Author: Kanayan Tamar

OBAMA EXPECTED TO AVOID G-WORD IN APRIL 24 SPEECH

Today’s Zaman

April 22 2012
Turkey

US President Barack Obama will not use the word “genocide” when
describing the alleged Armenian genocide during his annual Armenian
Remembrance Day speech on April 24, 2012, Turkish political analysts
have claimed.

Specialists in Caucasian and US politics say it would not be timely
for Obama to undermine Turkey’s stance on the issue, given the rising
importance of Turkey’s partnership with the US in handling political
crises in the Middle East.

“Regarding the Armenian question, US relations with Turkey are at
a critical juncture,” said Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu, a journalist and
expert on the Caucasus at Yerevan’s European Regional Academy.

“Considering that Turkey will remain a strategic partner for the US,
we may assume that they will not change their position on this issue,”
he told Sunday’s Zaman. He pointed out that the US president has not
said “genocide” on Remembrance Day in previous years. Turkey vehemently
rejects the genocide claims, saying the killings came as the Ottoman
Empire was trying to quell a civil strife and that Muslim Turks were
also killed in the clashes.

Turkey has repeatedly urged the US president not to use the word
genocide on April 24 during his speech, asking him to not only refer
to Armenian pains but also those of the Ottoman Turks during World
War I, and to mention Turkey’s proposal of establishing a joint
commission of historians and experts from both Turkey and Armenia
to study evidence for the events of 1915 in the archives of Turkey,
Armenia and other relevant countries around the world.

As a presidential candidate, Obama repeatedly vowed to recognize
the Armenian genocide once in office, voicing his commitment to
commemorating and ending genocide.

Since 2009, the Armenian diaspora in the US has waited for the
president to honor his promise. Obama’s repeated failure to use the
word “genocide” in his Armenian Remembrance Day message has created
deep disappointment in the community.

The US has not officially recognized the Armenians’ claim that there
was a genocide in eastern Turkey between 1915 and 1923. Before Obama’s
presidency, US leaders blocked attempts to pass resolutions recognizing
the World War I-era killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide.

Pointing to this fact, Oztarsu claimed, “For the US, it is normal to
make promises to gain the support of Armenian community during the
election period and leave them aside due to the strategic importance
of Turkey.” Turkey is a strategic US ally whose significance has
increased in the last year due to their close cooperation over the
development of several crises in the surrounding region.

The Turkey-US security alliance, which includes cooperation on
counterterrorism and military training, has strengthened since the
deployment of US radar on Turkish soil as part of a NATO-backed
missile defense system designed to protect European members of the
NATO alliance from potential missile threats emanating from a region
boiling with security problems.

The two countries also aim to steer political developments in the
same direction in the Middle East, which is going through a political
transition process as a result of the Arab Spring revolutions, by
fostering democratic rule, a peaceful transition period and the rule
of law.

Turkey and the US are now jointly involved in solving the Iraqi
political crisis through dialogue and a commitment to the establishment
of a political system which safeguards the voice of all sects and
ethnicities.

Another hot issue is the question of the political solution in Syria.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Obama declared a common agenda
on the eve of a critical nuclear security meeting in Seoul in March
with regard to the Syrian crisis, marking the importance of uniting
the opposition against the brutal regime in Syria and providing
non-lethal aid to the dissident forces, including telecommunications
and medical supplies.

Turkey’s intermediary role in the Iranian nuclear crisis has also been
appreciated, although the issue seems to be on the backburner in the
US due to ongoing events in Syria, but continues to bear significance
given the imminent contingency of an Israeli pre-emptive strike on
the Islamic republic’s nuclear facilities. The US and Israel are
staunch allies and Obama has repeatedly pledged to protect Israeli
security over the issue. The latest nuclear talks between Iran and
the Western governments in Ä°stanbul last week were deemed as a last
and great opportunity for a diplomatic solution to the crisis, and
both sides appealed for Turkish assistance when a deadlock loomed
during the talks.

In remarks similar to Oztarsu’s, Ä°lter Turan, professor of political
science at Ä°stanbul’s Bilgi University and also an expert on US
politics, agreed that Obama will likely refrain from making statements
that could raise resentment in Turkey, considering their current
amicable relationship.

“The Armenian issue is not taking hold of discussions in the US
election; it is not a pivotal issue,” Turan said, pointing to the
fact that the Armenian diaspora is less influential in the US than
it is in France.

Political observers in Turkey have commented that the French incumbent
President Nicolas Sarkozy tried his best to garner the Armenian vote by
giving full-fledged support to a draft bill initiated by a member from
his party last fall that would have criminalized denying the Armenians’
claims of genocide. The draft bill was deemed unconstitutional by
the French Constitutional Council in February.

Meanwhile, Oztarsu mentioned alleged support for Armenian claims from
the Jewish lobby in the US due to Turkey’s critical stance against
Israel over the last decade. He believes this support could help
Armenians exert more influence in the House of Representatives for
the recognition of their claims in the upcoming years. “The Jewish
lobby is a very strong lobby in the US and the Armenian community is
closely following their critical attitude against Turkey,” Oztarsu
asserted, estimating that the Jewish lobby will ratchet up efforts
for the recognition of the Armenian cause in the House.

Satisfying both Turkey and Armenian diaspora

In previous years, Obama found himself between a rock and a hard
place while trying to satisfy both Turkish and Armenian claims over
the events of 1915 to 1923.

Describing the events in his previous speeches as “Meds Yeghern”,
which means “Great Calamity” in Armenian, Obama has not only drawn a
rebuff from both Turkey, who described the US president’s wording as
one-sided, but also from the Armenian diaspora, given that he failed
to brand the events as genocide.

BarıÅ~_ Ozdal, an expert in the Armenian question and lecturer at
the international relations department of Bursa’s Uludag University,
claimed that for Obama to use the Armenian term to refer to the
allegations is at the disadvantage of Turkey in the long-term.

“Using the Armenian word would negate the Turkish thesis on the
question, because the word has started to procure acceptance as
‘genocide’ in the terminology of international relations,” Ozdal
proposed.

“Some terms are not politically neutral — everyone remembers the
Holocaust when we use the word genocide, and we think of a system of
racial segregation against black people in South Africa when we say
apartheid,” Ozdal said.

CYPRUS PRESIDENT: A SOLUTION IS ‘MORE NECESSARY TODAY THAN EVER BEFORE’

Cyprus News Agency
April 13 2012

Nicosia, 13 April: The Greek Cypriot side is ready to continue the
negotiations for a settlement to the Cyprus problem, Cyprus President
Demetris [Dimitrios] Christofias has stressed, underlying that a
just, under the circumstances, viable and functional solution is more
necessary today than ever before.

In an Easter Message, the President said that the dilemma today is
not between the pursued goal of a solution based on a bi-zonal,
bi-communal federation and another abstract solution but between
a solution and partition. He noted however that we cannot accept
and cannot compromise with unacceptable arrangements, as we cannot
compromise with partition itself.

He also referred to the financial crisis which, in his words, raises
a number of serious problems for our state and our society, noting
however that the government addresses the economic crisis in a way
that will have the least possible repercussions on the average citizen.

“This year’s Easter finds our homeland under semi-occupation for the
37th year, it finds it de facto divided, with the human rights and
basic freedoms of the Cypriot people still being violated by Turkey,
the occupying power,” the President said in his message.

Pointing out that the current unacceptable situation creates immense
dangers for the future, Christofias added that “each day that passes
by solidifies the effort for the full Turkification of our occupied
territory.”

“Time works against us. The continuing influx of settlers, apart from
the fact that it changes the demographic structure of the island,
harbours serious dangers for new adventurous actions by Turkey in the
future. The achievement of a just, under the circumstances, viable
and functional solution is more necessary today than ever before,”
he noted.

In his remarks, Christofias noted that the dilemma today is not
between the pursued goal of a solution based on a bizonal, bicommunal
federation and another abstract solution. “The real dilemma today is
between a bizonal, bicommunal federation, with political equality as
defined by the resolutions of the Security Council for one state,
with one and single sovereignty, citizenship and international
personality, and the partition which will be disastrous for our
people,” he pointed out.

The President made clear that the Greek Cypriot side is “fully prepared
for a solution, but not just any “solution” that will ultimately
bring about new hardships for our people.”

“We seek a dignified solution. A solution that will reunify our
country, our people, the institutions and the economy. We cannot
accept and cannot compromise with unacceptable arrangements, as we
cannot compromise with partition itself. This must be clear to Turkey
as well as to the Turkish Cypriot leadership and the international
community,” he stressed.

Referring to the UN-backed negotiations which began in September
2008, Christofias said the stagnation observed in the talks should
not disappoint us neither lead us away from our goal.

“Our side is fully prepared to continue the process with the solution
of the Cyprus issue as the clear goal,” he said adding that “the strong
support that Cyprus enjoys today from important countries-permanent
and non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, the European
Union and other countries and Organizations -is a decisive factor in
our efforts.”

The Turkish Cypriot side insists that the UN-backed talks should be
terminated after the assumption of the EU rotating presidency by the
Republic of Cyprus on July 1. Christofias has repeatedly expressed his
readiness to continue the negotiations in parallel with the Cypriot
EU presidency.

Referring to the ongoing global financial crisis, Christofias noted
that the people of Cyprus, are going through an ordeal.

“Apart from the continuing occupation, the repercussions of the
unprecedented world economic crisis raise a number of serious problems
for our state and our society. We address the economic crisis in a
way that will have the least possible repercussions on the average
citizen,” he said, noting that a simple comparison of Cyprus with
other European countries “proves that we tackle the consequences of the
world economic crisis with the maximum possible social sensitivity and
honest consideration for our youth, the working people, the unemployed,
the pensioners, the handicapped, the recipients of public assistance,
and in general our fellow citizens in need.”

Noting that “the road to Golgotha leads to Resurrection,” the
President said that the discovery of natural gas, the second round
of licensing and the investments in the field of energy, “create
an excellent prospect in the years to come for Cyprus to become
an energy centre with important positive changes in the economic,
political and social fields.”

Initial results of a well carried out by Houston-based Noble Energy
in Cyprus block 12 indicated the existence of a natural gas reservoir
ranging from 5 to 8 trillion cubic feet (tcf) with a gross mean of
7 tcf. Cyprus is expected to launch a second licensing round for the
remaining blocks of its exclusive economic zone.

“The improvement of the state finances, the correction of many
distortions in the public sector and the economy, and the great
interest for investments that is expressed today, convey a message that
the years to come will be years of economic prosperity,” Christofias
said, adding that at the same time the government implements a series
of reforms, such as the educational reform, changes in the health
sector, greater support for cultural activities, the modernization
of the state, reforms that set the foundations for the kind of Cyprus
we all envision in the coming years.

“Today, we set the foundations for a better future for ourselves and
our children,” he went on to say.

Furthermore the President noted that his thoughts today are with
the refugees, those in distress, the enclaved, the families of the
missing persons and those who fell in the line of duty.

“The message we send today is a message of hope and optimism. Our
people, through the efforts of all of us, prevent the worst from
happening, and set the foundations for the best to come. The Passion,
the ascend to Golgotha and the Crucifixion will be succeeded by the
Resurrection. We address a warm message of hope and fighting spirit
to the people of Cyprus as a whole, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots,
Maronites, Armenians and Latins. The Resurrection, the liberation
and the reunification of our homeland and our people will come for
all the people of Cyprus,” he concluded.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied
37 per cent of its territory.

ARMENIA: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE – INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE CAUCASIAN-CASPIAN REGION

Indigenous Peoples Issues and Resources
April 17, 2012 Tuesday 11:00 PM EST

The International Journal Iran and the Caucasus (BRILL, Leiden-Boston),
in cooperation with Yerevan State University, “Modus Vivendi Center”,
“Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies”, “International Society for
the Study of Turkey, Iran and the Caucasus”, “Public Relations and
Information Center”, and the “Armenian Association for Academic
Partnership and Support – ARMACAD”, organises an International
Conference “Indigenous Peoples of the Caucasian-Caspian Region”
(supported by Hyksos Foundation).

The conference will be held in Yerevan, Armenia, from the 5th to 7th
of October 2012.

The forum is supposed to cover a wide spectrum of problems concerning
this important multicultural area – history, archaeology, linguistics,
culture, literature, religions, anthropology, and current political
issues.

Papers presented should directly address relevant issues concerning
one or several indigenous peoples of the mentioned region, including
but not restricted to North Caucasian and Western Caspian peoples.

The working languages of the conference are English and Russian.

Deadline for submission of abstracts is July 15, 2012.

The application form must contain:

Name(s)

Affiliation

E-mail address/fax nr/phone nr

Title of the paper

Abstract not exceeding 500 words

Please email your abstracts in Word document format to:

Dr. Khachik Gevorgyan Secretary of the Organising Committee,
[email protected]

The Organising Committee will likely have limited travel and
accommodation grants available for a number of participants.

Visit the website at

TURKISH MEN FOUND AMONG VISITORS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM

Panorama.am
24/04/2012

Today when the 97th anniversary of Armenian Genocide is marked, the
first visitors of the day that Genocide museum-institute hosted were
President Serzh Sargsyan and government members, Arpine Bablumyan,
vice director of Genocide museum said.

Speaking to Panorama.am Mrs. Bablumyan said that museum hosted
thousands of citizens, representatives of international organizations.

Mrs. Bablumyan has also said that among the visitors Turkish men
could also be found.

Panorama.am recalls that Turkey has traditionally rejected the mass
killings of 1,5 million Armenians carried out early in the 20th
century and took the criticism of the West painfully.

Note that the following states have recognized and condemned the
Armenian Genocide carried out in the Ottoman Turkey: Uruguay (1965),
Cyprus (1982), Argentina (1993), Russian Federation (1995), Canada
(1996), Greece (1996), Lebanon (1997), Belgium (1998), Italy (2000),
Vatican (2000), France (2001), Switzerland (2003), Slovakia (2004),
the Netherlands (2004), Poland (2005), Germany (2005), Venezuela
(2005), Lithuania (2005), Chile (2007), Sweden (2010). Armenian
Genocide is also recognized by the European Parliament and World
Council of Churches.

ARMENPRESS’ INTERVIEW WITH GEORGIAN MP JONDO BAGATURIA ON APRIL 25: VIDEO

ARMENPRESS

21:40, 24 April, 2012

YEREVAN, APRIL 24, ARMENPRESS: During the April 24 session of the
Georgian MP Jondo Bagaturia has raised the issue of recognition
of the Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire early in
20th century.

“While raising the issue of the Cherkezians I have warned that the
Georgians must touch upon that topic, as the Armenian Genocide will
follow it. Now we are to give an answer to our Armenian brothers,
who are our compatriots,” said Bagaturia.

After his statement Azeri MP Azer Suleymanov threw a subject at Jondo
Bagaturia, and the latter threw his pen, after which it turned into
a brawl. Suleymanov called Jondo Bagaturia a MP of Armenians.

On April 25 Armenpress will present an interview with Jondo Bagaturia.

COMMEMORATION EVENTS DEDICATED TO 97TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN GREECE

ARMENPRESS
24 April, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 24, ARMENPRESS: Events commemorating the victims of
the Armenian Genocide have been held in Athens, Thessaloniki and
Alexandroupoli. The events have been organized on the initiative of
the Greek-Armenian community and Armenian Embassy in Greece, press
service of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Armenia told Armenpress.

The main commemoration event has been organized in War Museum, Greece.

Greek MPs, members of the government, ambassadors accredited in Greece,
members of Armenian community structures, Greek public and political
figures participated in the event.

Armenian Ambassador to Greece Gagik Ghalachyan, Greek Minister of
Culture and Tourism P. Yeroulanos and other Greek Officials delivered
speeches. Documentary films with the testimonies of the genocide
survivors and historical photos were shown.

The ceremony was followed by a procession to the Central Square of
Athens, where wreaths on behalf of all political parties of the Greek
and Cyprian Parliaments, Greek government, Armenian Embassy in Greek
and Greek-Armenian community were put to the monument of Unknown
Soldier, the hymns of the republics of Armenia and Greece sounded.

On April 24 and 25 commemoration events will be held in Ksanti and
Komotini as well.

STOCKHOLM COMMEMORATES GENOCIDE VICTIMS

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 24, 2012 – 18:04 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On April 24, Sweden’s Armenian Diaspora marched
the streets of Stockholm in commemoration of Armenian Genocide victims.

As the speaker of the Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden
Vahagn Avedian told PanARMENIAN.Net an Armenian church in Stockholm
is hosting a liturgy for innocent victims of Genocide, to be followed
by a photo exhibit.

“The exhibit will feature works of Scandinavian artists who witnessed
the Genocide in 1915. The event highlights letters and other materials
carrying eyewitness accounts of the massacres. The historic documents
were showcased in Yerevan’s Genocide Museum in 2011, with Stockholm
exhibit to last through April 27,” Avedian said.

In the evening of April 24, a special event, hosting 300 people,
will take place. Suzanne Khardalian’s “Grandma’s Tattoos” centering
on Genocide survivors will be screened.

BERLIN HOSTS PROTEST RALLY AT GENOCIDE ORCHESTRATORS’ TOMBS

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 24, 2012 – 19:06 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On April 24, Berlin hosted several events in
commemoration of Armenian Genocide victims.

As Germany’s Armenian community representative, Freie Universitat
Berlin Jirayr Kocharian told PanARMENIAN.Net on April 24, Berlin’s
Armenians hosted a protest rally at the Turkish mosque, burial site
of Genocide orchestrators Cemal Pasha and Behaeddin Shakir.

“Turkish nationals were among those who helped us organize the event.

The event, covered by German media, hosted Greek, German, Kurdish,
Assyrian nationals as well as representatives of 60 organizations,”
Kocharian said.

According to him, a liturgy for Genocide victims will be held at 6
pm local time to be followed by a cultural event and a lecture.

Also, ritual wreaths were laid at Turkish embassy in Frankfurt.

PROSECUTOR GENERAL OF RUSSIA TO PAY A WORKING VISIT TO ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
24 April, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 24, ARMENPRESS: A delegation headed by Prosecutor
General of Russia Yury Chaika will pay a working visit to Armenia on
April 25.

The prosecutors of the two countries will discuss issues on development
of cooperation between the offices of the prosecutor general of Armenia
and Russia, as well as will sign a cooperation program for 2012-2013,
the Office of the Prosecutor General in Armenia told Armenpress.

During the working visit Yury Chaika will hand to his Armenian
counterpart an award decreed by the Russian President – Order of Honor.

ANCA CHAIRMAN: OBAMA COMPLETED HIS SURRENDER TO TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 24, 2012 – 18:47 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – U.S. President Barack Obama, once again, used
euphemistic language and verbal gymnastics to characterize the murder
of 1.5 million Armenians in his annual April 24 remembrance day
statement, breaking his pledge as Senator and Presidential candidate
to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide as President, the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA) comments.

“President Obama today completed his surrender to Turkey, shamefully
outsourcing U.S. human rights policy to a foreign state, and tightening
Ankara’s gag on American recognition of the Armenian Genocide,”
said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. “The President’s capitulation to
Turkey – on this, the last April 24th of his term – represents the
very opposite of the principled and honest change he promised to
Armenian Americans and to all the citizens of our nation.

President Obama’s pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide stands
today as a stark lie, a painful promise etched on the hearts of
all who had hoped and worked for change, but who, today, have been
betrayed by a politician who failed to live up to his own words.”

In his April 24, 2012 statement, Obama said in part, “Today, we
commemorate the Meds Yeghern, one of the worst atrocities of the 20th
century. In doing so, we honor the memory of the 1.5 million Armenians
who were brutally massacred or marched to their deaths in the waning
days of the Ottoman Empire. As we reflect on the unspeakable suffering
that took place 97 years ago, we join millions who do the same across
the globe and here in America, where it is solemnly commemorated by
our states, institutions, communities, and families.”