Author: Kanayan Tamar

TURKISH PARTY MEMBERS TO COMMEMORATE GENOCIDE VICTIMS IN YEREVAN

09:25, 23 April, 2015

YEREVAN, 23 APRIL, ARMENPRESS: The representatives of the Turkey’s
Greens and the Left Party of the Future will be in Armenia on April 24
to pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide and take part
in the centennial commemoration events. Armenpress was informed by
the Turkish Party that the Spokesperson of the Party Naci Sonmez, the
deputy of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Ufuk Uras, as well as
the member of the Party, journalist Adnan Genc will arrive in Yerevan.

The representatives of the Turkey’s Greens and the Left Party of the
Future stated that such historical tragic events, like the Armenian
Genocide, have their impact not only on the victims, but also other
people, living in that particular region. They said that speaking
and discussing what had happened, is both a debt before the victims
and a humanitarian and conscience responsibility before the future
generations.

RUSSIAN STATE DUMA VICE SPEAKER: “RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT WILL ADOPT A STATEMENT ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL ON APRIL 24”

Thursday, April 23, 13:58

Genocide cannot be erased from history of humanity, Nikolai Levichev,
Russian State Duma Speaker said at the Public and Political Global
Forum Against the Crime of Genocide in Yerevan on April 23.

“We feel the pain of the fraternal people of Armenia. Our peoples
have common religion, history and culture. In Moscow and other towns
in Russia the people are holding events to commemorate Genocide – the
crime against humanity. The people learned nothing from the tragedy of
Armenia. We have no right to remain silent about that crime,” he said.

Levichev said the aggression against the Christians in the Middle East
has grown into a systematic genocide, which is also a result of the
unrecognized genocides of the past. The State Duma will adopt a special
statement on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, he said.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : LES TURCS EN ALLEMAGNE PROJETTENT DE MANIFESTER A BERLIN

ALLEMAGNE

Des milliers d’immigrants turcs devraient rallier Berlin samedi pour
protester contre les decisions et declarations “qui affirment qu’un
genocide armenien a ete commis en 1915”.

L’association Communaute turque de Berlin (TGB), qui organise la
manifestation, a annonce mardi que 10 000 personnes sont attendues pour
se joindre a la manifestation dans la capitale allemande ; un jour
après que le gouvernement allemand devrait qualifier les massacres
des Armeniens dans l’Empire ottoman comme exemple “de massacres,
de deportations forcees et de genocides du 20ème siècle”.

La plus grande association des immigres turcs en Allemagne – l’Union
Turco-Islamique pour les Affaires religieuses (DITIB) ; l’Union
des democrates turcs conservateurs europeens (UETD), l’Association
de l’ideologie laïque Ataturkt (ADD) et l’aile droite des Alperen
Ocaklari de Berlin (extreme-droite) ont tous soutenu l’appel.

Le TGB et 14 autres ONG ont exprime “leur sympathie pour les
souffrances des Armeniens ottomans dans des conditions en temps de
guerre” dans une declaration commune, mais ont declare que “les
revendications de genocide n’etaient pas etayees par des faits
historiques”.

“Sur une telle question en litige, en lisant les incidents de 1915
unilateralement avec la thèse des Armeniens cela n’apportera pas de
contribution positive aux relations entre la Turquie et l’Allemagne,
ou les relations entre la Turquie et l’Armenie” ont dit les ONG.

Ils ont souligne que non seulement les Armeniens, mais des centaines
de milliers de citoyens ottomans de differentes origines ethniques
et religieuses ont souffert lors de la Première Guerre mondiale

jeudi 23 avril 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

LA CONTRIBUTION ARMENIENNE A LA CULTURE OTTOMANE

REVUE DE PRESSE

Le 24 avril approche et avec cette date, les commemorations des
evenements de 1915. Le chroniqueur Gunal Kursun du journal turc Zaman
evoque dans ces lignes un aspect particulier de l’Histoire, celui de
la dissolution de la culture qui a eu lieu pendant les deportations
armeniennes.

lire la suite…

jeudi 23 avril 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : LA BELGIQUE NE TRANCHE PAS VRAIMENT

REVUE DE PRESSE

Les Armeniens de Belgique commemoreront le vendredi 24 avril le
centenaire des massacres qui ont coûte la vie a 1,5 million de leurs
ancetres en 1915. Lors d’une manifestation a Bruxelles, les membres de
la communaute demanderont aux autorites belges de penaliser la negation
de ce “genocide”, terme qui reste polemique notamment parce que la
Turquie nie la campagne d’elimination perpetree par l’Empire Ottoman
lors de la Première Guerre mondiale. La position de la Belgique reste
ambiguë sur le sujet. Chez nous, la communaute armenienne represente
20.000 a 30.000 personnes, selon Christian Vrouyr, le president
du Comite des Armeniens de Belgique. Ses membres commemoreront les
victimes du genocide de 1915 vendredi matin lors d’une messe suivie
d’un requiem en l’Eglise Apostolique Armenienne Sainte Marie-Madeleine
a Bruxelles. Ensuite, vers midi, il y aura une marche silencieuse vers
le Monument commemoratif du genocide des Armeniens au square Michaux,
où se deroulera la ceremonie officielle de recueillement. Christian
Vrouyr s’y exprimera en presence de mandataires publics comme les
bourgmestres d’Ixelles, de Molenbeek-Saint-Jean ou l’ambassadeur
d’Armenie en Belgique.

L’après-midi, un cortège de manifestants partira de la gare centrale
a Bruxelles pour rallier le Parlement europeen, en passant devant
l’Ambassade de Turquie. “Nous allons demander la reconnaissance et la
reparation du genocide armenien”, explique Peter Petrossian, membre du
comite organisateur et president du Comite de defense de la cause des
Armeniens de Belgique. “En tant que Belges armeniens, nous avons le
droit de demander que la Belgique fasse pression sur le gouvernement
turc pour reconnaître le genocide”, explique-t-il. “Nous allons aussi
demander la penalisation en Belgique du negationnisme de ce genocide
“, comme c’est deja le cas dans la legislation francaise par exemple.

“La majorite des Armeniens seraient rassures par une loi”, precise M.

Vrouyr. Des associations assyriennes, yezidies, syriaques mais
aussi kurdes et turques devraient participer a ce meeting politique
et s’associer au slogan de la manifestation “100 ans de deni, ca
suffit !”.

Si une vingtaine de pays reconnaissent le genocide armenien, dont
la France, l’Italie ou la Russie, la position de la Belgique reste
toutefois plus ambiguë. Le senat belge a bien reconnu, dès 1998, le
massacre armenien en tant que “genocide” dans une resolution invitant
le gouvernement turc a emboîter le pas. Cependant, la position du
gouvernement belge n’est pas liee par une resolution parlementaire.

“Le terme ‘genocide’ a une signification juridique specifique
et il appartient a des tribunaux (nationaux ou internationaux)
de se prononcer en la matière”, explique Hendrik Van de Velde,
le porte-parole de la diplomatie belge. “Il ne nous paraît
pas opportun que d’autres instances se substituent au pouvoir
judiciaire”, conclut-il. Á ce jour, la Belgique se contente donc
d’encourager l’Armenie et la Turquie a poursuivre leurs efforts pour
la normalisation de leurs relations bilaterales.

Le ministre des Affaires etrangères, Didier Reynders, pourrait
s’exprimer a ce sujet le lundi 27 avril lors de son deplacement en
Armenie dans le cadre de la presidence belge du Comite des ministres
du Conseil de l’Europe.

La Belgique sera en outre representee par l’ambassadeur belge a Moscou
aux commemorations du genocide a Erevan, le vendredi 24 avril. les
presidents russe, Vladimir Poutine, et francais, Francois Hollande,
devraient aussi participer a la ceremonie au Memorial dedie aux
victimes du genocide armenien.

jeudi 23 avril 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com

U.S STATE DEPT SPOKESPERSON APPEARS IN AWKWARD SITUATION DUE TO QUESTIONS ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

11:49, 23 April, 2015

YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. At the course of the Daily Press
Briefing held at the U.S. Department of State on April 22, the
journalists asked a number of questions on the April 24 address of the
U.S. President Barak Obama on the Armenian Genocide and his failure to
fulfill his promise again, due to which, the Acting Spokesperson Marie
Harf appeared in an awkward situation. As reports “Armenrpess”, first
the journalists asked: “So as is well known, when he was a candidate,
the President made it a point to say that he would, while he was
President, recognize that what happened in 1915 to the Armenians was,
in fact – was a genocide. I realize he has one more year left in order
to fulfill that pledge, but why this year, on the 100th anniversary,
did he decide to once again not fulfill his pledge?

Ms Harf stated: “We know there are some who I think were hoping
to hear some different language this year. We certainly understand
their perspective. Even as we believe that the approach we have taken
in previous years remains the right one – and again, the approach
we’re taking this year – both for acknowledging the past and also
for our ability to work with regional partners to save lives in the
future. So this is something that we feel is important. The President
has consistently stated his views about what happened in 1915 and,
again, we know people wanted to hear – some people wanted to hear
different language this year, and we are certainly aware of that.”

Mr. Harf’s answer didn’t satisfy the journalists, and he reformulated
the question: “The issue is that when you make a specific pledge like
this as a candidate and then not – then you don’t follow through
on it when you are, in fact – when you are elected, it calls into
question to some the commitment of other things that the President,
as a candidate or even as President, has said. We’ve seen a couple
times where redlines have been crossed and there hasn’t been –
the response has not been what was promised. can you understand why
people who – people would look at this issue on Armenia when there was
a specific pledge, and then use it – use the situation to call into
question when the President says that, say, Iran won’t get a bomb –
won’t get the nuclear bomb – a nuclear weapon on his watch?”

In response to the question, Marie Harf noted: “Well, I certainly don’t
believe that people should equate the two in any way. The President –
and look, we all understand there are some who wanted to hear different
language this year, and I do think we can expect that the President
will issue a statement this year that marks the historical significance
of the centennial, and as in past years, mourns the senseless loss of
1.5 million Armenian lives. So he will speak about this in some way,
but I don’t think you should compare any of these issues.”

This answer was followed by another question saying: “So you would
reject the idea that has been put out by some – the Armenian American
community that the Administration is basically submitting itself to
a gag order from the Turks? You would reject that?”

“I hadn’t seen that. But we make decisions on our own about what
we say and how we talk about things. And I think you will hear
the President speak very strongly about the historical fact that
1.5 million Armenians were massacred or marched to their deaths in
the final days of the Ottoman Empire. He has said that consistently
and repeatedly, and I think you’ll hear that being said as well. We
understand there are people who would like to hear some different
language. We are certainly aware of that and are sensitive to it,
but we think this is the best course,” Harf concluded.

ARMENIAN MASS KILLINGS: IRANIAN AUTHOR’S DIARY IN ANIMATION

11 minutes ago
23/04/15

Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh witnessed some of the atrocities committed
by the Ottoman government against the Armenian minority.

He was among a group of Iranian nationalists working in Ottoman-ruled
Baghdad during World War One.

As British forces approached Baghdad, Jamalzadeh, together with two
Swedish officers of the Persian gendarmerie force and a few fellow
Iranians left the city for Istanbul.

On their travels, Jamalzadeh described what he saw as “brutal and
shocking”. Later he wrote a diary about what he saw as “the mass
murder and looting of Armenians”.

100 years on from this historic event, Jamalzadeh’s writings are
important as he is seen as a relatively objective witness. Most
memoirs of those times were written by people involved in the conflict.

Jamalzadeh was a famous contemporary Persian author and is known as
the father of short stories in Iran. He later settled in Switzerland
where he lived until his death at the age of 105.

Jamalzadeh’s writings were found by the BBC’s Rengin Arslan and
Khashayar Joneidi, in Istanbul.

Animation by Morteza Rakhtaala.

US WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE PAST WHILE CONTINUING WORK WITH REGIONAL PARTNERS – STATE DEP. REP. ON GENOCIDE ISSUE

11:56 * 23.04.15

An acting spokesperson for the US Department of State has as reiterated
the country’s official position on the Armenian Genocide, practically
ruling out any language change in President Barack Obama’s annual
address to the Armenians.

Speaking at the daily press briefing on Thursday, Marie Harf said
they find that the policies pursed are the right choice allowing the
country to both acknowledge the past and continue work with regional
partners (i.e. Turkey).

“I’m sure this is what the White House said too, but we know there
are some who I think were hoping to hear some different language
this year. We certainly understand their perspective. Even as we
believe that the approach we have taken in previous years remains
the right one – and again, the approach we’re taking this year –
both for acknowledging the past and also for our ability to work with
regional partners to save lives in the future. So this is something
that we feel is important.

“The President has consistently stated his views about what happened
in 1915 and, again, we know people wanted to hear – some people wanted
to hear different language this year, and we are certainly aware of
that,” she said.

Asked why President Barack Obama failed to fulfill his electoral
pledge to recognize the mass killings of the Armenians in Ottoman
Empire as genocide, Ms Harf refrained from giving any comments.

She also warned against comparing the Jewish Holocaust with the
Armenian Genocide when asked about the differences in the US attitudes
to the two major atrocities (that the US has officially recognized
the Holocaust but it hasn’t affected its relations with Germany).

“I’m just not going to compare those two events. And I think we’ve
said what we’re going to say on this. And I think you’ll hear more
statements from the Administration on the anniversary itself. And I
don’t have much more analysis of it to do for you today,” she said.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL MUST BE CRIMINALIZED ON INTERNATIONAL LEVEL: F. ROCHEBLOINE

14:23, 23 April, 2015

YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS. The French MP Francois Rochebloine is
confident that the best way of preventing the genocides is not merely
condemning them, but defining the denial as a crime. “I see something
irritating in the Armenian Genocide denial, which represents a threat
to the public freedom, as it violates the justice and human dignity,”
Francois Rochebloine noted.

As reports “Armenpress”, among other things, the French MP underscored:
“It’s necessary to define a criminal punishment for such an activity
to prevent the repetition of such genocidal actions. I am sorry that
the Constitutional Council hindered the adoption of such a law in
France. We’ll continue our activities to eliminate those obstacles.”

‘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?