Author: Karapetian Hovik

TURKISH WRITER TIRELESS IN FIGHT FOR FREE SPEECH
By Jeff Heinrich, The Gazette

The Gazette (Montreal)
May 10, 2006 Wednesday
Final Edition

Ragip Zarakolu speaks in Montreal tonight. He’s considered a radical
by Ankara for saying his homeland is in denial about Armenian genocide.

Ragip Zarakolu was just a boy when he first learned of the Armenian
genocide of 1915 to 1917. His mother told him it indirectly killed
her father – through disease. Little did Zarakolu realize that, as
a Turk, he would make it his life’s work to publish the truth about
the genocide.

Considered radical by the authorities in his homeland, Zarakolu,
58, has been in and out of jail since the 1970s for opposing Turkey’s
censorship laws. Books he has published have been seized and destroyed,
and he has been fined repeatedly.

Now, in a trial that began in November, he faces up to six more years
in jail for translating and publishing the journal of an Armenian
pogrom survivor edited by the man’s granddaughter, retired McGill
University professor Dora Sakayan.

While he waits for the trial to resume June 21 in Ankara, Zarakolu
lives in Connecticut with his second wife and travels on lecture
tours. Tonight, he’s been invited by the Congress of Armenian Canadians
to address about 300 local Armenians in St. Laurent.

The subject of his speech, taboo in Turkey, is one whose truth has been
acknowledged by the governments of 21 countries, including Canada,
that 1.5 million minority Armenians died during forced evacuations
by the Ottoman Turkish government from 1915 to 1917.

“If Turkey wants to be a strong state and show that it’s a great
nation, then it must take responsibility for the genocide,” he said
yesterday in an interview after flying to Montreal.

“There was injustice, and Turkey must accept that.”

Zarakolu grew up on the Princes’ Islands, off the coast of Turkey
southeast of Istanbul. His father was governor of the islands, a
multicultural place where they and other Turks mixed with Armenians,
Jews and Greeks.

“I never thought of them as a danger, or anything stupid like that,”
he recalled yesterday. “I grew up with them. There was always a
connection.”

An honorary member of PEN, the international writers’ association,
Zarakolu has a lot of support both inside and outside his homeland
as he campaigns to get Turkey to remove an article from its penal
code that criminalizes free speech.

Established a year ago, Article 301 makes it illegal to publish
material that “denigrates Turkishness” and the institutions of
the state, be they the government, the judiciary, the military or
the state security apparatus. Under the law, doing so from outside
Turkey is sanctioned more severely – it increases one’s jail sentence
by one-third.

About 60 other publishers, journalists and writers are also being
prosecuted under the law, which has raised considerable controversy
as Turkey negotiates membership in the European Union.

The Turkish government has long refused to call the events of 1915
to 1917 a genocide. Its official position is that the Armenians died
in the context of the First World War – from disease and starvation –
and not that the state had a role in planning mass extermination.

In Montreal yesterday, Turkish consul-general Gerard Emin Battika did
not respond to a Gazette request to clarify his government’s position
and comment on Zarakolu’s visit.

“The importance of people like Mr. Zarakolu is to show the world
that it’s not just non-Turks, but also Turkish people who want to
see the democratization of their country and recognize what was wrong
in their history,” said Taro Alepian, chairperson of the Congress of
Armenian Canadians.

“Then all of us, collectively, will be able to turn the page on
history and finally have closure. When Turkey finally admits that
the genocide occurred, the wound will start to heal.”

Ragip Zarakolu speaks tonight at 8 p.m. at the Tekeyan Centre, 805
Manoogian St., in St. Laurent. The speech will be in English.

[email protected]

RECOGNITION IS A START
By Sheila Copps

The Toronto Sun
May 10, 2006 Wednesday
Final Edition

But The PM’s Official Acknowledgement Of The Armenian Genocide Has Angered Turkey

A couple of years ago, I hosted a fundraiser in my home for a Liberal
MP. At the time, I received a rather nasty note from members of a
local Turkish political action committee explaining why they would
not attend.

They refused to step foot in my home because, as former heritage
minister, I had indirectly funded an Atom Egoyan film entitled
Ararat. They went on to outline how this film distorted history by
characterizing the loss of 1.5 million Armenian people as genocide.

It did not seem to matter to these activists that as minister,
I had absolutely no say as to which film received funding from the
government. Telefilm guarded its independence jealously and would
never bow to a ministerial intervention for funding.

I wondered whether they had even seen the film. It was a sensitive,
modern portrayal through the eyes of a self-described Armenian
descendant, which asked questions about the genocide from a Turkish
and Armenian perspective.

For Egoyan, of Armenian heritage, the genocide was part of his story
and the telling of it was an important personal journey.

Notwithstanding his perspective, he made sure the film included a
Turkish protagonist who held opposing views.

The film was not objective (most historical accounts never are),
and it did not pretend to be. But the fact that a local political
committee could refuse an invitation to my home almost 90 years after
the incidents shows just how deeply the issue still divides supporters
of Armenia and Turkey.

Today, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is feeling the political heat
from Turkish anger about his public comments recogizing the genocide.

Turkey said in a statement that it “rejects and condemns attempts
based on long years of propaganda and political designs to create
one-sided versions of history and to have lies be acknowledged as
though they were facts.” Its governmet has recalled its ambassador
to Canada and is threatening economic sanctions.

For years, Canadian parliamentarians have actively worked for
recognition of what happened to the Armenians as genocide. The first
parliamentary resolution was passed a decade ago, characterizing the
deaths as a “tragedy.” In 2004, a “genocide” resolution sailed through,
despite opposition from Foreign Affairs, which feared reprisals from
NATO ally Turkey.

The parliamentary resolution did not convince the government, much
to the chagrin of the 75 Liberal members who supported it. Business
with Turkey was just too lucrative to risk.

Ankara argues that history has been misinterpreted, that the casualties
were simply the normal toll on civilians in a war-torn period for
both countries. Others question why a 90-year-old wound matters. But
all reconciliation starts with recognition.

Holocaust deniers propagate more holocausts. Unacknowledged genocides
promote future acts of genocide.

That is why we should care that Armenia saw 1.5 million people
wiped out, spawning a diaspora which started in Canada with a plan
to resettle 100 orphans known as the Georgetown Boys. That is why
we should care that Hitler wiped out six million Jews and up to 11
million people in the Second World War. That is why we should care
that Rwanda lost up to 1 million in the genocide of Tutsis and moderate
Hutus. That is why we should also investigate recent published reports
from China on organ harvesting and execution of Falun Gong followers.

When genocide is long ago or far away, it is easy to ignore. When
trade trumps human rights, it is profitable to gloss over the messy
aftermath of genocide. It is a credit to Armenian-Canadians that they
have never wavered in their pursuit of genocide recognition. It is
a credit to the current government that it finally recognized what
Parliament understood years ago.

19th CENTURY CHAPEL RECONSTRUCTED IN AKHALTSKHA

A1+
[08:49 pm] 10 May, 2006

In the Ap district of Akhaltskha the ceremony of sanctifying of
the St. Savior chapel took place. The ceremony was carried out by
leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church Georgian diocese Vazgen
Archbishop Mirzakhanyan and deputy leader of Samtskhe-Javakh Babken
abbot Salbiyan.

The chapel was built in the 19th century and destroyed by the
Georgians. It has been reconstructed lately by the local Armenians
and named St. Savior, “A-Info” reports.

MIKA triumph in Armenian Cup
Tuesday, 9 May 2006

FC MIKA have won their fifth Armenian Cup after Armen
Shahgeldyan’s 23rd-minute goal earned them a 1-0 win
against FC Pyunik in Tuesday’s final.

Crucial breakthrough
Both teams made a bright start with plenty of chances
in the opening 15 miutes but it was to be Shahgeldyan
who made the crucial breakthrough. Pyunik defender
Rafael Safaryan failed to clear Arsen Meloyan’s long
ball, allowing Shahgeldyan to ghost past Robert
Arzumanyan and score with the outside of his boot.

Other chances
Shahgeldyan had other chances to score later in the
game as MIKA made up for previous defeats against
Pyunik in the league, but the Yerevan side will have
more than a few regrets after the game with Agvan
Lazarian, Arsen Avetisyan, Levon Pachahjyan and
Tigran Karabagtsyan all missing good chances.

Final meeting
MIKA and Pyunik are the only two sides to have won the
Armenian Cup since 2000, although this is their first
meeting in the final. MIKA have qualified for the
first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup while Pyunik
will compete in the first qualifying round of the UEFA
Champions League as reigning Armenian champions.

YERKRAPAH PARTY ON DIFFERENT DISHES

Lragir.am
09 May 06

The Union of Yerkrapah Volunteers will not run for parliament in 2007 as a
separate political force, announced the leader of the Union, Deputy Minister
of Defense Manvel Grigoryan on May 8, the Day of Yerkrapah. According to him,
since there are Yerkrapah members in almost all the political parties, it is
difficult and early to state which political force Yerkrapah will support in
the election 2007. `There will be a time, I will tell you, when our people
will be in the parliament, but on different dishes,’ said Manvel Grigoryan. `

We will support the Armenian people, those who are honest and love their
people,’ stated the leader of the UYV.

Controller may have contributed to Black Sea crash – airline
17:50 | 06/ 05/ 2006

RIA Novosti, Russia
May 6 2006

YEREVAN, May 6 (RIA Novosti) – An aircraft traffic controller on duty
when an Armenian plane crashed into the Black Sea killing 113 people
may have played a role in the tragedy, the owner of the airline in
the tragedy said Saturday.

Armavia Airlines head Mikhail Bagdasarov said a complete version of
a recorded conversation between the air traffic controller at the
Russian airport and the pilot of the Armenian plane showed that the
pilot had acted correctly.

Bagdasarov said that a recording between Airbus pilot Grigory Grigoryan
and traffic controller at Adler airport previously made public had
been incomplete.

“The complete version of the taped conversation shows that the pilot
of the A-320 jet was doing everything right, which cannot be said
about the air traffic controller,” Bagdasarov said in an interview
with Armenian Internet site Panorama.am.

He said the ground controller had sent told the pilot to make a second
circle before landing when the pilot was almost landing already.

“He had nearly 200 meters left to the runway when he was sent back
to make a second circle. And this was at a time when the air traffic
controller had no right to order but could only advise,” Bagdasarov
said.

However, he added he did not blame the air traffic controller.

“In such situations, you cannot say that the air traffic controller
made the mistake that caused the accident,” he said. “The controller
made mistakes which made the situation worse.”

He said there could be a combination of reasons that caused the crash
but cautioned against putting the whole blame on the pilot.

“He was an experienced, good pilot, one of the best,” Bagdasarov said.

The Airbus was flying from the Armenian capital, Yerevan, to Adler
airport, which services the popular Russian resort of Sochi, when it
crashed six kilometers off the Russian coast early Wednesday morning.

The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said bad weather most likely
caused the tragedy.

In comments on rumors that the crew was incomplete, the Armavia owner
said the crew included both a navigator and flight engineer.

“How can a plane take off without a navigator?” he said. “There is just
a group of people who spend their time making up this sort of gossip.”

Armavia Airline set up on December 12, 1996 is Armenia’s national
airline company. On June 5, 2005, Bagdasarov, president of MIKA
Armenia Trading, became the owner of 100% of the company’s shares.

Armavia passenger traffic totaled 507,000 in 2005 against 380,000
in 2004.

Armenia’s civil aviation commission said it would hear comments from
air traffic controller of the Adler airport Saturday, spokeswoman
Gayane Davtyan said.

She denied rumors that the controller was being hidden for fear of
the victims’ families.

“Nobody is hiding the ground controller from anyone,” Davtyan said,
adding that he was working with commission experts on decoding the
recordings.

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

REED AMENDMENT REAFFIRMS PARITY IN DEFENSE
DEPARTMENT ASSISTANCE TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

— Rhode Island Senator Wins Approval for
Amendment to Legislation Authorizing
Counter-Drug Assistance Program

WASHINGTON, DC – In a legislative reaffirmation of
the 2001 agreement between the Congress and the White
House to maintain military aid parity to Armenia and
Azerbaijan, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) this week
secured the adoption of an amendment adding Armenia
to the list of nation’s receiving Department of
Defense counter-drug assistance, reported the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Commenting to the ANCA following the adoption of his
amendment, Senator Reed said, “I am pleased that the
Senate Armed Services Committee recognized the
importance of providing military aid to Armenia for
training and equipment in light of its decision to
provide funding to Azerbaijan. It is essential that
we maintain parity between the two nations, and I am
happy that my amendment was accepted.”

The amendment was offered by the Senator, a senior
members of the Armed Services Committee, to the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2007 (S.2507). The measure added Armenia to the list
of eligible nations for a Defense Department counter-
drug assistance program. Azerbaijan was among the
nation’s listed in the original version of the
Authorization bill authored by Committee Chairman
John Warner (R-VA).

Significantly, the Armed Services Committee report
advises the Defense Department that the panel
“expects that the authority granted in this section
will be administered in the spirit of maintaining
current military parity between Azerbaijan and
Armenia.” The Committee report language refers to
the agreement between Congress and the White House in
2001 to maintain military aid parity between Armenia
and Azerbaijan. In 2001, Congress granted the
President limited waiver authority over Section 907
of the Freedom Support Act, which restricts U.S.
assistance to Azerbaijan as long as it continues to
blockade Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh, with the
understanding that the Administration will not
provide more military assistance to Azerbaijan than
to Armenia.

“We join with the Armenian American community of
Rhode Island in thanking Senator Reed for helping to
ensure parity in the provision of U.S. defense
assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan,” said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We will, in the
coming weeks, continue to share with legislators in
both houses of Congress the negative implications for
peace and regional stability of the Administration’s
ill-advised proposal to break the military aid parity
agreement that has been in force for the past five
years.”

The House Armed Services Committee has also finalized
its version of the National Defense Authorization Act
for fiscal year 2007 (H.R.5122), which does include
Azerbaijan, but not Armenia as an eligible country.
The two versions of the bill will eventually be
reconciled upon passage in both chambers. The ANCA
will urge the conference committee to accede to the
amended Senate version of this provision, and, more
broadly, to work toward overall military aid parity
to Armenia and Azerbaijan.

#####

FUNERAL TO TAKE PLACE IN ARMENIA SUNDAY FOR VICTIMS OF AIR CRASH

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 4 2006

MOSCOW, May 4 (Itar-Tass) – A funeral will be held on Sunday, May 5,
at cathedrals of the Armenian Apostolic churches all around the world
for those were killed in the A-320 plane crash over the Black Sea,
said Vartan Pogosyan, spokesman for the Russian and Novo-Nakhichevan
Eparchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

In Moscow the memorial service will take place in the Armenian
Apostolic Church at the Vagankovo cemetery at 12.00 Moscow time on
May 5, Pogosyan told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

Armenia has declared May 5 and May 6 a national day of mourning to
commemorate those were killed in the air crash near Sochi.

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan signed a decree to this effect
on Wednesday, the presidential press service reported.

Twenty-eight Russian citizens were aboard the crashed Airbus belonging
to the air company Armavia. The list of passengers placed in the hall
of the Yerevan international airport Zvartnots showed it.

These are mainly people of Armenian origin.

OSCE HOLDS TRAINING COURSE ON COMBATING SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN ARMENIA

Armenpress
May 04 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS: The OSCE Yerevan Office held a two-day
training course for Armenian prosecutors and investigators which was
aimed at preventing and prosecuting sexual crimes in Armenia.

OSCE Yerevan Office’s press service informed Armenpress that the event
which ended today was organized by the Yerevan office, the Warsaw-based
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR),
and the Training Center of the General Prosecutor’s Office. ODIHR has
been helping Armenian prosecutors since November 2004, with funding
from the United States.

“Emphasis should be placed on appropriate treatment of victims of
all types of crimes, including sexual violence,” said Cynthia Alkon,
head of ODIHR’s Rule of Law program. Tatul Badasian, deputy director of
the Prosecutors’ Training Center, praised the close co-operation with
the OSCE, adding that it was important to share the best practices
in the field, including investigative techniques and prosecution of
cases of sexual violence.

Around 25 participants and two experts from Austria and the United
States discussed various case studies, international legal provisions,
and the psychology of investigations, as well as issues connected
with domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking.

DEPUTY EMERGENCY MINISTER SURE: A-320 FLIGHT RECORDERS WILL BE TAKEN OUT OF THE SEA

Panorama.am
15:49 04/05/06

Flight recorders of the A-320 airbus (Armavia airlines) that crashed
into the Black Sea will be taken out of the sea, Russian Deputy
Emergency Minister Yevgeny Serebryannikov is sure. According to him,
equipment has been delivered to the crash site that allows determining
location of the plane’s fragments. With the help of this equipment
the rescuers can examine wreckage of the plane 500 m beneath the
surface. It is unknown yet, for how long the search and rescue
operation will last, RSN reports.

As REGNUM earlier reported, A-320 airbus fell into the Black Sea
in the night of May 3 while landing. All the 113 people aboard were
killed.