Author: Karakhanian Suren

The Betrayal of Turkish Jews
By Khatchig Mouradian
November 15, 2007

For the past several months, the Jews of Turkey have been in the
international spotlight. As Congress has debated the Armenian Genocide
resolution, high-ranking Turkish officials have warned that Turkish
Jews will be endangered if the resolution passes. And Jewish-American
organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League have repeatedly cited
the predicament of Turkish Jews as reason to support Turkey’s campaign
of genocide denial.

In an effort to better understand the plight of Turkish Jewry, I
interviewed several prominent scholars who have studied the community.

Ottoman Jews: Safety Through Loyalty
For 500 years, Jews have lived as a loyal minority in the lands of the
former Ottoman Empire and the present-day Turkish republic. According
to Turkish-Jewish scholar Rifat Bali, who has published several books
on the history of Turkey’s Jews, their loyalty to the Ottoman Empire
allowed Turkish Jews to escape the tragic fate of the Empire’s Greeks,
Assyrians and Armenians.

"Turkish Jews were not involved in any sort of ethnic nationalism,"
says Bali. "The Zionist movement did not take root in Istanbul because
the community leadership had witnessed the tragic fate of the Ottoman
Armenians. [They] understood that the Ottoman leadership would
perceive Zionism as a separatist nationalist movement and that this
would have dire consequences. They therefore took an `anti-Zionist’
position."

Like today’s Turkish Jewish community, the Jews of the Ottoman Empire
were utilized as international advocates for Turkish political
goals. "Haim Nahum, the last Ottoman Chief Rabbi, was an
`anti-Zionist’ and a supporter of the Turkish Nationalist movement,"
says Bali. "He was sent by Mustafa Kemal to the USA and Europe for
lobbying on behalf of the Kemalists."

Turkish Jews in the 20th century: Loyal Scapegoats
Turkish political groups that fight bitterly on other issues find
common ground in blaming Turkish Jews for the country’s
ills. "Turkey’s Jews have been scapegoated by the Islamist movement
which started to grow in 1946," say Bali. "In 1969, the National Order
Party began propagating its Islamist National View ideology, which
accused Jews and Zionism of being behind all the troubles of Turkey."
And in the `70s, Turkey’s Jews were hostage to the clash between
Turkey’s ultra-leftists and ultra-rightists.

Turkish Jews Today

Adopting Muslim Names to Escape Attention
Today, Turkish Jews fear both Turkey’s Islamists and its
nationalists. Fatma Muge Gocek, a Turkish-born sociologist at the
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, describes today’s Turkish Jews as
"between a rock and a hard place." She told me that in the past few
decades, Jews in Turkey have increasingly adopted Muslim names to
escape attention.

Antisemitism: The Kosher Hatred
"Their main fear is the widespread anti-Semitism in the Islamist and
ultra-nationalist press. Turkish-Jews are very much upset by the great
freedom with which the Turkish authorities allow anti-Semitic views to
be voiced." Bali says that while Turkish authorities apply the Turkish
Penal Code to prohibit other forms of hate speech, they make an
exception for anti-Semitism. "Turkish Jews fear that this rhetorical
anti-Semitism, which has been freely manifesting itself for decades,
may convert itself again into action, as was the case with the
synagogue bombings of August and November 2003."

Insults, Anti-Semitism, and Conspiracy Theories: "We Can Put Up With
It." In an interview published in the Nov. 10 issue of Armenian
Weekly, Turkish-Jewish activist and poet Ron Margulies said, "A very
common expression in Turkey is `the cowardly Jew.’ It’s a bit like
`the miserly Scot’ in Britain. It’s that common." He adds, "[T]he idea
that Jews understand about money and finance, that Jews control
America, these racist conspiracy theories are also very common in
Turkey. They are widely used by self-aware racists, but, alas,
believed by people beyond those circles, people who wouldn’t consider
themselves to be racists; … They do make you feel different and at
times foreign. I was born in Istanbul. It is a bit galling when people
look at me and feel they’re looking at a foreigner. But what the
hell. We can put up with it."

2007: Turkish Jews Protected by the International Community,
Blackmailed by Turkey In an October interview with the Jerusalem Post,
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said, "All of a sudden the
perception in Turkey right now is that the Jewish people, or the
Jewish organizations, let’s say, and the Armenian diaspora, the
Armenian lobbies, are now hand-in-hand trying to defame Turkey, and
trying to condemn Turkey and the Turkish people." In an interview with
the Turkish newspaper Zaman, Babacan said, "We have told them [the
American-Jewish leaders] that we cannot explain it to the public in
Turkey if a road accident happens. We have told them that we cannot
keep the Jewish people out of this."

"This is really just blackmail," says Professor Jack Nusan Porter,
treasurer of the Internation Association of Genocide Scholars and
author of The Genocidal Mind and Facing History and Holocaust. "Turkey
would never touch the Jewish community. It would never be accepted in
the European Union if it touched any Jew in Turkey."

State-Sanctioned Assassinations of "Uppity" Minorities
Turkish-born historian and sociologist Taner Akcam, author of A
Shameful Act: The Armenian genocide and the Question of Turkish
responsibility, also believes that anti-Semitism in Turkey is "more
than one can imagine." However, he says, "It is a well-known fact in
Turkey that violent attacks against minorities, including
assassinations-like that of [Turkish-Armenian editor] Hrant Dink in
January 2007-are sanctioned by the state."

Some American Jewish Leaders Reward Anti-Semitism, Exploit Turkish Jews
Throughout the recent political debate over the Armenian Genocide
resolution, the Turkish state has encouraged anti-Semitism among
Turks, and then essentially told Jewish leaders, "Look, the Turkish
people are angry, you had better be careful." Some of those leaders
have rewarded the Turkish government’s promotion of anti-Semitism by
agreeing to promote Turkey’s campaign of genocide denial. They have
given the Turkish government excellent reason to believe that
anti-Semitism and the blackmail of Turkish Jewry remain a winning
foreign policy strategy for Turkey.

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP URGES AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA TO STOP ARMAMENT RACE

arminfo
2007-11-14 14:41:00

ArmInfo. The International Crisis Group urges Azerbaijan and Armenia
to stop the armament race.

"Azerbaijan and Armenia should stop the dangerous armament race
and suppress their militaristic statements", the regular ICG report
on Nagorno Karabakh says, the Radio Liberty reports. Instead, the
ICG offers to reanimate the efforts for the conflict settlement via
negotiations. "The oil dollars enable Azerbaijan to strengthen the
army. Armenia develops via economic growth that enables to increase
the expenditures for defense, and no one thinks that it is the time
to meet half-way", the report says.

"The world community should seriously think over the threat of war",
Head of the Caucasian Department of ICG Magdalena Fricheva said. She
added that the "risk of the armed conflict is increasing". According
to the report, there is a lack of political will to achieve progress
in a diplomatic way. "Over the last several years, the both states’
presidents indisposed their countries’ public against compromises
and increased the military expenses.

These approaches should be changed", the ICG emphasizes. The
report authors also touch upon the forthcoming elections in both
countries. "The elections in Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2008 will
complicate the opportunity of taking a political decision, so the
parties should resolve the remaining uncoordinated issues and agree the
basic principles before elections", the report says. The ICG thinks
that OSCE MG co-chairs and the world community should coordinate
all the efforts to influence both parties to achieve progress. "For
establishment of peace, the world community has to put great pressure
for the parties to meet half-way faster", Director of the European
programmes of ICG Sabina Fraser said.

CALL IT WHAT IT WAS: GENOCIDE
By Ashley Sholer

Assyrian International News Agency
Nov 12 2007

I want to first clear the air and say I understand Turkey is a
valuable ally of the United States in the war efforts in Iraq. Under
no circumstances do I want to see the Turkish government take away the
U.S. military’s necessary route into Iraq. That would be unpatriotic
and not the focus of this argument.

The primary reason I write to you is to inform the student body of the
reactions of many Armenian-Americans as well as Assyrian-Americans. The
event went into history as the Armenian Genocide, but other
Christians living in the Ottoman Empire, such as the Assyrians,
were also massacred.

Though it is hard to tell, I am of Armenian and Assyrian decent and
have seen the impact of the genocide in my family.

The massacre of the Armenians, which will be referred to as genocide
in this article, which began in 1915 and ended in 1923, it was
a persecution of Armenians and Assyrians for being Christian in a
Muslim nation. Many families, including my own, fled for their lives
and lost loved ones.

On Jan. 30, 2007, Adam B. Schiff, the Democratic Representative of
Burbank, presented House Bill 106, which plans to "ensure the foreign
policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding
and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic
cleansing and genocide documented in the United States record relating
to the Armenian Genocide," according to the Los Angeles Times. On
Oct 10. 2007, House Bill 106 had 225 sponsors and passed in the House
Foreign Affairs Committee with a vote of 27 to 21.

Turkish newspapers stated if the House passed the bill, "our military
relations with the United States can never be the same." This was a
direct attempt to scare the United States Congress. In this case it
worked. Just a few days later, to the disappointment of many affected
by the genocide, it was decided that the bill will be brought up when
"the timing is more favorable."

Meanwhile, the United States refuses to "accurately characterize
the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians
as genocide," according to Rep. George Radanovich (R-Mariposa). I
understand that if this bill is passed, the Turkish government will
not be happy.

I do not think anything should be done to jeopardize the safety of
the U.S. Military or government. However, the United States is more
powerful than Turkey and needs to come up with a solution that does
not anger the Turkish government or offend the Americans affected by
the genocide.

TEENAGER-SUSPECTS IN 25 MURDERS OF NON-SLAVONIC PEOPLE DETAINED IN MOSCOW

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.11.2007 13:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Four teenagers suspected in committing at least 25
murders were detained in Moscow.

April 16, 2007 police detained two 18-year-old Muscovites. Their two
accomplices were detained November 8. The young people are accused
of committing murders during the period of October 2006-April 2007.

According to the data available, they used to stab people of
non-Slavonic nationality. Knifes were later found in their houses. The
suspects were arrested during the investigation carried out as regards
Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky accused of slaying Armenia-native
Karen Abrahamyan, Russian media reports.

AZERBAIJANIS ARE REPEATING

Lragir.am
09-11-2007 15:53:40

A few days ago the Russian ORTV showed a film about the renowned
Armenian actor Mher Mkrtichyan, Frunzik. It turns out that the
Azerbaijanis, especially the reporter of Day.az Vugar Vugarli,
have reacted nervously to this film. He found out that the sound
track of the film said to be Armenian music had been composed by the
Azerbaijani composers Alekper Tagiyev and Eldar Mansurov. On the way
to truth about the film Vugarli also found out that the director of
the film is Faud Shabanov, who comes from Azerbaijan.

The reporter asked the director why Shabanov did not feel ashamed to
use Azerbaijani music in the film and say it is Armenian.

"It is not my fault," the Moscow-based director excused himself in
a talk with his fellow countryman.

He explained that the director deals with the video material,
and another person is responsible for music. "The sound tracks
for the film were chosen by Alia Zakharova, and I do not doubt her
professional skills. When Day.az found out that Azerbaijani music was
used in the film, I talked to her. She said the disk was a collection
of Armenian music. I don’t think it is my fault. I am not supposed
to tell Azerbaijani and Armenian melodies apart," Shabanov told the
reporter of Day.az.

The reporter answers him on the site. "Yes, gentlemen, I cannot
tall apart Canadian and American music because I am neither Canadian
nor American. But how can an Azerbaijani fail to tell "Syan Gyalmaz
Oldun" and Armenian music apart, and have no feeling of fault? It is
so said…"

In fact, the nervous and psychological state of some Azerbaijani
circles is sad.

By the way, a few months ago the host of the Ice Age Show on ORTV
sent the Azerbaijanis into fury, who said a piece of music was by
the Armenian composer Ara Gevorgyan.

MILITARY COOPERATION BETWEEN ARMENIA AND IRAN IS NOT AGAINST THIRD COUNTRY

Lragir.am
07-11-2007 10:56:10

The military cooperation between Iran and Armenia is not directed
against third country, stated the minister of defense of Iran Mustapha
Muhammad Najari before his three-day visit to Yerevan, News Armenia
reports.

"The goal of the Iranian policy is comprehensive cooperation with the
countries of the region and the visit to Yerevan will be part of this
policy," Najari said.

"We hope my visit will open a new page in the relations of the two
countries, especially in the sphere of defense. Iran acknowledges
the importance of peace, stability and security in the region, and
the necessity for promoting relations with all the countries of the
region," the minister said.

L. TER-PETROSYAN HAS NO ROLE IN THIS THEATRE, HENRIK IGITYAN FINDS
Anahit Yesayan

"Hayots Ashkharh" Daily Newspaper
6 Nov 07
Armenia

Recently, the media supporting the Armenian pan-National Movement
has been publicizing a new title-page where 5-6 representatives of
intelligentsia address a lyrical letter to ex-President Ter-Petrosyan
with the rhyme "Return, oh, return!". How to account for that kind
of heartfelt correspondence?

"The Russians have the word ‘обиж& #xD0;µÐ½Ð½Ð¸&#x D0;º’ (meaning
offended). These are people who becoome extremely pretensions upon
remaining unnoticed since they are convinced that they deserve more
than they have received, more than they have been given. These are
mainly people who are not self-satisfied with their deeds and their
profession.

If a director currently works on a performance he wants, he cannot be
offended. If he has been forbidden, he may become offended, because
he has no arena. If I judge by my example, never in my life have I
been in better conditions as an artist than at present.

There are offended people whom I can understand. Try to seize a piece
of bone out of the mouth of a hungry dog. It will tousle you. No
matter that you may be the master who has kept and raised it. So,
in this case we are dealing with the offended person complex."

"No sooner had the stage nominations begun, there were
self-nominations, and the future candidates of presidency were
already known."

"How do our politicians behave? I can be objective, because I have no
ambitions, neither do I want to be elected or to receive a post; I want
to live in my country peacefully and be engaged in my profession. I
can look upon our political arena as an observer. Our politicians
(although the world politician sounds too high in this case; this
is a word characteristic to Churchill, Roosevelt, and even Stalin)
behave in such a way as if they are now living in Switzerland and
neither have a sense of danger nor seem to be concerned.

But if they do not have those feelings, it doesn’t mean there is
no danger. We ourselves saw Beirut burned, with nobody raising a
protest. At the end, only after everything was smashed to smithereens,
and the people suffered great losses, did they start pronouncing
speeches supporting them.

All this may happen to us some day.

Let’s now touch upon the phenomenon of L. Ter-Petrosyan. If we use the
theatrical language and view the current developments as a performance,
I will say that I don’t find any role for L. Ter -Petorsyan in that
performance. He has no role in this theatre. Or, using the language of
sports, if we admit that he used to be a brilliant player and a good
attacker on the football ground but hasn’t played for several years
running, i.e. this man is not ‘in good shape’, how is he supposed
to play?

In all this period he hasn’t taken part in either the positive or
the negative developments of the country. He has written a book
sitting at home; good for him, because he’s a scholar. What I don’t
understand is the hue-and-cry around his name. Have we all become
idiots? What happened?

There are politicians who remind of lemonade run out of gas. The
lemonade is already run out of gas, and it no longer tastes good.

–Boundary_(ID_TJmGTQ+rpM1QpJSw+Wni8Q)–

DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER ENDS HIS VISIT TO JAPAN

Panorama.am
16:08 06/11/2007

Armenian deputy foreign minister, Armen Baiburdyan, met with deputy
foreign minister of Japan, Koike Masakatsu, in the course of his
visit to Tokyo.

Armenian foreign ministry press and information department informs
that the deputy ministers discussed Armenian-Japanese political,
economic and cultural bilateral cooperation. According to the source,
Baiburdyan met with Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
deputy president, Ueda Yoghihiza. He also met with Sumio Yedamura,
leader of Armenia-Japan association. Yedamura was the first ambassador
of Japan accredited to Armenia.

During the visit, Armenian-Japanese interagency discussions were
held between Baiburdyan and Chikahito Harada, general director of the
European directorate at the foreign ministry of Japan. Baiburdyan was
in Japan from October 29 to November 4 at the invitation of Japanese
foreign ministry within the program "Promoting cooperation in 21st
century."

Armenian Genocide Museum & Institute
RA, Yerevan 0028
Contact: Arevik Avetisyan
Tel: (374 10) 39 09 81
Fax: (374 10) 39 10 41
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http: //

From Memory to Memorizing

The International Conference Dedicated to the 40th Anniversary of the
Tsitsernakaberd memorial of the victims of Armenian Genocide

27-28 November 2007
Yerevan, Armenia

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute (AGMI)
() is organizing an international
conference in Yerevan on 27-28 November 2007, in occasion to the 40th
Anniversary of the Tsitsernakaberd memorial Complex of the victims of
Armenian Genocide.

Papers on all aspects of genocide and genocide victims’ commemoration,
as well as museum exhibitions on the genocides and mass killings and war
crimes are welcome. Of particular interest are papers on memory,
memorizing and monuments dedicated to mass crime victims’ memory and
destruction of cultural heritage. Another interesting aspect is
comparative study of the destruction of the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian
genocides, especially survivors’ memoirs, commemoration, monuments
description, reutilization of the commemoration etc.

For paper proposals, please send abstracts (350 words maximum) and
biographical information on the presenters to Arevik Avetisyan,
Press-Secretary of AGMI [email protected] /
[email protected] or to Hayk Demoyan, Director of AGMI
[email protected]

All proposals should be submitted by 15 October 2007 and will be
refereed by Organization Committee. [email protected]

The meeting will begin with opening of plenary session in the morning of
Monday, 26 November. On Tuesday, 27 November the session will be held
in the National Academy General session room.

Cultural program includes choral of Komitas and visit to Echmiadzin Holy
See and excursion to the Garni and Geghard historical sites.

Partial or complete support for travel, lodging, and meals will be
provided for a limited number of participants who will present papers
and come from developing countries, whose institutions cannot pay their
travel and other expenses, and who have special circumstances.

PLEASE NOTE: Selected papers will be included in the second issue of
the Journal of Xenophobia and Genocide Studies.

Contacts of editor: [email protected]

RUSSIA IS AGAINST ROUTINE APPROACHES TO "FROZEN" CONFLICTS

armradio.am
06.11.2007 14:07

Russia stands for discussion of "frozen" conflicts, but it is against
routine approaches, said President of the International Executive
Committee of the Russian State Duma Konstantin Kosachev, who is
participating in the sitting of the Council of Europe Monitoring
Committee on "frozen" conflicts.

"The attempt to once again discuss the situation worrying many peoples
of Europe deserves support," Kosachev noted. "It’s a different
issue the in the opinion of the Russian delegation that for the
recurrent time the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
is demonstrating a routine, politicized approach to the discussion
of the topic," he added.

"Actually, discussions focus only on such conflicts exceptionally on
post-Soviet space, I mean Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transdniestria and
Nagorno Karabakh," Konstantin Kosachev clarified. "However, it is quite
obvious that there are as urgent situations over the Council of Europe
territory. It refers to Kosovo and many others," the President of
the International Executive Committee of the Russian State Duma said.