Author: Khondkarian Raffi

TURKEY AND ARMENIA SEEK PEACE
By Christopher Torchia

AP
09 oct 09

ISTANBUL — Enter the "Hall of Armenian Issue with Documents" at the
military museum in Istanbul, and you get a very different picture of
what many historians view as the first genocide of the 20th century.

There, photographs show bodies of Ottoman Turks allegedly slaughtered
and mutilated — the term "martyred" appears in the captions — by
Armenian gangs. The message: Turks were victims of fighting between
the two neighbors, not the vast numbers of Armenians who were massacred
or deported from Ottoman territory during World War I.

Seeking to end a century of acrimony over their bloody past, Turkey
and Armenia plan to sign a deal this weekend approving diplomatic ties,
but nationalists on both sides will seek to derail its implementation.

That was clear Friday, when about 10,000 protesters rallied in
Armenia’s capital to oppose the planned signing. The marching
demonstrators carried placards with slogans such as "No concessions
to Turks!" and "No bargaining on genocide!"

"Even if the documents are signed tomorrow, that will mark the
beginning of our struggle against their ratification in parliament
and their implementation," said protest organizer Kiro Manoian of
the opposition Dashnak-Tsutyun party.

According to Omer Taspinar, Turkey project director at the Brookings
Institution in Washington, "The signing may be the easier part at t
his point."

Some vague wording in the agreement merely sets the stage for further
talks, and could be prone to interpretation or dispute even if the
two parliaments ratify the agreement as expected.

Better ties between Turkey, a regional heavyweight, and poor,
landlocked Armenia are a key goal of President Barack Obama. They could
help reduce tensions in the troubled Caucasus region and facilitate
its growing role as a corridor for energy supplies bound for the West.

The contentious issue of whether the killing of up to 1.5 million
Armenians during the final days of the Ottoman Empire amounted to
genocide is only hinted at in the agreement, which calls for diplomatic
ties for the first time and the opening of the sealed border within
two months.

The foreign ministers of both countries are expected to sign the deal
in Switzerland, which has hosted six weeks of talks between the foes.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is expected to attend.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will participate in the ceremony
in Zurich on Saturday, the Interfax new agency said.

A tour of Armenian communities by Armenian President Serge Sarkisian
sparked protests in Lebanon and France, with demonstrators in
Paris shouting "Traitor!" and decrying plans to establish ties with
Turkey. On Thursday, dozens of angry Armenians also staged protests
in central Yerevan, the Armenian capital, burning papers meant to
symboli ze the agreement.

The agreement calls for a panel to discuss "the historical dimension"
— a reference to the genocide issue — that will include "an impartial
scientific examination of the historical records and archives to
define existing problems and formulate recommendations."

That clause is viewed as a concession to Turkey because Armenia has
said that genocide was confirmed by international historians, and
further discussion could lead to deadlock. Turkey denies genocide,
contending the toll is inflated and those killed were victims of
civil war.

The Istanbul museum contains black-and-white photographs of piles
of Turkish corpses and official Ottoman documents that describe
Armenian atrocities: young girls whose lungs were hung on walls,
men whose brains were "drained" with bayonets.

A glass case holds the blood-stained shirt of a former Ottoman
official who was assassinated by an Armenian militant in Berlin in
1921. The Armenian room is a tiny part of a cavernous, dimly lit museum
dedicated to the glories of the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople,
renamed Istanbul, World War I battles against the Allies at Gallipoli,
and later clashes with Greeks.

"Given Turkey’s ongoing denial of the Armenian genocide, it makes
affirmation that much more important," said Bryan Ardouny, executive
director of the Armenian Assembly of America, part of the powerful
Armenian diaspora.

Another source of dispute is Nagorn o-Karabakh, an enclave in
Azerbaijan that is occupied by Armenian troops.

Turks have close cultural and linguistic ties with Azerbaijan,
which is pressing Turkey for help in recovering its land. Turkey
shut its border with Armenia to protest the Armenian invasion of
Nagorno-Karabakh in 1993.

Turkey wants Armenia to withdraw some troops from the enclave area
to show goodwill and speed the opening of their joint border, but
Armenia has yet to agree, Taspinar said.

"We may end up in a kind of awkward situation where there are
diplomatic relations, but the border is still closed," he said.

One gesture seen as vital to reconciliation is a plan by the Armenian
president to attend next week’s World Cup football qualifier between
Turkey and Armenia in Bursa, an old Ottoman capital. Sarkisian has
said he would go to the Oct. 14 game if there is progress on opening
the border.

A year ago, Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Armenia for the
first game. Turkey won 2-0 in a round of "football diplomacy" where
politics overshadowed sport.

Associated Press Writer Avet Demourian contributed to this report
from Yerevan, Armenia.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER DELIVERS SPEECH AT THE 35TH SESSION OF UNESCO GENERAL CONFERENCE

ARMENPRESS
Oct 8, 2009

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandyan delivered speech at the 35th session of UNESCO General
Conference Armenian Foreign Ministry Media and Information Department
told Armenpress that the speech of the minister runs as follows:
"Distinguished Mr. President, Distinguished Director General,
Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, First of all, I would
like to congratulate Ms. Irina Bokova, on her upcoming election as
Director-General of UNESCO. I am confident, that with her leadership
this distinguished forum will make a remarkable step forward in
achieving major goals of this Organization. I am also honored to
express my sincere thanks to H.E. Koichiro Matsuura, the outgoing
Director General, for his dedicated work for the last 1o years.

Mr. President, Since the first day of its membership to this
Organization, Armenia’s policy in cooperation with UNESCO has pursued
the goal of benefiting from its tremendous capacity, and adding
value through contribution by its own cultural values, scientific
and educational potential in the achievement of UNESCO’s noble goals.

We welcome the policy of the Organization in the context of the
overall UN reform, to bring its offices close to the regions it deals
with and become a more active member of the UN country team in the
implementation of "One-UN" concept. The conclusion of the UNESCO
Country Programming Document of Cooperation between UNESCO and the
Republic of Armenia in March 2008 provides with ample opportunities
to extend its activities in Armenia by developing inter-sectoral
country programs linked with and complementary to the United Nations
Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).

Mr. President, Armenia has developed vast cooperation with UNESCO
in all areas of its interest implementing multiple programs and
initiatives. Just to name a few, within the "Education for All"
program, we hosted this Septe n "Enhancement of quality of Education
and Curriculum Development." This November, the Armenian National
Commission together with the Ministry of Culture is organizing under
the auspices of UNESCO a regional conference entitled "Cultural Policy
and Policy for Culture." The inclusion of the 800th anniversary of
the world renowned manuscript illuminator Toros Roslin, and 1600th
anniversary of the founder of the Armenian historiography Movses
Khorenatsi in the UNESCO list of anniversaries for 2010-2011 would
allow us to pay tribute to the work and memory of these exceptional
figures that left an inerasable footprint in the minds and history
of mankind.

Mr. President, Armenia is a country rich with cultural monuments
dating back to 4th millennium BC. As of today there are nearly 33 000
historical and cultural monuments in Armenia under state protection,
included in the State Register of National Heritage. For centuries, the
Armenian people have erected numerous and diverse cultural monuments
most of which, due to known historical events, are currently located
outside the borders of the present-day Republic of Armenia. Armenia’s
neighbors have displayed different approaches towards the question
of the preservation of Armenian historical heritage.

There is an excellent cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran
(IRI) that takes proper care of the Armenian monuments situated in its
territory. The living proof of the aforementioned is the inclusion of
St. Thaddaeus Monastery in the World Heritage List by the suggestion
of Iran.

In the recent years the 17th-century Persian mosque erected in Yerevan
has been restored in cooperation with the Iranian specialists, and
has become functioning.

Unfortunately, this positive experience is not reciprocated by our
other neighbors. As a result of the policy of destruction of the
Armenian historical heritage, thousands of cultural monuments that
were of universal value, have been lost forever.

Mr. President, In an era when the protection and promotion of hum
erpinning concept for a civilized nation, damaging or destroying
cultural or religious memory intentionally, consistently, repeatedly,
must be condemned with the same resolve and determination as violence
aimed against people.

Unfortunately, with Azerbaijan, efforts to do away with Armenian
heritage go on unabated despite the continuous alarm rang by Armenia. A
painful proof of the monument demolition that has been in process
for years, is the annihilation of the centuries-old Jugha (Julfa)
Cemetery in Nakhichevan with its tens of thousands of delicately
carved, unique cross-stones dating from the 9th to the 16th centuries,
that bore to the talent and the artistic skill of the masters of Jugha.

There was no war in the years between 1998 and 2005 when thousands of
these giant sculptures were knocked over, piled onto railroad cars and
carted away under the Azerbaijani government’s watchful eyes. In 2005,
this enormous cultural gem was bulldozed down, leveled and turned into
a military training ground in a government-sanctioned operation. As
regretfully stated in the 16th ICOMOS General Assembly resolution:
"this heritage that once enjoyed its worthy place among the treasures
of the world’s heritage can no longer be transmitted today to future
generations."

There was no war also in 1975, when a 7th century Armenian church was
completely demolished in the center of Nakhichevan, for no reason
other than to wipe out the memory of the Armenians who constituted
a majority there just decades earlier.

Mr. President, Armenia gives high priority to the protection of
cultural values which are not "mine" or "yours" but "ours" — those
cultural values that are truly universal and shared, those that are
worthy not just of national attention but international. Armenia’s
commitment to protection and promotion of human rights and cultural
diversity is very real. Both cultural diversity and the protection of
monuments are especially significant for nations which have monuments
beyond national borders, indeed in countr ur neighborhood. Doomed
from its very beginning, the annihilation of the civilization of any
people is incompatible with and unallowable for any country aspiring
to membership in such international organizations, as UNESCO.

We do believe that this organization, the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization, would be able to stand up to
the challenge of unabated violation of cultural rights and thus bring
its contribution to enhancing intercultural dialogue and tolerance
all over the world.

Thank you Mr. President."

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN OFF TO CHISINAU

armradio.am
08.10.2009 16:28

The delegation headed by President Serzh Sargsyan left for Chisinau
today to participate in the summit of the CIS Heads of State,
President’s Press office reported.

In the capital of Moldova President Sargsyan is scheduled to meet
the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

A trilateral meeting between the Presidents of Armenia, Russia and
Azerbaijan is also expected.

The delegation headed by President Sargsyan will return to Yerevan
on October 9.

AMERICAN PRODUCER ACTIVELY INTERESTED IN ARMENIAN THEATRICAL ART

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.10.2009 21:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Outstanding American theatrical manager, producer,
actor and director Philip Ardo, Founder of Center for International
Theater Development (U.S/), has paid his first visit to Armenia to
participate in High Fest. In an October 7 press conference held in
Hovhannes Toumanyan Puppet Theatre, he expressed his gratitude to
festival founder Arthur Goukasyan.

"Over the past days I watched Armenia and Iranian theatrical
troupes’ performances. As to European troupes, I’ll evaluate them
later in Europe. You’ll know my opinion on the best performances of
best Armenian directors in two years when I start my new project,"
American director said.

After watching Armenian performances, Arno will select the best
directors to promote their further activity in U.S.

Philip Arno has also implemented a similar project in Russia.

"THEY CAN AT LEAST DELAY SIGNING"

0/7/dashnaktsutyun
02:30 pm | October 07, 2009

Politics

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiun continues its
protest actions at Republican Square. The party has gathered over 50
000 signatures against the Armenian-Turkish Protocols.

ARF administration today visited the party stalwarts picketing near
Government building and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Taking into consideration the wave of protests in Armenia and beyond
its boundaries, ARF faction chairman Vahan Hovhannisian thinks Serzh
Sargsyan should postpone the signing of the Protocols.

"This is the nerve that cannot be touched on. If the authorities
continue their policy they will lead the country to a grave and
unstable situation. This is an issue that cannot be addressed by any
political force. This is a national issue capable of harming human
morality," said Vahan Hovhannisian.

The ARF faction chairman is convinced that with the postponement of
Protocols’ signing Serzh Sargsyan will be understood worldwide.

"Let Mr. Sargsyan say six weeks was not enough for the discussions. I
think the authorities were to draw conclusions within the six weeks."

ARF MP Artyush Shahbazian thinks Serzh Sargsyan has already determined
Armenians’ fortune behind the scenes.

With the signing of the Protocols the authorities will decide their
fate. We can neither tie them nor keep them under lock. The document
will have no force as it is not admitted by Armenians and by the
Diaspora.

Our Diasporan compatriots said openly that they do not admit this
president," said ARF member Gvidon Simonian.

AFF DENIES INFORMATION ON ARMENIAN FLAG BAN AT RA-TURKEY FOOTBALL MATCH

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.10.2009 17:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 7, Azeri media circulated information on
Turkish authorities’ forbidding football fans from bringing Armenian
flags to WC 2010 qualifying match.

As Armenian Football Federation assured PanARMENIAN.Net reporter,
the information is untrue, as FIFA’s regulations stipulate for the
ban on racist posters, and not flags.

WC 2010 RA-Turkey qualifying match is due on October 14 at Bursa’s
Ataturk stadium at 11:00 p.m. Yerevan time.

DIASPORA ARMENIANS SEND CLEAR MESSAGE TO ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

Gibrahayer
Oct 7, 2009

FROM BOURJ HAMMOUD TO CALIFORNIA

Gibrahayer e-magazine and other combined sources 7 October, 2009 –
Armenians across the world from Lebanon to California, from Paris
to New York, turned the Diasporan Presidential visit, to a chain of
demonstrations, voicing their opposition to the announced Protocols
between Turkey and Armenia. In Armenia the ARF Dashnaktsoutiun started
a hunger strike opposite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We enclose a chronology of events and the reaction to the Presidential
Disaporan tour as it was reported from Asbarez, over the past week. A
more detailed update with more than half a dozen posts every day,
appear in the Gibrahayer Facebook Page, which has reached 2,700
subscribers.

Meanwhile, 12 political parties in Armenia have issued a joint
statement in which they denounce the current Armenia-Turkey protocols
and pledge efforts to thwart their signing expected later this month.

The statement was signed and published on Tuesday afternoon at the
Office of the Executive Council of the ARF Dashnaktsoutiun, being
its main initiator.

The statement issued on behalf of eleven parties, including
Raffi Hovannisian’s Heritage, Aram Karapetyan’s New Times, Aram
Sargsyan’s Democratic Party, Tigran Karapetyan’s People’s Party,
the Ramkavar-Azatakan Party of Armenia and others, says that "t he
readiness of Armenia to settle relations with Turkey without any
preconditions is already a serious concession to the country that
perpetrated the Genocide of Armenians and has blockaded Armenia’s
border and, therefore, should be the only concession of Yerevan on
the way towards establishing diplomatic relations with Ankara."

OBAMA-SARGSYAN CONVERSATION

-lrahos15422.html
11:02:40 – 06/10/2009

During his staying in Los Angeles, Serge Sargsyan had a phone
conversation with the U.S. president Barack Obama. The conversation
took place at the initiative of the U.S. president.

Obama expressed his support in connection with the efforts aimed
at the normalization of the Armenian and Turkish relations. He
reiterated the U.S. official stance according to which the process
of the normalization should be carried out without any precondition
and should no be connected to the Karabakh issue. The press office
of the president reports.

Serge Sargsyan expressed his gratitude to the U.S. president for his
support with regard to the Armenian and Turkish rapprochement and
shared his impressions on his pan-Armenian tour.

Serge Sargsyan also thanked Barack Obama for the U.S. assistance as
a OSCE Minsk group co-chairing country and underlined the willingness
of Armenia to go forward in direction of a peace settlement the axis
of which has to be the decision of the Karabakh status by the will
of the Karabakh people on which the principles of Madrid presented
by the OSCE Minsk group are based.

Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
3111 Los Feliz Avenue, #206, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Contact person: Dr. Frieda Jordan
Phone: (323) 663-3609
Email:[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

Walk of Life 2009 becomes testament to grassroots solidarity

Over 500 gather to support the life-saving activities of the Armenian
Bone Marrow Donor Registry

Glendale event is mirrored by donor recruits in Yerevan and Tehran

Los Angeles, October 8, 2009 – On Sunday, October 3, more than 500
supporters gathered at the Verdugo Park in Glendale, California, to
participate in Walk of Life 2009, the much-anticipated walkathon of
the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR).

In addition to taking part in the 5K/10K walk-run, supporters
registered as bone marrow donors and helped raise funds for the life-
saving mission of the ABMDR. The annual family event, which draws
supporters from all age groups and walks of life, took place in a
festive atmosphere that included live music, dance, and food.

`This is the type of event that makes our work all the more
worthwhile,’ said Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of the ABMDR Board of

Directors. `When the Armenian community responds to the call for
action in such big numbers, and does so with such a high level of
enthusiasm and dedication, we have every reason to be optimistic
about the continued viability of the ABMDR’s mission.’

Walk of Life 2009 was chaired by Armond Aghakhanian of the ABMDR’s
Board of Advisors while Nectar Kalajian served as master of
ceremonies. Together they introduced representatives of the event’s

major sponsors, including the City of Glendale, Glendale Memorial
Hospital, and Bank of America. All sponsors were honored with
certificates of recognition during the walkathon.

`Every Armenian should join the registry,’ said Glendale City
Councilman Ara Najarian as he accepted a certificate from Dr. Jordan.

His comments were echoed by Arpik Lalabekyan, senior vice president
at the Burbank Main Branch of Bank of America. `The registry is such

a great idea,’ Lalabekyan said. `I’m so proud of Bank of America
for
becoming a sponsor. It’s time we did something like this.’ Bank of

American, a first-time ABMDR sponsor, supported Walk of Life 2009 by
making an initial donation and subsequently matching funds that were
raised by employees of the Burbank Main Branch.

Accepting certificates on behalf of Bank of America and Glendale
Memorial Hospital were Zepiur Ashjian, a consumer-market vice-
president with the bank, and Mark Myers, president of Glendale
Memorial Hospital, respectively.

Youth power

Youth participation was a key factor in the large turnout and
ultimate success of the walkathon. In the months leading up to the
event, Mariette Keshishian and Dr. Evelyn Baghdassarian of the ABMDR
coordinated teams of participating students from local public schools

with the help of Daniel Baghdassarian, a student at La Canada High.
Simultaneously, Dr. Vergine Madenlian, an ABMDR Board member, and
Garbis Bartanian, a science teacher at Mesrobian School, educated
students about stem cell transplantation and genetics through a
series of special talks.

School teams participating in the walkathon included those of the
Alex Pilibos, Chamlian, Mariamian-Davidian, Mesrobian, and Clark
schools. In addition, over 20 teams representing private groups,
community organizations, and businesses – among them the ARS Glendale

Sepan Chapter, AGBU Glendale/Pasadena Scouts, Law Offices of Geragos
and Geragos, and Softline Solutions – participated in the event,
raising funds and encouraging supporters to register as bone marrow
donors. (The full list of teams is posted at ABMDR.am). Two of those
teams were dedicated to the memory of Aram Markosian, of Southfield,
Michigan. After a long battle with leukemia and unable to find a bone

marrow match for a stem cell transplant, Markosian passed away last
month at the age of 24.

One of the 1,305 patients identified by the ABMDR as requiring such a

transplant is Suren Ter-Abramyan, a 40-year-old leukemia patient who
attended Walk of Life 2009. `The very existence of the ABMDR is a
wonderful phenomenon,’ Ter-Abramyan said. `We haven’t found a bone

marrow match yet, but we won’t give up. And even after finding a
match, I’ll continue to support the registry every way I can.’

Dr. Evelyn Baghdassarian, a pediatrician and an ABMDR Board Member,
said that treating young cancer patients sparked the fire in her to
join the mission of the registry. `In a short few years, the ABMDR
has grown from obscurity to an organization that has fostered the
emergence of a high degree of health consciousness and activism among

Armenian communities across the world,’ she said.

Dr. Baghdassarian added that while Armenians stand to gain the most
from the ABMDR because of their unique genetic makeup, people of any
nationality can also benefit. `This is the reason that the ABMDR is a

member of the National Marrow Donor Program, a fact that considerably

enlarges the pool of possible matches for everyone,’ she explained.

Recruiting to save lives

The overarching goal of the ABMDR is to recruit donors so that
Armenians suffering from life-threatening blood-related illnesses can

have a chance for a transplant, through a potential match.

As with all ABMDR outreach events, donor recruitment was a key
feature of Walk of Life 2009. Volunteer recruiters such as Fimi
Mekhitarian and members of the Armenian Nurses Association recruited
bone marrow donors throughout the event, working in booths especially

set up for the purpose.

`First and foremost I would like to thank the Armenian Nurses
Association, for always and unflinchingly supporting our
recruitments,’ Mekhitarian said. `Today’s event has been a great

success because the registry’s mission seems to be resonating with
the community as a whole and the youth in particular. The youth is
what makes this endeavor strong and effective. It’s also why I think

it’s crucial to continue building school teams for participation in

ABMDR events.’ Mekhitarian added that close to 90 donors were
recruited during the walkathon.

Following the walk/run, the large crowd at Verdugo Park celebrated
with music and dancing. The lineup of singers performing at the event

included Joseph Krikorian, Ara Sahagian, Hratch Bogharian, Nersig
Ispirian, and Sahag Sislian.

There were also a surprise appearances by Armenchik and Mihran.
Addressing the hundreds of jubilant participants, the singers
encouraged everyone to continue helping in the growth of the ABMDR.
Subsequently Armenchik registered as a donor and made a donation to
the ABMDR.

Unprecedented events in Yerevan and Tehran

Another watershed event took place on October 3 in Yerevan, where the

ABMDR organized its largest outreach event to date.

The Armenian capital’s famed Lovers’ Park pulsated with a marathon

benefit concert while ABMDR representatives interacted with hundreds
of attendees, educating them about the work of the registry and
recruiting stem cell donors.

Volunteer performers and artists lending their talents to the
extraordinary, eight-hour celebration included Forsh, Michael
Poghosyan, the Malkhas jazz band, and scores of others. The event
netted 200 donor recruits.

Significant results were also achieved in Tehran. During the first
week of October, Mariette Tounians, the registry’s representative in

the Iranian capital, recruited 250 donors at the Avedissian Clinic,
marking a turning point for the Armenian-Iranian community.

About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: Established in 1999,
the ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians worldwide
survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and
matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants.

To date, the registry has recruited over 15,000 donors across three
continents, identified 1,305 patients, found 1,033 potential matches,

and facilitated nine bone marrow transplants.

For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit abmdr.am.

# # #

NICOLAS SARKOZY: KAZAKHSTAN MAY PLAY A GREAT ROLE IN THE SOLUTION TO NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT

APA
06 Oct 2009 18:30

Baku. Lachin Sultanova – APA. Kazakhstan may play a great role in the
stabilization of the situation in the Central Asia and solution to
the conflicts in the Caucasus, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said
at the press conference he held with Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan
Nazarbayev in Astana, APA reports.

"Kazakhstan is a peaceful country, strives for peace and it may help
in the restoration of peace among the countries in this region,
solution to a number of conflicts, for example, Nagorno Karabakh,
Ossetia and Abkhazia," he said.

Nicolas Sarkozy considers that Kazakhstan should restore stability
in the region.

"We need Kazakhstan in settling crisis in Afghanistan and Iran,
establishing new relations with our friends from Russia, combating
intolerance and extremism, solving critical situations in this region,
solving Nagorno Karabakh, Ossetia and Abkhazia conflicts," he said.