Author: Madatian Greg

Pan Armenian News

MAMEDYAROV: KARABAKH STATUS TO BE DECIDED DEMOCRATICALLY

02.07.2005 02:34

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ «The settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is
possible only having taken into account the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan,» stated Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov at
a meeting with head of the CE Committee of Ministers Monitoring Group (AGO
Group) Ronald Wegener July 1, reported Trend Azeri news agency. The Azeri FM
noted that «the peace talks held within the framework of various
international organizations should take into account the inviolability of
borders of Azerbaijan.» Touching upon the future status of Karabakh, E.
Mamedyarov remarked the it has to be decided democratically.

Pan Armenian News

SUICIDE BOMBER KILLED NEAR RESIDENCE OF TURKISH PRIME MINISTER

01.07.2005 06:34

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A suicide bomber was shot not far from the office of
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. The incident took
place at about 9.30 local time. When the man was approaching the residence
the guard noticed that a blasting assembly is attached to his body. He did
not react to the order to stop and was shot. No blast followed. Sappers are
working at the site of occurrence to neutralize the mine, Azeri media
report.

FINANCIAL-ECONOMIC PRESS IS LACKING IN ARMENIA, BELIEVES MEMBER OF CBA
BOARD

YEREVAN, June 22. /ARKA/. Financial-economic press is lacking in
Armenia, believes Vache Gabrielyan, member of CBA Board on addressing
“Transparency of State Bodies Activities and Information Availability”
seminar. He said that “there are three agencies and one newspaper
specializing in economy and finance but the range of their activities
is not so wide”. According to Gabrielyan, there is no mass media in
Armenia to cover only financial -economic events. The economic market
is not fully covered, and the development of economy branches and
money-loan issues are superficial. “There are many problems in the
area of economic journalism and this area needs constant knowledge
improvement”, said Gabrielyan. L.V.-0–

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
June 21, 2005
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]

NJ RECOGNIZES AND REMEMBERS THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
General Assembly Unanimously Passes Resolution, Commission on
Holocaust Education Approves Armenian Genocide Curriculum

Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly of America today commended the
state of New Jersey for its dual efforts in recognizing and raising
awareness of the Armenian Genocide. In Trenton, the General Assembly
voted 79 to 0 yesterday to approve a joint resolution commemorating
the 90th anniversary of genocide, while the state-appointed education
commission announced a comprehensive curriculum on the Armenian
Genocide.

The resolution, which was sponsored by State Assembly members Joan
Voss (D-38) and Robert Gordon (D-38), honors the memory of the 1.5
million Armenians who were killed by the Ottoman Turks. It states in
part, “This joint resolution recognizes the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide and acknowledges the criminal mistreatment of the
Armenians by the governments of the Ottoman Empire as an issue of
international and historic significance.” [See attached text]

During Voss’ powerful remarks, she expressed the gravity of the crime
of genocide and said, “Man’s inhumanity to man knows no bounds.”
Additional speakers included Assemblyman Gordon, William Payne (D-29),
Bill Baroni (R-14) and former Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytaian.

“We commend Assembly Members Voss and Gordon for championing this bill
and thank all 79 Members of the State Assembly for their support,”
said Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian. “Remembrance and
affirmation of the Armenian Genocide is especially critical given
Turkey’s ongoing denial and revisionism.”

The Assembly also commended New Jersey public officials for the
state’s pioneering role in human rights education that since 1982 that
has now led to the inclusion of Armenian Genocide studies as part of
the statewide curriculum. The action, announced yesterday by the New
Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education (NJCHE) marks the first time
in the United States that a stand-alone curriculum on the Armenian
Genocide will be incorporated in public and private schools.

The Assembly, together with the Armenian National Institute, initiated
and proposed the new curriculum to then governor James McGreevey who
convened a meeting of Armenian-American community leaders in late
2003. Following the meeting with the governor, NJCHE Chair Dr. Paul
Winkler assembled a committee of educators and specialists to draft a
new curriculum.

The new curriculum consists of the resource book on the Armenian
Genocide developed by the Facing History and Ourselves Foundation
(FHAO) entitled “Crimes Against Humanity and Civilization: the
Genocide of the Armenians,” which will be distributed to middle and
high schools throughout New Jersey, along with a guide to teachers
prepared by the N.J. Commission on Holocaust Education.

The guide was prepared by the Commission in cooperation with the
Armenian National Institute.

Hovnanian said that New Jersey is widely recognized as an educational
leader in designing and implementing “best practices” instructional
tools and said the Assembly looks forward to promoting the adoption of
this curriculum in other states as well.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership
organization.

NR#2005-069

Photographs available on the Assembly Web site at the following links:

CAPTION: Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny with New
Jersey State Assembly Member Joan Voss (D-38) in Trenton, N.J. on June
20.

CAPTION: L to R: Armenian National Institute Director Dr. Rouben
Adalian, N.J. Commission on Holocaust Education Executive Director
Dr. Paul Winkler and Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny.

CAPTION: Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny with
former New Jersey State Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytaian. Haytaian was
separately recognized yesterday by the current Assembly Speaker for
his years of public service.

Editor’s Note: Attached is the full text of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution that was passed by the New Jersey State Assembly on June
20.

ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION
No. 125
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
211th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED MAY 5, 2005

Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman JOAN VOSS
District 38 (Bergen)
Assemblyman ROBERT GORDON
District 38 (Bergen)

AJR125

1. A JOINT RESOLUTION recognizing the 90th anniversary of the
2. Armenian Genocide.
3
4. WHEREAS, From 1915 to 1923, 1.5 million Armenian people were
5. systematically persecuted and executed by the governments of the
6. Ottoman Empire in the first genocide of the twentieth century; and
7. WHEREAS, The genocide began on the night of April 24, 1915, when
8. the Turkish government arrested more than 200 Armenian
9.community leaders in Constantinople and hundreds more soon after;
10. and
11. WHEREAS, Most of the prominent public figures of the Armenian
12. community were summarily executed; and
13. WHEREAS, The Armenian people were then systematically subject to
14. deportation, expropriation, abduction, torture, massacre and
15. starvation; and
16. WHEREAS, Hundreds of thousands of Armenian men, women and
17. children were forcibly removed from their homes and deported to
18. the Syrian desert, where the majority of the deportees died of
19. dehydration and starvation; and
20. WHEREAS, It is estimated that by 1918, approximately one million
21. people had perished, while hundreds of thousands had become
22. homeless and stateless refugees; and
23. WHEREAS, By 1923, the entire landmass of Asia Minor and historic
24. West Armenia had been expunged of its Armenian population; now
25. therefore,
26
27. BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State
28. of New Jersey:
29
30. 1. This joint resolution recognizes the 90th anniversary of the
31. Armenian Genocide and acknowledges the criminal mistreatment of
32. the Armenians by the governments of the Ottoman Empire as an issue
33. of international and historic significance.
34
35. 2. The Governor and the Legislature shall call upon the citizens of
36. the State of New Jersey to recognize the 90th anniversary of the
37. Armenian Genocide and honor the memory of the 1.5 million people
38. who died as a result.
39
40. 3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
41
42
43. STATEMENT
44
45. This joint resolution recognizes the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide by the governments of the Ottoman Empire. The
Governor and the Legislature shall call upon the citizens of New
Jersey to recognize the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
and to remember those who died as a result.

Pan Armenian News

NORWEGIAN SPEAKER TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA JUNE 22

21.06.2005 02:43

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A Norwegian delegation headed by Parliamentary Speaker
Jorgen Kosmo will pay a visit to Armenia June 22-24 on the invitation of
Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Artur Baghdassaryan, reported
the Press Service of the Armenian Parliament. The delegation will meet with
A. Baghdassaryan, as well as the Vice-Speaker and representatives of the
standing commissions and factions of the Armenian Parliament June 22.
Besides, the Norwegian MPs will met with Armenian PM Andranik Margaryan and
Deputy Minister of Defense Mikayel Harutyunyan. June 23 the delegation will
visit Holy Echmiadzin and the town of Spitak. June 24 a meeting with
Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian is scheduled.

Haut-Karabakh: forte participation aux législatives

Edicom, Suisse
19 Juin 2005

EREVAN (AP) – Quelque 90.000 electeurs etaient appeles aux urnes
dimanche a l’occasion de legislatives dans l’enclave armenienne du
Haut-Karabakh en Azerbaïdjan qui a proclame son independance.

Le Parti democrate de l’Artsakh, principale formation qui soutient le
gouvernement du president Arkadi Goukassian, et le parti d’opposition
Dachnak, devraient obtenir la majeure partie des 33 sièges. Artsakh
est le nom armenien du Haut-Karabakh.

Plus de 73% des electeurs ont glisse leur bulletin dans l’urne,
soit bien plus que les 25% requis pour que le scrutin soit valide,
selon le responsable des elections, Sergueï Nassibian.

Un cessez-le-feu proclame en 1994 a mis fin a une guerre de six
ans contre le pouvoir central azerbaïdjanais et a conduit a une
independance uniquement reconnue par l’Armenie. Le conflit a fait
30.000 morts et a entraîne le deplacement d’un million de personnes.

Aucun règlement politique n’a ete conclu en depit des efforts deployes
par la communaute internationale pour que les gouvernements armenien
et azerbaïdjanais trouvent une solution. La menace d’une reprise
des hostilites demeure donc. L’Azerbaïdjan estime que l’enclave,
qui lui avait ete rattachee lors du trace des frontières internes
a l’URSS dans les annees vingt, lui appartient pour toujours et que
seule une autonomie interne peut etre negociee. Les Armeniens, quant
a eux, qu’ils soient du Karabakh ou d’Armenie, jugent totalement
inenvisageable tout retour dans le giron de l’Azerbaïdjan.

AP

–Boundary_(ID_/USWyrWt17M1toL9aleQtQ)–

Agence France Presse — Deutsche
Freitag, 17. Juni 2005

Ton zwischen Ankara und Berlin wegen Armenien-Beschluss schärfer

Istanbul/Berlin, 17. Juni

Im Streit um den Armenien-Beschluss des deutschen Bundestags hat sich
der Ton zwischen Berlin und Ankara am Freitag erheblich verschärft.
Ministerpräsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan sprach von einem “hässlichen”
Beschluss und warf Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schröder (SPD) vor, nicht zu
seinen früheren Äußerungen in der Frage der türkischen Massaker an
den Armeniern im Ersten Weltkrieg zu stehen. “Ich schätze eher
Politiker mit Rückgrat”, zitierten türkische Medien den
Ministerpräsidenten. Die Bundesregierung wies Erdogans Kritik zurück.
Vor der deutschen Botschaft in Ankara legten Demonstranten aus
Protest einen schwarzen Kranz nieder.

Der deutsche Vize-Regierungssprecher Thomas Steg sagte dem
“Tagesspiegel” (Samstagausgabe), die Enttäuschung der Türkei über die
Resolution sei “unverständlich”. “Es ist eine ausgewogene
Resolution.”. Den Vorwurf Erdogans, Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schröder
(SPD) habe nicht zu seinen früheren Äußerungen über das
Armenier-Massaker gestanden, wies Steg zurück. Schröder habe immer
seine eigene Position deutlich gemacht, sagte der Sprecher.

Erdogan kritisierte, der Bundestag sei zum Opfer armenischer Lobbies
geworden. Vor der deutschen Botschaft in Ankara versammelten sich am
Freitag zwischen 50 und 100 Mitglieder einer nationalistisch
geprägten Gewerkschaft, um gegen die deutsche Entscheidung zu
protestieren. Der türkische Nachrichtensender NTV meldete, dabei habe
es Handgreiflichkeiten zwischen den Demonstranten und
Sicherheitskräften gegeben. In Parolen kritisierten die Demonstranten
Deutschland als “faschistisch”. “Hitlers Bastarde”, lautete eine der
Parolen.

Die Türkei drohte mit Konsequenzen für die deutsch-türkischen
Beziehungen. Ein Bericht der türkischen Zeitung “Vatan”, wonach die
Türkei aus Protest gegen den Bundestagsbeschluss möglicherweise ihren
Botschafter in Berlin zu Konsultationen nach Ankara zurückrufen
werde, wurde in türkischen Regierungskreisen jedoch dementiert.

Am Donnerstag war der Gesandte der deutschen Botschaft in Ankara ins
türkische Außenministerium zitiert worden. Außenminister Abdullah Gül
hatte die Resolution als “verletzend” für die Türkei und die in
Deutschland lebenden Türken kritisiert.

Der Bundestag hatte am Donnerstag mit den Stimmen aller Fraktionen
eine Entschließung zum Gedenken an die türkischen Massaker an den
Armeniern im Jahr 1915 verabschiedet. In der Resolution selbst ist
nicht von “Völkermord” die Rede, wohl aber in der Antragsbegründung.
Mit dem Beschluss fordert der Bundestag die Bundesregierung auf,
“dabei mitzuhelfen, dass zwischen Türken und Armeniern ein Ausgleich
durch Aufarbeitung, Versöhnen und Verzeihen historischer Schuld
erreicht wird”.

Bei den zwischen 1915 und 1917 verübten Massakern und durch
Todesmärsche starben zwischen 300.000 und 1,5 Millionen Armenier. Ein
Großteil der internationalen Öffentlichkeit stuft die Verbrechen als
Völkermord ein. Aus Sicht der Türkei handelte es sich bei den
Ereignissen dagegen um die tragischen Folgen einer Zwangsumsiedlung,
die wegen des Krieges erforderlich gewesen sei.

–Boundary_(ID_MXLwVKLYXbAjml89twz5iQ)–

US ambassador to Armenia deprived of high award

AzerNews
16 June 05

An influential US organization has deprived US ambassador to Armenia
John Evans of a prestigious award for in an unprecedented move in its
history. State Department, withdrew the Christian Herter premium for
“For constructive disagreements” conferred to the ambassador after
he used the ‘genocide of Armenians’ expression.

American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), which consists of the
present and former officials of the US Early last week the selection
committee decided to cancel the ambassador’s award and not to confer
it to anyone in this category. The decision came shortly before a
high-level visit by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan
to Washington.

“This is the first time in the history of presenting the award that
the winner was announced but his candidacy was later withdrawn”,
the Association president John Limbert said.

The award is annually conferred to diplomats to encourage creative
thinking, intellectual outspokenness and institutional building
among US State Department officials, influential US Washington Post
newspaper reported. The presentation ceremony is attended by the State
Secretary. For instance, an average-level diplomat received the award
last year for explicitly expressing his views on the US policy on Iraq.

Speaking to the Armenian public in California, Ambassador Evans
described the killings of 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire
in 1915 as ‘genocide’, saying that the issue should be ‘openly and
fairly discussed’. Armenians, in turn, said Evans is the second
American official to use the ‘genocide’ term since the tenure of
former US President Ronald Reagan.

The statement drew fire from Turkey, which prompted the ambassador
to say that he used the term according to his personal beliefs at an
informal meeting. Evans was also compelled to reword the ‘genocide
of Armenians’ expression into the ‘tragedy of Armenians’.

IRAN, ARMENIA LOOK TO BOLSTER BILATERAL TIES

Asia Pulse; Jun 14, 2005

TABRIZ, East Azarbaijan prov, June 14 Asia Pulse – Visiting Armenian
Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan met with the Governor General of
the Iran’s northwestern province of East Azarbaijan, Mohammad-Ali
Sobhanollahi on Monday, discussing ways to bolster Tabriz-Yerevan
relations.

During the meeting, Sobhanollahi pointed to the province’s economic,
scientific, industrial and trade potentials, calling for consolidation
of cooperation between the two cities.

He called on Armenian officials to accelerate construction of a
transit road between the two regions and settle the transit problems.

Referring to Iran’s abundant energy resources, he said it was
inevitable for neighboring states to cooperate with Iran in this
regard.

He voiced his province’s readiness to boost all-out cooperation with
Yerevan within the framework of the two countries’ agreement.

Movsisyan, for his part, expressed his country’s interest in
cooperating with the Iranian city, underlining the need to construct
Iran-Armenia pipeline to transport oil from Iran to Armenia.

Basesgioglu: Efforts For Employment Of Youth Are Important Investments In Future

Turkish Press
June 13 2005

GENEVA (AA) – Turkish Labor & Social Security Minister Murat
Basesgioglu said, “international efforts for employment of youth and
contributions of International Labor Organization (ILO) to this issue
are important investments in the future of countries, and we support
these efforts.”

Taking the floor at the 93rd General Assembly meeting of ILO in
Switzerland on Tuesday, Basesgioglu said, “social partners and
non-governmental organizations should jointly fight against child
labor for the future of societies.”

“Turkey exerts efforts against this issue especially by concentrating
on girls within the scope of a national policy,” he added.

Basesgioglu said, “the importance of elimination of poverty and
settlement of social justice for social and global peace are among the
basic principles of the ILO. One of the test incidents in this issue
is Palestinian problem which cannot be solved for a half century.”

“The report on ‘Situation of Workers of the Occupied Arab
Territories’ refreshed hopes to solve this problem and a new milieu
has emerged. This chance should not be missed. We want settlement of
a permanent and just peace in the lands,” he added.

“Palestinian Fund for Employment and Social Protection under ILO
will have important contributions to the efforts. Turkey contributed
to this fund last year and also it sent humanitarian aid worth of 1
million USD the same year,” said Basesgioglu.

Meanwhile, Turk-Is (Confederation of Turkish Labor Unions) Chairman
Salih Kilic said that Turkey recorded progress in reflection of ILO
conventions onto Turkish national regulations. Kilic said, “Turkey is
waiting for beginning of EU entry talks. Some circles which do not want
Turkey’s EU membership are trying to affect the process negatively.”

“One of the examples is so-called Armenian genocide claims. Armenian
citizens living in Turkey confirm that Turks did not impose genocide
on Armenians in the history. Assessing several administrative measures
during World War I as genocide without taking into consideration the
historical facts and documents is an unjust accusation which we cannot
accept,” he added.