Author: Maghakian Mike

ISRAELI GOVERNMENT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OWING TO POLITICAL REASONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.05.2006 16:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The people and society of Israel recognize the
Armenian Genocide . However, the question is not raised at the
level of the Government, Executive Director of the Institute on
the Holocaust and Genocide, Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of
Genocide, Psychology Professor Israel Charny stated in a conversation
with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, at the state level
only former Minister of Culture of Israel Yossi Sarid recognized the
Armenian Genocide.

“There are three people in our state, who openly speak of the Armenian
Genocide in Ottoman Turkey. These are Professor Yair Auron, Yossi Sarid
and I. All others keep silent due to political considerations. Israel
is in an Islamic circle and most importantly it depends on Turkey in
water supplies. Proceeding from this the Israeli Government is silent
on the events in 1915.

Though Israeli chief rabbi Yona Metzger visited Tsitsernakaberd
Memorial in Yerevan and in fact recognized the tragedy in 1915 as
a genocide, which is a good precedent. The chief rabbi has much
influence, but he does not represent the Israeli Government,” Charny
underscored.

The Israeli scholar also remarked that for a crime committed it
is not important when it was committed and against whom. “Genocide
is a genocide: whether it is 1915, Holocaust, annihilation of Gypsy
population in Hitler Germany, Darfur, Rwanda. I always ask: why people
recognize Holocaust and keep silent on the Armenian Genocide?” he said.

As of addressing the International Criminal Tribunal, Charny believes
“it is a game.” In his opinion, only Europe is able to make Turkey
recognize the Genocide.

“If Turks really want accession to the EU, they should recognize the
Armenian Genocide. This is one of compulsory conditions,” Executive
Director of the Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide underscored.

TURKEY FEELING EU HEAT

EUPolitix.com, Belgium
May 18 2006

A row between Paris and Ankara over the massacre of Armenians in 1915
is threatening to increase anti EU resentment in Turkey.

A controversial law making it a crime to deny the alleged Armenian
genocide by Turkish troops over 90 years ago has been dramatically
postponed by the French Parliament.

Ankara has always denied accusations of genocide and has threatened
Paris with trade sanctions if the law is adopted.

French MEPs are also divided with many seeing the move as an
“unfriendly gesture” against the Turkish people.

“Our patience has limits” said Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, “we will not have hate but we will impose sanctions”.

France, where more than 400,000 Armenians live, passed a law officially
recognising the Armenian genocide in 2001.

Armenia alleges that 1.5 million Armenians were systematically deported
and killed by the Turkish Ottoman Empire, in 1915.

The controversy threatens to increase already strained EU membership
talks.

EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn made it clear on Wednesday
that Ankara had to speed up reforms; otherwise Turkey would face a
“train crash” in EU membership talks.

“It is necessary that the Turkish government takes immediate action
to restart the momentum of reforms in the country,” said Rehn.

Ankara is also feeling the heat over its unyielding position over
Cyprus.

Finland, which takes over the EU’s rotating presidency on July 1,
called on Ankara on to embrace an agreement broadening the customs
union that links the EU and Turkey to the island.

Turkish historian Halil Berktay, one of the first Turks to openly speak
out against Ankara’s official version of the Armenians mass murders,
has warned that the French legislation may increase anti-European
feelings in Turkey.

“That law would be a direct message to the Turkish government to
get rid of its European outfits” the historian told French newspaper
Le Monde.

Brussels favours “reconciliation” on the Armenian issue , but the
European parliament voted in 2005 for a non binding resolution blocking
EU membership if Ankara refused to recognise the genocide.

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“RING” ACTION MUST BE OBSERVED AS PART OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, PARLIAMENTARIAN OF ARTSAKH SURE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 17 2006

STEPANAKERT, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Open doors hearings
on the theme “The “Ring” (koltso) military action: Azerbaijani
SSR and USSR violations against the Armenian population of Nagorno
Karabakh and neighboring regions” took place on May 15 at the NKR
National Assembly. Parliament Speaker Ashot Ghulian, deputies,
representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the republic,
of the Prosecutor’s Office, justice, legal bodies and the public
participated in the hearings. The speech of Vahram Atanesian, the
Chairman of the NKR NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations was
based on data of documents and independent sources, particularly of
the Russian “Memorial” law center, RSFSR Supreme Council Human Rights
Committee, Russian officers and journalists. He also presented May 17,
1991 resolution of the U.S. Senate by which attacks against peaceful
inhabitation, bombing of unarmed people, violations committed against
them, etc. are condemned. The deputy emphasized that all documents and
certificates prove that the Azerbaijani authorities saw the Karabakh
problem solution in annihilation and mass removal of the native
inhabitation of Nagorno Karabakh. According to him, in consequence of
the “Ring” military action, in total 6030 people were displaced from
April 30 to May 15 of 1991. NKR National Assembly deputy, witness of
the events Maxim Mirzoyan mentioned that the “Ring” military action
is an action of terrorism addressed againt the peaceful inhabitation
of the settlements of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan populated with
Armenians which was worked out and affirmed by the USSR and Azerbaijani
SSR high level authorities. The deputy drew attention of participants
of the hearings, in his opinion, to an important circumstance which
proves that the happened was an agreement. “In November, 1990,
being in the U.S., I met with same Paul Goble who was among first
people to work out the plan on settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh
conflict, supposing exchange of territories. I saw on his table the
map of supposed exchanges. Factually, I had seen the same map a bit
earlier before the meeting with Goble at the headquarters of Safonov,
the regional commandant on emergency state, whose headquarters
worked out its military actions to press on Karabakh Armenians’
“saparating” moods. Of course, the identity of the map used by Safonov
and proposed by Goble is not a coincidence and speaks about the fact
that there was a joint program of actions towards Nagorno Karabakh,”
the deputy said, mentioning that the “Ring” military action must
be observed as a part of the international terrorism. NKR National
Assembly Speaker Ashot Ghulian said: “during the first months of 1991
a volumnious military action of purge of then the NGAR and neighboring
Azerbaijani settlements populated by Armenians was organized at the
state level by the authorities of the Azerbaijani SSR. A part of male
population of those villages, especially those, who were suspected
in participation in the national-liberating movement, was taken to
Azerbaijani prisons under the cover of “passport regime control.” The
happened is the continuation of the anti-Armenian policy of the
early 20th century. Factually, by the same scenario, the Azerbaijani
state made an attempt to implement its policy in our days, but,
by the means of the modern military technics, own troops. But in
any case, it is clear for everybody that this policy is organized
at the state level.” As Noyan Tapan was informed by the NKR Foreign
Ministry’s Information-Analytical Department, the speaker mentioned
that a parliamentary interim committee has been created this year on
studying facts of violations committed against NKAR and NKR citizens
which will allow to sum up the existing information about displacing of
the Armenian inhabitation of Nagorno Karabakh and neighboring regions
during the “Ring” military actions and to make concrete conclusions.

THE TIME OF PROFESSIONALS
Aram Abrahamian

Aravot.am
17 May 06

We had an acquaintance in my youth who filled a high post in the soviet
hierarchy. It happened so that he was dismissed from his post and that
50 years old person grew old in a day and lost the interest towards
the life. He even didn’t want to take his cloths on and was staying
in bed for days. Finally he hung himself in some months. There are
professional politicians and nomenclature officials in the developed
social order. That professionalism has its positive and negative sides.

Non [professionals appear in revolutionary period, which is natural,
change of elite is made. “Karabakh” committee consisted of such
“amateurs”. And that “amateurishness” as everything in the world,
has its positive and negative demonstrations and frankly speaking,
I like it. The brightest example of that “non-professionalism” gives
the Ra first president Levon Ter-Petrosian from whom 10 years of state
and political activities are temporary interval for his main scientific
work. The professional politician will never say, ”national ideology
is a false political category” /though it is true for me/. And it
is specific that only Vazgen Manoukian has remained from “Karabakh”
committee.

The revolution was over, perhaps in 94-95 and professionals occupied
the sphere. Besides the above-mentioned populism, egocentrism
is an important specific for the political professional, they
are sure that the whole world is interested in them, the extreme
uncertainty and paranoia as a result. On this occasion our most
professional politicians are Paruyr Hayrikian, Artashes Geghamian,
Aram Karapetian. The latter is sure that the whole interests of the
NSS are to know his secrets. Or Artashes Geghamian can’t even suppose
that Serge Sargsian thinks of other thing than how to trust in him,
Geghamian.

Robert Kocharian and Serge Sargsian are professional members of
nomenclature. Certainly I don’t admit, that they will hang themselves
without a post. But it is difficult to believe that they will work
with pleasure as an engineer or a teacher of Armenian language. The
same is our former colleague Sergo Yeritsian; he doesn’t want any more
or can’t make TV programs. Like Aghvan Vardanian to write articles
or poems or Vahan Hovhannisian to excavate things.

They have already smoked the hashish of the authority and have got
used to it.

And for avoiding ”breaking” /lomka/ that do their best for getting
a new doze.

–Boundary_(ID_V7soxkqGS9wDLXvJLDbHrA)–

DEEP-SEA OPERATION ON SITE OF PLANE CRASH IN BLACK SEA
by Dmitry Nezdorovin

ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 16, 2006 Tuesday

A deep-sea apparatus RT- 1000 is continuing an examination of part of
the sea bottom, where the Airbus -320 crashed on May 3, searching for
the plane flight recorders. The search is going ahead in a scheduled
regime, a source from the headquarters for technical support to the
search operation told Tass.

The flight recorders have not been found yet.

The RT-100 has been working at the depth of 500 meters, examining a
territory of twenty square meters, said Chief of the Federal Agency
for Sea and River Transport Alexander Davydenko. The Navigator search
ship has been coordinating the deep-sea robot’s efforts.

The search for the flight recorders will be continued without breaks.

Search teams numbering eighteen will replace each other as the search
continues. The search for the flight recorders might take from two
to three days, weather permitting. At present, the weather in the
search area is warm and fine; the flight recorders were presumably
lost at the depth of 496 meters and should be staying at a distance
of five meters from each other.

The Airbus -320 owned by the Armenia Company crashed early on May
3 when it was making a landing approach to Sochi airport. The air
disaster claimed 113 lives.

ARMENIAN MINISTER NOT TO JOIN OPPOSITION

Noyan Tapan news agency
15 May 06

Yerevan, 15 May: “I cannot imagine my further political activities
in the opposition,” the deputy chairman and one of the founders of
the Orinats Yerkir (Law-Governed Country) Party, Sergo Yeritsyan,
has said while commenting on his quit from the party. Asked by from a
Noyan Tapan correspondent whether he will get any post, Yeritsyan said:
“Time will show”.

According to some reports in the press, Yeritsyan will be appointed
as Armenian presidential advisor.

Yeritsyan is now the minister of education and science in the ruling
coalition.

[Passage omitted: The Orinats Yerkir Party officially quit the ruling
coalition at the end of the last week]

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: LA TURQUIE S’INSURGE

Radio Canada
8 Mai 2006

Le genocide armenien aurait fait jusqu’a 1,5 million de morts.

La Turquie a annonce, lundi, le rappel pour ” pour consultations ”
de son ambassadeur en France, Osman Koruturk, pour protester contre
une loi permettant des poursuites penales contre toute personne niant
le caractère genocidaire des massacres d’Armeniens.

Le projet de loi francais, qui sera soumis au vote le 18 mai, prevoit
un an d’emprisonnement et une amende de 64 000 $ pour les auteurs de
declarations niant que les massacres d’Armeniens soient un genocide.

La Turquie a egalement rappele son ambassadeur au Canada, Aydemir
Erman, pour protester contre une declaration faite le mois dernier
par le premier ministre Stephen Harper sur le genocide armenien. Le
21 avril, le chef du gouvernement canadien a salue tous ceux qui
commemoraient le genocide armenien.

Le ministère turc des Affaires etrangères s’est dit ” consterne par les
declarations du premier ministre qui soutiennent […] les allegations
armeniennes sans fondement “. Il a souligne que cette prise de position
allait ” affecter de manière negative les liens turco-canadiens “.

” Nous prevoyons que nos ambassadeurs soient de retour a leurs postes
a la fin de ces consultations “, precisait un communique du ministère
des Affaires etrangères.

La France a officiellement reconnu les massacres en tant que genocide
en 2001. Au Canada, la Chambre des communes avait reconnu les massacres
d’Armeniens comme ” premier genocide du 20e siècle ” en 2004, alors
que le Senat l’avait fait deux ans plus tôt.

Les Armeniens s’estiment victimes d’un genocide orchestre par l’empire
ottoman, ancetre de la Turquie, qui aurait fait jusqu’a 1,5 million
de morts entre 1915 et 1917.

De son côte, Ankara soutient que 300 000 Armeniens et au moins autant
de Turcs sont morts au cours de troubles suscites par des rebellions
d’Armeniens et par leur ralliement aux armees russes alors en guerre
contre l’empire ottoman, et lors des deportations qui ont suivi.

–Boundary_(ID_trzBnYiG9sPeRPvPinDniA)–

Anatolian Times, Turkey
May 14 2006

Parliaments Cannot Decide On Historical Facts, Charrette

PARIS – Parliaments cannot decide on historical facts, said Herve de
Charrette, the deputy chairman of French Parliamentary Foreign
Affairs Commission.

In an exclusive interview with A.A correspondent, Charrette announced
that he is against the resolution, presented by the Socialist Party,
and which makes any denial of the so-called Armenian genocide a
crime.

Charrette, who is also the chairman of the French-Turkish Friendship
Group, noted that historical incidents must be examined by historians
and researchers.

“I am against this resolution since I attach great importance to
Turkish-French friendship,“ he stressed.

Charrette indicated that he is optimistic that the resolution will be
rejected.

The resolution will be debated at the French parliament on May 18th.
The resolution has to be adopted at the Senate in order to be
enacted.

French parliament passed a resolution acknowledging the so-called
genocide in 2001, and this caused a serious tension between Paris and
Ankara.

PanARMENIAN.Net

U.S. Congressmen against Missile Sale to Turkey

12.05.2006 18:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Co-Chairpersons of the Hellenic Caucus were
joined by Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and George
Radanovich (R-CA) in calling on Congressional leaders to reexamine a
controversial $162 million U.S. missile sale to Turkey, reported
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). In letters addressed to
the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House Armed Services and
International Relations Committees, the four legislators voiced their
“deep concern and opposition to the application currently before your
Committee for the foreign military sale to Turkey of 50 AGM 84K Joint
Standoff Land Attack Missiles – Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) and
associated equipment and services.” Noting that Turkey has enforced an
illegal blockade against Armenia for the last twelve years, provides
support to Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh, and refuses to
normalize relations with Armenia, they stressed that, “there are no
safeguards in place to ensure that the transfer of these advanced new
weapons to Turkey will not be used to threaten Armenia.” Commenting on
the presence of more than 40,000 Turkish military troops in the
Turkish-occupied area of Cyprus, the legislators argued that the sale
would “exacerbate the already existing military imbalance over
Cyprus,” and “worsen the uneasy, insecure and disadvantaged position
of the Republic of Cyprus in terms of its defense and weapons
proliferation.”

Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram
Hampariam thanked the Congressmen and remarked that the sale of
missiles to a state that intruded into Cyprus with the American
weapons and conveyed these weapons to Azerbaijan during the conflict
with Nagorno Karabakh doesn’t meet the U.S. interests.

IDLE TALKS ON A320 CRASH

AZG Armenian Daily
12/05/2006

Oppositional deputies of the Armenian Parliament are going to gather
necessary 44 signatures to put on the parliamentary agenda the issues
of examination of Armenian civil aviation’s condition and creation
of a parliamentary commission to study the causes of A320 crash. In
Viktor Dallakian words, our nation has the right to know the truth
about the crash. Another legislative initiative will suggest rendering
aid to the families of the victims in form of, say, monthly allowance
or tuition fee.