Author: Kalantarian Kevo

REVUE DE PRESSE
L’armée turque doit restituer l’église arménienne qui se trouve sur la
base militaire

L’armée turque fait une contribution importante à la décision de
restituer les biens des fondations de minorités.

Erhan Ozturk, Sabah

10 décembre 2013

L’église arménienne Saint Kévork, qui se trouve à sur le terrain
d’entraînement de la base de la 5ème brigade d’infanterie de Sivas
Temeltepe, sera restaurée et rendue à l’Association des Amis des
Arméniens de Sivas. Sebuk Kocak, le président de l’Association des
Amis des Arméniens de Sivas a exprimé sa satisfaction dans une
déclaration à Sabah. ` L’église se trouve à l’intérieur de cette zone
militaire depuis 1940. Pendant de nombreuses années, il ne nous était
pas permis de nous en approcher. Cet été, nous nous sommes rendus à la
brigade avec nos amis. Le commandant nous a autorisés à entrer et nous
avons pu voir notre église après tout ce temps, Franchement, nous ne
pensions pas en avoir la permission [d’entrer]. Nous étions tous
heureux. Nous n’avons pas d’église où pratiquer et honorer la mémoire
de nos morts `, a-t-il dit.

Avant 1915, les Arméniens avaient 198 églises et 21 monastères dans la
région de Sivas. La seule qui subsiste est l’église Saint Kévork. Il y
a un cimetière arménien à ses côtés. Le ministre turc de la défense,
Ismet Yilmaz, qui est originaire de Sivas, s’était personnellement
impliqué dans la démarche de restitution. Les représentants de
l’association avaient rendu visite au ministre en octobre, et lui
avaient demandé de restaurer l’église et de la rendre. Yilmaz leur
avait dit que le gouvernement faisait de gros efforts pour restituer
les biens des minorités. Il leur avait promis qu’il essaierait
d’accélérer la restitution des lieux après en avoir terminé la
restauration.

Yilmaz s’était alors rendu à Sivas et avait instruit le gouverneur de
Sivas, Zubeyir Emelek, et son adjoint, Salih Ayhan, pour commencer les
travaux.

L’église se trouve dans l’emprise militaire depuis 73 ans, ce qui l’a
protégée des chasseurs de trésor. L’église n’est que peu endommagée et
devrait être rapidement restaurée.

Le gouverneur Kemelek a lui aussi parlé à Sabah. ` C’est la seule
structure encore debout avec ses murs et son toit intacts. Le ministre
a répondu à la demande qui lui avait été faite en se rendant sur place
et procédant une inspection. Il est heureux que l’église se soit
trouvée dans l’enceinte d’un terrain militaire. Aussitôt les
formalités terminées, nous demanderons des devis pour sa restauration,
qui ne devra rien changer à l’original. J’ai demandé à nos citoyens
Arméniens d’en apporter des photographies `, a-t-il dit.

L’adjoint au gouverneur Ayhan, qui coordonne les travaux de
restauration, a dit que l’église serait retirée de la zone sous
contrôle militaire. Il a ajouté ` Cette base militaire a été la plus
grande base d’entraînement militaire dans la région depuis les années
1940. Elle sert également de centre d’entraînement pour nos unités
frontalières. L’église occupe une surface d’à peu près deux hectares
et demi dans la zone militaire. Nous avons demandé sa restitution aux
services du Trésor et ils ont donné leur accord au Ministère de la
Défense. Dès que le Ministère de la Défense le décidera, ces lieux
nous seront rendus. La restauration pourra alors débuter `.

L’architecte Zakarya Mildanoglu, qui faisait partie de la délégation
qui avait rendu visite à Yilmaz a dit : ‘ Notre peuple n’a à Sivas
aucun lieu où pratiquer sa religion et honorer la mémoire de ses
morts. Il y a un cimetière. Après la déportation arménienne, les
églises ont été détruites dans beaucoup d’endroits de l’Anatolie. Des
sites similaires existent dans d’autres zones militaires. J’espère que
ces processus engagés seront rapidement terminés `.

Traduction Gilbert Béguian

mardi 7 janvier 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Jan 6 2014

Naval Museum hosts leading marine artist Aivazovsky

ISTANBUL

The Aivazovsky exhibition will open on Jan. 7, 2014.

The Istanbul Naval Museum will continue its `Selected Painters’
exhibition series with Russian painter Ivan Konstantinovich
Aivazovsky, who is considered one of the most prominent Russian
artists and one of the greatest marine artists of the 19th century.

The Aivazovsky exhibition that will open on Jan. 7, 2014 will showcase
his oil paint works on canvas, according to a written statement made
by the Naval Forces Command.

Aivazovsky was born in 1817 in the town of Theodosia, Crimea, to an
Armenian family.

In 1845, he went to Istanbul upon the invitation of Sultan Abdülmecid
I. During his long sojourn in Istanbul, Aivazovsky was commissioned
for a number of paintings as a court painter by the Ottoman Sultans
Abdülmecid, Abdulaziz and Abdulhamid, 30 of which are currently on
display in the Ottoman Imperial Palace, the Dolmabahçe Museum and many
other museums in Turkey.

January/06/2014

Wicked Local, MA
Jan 6 2014

Armenian Genocide survivor gets citation from Waltham’s Koutoujian

WALTHAM –

On the 101st birthday of Armenian Genocide survivor Vahram Nahikian,
his family and friends gathered at Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church
in Belmont to hear his family’s survival story shared by his
granddaughter Anaide Nahikian, and to see him receive a citation from
Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian of Waltham.

Rev. Raphael Andonian of the parish hosted the Dec. 8 ceremony.

`I was honored to join Mr. Nahikian and his family as our community
gathered to celebrate his birthday and his contribution to our shared
heritage,’ said Koutoujian, a parishioner at Holy Cross who is
actively involved in the Armenian American community. `His personal
account of the extreme hardships suffered by our ancestors allows us
to remain connected to the events that changed the destiny of our
people.’

The gathering was arranged by Lalig Musserian of Belmont, the
coordinator of the committee for the 29th annual Massachusetts State
House Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. That event, to have been
held April 19 to recognize the 98th anniversary of the genocide, was
canceled because of the Boston Marathon bombings. Since that time,
Musserian and fellow Belmont resident Jirair Hovsepian have been
reaching out to survivors making it possible for them to receive their
Armenian Martyrs Day Proclamations.

“It is an incredible experience to me to meet with genocide survivors.
I look through their eyes and feel that I can see all the horrors
those eyes have seen. I can almost hear the echoes of cries for help,
which never came. And when those eyes are still able to smile and look
beyond the pain. I am humbled by the strength and power of the human
spirit,” Musserian said of the gathering for Vahram Nahikian.

That experience was told vividly by Nahikian’s granddaughter Anaide
Nahikian, as she recounted the family’s story.

“A survivor himself, Vahram Nahikian also represents the persecution
and sacrifice of two generations before him: his father, Dr. Nechan
Nahiguian, an intellectual and leader who was killed during his
resistance in the 1915 genocide, along with most of his family
members, and his grandfather, Priest Der Vahram Nahiguian, martyr for
his faith and killed with his family in the 1895 Hamidian Massacres.”

Sen. William Brownsberger, D-Belmont, presented a proclamation from
Gov. Deval Patrick.

“It is very meaningful to show respect to the survivors and always
uplifting for me to do so,’ Brownsberger said. `It reminds us how
fortunate we are and helps us to keep in the front of our minds the
goal of preventing future genocide.”

The commemoration committee is already planning the 99th State House
Commemoration that will take place on Friday, April 11, 2014.

Al-Bawaba
Jan 6 2014

How to feast this Christmas, Lebanese-Armenian style

There’s no right way to cook for Armenian Christmas. The Armenian
diaspora are now spread everywhere from their eponymous state in the
east, down into Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. There are also Armenians
scattered across Western countries who are now two or three
generations removed from the ancestors who first emigrated from the
Ottoman Empire.

This range of new host countries is reflected in Armenian culinary
traditions, and Christmas dinner varies accordingly.

Glazed ham, for example, is popular holiday fare in Armenia proper but
a rare find on the tables of Armenians living in the Levant and North
Africa, where majority Muslim populations make pork difficult to find.

Lebanese foodies tend to agree that many Armenian staples have become
essential components of the local Lebanese mezze: basterma, sujuk and
itch, for example.

But that culinary diffusion goes both ways and Lebanese food has also
had an effect on the local Armenian Christmas feasts.

At Badgeur, an Armenian cultural center in the heart of Burj Hammoud,
Arpie Mangasarian and her team of seasoned homemakers cooked up a
private Christmas Eve dinner for several dozen friends and neighbors
Monday night.

While many Armenians in the surrounding streets roasted a turkey for
the main fare, Badgeur’s menu was a basic lineup of Armenian mezze
with some Lebanese additions such as kibbeh nayeh, Mangasarian told
The Daily Star Sunday.

`We will sing and we will make music with the supporters of our
delicacies,’ she said.

Their Christmas mezze spread included stuffed carrot – which is
hollowed, filled with rice and spices and boiled in a broth; sujuk –
sausage flavored with garlic, allspice, cumin, chili, coriander and
salt; and basterma – cured flank steak turned scarlet with the help of
a bright red pepper paste.

Some items are standard across most Armenian Christmas tables:
cookies, baklava, nuts and dried fruit are all used to feed the many
friends and family members who visit each other over the holiday.

A traditional salad made from cracked bulgur wheat, called itch, was
also on Badgeur’s table.

Though the salad’s name is not especially appetizing in English, itch
(pronounced each) is one of the dishes that make Armenian cuisine
worthy of a central place on the Lebanese table, according to cookbook
author Barbara Abdeni Massaad.

`Even if this is not a traditional Lebanese mezze staple, it soon will
be one, if I have anything to say about it – and I do! Armenian food
culture is here to stay,’ Massaad wrote in her most recent cookbook
`Mezze,’ published in November.

A couple of years ago, Massaad filmed an Armenian Christmas episode
for her LBC show `Helwe Beirut.’ In it, an Armenian homemaker in
Antelias made a traditional barley and yogurt soup with labneh and
dried mint that was briefly sauteed in butter. In Armenian the soup is
known as spas.

Massaad’s host also called omelets a staple of Armenian Christmas
lunch. Massaad offered a recipe for them in `Mezze’ that includes
fennel, though it can be substituted for other vegetables such as
zucchini or made without any at all. The fried patties are more like
eggy fritters than your typical breakfast omelet.

One of the crowning comfort foods of Armenian cuisine that will
undoubtedly find its way onto tables across town this Christmas is a
white, cheesy lasagna called sou boreg.

As in most unwritten food traditions, sou boreg is not a precise
science. An adapted recipe by food blogger Joumana Accad calls for
mozzarella and string cheese or ricotta. On the Christmas episode of
`Helwe Beirut,’ it was a three cheese sou boreg with akkawi, halloumi
and majdouleh. Like knafeh, sou boreg is cooked on the stove, not in
the oven.

Mayrig, an Armenian restaurant in Beirut, hosted its own Christmas
meal with a brunch over the weekend including kibbeh bi-laban and
roasted lamb with rice – two dishes found throughout the Levant in
Arab and Armenian kitchens and further proof of the continuous
marriage between two culinary dynasties.

Press TV, Iran
Jan 6 2014

Christians in Iran celebrate Christmas

Christians in Iran celebrate Christmas. Christians in Iran believe the
New Year brings new possibilities, hope for new beginnings and end to
the previous year or past misfortunes. Many Christians in Iran are
buying presents and ready to celebrate Christmas. Over 150,000
Christians in Iran, most of them Armenians, celebrate Christmas in
with friends and family members in churches throughout the country. We
got a chance to visit Tehran’s Sarkiss Cathedral an Armenian Apostolic
Cathedral and Prelacy to experience their celebrations. Christmas is
the annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a widely
observed holiday celebrated generally on December 25th by millions
around the world. The original date of this celebration in Eastern
Christianity was January 6th which is still the date the Armenian
Apostolic Church celebrates Christmas day. Under Iran’s constitution
Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians are recognized as religious
minorities have representatives in Iran’s parliament and are allowed
to carry out their religious rituals.

Watch the video at

Armenian Christmas celebrated in Cleveland – VIDEO

January 06, 2014 | 13:03

CLEVELAND. – Armenian Community of Cleveland, Ohio, traditionally
celebrates the Christmas Eve in the St. Gregory of Narek Armenian
Church, Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter informs from the United States.

More than one hundred Armenians gathered in the Armenian Church of
Cleveland at the Divine Liturgy on the Eve of the Feast of Theophany,
followed by the weekly sermon delivered by the pastor of St. Gregory
of Narek Armenian Church Rev. Fr. Hratch Sargsyan.

`The God sent his Son to us. It was a gift so that we get a chance to
have our sins forgiven. At first glance, one would think that the Son
of God could not be born in a place, in which Jesus was born, but He
came and proved that He was the Son of God, the promised Messiah, who
would bring salvation to the nations. Centuries have passed since the
birth of our Lord, and if we ask, what has changed since the birth of
Christ, at first, we would say that the world is still in the fights
and there is evil. But our Lord has brought hope to the world in which
we, believers, see our salvation,’ said Fr. Hratch.

The liturgy and sermon were followed by the Jrakalouyts
(lamp-lighting). The celebrations continued in the Cultural Hall of
the St. Gregory of Narek Church, where everyone was served traditional
fish and rice dishes, as well as Armenian national cookies either
prepared at the hall on the donations or brought by the members of the
congregation.

The youngest members of the Armenian community prepared short scenes
about Christmas. The celebration was concluded by the arrival of Santa
Claus and distribution of gifts to children.

Note that a genuine Armenian Santa not only brings gifts but also
teaches children how to pray and how to cross themselves.

Message of His Holiness Karekin II on the Feast of the Holy Nativity
and Theophany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

13:13 06.01.2014

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

`I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.’
John 14:6

Dear and faithful people in Armenia, Artsakh and the Dispersion,

It is with the exultation of Christ our Lord’s Holy Nativity that we
offer today our joyful gratitude to God. We glorify our Savior – the
infant Jesus born in Bethlehem. On the blessed day of the Holy
Nativity, the earth became heaven, and the ray of Justice with the
light of righteousness dawned to illuminate the souls of men, so that
they know, see, and find their salvation.

The Son of God humbled Himself from the heights of heaven, became man
and came to earth, to save man who had been exiled from paradise
through the deception of the intriguer, from sin and from the power of
Satan who breeds sin. He came to return the lost generations of the
first-created man who had come out against God in transgression to the
kingdom of heaven, and to turn them into the children of God. `Teach
me the way I should go, Lord, for to you I lift up my soul.’ (Psalms
143:8). In response to this plea of mankind that was raised up to
heaven by the psalmist’s lips:, the voice of our Savior resounded: `I
am the Way and the Truth and the Life.’

By making truth and life one with Himself, our Lord proclaimed that
truth is a value equal to life. He dispersed the darkness of aimless
wanderings and sinfulness with the rays of truth, and granted to men
the Holy Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), so that the path of mankind be
established in a life of peace and righteousness – a life founded on
love and honesty for one another.

Through the Lord’s act of salvation, the defeated evil fights today as
well with fury for the souls of men, trying to obscure with fog the
light of truth brought by Christ; so that men do not see the path that
leads to heaven, and by leading them astray through snares of
deception, be denied the eternal life of the kingdom of God. Evil has
no rest – it works day in and day out and works through men. Evil
creates the path when vigilance for the truth is lacking in life, and
falsehood finds its collaborators. The beguiling ways of evil are
strengthened when man strays from the principles taught by Christ –
filling life with falsehoods and distortions. It is thus that the
presentation of realities are transformed into intrigues and false
evaluations; arbitrary and selfish interpretation in religions, give
birth to cults; by the demands of the defense of human rights, society
is at times also compelled to adopt behaviors that are contradictory
with societal thinking and value structures.

It is in this manner that morality in the world cedes ground to
immorality, freedom of speech is transformed to licentiousness of
speech, and testimony becomes the distortion of truth. By distorting
the truth, political interests often oppose peace and justice, frenzy
to acquire the material and selfish desires oppose mercy and
philanthropy, and multiply the conflicts, sorrows, wants and pains in
the world.

The world shall be liberated of these life-agitating realities when
men accept the truth of Christ, when they witness the presence of the
Lord through their faithful works, and like the Apostle, proclaim,
`…the truth of Christ is in me!’ (2 Corinthians 11:10). Only by
bearing the truth can mankind secure the progress of life,
reformation, beneficial results and development; because nothing that
lasts is built on deception – neither relationships between
individuals, nor a vibrant societal life or statehood. When truth is
not within men, dedication, righteousness and brotherhood have no
value; however through truth they take on strength and the power to be
transformed into work.

In our reality, dear pious faithful, regrettably we also find
impropriety and slander, indifference towards the general welfare of
the country. Traditional family values are in retreat, and in the
face of difficulties, the spirit of conscientiousness. Unreserved
behavior and insult are regarded as courageous; responsibility is
subordinated to rights. Frequently, the right to express one’s
personal opinion is wrongly utilized to distort the truth, in order to
spread subjective or biased opinions.

It is in this mentality that falsehood is veiled with a mask of truth,
debate becomes argument, discussion transforms into scorn and
condemnation, from which the Spirit of God’s truth and the wisdom of
God move away; and we have difficulty – yes, even cease – to see the
good and the just; and faith and trust in one another, as well as hope
and optimism for the future, all weaken in our lives.

Dear faithful, it is the child born in Bethlehem who is the way, the
truth and the life. We must rely on Him, we must bear His truth in
our hearts so that our lives are transformed, be filled with
unwavering trust, and the strength to overcome difficulties, and
everything will be made right through the power of God’s benevolent
will. The truth is liberating. `And you will know the truth, and the
truth will make you free.’ (John 8:32), says our Lord. Let us live
and work with Christ’s truth; let us make his word and commandments
the light that disperses the darkness in our lives; let us make His
love and mercy for us the power that unites us – the power that
creates the unity of the nation. Let us keep steadfast and strong our
unanimity, spirit of harmony, let us care for and attend to one
another, for our country and the elevation of our spiritual and
national life. It is in this manner – and only in this manner – that
we shall build and create our vibrant and prosperous homeland. It is
only in this way that we shall transform the 100th anniversary
commemorating the Genocide of the Armenians into the platform of
victory for our righteous cause, and lead to a just and positive
solution the fundamental issue of Artsakh. It is in this way we shall
keep the Diaspora vibrant and energetic, and become the hope and
refuge for our Syrian-Armenian brothers and sisters bearing the
adversities of conflict. And may all of our labors be with the Lord.

It is with this wish and the good tiding of the Holy Nativity that we
extend our greetings to the incumbents of the hierarchal sees of our
Holy Apostolic Church: His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great
House of Cilicia; His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, Armenian
Patriarch of Jerusalem; His Beatitude Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian,
Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople; to all of our oath-bound and
devoted clergy; and to the graceful heads of our sister Churches.

With pontifical blessings and the appeal for the graces of the Holy
Nativity, we greet the President of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh
Sargsian and the First Lady, present here for the Divine Liturgy
today. We convey our greetings to the President of the Republic of
Artsakh, Bako Sahakian, to all high-ranking state officials of the
Armenian people, to the leaders of diplomatic missions accredited in
Armenia and representatives of international organizations.

>From God-built Holy Etchmiadzin and the Holy Altar of Descent of our
Lord and Savior, with the good tidings of the Holy Nativity, we extend
our pontifical love and blessings to all of our sons and daughters
dispersed throughout the world.

On this joyful day, let us pray for the graces of the Savior’s birth
to always reign over the earth, and with the entreaty of the prophet,
`Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace
will kiss each other.’ (Psalms 85:10).

May the illuminated rays of our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth give
brilliance to our Holy Church, our Homeland, to Armenian life in the
Diaspora, so that it be glorification to the Most-High God and grant
to our nation constant and endless spiritual happiness, and today and
always, may we always proclaim with joy,

Christ is Born and Revealed
Great Tidings to All

TURQUIE
La livre turque reprend sa chute sur fond de scandale politico-financier

ANKARA, 06 jan 2014 (AFP) – La monnaie turque a repris sa dégringolade
lundi et atteint un nouveau plancher historique face au dollar à plus
de 2,19 livres (TL) pour un dollar, toujours affaiblie par le scandale
politico-financier qui éclabousse le gouvernement turc.

En fin de matinée, la devise turque s’échangeait à 2,1947 TL pour un
dollar, après avoir franchi les 2,18 TL pour un dollar la semaine
dernière, et à 2,9851 TL pour un euro, s’approchant de la barre
symbolique des 3 livres pour un euro.

Dans le même temps, le principal indice de la bourse d’Istanbul (BIST
100) restait stable, oscillant entre très légère baisse et très légère
hausse depuis le début de la séance.

Depuis le 17 décembre, la devise turque subit, comme la bourse
d’Istanbul, le contrecoup du scandale de corruption qui fait tanguer
le gouvernement du Premier ministre islamo-conservateur Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, à la veille des élections municipales de mars et
présidentielle d’août 2014. Avant cette crise, la livre avait déjà
subi une forte baisse depuis l’été, victime des décisions de la
Réserve fédérale américaine (Fed) qui affectent tous les pays
émergents.

Dans un entretien accordé dimanche au Financial Times, le ministre de
l’Economie Mehmet Simsek a concédé que la faiblesse de la monnaie
nationale avait `à l’évidence des implications macroéconomiques
négatives pour la Turquie`. `Pour la première moitié de 2014 nous
anticipons une croissance plus faible, plus modeste, à cause du
resserrement (de la politique monétaire de la Fed) et des conditions
politiques et économiques intérieures`, a ajouté M. Simsek.

Les autorités politiques turques s’efforcent depuis quinze jours de
rassurer les milieux d’affaires sur les conséquences économiques de
cette crise politique. La semaine dernière, le vice-Premier ministre
en charge de l’économie Ali Babacan a maintenu à 4% ses prévisions de
croissance pour l’année 2014.

lundi 6 janvier 2014,
Ara ©armenews.com

Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA, Iran
Jan 5 2014

No problem to be solved in ME without Iran: US archbishop

Tehran, Jan 5, IRNA – Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian, Primate of the
Armenian Prelacy of Tehran, said Sunday that no problem in the Middle
East region would be solved without Iran since the country is
internationally known as an influential regional power.

In a meeting with Vice-President for Women Affairs Shahindokht
Mowlaverdi, the archbishop said the Iranian Armenians make great
efforts to introduce Irans real image to the world.

Referring to the unfair sanctions imposed on Tehran by certain states
for its peaceful nuclear activities, Archbishop Sarkissian said the
Iranian Armenians condemn the Wests hostile stance against Iran.

As to Irans significant role in resolving regional crises, he stressed
that Tehrans representative should participate in the Geneva II
conference on Syria, slated for January 23.

1394**1422

Heat emission of Armenia’s gas should be measured in real time – ruling party MP

January 05, 2014 | 11:09

YEREVAN. – The heat emission of the Russian natural gas entering
Armenia should be measured in real time.

Ruling Republican Party (RPA) MP Vardan Ayvazyan, who is also Chairman
of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, told
the abovementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In the past month, the RPA MP paid visits to the infrastructure
facilities of Armenia’s ArmRusGazprom Company. As a result, it was
found out that the limitary heat of gas combustion was not identical,
and it could range from 20-30 percent.

`The problem is that it is not specified as to what calorific-value
gas enters our system at which point,’ Ayvazyan explained.

Pursuant to the natural gas agreements recently signed between Armenia
and Russia, calorific value indicators will not be applied for Armenia
until the year 2016.

`And then [what]? It is indispensable to specify as to who will follow
the gas parameters in a synchronous mode. Otherwise, different
customers will receive gas at different heat emission,’ Vardan
Ayvazyan concluded.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am