Author: Kanayan Tamar

QUAND LA MARINE NATIONALE VOLAIT AU SECOURS DES ARMENIENS
Par Jean Guisnel

Le Point

27 dec 2011
France

En 1909 et en 1915, la marine francaise a sauve des milliers
d’Armeniens persecutes en Turquie. Georges Kevorkian a consacre un
livre a ces interventions.

On le sait peu, mais a deux reprises au debut du XXe siècle, des
milliers d’Armeniens ne durent leur salut qu’a des interventions
musclees de la marine nationale francaise. Passionne par ces episodes,
Georges Kevorkian a enquete dans les archives historiques du ministère
de la Defense et auprès des descendants des marins ayant participe
a ces operations pour en faire un livre*. Entretien.

Le Point : En avril 1909, Stephen Pichon et Marie-Georges Picquart,
respectivement ministre des Affaires etrangères et ministre de la
Guerre du gouvernement Clemenceau, decident d’envoyer plusieurs
navires au secours des Armeniens de Cilicie sauvagement reprimes par
les Turcs. Pouvez-vous nous rappeler le contexte historique de cette
intervention ?

Georges Kevorkian : Les Jeunes-Turcs au pouvoir depuis 1908 ont
promulgue une Constitution qui introduit des reformes de progrès et
une orientation plus tolerante des rapports entre les differentes
communautes de l’Empire ottoman, notamment entre les Armeniens
chretiens et les Turcs musulmans. Les Armeniens adhèrent a ce
programme. Mais parmi ces Jeunes-Turcs, les nationalistes les plus
radicaux rejettent les “infidèles”. Les Armeniens sont accuses de
menees autonomistes en Cilicie. À la mi-avril 1909, des heurts entre
les communautes declenchent des represailles de la part des Turcs.

Tous les chretiens sont vises. Les puissances occidentales sont
averties de massacres dont sont principalement victimes les Armeniens
; elles craignent pour leurs ressortissants et leurs representants
consulaires. Du côte francais, on craint aussi pour la vie des jesuites
et des soeurs de Saint-Joseph-de-Lyon. Une force navale de plusieurs
pays est alors depechee.

À quelles operations ces navires francais seront-ils affectes et en
quoi aideront-elles les Armeniens ?

Le contre-amiral Louis Pivet, commandant l’escadre legère de
Mediterranee a bord du croiseur cuirasse Jules Ferry, recoit l’ordre
d’appareiller pour cette region. Outre le Jules Ferry, son escadre,
comprenant le cuirasse d’escadre Verite ainsi que les croiseurs
cuirasses Victor Hugo et Jules Michelet, se met en route pour arriver
en bordure du golfe d’Alexandrette le 23 avril 1909. Les marins
francais constatent que tout le quartier armenien d’Adana est en feu ;
il en est de meme des habitations chretiennes des localites proches.

Les refugies chretiens sont proteges avec le concours d’unites navales
europeennes (croiseur anglais Diana, croiseur italien Piemonte,
croiseur allemand Hambourg…). Le 27 avril, le paquebot francais
Niger, requisitionne, embarque 2 200 chretiens (en majorite des
Armeniens) de la baie de Bazit. Le Jules Ferry embarque, le meme jour,
1 450 refugies, dont deux tiers de femmes et d’enfants. Quant au Jules
Michelet, il protège par sa presence des chretiens refugies en bordure
de mer, en baie de Kessab. Le calme revenu, après concertation avec
les autorites ottomanes, les refugies rescapes reviennent dans leurs
quartiers devastes ; cependant, certains quitteront pour toujours
le pays.

En 1915, des Armeniens de la region du mont Moïse, sur le golfe
d’Alexandrette (aujourd’hui Iskenderun), sont accules par les Turcs.

Leur salut viendra de la mer et de la marine francaise. Pourquoi
est-elle intervenue ?

Fin octobre 1914, l’Empire ottoman se joint aux forces allemandes
et autrichiennes (Empires centraux) pour combattre le bloc des pays
de l’Entente (Grande-Bretagne, France et Russie). C’est ce qu’on a
appele le “theâtre oriental” de la Grande Guerre. En septembre 1915,
la 3e escadre de la flotte de combat francaise en Mediterranee, aux
ordres de l’amiral Gabriel Darrieus (qui vient de prendre le relais
de l’amiral Louis Dartige du Fournet devenant chef de l’armee navale
en Mediterranee), patrouille le long des côtes de Syrie, proches du
golfe d’Alexandrette et du mont Moïse (Musa Dagh). Le 10 septembre,
le croiseur Guichen apercoit des groupes d’hommes descendant de la
montagne vers la plage : plusieurs milliers d’Armeniens accules
a la mer fuient la barbarie des Turcs qui les pourchassent pour
les deporter (la mort leur etant promise), en application du crime
“genocidaire” decide par les autorites ottomanes. Ils brandissent
un pavillon de la Croix-Rouge, des pavillons francais, et (dit-on)
un drap sur lequel a ete dessinee la croix du Christ. La decision est
prise par l’amiral Dartige du Fournet, avant de quitter son escadre :
“Il faut sauver ces Armeniens chretiens (combattants, femmes, enfants,
vieillards) du joug des bachi-bouzouks, les Turcs, nos ennemis.”

Dans quelles conditions cette operation de sauvetage de grande ampleur
s’est-elle deroulee ? Quel en fut le bilan ?

L’accord demande aux autorites francaises de Paris tarde a venir,
mais l’organisation du secours est bien en place et sera executee
par l’amiral Darrieus du 11 au 13 septembre. Au total, le nombre
d’Armeniens sauves par cette operation navale s’elève, très exactement,
a 4 092, dont 8 blesses, repartis comme suit : le croiseur cuirasse
amiral Charner : 347, le croiseur cuirasse Desaix : 303, le croiseur de
3e classe D’Estrees : 459, le croiseur auxiliaire Foudre : 1 042, le
croiseur de 1re classe Guichen : 1 941. Ces refugies vont etre places
dans des camps situes a proximite de Port-Saïd, grâce a l’accord des
autorites anglaises qui les accueillent le 14 septembre.

Parmi ces refugies se trouvent des combattants dont certains
rejoindront la legion armenienne du general francais Julien Dufieux,
en 1920.

Ces episodes de l’histoire navale de la France sont peu connus.

Sont-ils commemores avec une intensite suffisante, a vos yeux ?

Ils sont connus par la plupart des Armeniens, grâce notamment au roman
Les 40 jours de Musa Dagh de Franz Werfel, paru en 1934. D’autres
ouvrages evoquent ces evenements et les actes heroïques des marins
francais. Les memoires des amiraux des escadres du Levant en font
etat. Ce qu’on doit retenir des ecrits de ces derniers, c’est le
decalage entre leurs actions de protection des chretiens d’Orient et
le recul (pour ne pas dire l’abandon) de la diplomatie francaise en
1922 et 1923 (desastreux traite de Lausanne). La France n’est plus dès
lors “protectrice des chretiens d’Orient”. La sortie de mon ouvrage
a favorise plusieurs commemorations. Le 5 mai 2010, un hommage a ete
rendu devant la tombe de l’amiral Dartige du Fournet a Saint-Chamassy
(Dordogne) en presence du maire du village, du sous-prefet de la
Dordogne et de descendants d’Armeniens sauves du mont Moïse. Le 15
octobre 2010, a Toulon, une ceremonie d’hommage a ete rendue a la
marine francaise par le secretaire d’Etat aux Anciens Combattants M.

Hubert Falco, maire de Toulon, en presence de l’ambassadeur d’Armenie
en France et d’autorites civiles et militaires, dont le prefet
maritime. Une plaque est posee au musee de la Marine, près de
l’Arsenal maritime.

La flotte francaise au secours des Armeniens (1909-1915), Marines
editions, 127 pages, 23,20 euros. ISBN : 978-2357430099

TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO AZERBAIJAN: FRANCE TAKES ARMENIANS’ SIDE IN NAGORNO KARABAKH PROBLEM

MilAz.info
Dec 27 2011
Azerbaijan

Hulusi Kilic: France discredits its co-chairmanship by this decision

APA’s interview with Ambassador of Turkey to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic
– How do you assess the adoption by the French National Assembly of
the bill penalizing denial of the genocides recognized by the law?

-I condemn the decision of the French National Assembly. The bill was
adopted with the participation of 55 members of the National Assembly,
which has 577 members. I think as the French parliamentarians, who
attended the meeting and voted for the bill, are not historians, they
will bear responsibility before the history. There are reports that
those who voted for the bill have material benefit. This is disrespect
not only for Turkey, but also for the entire Turkic people. All
should object to this decision. 68 percent of the French people do
not approve this decision. If the Senate passes the bill, France will
return to the period before revolution in 1789. Freedom of thought,
freedom of expression will be eliminated. The historians will not
be able to discuss independently the historical events. I think the
decision of the National Assembly is a blot on the reputation of
France, because the French people do not approve this decision and
the French people have always wanted freedom. I believe the French
Senate will act more sensibly. We do not want the politicians to do
the work of the historians.

-What do you think France’s goals are in passing this bill?

– I think with this decision Sarkozy counts on the votes of the
Armenian Diaspora in the presidential elections in France. This
decision is a political maneuver of Sarkozy.

– How this law will effect the Turkish-French and Turkish-Armenian
relations?

– First of all, it will have negative impact on the Turkish-French
relations. We will take additional steps if it is approved. Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already declared what steps
Ankara will take. This law will have no any effectiveness for the
Turkish-Armenian relations, on the contrary, it will negatively effect
these relations. Armenian president was first to welcome this decision,
which inculcates hate and enmity. I repeatedly say that this decision
will not effective for anyone.

– Do you think that by adopting such a law, France discredited
its mediatory mission in the OSCE Minsk Group? What steps shall
Azerbaijan take?

– I can’t say anything about the steps Azerbaijan will take. President
Abdullah Gul made a statement on this. Many parliamentarians and
intellectuals from Azerbaijan also expressed their opinions. The
problem of Karabakh has not been solved for 20 years. Thousands of
our brothers and sisters were displaced from their homeland. France
discredits its co-chairmanship by this decision. I also join these
opinions. The visit of French president Sarkozy to the region in
October showed that France takes side. He stayed in Armenia one day,
but spent only three hours in Azerbaijan. He didn’t visit Heydar
Aliyev’s memorial and Alley of Martyrs. But leaders of other countries
visit these sites during their visits to Baku. Sarkozy visited Baku
for the interests of France to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of
the French school. Both French parliament’s decision and Sarkozy’s
visit in October show that French leadership takes pro-Armenian stand.

– What joint steps can Turkey and Azerbaijan take in the current
situation?

– The policy of Azerbaijan and Turkey dovetail into one another. We
have common foreign policy. The decision on our further steps will
be passed in our high-level meetings. I hope that the Senate will
not approve this decision, and we will go on. Let the historians to
research the history.

I express gratitude on behalf of our country to the leadership of
the Azerbaijani Parliament, MPs, state and governmental officials,
Foreign Ministry, politicians, heads of the opposition parties,
public organization and everybody who protested this unfair decision
of France.

TURKEY’S FURY AND FRANCE’S FOLLY
AMANDA PAUL

Today’s Zaman
Dec 27 2011
Turkey

The vote in France’s lower house of parliament making it a crime to
deny that the mass killings of Armenians in 1915 was genocide and
penalizing those who deny it with a year in prison and a fine of up
to 45,000 euros has brought France’s relationship with Turkey to the
end of the road. The law is due to be debated in the senate in the
coming months.

Since 2001, when the French parliament passed a bill recognizing
the 1915 killings as genocide, there have been several attempts to
penalize denial of the genocide. In 2006, while a bill was passed by
the lower house, it was blocked by the senate, with assistance from
French President Nicolas Sarkozy. However, in 2007, the year of his
election, Sarkozy promised to adopt the document by the end of his
term. Moreover, with France’s economy in trouble, unemployment creeping
up and his popularity in the doldrums at some 34 percent (the lowest
of any president four months before an election), he is desperate to
improve his ratings. With up to 1 million ethnic Armenian citizens,
Sarkozy wants their vote. This is a very short-sighted policy which
will have far-reaching consequences. Sarkozy proves again that he is
no statesman. During his time in office I can think of no occasion
when he has really shined, other than during the Russia-Georgia war
of 2008 when he brokered a peace deal. But even then he failed to
get the Russians to fully implement it.

While Turkey and France have strong business links, relations between
the two leaderships were already sour. Sarkozy has staunchly opposed
Turkey joining the EU, even though his predecessor, Jacques Chirac,
supported opening membership talks. Moreover, during Sarkozy’s visit to
Armenia in October he accused Turkey of “brushing the genocide under
the carpet.” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu responded by
accusing Sarkozy of political opportunism, stating that France should
confront its own history, particularly in North Africa.

Turkish attempts to stop this bill going to parliament were charged
as “interference in France’s internal affairs” by Valerie Boyer, the
bills author. While Foreign Minister Alain Juppé called on Turkey
not to overreact, Turkey has responded in the strongest possible terms.

Ankara has threatened military and political sanctions against France,
and has cancelled all economic, political and military meetings
within the NATO framework, while also cancelling permission for French
military planes and ships to use Turkey’s ports or airfields. If the
bill is adopted, France will lose access to sectors of the Turkish
economy such as transport and arms, which could cost French business
around $40-50 billion.

Turkey has also indicated that it will move to undermine France’s
position in the Middle East, particularly Syria and Lebanon, where
France has the strongest links, and in the South Caucasus. Ankara
has complained about France’s role in the OSCE Minsk Group, which is
tasked with mediating a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Ankara believes the French move on
Turkey is an open display of biased behavior, with France showing that
it is strongly backing the Armenians because of significant pressure
from the Armenian diaspora. President Abdullah Gul has already asked
for France’s immediate withdrawal from the Minsk group.

While much of the international community has been shocked over the
French move, considering it to be counterproductive, there is also
a feeling that Ankara’s “going in with all guns blazing” approach
is also excessive, that Turkey is reacting too emotionally and not
thinking through how its reaction may affect its own foreign policy
and its relations with other international actors, particularly
cooperation vis-a-vis the Middle East and North Africa region.

For the EU it brings another headache in its relations with Turkey,
a key strategic ally and partner, at a time when relations are already
difficult with the Cypriot presidency looming on the horizon.

Meanwhile with tension in the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean
already high, having two NATO allies at loggerheads as well as further
tensions in EU-NATO cooperation is far from desirable.

Turkey is clearly aiming to prevent Paris increasing its role in
those countries in which France believes it has a strong influence.

Unfortunately this conflict will weaken the international communities’
position in this region and serves no useful purpose at all.

If the senate adopts the bill, it will damage relations permanently.

It could also create difficulties for Turks visiting France,
particularly academics and diplomats, as they may be asked the genocide
question and could face charges. There is also fear it could lead to
further legal actions, such as demands for reparations or territorial
claims. With its tough response, Turkey wants to send the message
to other countries not to copy the French, as the reaction will be
severe. With the Arab Awakening still unfolding, requiring a unified
front from Euro-Atlantic actors, Sarkozy’s timing could hardly have
been worse.

MEDIATOR HOPEFUL ON ARMENIA THAW

Hurriyet Daily News
Dec 28 2011
Turkey

Turkish-Armenian dialogue is currently in a deadlock but there is
still hope of reviving the Zurich protocols signed between the two
countries, according to Swiss Confederation President Micheline
Calmy-Rey, who mediated the talks

Micheline Calmy-Rey, the Swiss Confederation president who led the
mediation between Turkey and Armenia two years ago, said protocols
between the two countries appear to be in deadlock but there is hope
to continue if there is a will.

Calmy-Rey visited Turkey recently and told daily Hurriyet in an
exclusive interview that “the best thing to solve these issues is
dialogue.” Calmy-Rey, also the Swiss foreign minister, said there
was still hope the protocols could be ratified.

“The Zurich protocols are still there. If there is a common will,
then the dialogue can continue on these protocols,” she added.

After France accepted a bill penalizing the denial of Armenian genocide
allegations, Ankara was criticized for welcoming the president of
Switzerland, a country with a similar law.

“Now I am very surprised to hear public reaction today. It is not
correct. It does not reflect our position,” Calmy-Rey said.

There is no Swiss ‘Armenian genocide’ law: president

Switzerland does not have a law that would recognize the killings
of Armenians in 1915 as genocide, said Calmy-Rey, adding that their
stance is different than that of France.

“It is the respected courts that decide on the basis of Article 261,
which punishes acts of openly xenophobic character,” Calmy-Rey told
daily Hurriyet in an exclusive interview. “It is up to the courts to
say whether that action contains racism or entails discrimination. We
do not talk about genocide at all in the criminal code. It is a
general formulation.”

Responding to a question on Turkish politician Dogu Perincek’s
conviction in Switzerland for denying Armenian genocide claims in 2005,
she said it was up to the respective court to decide criminal cases and
Perincek was jailed in Turkey [from another conviction] at the moment.

Calmy-Rey said historians should do additional research to provide
findings for an open debate on the issue in Armenia and in Turkey.

She said Switzerland’s national council Dec. 23 rejected petitions
asking to recognize the acts perpetrated in 1915 against the Syriac,
Chaldean, Armenian and Greek populations as “genocide.”

TURKEY MAY PLAY BOND GAME AGAINST FRANCE

Hurriyet Daily News
Dec 27 2011
Turkey

The Turkish Central Bank could withdraw its nearly 23 billion euros
of reserves from France after the EU member’s recent move to fine any
denial of an Armenian ‘genocide’ in 1915, economists tell the Daily
News. However, such a sharp move could risk Turkey’s EU bid, they add.

Turkey’s Central Bank might shift nearly 30 billion Turkish Liras of
investment in French bonds to other European powerhouses as part of
its recent row with the eurozone’s second biggest economy, according
to several economists.

“The Central Bank could withdraw its reserves from France as part of
its economic sanctions in the future,” Erol Katırcıoglu, professor of
the economics department of Istanbul Bilgi University, said yesterday.

“Looking at the steps taken by the Turkish government and the tone
of the political rhetoric, we can expect such a move,” Katırcıoglu
told the Hurriyet Daily News in a phone interview yesterday. However,
such a move would strengthen opponents to Turkey’s EU membership bid
and denounce Turkey as an “unreliable partner.”

It is the right of Turkey to withdraw its reserves from France,
according to Kerem Alkin of Istanbul Commerce University. “This might
not hurt the French economy but will prove Turkey is serious about
sanctions,” Alkin said.

Recent investment

Turkey’s Central Bank has its second highest reserves in France with
28.8 billion liras, following the United States with 48.6 billion
liras.

In the midst of the eurozone crisis, Turkey invested around 17.7
billion liras in French government bonds last year, according to data
provided by the Central Bank.

By the end of last year, the bank’s total investments in various banks
stood at 110.1 billion liras. The bank had 17.7 billion reserves in
Germany, 4.8 billion in Belgium, 4.5 billion in the Netherlands and
1.3 billion in the United Kingdom.

“The French economy might face serious difficulties if the Turkish
Central Bank withdraws reserves, as most of it is in French government
bonds,” said Mehmet Usta, deputy chairman at Aktif Bank, who also
served as general manager at Banque de Bosphore in France between 1994
and 2007. “German bonds would be the primary choice of the Central
Bank instead of French bonds,” he said.

Noting the rising need for liquidity in France due to the ongoing
European debt crisis, “Turkey’s investment in the country would still
play an important role economically if France could not compensate
the amount from any other source immediately,” he said.

Yet, responding to Daily News questions, Yucel Yazar, press counselor
of the Central Bank, declined to comment on the issue. “Our data is
open for everyone and clear enough, unfortunately we cannot comment
on this issue now,” Yazar said.

Turkey might impose additional economic sanctions against France if
the country insists on accepting the bill punishing any denial of
Armenian “genocide” at the French Senate, said Ali Babacan, Turkey’s
deputy prime minister, responding to Daily News questions Dec. 23. k

DIANA DER HOVANESSIAN: ‘I WRITE ALMOST EVERY DAY’
By Artsvi Bakhchinyan

December 27, 2011

Diana Der-Hovanessian, New England born poet, was twice a Fulbright
professor of American Poetry and is the author of more than 25 books
of poetry and translations. She has awards from the National Endowment
for the Arts, Poetry Society of America, PEN/Columbia Translation
Center, National Writers Union, Armenian Writers Union, Paterson
Poetry Center, Prairie Schooner, American Scholar, and the Armenian
Ministry of Culture.

Diana Der Hovanessian Among the several plays written by
Der-Hovanessian, two (The Secret of Survival and Growing Up Armenian)
were produced and in 1984 and 1985 traveled to many college campuses in
the 80s telling the Armenian story with poetry and music. After 1989,
The Secret of Survival with Michael Kermoyan and later with Vahan
Khanzadian was performed for earthquake relief benefits. She works
as a visiting poet and guest lecturer on American poetry, Armenian
poetry in translation, and the literature of human rights at various
universities in the U.S. and abroad. She serves as president of the
New England Poetry Club.

The following interview by Artsvi Bakhchinyan was conducted in the
poet’s home in Cambridge.

***

AB: This year, you added three new books to your publications. How
many does that make?

DDH: Fifteen of my own books and 10 volumes of translations.

AB: The new translations are compiled in Armenian Poetry of Our Time.

And the book starts with 20th-century greats such as Daniel Varoujan,
Siamanto, and Tekeyan, and goes on to young contemporary poets such as
Vahe Arsen. Do you think of translating as part of your own work? Do
you consider it an obligation? Or is it a way of being part of great
poetry you admire?

DDH: I’ll answer yes to all those questions. Translating isn’t as much
fun as creating something new. And, it has a lot of responsibilities
attached. But I started because there was no contemporary anthology of
Armenian poetry in English. Some individual poems had been translated
by past poets, even Henry Longfellow. But in 1896, working from
literal prose translations from Armenian scholars and friends, Alice
Stone Blackwell produced the first edition in English of Armenian
Poems. Then in 1917 for Near East Relief, and to call attention to
the murder of Armenian poets in 1915 and the genocide, she added more
poems and published another edition.

AB: Alice Stone Blackwell was a great friend of Armenians and a
humanist. But she was not a poet. Do you think her translations
hold up?

DDH: Of course, they are dated. She uses 18th- and 19th-century
phrases. For instance, she begins Bedros Tourian’s Little Lake:
“Why dost thou lie in hushed surprise, Thou little lonely mere?” It’s
too bad that Julia Ward Howe, who was also active (she was president
of the Friends of Armenia), did not do some of the poems. She was a
known poet.

AB: Alice Stone Blackwell’s book has long been out of print, I
believe. Was that why you started?

DDH: Before I had any book publications, but was publishing poetry
in journals and newspapers, a Bulgarian poet asked me to work with
him on an anthology of Bulgarian poetry. And I said, “No, I can’t do
that…when there isn’t a modern Armenian anthology.”

AB: And you began…

DDH: I started it with my father. We had already done a few
translations together. The first were for a concert the Boston Pops
was doing of Armenian sharagans for his friend, the conductor Rouben
Gregorian. And the second, for a lecture on Daniel Varoujan my hayrig
[father] was giving and wanted six poems in English for that program.

I was publishing poems already in those days…and when I saw how the
Varoujan turned out, I sent them to one of my editors who surprised
me by taking the whole batch.

AB: And that’s how you started?

DDH: No. Actually another editor of mine invited me to lunch and
said she was thinking of starting a page, at the Christian Science
Monitor, of international poems and wanted me to do some Armenian,
I told her I didn’t know Armenian that well. This was a long time
ago. And she looked at me, and said, “Well, you’re young. Learn it!” So
I did, I took every course offered at Harvard. And every course at
Boston University. But, also, I had lots of help. After my father’s
death many friends sent me poems, or read to me. And of course,
my students in Armenia would run around gathering books. And poets,
of course, would come to read to me. The only book I did all alone
was the volume of Derian. I did it with a dictionary and then had it
checked. The Koutchag, too. Strangely enough, I didn’t find Koutchag’s
dialect difficult. It sounded similar to the dialect my grandmother
had spoken to me. But Sayat Nova was hard. And most intimidating was
Narek, even though I worked from modern Armenian translations of the
old krapar (classical Armenian). For the first anthology, I did the
Narek with the help of Hayr Oshagan, a priest at Holy Trinity Church in
Cambridge. And for the book of Narek, translations were done with Tom
Samuelian… He would send a driver every morning with word-for-word
translations done by a priest when I was in Yerevan on a Fulbright.

And then when I returned to Boston the rest were sent by e-mail.

AB: How do you choose which poems to include in an anthology?

DDH: I think a translator often does a poem he wishes he could have
written himself. Or else it is a very important poem, pivotal in some
historic aspect, and must be done. For instance, I had to translate
Bedros Tourian for the first anthology because he was important
historically… He was the first to use vernacular Armenian and write
about personal themes.

AB: But you didn’t like Tourian?

DDH: No, although he was my mother’s favorite. He did have one great
poem, “Drdounch.” My rules for translating include three debts the
translator owes: 1) The translator owes the reader the poem the
original poet wrote. 2) The translator owes the original poet the
best possible version in the second language. The original poet’s
reputation is in his hands. 3) The translator owes the poem a vibrant
second life in the second language.

AB: You did a large volume of Charents with M. Margossian. And some
of those translations were used in a recent film made in Yerevan. Is
Charents one of your favorite poets?

DDH: Not when I started. During the five years I was translating
Charents, I would dream about him. We would have arguments in these
dreams. On my first trip to Armenia I was working on that book…and
met his daughters and spent a lot of time with Anahid.

AB: During another trip I took you to meet the late Regina Ghazaryan,
a friend of Charents’s who had buried some of his papers.

DDH: Oh yes, yes, yes. That was an unforgettable meeting. It
is important to meet people who personally know the authors you
translate. I hope they remember Regina in Armenia.

AB: One of your new books is Dancing at the Monastery. It has a lot
of prosy poems. Have you abandoned formal verse and rhyme?

DDH: No, my very newest manuscript has a larger share of sonnets and
villanelles, etc.

AB: But the brand new book, just out this month, from Cervana Barva
Press, NOW I SEE IT, is in shapes.

DDH: Actually those poems are just published, but were written a while
ago. My editor at Sheep Meadow Press would also take out any light
or humorous verse, any strange shapes. But in the last few books he
allowed sections of light verse. By the way, I’m a great admirer of
Charents’s light and satiric verses. I enjoyed translating those.

AB: And you didn’t have dreams then about arguing with him about those?

DDH: (Laughs) No! But to get back to the shaped poems, in the 16th
century, English poet George Herbert did some religious poems in the
shapes of altars and wings, and more recently in the 50s in Brazil
and Germany some artists were combining strewn words on posters and
art and calling the movement Concrete Poetry.

AB: Tell me a little bit about your writing habits. Do you write
every day? Do you rewrite? Do you keep old versions? You did a recent
program with an American poet, X.J. Kennedy, titled, “Where Does a
Poem Come from?” Did you two decide where poems come from?

DDH: We decided, of course, that they come from poets. And they come
to poets from the most unexpected places: a news item, a remembered
conversation, someone else’s poem you wish to answer, a dream. A lot
of poems used to come to me when I was half-asleep and I would get up
to write them down. Now…I just ignore them. But I do write almost
every day…mostly rewriting. And I throw most of it away or my house
would be filled with paper. Even more than now! I do write on paper
first. Then type it into the computer and keep changing it. What takes
up most of my time is the New England Poetry Club: planning programs,
finding judges for contests, introducing speakers, answering mail. I
am hoping to retire from it soon. We have a good vice-president.

AB: Well I hope the Varoujan Prize and programs on translations that
you started will continue.

DDH: I hope so, too.

AB: I have one last question. I think you have often been asked, Have
you thought of writing a memoir? After all, you have known and worked
with some of the biggest names, not only in Armenian poetry but world
poetry: Andrey Voznesensky, Bella Akhmadulina, Tomas Tranströmer,
Yevgeni Yevtushenko, CzesÅ~Baw MiÅ~Bosz, Seamus Heaney.

DDH: (Laughs) Mmm.

VERNISSAGE: A MOSAIC OF ARMENIAN CULTURAL TREASURES
by Tom Vartabedian

December 27, 2011

YEREVAN-As the sun rises over Yerevan, visages of an outdoor flea
market come to life like a Brigadoon. It is Saturday, and people are
getting restless. Business can’t wait.

Books are always an attraction among bibliophiles at the Vernissage.

(Photo by Tom Vartabedian) A vagabond strolls the dirt aisles looking
to peddle his wooden bookmarks. He tells you they’re hand-made,
but who knows? A limp and a mercenary look are easy sells for this
street vendor.

The place is an outdoor flea market, the biggest in all Armenia,
as a cornucopia of art and crafts are up for grabs.

For the right price. Negotiations are part of the trade. You might
call the Vernissage a bargain-hunter’s paradise.

What’s your pleasure? Is it jewelry? Woodwork? Pastels? Ceramics?

Books? Coins, stamps, or medallions? Hardware?

The eye sets upon a cache of skeleton keys. Another table holds
electronic bits and old razors. Something for everyone, goes the
sales pitch. You feel like a child running amok in grandma’s attic.

***

If anything, the shopping paradise represents a cornerstone in a
mosaic of cultural art.

“The spirit of art is alive and well,” a merchant told me. “Ancient
traditions and culture are reinvented and reborn each week. Tourists
love this place. So do our residents.”

More important than the merchandise was the manner in which these
vendors bonded. The competitive attitude ran parallel with a sense
of economic wellbeing. I was on a mission to bring home gifts for my
family. Friends also passed along their requests.

While one opted for a gold Armenian cross, another wanted a cloth
doll. A painting of Ararat was on the list. So was a tavlou board,
a duduk, some CDs, lace, and handicrafts. If I arrived with two
suitcases, the return trip would be enough to fill four.

I was quick to learn that “vernissage” was a French word that entered
the parlance of Yerevan during the late 1970’s by Armenian artists
who wanted to bring the fruits of their labor to the people.

Vernissage vendors take a break playing cards inside their tri-colored
enclosure. (Photo by Tom Vartabedian) A largely dormant concrete
park during the week, the place blossoms on weekends in the heart
of the capital city by a monument dedicated to the late painter
Martiros Saryan.

A fascinating potpourri of historic artifacts was tastefully blended
with contemporary goods to entice the most discriminating shoppers,
both young and old. Lawns of the park disappeared under rows of
paintings, indicating the spirit of art was alive and well.

A child was seen holding two bags of merchandise she had purchased.

Elsewhere, a woman in her 80s was bargaining with a craftsman. They
went back and forth before settling on a price.

I picked up three dolls. The dealer gushed forth with a tempting
offer. Buy another and the fifth would be free. She also included a
ceramic urn in case one broke during transit.

The man with the crutch selling bookmarks appeared cloned. He was
everywhere with his hands extended. Paying no attention to proper
protocol, I assumed he was the bearer of gifts. I took one, thinking
it was complimentary.

I may as well have robbed the jewelry counter at Tiffany’s.

Two merchants left their booths and chased me down, annoyed that I
had taken advantage of a handicapped man. One of his bookmarks was
jutting from my pocket, the one I had assumed was free.

“He was expecting some money,” one guy said in Armenian. “He survives
on what he earns here. Please show some respect.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, I returned to the lame derelict and
paid him perhaps three times what the craft was worth, out of chagrin.

Far be it for me to leave the country with a tarnished reputation. As
the day wore on, I managed to exceed my anticipated budget.

A visit to the Vernissage left me with an impression of how a certain
class of people made the best of their artistic talents, sharing it
with others to keep the economy stable. The view of Mount Ararat from
afar was an added bonus.

MUSLIM SCHOLARS SUPPORT TURKEY AGAINST FRANCE

news.az
Dec 26 2011
Azerbaijan

‘Attitude of France aimed to bring disorder to Turkey.’

International Union of Muslim Scholars Union (IUMS) has officially
stated that it supports Turkey against France which adopted a
resolution criminalizing the denial of Armenian allegations about
1915 incidents.

Secretary General Ali Qaradaghi of IUMS said that the resolution was
not fair, adding that IUMS was supporting Turkey’s stance against
the resolution.

France, instead, should adopt a law which condemns those who committed
war crimes, said Qaradaghi, adding that who would ask for the cost of
the war crimes committed by Crusaders as well as the Jewish massacre
and Serbian atrocity.

Qaradaghi said that the attitude of France aimed to bring disorder
to Turkey.

He noted that during Sarkozy period, France adopted many laws against
Muslims such as ban on wearing headscarf.

IUMS has 40,000 members comprised of Muslim intellectuals and scholars.

COMMUNISTS OF MOLDOVA WOULD NEVER SELL WEAPON TO ARMENIA

news.az
Dec 26 2011
Azerbaijan

News.Az interviews Violeta Ivanov, deputy of parliament of Moldova,
chairman of the Moldova-Azerbaijan group of friendship.

What you, as head of the group of friendship between Moldova and
Azerbaijan, can say about the bilateral relations?

I think that they should be intensified. We have so far signed 54
agreements, while 12 more documents are the stage of development. They
are connected with cooperation in the sphere of education, environment,
and economic interaction. But, frankly, my personal opinion of
the former ecology minister is that we need to deepen and develop
bilateral relations, especially that we have many contact points and
we have a future in this sense.

I cannot but speak about politics. Have your countries managed to
overcome the implications of the recent incident related to supply
of arms to Armenia by Moldova?

Here I want to answer exactly. I am representing the Communist Party,
which being at power in 2001-2009 tried to develop our relations and
we never tolerated such mistakes which the incumbent alliance made
by selling arms to Armenia. We, in our parliament, condemned this step.

Our party, which is supported by almost half of the population of
Moldova, spoke decisively against this policy. But unfortunately,
we have so far received neither apologizes nor arguments about the
reason it happened. This is very bad.

Going back to our activity on establishing bilateral contacts, is
the exchange of visits expected in the nearest future?

During my current visit to Baku we coordinated and planned the joint
meeting with the similar group of friendship of Milli Majlis. The
meeting is scheduled for May, since, unfortunately, Moldova will
likely have parliamentary elections again, fifth in two years. It
has been two and a half years that we do not have a president and
this obstructs cooperation issues.

I think we will manage to resume these relations and beginning from
next year, the two women leading the groups of friendship will manage
to revive the relations and inspect the execution of the working 54
agreements and finish work at 12 field agreements.

As for the visits on the level of the heads of states, the recent visit
of the third president Mr.Voronin to Azerbaijan was held in 2008 and
I was a member of the official delegation.We then viewed very good,
perspective trends.

For example?

For example, the one related to methods of developing oil fields,
because we have such ones, but they are very small. Naturally, the
experience of our Azerbaijani colleagues would be helpful.

“ARMENIAN GENOCIDE” DISCUSSIONS NOT TO GO OUT OF KNESSET COMMISSION’S FRAMES

Trend
Dec 26 2011
Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani MP is confident that the discussions over so-called
“Armenian genocide” will not go out frames of Israel’s parliament
commission.

“The people have the right to make proposals and they are not deprived
of this right,” the Chairman of a working group on interparliamentary
ties Azerbaijan-Israel, MP Yevda Abramov told Trend on Monday. “We are
confident that the Israeli-Azerbaijan relations as well as Israel’s
attempts to improve relations with Turkey and on the contrary,
Turkey’s aspiration to improve ties with Israel for the sake of peace
in the region, do not allow this matter to turn into the subject of
broad discussion.”

During the recent visit to Azerbaijan the Israeli Foreign Ministry
Director General Rafael Barak also stressed this matter will not go
out the commission’s framework, Abramov said.

Some members of the Israeli parliament (Knesset) intend to discuss
the matter of fictional so-called “Armenian genocide” at a meeting
of commission on education, culture and sport.

The Israeli parliament consists of many parties, and one of them –
Merets party tries to get into the mainstream of events and processes
once or twice a year, said Azerbaijani MP.

According to Abramov, including in the Knesset’s commission agenda
the matter of “Armenian genocide” is connected with the adoption
of a bill criminalizing denial of the so-called “Armenian genocide”
by the lower France’s parliament the other day.

“Some members of the Israeli Knesset under the influence include the
matter of “Armenian genocide” in the agenda,” Abramov said.

The relations established by the Israeli parliament’s members with
Azerbaijan and Turkey, give the framework to suggest that after
discussions, the committee will again decide not to submit it at a
plenary session of Knesset, he noted.

The Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of
the Turkey – Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against
the Armenians living in Anadolu, and achieved recognition of the
“Armenian Genocide” by the parliaments of several countries.