Author: Karapet Navasardian

Turkey As the successor state of the Ottoman Empire is internationally responsible for Armenian Genocide and will be held accountable

Many are the great and small unresolved problems facing mankind today.  One of them, still remains as the heaviest burden on the human conscience, as the first genocide of the 20^th Century perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks (1915-21) against the Armenian nation, sacrificing/slaughtering over 1, 5 million Armenians … hundreds of thousands at a time were uprooted from their ancestral homes in Armenia, forced onto death marches to the Syrian deserts (of Deir-El-Zor, part of the vast Ottoman Empire) thirsting and starving on the way … The ‘civilized’ Young Turks plundered and looted the material and cultural wealth created by the ancient Armenians over thousands of years in their native lands, which today incredibly still remain occupied by the inheritors of the Ottoman Turks, the modern Turkish fascist State.   The latter continues precisely the same policies of genocide visibly and invisibly in new forms and under new disguises.

Last year much of the world marked the centenary of the Armenian genocide demanding recognition, justice and compensation.  Notably, the European Parliament unanimously passed a commemorative resolution on 15 April 2015, and invited the European Commission to join in the commemorations.

The genocide of the Armenians is still being stubbornly negated by the Turkish State – massive depositions and monetary resources (government bribes to individuals and arms manufacturing companies) are being wasted, totally immoral political decisions are taken daily, to escape responsibility and liability in the destruction of international policy obligations.  The Turks could not achieve – they did not even attempt to do so – the moral heights of the German people.   The Jewish Holocaust did find its resolution though – Germany, and the whole world acknowledged the crime and compensated the Jewish survivors, and rightly so.  The Jewish nation received back its country and historical fatherland, while the millennia old Armenia still remains today occupied, ‘conquered’, “empty of its native nation!”

After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, many nations and peoples liberated their countries creating national states, except for the Armenians – the perversity of global war-weariness was such that, as if … punishment for the enormous contribution the Armenians had made to world civilization and cultures, slaughter, massacres and genocide fell to their lot…

The present rulers of Turkey, ignoring all the firm objective historical facts, conduct negative denialist policies, thus proving unequivocally before the very eyes of the international community that their aims have not altered.

– they have learnt nothing from history –

Turkey and now his “younger brother” Azerbaijan has the common aim and intents to put an end to the existence of Armenians in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkey’s openly supported Four –Day War (2-5 April) of Azerbaijanis aggression against the peaceful people of Nagorno-Karabakh gives no doubt to above mentioned intentions.

The Azerbaijani government has been busily buying up the deadliest weapons its oil-rich money just to seek revenge against Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Moreover, relative to the size of the American Presidential map of Armenia (known as the Wilsonian Armenia of 300,000 km2), the stamp-sized Republic of Armenia (a mere 30,000 km2) saved from genocidal extinction, today is squeezed between the same two genocidal states of Turkey and Azerbaijan, who lose no brotherly occasion in international diplomacy to shamelessly threaten their neighbour literally, intent on swallowing up the leftovers of their historical crime.

The current government of Turkey headed by Erdogan showing its horrible face declare his intends to reestablish the Ottoman Empire, which means once again atrocities and genocide against all non-Turkish ethnic nationalities and peoples especially Armenians and The Kurds.

The genocide of the Armenians was perpetrated before the eyes of the ‘civilized’ Europeans, unfortunately, to our great regret, even by their ‘permission’, now the civilized world is silent. Such a silence means acceptance of atrocities and encourages the murderers to become more killing and crime against humanity.

The present government of Turkey is the Patron of pseudo-Islamic Caliphate of ISIS and its co-conspirators Al-Qaida & Al-Nousra.
Those hordes of terrorist murder-squads enjoy free entry-and-exit in and out of Turkey, enjoy the logistical support of Turkey’s military-industrial complex, and are trained and well-equipped with up-to-date weaponry in Turkish military camps. This mercenary murderers have brutally slaughtered many Genocide survival Armenians of Kesab in Syria.

We call upon the United Nation, European Union and the International Community to strongly condemn   most recent war crime atrocities committed by the Azerbaijani military     against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh and take the necessary measures without delay to stop the continuing, genocidal, murderous crimes against Armenians and Kurds by Azerbaijan and Turkey.

What is the humanitarian moral duty of international political centers and their co-workers?

Today’s international public organizations must absolutely remain faithful to their own declared values and aims.  The consequences of the genocide of the Armenians can only be resolved by solutions binding on the international community via the United Nations, based on past and presently active international laws.

The Assembly of the Armenians in Europe, as an NGO active in the family of the European Communities – a pan-European but also a world-wide organization – is determined, on the occasion of the 101th anniversary of the Young Turkish genocide, to finally focus the attention of the international public opinion on the overdue need of the genocide recognition its unequivocal condemnation, and commitment to remove its tragic consequences through necessary material and territorial compensations.

We know very well that in all the countries of the world there are millions of people determined to fight for Human Rights and justice for all, until a final victory.  We demand of the International Public Opinion to finally hear and listen to the scream for Justice by the global millions.

We witness daily how even in Turkey itself the democratic and freedom-loving forces are evolving day-by-day, and blossoming into political movements that are determined to correct their historical criminal errors, wipe off the wounds they caused in the past, with the aim of living in harmony and peace with the children of the generation of their innocent victims decimated by the evil forces of the Ottoman tyranny.

Our expectation is that, after 101 very long years as a direct result of the endless efforts of the Armenians all over the world, and in close and immediate co-operation with the progressive forces of mankind, the practical realization of the international law and Rights becomes at last manifest as a newly minted historical fact, causing the final removal of all criminal consequences of the murderous act against mankind, awarding the Armenian people accordingly a just compensation long overdue for a century!  Thus, the ultimate justice fought for a hundred years shall rise up proudly as mankind’s greatest victory in modern history. 

Today, on the 101th  anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, President Serzh Sargsyan visited Tsitsernakaberd and paid tribute to the memory of the victims of the Mets Eghern.

He laid a wreath at the memorial and placed flowers near the eternal fire which perpetuates the memory of the innocent victims, President’s Press Office reports.

 

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received Nobel Prize laureates Aaron Ciechanover, Ada E. Yonath, Dan Shechtman, John Robin Warren, Ei-ichi Negishi.

The scholars have arrived in Yerevan at the invitation of the Yerevan state Medical University within the framework fo the “Nobel Days in Armenia” event.

Greeting the Nobel Prize winners and wishing them new achievements in their scientific activity, His Holiness Karekin II said “it’s a pleasure to host renowned scholars, who have made a great contribution to the wellbeing of the mankind, at the religious center of all Armenians.”

“Emphasizing the importance of the “Nobel days” event, His Holiness noted that it’s a unique opportunity for young scholars to communicate with world-known workers of science.”

During the meeting the Catholicos spoke about the recent military actions unleashed by Azerbaijan and their disastrous consequences. He also referred to his two-day visit to Artsakh.

His Holiness called on the Nobel Prize laureates to raise their voice in support of re-establishment of peace in the Middle East and the South Caucasus. The Catholicos stressed the importance of a condemning stance of the international community for the prevention of such developments.

 

 

– A pride of starving lions on the brink of death are being nursed back to health after being freed from their tiny cages in which they were slowly being driven mad, thanks to the generosity of MailOnline readers.

For the first time in their miserable lives, lioness Mary and her two cubs Zita and Geeta padded tentatively into more space than they had ever known when they were released into purpose-built compounds in the Caucasus Mountains, constructed with £30,000 of donations.

Finally they had room to move, to stretch, to see beyond the single row of steel rods which imprisoned them in what was nicknamed ‘the saddest zoo in the world’ in Armenia.

The cuts on their heads – suffered from repeated banging against the bars and sides of their prison – are now gone.

Mary has piled on a massive 100lb in weight since January and her ribs no longer protrude through her thick, glossy coat.

And their eyes shine bright thanks to good food, added vitamins and a love they have never experienced before.

MailOnline’s story of their suffering in cramped, filthy cages built from truck containers touched the hearts of readers worldwide.

Alan Knight OBE, the CEO of East Sussex-based animal welfare charity International Animal Rescue (IAR), said in all his years of fundraising he had ‘never known of such a swift response’ to an appeal for help.

But while the lions are safe and will never endure such suffering again, more money is needed to get them to the end of their journey: England.

IAR needs to raise an estimated £15,000 to fly them home while the UK’s The Nature Foundation is appealing for more than £200,000 to construct an enclosure in a Peak District sanctuary where the lions can live out their days in peace.

But so much has changed for the beautiful lionesses already. When MailOnline reported their plight in January, there were fears that any help would come too late because the wheels of animal charities can often turn with sclerotic – and lethal – slowness.

Mary, seven, and cubs Geeta, four, and Zita, two, were among the seven residents of the private zoo that had fallen into decay and squalor in the city of Gyumri – the place where the family of Armenian-American superstar Kim Kardashian and her sister Khloe stem from.

Bears Masha and Grisha from the same zoo were taken under the wing of Libearty Sanctuary in Romania, funded by Foundation Brigitte Bardot, where they are now being cared for under the auspices of the Armenian government’s Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets.

The military aggression against the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, unleashed by Azerbaijan in the early hours of April 2, was accompanied by war crimes, flagrant violations of the laws and customs of war, as well as norms of international humanitarian law, the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

On April 2, as a result of the deliberate artillery shelling of civilian settlements, a 12-year-old boy, Vagharshak Grigoryan, was killed, and two other kids were wounded near the secondary school in the NKR Martuni region. In the village of Talish of the NKR Martakert region, three elderly members of the Khalapyan family, the eldest of whom was 92 years old, were brutally killed and mutilated by an Azerbaijani subversive group. Traces of torture and mutilation were also registered on the bodies of the deceased servicemen of the NKR Defense Army, transferred to the Nagorno Karabakh Republic by Azerbaijan on April 10.

This is not the complete list of the war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani army during the military aggression against the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. Grossly violating the norms of international humanitarian law Azerbaijan poses itself against the entire civilized world by openly challenging it.

In accordance with the norms of international humanitarian law, in particular, Article 1 of all Geneva Conventions, the High Contracting Parties undertook the obligation not only “to respect” the norms of the Conventions, but also “to ensure respect” in all circumstances.

The Nagorno Karabakh Republic is taking steps to provide the international community, including the specialized agencies, with  these egregious facts of inhuman acts committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces and will consistently seek to ensure not only the strongest condemnation of these crimes, but also holding the perpetrators accountable. There can be no justification for such acts committed by Azerbaijan.

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs will visit Yerevan on April 9, Spokesman for the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tigran Balayan said in a Twitter post.

“They will be received by President Serzh Sargsyan and will meet with Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

The Co-Chairs also plan a visit to Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh, TASS quotes French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault as saying.

Among the Easter masses held around the world, a very special one took place in Montreal, where Syrian refugees celebrated the holiday for the first time since coming to Canada, reports.

“It is the first Easter for them in Canada and we would like to make it as joyous as possible and welcome them in Montreal and in Canada,” said Antranik Sirinyan, chairman of the St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Outremont.

The service saw 250 Syrian families attending Easter mass. It’s a small piece of normalcy for those whose entire lives have been uprooted.

“Of course it’s difficult, but it needs time and in time I think everything will be okay,” said refugee Shoghig Kochakejian. “I’m happy because we have a great community here and we’re having fun, but you still think that we have relatives and friends still in Syria, so it’s happiness but it’s not complete.”

The newcomers expressed appreciation to their new country and to their fellow parishioners for making a rough transition much easier.

“I’m very thankful that Canada and Montreal gave us the opportunity to be here,” said refugee Hovesp Bogossian. “We’re happy to be serving our church and serving the community.”

RootsWorld – Jason Hamacher’s aural documents of a vanishing culture and music, just prior to the civil war that has shredded Syria, have worked to reveal ethnic pockets never considered by many westerners. This, his label’s second release, focuses on an Armenian singer, V. Rev. Yeznig Zegchanian, and his solo chanting at Forty Martyrs Church in Aleppo. Recorded during two trips in 2006 and 2010, Hamacher managed to preserve part of an ancient musical ritual in what had been a thriving Armenian neighborhood, brought about by an influx of refugees from the Turk-sanctioned and delivered Armenian genocide of nearly 100 years ago. This venture then preserves what is no doubt turning into a shadow culture, as no Christian Aleppans, or anyone for that matter, is currently safe in much of the country. Furthermore, the western Armenian dialect, spoken in Aleppo, is already considered endangered by UNESCO, with complete extinction expected over the next century. As a result, Hamacher’s recordings are significant well beyond their mere musicality, which itself is immense, as anyone who has heard either volume in this series can attest.

Zegchanian’s chants are themselves the sound of peace, patience, and utter devotion. His deep baritone unspools syllables as if guiding them into a black hole, where they linger and finally disperse slowly like plumes of cigar smoke. The calm, the drone, and the slight wavers in timbre all help to create a completely consuming, yet subtle music that, properly shepherded, could probably stop the war itself if it had the power to pervade city blocks and countryside alike. And though it speaks to a particular faith- its titles include “In Heavenly Jerusalem,” and “Lord Have Mercy”- its appeal spills well beyond any single divinity, and the music ultimately serves to function as a reminder of how complex a world we’ve created, one where genocide, peace, dialect, music, war, and faith appear to be on an ever-mutating collision course that ultimately reshapes language, religious practice, rhythm, and our understanding of one another.

Special Representative of the German Government for the OSCE Chairmanship Gernot Erler, together with the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, James Warlick of the United States of Amrrerica, and Piee Andrieu of France, reiterated today their strong commitment to a negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“To achieve progress in the peace process, it is imperative that the sides take all measures to avoid violence, particularly violence that affects the civilian population living along the Line of Contact and the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.  In that regard, we support the statement of the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, who called on the sides to strictly respect the ceasefire during the holidays of Novruz Bayram and Easter.  We urge the sides to create the conditions for the people of the region to celebrate these holidays in peace.

The Co-Chairs, with the support of the German OSCE Chairmanship, will continue the work with the sides on elements of a settlement, measures to reduce the risk of violence, and programs that promote people-to-people contacts.”