Author: Kanayan Tamar

‘THEY DID NOT SUCCEED IN ERASING US FROM THE EARTH’ – SERZH SARGSYAN

16:01 * 23.04.15

Marking 100 years since the Armenian massacres, euronews met with
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in the capital Yerevan.

Here we spoke of Armenia’s place in the modern world, Armenian-Turkish
relations and the recognition of the killings by Turkey.

Olaf Bruns, euronews:

President, these days your country commemorates atrocious events, an
unspeakable suffering that happened to your people. And even 100 years
later, the wounds still seem deep. What is your message to the world?

Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian President:

The events that will commemorate the victims of the genocide contain
in themselves a few messages.

The first one is the message of remembrance. We think the crimes
against humanity can not be forgotten with time. The second message
during the events is gratitude, which is directly linked to the message
of remembrance. It is gratitude to those individuals, organizations
and nations and states that at the most difficult moment for us spoke
up and extended a helpful hand to us and helped some of our people to
survive. The third message is a mix of both remembrance and gratitude
that leads towards prevention against the recurrence of such crimes
and it is our duty to find out and point out the patterns and the
causal relations that can later turn into this type of crime.

With this we say that it is necessary to fight against these particular
phenomena in order to be able to prevent future genocides and other
crimes against humanity from recurring. And a final general message,
the fourth one, is the message of a nation rising from the ashes. We
say that those who wished us harm did not succeed in erasing us from
the earth.

Olaf Bruns, euronews:

Everybody agrees of course that lessons must be drawn from the past.

But even 100 years later, Turkey and Armenia still seem entrenched
in this debate. Is there a way for your countries to move forward to
work together on other topics, or will it be a stumbling block that
keeps them apart?

Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian President:

I myself in my capacity as the president of the Republic of Armenia
have tried two times to embark upon this path. And the two presidents
who preceded me tried to embark upon that same path. We have declared
our intention to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey without any
preconditions. After that, parties could have discussed and addressed
all issues that exist between them. The second such attempt was made
on the eve of the Armenian genocide centennial. Several months in
advance I sent a letter to the president of Turkey. That letter was
delivered in person by our foreign minister to the appropriate Turkish
officials, so it was not just a publicised action.

And by that letter I invited him to partake in the April 24th events
and to express jointly condolences and commemorate all victims. But
the Turkish authorities decided otherwise: They decided to hold on
April 24th – our genocide remembrance day – celebrations for the
Gallipoli battle.

Olaf Bruns, euronews:

In the past days the Turkish side has unleashed all their anger, there
were harsh statements, unusually harsh reactions to the statement of
the pope, to a resolution voted by the European parliament. What is
your feeling when your hear theses expressions of anger?

Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian President:

For us those statements and reactions of the Turkish side were not in
any way or shape unexpected. We have always heard and witnessed their
denialist posturing. We have also seen that every time they renewed
their toolbox of denial. With regard to the statement by His Holiness,
I consider that to be an appropriate one. You know, I believe that
a world free of crimes against humanity can be achieved only with
the leadership of strong people. His holiness is a great leader,
just and truth speaking.

Olaf Bruns, euronews:

What would you wish the Turkish side to say? Or put differently: If
they’d recognize the term genocide, would you consider everything to
be alright in the relations?

Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian President:

Without doubt, the recognition of the genocide by the Turks is the
shortest path to reconciliation of our nations. And it is my strong
conviction: if it is done, and if it is done sincerely, I believe in
a short period of time relations between Armenia and Turkey would be
elevated to a new, quite high level.

Olaf Bruns, euronews:

Turkey had suggested the formation of an international committee
of historians who would settle the issue once and for all and it
would accept the outcome of this. In your view, what is wrong with
this proposal?

Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian President:

First, from the very beginning it is incorrect since I am not aware
of a case that historians sat down, made a decision and the question
was settled once and for all. This was the first point. Secondly, I
can not imagine how such a commission shall operate, since the Turkish
historians would be under pressure of the Turkish society and Turkish
authorities’ pressure, and the Armenian historians would be under the
pressure of the Armenian society and Armenian authorities’. But even
these are not the most important arguments. The most important is
the following: the specialized structures, countries that posses the
largest archives on this issue have no doubts about it. There are no
doubts about it and I again return to what happened at the Vatican:
What do you think, isn’t the Vatican one of the most well informed
of the events that unfolded during the First World War? What do you
think, does the Vatican feel a shortage of well-educated historians?

For us such a proposal in itself is an insulting one since it questions
the very fact and veracity of the Armenian genocide.

Ultimately, what will the historians find out? How many people died?

And is there a significant difference whether one and a half million
people or one million four hundred forty nine thousand people died?

BRITISH RESEARCHER: “TURKEY WILL RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WHEN THE TURKISH SOCIETY DEMANDS IT.”

April 23 2015

-“The Armenian Genocide recognition in recent years has not been a
priority matter in the UK, but the 100 Anniversary of the Genocide
increased public interest and awareness”. In response to “Aravot.am”
spoke the researcher of the Oriental Institute affiliated to the
University of London Laurence Broers. He was asked whether there was
a possibility that Britain will recognize the Genocide after the
Pope’s statements and EU adopted resolution. The press conference
was organized by “Region” research center within the framework of
“Modern talks about the Armenian new integration agenda”. To our
observation that many accuse the UK as a silent witness: although the
British archives are full of facts that reveal hidden under the cover
of the First World War crime, but the UK did not recognize it. What
is the reason for this policy and may the Pope’s statements and the EU
adopted resolution make the UK change its position? British researchers
said. – “I cannot speak on behalf of the British government’s policy
priorities, but it is clear that the Britain’s relations with the South
Caucasus and with wider regional allies may contravene the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide.” Laurence Broers inquired what the political
weight of Armenia Genocide recognition was and detailed. -“The United
States does not recognize the Armenian Genocide, even if recognized
by many states, but still has good relations with Armenia and gives
tangible assistance to Armenia, Russia recognized the Armenian
Genocide, but has complicated relations with Armenia in all aspects
and this concerns many Armenians. Thus, the question arises, therefore,
whether Genocide is the main criterion by which Armenia can assess its
allies and enemies, the problem is not in the recognition of Armenian
Genocide by Britain, but the problem is with Turkey. It seems to me
that the way to achieve the goal is the consistent work with Turkish
society and the recognition will be possible when the Turkish society
demands it. Of course, the international community should encourage as
the international community pressure might be a signal for Turkey to
recognize the Armenian Genocide “. The British researcher also noted
that Britain recognized Armenian Genocide in the scientific field as a
historical fact. To our next question that PACE is preparing a report
concerning Nagorno-Karabakh and if this does not this mean that the
PACE, contradicting himself: OSCE Minsk Group format, intervened in
the conflict. Mr. Broers responded. -“Both countries are EU member
states, so I do not see any contradiction here.”

Tatev HARUTYUNYAN

Read more at:

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : NOUVELLE FEUILLE DE ROUTE DE L’ARMENIE ET DE LA DIASPORA

Publie le : 22-04-2015

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire cet article publie sur le site Repair le 20 avril 2015.

Repair

La Declaration Pan-Armenienne sur le Genocide, nouvelle feuille de
route de l’Armenie et de la Diaspora

lundi 20 avril 2015

Hrant Melik-Chahnazarian

Journaliste d’Armenie

En revenant sur la journee du 29 janvier 2015 date de la ceremonie
liee a la publication de la Declaration pan-armenienne du centenaire du
genocide des Armeniens, Hrant Melik-Chahnazarian explique pourquoi la
publication decette declaration constitue un facteur important pour le
retablissement de la justice historique. Notant que >

C’est le 29 janvier dernier au Tsitsernakaberd (Memorial du genocide
des Armeniens), qu’a eu lieu la ceremonie liee a la publication de
la Declaration pan-armenienne du centenaire du genocide des Armeniens.

Celle-ci a ete lue par le president Serge Sarkissian puis son
exemplaire original a ete mis en depôt au Musee-institut du genocide,
conformement a la decision de la commission d’Etat de coordination des
manifestations du Centenaire. Le president de la Republique d’Armenie a
egalement signale qu’un exemplaire serait envoye au secretaire general
de l’ONU, tandis qu’un autre serait remis aux Archives nationales de
la Republique d’Armenie (RA).

Les observateurs des evolutions politiques regionales auront
certainement remarque que la publication de la Declaration
pan-armenienne du centenaire du Genocide des Armeniens a fait l’objet
d’un ceremonial appuye. Le complexe de Tsitsernakaberd etait orne
du drapeau tricolore armenien et on notait la presence d’une garde
d’honneur confiee aux forces armees, ainsi que d’invites venus du
monde entier. Il est evident que tout cela n’a pas ete organise
par hasard. On peut certainement considerer que la redaction de la
declaration et sa publication sont la plus importante de toutes les
manifestations dediees au Centenaire. Comme aiment a le repeter
les plus hauts fonctionnaires de l’Etat, ce document exprime la
volonte collective du peuple armenien et >
(1). Tourne vers l’avenir, il servira apparemment desormais de guide
fondamental a la lutte du peuple armenien en vue du retablissement
de la justice historique.

Mais avant d’analyser le fond de la Declaration pan-armenienne du
centenaire du genocide, il est necessaire, bien sûr, de repondre
a quelques questions de nature >, et en premier lieu
a celle qui a trait a ce qu’on appelle la legitimite. Dans quelle
mesure ce document represente-t-il le point de vue de l’ensemble du
monde armenien ? Telle est la question principalement soulevee par
les detracteurs du document. Comme on le sait, la majorite absolue
du peuple armenien vit en dehors des frontières de la Republique
armenienne. En 2008, un ministère de la Diaspora a ete cree au sein du
gouvernement dans le but de coordonner le travail avec l’ensemble de
la communaute armenienne mondiale. Dès lors, grâce au travail mene par
ce ministère, le lien entre les communautes de la diaspora et l’Etat
armenien s’est sensiblement renforce. On a cree des canaux de diffusion
rapide de l’information, des structures locales et pan-armeniennes
permettant de prendre des decisions communes. C’est cette experience
accumulee dans le passe qui a servi de base a la commission d’Etat
de coordination des manifestations dediees au Centenaire.

Cette commission visant a stimuler le processus de condamnation et
de reconnaissance internationales du genocide et a coordonner les
manifestations dediees a la commemoration du Centenaire, regroupe des
fonctionnaires des Republiques d’Armenie et d’Artsakh Haut-Karabagh),
des prelats representant les Eglises apostolique, protestante et
catholique, les dirigeants des partis politiques ayant une grande
influence en Armenie et en diaspora, des acteurs du champ culturel,
scientifique et mediatique, les dirigeants d’institutions a la
dimension pan-armenienne. En outre, la commission est egalement
soutenue par les representants des commissions territoriales mises
en place a l’occasion du Centenaire dans de nombreuses communautes
du monde. En un mot, tout a ete fait pour que la commission soit
parfaitement habilitee a representer l’ensemble de la communaute
armenienne mondiale, de sorte que l’on peut dire que la question de
la legitimite est reglee.

La seconde question > de la Declaration concerne
son importance et sa signification politique pour l’Armenie et la
diaspora. Aussi etrange que cela puisse paraître, de larges pans des
Armeniens attendaient beaucoup plus des manifestations du Centenaire
que ce que l’Etat armenien entreprend actuellement, tant en interne
qu’a l’exterieur. Il faut d’ailleurs noter que ces attentes n’etaient
pas vraiment formalisees. Ainsi, personne ne pouvait precisement
definir la nature de ses attentes en liaison avec le Centenaire. La
seule chose, eventuellement, que les gens attendaient, etait de voir
le maximum de hauts representants etatiques et de chefs d’Etat venir a
Erevan pour le 24 avril, encore que la encore la reponse a la question
> restait en suspens. Telle est sans doute la raison
pour laquelle la majorite des gens n’ont pas considere l’adoption de
la Declaration pan-armenienne comme un evènement très important. Tous
attendaient quelque chose de plus, au moins la stricte condamnation
internationale de la Turquie, son opprobre. Voire une reparation.

Mais il ne s’agit la, comme je l’ai dit, que de la vision et des
attentes de la societe civile. Pour les cercles etatiques politiques,
scientifiques et d’experts, la Declaration a une signification plus
qu’importante pour le cours futur de la revendication armenienne et
de la lutte contre le deni turc. Elle constitue un document original
qui fait la synthèse du point de vue et des exigences politiques
armeniennes. Mais le plus important, c’est que la Declaration est
vraiment devenue pan-armenienne, et a ete reconnue sans reserve
comme la pierre angulaire de l’action commune de l’Armenie et de la
diaspora a l’avenir. De sorte que meme si les attentes de la societe
visaient d’autres resultats, il faut reconnaitre qu’il est difficile
de surevaluer la Declaration, tant du point de vue de l’importance
des processus ayant eu lieu dans le passe que du point de vue des
developpements politiques qui auront lieu a l’avenir.

Concernant la Declaration, je trouve qu’il y a encore d’autres points
qui ont echappe a un examen critique sur le fond. Par exemple, Lèvon
Ter-Petrossian a estime qu’avec un tel document, nous ne pouvons pas > au monde civilise. Mais monsieur Ter-Petrossian ne precise
pas pourquoi l’Armenie devrait tenter de plaire au monde. Sa version
de la Declaration pan-armenienne n’a aucun rapport avec l’approche
et les methodes qui ont ete celles du peuple armenien durant un
siècle de lutte et jusqu’a aujourd’hui, en faveur du retablissement
de la justice historique. Pire, l’approche du premier President de
la Republique d’Armenie contredit egalement la ligne fondamentale de
la politique exterieure officielle. C’est sans doute la raison pour
laquelle beaucoup, tant en Armenie qu’en Diaspora, ont considere les
propositions de Ter-Petrossian comme un petit essai de provocation
politique, qui n’a eu en tout et pour tout qu’une demi-journee
d’existence. Pour economiser le temps et en raison de l’absence
de sujet veritable a etudier, je propose au lecteur de ne pas se
focaliser sur des thèmes secondaires ou des >
sans importance, et de passer directement a l’examen du fond et de
la signification politique du document.

Une lecture rapide du texte de la Declaration suffit a montrer qu’elle
constitue un document dans lequel le point de vue et les exigences
politiques armeniennes s’appuient entièrement sur le droit. En fait
il se divise en quatre parties principales dont la première souligne
et renforce la base juridique du combat pour la condamnation et la
reconnaissance internationales du genocide armenien. En dehors des
references liees a la Declaration relative a l’independance de la RA
et a la Constitution de la RA, cette Declaration repose sur des points
très importants et meme capitaux du droit international, a savoir la
Declaration generale des droits de l’homme de l’ONU du 10 decembre
1948, la Resolution 96 (1) du 11 decembre 1946 de l’AG de l’ONU,
la Convention onusienne du 9 decembre 1948 sur >, la Convention onusienne du
26 novembre 1968 sur >, et l’Accord international du 16 decembre
1966 sur >, ainsi que sur tous
les principes et les thèses derives des autres actes internationaux
relatifs aux droits de l’homme.

La constitution d’un dossier juridique de la condamnation et de la
reconnaissance internationales du genocide a toujours ete au centre
de l’attention des institutions etatiques armeniennes, des experts et
des specialistes du droit international. Il s’est constamment etoffe
d’arguments, d’exemples et d’analyses complementaires, devenant
au cours du temps l’un des obstacles fondamentaux a la menee des
entreprises anti-armeniennes de la Turquie. Ce n’est donc pas du tout
par hasard si en soulignant l’un des points les plus importants de la
Declaration, a savoir que celle-ci exprime >, les representants de la commission d’Etat
s’appuient sur les points sus cites du droit international. Et
puis il y est rappele l’existence de plusieurs documents importants
qui, d’un côte sont des exemples de defense de la condamnation et
de la reconnaissance internationales du genocide des Armeniens,
et de l’autre, des fondements importants au retablissement de la
justice historique. C’est la raison pour laquelle la Declaration met
particulièrement l’accent sur la qualification de >. Le
document publie par la commission d’Etat remercie egalement les
peuples, les institutions et les individus qui, . Et le 6ème point traite des travaux en cours
pour surmonter les consequences du genocide, en particulier pour la
creation d’un dossier de reclamations juridiques.

D’un point de vue general, il faut noter que la Declaration
s’accompagne d’un survol hautement qualifie des processus passes et
presents, et explicite tous les liens de cause a effet qui constituent
le noeud des problèmes regissant les relations armeno-turques. On voit
que les auteurs du texte ont tout fait pour que la Declaration soit
plus dirigee vers l’avenir que vers le passe. Et qu’ils considèrent
que seule la suppression des consequences du genocide des Armeniens
peut garantir leur securite future.

Il est egalement important de noter que la partie dite politique de
la Declaration s’appuie moins sur la question de la condamnation et
de la reconnaissance du genocide, que sur la necessite, en general,
de prevenir a l’avenir la realisation de tels crimes contre l’humanite.

Autrement dit, le retablissement de la justice est considere comme
une condition sine qua non pour exclure a l’avenir la repetition de
tels crimes. De ce point de vue, l’exigence armenienne se hausse a
un niveau international inedit. D’un autre côte, elle offre aussi
une solution a la securite physique du peuple armenien. Elle fait
barrage a un eventuel et futur expansionnisme turc.

Enfin, la quatrième et dernière partie de la Declaration est un appel
aux generations futures du peuple armenien a le servir en combattant
sans retraite en faveur du renforcement de la Patrie, des progrès
d’une Republique d’Armenie libre et democratique et d’un Artsakh
independant, du rassemblement des Armeniens de la diaspora, ainsi
que de la realisation des objectifs seculaires de l’ensemble de la
communaute armenienne. De la sorte, un pont est jete entre le passe,
le present et le futur, conferant un aspect strategique aux projets
politiques actuels.

Une telle > de la Declaration est bien sûr très
conventionnelle. Il faut envisager ce document dans sa globalite.

Comme je l’ai deja note au debut de l’article, il sert de guide
original a toutes les composantes de l’armenite dans le combat
politique futur. À ce propos, ce combat ne vise pas a punir la Turquie
comme le pretendent souvent les analystes critiques internationaux.

C’est incontestablement le souci d’assurer la securite future des Etats
armeniens qui est a la base du combat armenien pour la restauration de
la justice historique. Malheureusement, quand aujourd’hui l’ensemble
du monde civilise se souvient des 1,5 million de martyrs innocents
du genocide des Armeniens, l’Armenie et l’Artsakh continuent a vivre
constamment sous la menace et le danger turco-azeris. Les analystes
attentifs de la Declaration remarquent aisement que le principal
message de la Declaration consiste precisement en la necessite de
neutraliser ce danger.

Erevan comprend bien que le poids politique de la question armenienne
freine la Turquie. Cela est bien compris aussi par les tenants du
neo-ottomanisme d’Ankara. Telle est la raison pour laquelle la Turquie
a essaye durant des annees de se defaire de la question armenienne en
neutralisant son influence dans ses relations avec les autres pays
et generalement dans les developpements regionaux. Mais a ce jour,
elle n’y a pas reussi. Les raisons de son echec sont nombreuses. La
principale reside dans l’action de la diaspora, en depit de son
caractère fragmentaire.

Malgre tout, cela fait deja dix ans que l’on a commence a parler du
“tsunami armenien” en Turquie (3). Et aujourd’hui, la Declaration
permet a la lutte pan-armenienne de se doter d’une conception unitaire
pour refrener la Turquie. C’est pourquoi j’ai note en debut d’article
que l’adoption de ce document est la manifestation la plus importante
de toutes celles qui ont lieu pour la commemoration du Centenaire.

Apparemment, la Declaration est deja devenue un des elements importants
du système de securite des Etats armeniens. Le 3 mars dernier,
l’Assemblee generale politique >
(PPE) a adopte une resolution intitulee > (4). Quelques jours plus tard, le sommet
parlementaire > a adopte une resolution semblable (5). Or
ces deux documents ayant une signification capitale pour le processus
de condamnation et de reconnaissance internationales du genocide,
s’appuient sur la Declaration pan-armenienne, ce qui signifie qu’elle
constitue d’ores et deja un facteur important pour le retablissement
de la justice historique. Et c’est cela qui est le plus important.

1/ Voir le discours du President Serge Sarkissian “Sur les
pentes du mont Ararat”, lors du 5ème Forum des medias :

2/ Declaration pan-armenienne sur le
centenaire du genocide des Armeniens
:

3/ Soyez prets pour le tsunami armenien :

4/ Le parti Populaire Europeen (PPE) a adopte une motion dediee au
centenaire du genocide :

5/ Le sommet parlementaire Euronest a adopte une motion relative au
genocide des Armeniens

Source/Lien : Repair

ARMENIA IS A STATE THAT INSPIRES HOPE: THORBJORN JAGLAND

13:03, 22 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has called on
Armenia and Turkey to return to Armenian-Turkish normalization process.

“If there is a reason and an opportunity to return to Armenian-Turkish
protocols, it will be great. I call on both parties not to let that
chance slip through their fingers. I hope the conflict of 100 years
won’t erase the possibility of peaceful coexistence,” Jagland said,
speaking at the global forum “Against the Crime of Genocide” that
kicked off in Armenian capital Yerevan today.

CoE Secretary General said he hopes Armenia and Turkey will sooner
or later find the way to reconciliation.

Speaking about the Armenian Genocide, Thorbjorn Jagland said “what
was committed against the Armenian people hundred years ago was the
loss of not only Armenians but also the entire world.”

“I am sad, I am thinking about those people who lost their lives
during that tragedy. I am excited to be here. I am from Fridtjof
Nansen’s country, and I am even more excited in this connection,
the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland,
stated at the International Social and Political Global Forum against
the Crime of Genocide.

He noted that one hundred years ago the Armenians were brutally killed,
and thousands of Armenians were driven to poverty. “This was not only
the loss of the Armenians, but the loss of the world,” he said.

“To prevent new tragedies, we should sympathize with those who suffered
and paid with their lives,” Jagland said.

In his words, politics hampers sympathy. “All states have the
responsibility to prevent violations of rights against innocent
people. First of all, it is the states that have the duty to prevent
ethnic cleansings and the international organizations should support
them.”

“Armenia is a state that inspires hope. You have been able to turn
your suffering into strength, and the entire world can see it this
week,” Mr. Jagland stressed.

ARMENIANS’ AND TURKS’ PAIN IS IRRELEVANT TO COMPARE – TURKISH PROFESSOR

13:42 22/04/2015 >> SOCIETY

The Armenians suddenly disappeared in 1915 and 1916; an entire
civilization was exterminated over the course of several months,
Turkish professor of political science Cengiz Aktar toldNews.am
within the framework of International Social and Political Global
Forum against the Crime of Genocide.

In Aktar’s words, more people in Turkey are now talking about the
Armenian Genocide.

“But the people, [and] not the state. There is a big difference
between the [respective] position of the state, and what the ordinary
Turks, or the Kurds, think and study about the genocide,” the Turkish
professor said. “People now don’t accept the official argument that
as if nothing had happened [to the Armenians in those years].”

Cengiz Aktar noted that they are studying more as to what had occurred
with their Armenian neighbors and partners.

“The recollection of the Armenians is returning in Anatolia,” the
Turkish professor added.

And in response to a query, Aktar said it is difficult to say whether
Turkey will ultimately recognize the Armenian Genocide.

“It will take a long time; it’s not easy,” he noted.

And speaking on Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu’s most recent statement
in connection with the Genocide anniversary, Cengiz Aktar stated that
this statement is better than nothing.

“No one was talking about it before. [Now,] they are talking about a
common pain, but you can’t compare the pain of a disappeared nation
and that of another nation which likewise has suffered, but still lives
there,” he noted, and added: “How can it be compared? It’s irrelevant.”

ARMENIAN TRAGEDY STILL RAW IN TURKEY 100 YEARS ON

By Mark LowenBBC News, Istanbul

9 hours ago/22/04/15

>From the sectionEurope

Sevag Balikci’s family say his death was connected to the anniversary
of the massacre

Sevag Balikci never got to see his new bedroom.

His family, ethnic Armenians from Turkey, moved into their Istanbul
apartment at the start of 2011.

Sevag was finishing his military service in the south-east. On 24
April, aged 25, he was shot dead by a fellow recruit.

The judge called it an accident, sentencing the killer to four years
in prison. The family is convinced it was an intentional act by a
Turkish nationalist, timed for maximum effect.

The 24th April is the date on which Armenians commemorate the darkest
moment in their history: when – 100 years ago this week – they began
to be rounded up in a crumbling Ottoman Empire and were deported
or killed.

Armenian children at a refugee camp in 1915

Armenia says 1.5 million were systematically murdered, calling it
“genocide”.

Turkey fiercely rejects the label, insisting far fewer died – many of
starvation or disease – and that the deaths of Turks have been ignored.

‘The same fate’

As the centenary of the tragedy approaches, historical narratives
are colliding.

“The genocide was being commemorated and the killer wanted to
intimidate people through my son,” says Ani Belakci, Sevag’s mother.

“An Armenian had to die on that day – and Sevag was available.

“The authorities have leant on witnesses to change statements –
it suits them to say it’s an accident.”

Sevag Balikci’s grave lies at the heart of Istanbul’s Armenian cemetery

She shows me her son’s room, which she has kept as it was.

“We can’t throw out his belongings because it would be like saying
goodbye to him,” she says, her tears flowing.

“A century ago, my family were killed in the genocide – and now one
of their descendants, my son, has met the same fate.”

Hushed up

Armenians had long been treated as second-class citizens in the
Ottoman Empire, their sporadic revolts ruthlessly suppressed.

As World War One raged, Ottoman leaders blamed faltering national
cohesion for losses in the Balkans and elsewhere, seeing the Armenian
minority as a threat.

Armenian genocide dispute

Hundreds of thousands of Armenians died in 1915 at the hands of the
Ottoman Turks, whose empire was disintegrating Many of the victims
were civilians deported to barren desert regions where they died
of starvation and thirst. Thousands also died in massacres Armenia
says up to 1.5 million people were killed. Turkey says the number
of deaths was much smaller Most non-Turkish scholars of the events
regard them as genocide – as do more than 20 states including France,
Germany and Russia, and some international bodies such as the European
Parliament Turkey rejects the term ‘genocide’, maintaining that many
of the dead were killed in clashes during World War One, and that
many ethnic Turks also suffered in the conflict

Find out more about what happened

>From a pre-war Armenian population of two million, just 50,000 remain
in Turkey today.

Around 20 countries, including France, Italy and Canada, officially
recognise the killings as genocide.

But for decades Turks grew up unaware of what happened in 1915.

Textbooks omitted it; political leaders hushed it up, pursuing the
“Turkification” of society.

When it was finally talked about here, the official Turkish version
called it “the Armenian events”.

But in the past decade, history classes at some universities have
begun to address the period and a small liberal fringe has spoken out.

Professor Ahmet Insel says Turkey has a moral obligation to recognise
the tragedy as “genocide”

Three hundred Turkish intellectuals signed a petition asking Armenia
for forgiveness, among them Ahmet Insel, a professor at Galatasaray
University.

“This was a genocide and a crime against humanity,” he says, standing
outside the Islamic Arts museum in Istanbul, the site where the first
Armenians were rounded up.

“Turkey has a moral obligation to recognise it as such, so as to
become a civilised modern democracy.”

He says he does not expect formal recognition within the next 10 years.

“The charge of genocide could mean Armenians claim financial
compensation from Turkey – that’s one factor holding it back.”

Rhetoric hardened

The current government has slowly moved forward on the issue, returning
some confiscated properties to Armenians.

And, last year, the then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan – now
President – offered his “condolences” to families of the victims,
calling the killings “inhumane”.

It was the furthest a political leader had gone in Turkey, but was
rejected by Armenia for dodging the word “genocide”.

In the run-up to the centenary, the rhetoric has again hardened.

The president is keen to maintain support among nationalists ahead
of the election

When Pope Francis said two weeks ago that Armenians had suffered “the
first genocide of the 20th Century” Mr Erdogan hit back, saying he
“condemned” the Pope, warning him not to “repeat the mistake”.

Partly the president is shoring up core nationalist votes ahead of an
election in June. But partly too, Turkey, which cares so much for its
prestige and strongman image, recoils at a word linked with Rwanda,
Srebrenica and Auschwitz.

‘Distract attention’

Perhaps no clearer example of the reluctance to mark the killings will
come on the anniversary itself, when Turkey will instead lavishly
commemorate 100 years since the Gallipoli campaign: the victory of
Ottoman forces over invading Allied troops.

It is never remembered on 24 April but this year the ceremony will
fall on that day – critics say to overshadow the Armenian anniversary.

President Erdogan invited world leaders to Gallipoli, including
Armenia’s president, who sent an angry rejection, calling it “an
attempt to distract attention”.

Most leaders have declined the invitation.

Hakan Aslan, of the far-right MHP party, insists Turkey’s history is
something to be proud of

On the shores of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, the far-right MHP party
is campaigning for the election, repeating its unrepentant line
on Armenia.

“There was no genocide,” says Hakan Aslan, the party’s regional head.

“All the ethnic groups who paid their taxes to the Ottoman Empire
and weren’t traitors lived in peace.”

None of the graves at Istanbul’s Armenian cemetery dates from 1915

Meanwhile at the heart of Istanbul’s Armenian cemetery lies the grave
of Sevag Balikci. A marble slab bears his name, picture and the date:
24 April 2011.

But among the surrounding graves, not a single one dates from 1915.

In fact, there is no cemetery in Turkey dedicated to those victims,
such is the refusal to mark what happened.

A sign, say Turkey’s critics, of a country still unable to face
its past.

HELSINKI COMMISSION CALLS FOR RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

09:01, 22 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as
the Helsinki Commission, will hold a hearing on “A Century of Denial:
The Armenian Genocide and the Ongoing Quest for Justice” on April 23.

“I appeal to the President to recognize the genocide of the Armenians.

On the centenary of this tragedy we should join the German government
and Pope Francis in speaking this word of truth,” said Rep. Chris Smith
(NJ-04), chairman of the Helsinki Commission, ahead of the hearing.

“I also appeal to the Turkish government to recognize the genocide and
issue a genuine apology. As mass atrocities unfold in Syria and Iraq,
the world needs Turkey to engage constructively with its neighbors.

The Turkish government can do this only after it honestly faces its
own past.”

The hearing will examine denialism by the Government of Turkey and
the decades-long effort to seek accountability. The hearing will also
provide an opportunity to assess potential countercurrents in Turkish
society that could move the Government of Turkey toward recognition,
and explore what the United States and other countries can do to help
bring about recognition and eventually, reconciliation.

The following witnesses are scheduled to testify:

Dr. Taner Akcam, Professor of History, Robert Aram, Marianne Kaloosdian
and Stephen and Marian Mugar Chair in Armenian Genocide Studies,
Clark University Mr. Kenneth V. Hachikian, Chairman of the Armenian
National Committee of America Mr. Van Z. Krikorian, Co-Chairman,
Board of Trustees of the Armenian Assembly of America Dr. Elizabeth
H. Prodromou, Visiting Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution,
The Fletcher S

TURKEY’S GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

The Breeze
April 20 2015

Kevan Hulligan | The Breeze The Breeze

Pope Francis and the Eastern Union have enraged the government of
Turkey by simply refusing to deny history.

In a Mass for Armenian Catholics in Vatican City, Pope Francis
referred to the Armenian Genocide, the systematic killing of nearly
1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Empire forces during World War I,
as “the first genocide of the 20th century.”

The European Parliament passed a resolution in remembrance of the
event last Wednesday.

This year marks the 100-year anniversary of the tragedy, wherein
Armenian men, women and children were slaughtered, starved, raped
and deported. The reason given at the time was that the primarily
Christian Armenians might join forces with Russia to fight the Ottomans
from within.

In response to multiple parties recognizing a historical fact, Turkey
decided to throw a bit of an international hissy fit. It withdrew its
diplomat from Vatican City, announced that it will ignore the EU’s
resolution and said that the Pope has become part of “an evil front”
that seeks to degrade Turkey.

As ridiculous as it sounds, Turkey actually used the word “evil” to
describe those wishing to acknowledge what happened in 1915. Last
time I checked, refusing to come to terms with a horrendous war
crime perpetrated against a defenseless group of people because of a
conspiracy theory is pretty close to the definition of evil. In the
Turkish government’s mind, much like a spoiled child caught doing
something wrong, asking it to take responsibility for what happened
is the greatest of all possible sins.

Keep in mind, Turkey continues to deny the fact that it was genocide,
despite the fact that the man who created the term “genocide,” Raphael
Lemkin, used both this event and the Holocaust in the creation of
the term in the first place.

If Turkey wants to be taken seriously as a country and not isolate
itself, it needs to stop shifting responsibility and denying reality
when it comes to the Armenian genocide. It does itself no good to
keep denying such a disgusting crime and not seek forgiveness for
what transpired.

Masses of historians and scholars agree that what happened to the
Armenians counts as the first genocide in the 20th century. The United
Nations, the International Association of Genocide Scholars and 23
other countries recognize the Armenian genocide.

How long can Turkey’s government choose to put its collective head
in the sand regarding what was done to the Armenians?

Why does it continuously choose not to acknowledge what happened
and instead go about throwing a tantrum when anyone asks it to come
to terms with it’s past? Sure, Turkey has said in the past that
Armenians were killed, but it continues to try to avoid recognizing
it as genocide.

The United States had a bill in Congress back in 2007 to recognize
the Armenian genocide, but George W. Bush rejected the bill stating
that it would be harmful to NATO ties with Turkey. Turkey and Armenia
still haven’t established diplomatic ties because of this.

In his speech, Pope Francis said, “Concealing or denying an evil is
like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it.”

I couldn’t say it any better myself.

CONCERT DE L’UGAB POUR LES CENT ANS DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

PARIS

Une salle comble a fait hier un triomphe au concert du Armenian
World Orchestra dedie aux cent ans du genocide de 1915. Cet orchestre
constitue d’instrumentistes et de chanteurs armeniens venus du monde
entier, auquel est venu s’ajouter le choeur de la fondation Gulbenkian
a ete dirige de main de maitre par le grand chef d’orchestre Alain
Altinoglu. Au programme, des oeuvres de Komitas, Katchadourian, le
requiem de Mozart et une creation du compositeur Michel Petrossian,
inspiree par le genocide.

Cette soiree placee sous le Haut Patronnage des presidents de
la Republique francais (represente par Mme Constance Rivière,
directrice adjoint du cabinet de Francois Hollande) et armenien a
fait salle comble. Elle a accueilli de nombreuses personnalites parmi
lesquelles figuraient notamment le ministre de la justice, Christiane
Taubira, Jean-Marc Todeschini, ministre des anciens Combattants, une
delegation de la mairie de Paris conduite par Catherine Vieu-Charier
et Patrick Klugman, Delphine Burkli et Brigitte Kuster, maires du 9e
et 17 arrondissements de Paris. On notait egalement la presence de
Patrick Devedjian, du senateur Philippe Kaltenbach, ainsi que celle
d’artistes (Robert Guediguian, Mathieu Madenian) de journalistes (
Franz-Olivier Giesbert, Valerie Toranian) et des representants de la
communaute ( les copresidents du CCAF, le president de la Mission
2015 du CCAF et 1er adjoint a la mairie du 9e Alexis Govciyan). Ce
concert qui etait retransmis en direct par la television armenienne,
a pu voir le jour grâce a l’investissement personnel des membres de
l’UGAB, le soutien de la mairie de Paris, la participation benevole des
musiciens et le mecenat principal de Michèle et Sarkis Bedoian. Cette
soiree reussie a fait la demonstration que cent ans après le genocide,
le peuple armenien s’est releve et qu’il est capable de realiser de
grandes choses, dans la grande tradition culturelle qui a toujours
ete la sienne.

Discours prononce par Sarkis BEDOYAN.

Au nom des mecènes qui ont soutenu ce concert :

NOUS SOMMES DES SERVITEURS QUELCONQUES . NOUS AVIONS FAIT SEULEMENT
CE QUE NOUS DEVIONS FAIRE ; LUC .

Messeigneurs, mesdames, messieurs,

Vous n etes pas venu ce soir pour entendre Katchaturian , meme si son
oeuvre symbolise bien la puissance creative armenienne transcendant
dans la chape sovietique,

Vous n’etes pas venu entendre MOZART meme si l’ oeuvre la plus
emblematique du genie delivre dans ses dernières notes le message
universel qui s ‘adresse ce soir aux morts armeniens : ” que la lumière
eternelle luise pour eux, aux milieux de tes saints et a jamais ;
Seigneur donne leur le repos eternel ”

Vous n’etes pas venu decouvrir Michel Petrossian , ce phenomenal
compositeur qui a remporte il y deux ans le prix Reine Elysabeth de
Belgique et qui nous a offert ce soir en première mondiale ce cadeau
d'”un ciel a vif ” nous transmettant par ces notes, l’atroce dechirure
d’un peuple.

Vous n’ etes pas venu entendre la melodie de “Grounk” ecrite au debut
du siècle par KOMITAS et enregistre a Paris en 1912 . Le père Komitas
ne savait pas qu’ a peine trois ans plus tard, le 24 Avril 1915, il
ferait l’objet d’une rafle de la police Turque , a Istanbul , avec
six cents autres intellectuels, qui allait le porter aux limites
de la souffrance humaine d’où il ressortirait qu’aux termes d’un
traumatisme psychique le conduisant a la mort vingt ans après.

Vous n ‘etes pas venu non plus decouvrir celui qui fait l’honneur de
la France, devenant le plus grand chef de sa generation et le plus
demande , Alain ALTINOGLU qui a reussi le tour de force, unique dans
l’histoire de la musique, de reunir 50 plus grands musiciens, tous
armeniens – de LOS ANGELES A MOSCOU en passant par EREVAN BRUXELLES
MADRID LISBONNE -…. qui ont genereusement accepter d’abandonner
tous leurs engagements pour effectuer ce tour du monde de quelques
jours et jouer ce soir pour vous.

NON , vous etes venu vous recueillir ce soir sur la sepulture
inexistante du million et demi de victimes du premier genocide
du siècle

Vous etes venu vous recueillir a la memoire de nos grands parents
dont les rares survivants nous ont raconte l’horreur de leur destin.

Vous etes venu dire au monde entier que la barbarie doit cesser et
votre presence accompagne ce mouvement mondial qui s’est amplifie
grâce aux declarations du pape Francois et qui va nous conduire
inexorablement vers la reconnaissance du genocide des armeniens par ses
auteurs et vers l’application des traites internationaux non reconnus.

Grâce a l’initiative de l’UGAB , grâce a la volonte et au travail de
ces immenses talents, nous vivons un moment historique : Ces artistes
“au milieu des privilèges de la liberte ont fait retentir le silence
de ces morts par les moyens de l’art”, pour paraphraser Albert Camus

Comme en echo a votre concert et a votre presence ce soir, ecoutez
demain les cloches d’Etchmiazin sonner les cent coups comme celles
de toutes les eglises armeniennes du monde au meme instant ;

Ecoutez demain le Catholicos de tous les armeniens sanctifier
les victimes et leur atroce agonie et revendiquer a nouveau nos
territoires de l ‘Armenie occidentale comme il l ‘a courageusement
fait au cours de la messe au Vatican en presence du President de la
Republique d’Armenie.

Voyez les chefs d’ Etat des plus grandes puissances mondiales
s’agenouiller devant la flamme de Zizernaguapert !

Alors vous comprendrez pourquoi la conscience du monde va basculer
vers la Paix et la Justice.

mercredi 22 avril 2015, Ara (c)armenews.com

HRAPARAK: ABUSES REVEALED AT ARMENIAN COPPER-MOLYBDENUM PLANT

10:40 * 22.04.15

Inspections at the Zangezour Copper-Molybdenum Plant have revealed
serious abuses that led to underperformance of budgetary tax duties,
the paper has learned.

The company’s former leadership is said to have made illegal money
transfers to the banks account of branches in offshore zones.

Citing its sources, the paper claims that the plant violated not only
tax duties but also environmental safety regulations. The sources
have reportedly claimed that the Ministry of Finance is determined
to conduct a full probe into the violations to ensure the return of
the unpaid taxes to the State Budget.