HRANUSH HAKOBYAN APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF THE STATE COMMITTEE ON TIES WITH DIASPORA
armradio.am
27.06.2008 12:51
On June 27 RA President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on appointing
Hranush Hakobyan President of the State Committee on Ties with
Diaspora of the Ministry of Foreign affairs of the Republic of Armenia,
President’s press Office reported
SENATOR PUTS ONE-MONTH HOLD ON BUSH’S NOMINEE FOR ARMENIA
Turkish Daily News
June 26 2008
UMÄ°T ENGÄ°NSOY
Pro-Armenian Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer Tuesday placed a one-month
hold on U.S. President George W. Bush’s pick for the ambassador to
Yerevan, hinting that she or a like-minded senator may permanently
block the nomination on grounds that the nominee is declining to
characterize World War I-era killings of Armenians in the Ottoman
empire as "genocide." The Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday
was due to vote on the nominations of 22 would-be U.S. ambassadors,
including Marie Yovanovitch, the pick for the Armenian capital.It
eventually confirmed 21 of them, delaying only Yovanovitch’s case
until the committee’s next "business meeting," probably in mid-July,
a committee official told the Turkish Daily News. The reason was
Boxer’s hold."Senator Barbara Boxer today secured a one-month delay
in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s consideration of the
confirmation of U.S. ambassador to Armenia nominee Marie Yovanovitch
in response to the State Department’s delay in providing timely
written responses to the eight sets of written questions submitted
to her by members of the panel," the Armenian National Committee of
America, or ANCA, said in a written statement."Senator Boxer not only
provided senators with the opportunity they would otherwise have been
denied, to meaningfully review the nominee’s responses, but also, very
significantly, ensured that all Americans citizens – including Armenian
Americans and those who share our commitment to ending the cycle of
genocide – have a chance to study her answers," said Aram Hamparian,
executive director of ANCA, the largest U.S. Armenian group.Democratic
presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Joe Biden, the
Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
were among the senators sending written questions to be replied by
Yovanovitch, the ANCA said.Richard Hoagland, Bush’s earlier nominee
for Yerevan, could never win the Senate’s confirmation for the post,
as Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, another strong supporter of the
Armenian cause, blocked his nomination two years ago on grounds that
he had failed to qualify the Armenian killings as genocide.
History repeating itself?
Menendez last week also interrogated Yovanovitch during her
confirmation hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Despite
Menendez’ insistent questioning, Yovanovitch, like Hoagland, declined
to use the g-word.Analysts said that Boxer, Menendez or any other
like-minded senator might permanently block Yovanovitch’s nomination
too.The U.S. ambassadorial position in Yerevan has been vacant
since May 2006, when John Evans, the last ambassador, was fired
in the wake of his remarks qualifying the killings as genocide in
defiance of Washington’s official policy.Bush then sought to replace
him with Hoagland, whose case was later understood to be doomed.Senior
U.S. officials need the Senate’s approval to take up their posts. Under
U.S. laws, even a single senator has a power to put a hold on
nominations of senior administration officials, including would-be
ambassadors, although such moves are usually rare because they put the
dissenting senator under intense pressure.A genocide resolution came
close to passage at the U.S. House of Representatives last fall, and
only strong Turkish warnings that such a move would destroy the Bush
administration’s focused efforts to cultivate U.S.-Turkey relations
caused it to be shelved.But analysts here warn that Turkey almost
certainly will face the same problem in Congress next year. Making
things worse for Turkey, Obama strongly supports the Armenian position.
–Boundary_(ID_nshlcUoRLtTuPRWuGeTCOw)- –
U.S. DIPLOMAT TO ASSESS HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMENIA
Interfax News Agency
June 24 2008
Russia
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor David Kramer will come to Yerevan on Monday on a two-day visit,
the press secretary of the U.S. embassy in Armenia told Interfax.
She said Yerevan would be a leg of Kramer’s South Caucasian tour and he
would discuss the provision of human rights and democracy. Kramer will
meet with Armenian officials, human rights activists, representatives
of public organizations and the media, and political scientists.
The opposition disagreed with results of the February 19 presidential
election in Armenia and organized protests in downtown Yerevan. The
protests developed into riots and clashes with the police on March
1. Ten people died and over 250 people were wounded.
US AMBASSADOR NOMINEE TO ARMENIA REFUSES TO DECLARE "GENOCIDE"
Hurriye
June 20 2008
Turkey
A United States diplomat nominated to be ambassador to Armenia came
under intense questioning Thursday at her confirmation hearing over the
U.S. policy not to label the 1915 incidents in Turkey as "genocide".
Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, who blocked the Bush
administration’s previous nominee over the issue and also worked with
Armenian American activists, questioned Marie Yovanovitch closely on
her views and pressed her to identify the 1915 incidents as "genocide"
but the ambassadorial nominee refused and identified it as "ethnic
cleansing."
Yovanovitch, a Foreign Service officer for 22 years and the current
ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
that even though the Armenians’ suffering was "one of the greatest
tragedies of the 20th century," referring to it as "genocide" was
"a policy decision" and she would not comment on whether she believed
a so-called genocide had occurred.
Menendez questioned Yovanovitch in prosecutorial style during a hearing
of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the 1915 incidents. It
remains uncertain whether the Senate will block the confirmation of
Yovanovitch to a post that has been unfilled for two years.
Armenia, with the backing of the Diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million
of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915. The
Armenian Diaspora has lately increased its organized activities
throughout the world for the acknowledgment of their unfounded
allegations in regard to the incidents of 1915 as "genocide" by
national and local parliaments.
Turkey rejects the claims, saying that 300,000 Armenians along with
at least as many Turks died in civil strife that emerged when the
Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia.
Turkey also says parliaments and other political institutions are not
the appropriate bodies to debate and pass judgment on disputed periods
of history. Past events and controversial periods of history should
be left to historians for their dispassionate study and evaluation.
Efforts by Turkey to carry out a deeper investigation have yet to have
a positive outcome. In 2005, Turkey officially proposed to the Armenian
government the establishment of a joint historical commission composed
of historians and other experts from both sides to study together
the events of 1915 and to open the archives of Turkey and Armenia,
as well as the archives of all relevant third-party countries and
share their findings publicly. Unfortunately, Armenia has not yet
responded positively to this initiative and Turkey’s proposal remains
on the table.
In August, the White House withdrew its nomination of career diplomat
Richard Hoagland after Menendez held up his confirmation through a
Senate procedure.
Hoagland’s predecessor, John Evans, reportedly had his tour of duty in
Armenia cut short by the administration because, in a social setting,
he referred to the incidents as "genocide."
Armenian-American groups sought to prevent Hoagland’s nomination
unless he made a clear statement affirming the so called genocide.
RED LINES
Armenians should recognize the border lines between Turkey and
Armenia defined in the Kars Treaty which is still in force, Omer
Lutem, retired ambassador and chief of the Armenian studies office
of the Eurasian Strategic Research Center told an Azerian News Agency.
The U.S. Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried’s call on Armenia to
recognize Turkey’s borders was a very important step, he told the
Azerbaijan’s APA.
"Armenia pays no heed to the Turkey’s demand for a long time. Now
U.S. high-ranking officials raise this issue. I believe Armenia will
be forced to listen to it," Lutem said.
Lutem said: "The U.S. makes efforts to solve the Armenian-Turkish issue
for a long time and to achieve long-term peace in the Caucasus. It
is not a new policy."
He added that Fried’s address showed that Americans would take more
interest in this issue in future, and the West will increase pressure
on Armenia in the near future.
The former ambassador also reiterated Turkey’s three main problems
with Armenia; the recognition of Turkey’s territorial integrity,
giving up the "genocide" claims and solution of the Karabakh problem,
and added Turkey would never change its demands.
Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic links after Ankara
severed ties in protest against Armenian control and violence in
the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Armenia invaded in a war with
Azerbaijan in the early 1990s. The border between Turkey and Armenia
has been closed.
TURKISH DIPLOMAT: "WE HAVE THREE MAIN DEMANDS FROM ARMENIA"
Azeri Press Agency
June 20 2008
Azerbaijan
Ankara. Mayis Alizadeh-APA. "One of the problems with Armenia is that
Armenia doesn’t recognize territorial integrity of our country. Armenia
claimed the territory of Turkey in its declaration of independence
in 1991.
Although Kars treatment signed in 1920 is in force today. Kars
treatment defined the border lines and Armenians should recognize it",
Omar Lutem, retired ambassador and chief of the Armenian studies
office of the Eurasian Strategic Research Center told APA Turkish
bureau. Touching upon the US Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried’s call on
Armenia to recognize Turkey’s borders, the former diplomat said it was
very important step. "Armenia pays no heed to the Turkey’s demand for
a long time. Now US high-ranking officials raise this issue. I believe
Armenia will be forced to listen to it". Responding the question about
the US and Europe’s regular calls on Turkey to open the borders with
Armenia and their current call on Armenia to make step, Lutem said:
"US makes efforts to solve the Armenian-Turkish issue for a long
time and to achieve long-term peace in the Caucasus. It is not a
new policy. Daniel Fried’s address shows that Americans will take
more interest in this issue in future. It shows that the West will
increase pressure on Armenia in the near future. Turkish diplomacy
put the issue of recognition of the Turkey’s territorial integrity
on agenda during all discussions related to Armenia and runs Armenia
into difficulties. They know well our efforts made over the past 17
years. Fried made very important statement at the Congress". The former
ambassador said Turkey had 3 main problems with Armenia: "Recognition
of Turkey’s territorial integrity, giving up the false "genocide"
claims and solution of Karabakh problem. We mean the liberation of 7
regions nearby Nagorno Karabakh and the solution of Nagorno Karabakh
problem within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. We will never
change our demands".
FAMILY TALES THAT TIE ARMENIAN TO TURK
Alev Adil
Arts & Book Review
June 20, 2008
My Grandmother By Fethiye Cetin, trans Maureen Freely VERSO £12.99
(114pp) £11.69 (free p&p) from 0870 079 8897
Fethiye Cetin’s grandmother played a central role in her childhood
when she was growing up in Maden, a provincial Turkish town in
the 1950s, especially after her father died when she was six. She
knew her grandmother as a warm, resourceful and respected Turkish
housewife. Years later, in 1975, her grandmother revealed that she
was Armenian by birth, that in 1915 the men of her village had been
murdered, the women sent on a death march, and that she had been torn
from her mother’s arms by a Turkish police captain, who later adopted
her. Heranus, who was to become Seher, never saw her birth family
again, although her parents and her brother survived and settled in
New York.
??etin’s gripping and thought-provoking memoir inhabits the fault
lines between personal recall, inherited memory and history. It
reaches towards an understanding, if not of the events, then of their
aftermath. Her spare and elegant prose may be easy to read, but this
is no lightweight, sentimental book. An unassuaged loss sings through
??etin’s allusive, understated style. Maureen Freely’s translation
captures the style and tone perfectly.
History becomes a family secret kept even at Heranus’s
funeral. Politics is never spoken of and yet its presence is
palpable. The silences it imposes lead to erasures, not just
the changing of names, but the unspeakable truths those names
commemorate. The genocide is both a historical fact and an unbearably
personal secret Heranus shares only with her granddaughter, shocked
by her hidden heritage that "turned the known world on its head."
??etin proves herself worthy of such a legacy by bearing witness to
her grandmother’s remarkable resilience and goodness in the face
of tragedy. Childhood reminiscences – her irascible grandfather’s
appetite and tempers, family meals, laundry day, the pastries cooked
secretly to commemorate Easter – are cast in a new light.
Remembering and reconciling Turkish and Armenian histories
and identities is both emotionally charged, and politically
contentious. ??etin is a courageous writer; challenging official
Turkish history can still have fatal consequences, as the assassination
of Hrant Dink in 2007 has shown. Dink, editor of the Turkish-Armenian
newspaper Agos, helped ??etin in her search for the family. She
was to act as his lawyer when he was prosecuted for "insulting
Turkishness". ??etin ends her story in a New Jersey kitchen, as she
dances the halay with octogenarian Aunt Marge, the sister Heranus
was never to meet. Such small private celebrations make significant
strides in reconciliation between Turks and Armenians. This moving
testimony transcends politics and brings the Armenian tragedy to life
with tenderness as well as sadness.
–Boundary_(ID_EwZ9c+8l3O+DjghlSnuymg)–
SERZH SARGSYAN: "ARMENIA WILL OVERCOME"
Panorama.am
22:18 20/06/2008
In recent few months Armenia has appeared on the headlines of the
European press for two certain reasons – for both good and bad reasons,
said the president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan in an interview given
to radio Liberty.
See the interview below based on the version provided by the press
service of President’s Administration.
"In recent few months Armenia has appeared on the headlines of
the European press for two certain reasons – for both good and bad
reasons. The first was the events in took place in the capital city
after the presidential elections in February; and the second one was
the meeting of president scheduled on June 7, when my counterpart –
the president of Azerbaijan and me met. Both of them have emphasized
that Armenia is a country passing a transitional stage within
European neighborhood. Though there are numerous obstacles in this way
Armenia keeps improving the reforms and strengthening its democratic
institutions as a part leading towards sustainable governing.
Post-election disagreements gave me an opportunity to take the
initiative and join four Parliamentarian factions from existing five
and form a political coalition. The principle ideology of the coalition
is to implement large-scale democracy-oriented, social, and economic
reforms, which, by the way are being implemented now. We do work
together to match the spirit of Resolution 1609 of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)."
Tangible reform which are in line with the international standards
include to liberalize the RA law on "holding meetings, rallies,
marches and demonstrations", to expand the rights of parliamentarian
opposition through certain legislative changes, which guarantee an
inclusive role in the political system and decision-making processes,
drafting full package of reforms of the Electoral Code which would
match OSCE recommendations including provisions for the participation
of the parliamentarian and non-parliamentarian parties, and profound
legislative changes in the RA Law on TV and Radio. All the above
mentioned points are conducted based on the positive assessment of
Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.
These are decisive steps towards long-term reforms addressed to the
discontent caused after the recent elections and they are to guarantee
more freedom for Armenians. We do welcome any recommendation made by
the European Union and the upcoming French presidency for supporting
these reforms and ensuring effective implementation. Above and beyond
PACE recommendations, we have taken the initiative to conduct major
legislative enforcement reforms, and a parliamentary special committee
is formed by the participation of the NA factions which is aimed to
study the tragic circumstances of post-electoral events. This committee
will be authorized to conduct profound study and to come up with its
own independent findings and conclusions. The extra-parliamentarian
groups, civil society institutions, and independent international
experts are encouraged to participate in these efforts.
Although there is still much work to be done, we and PACE Monitoring
Committee has observed important progress. I am happy to say that
the political coalition is wiling to implement our ambitious plans.
We do recognize that we long to be attractive for Europe and broader
international community.
History has been cruel to Armenia. Our people have overcome various
difficulties, both in previous years and recently. But we are certain
that our country should not stick in a stage of permanent transition.
Learning much from the U.S. civil rights movement, I am sure that
despite of the future challenges we shall overcome. Being one of the
enthusiastic member of the European neighborhood, Armenia will prove
that its democratic governance is irreversible."
ANCA COMMENDS CONGRESSMAN BERMAN FOR CONDUCTING HOUSE HEARING ON ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.06.2008
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) led a
two hour hearing today that included over a dozen members of Congress
questioning Assistant Secretary Dan Fried on the U.S.
policy of complicity in Armenian Genocide denial, Turkey’s blockade,
and Azerbaijan’s escalating threats of war, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
"We want to thank Chairman Berman for this excellent opportunity for
members of the Foreign Affairs Committee to exercise oversight over a
deeply flawed set of U.S. policies toward Armenia and Armenian American
issues – most notably the Administration’s policy of complicity in
Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide, its lack of any meaningful
steps to lift Turkey’s blockade of Armenia, and its effective silence
in the face of escalating threats of war by an increasingly well armed
Azerbaijan against the people of Nagorno Karabakh." Berman opened the
hearing stating, "I’d like to start with one of the most puzzling and
problematic matters: the Turkish blockade of Armenia, in place since
1993. It’s a punishing policy that holds the Armenian economy back and
enormously increases the cost of much of Armenia’s trade with other
nations." He continued noting that "It’s baffling why Ankara would want
to pursue this land blockade, which also harms the economy of eastern
Turkey, and is therefore clearly contrary to its own interests."
The Chairman’s statement and questions were followed by powerful
remarks and in-depth inquiries by Armenian Genocide Resolution lead
author Adam Schiff (D-CA), Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs
Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) as well as Committee
members Brad Sherman (D-CA), Diane Watson (D-CA), Ed Royce (R-CA),
and Jim Costa (D-CA), among others.
AZERBAIJANI RULING PARTY OFFERS TO SET UP JOINT COMMISSION FOR ‘ARMENIAN GENOCIDE’
Trend News Agency
June 18 2008
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, Baku, 18 June / corr. TrendNews E. Babayev/ The ruling
New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) believes that there is a need to set up an
Azerbaijani-Turkish commission to study historical facts. "We see a
need to establish this commission. "This commission should be set up
to study claims about the so-called ‘Armenian genocide’," Ali Ahmadov,
the deputy chairman and executive secretary of NAP said to media on
18 June.
Armenians has recently intensified propaganda on the so-called
‘Armenian genocide’ and parliaments of several countries have
recognized it. Armenian historians claim that Armenians were subject
to the massacre by the Turkish army in 1915.
According to Ahmadov, Armenians have committed genocide against
Turks and Azerbaijanis from time to time. The genocide in various
regions of Azerbaijan in 1918 can serve as an example. The place,
where people were buried in large numbers that were revealed in
Guba region of Azerbaijan, is a vivid example of the brutality
against Azerbaijanis by the Armenians. "The study of these facts and
revealing historical facts can be carried out by the joint work of the
Azerbaijani and Turkish experts and the experts from other countries
as well," Ahmadov said. If Turkey takes some measures to set up this
commission, Azerbaijan is ready to join it, he said.
NAP was established by the chairman of the Supreme Majlis of Nakhchivan
Heydar Aliyev in 1992. The current President Ilham Aliyev is the
chairman of the Party, which has been ruling for already 14 years.
NO DISCUSSIONS ON TIGRAN TOROSIAN’S RESIGNATION TAKE PLACE IN RPA YET
YE REVAN, JUNE 13, NOYAN TAPAN. No discussions on replacing Tigran
Torosian, the Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia, on the
post of the NA Speaker have been held in the party yet. Mkrtich
Minasian and Artak Davtian, members of the RPA Board and faction of the
same name, stated at the June 13 press briefing. According to them,
"these are only unofficial talks."
According to M. Minasian, the sitting of party’s executive body will
take place in the evening the same day. Its details will be publicized
the next day.
Touching upon the ad hoc parliamentary commission on investigation of
the March 1 events, A. Davtian said that as a result of commission’s
work they expect to clear up the proportionality of use of force by law
enforcement bodies, circumstances of death of perished people,
political and legal solutions of excluding such events.