RA Foreign Ministry: NKR People’s Position – First Priority In Karab

RA FOREIGN MINISTRY: NKR PEOPLE’S POSITION – FIRST PRIORITY IN KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 5, 2010 – 20:53 AMT 15:53 GMT

NKR people’s position, expressed at 1991 referendum, is the first
priority in Karabakh conflict settlement, Armenian Foreign Ministry
spokesman Tigran Balayan stated.

Commenting on official Baku’s allegations on Armenia’s "requesting for
some time to resolve Karabakh conflict" and "absence of clear position"
on the issue, the spokesman noted, "Armenia always remained firm in
its position. Azerbaijan is just wasting time; sooner or later it
will have to reckon with the free will of Karabakh people."

As Tigran Balayan noted, failing to find understanding in their
destructive position, some Azeri officials can think of nothing
better than showing off in front of their own people through endless
chain of falsifications and saber-rattling, RA Foreign Ministry press
service reported.

Speaker: Genocide Not Matter For Bargain

SPEAKER: GENOCIDE NOT MATTER FOR BARGAIN

Yerkir
04.05.2010 14:23
Yerevan

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Speaking at a European regional session of
Parliamentary Assembly of Francophonie, opened in Yerevan today,
Armenian Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan said that language skills
enrich people, noting that French can be considered a native tongue
for many descendents of Genocide.

He also also spoke of the political processes in Armenia, underlining
that the country is ready to establish relations with all neighbors
and had already made such a move seeking to hold dialogue with Turkey
without preconditions. "However, Ankara did not appraise Yerevan’s
stance and torpedoed the dialogue.

As a result Armenia suspended ratification process of the Protocols.

Though, it does not mean we walked out of the process, and expect
Turkey to display constructivism," he noted. He also stated that
aspiration to settle relations with Turkey might not push aside
Armenia’s national interests, turning Genocide issue into the matter
of bargain. "Armenia will henceforth be consecutive in international
recognition of Armenian Genocide perpetrated in Ottoman Empire,"
Abrahamyan said.

Speaking about Karabakh peace process, politician stressed that
Azerbaijan’s warlike statements destabilize situation in the region and
misinform international community. "Azerbaijan makes similar statements
fully realizing that its military capability cannot provide victory in
case hostility breaks out," he said. "Nagorno-Karabakh will never be
a part of Azerbaijan," Abrahamyan declared, pointing out that Karabakh
peace process is not linked with Armenia-Turkey reconciliation.

Denial, Anger And A Bunch Of Mountains In Azerbaijan — Acceptance,

DENIAL, ANGER AND A BUNCH OF MOUNTAINS IN AZERBAIJAN — ACCEPTANCE, THAT’S SEVERAL STEPS LATER
Nicholas Clayton

The Faster Times
/denial-anger-and-a-bunch-of-mountains-in-azerbaij an-acceptance-thats-several-steps-later/
May 4 2010

Last September, Slate columnist Christopher Hitchens wrote that
"engaging with Iran is like having sex with someone who hates you." If
that’s true, then the Turkish-Armenian reconciliation process is
something like an orgy of mutually despising interlocutors, each only
agreeing to do it in the one position the other one hates.

With that visual in mind, it shouldn’t be surprising that after a year
of back-and-forths and ups and downs the process came to a screeching
halt last month as Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced he was
"suspending" discussion of the reconciliation protocols — a move
that was enthusiastically welcomed by his constituents.

But don’t worry, this doesn’t mean it’s back to the silent game.

Although the highly touted reconciliation protocols are considered
to be an important part of U.S. President Barack Obama’s foreign
policy ambitions in Europe, the move to freeze the discussions was
telegraphed by insiders well in advance and has even been endorsed
publicly by administration officials.

Why? Because few seem to have expected it to get this far the first
place. The Turkish-Armenian relationship is fraught with unresolved
baggage mostly surrounding denial, anger and a bunch of mountains
in Azerbaijan.

Sargsyan’s announcement came 48 hours before the day that Armenians
regard as the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide — a nearly
decade long pogrom of ethnic Armenians in the Ottoman Empire that
killed an estimated 1.5 million people. Twenty countries and 44 U.S.

states recognize the events that occurred from 1915-1923 as genocide,
and Armenians have been upset by their government’s efforts to improve
relations with Turkey without forcing Ankara to recognize past crimes.

The last time Turkey and Armenia recognized one another diplomatically
was a brief period after the fall of the Soviet Union until 1993, when
their already rocky relationship hit a new low over Armenia’s support
for ethnic Armenian separatists in the Nagorno Karabakh (Russian for
Mountainous or Highland Karabakh) region in neighboring Azerbaijan,
a Turkish ally. Armenia continues to occupy Nagorno Karabakh as well
as other Azeri territory and the two nations remain in a state of war.

In the end, despite the unprecedented nature of the breakthrough that
led to these talks, first announced in April 2009, neither side has
been a particularly considerate to each other’s needs, and it’s not
surprising both are saying they now need a break from each other.

The preexisting gripes quickly reclaimed the focus of the discussion
not long after it started; denial, anger and a bunch of mountains
in Azerbaijan.

In the initial aftermath of this most recent hiccup in the dialogue,
it’s not difficult to feel like both sides took one step forward and
two steps backward. In March, after Sweden and the U.S. House Foreign
Relations Committee recognized the Armenian Genocide, Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Erdogan told the BBC that he was considering deporting
100,000 Armenians he claimed were living in Turkey illegally.

However, many observers see genuine progress amid the habitually
fiery rhetoric. Davit Alaverdyan, the chief editor of Media Max News
Agency in Armenia said that while he feels it is difficult to see
where the process will lead from here, he thinks both sides have made
achievements through the past year’s bickering — first and foremost
that the two sides were talking at all.

But there’s more to it than that.

When Obama gave a speech on the anniversary of the genocide last April
using the phrase "Medz Yeghern" — the Armenian word for the genocide,
meaning "Great Massacres" — he was falling short of using the G-word
like he promised during his campaign for president, but nonetheless
pleased many on both sides.

Suat Kiniklioglu, a member of the Turkish parliament and spokesman
of the Turkish Foreign Affairs Commission from the ruling Justice
and Development party told Media Max in an interview at the time,
"I believe that "Medz Yeghern" is an invaluable term for a positive
language about the events of 1915. "Medz Yeghern" is a term whose scope
should be widened. World War I and the events leading to the war,
namely the physical removal of Turks and Muslims from the Caucasus,
the Balkans and the Middle East was a Great Catastrophe for us as
well. Turks, Kurds and Armenians in the eastern front of the empire
truly experienced a Great Catastrophe […] The Armenians lost their
homes and property and had to leave Anatolia. There were many deaths
and it was an immensely sad chapter of this region’s history […] I
hope that when we establish diplomatic relations, open borders and
when our peoples get the chance of direct communication with each
other, we will be able to elaborate positive wordings."

It’s certain that there is no consensus for movement towards genocide
recognition in Turkey — it remains illegal to insult the Turkish
nation or ethnicity, a law that has been invoked to prosecute Turks
calling for genocide recognition.

But Armenians continue to point to various signs that an internal
dialogue within Turkey about its hard past is beginning. A few hundred
Turkish artists and intellectuals marched in Istanbul commemorating
the 95th anniversary of the genocide this year chanting "never again."

Also, information security analyst and blogger, Samvel Martirosyan
pointed out that new Turkish directives to its diplomats encourage
them to engage with Armenian communities abroad and publicly discuss
and debate the facts of 1915-1923.

All of this he said shows things are moving, albeit so slowly it’s
hard to actually see it. Meanwhile, Alaverdyan said in a Media Max
report that the temporary freeze with Turkey will give Armenia more
time to devote to resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict while
still appearing to be the one committed to the process.

While no one is quite sure when, eventually the orgy of malice and
mistrust will be in full swing again in the near future.

Nicholas Clayton lives in Tbilisi, Georgia and works as a professor
of journalism and a freelance reporter covering the Caucasus.

http://thefastertimes.com/armenia/2010/05/04

Time For Freedom Of Press Has Not Come For Objective Reasons

TIME FOR FREEDOM OF PRESS HAS NOT COME FOR OBJECTIVE REASONS

Tert.am
03.05.10

"There is no field for free journalists to express themselves. Freedom
of speech has not come to Armenia yet for objective reasons," President
of Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardyan said at a press conference
on the occasion of World Day Freedom of Press.

In his words journalists in Armenia will be subjected to violation
in the future too, as not only journalists’, but also citizens’
rights are not protected.

On the other hand, according to Navasardyan it will mean "we are
losing the specialty of journalist as such," should journalists be
not subjected to violation under these circumstances.

According Committee to Protect Journalists 70 journalist were killed
across the world in 2009 while doings their professional duties.

Artists’ House Will See Saryan’s Paintings On Patriotic War

ARTISTS’ HOUSE WILL SEE SARYAN’S PAINTINGS ON PATRIOTIC WAR

Tert.am
03.05.10

On May 3, the Armenian Artists’ House in Yerevan will host an exhibit
by the famous Armenian artist Martiros Saryan. Titled Martiros Saryan
during the Years of the Great Patriotic War, the exhibit is devoted
to the 65 anniversary of the great victory against the Nazi German.

Martiros Saryan referred to the topic of war rather frequently at
that time painting about 320 canvases.

Three Parties Will Be Represented In NKR Parliament, Surveys Say

THREE PARTIES WILL BE REPRESENTED IN NKR PARLIAMENT, SURVEYS SAY
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur"
03.05.2010 18:28

About 60% of the population of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is
interested in the parliamentary elections scheduled for May 23,
while 20% are indifferent towards electoral processes and another 20%
have not yet decided whether they will participate in the poll or
not. Head of the Sociometer sociological organization Aharon Adibekyan
says it’s a good level of political activeness.

Specialists of the Sociometer conducted a survey in Nagorno Karabakh
from April 8 to 10, which pursued a broad political objective of
revealing the real level of democracy in NKR, which is the highest
in the region, as Aharon Adibekyan is assured.

The results of the study show that three parties are leading today.

39% of the voters prefer the "Azat Hayrenik" (Free Motherland" Party)
head by the Prime minister. 36% say to be affiliated with the National
Democratic Party led by the Speaker of the National Assembly. ARF
Dashnaktsutyun comes third with 25%. Sociologists predict that these
very parties will form the political coalition.

Armenian Genocide in Art

Armenian Genocide in Art
24 Apr, 2010 Featured, History, Homepage Armenian Genocide

/

The Woman of Sassoun by Arshak Fetvadjian (1866 – 1947)

One of the first artists to depict the Armenian Genocide in art was
Arshak Fetvadjian. His painting, The Woman of Sassoun displays a woman
breastfeeding her child with a rifle in one hand atop a mountain.
Sassoun was the site of the first major Armenian resistance movement
during the Hamidian Massacres of 1894. Sassountsis continued to resist
Turkish and Kurdish encroachment until Armenians were completely wiped
out during the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

L’Esperance by Hovsep Pushman (1877 – 1966)A painting entitled
L’Esperance by the Armenian-American artist Hovsep Pushman,
symbolizing hope for the future, was presented to President Woodrow
Wilson on November 27, 1917 by an Armenian delegation in recognition
of the help the United States gave to Armenia. The girl in the
painting is Pushman’s niece, she is holding a flower called antaram,
which means everlasting in Armenian. The painting hangs at the Drawing
Room of the Woodrow Wilson House in Washington D.C.

Arshile Gorky’s The Artist and His Mother is based on a photograph of
a young Gorky and his mother taken when they were refugees in the
Democratic Republic of Armenia. Gorky had escaped the Armenian
Genocide from Van with his mother and four sisters in 1915. His mother
died of starvation in Yerevan in 1919 when Gorky was 15. One version
of this painting is held in the Whitney Museum of American Art in New
York City, the other is in the National Gallery of Art Washington, DC.

Panos Terlemezian was one of the organizers of the self-defense of Van
from the 19th of April until the 4th of May, 1915. Having survived the
assault on Van thanks to the advance of Russian forces, Terlemezian
moved to Yerevan. He featured the composer Komitas in many of his
works. Komitas was one of the Armenian intellectuals who was arrested
and deported together with 180 other Armenian notables to Central
Anatolia on April 24, 1915. Thanks to the intervention of U.S.
ambassador Henry Morgenthau, by special orders from Talat Pasha,
Komitas was sent back to Constantinople after 15 days. Having gone mad
after witnessing the Armenian Genocide, Komitas died in a Paris
psychiatric clinic in 1935.

The Artist and His Mother by Arshile Gorky (1904-1948)
Komitas by Panos Terlemezian (1865-1941)

Vardges Surenyants (1860-1921), a native of Tiflis, painted several
works that depicted the suffering of his kin under Ottoman rule
following the Hamidian Massacres.

The Abandoned (1899)
After the Massacre (1899)
Profanation of the Shrine (1895)

French artist Jansem was born Hovhannes Semerdjian in 1920 in the town
of Selez near Bursa. His family escaped to Greece in 1922 in fear for
their lives. In 1931 they moved to Paris and settled in the suburb of
Issy-les-Moulineaux. In 2001 Jansem visited Armenia for the second
time by the invitation of then president Robert Kocharyan. He donated
34 canvases entitled Genocide to the Armenian Genocide Museum and
Institute in Yerevan.

Homme, femme et enfant
Requiem

Desolation
Etude pour violence

Various

Genocide (circa 1960) by Gerardo Orakian
Crucifixion (1961) by Paul Guiragossian

The Captured (2000) by Hagop Hagopian
Crucifixion (1988) by Hagop Khoubesserian

Deportation: On the Road to Der-Zor (1965 – 1967) by Minas Avetissian
Deportation (1999) by Vahé Gasparyan

http://avarayr.com/armenian-genocide-art

Dink’s family demands quick action from prosecutors

Dink’s family demands quick action from prosecutors

armradio.am
01.05.2010 13:22

Two lawyers representing the family of the late Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink have asked the Ä°stanbul Public Prosecutor’s
Office to appoint prosecutors who would conduct a thorough
investigation into the murder of Dink because it has proven to be a
three-year-long `operation’ through the legal cases, investigations
and inquiries conducted up until the present day.

The lawyers also requested that the prosecutors appointed allocate
most of their time to the investigation.

`The prosecutor or prosecutors who will be appointed to this
investigation should be released from other duties and attending
hearings because the acts we mentioned in our petition covers a period
of more than three years; the number of individuals and institutions
involved is quite high and thus require intense concentration and
time. This is why we requested from the office that prosecutors focus
primarily on this investigation to conduct it in a timely and thorough
manner, as one should not expect satisfactory work from them with
their existing workload,’ lawyer Fethiye Ã?etin said.

The petition, which was submitted to the prosecutor’s office
yesterday, lays out the course of the murder in phases of
`preparation,’ `creating public opinion,’ `action’ and `manipulation,’
and `destroying evidence’ after the murder.

The elements of the preparation phase are described in the petition as
news made by the media to turn the public opinion against Dink,
official complaints against him with identical petitions and the
indictments prepared against him without having any legal grounds. The
members of the National Intelligence Organization (MÄ°T), the
intelligence services of the gendarmerie and the police are mentioned
as being part of this phase, as they had not taken any preventative
measures although they had been closely following the plan and the
triggerman at the time, Today’s Zaman reports.

Wisconsin Armenians Commemorate The Genocide

WISCONSIN ARMENIANS COMMEMORATE THE GENOCIDE

Armenian Weekly
Thu, Apr 29 2010

MADISON, Wisc.-April 20, 2010 marked the 10th anniversary of the
adoption of Assembly Resolution 42, the Armenian Genocide Resolution
in the Wisconsin Assembly. In the years since, Armenian Americans from
around Wisconsin met at the State Capitol in Madison to commemorate
the Armenian Genocide. Along with 10 co-hosts, this event has been
arranged by the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Wisconsin to show
our appreciation following the adoption of that resolution in 2000.

Two years later the State Senate adopted a similar resolution. These
two resolutions declare April 24 of every year as a Wisconsin Day of
Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915 to 1923. Additionally,
the event helps to educate and promote awareness of Armenia and
Armenian issues, particularly the Armenian Genocide.

Zohrab Khaligian, representing the ANC of Wisconsin, presented
the welcoming message. Khaligian reflected on the past 10 years of
commemorations, noting, "We are fortunate that we have the state’s
support, that in 2000 and 2002 they passed resolutions to have a
day of remembrance every year in Wisconsin." He also spoke about
the worldwide events occurring over the past year. "Turkey needs to
forget its empire mentality. We are all equal and we are all part of
the same humanity. Until we are able to get on an equal footing with
all people, normalizing relations with all nations, the world will
continue to be in crisis," he said.

Each co-host was invited to speak during the commemoration.

Representative Peter Barca (Kenosha), who was a co-host for the first
time this year, was one of the original co-authors of the resolution in
Congress and the State House. He spoke of his trip to Armenia in 2002
for a leadership training program. Barca was "proud that the state
legislature passed this resolution in 2000 because it’s important
to remember these tragic events and tell the world that they should
never occur."

Senator Bob Wirch (Kenosha), another co-host, pointed out that the
"occurrence of genocide has been a dark stain on the world’s history.

We have to work together to make sure this never happens again."

Senator Jeff Plale (South Milwaukee) echoed these sentiments. He said,
"Words are powerful. Genocide is a powerful word. But it is the only
word that truly defines what happened 95 years ago."

Ryan Knocke, representing U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, and Katie Crawley,
representing U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, each brought statements to
be read from the senators. They commemorated the 95th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide and honored the Armenian American community
for their contributions to Wisconsin.

Representative Cory Mason (Racine) reiterated that "we have to accept
the truth about what has happened to us. Until we get to a point
where the world acknowledges what happened 95 years ago, we’re going
to be stuck."

Additionally, the following representatives and senators, and members
of their staff, were present at the event as co-hosts to show their
support: Rep. Peter Barca, Rep. Mark Honadel, Sen. Mary Lazich, Sen.

John Lehman, Rep. Cory Mason, Sen. Jeff Plale, Rep. Jeff Stone, Rep.

Bob Turner, Rep. Robin Vos, and Sen. Bob Wirch.

In his closing remarks, Khaligian stressed that we need to have a
constant and consistent presence in the State Capitol. "We need to
get involved and make as much noise as possible every year in this
building."

After enjoying some delicious homemade Armenian appetizers and
desserts, the attendees went to the viewing gallery of the Wisconsin
State Assembly to watch the representatives in session.

Co-host Bob Turner (Racine) welcomed the Armenians to the Capitol and
read Assembly Resolution 42 on the assembly floor. Earlier in the day
he stated, "You have to put what is right above other things, and it is
an honor to be involved in the recognition of the Armenian Genocide."

Other events in the Wisconsin area to commemorate the Armenian Genocide
took place later that week. These included a Joint Memorial Service
at St. Hagop Armenian Church in Racine on April 24; a commemorative
program and dinner with Dr. Carel Bertram and Dr.

Melissa Billal at St. Mesrob Armenian Church in Racine on April 25;
and a commemorative program and dinner at St. John Armenian Church
in Greenfield on April 25. Also, from April 18 to May 31 a traveling
exhibit-entitled "Legion Armenienne: The Armenian Legion and its
Heroism in the Middle East"-from the Armenian Library and Museum of
America (ALMA) will be at the Racine Public Library.

The Armenian National Committee is the largest Armenian American
grassroots political organization in Wisconsin and nationwide. The ANC
actively advances a broad range of issues of concern to the Armenian
American community.

ARF: NK Issue May Have Same Fortune As Armenian-Turkish Normalizatio

ARF: NK ISSUE MAY HAVE SAME FORTUNE AS ARMENIAN-TURKISH NORMALIZATION PROCESSES

Panorama.am
28/04/2010

ARF Bureau member Aghvan Vardanyan didn’t exclude the same thing may
happen with the resolution of NK conflict as has already happened
with the Armenian-Turkish ties.

Today, ARF politician says, the most significant issue is the
resolution of NK conflict. But A. Vardanyan also said that Armenia
should continue its efforts for Europe to make tenses pressures upon
Turkey to open the border closed by them irrespective of the "dead"
protocols.

"I think we’re almost in that condition," A. Vardanyan said adding
that there is big difference between Aliyev’s statements and our
national-state interests.

A. Vardanyan doesn’t agree with the view point that the international
community will play certain pressure on Armenia after the suspending
of the protocols to reach concessions in NK issue.

"We acknowledge that the most important issues shouldn’t be concessed,"
he said.