Author: Karakhanian Suren

Armenian-Turkish Relation
Common Celebration Without Armenian Flags

Turkey spoils own attempts of rapprochement

Trouw (Dutch daily newspaper)
30 March 2007

By Foreign Editor Iris Luduker,

The opening of a restored Armenian church in Turkey was supposed to be a
sign of reconciliation. It degenerated in a good quarrel.

It could have been such a beautiful rapprochement: Turkish and Armenian high
officials together opening a renovated Armenian church on Turkish soil. But
what took place yesterday on the small island of Akdamar in the Lake Van in
Eastern Turkey was still mainly a Turkish celebration.

Turkish flags and a portrait of Ataturk brightened up the 10th century
church. The opening ceremony started with the Turkish national anthem. And
despite the presence of a delegation from Armenia the Armenian flag was
nowhere to be seen.

The level of the dignitaries was another disappointment. The Turks delegated
their Culture Minister, while Armenia was represented by a delegation of 20
persons headed by a Secretary of State.

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan was supposed to be present, as well as the
Armenian Church leader, Catholicos Karekin II. The latter kindly declined
the honour and consequently also Erdogan stayed at home.

Karekin cancelled his visit as a mark of protest against the Turkish
decision to make a museum out of the restored church. The opening ceremony
yesterday was a non-religious one. The Turks also decided to not place a
cross on the roof of "the museum".

The leader of Turkish section of the Armenian orthodox church, patriarch
Mesrob II, did come to the event. Mesrob tried to safe the atmosphere by
thanking the Turkish government for its efforts. But he also asked to open
the church as a place for prayers at least once a year. "If our government
agrees with this, it will contribute to peace between the two communities" .

In general the Turkish promotion stunt turned out to be a failure. This as
Turks just invested 1.1 million euro to improve the relation with Armenia.
The two neighbouring countries have had ice cold relations for decennia and
maintain no diplomatic relations.

The borders are closed ever since in 1993 Armenia waged a war with
Azerbaidjan an ally of Turkey. The Armenian economy suffered considerably
from this war. That is why Armenia said that it welcomes the restoration,
but opening of the borders would have been an even better idea. In that case
the Armenian delegation leaders would not have had to travel to Van by a
roundabout route.

The most painful issue in the relation between the countries is the fact
that Turkey denies that in 1915 Genocide has taken place of the Armenian
inhabitants of the former Ottoman Empire. According to Armenia 1.5 million
people then lost their lives. That the Turkish rapprochement may have been
not entirely sincere is proved by the fact that the opening of the church at
first was planned for April 24. This is the day, that the Armenian community
commemorates the genocide.

Background Information

The church is ready, Let¹s deal with the city now

The church on Akdamar is far from being the only Armenian monument in
Turkey. At the extreme east of the country lies Ani, the capital of Armenia
in the 10th century, by then already counting 100.000 inhabitants. In the
enormous area, right at the border with Armenia, there are tens of rests of
churches and mosques. Ani is hard to reach and despite the impressing
location few people visit the place. To the anger of Armenians, the Turkish
authorities have neglected the matter for years. Just recently, along with
Akdamar it has been placed high on the restoration list. Strange enough the
Armenian government opened a stone quarry opposite Ani. This destroyed the
landscape and affected the restfulness in the area.

HETQonline
Breaking with Tradition
April 9, 2007

See also: A Disagreeable Precedent, Villagers’ Struggle Ends in Victory
ak-2.html
The man pictured here is Vazgen Asatryan, a resident of the village of
Norabak in the Gegharkunik Marz. On March 4, 2007 he was a candidate in the
extraordinary election of the head of the village administration. He lost,
as a result of numerous violations of the law before and during the
election. He went to court to defend his rights and those of the people who
had voted for him. On March 14, 2007 the Court of First Instance of
Vardenis, Judge A. Petrosyan, presiding, heard the testimony of the parties,
studied Resolution # 23/1 of the Election Commission, and recounted the
ballots. Then the court ruled to pronounce Vazgen Asatryan the winner of the
Norabak election. The ruling stated that "the verdict enters into force from
the moment of publication and cannot be appealed."
On March 15th the Election Commission of Precinct #23 of the Gegharkunik
Marz sent a memorandum to Governor A. Grigoryan of Gegharkunik which reads,
"We inform you that by the March 14, 2007 ruling by the Court of First
Instance of Vardenis, Vazgen Hrachik Asatryan was pronounced the winner of
the election of the head of the village administration of Norabak." The memo
is signed by the chairman of the Election Commission # 23, S. Badalyan.

On March 23rd the same commission issued an ID card for the head of the
village administration in the name of Vazgen Asatryan.
Everything seemed to be going according to the law, except that since he
received the memo on March 15th to this day, the Gegharkunik governor has
failed to present Vazgen Asatryan to the community, thus preventing him from
assuming his post.
Vazgen Asatryan’s election, i.e. the people’s vote of confidence, may not
please the Gegharkunik governor, or someone of higher rank, but the Norabak
election is irreversible. With this realization, various officials have
begun trying to persuade Vazgen Asatryan to give up his mandate and stand in
new elections.
But Vazgen Asatryan and his supporters, with whom we have met many times,
have no intention of giving in. "The village has made its choice, and if we
give in we’ll have to leave Norabak," they say.
It looks certain that after a long and persistent struggle Vazgen Asatryan
will eventually assume his duties. What his opponents are struggling with is
not the man himself but the break with tradition.
Because the people of Norabak have broken with the sacred tradition of city
mayors’, heads of local communities’, and other officials’ being appointed
under the guise of elections.
The Court of First Instance of Vardenis in its turn has broken with another
sacred tradition of humbly and obediently carrying out the will of the
executive power.
After this, I suppose, the regional prosecutor’s office will have to break
with the sacred tradition of covering everything up and will bring an action
against the precinct election commission for all the violations that
guaranteed the opponent’s alleged advantage.
This series of breaks with tradition would not bother the authorities so
much if it weren’t taking place just two months before parliamentary
elections.
Tigran Paskevichyan

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: +374-10-517163
Fax: +374-10-517301
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website:
April 7, 2007

Requiem Service in Holy Etchmiadzin for Prime Minister Andranik Margarian

On Sunday, April 1, during the celebration of Divine Liturgy in the Mother
Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All
Armenians, presided over a special requiem service offered in memory of the
late Andranik Margarian, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.

His Grace Bishop Ararat Kaltakjian, Grand Sacristan of the Mother See,
celebrated the liturgy. In his sermon, Bishop Ararat reflected on the
legacy of the late Prime Minister, and specifically noted, `Andranik
Margarian, in spite of his position and office remained the same man, with a
kind disposition and caring attitude toward all. Throughout the episodes of
his life, he did not lose faith, instead his faith greater strengthened him,
granting him hope and drive to continue his service to Armenian statehood
and our nation.’

Bishop Ararat concluded his remarks, stating, `Prime Minister Margarian has
departed from us and taken the road which will take him to eternal life – to
God. We are confident that through his worthy labors, good reputation and
love for family, friends and neighbors, he will receive the just rewards
which are promised to every Christian.’

Present for the Divine Liturgy and Requiem Service were diocesan primates
and priests of the Mother See; family and friends of the late Prime
Minister; Tigran Torossian, President of the National Assembly of the
Republic of Armenia; ministers and members of the government; and members of
the National Assembly.

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ARMENIA DENIES INFORMATION ABOUT CONFLICT BETWEEN DEFENSE MINISTER AND TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION MINISTER

Arminfo
2007-04-03 15:52:00

The rumors that a conflict happened between the acting Defense
Minister, the Chairman of RPA Council Serzh Sargsyan and the acting
Minister of Territorial Administration, the member of RPA Board Hovik
Abramyan, do not meet the reality.

To note, according to the information of some mass media, during
a session of the Council, S. Sargsyan made a condition against
H. Abramyan to leave the RPA before he returns from Brussels.

According to this information, S. Sargsyan’s indignation was allegedly
caused by the fact that H. Abramyan, being a member of RPA, had been
working in favor of the main rival of the republicans, the "Prospering
Armenia" party.

RPA EXPRESSED CONDOLENCES TO RELATIVES AND FRIENDS OF DIED AS A RESULT OF ATTACK ON MAYOR OF GYUMRI

Arminfo
2007-04-03 12:03:00

The Board of the Republican party of Armenia expressed its condolences
to the relatives and friends of the died as a result of attack on
the Mayor of Gyumri Vardan Ghoukassyan. According to RPA statement,
spread today, the party condemns this crime and requires from the
country’s law machinery to reveal the criminals in the shortest
possible time and punish them.

According to the refined data, the attempt at the Mayor of Gyumri
happened on the Yerevan-Gyumri highway not far from the Ashtarak
town. Witnesses say that at 10:30 PM the mayor’s cortege (Mercedes and
Volvo) underwent a dense gun-fire from a gray Jeep with no numbers. As
a result, three people were killed, six people, including the vice
mayor, wounded. The surgeons of the Yerevan Nork hospital have started
the operation for saving the life of V. Ghoukassyan. His life is out
of danger, while his deputy Gagik Manukyan is in a gravest state. The
doctors do everything possible to save his life.

To remind, the attack on Ghoukassyan took place on the Yerevan-Gyumri
highway, when Ghoukassyan was going back from Yerevan where he had
taken part in a meeting of the board of the ruling Republican Party of
Armenia. The board met to discuss the RPA candidacy for prime minister.

April 02, 2007

eu.html

Garry Kasparov’s risky anti-Putin game plan

The chess master is backing peaceful – if often illegal – urban
protests of what he calls Russia’s ‘police state.’

By Fred Weir | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

MOSCOW

His trademark curly hair is going gray, but the boyish grin is still
in place.

Garry Kasparov, who reigned over the chess world for almost two
decades, still fills a room with his intense energy. But since
retiring two years ago, the lifetime grandmaster has hurled himself
into the less cerebral and far more turbulent domain of Russian
politics.

As head of the liberal oppositionist United Civil Front, and chief
eminence of an anti-Kremlin coalition called The Other Russia,
Mr. Kasparov is championing a risky strategy of confronting what he
calls President Vladimir Putin’s "police state" through peaceful – if
often illegal – urban protests.

The goal, he says, is to compel the Kremlin to give up plans for a
tightly managed succession from Mr. Putin to a new leader in a year’s
time, and to open the process for a free and fair choice. "In a chess
game, when your king is under attack, you have to defend," says
Kasparov, enumerating what he sees as the dire threats to democracy in
Russia. "We had to try something, so we tried creating The Other
Russia. And it worked.

"Beneath this illusion of stability," he adds, "there is boiling
protest and growing economic disparity. The only way out is to have
real, competitive, and free elections."

Arrests, water cannons at protests

In St. Petersburg, in early March, an estimated 5,000 demonstrators
chanting "freedom!" and "Russia without Putin!" broke through a cordon
of riot police and surged toward Palace Square, where the Russian
Revolution was staged 90 years ago. Dozens were arrested, but Kasparov
insists it was Russia’s biggest protest rally in years and "our first
great victory." At a smaller gathering in the Volga city of Nizhni
Novgorod in late March, thousands of police backed by helicopters and
water-cannons blocked protesters from reaching the city’s central
square. The next protest is slated for Moscow on April 14.

"This regime is used to operating without opposition, and even the
smallest protest makes the state panic," says Kasparov. "A strong
regime doesn’t use thousands of troops against a peaceful demo. Their
reaction to us only shows weakness."

Kasparov has attracted controversy by welding together disparate –
some say disreputable – forces from the left and right into The Other
Russia, including the neo-communist Worker’s Russia, the leftist
National Bolshevik Party, led by novelist Eduard Limonov, the liberal
People’s Democratic Union of former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov,
as well as Kasparov’s own mostly youthful, prodemocracy
followers. Kasparov says a key goal is to bring the still-powerful
Communist Party – the last major opposition force still standing –
into the coalition.

"This plan to unite all the discontented people may be a good idea,
but I doubt it has any chance to succeed," says Sergei Mikheyev,
director of the Center for Political Technologies, an independent
Moscow think tank. "It’s a mystery to me why Kasparov gave up chess
and went into politics. Now his reputation has been seriously
damaged."

But Kasparov argues that the Kremlin is wracked with dissension over
Putin’s insistence on stepping down next March, and that battles over
the succession have created an opening for democratic action.

"If we can keep together and create a center of unity of different
opposition groups at a time when the Kremlin is disintegrating … the
system may evolve, and quite dramatically," he says. "There will
definitely be political turmoil in Russia by the end of this year."

Last week, Sergei Mironov, upper house speaker and chief of the
pro-Kremlin Fair Russia Party, urged parliament to consider changing
the Constitution to allow Putin to run for a third consecutive term. A
Kremlin spokesman responded that Putin’s position on leaving "remains
unchanged."

Kasparov says the next conference of The Other Russia, in July, will
put forward a unified opposition candidate to run in presidential
elections next March. Though he won’t offer names, he suggests that
it’s unlikely to be himself, since that might jeopardize his role as
"fixer" and "mediator" between the coalition’s diverse groups.

To support his contention that Russia has become a police state,
Kasparov points to harassment of Other Russia activists. He is not the
only one to report similar treatment at the hands of police bearing
lists of names, addresses, and workplaces of targeted political
dissidents.

Boris Kagarlitsky, an organizer of a social forum during the G-8
summit in St. Petersburg last July, says "about 300 of our invited
participants were pulled off trains and buses or prevented from
leaving their home towns. Some had their documents destroyed by
police."

Visits from Russia’s security services

Kasparov says the Kremlin’s National Anti-terrorism Committee, a
secret services task force, is being used to repress
opposition. "Under Russian law today, anybody can be labeled an
‘extremist,’ " he says. "For this regime, extremism equals
terrorism. Whenever we announce a demonstration, our activists begin
to receive visits from the FSB [security service]. We think we are
facing a well-organized secret-services operation against us."

Last week, the Kremlin urged all political parties to adopt a new
Charter on Countering Extremism, agreeing not to join in marches that
"promote ethnic, religious, or social tension," and to cut ties with
groups that attract minors into "extremist" activities. The
English-language Moscow Times reported that only the Communist Party
has so far refused to sign on.

Some experts say, whatever his political fortunes, Kasparov is doing a
useful service for Russian democracy. "As a person who is not afraid
to confront the authorities, does not shrink under pressure, he is
very effective," says Andrei Ryabov, of the Carnegie Center in
Moscow. "As a pioneer, blazing the path to political change in Russia,
he could be very important."

| Copyright © 2007 The Christian Science Monitor.
All rights reserved.

REOPENING OF SURB KHACH CHURCH IS A SHOW FOR EUROPE, PARUYR HAYRIKIAN CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 30 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. By repairing and
reopening Akhtamar’s Surb Khach Church, Turkey did what it was able
to do. It could not have changed its essence. Chairman of National
Self-Determination Union Paruyr Hayrikian said in his interview to
Noyan Tapan correspondent adding that the Armenian delegation’s
visit "can be considered as a step to some extent normalizing
Armenian-Turkish relations."

In P. Hayrikian’s words, currently some change has been made in
Turkey’s policy. "This, certainly, is not what we expect, is not
what Turkey denying the Genocide can be ready for. But after all,
this is a step taken not for normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations,
but for showing Europe that Turkey goes by the way of recognizing
historic past of even national monorities," he said.

In P. Hayrikian’s words, the more facts of the kind we witness,
"the more profitable it is for us, as if there is a monument of
architectural historic interest, which Turks have to present even if
as a museum, the more logical and fair become the demands of Armenians
towards Turkey."

In P. Hayrikian’s words, in Armenia-Turkey relations there is much
to learn from Russia-Japan relations, "as they also have problems
coming from history and present them at the civilized level."

US CO-CHAIR OF THE OSCE MINSK GROUP ADVISES AZERBAIJAN TO BE PATIENT

ArmRadio.am
31.03.2007 14:00

The American Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza advises
Azerbaijan to demonstrate patience before the parliamentary elections
take place in Armenia. Yesterday Bryza declared in Tbilisi that Baku
should demonstrate patience and give time to the Armenian side to
hold the parliamentary elections, " Trend" reports.

In his words, only after the parliamentary elections in Armenia we can
anticipate activation of the negotiation process. Simultaneously,
he underlined that the Armenian side must also "be willing to
continue the negotiation more intensively after the parliamentary
elections." The American diplomat underlined that both sides show
interest in continuing the negotiations. "I felt during my visit
to Baku that both President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov are ready to uphold the negotiation process. I had the
same feeling in Yerevan," Bryza noted.

The American Co-Chair stressed that any of the conflicting sides has
its small details which it would like to include in the negotiation
process. "Now I would not like to discuss the negotiation process,
since it will disturb the process," Mathew Bryza declared.

SURB KHACH CHURCH TO RE-OPEN IN AKHTAMAR ISLAND TODAY, ISSUE OF PLACING CROSS ON ITS CUPOLA IS PROVIDED BY SPECIALISTS’ DECISION

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 29 2007

ISTANBUL, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The solemn ceremony
of re-opening of the Surb Khach (Saint Cross) church of the Akhtamars
Island of Van will take place at 14:00 by Yerevan time on March
29. The delegation of Armenia headed by Deputy Minister of Culture
Gagik Gyurjian left for Turkey to participate in the event. Minister
of Culture Atilla Goc will participate in the ceremony from the
Turkish Government.

The two catholicate seats of the Armenian Apostolic Church refused
the invitations to participate in the ceremony. The Mother See of
Holy Etchmiadzin explained the refusal with the fact that the opening
ceremony will be held just according to the secular ritual and not
according to the canonical ritual of the Armenian Apostolic Surb
Church. Besides, the Surb Kach church will be turned into a museum and
will not continue functioning as a church, under the spiritual power
of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Catholicosate of
the Great House of Cilicia reasoned its refusal with the fact that
"Turkey still continues disproving the fact of the Armenian Genocide."

As Ara Kochunian, the editor-in-chief of the Armenian "Zhamanak"
(Time) daily of Turkey mentioned in the interview to the Noyan Tapan
correspondent, though the church will open as a museum, however,
Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian will
participate in the opening ceremony.

According to A. Kochunian’s prevision, religious delegations of
a number of contries invited to the ceremony will not arrive as
spiritual primates of the Armenian Church refused the invitation. And
the Armenian community of Turkey will be represented in Akhtamar with
a small group.

As A. Kochunian mentioned, on late previous day Turkish Minister of
Culture stated on TV that they have no prejudice in the issue of
placing the church cross and bell and those will be placed in the
case if specialists of the council on church restoration mention its
necessity in the report being prepared.

Touching upon the boycott concerning re-opening of the Surb Khach
announced by a number of communities of the Armenian Diaspora,
A. Kochunian said that it is not astonishing, taking into consideration
"the abyss existing between the sides, doubt towards sincerity
of initiatives of one another." But, in his words, the Turkish
Armenian community attaches importance to re-opening of Surb Khach
especially in the sense that "it makes a part of our heritage and is
an architectural monument."

Paintings from nostalgic childhood

Yerkir.am
March 23, 2007

The personal exhibition of painter Artur Khachatrian was launched at
Narekatsi Art Union on March 16. The paintings showed the landscapes
of Aragatsotn region ` memories from the childhood, narrow streets,
small village houses, bright colors that are closer to the childhood
when you look back at it from the distance of passed years.

`I painted the village of my childhood on these paintings. Even though
I was born in Yerevan I have always felt a connection with the
village. I spent my childhood in Agarak and Byurakan villages, and
these are the villages I have painted,’ Khachatrian says.

The paintings are done in water colors and oil. The images are
saturated as if the village is the continuation of the sky and the
village of the childhood is merged with the sky. The images seem to be
real: the painter has worked in each of the streets, in every gorge.

The trees are blue and yellow, green or all colors. The mixture of
colors seems to be the main message of the exhibition ` the sky and
the earth together, with no limits.

`I am tired of urban landscapes. I see walls, closed spaces every day.
Village landscapes are different ` they inspire peace,’ Khachatrian
says.

The mountain landscapes, the river, the rocks seem to be the
continuation of childhood. They merge memory with the present, and the
saturated colors sway you with the interplay of dream and reality.

Artur Khachatrian succeeded in created the memory of his
childhood. And his paintings are so subtle that they restore childhood
memories in the hearts of everyone who looks at them.

By Gohar STEPANIAN