Author: Maghakian Mike

ALLAHSHUKUR PASHAZADE DOES NOT AGREE WITH ILHAM ALIYEV

ArmInfo
2010-04-26 11:37:00

ArmInfo. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not only a problem of only
two nations, it must be solved within inter-ethnic and interreligious
dialogue, chairman of the Clerical Office of Caucasus Muslims,
Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade said, Day.az reports.

"We, as religious leaders of the CIS countries, should create an
environment, where people will be brought together and will not harm
each other" – Pashazade said on Sunday in Baku at the opening of the
summit of the CIS Inter-religious Council. To recall, Catholicos
of All Armenians Karekin II also takes part in summit of the CIS
Inter-religious Council. "Religious leaders can’t remain indifferent
to the problems existing in our countries", Pashazade said.

Pashazade expressed his support for the position of Patriarch of Moscow
and All Russia Kirill, who said in Yerevan that the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict can only be resolved peacefully. He said the rich experience
of the church can be applied in relations between peoples. "All
these nations [the CIS] need to try to deepen the cultural dialogue,
religious diversity. Religious leaders [CIS] should contribute to
fighting separatism and aggression. Over the years of existence the
Interreligious Council of Religious Leaders of the CIS strengthened
the cultural ties between peoples, as well as allowed entering new
stage of relations between nations", Pashazade said.

Pashazade said that by adjusting the CIS peoples on tolerance, the
Council was able to deepen inter-ethnic solidarity, intercultural
dialogue by means of mutual efforts, thus preserving the spiritual
solidarity of the community in multi-religious space of the CIS. To
also recall, the foregoing peaceful statements strongly conflict with
permanent threats by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to solve the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict in a military way.

Xinhua General News Service, CHina
April 24, 2010 Saturday 5:55 PM EST

Turks commemorate Armenian victims

ISTANBUL April 24

About 1,000 Turks gathered in Istanbul’s central Taksim square on
Saturday to commemorate Armenian victims of the violence in 1915.

The campaign, titled "This pain is for all of us," was the first
public one by Turks in recognition of the pain suffered by Armenians
in 1915.

Armenians claim the violence committed by Ottoman Turks against
Armenian people in 1915 was genocide, a charge Turkey strongly
rejects, saying the events were civil strife in wartime claiming the
lives of many Turks and Armenians.

Every year on April 24 Armenians commemorate the event of 1915, but
this year, for the first time, nearly 1,000 Turks gathered in Taksim
square for a candle-light vigil for Armenian suffering.

Organizer Cengiz Algun told Xinhua that the vigil was "to show that
our Armenian siblings are also children of this land."

"We are very pleased with how the event turned out, it was much better
than we expected," he added.

Police presence was prominent at the vigil, with officers forming a
solid wall around the people to prevent any violence.

ANC ISSUES STATEMENT ON RA PRESIDENT’S DECISION

news.am
April 23 2010
Armenia

The Armenian National Congress (HAK) has issued a statement on
President Serzh Sargsyan’s decision on freezing the Armenian-Turkish
peace deal.

"The Congress is for the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
but does not accept Turkey’s demand &’to set up a historians’
commission in order to study the events of April 24, 1915.

‘The formation of the commission not only questions the Armenian
Genocide but also spoils Armenian-Turkish relations instead of
promoting the reconciliation process.

&’By signing the disgraceful protocols in Zurich, the administration
of Serzh Sargsyan pursued one objective — to seek support for the
illegitimate regime coming to power through rigged presidential
elections and the massacre of March 1, 2008.

‘The warning of the Armenian National Congress against that hazardous
process came true. Contrary to the uttered goals, the Armenian-Turkish
peace process turned into an Armenian-Turkish confrontation.

&’Taking advantage of Armenian regime’s inability, Turkey consistently
continued linking the ratification of the Protocols and the opening
of the border with the settlement of the Karabakh conflict

‘The international pressure in view of the Karabakh issue did not
decrease, rather, it increased to such an extent that Armenia, for
the first time in its history, had to restrict Karabakh’s rights to
self-determination within Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity /OSCE
announcement made in Athens/

&’Linking Armenian-Turkish rapprochement with the Karabakh conflict
resolution, Turkey managed to take a key role, though a dangerous one
for Armenia, in the talks over Karabakh at the same time endangering
the optimal format of the negotiations -the OSCE Minsk group.

‘President Serzh Sargsyan, entangled in a spider’s web of his own
&’initiative-taking’ policy, is no more capable of neutralizing the
damages of his own policy.

&’Suspending the peace deal and at the same time pledging not to
walk away from the process, the regime has appeared at a deadlock in
attempts to save its image in the international community.

‘In the result of wrong political calculations, the regime, assuming
contradictory commitments, smears Armenia’s image as a reliable
partner in the international domain."

VICTIMS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE COMMEMORATED IN ISTANBUL SQUARE

Panorama.am
24/04/2010

According to CNNTurk, April 24, Commemoration Day of innocent victims
of the Armenian Genocide, will be marked in Taksim square of Istanbul,
Turkey. Intellectuals are expected to get together to condemn the
1915 tragedy.

The commemoration event will get underway at 7pm Turkey time (GMT+2).

According to the source, over 60 political figures, scientists,
writers, artists are due to participate in the event.

They will lay flowers and light candles to commemorate the victims
with 30-minute silence. The initiation is held under "This is Our
Pain. This is a Mourning for All of Us" slogan.

According to the source, Turkish intellectuals Ahmet Insel, Ali
Bayramoglu, Baskin Oran, Ipek Calislar, Lale Mansur and others have
signed the address to inform about the event. Two years ago they had
initiated the online signature petition on apologizing from Armenia.

FRANCE URGING TO CONTINUE ARMENIA-TURKEY DIALOGUE

Tert.am
23.04.10

French presidential office has responded a move by Armenian President
Serge Sargsyan and the parliamentary ruling coalition to suspend the
ratification of the Armenia-Turkey Protocols.

"The French President got familiar with the statement by the President
of the Republic of Armenia, Serge Sargsyan, over the process of
establishing diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey and
opening the border," reads the statement.

Further it says that French President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomes
Sargsyan’s decision by which he reaffirms his commitment in favor of
the Armenia-Turkey normalization despite the difficulties the two
sides faced while in the process of ratifying the Protocols signed
on October 10, 2009 in Zurich.

"France is urging on Armenian and Turkish authorities to continue
the dialogue and double the efforts so that to quickly reach the
implementation of the above-mentioned Protocols which will bring a
significant contribution to peace and stability in the region."

TURKEY HAS NOT CALCULATED THE IMPACT FACTOR OF AZERBAIJAN.

AllVoices
ntributed-news/5661659-turkey-has-not-calculated-t he-impact-factor-of-azerbaijan
April 22 2010

"Prosperous Armenia" Party stands for normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations without concessions from Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh
and the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, said in
Yerevan today Khachik Galstyan, spokesman for the leader of the PAP
Gagik Tsarukyan.

Speaking at the press club "Reliance", he welcomed the outcome of the
Washington meeting with President Serzh Sargsyan. Khachik Galstyan
noted that the negotiations, in fact, been proactive in the light of
Armenia’s foreign policy. According to him, the head of state has
followed a consistent foreign policy that helps to strengthen the
country’s position in the international arena.

"In the process of normalizing relations with Armenia, Turkey
miscalculated the impact of the Azerbaijani factor, resulting in
Ankara, Baku and now were in time trouble," said Spokesperson. He
stressed that all attempts of the Turkish prime minister "on the
nomination to Armenia unrealistic demands to produce the desired
dividends are doomed to failure."

Khachik Galstyan did not disclose any details held on the eve of
the president and representatives of the ruling political coalition,
which includes the Prosperous Armenia Party. Spokesperson urged to
wait for the President’s address to the nation of Armenia, noting
that the possible suspension of the ratification process of the
Armenian-Turkish protocols and their feedback is considered in the
PAP as a normal course.

Referring to the process of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, a
spokesman for the leader of PAP said that only if Azerbaijan recognizes
the political realities – the de facto independence of Nagorno-Karabakh
is possible breakthrough in the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

RUSSIAN EXPERT SAYS WHEN KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION CAN SEE PROGRESS

Today
66607.html
April 22 2010
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with Chairman of the Council for the
Mediterranean-Black Sea Problems at the Russian Academy of Sciences
Alla Yazikova.

In your opinion, what we will the fate of the Armenia-Turkey and
U.S.-Turkey relations following the recent Washington talks?

The American side was very active in these talks because
Sargsyan-Erdogan meeting was held on the initiative of Americans.

American diplomacy interferes with problems in the South Caucasus,
because it tries to solve its own problems, I dare say, a little later.

Currently, the United States wants the Armenian-Turkish protocols to
be signed as soon as possible.

However, before tripping to the U.S, Erdogan reiterated the linkage
between the signing process and Armenia’s withdrawal from Azerbaijan’s
occupied lands. He also noted that the current situation is not
conducive to ensuring that the protocols were signed, referring to
expectations from U.S. President’s annual April 24 speech on the
so-called "Armenian genocide".

The talks finally took place. But parties failed to reach agreement.

They only agreed to reduce the level of talks to the level of foreign
ministers. Surely, the Turkish parliament will not consider the
protocols, at least, until the end of April.

Another question is how the U.S. will react to this. We already know
that the resolution on so-called "Armenian genocide" was stuck at
the committee level of the U.S. Congress. And despite efforts by the
Armenian diaspora, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama stated the
resolution will not advance further. I believe they will stay there
if nothing extraordinary happens before the end of April.

In my opinion, we witness a classic situation where each of the
parties involved in the process pursue their own interests.

Given the activity of Americans, one could argue that it is due to
tensions surrounding Iran, a difficult situation in Central Asia and
Afghanistan. The United States is interested in creating a certain
controlled corridor through the South Caucasus. In this sense, the
region becomes very important for them not only for its energy sources,
but also for its strategic location.

In your opinion, will Barack Obama utter the word "genocide" on
April 24?

I do not think so. There is a variety of substitution for this term.

The Armenian language has a term such as "great massacre". You can
use this term, or, in extreme cases, to say that it was a kind of
ethnic cleansing.

But Armenia needs exactly "genocide"…

You know, you can feel like a lot, but you not always can achieve
them. This is also the case with the Armenian side. It is important for
the U.S. to maintain good relations both with Armenia and Azerbaijan
in order to create a strategic corridor. Turkey in this matter is in
the role of conductor of the U.S. interests. And I’m sure that for the
American side it does not matter what actually happened in Turkey about
a hundred years ago. It only need corridor that I spoke about above.

But in this case, the Americans must make every effort to resolve
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict…

I have no access to some special documents of the Russian side, but
as far as I understand, there is some agreement between Russia and the
U.S. It seems that we are witnessing a kind of division of functions.

In this sense, Russia could be more active, and certainly will
promote resolution to the Karabakh conflict based on updated Madrid
principles. I see no other way to solve the problem, but a phased
solution on which Azerbaijan insists.

Besides Russia and the U.S., Iran has also begun to get involved in
resolving the Karabakh problem. Iran it is still a novice in this
issue, and it is unlikely to achieve remarkable successes. Russia
has good relations with Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan. So, the
Russian-American cooperation in the region could benefit all parties
to the conflict. However, America’s active intervention in the region
will certainly meet Russia’s opposition. There should be limit in
all affairs, but the parties do not always abide by this principle.

So, we can witness real progress in Karabakh issue soon?

It can be expected if all the parties involved in the conflict one
way or another understand the limit of their capabilities. This is
important, I think. Why there have been no real changes so far?

Because when some process begins, some parties cannot realistically
assess the limit of their capabilities. If Americans push the issue
of ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols without taking into
account occupation of Azerbaijani lands, nothing good will come of it.

Let us hope that America’s policy would be competent. It must be so
under the current White House administration…

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WILL BE COMMEMORATED SATURDAY
PASADENA, CA

States News Service
April 21, 2010 Wednesday

The following information was released by the city of Pasadena:

The 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will be commemorated
Saturday, April 24, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in front of Pasadena City
Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave.

In addition to performances by singers and musicians of Armenian
descent, remarks will be made by elected officials and representatives
of Pasadena’s Armenian community. Following the ceremony, refreshments
will be served in the courtyard. The event is co-sponsored by the
city of Pasadena and several Armenian organizations.

Pasadena is home to a sizable Armenian community including residents,
churches, businesses and organizations.

US HOUSE LEADERS PLEDGE ONGOING SUPPORT FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

Tert.am
22.04.10

Calls for President Barack Obama to properly recognize the Armenian
Genocide and upon the Congressional leadership to schedule a vote on
the Armenian Genocide Resolution took center stage at the Capitol Hill
Armenian Genocide Observance, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and
Minority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) leading more than 20 of their House
colleagues at this remembrance calling for official U.S. condemnation
and commemoration of this crime against humanity, according to release
issued by Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The annual Armenian Genocide Observance, organized by the Congressional
Armenian Caucus with the support of Armenian American organizations.

In speech after speech, Members of Congress condemned Turkey’s refusal
to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and its ongoing campaign to
pressure the international community into complicity in Ankara’s
denial of this crime.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), a longtime supporter of Armenian Genocide
recognition, stressed the remaining survivors of this crime challenge
the conscience of America. She welcomed the passage of H.Res.252 by
the Foreign Affairs Committee and called on her colleagues not to
rest until the entire U.S. government properly recognizes this crime
as genocide.

Leader, Steny Hoyer (D-MD) called on his colleagues and all Americans
to never stand as mere witnesses to genocide. Congressman Howard
Berman, who, as Chairman, shepherded the Armenian Genocide Resolution
through the Foreign Affairs Committee, spoke powerfully about the
moral obligation that all Americans bear to both stand up against
genocide and to oppose efforts to deny the reality of genocidal crimes.

The lead author of H.Res.252, Adam Schiff (D-CA), spoke of his
commitment to secure final adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution
by both houses of Congress and the full recognition of this crime by
both the U.S. government and, ultimately, the government of Turkey
as well.

Among the many other notable speeches delivered at the program was
the one given by New Jersey Congressman Steve Rothman (D), who,
in powerful remarks warmly welcomed by the hundreds in attendance,
noted that he has consistently told Turkish leaders that Turkey- U.S.

relations will suffer "until and unless they recognize the genocide
and discuss compensation and reparations with Armenians."

Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA) took direct aim at those who perennially
argue that "this is not the right time" to pass the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, noting that this excuse will always be around: "We will
always hear that this is not the right time. I say we do it now!"

Armenia’s Ambassador, Tatoul Markarian, in his address to the
gathering, stressed that continued progress toward universal
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide represented an
important contribution to prospects for improved Turkey-Armenia
relations. Similarly, the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh’s
Representative, Robert Avetisyan, shared his government’s full support
for U.S. and worldwide condemnation of the Armenian Genocide.

DIPLOMATIC NOTE GIVES TURKISH ENVOYS 10 WAYS TO’DEAL’ WITH GENOCIDE, DIASPORA

Asbarez
Apr 21st, 2010

ANKARA (ArmRadio)-Official Ankara has prepared a 10-point diplomatic
note outlining talking points and protocols of action for Turkish
diplomats to follow when discussing or dealing with issue of the
Armenian Genocide, the BBC’s Russian service has learned.

The document prepared by the Turkish Foreign Ministry lists rules
and recommendations that Turkish embassy staff must adhere to
when responding to journalists’ questions on the genocide. It
also encourages a pro-active approach to co-opt Armenian Diaspora
communities and organizations.

According to the BCC, Turkish officials should emphasize the importance
of Turkish-Armenian relations, as well as focus on Turkey’s proposal
to establish a historical commission to discuss "the mutual history
between Armenia and Turkey."

The commission, considered a pre-condition by Ankara for establishing
relations with Yerevan, would seek to question the veracity of the
Armenian Genocide analysts close to the issue warn.

The guidelines will also serve as diplomatic protocol for Turkish
officials on foreign trips or on government assignment, the Turkish
Hurriyet Daily reported.

We provide the 10 directives below as they were reported by Hurriyet:

1) Contact and maintain ties with representatives of the Armenian
lobby in your country of residence. Invite them to your events.

2) Visit their events and try to explain Turkey’s position.

3) Representatives of the Armenian Diaspora abroad are divided into
three groups. The first has made business on the issue of genocide
and the second group includes people who arrived from Turkey and
still have ties with our country and the third group is a category
of people who are hostile against Turkey. Contact the representatives
of all these groups and invite them to visit Turkey.

4) In the country of residence, also contact Armenian diplomats and
invite them to your events

5) Do not avoid contacts with the Armenian and pro-Armenian press
and try to explain them Turkey’s position in your statements.

6) Also contact the community of your country of residence to explain
the 1915 events.

7) Be in a constant contact with the diplomats of the Balkan, Central
Asian, Middle Eastern and other countries close to Turkey and try to
resist Armenian propaganda through joint efforts.

Concentrate on the protocols signed with Armenia and remind the point
of creation of the historical commission to study genocide.

9) Also explain the essence of the Turkish policy in the Caucasus
which wants to establish peace in this region.

10) Speak of the need to settle the Karabakh conflict to establish
peace in the region in your country of residence.