SENATOR EDWARD J. MARKEY ON COMMITTEE PASSAGE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

Attributable to Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the
Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance,
Economic Affairs, International Environmental Protection, and Peace
Corps of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“It is long overdue for the United States to join the many other
nations who have formally recognized the Armenian Genocide. That is
why today’s passage by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee of the
genocide resolution in advance of the ninety-ninth anniversary is so
historic. I was proud to vote for this important resolution today in
Committee, and I will keep fighting to ensure its passage by the full
Senate. I will continue to work with the Armenian-American community
to build a prosperous and bright future for the Armenian people.”

Giselle Barry Communications Director 202-224-2742

RUSSIA SAYS NATO OFFERED NO ‘CONSTRUCTIVE AGENDA’ FOR UKRAINE

April 10, 2014 – 14:09 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused NATO on Thursday,
April 10, of using the crisis in Ukraine to boost its appeal to members
and justify its existence by rallying them against an imaginary threat,
Reuters reports.

Russia and the West are locked in a Cold War-style stand-off over
Ukraine and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told Moscow
to pull back troops from the Ukrainian border or face consequences
if they intervene.

The ministry said Rasmussen’s remarks were confrontational and that
in recent months he had not offered “any constructive agenda” for
Ukraine, adding that it was adding to instability in the region.

“The constant accusations against us by the secretary general convince
us that the alliance is trying to use the crisis in Ukraine to rally
its ranks in the face of an imaginary external threat to NATO members
and to strengthen demand for the alliance … in the 21st century,”
it said.

NATO has suspended all practical military and civilian cooperation
with Russia, although it said political dialogue could continue at
ambassador level or higher, since Russia incorporated Ukraine’s Crimea
region last month.

The Western military alliance has also limited access for Russian
diplomat’s to its headquarters and is reviewing a 1997 co-operation
agreement with Russia and subsequent Rome declaration of 2002 that
prevented it from setting up bases in eastern and central Europe.

Russia has responded by accusing NATO of having a Cold War mentality
and has expressed concern over the possibility of deploying the
alliance’s troops in eastern Europe permanently.

TURKEY FACILITATES EVACUATION OF ARMENIANS FROM WARZONE

Daily Sabah, Turkey
April 9 2014

Daily Sabah traveled to Syria’s Kasab to observe the war on the ground
and discovered the opposition which evacuated the Armenians with the
Turkish Foreign Ministery’s cooperation neither ruined churches nor
occupied any houses in the town

by Yusuf Selman Ä°nanc

KASAB, Syria — Kasab, which is located across the border from
Yayladagı and predominantly Armenian, has been in the spotlight for
the last two weeks after clashes broke out between Syrian forces and
the opposition.

Black propaganda against Turkey was spread in the form of allegations
that Turkey was part of the killing and illegal seizure of the goods
and houses of the Armenians in Kasab. Against this backdrop, Daily
Sabah visited the town two days ago to investigate the allegations of
massacres of Armenians and destroyed churches, graveyards and houses.

When Daily Sabah arrived, the region was completely devastated by the
Assad’s long-haul mortar attacks on the hills around the town. As
the Syrian opposition has control points in the region, the Syrian
regime’s continuous attacks turned the town into a battleground.

Churches and graveyards not ruined

Under difficult circumstances and in between constant attacks, the
team visited the churches in the town and Armenian graveyards. There
were three churches in Kasab, and although they were not completely in
ruins, the effects of the civil war were apparent on their structure.

Some parts were damaged by the regime’s bombing campaigns, but the
goods and holy items of the Christian people had not been harmed.

It was also observed that the Armenian graveyards in the town were
not deliberately damaged or ruined.

Syrian opposition fighters interviewed by Daily Sabah said they have
no reason to damage the graveyards and they only aimed to keep Kasab
in order to gain the upper hand against the Syrian regime.

They added that there is no hostility against Christians living in
the region. Some of the opposition forces expressed dismay that all
Syrian opposition fighters were labeled radicals hostile to Christians.

“We apologize to Armenians”

The residents of Kasab vacated the town because of the intensity of
the fighting, leaving only the fighters. Both the Armenian and Arab
residents fled to less-affected areas or Turkey.

Eighteen of these Armenians fled to Turkey a couple days ago and were
met by officials of the district governorate at the Yayladagı border.

They were first placed in a regional teachers’ lodge and then moved
to the only ethnically Armenian village in Turkey, Vakıflı, in the
Samandag district of the southeastern city of Hatay.

“Firstly, we apologize to the Armenians because we entered their
church without permission and disturbed them because of the ongoing
war,” said Feeda Majnoun, a senior official with the Free Syria Army
(FSA) and an organizer of the Armenians’ transfer to Turkey. “We are
really sorry that Kasab turned into a warzone and the Armenians had
to leave their homes.”

After expressing his regret about the effect of the war on the Armenian
population, he emphasized it was necessary in order to push forward
with the fight against the Syrian regime. He also pushed back against
accusations of wanton destruction.

“Secondly, there are allegations that we ruined Kasab’s historic
churches, but we see Kasab as a place that needs to be protected
because of the historical richness here that belongs to the Syrian
people,” Majnoun said. “We do not want destruction in this town as much
as the Armenians who reside here. Thirdly, protecting this place is a
fundamental duty of all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity or religion.”

He called on the world to intervene to help the people being devastated
by Syrian forces. “[Syrian President Bashar] Assad is destroying
not only Kasab, but also all of Syria, including Aleppo, Damascus,
Idlib and Homs,” he said.

Syrian opposition evacuated Armenians

Majnoun pointed out that Muslims and Christians had been living
together in harmony in Kasab. When asked where the Armenians went,
he said, “After the military operations, it became impossible to
stay in the region. The electricity is gone, public transport is not
operating, there are continuous bomb attacks. That’s why the youth of
the region fled to the southern region of Latakia while the elders
stayed here. We told the elders that they may stay here as long as
they want and we will try to meet their requirements to the utmost.”

After a while, even those who chose to remain eventually opted to
leave. These people were evacuated by opposition forces to Turkey or
Latakia, he said. His forces developed a detailed plan to ensure the
safety of the evacuees.

Speaking about how the opposition took the Armenians to Turkey,
Majnoun said the opposition first gathered the Armenians in a church
to explain the plan. Working with local opposition forces who agreed
with the plan, the Syrian opposition contacted the Turkish Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and explained the Armenians wished to come to Turkey.

The Turkish officials responded that Turkey will gladly accept the
Armenians.

Majnoun said that the Syrian opposition forces took the Armenians
to a secure place near the border with Turkey. “After staying there
nearly 10 days, we handed over the Armenians to Turkish officials on
the Yayladagı border,” explained Majnoun. “The Armenians underwent
medical examinations immediately and their needs were met by the
Turkish officials.”

According to Majnoun, of the two Armenians who said they wished to
remain in Kasab, one is now in hospital after a bomb attack. His
condition is stable.

Armenians’ goods will not be seized

Regarding the question of what will happen if Armenians want to return
to the town of Kasab, Majnoun said that these are their own properties
and that they can return whenever they want. The opposition said
that they use Kasab only for military purposes, such as repulsing
the Syrian regime, and have the upper hand in the ongoing war. They
added that they have no problem with Armenians, and it is definitely
forbidden in Islam to hurt someone for being a non-Muslim. They said,
“I hope the war will be over as soon as possible, and everyone will
go back to their hometown.”

Denying allegations that Turkey has a negative attitude toward
Armenians, Majnoun stated that Turkey helps those in need regardless
of ethnic or religion-based discrimination. He also indicated that
they have never supported the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL), which is active in some regions in Syria and known for its
harsh attitudes toward non-Muslims. He added, “The tragedy in our
country [Syria] will not come to an end as long as the pressure on
the Assad regime and its collaborators responsible for the massacre
of people is not increased.”

He continued by saying, “The international community should apply
more pressure on the Assad regime. Armenians here are aggrieved, and
Syrians from different sects and ethnic origins all around Syria are
also aggrieved. Assad is attacking aggressively because he has lost
control, harming not only Syria but also the entire region.

International and regional actors should take action.”

Compelling escape from Kasab

After finalizing the Daily Sabah team’s observations in Kasab, we
headed to the village of Vakıflı to visit Armenians who took shelter
in Turkey with the help of the opposition. When we arrived in the
village, we received information from village chief Berc Kartun about
the Armenians. Kartun said that prior to the two sisters who came 10
days ago, 18 Armenians, including seven females arrived in the village
and that the Armenians were welcomed by Yayladagı Governor Turan
Yılmaz at the border crossing and transferred first to the teachers’
lodge and then to the village of Vakıflı when their medical checks
were over. Kartun stated that nearly 2,000 Armenians headed toward
the Latakia region, taking care to stay out of the battlefield, while
the elders stayed in the village. Highlighting that the opposition do
not have a negative attitude toward Armenians, Kartun said that the
Armenians were transferred to this secure place without any exposure
to maltreatment and that they only suffered from difficulties that
come with the harsh war conditions for nearly 10 days.

Hoping the war comes to an end quickly, villagers stated that they
would help their guests as much as they can if the war does not end
soon. Praising the Turkish government, Kartun said the government has
met all the requirements of the Armenians, including food, medical
care and other necessary items.

He continued by saying that the governorate also continuously looks
after the Armenians and does not allow the villagers to shoulder all
the burden on their own. He further pointed out that along with the
Armenians, there was an Alawite individual who was transferred to
Turkey by the opposition, but officials transferred this Alawite to
another location for security reasons.

“We lost everything that we have”

In an interview with the Armenians who came to Vakıflı village,
their statements supported those of the opposition.

Gathering and cooking in the church’s garden, the Armenians welcomed
the Daily Sabah team. They asked, “Why is our country [Syria] in this
situation?” and said that they wanted to return when the war is over.

Defining Kasab as a summerhouse, the Armenians said that they generally
stayed in Aleppo in winter, but stayed in Kasab in summer.

They indicated that they were content with their life and could not
understand how their town turned into a battlefield.

Even though they are stricken by the ongoing war, the Armenians said
the opposition did not treat them badly, but they were rather caring.

They had to leave Kasab

The Armenians said that the Assad regime could take the Armenians while
leaving Kasab, but they would have to walk many kilometers. They said
that when they told the regime that their health would prevent them
from walking such a distance, the regime did not look after them and
were quick to leave the town. They added that the opposition that
came after the Assad regime searched their homes for guns, and then
left. They added that first they wanted to stay in Kasab, but when the
effects of the war started to become more visible with the blackout,
the cessation of water and public transport and the closing down of
markets, they realized that they had no choice but to leave.

For the Daily Sabah team, after this trying and life-threatening
trip, we found out that the Syrian opposition and Turkey had no
adverse attitude toward the Armenians to make their lives harder,
as was indicated by certain media outlets the last two weeks. Quite
the contrary, the Armenians were transferred to Turkey under secure
conditions with the coordination of Turkey and the opposition.

In an interview with Yayladagı Governor Yılmaz, he said Turkey
would never leave those who are in need out in the cold regardless
of their religion, ethnic origin and sect.

Status in Kasab

When we arrived in Kasab, there were bombings and shootings in the
region. We overcame serious danger during the shootings. Two bombs fell
near us twice, and we were targeted by guns. The opposition members
that we interviewed stated that the strife continued intensively
in the south, where the battle zone is located. They said that the
close quarter battle has been going on between the Syrian regime and
the opposition.

Highlighting the uncertainty of the situation, they said the region
where the conflict is going on is quite critical, and if the opposition
manages to have the upper hand in the region, they will go further
toward Latakia and drive Assad into a corner. While Kasab was under
the control of the Syrian regime until the last two weeks, the Free
Syrian Army (FSA) carried out operations to take control.

AZERBAIJAN: BROAD CONSENSUS ON CRIMEA WORRIES

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
IWPR Caucasus Reporting #730
April 9 2014

With Karabakh in mind, government votes against Moscow’s annexation
move.

By Nijat Melikov – Caucasus CRS Issue 730, 8 Apr 14

For once, government officials, opposition politicians and commentators
in Azerbaijan have found common cause in voicing concern about Russia’s
annexation of Crimea.

When the United Nations General Assembly met on March 27 to discuss
a resolution deeming the Crimean referendum illegal, Azerbaijan was
one of 100 countries that voted for the motion. Eleven countries,
including Russia and just two other former Soviet states – Armenia
and Belarus – voted against.

Aside from the UN vote, the Azerbaijani government has refrained from
condemning Moscow’s actions too publicly.

Speaking before the March 16 Crimean referendum, deputy foreign
minister Araz Azimov reiterated the official position, telling the
Azertag news agency that his country believed in “the principles of
sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of borders”.

For Azerbaijan, that means Nagorny Karabakh, which has been run by
a separate Armenian administration since the war of the early 1990s.

While Karabakh has not won international recognition. Azerbaijanis
fear that Crimea could set a precedent for territories wishing to
formalise splits of this kind.

Hikmet Hajizade, a leading figure in the opposition Musavat party
and a one-time ambassador to Moscow, said he understood and supported
the government’s cautious opposition to Russia.

“You need to be very careful with a crazy politician like Putin. There
are already people in Russia talking about recognising Nagorny
Karabakh,” he said.

Vafa Guluzade, a political analyst who served as an adviser to the late
president Heydar Aliyev – the father of current leader Ilham Aliyev –
said the Kremlin’s arguments about needing to protect ethnic Russians
abroad were “absurd”.

“By that law, Russia could send troops to New York, since there’s a
Russian-speaking population concentrated in Brighton Beach,” he told
IWPR. “Russia is planning to regain the territories it lost with the
collapse of the Soviet Union, and Putin isn’t even trying to hide
the fact he wants to restore the empire.”

Guluzade described the Crimean referendum as “practically identical
to the one Adolf Hitler held for the Austrian Anschluss and [moves]
to ‘defend the rights of the Sudeten Germans'”.

Rasim Musabekov, an independent member of parliament and a political
analyst, said the government’s measured response was in line with
international law.

“We cannot react more strongly than the Ukrainians have done
themselves, that is, in a proportionate manner. When Armenia occupied
Azerbaijani territory, Ukraine too limited itself to expressing
support for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity,” he said.

Longer term, Musabekov said, Moscow would need to come to terms with
the implications of its policies towards Ukraine.

“Putin is convinced he’s won, but this is going to have a negative
effect on his medium-term and long-term prospects. If you believe
Russia has won in Crimea, you need to understand that it has lost
Ukraine,” he said. “The scars that Russia has inflicted on Ukraine
through its actions in Crimea will take a long time to fade from
Ukraine’s national consciousness.”

Nijat Melikov is a journalist with the Zerkalo newspaper in Azerbaijan.

LAWMAKERS, ARMENIANS URGE U.S. TO INVESTIGATE ATTACK ON SYRIAN CITY

Los Angeles Times
April 8 2014

By Richard Simon

April 8, 2014, 6:36 p.m.

WASHINGTON – For Rep. Anna G. Eshoo, the attack on a Syrian town
that is home to descendants of the Armenian genocide was a painful
reminder of the past.

“I can’t help but think, ‘Here we are again,'” said Eshoo, whose
grandparents survived the early 20th century genocide. “It’s like
ripping a scab off of a wound…. History is repeating itself.”

Eshoo, a Democrat from Menlo Park, joined other California
representatives — including some with large Armenian American
constituencies — to call attention to the rebel assault last month
on the northern Syrian town of Kasab near the Turkish border and to
press for humanitarian aid to the victims and an investigation into
Turkey’s role in the strike.

Syrian rebels, including some linked to Al Qaeda, crossed into
Syria from Turkey on March 21, attacking the home to about 2,500
Armenian Christians and forcing many to flee. A week later, hundreds
of protesters gathered outside the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles,
accusing Turkey, which has called for Syrian President Bashar Assad’s
ouster, of helping facilitate the attack.

Representatives of the Armenian National Committee of America, who
joined several lawmakers at a Capitol Hill news conference Tuesday,
called for, among other things, the U.S. to investigate Turkey’s
assistance to the rebels, facilitate the return of Syrian Armenians
back to their homes, and provide at least $3.5 million in humanitarian
assistance for displaced civilians from Kasab.

There was no immediate response from the Turkish Embassy in Washington.

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) and Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford)
recently joined Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and Michael G. Grimm
(R-N.Y.), co-chairmen of the Congressional Armenia Caucus, in a
letter to President Obama calling the attack “far too reminiscent”
of the early days of the Armenian genocide.

An estimated 1.2 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks as
the empire was dissolving during World War I.

Resolutions have been repeatedly introduced in Congress over the years
to recognize the mass killings between 1915 and 1918 as genocide. But
the measures have run into resistance amid fears they would damage
U.S. relations with Turkey, an important ally. Though historians have
concluded the killings were genocide, Turkey has contended that the
deaths were due to war, famine and disease.

“The United States cannot sit by idly while these extremists target
civilians and force more than 2,000 in this instance to flee their
homes,” said Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno). Also attending the news
conference were Reps. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), Judy Chu
(D-Monterey Park), Schiff and Pallone.

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