Author: Nalbandian Albert

MINISTER NALBANDYAN TO MEET HIS TURKISH COUNTERPART

A1+
[11:52 am] 24 November, 2008

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan suggested his Armenian
counterpart to hold a meeting, which was accepted by Minister
Nalbandian.

During the meeting the parties are expected to discuss issues connected
with the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Turkey. Saying
normalisation of relations we understand establishment of diplomatic
relations between the countries under question without preconditions
and opening of borders, reports the Press Service of the RoA MFA.

Note that on November 24 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia,
Edward Nalbandian, left for Istanbul within the framework of presidency
of the framework of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organisation.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Turkey separates Armenian issues from Azeri
22.11.2008 15:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The task of non-governmental organizations is to
start a dialogue, according to an Armenian expert.

`Turkey is oppressed by the Armenian Genocide issue and EU accession
but a public dialogue can change the Turkish attitude of mind. We
should not underestimate the role of seminars we periodically hold,’
director of Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan told a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter when commenting on the outcomes of
`Turkey-Armenia Dialogue Series: Breaking the Vicious Cycle’ seminar.

He noted that representatives from Nagorno Karabakh and the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus were for the first time present at the
seminar on November 21. `It’s a bit hard to fancy but they were really
sitting next to each other and discussing problems. The Turkish
society came to separate Armenian issues from Azeri ones,’ he said.

OPEN DISCUSSION BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

A1+
[06:31 pm] 20 November, 2008

Serzh Sargsyan met with political party leaders at the Karen Demirchyan
sport/concert complex behind closed doors in order to avoid populism
and hold an open meeting. In the beginning of the four-hour long
meeting, Serzh Sargsyan congratulated the political party leaders on
the occasion of the victory of the chess players and informed that
the discussions with political parties on issues of social concern
will take place on a regular basis.

Almost all of the political parties were participating in the
meeting, except the radical opposition parties, that is, the parties
representing the Armenian National Congress. However, leader of the
Marxist Party David Hakobyan was present.

Artur Baghdasaryan and Armen Rustamyan represented the
coalition. Gagik Tsarukyan wasn’t there because he is currently
out of the country. Among participants were the three national
democracy supporters Vazgen Manukyan, Shavarsh Kocharyan and Arshak
Sadoyan. Harutyun Arakelyan represented the Armenian Ramkavar
Liberal Party. Other participants included Paruyr Hayrikyan, Khosrov
Harutyunyan, Aram G. Sargsyan, Hayk Babukhanyan, Communists Ruben
Tovmasyan and Yuri Manukyan, as well as leader of the National Security
party Garnik Isagulyan and others.

The only women political figures were member of the "Heritage"
political party Anahit Bakhshyan and heads of two women’s
organizations. Journalists couldn’t recognize many of the faces. For
example, they didn’t understand what party Ernest Soghomonyan
represented. The latter is a member of the "Prosperous Armenia"
party faction. He is also leader of the Hnchakyan party, but hasn’t
represented himself as leader of that party for a long time.

>From the start, Serzh Sargsyan announced that political parties
shouldn’t make references to the opinions expressed during the meeting
because what is discussed must stay confidential. Thus, ten minutes
after the start of the meeting journalists were asked to leave and
waited four hours for the political party members. When they came
out for breaks, they just told us where they stand on the Karabakh
conflict and not a word about the discussion. But we were able to find
out that all invited parties had only presented their stance and in
the end Serzh Sargsyan would touch upon the issues raised. We will
present the stances of the parties later.

LAWYERS REFUTE ERGENEKON SUSPECT’S DEFENSE

Today’s Zaman
Nov 20 2008
Turkey

The testimony of a key suspect in the historic trial of Ergenekon,
a shadowy criminal network suspected plotting to overthrow the
government, who claimed that hand grenades found in his office had
been made for training purposes was refuted by lawyers from the
Cumhuriyet daily in the trial’s most recent hearing.

Ergenekon suspect retired Capt. Muzaffer Tekin was previously taken
into custody as part of an investigation into a hand grenade attack
on the offices of the Cumhuriyet daily in May 2006, nearly one year
before the Ergenekon investigation began. An arms cache was discovered
in June 2007 in Ä°stanbul, which triggered the start of the Ergenekon
investigation. The hand grenades found there were from the same series
as those used in the Cumhuriyet attack. Tekin was taken into custody
again in June of this year, after a search of his office revealed
hand grenades from the same batch of grenades. Thus, the newspaper
requested co-plaintiff status in the case when the Ergenekon trial
started Oct. 20.

In his court testimony on Tuesday, Tekin said the hand grenades found
in his office were made for training purposes and not for use in an
actual attack. He argued that he was using them only as decorative
items. Cumhuriyet’s lawyers, however, refuted Tekin’s assertion during
cross-examination, bringing to the court’s attention the fact that the
serial numbers of attack grenades and training grenades are always
different and that those found in Tekin’s office bore the serial
numbers of attack grenades.

In Tuesday’s testimony Tekin also denied that he had spoken to
Alparslan Arslan, the convicted perpetrator of a 2006 attack on
the Council of State building in the capital, more than three or
four times. But when prosecutor Mehmet Ali Pekguzel said during
cross-examination that records showed 31 conversations between him
and Arslan, Tekin replied: "Could be. It’s possible that I have
[talked to him that many times]."

Tuesday was the 15th hearing in the case, which is being heard by the
Ä°stanbul 13th High Criminal Court in a makeshift courtroom inside
Silivri Prison near Ä°stanbul. Among the 86 suspects in the trial are
retired Gen. Veli Kucuk and lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz, who is known for
filing lawsuits against intellectuals over writings that question
or criticize the state line on issues such as Armenian allegations
of genocide. Forty-six of the suspects are in custody, and the rest
have been released pending the outcome of the trial.

In Tuesday’s session Engin Celik Kadıgil, a lawyer for Tekin, mocked
the indictment, saying "They will bring down the government with 21
guns and rifles," referring to weapons seized during the course of
the Ergenekon investigation. However, the lawyer failed to mention
the 39 hand grenades also seized in the same investigation. K

Cumhuriyet lawyer Bulent Utku also demanded that the court order
an examination of the top Ergenekon suspects’ cell phone records to
ascertain whether any of them had met between the days of the attack
on Cumhuriyet and the Council of State attack.

Sedat Peker offers first testimony

Sedat Peker, a mafia boss who was already under arrest on other
charges and who is now facing trial for involvement in Ergenekon,
testified for the first time in the trial. In his testimony Peker said
he was part of the trial only because his name had been mentioned
during a recorded phone conversation between two people plotting to
assassinate author Orhan Pamuk. "This telephone record say, they will
talk to the provincial police chief to make sure they are jailed in my
ward. I really would like to see the provincial police chief here. One
could say, ‘You can’t call him to the court over such a nonsensical
conversation,’ but that is exactly what has happened to me. They will,
they say, be placed in my ward. There are no wards in F-type prisons,
they just have cells. I don’t know these people," he said.

–Boundary_(ID_ZViYtB+wiOQpg+VwGEwnQA)–

CONSTRUCTION OF EUROPE’S BIGGEST ARMENIAN CULTURE CENTER IN ODESSA IS OVER

ArmInfo
2008-11-19 17:34:00

ArmInfo. The construction of Europe’s biggest Armenian culture center
in Odessa (Ukraine) is over. The opening of the center is scheduled
for Nov 30.

The Black Sea Association of National News Agency quotes the leader
of the Armenian community of Odessa region Samvel Tigranyan as saying
that the construction of the center has lasted for three years.

Armenians from all over the world have helped us to build the center,
says Tigranyan.

The total area of the center is 4,000 sq m. The center has a gym,
a fitness club, a concert hall (420 seats), a ceremonies hall (200
seats), a school with music, arts and crafts, painting classes,
a hotel, offices, a conference hall. The community is negotiating
with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia for opening Consulate
General of Armenia for the Armenians of Southern Ukraine and Moldova.

The key mission of the center is education and popularization of
ancient Armenian culture. It is open not only to Armenians but to
representatives of other nationalities wishing to know more about
Armenia and Armenian culture, says Tigranyan.

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER 14-19, 2008

HIGHLIGHTS:

"PRESS CLUB" AND "PRESS CLUB+": ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATING
EVENTS OF MARCH 1 AND DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL COMMUNITIES OF ARMENIA

THE HEAD OF "INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS" NGO EDIK BAGHDASARIAN ASSAULTED

SUIT VERSUS "ARAVOT" DAILY REVOKED

FIFTH SOUTH CAUCASUS MEDIA CONFERENCE ADDRESSED THE CHALLENGES OF PUBLIC
BROADCASTING

"ZHAMANAK-YEREVAN" HAS A NEW EXECUTIVE EDITOR

"PRESS CLUB" AND "PRESS CLUB+": ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATING
EVENTS OF MARCH 1 AND DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL COMMUNITIES OF ARMENIA

On November 19 another "Press Club" TV show went on the air of "Yerkir
Media" TV company. The cycle is produced by Yerevan Press Club with the
support of the Human Rights and Governance Grants Program of the Open
Society Institute. The guests of the Chairman of the Committee to Protect
Freedom of Expression Ashot Melikian were the member of the parliamentary
faction of "Prosperous Armenia" party Naira Zohrabian, member of
parliamentary faction of "Heritage" party Larisa Alaverdian and the Chairman
of "National Accord" party Aram Harutiunian. The discussion subject were the
activities of RA National Assembly ad hoc committee for the investigation of
March 1, 2008 events in Yerevan.

The next "Press Club" cycle program will be aired by "Yerkir Media" on
Wednesday, November 26, at 23.00.

On November 15 "Yerkir Media" aired another program of "Press Club+" cycle,
produced by Yerevan Press Club with the support of the UK Embassy in
Armenia. The Chairman of the Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression
Ashot Melikian and the participants of the talk show, the Board Chairman of
"Asparez" Journalist’s Club Levon Barseghian and the head of the community
of Arich village Roland Nazaretian discussed the development of rural
communities. The talk show also gave floor to the audience, involving
residents of a number of villages of Shirak region.

The next "Press Club+" show will go on the air of "Yerkir Media" on
Saturday, November 22, at 17.40.

THE HEAD OF "INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS" NGO EDIK BAGHDASARIAN ASSAULTED

On November 17 at about 20.00 in the center of Yerevan an attack was made on
the Chairman of "Investigative Journalists" NGO, the Chief Editor of "Hetq"
online publication Edik Baghdasarian. Having left the building, where the
"Investigative Journalists" office is located, Edik Baghdasarian headed
towards his car when he was assaulted by three strangers. Without saying a
word, the offenders started beating the journalist, struck him with a stone
on his head. The attackers then left, taking Baghdasarian’s photo camera
with them. At the hospital that the journalist was taken to, he got seams
put on his head and diagnosed with brain concussion.

On November 18 Yerevan Press Club, Committee to Protect Freedom of
Expression, Internews Media Support NGO, Journalists Union of Armenia,
"TEAM" Research Center, Media Diversity Institute-Armenia, "Asparez"
Journalist’s Club, "A1+" TV company, Armenian Representative of "Scoop"
Danish Network Promoting Investigative Reporting, Helsinki Committee of
Armenia, "Transparency International" Anti-Corruption Center, "For
Sustainable Human Development" Association made a statement.

"In the evening of November 17, 2008 in Yerevan Edik Baghdasarian, the
Chairman of "Investigative Journalists" NGO, the Chief Editor of "Hetq"
online publication, was assaulted and beaten. The journalist had a brain
concussion, and several seams were put on his head at "Surb Grigor
Lusavorich" medical center.

Edik Baghdasarian had received threats before, and this allows believing
that this attack is directly linked to his professional activities.

For many times already scores are settled with journalists in this mean
manner. And every time the authorities assure that they will do everything
in their power to identify the perpetrators. Yet the crimes remain
undisclosed, with their organizers and implementers unpunished. This lack of
punishment unties the hands of those who seek to repress the freedom of
expression.

We condemn the violence committed against Edik Baghdasarian, and we call on
the authorities to refrain from repeated waste of promises, to really
disclose the crime and punish those guilty", the statement of twelve
Armenian NGOs says.

Different political forces of the country also condemned the incident with
Chairman of "Investigative Journalists".

On November 18 RA Prime-Minister Tigran Sargsian visited Edik Baghdasarian
at the hospital and expressed his confidence that "those guilty will be
disclosed in the shortest time possible" (cited from the release by the
Department of Information and Public Relations of RA Government). Paying
greater attention to the formation of atmosphere of mutual tolerance and
respect in the society, the Prime-Minister expressed his hope that the
dialogue between the government, media and civil society will provide
correct decisions for its accomplishment. On the same day, November 18, RA
President’s Press-Secretary Samvel Farmanian, stressing that any expression
of violence towards journalists is unacceptable, said that RA President
Serge Sargsian ordered the law enforcement bodies to find those who attacked
Edik Baghdasarian as soon as possible and bring them to trial.

According to the information of the RA General Prosecutor’s Office, Kentron
Police Investigating Department of Yerevan instituted criminal proceedings
on the incident of November 17 by Article 113 of RA Criminal Code
("Premeditated Injury of Medium Gravity").

A number of NGOs declared about organizing an action of protest on November
19 in Yerevan, in front of the RA General Prosecutor’s Office. It is aimed
against inactivity of the authorities and demands to disclose and punish
those guilty in attacking Edik Baghdasarian. The statement of the initiative
group organizing the action stressed: "Physical violence against journalists
and activists of the civil society has become common in Armenia. The
incident with Edik Baghdasarian is just another case. (…) Who is the
next?.."

SUIT VERSUS "ARAVOT" DAILY REVOKED

On November 14 in the Civil Court of Yerevan a session on the suit of Artur
Ghevondian, RA Police Officer, versus "Aravot" daily was held. As it has
been reported, the litigation reason was "If Your Neighbor Is a Policeman"
article, published in "Aravot" on June 25, 2008. The plaintiff decided that
this communication is discrediting his honor and dignity and demanded that
the daily be committed to a refutation. During the hearing that started on
October 21, 2008, the respondent asked the plaintiff to point out the
specific phrases used in the piece and qualified as discrediting. On October
22 Artur Ghevondian presented the necessary specifications. On October 24
the author of the publication, the correspondent of "Aravot" Ruzan Minasian,
on her behalf, addressed the Media Ethics Observatory to make an expert
assessment of the article. On October 31 the Media Ethics Observatory made
its assessment, stating that the piece "does not contain unequivocal
violations of the Code of Conduct and the internationally recognized
standards". The phrases that the plaintiff challenges as "information
discrediting to honor and dignity" and "factual mistakes", in the opinion of
the MEO, "are not facts but conclusions or opinions, based on the facts,
quoted in the article". The several strong expressions, used in the piece,
while being reflective of the stereotypes in the society, cannot, however,
"be qualified as insult from the viewpoint of professional journalistic
ethics, either", the MEO said (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, October 31 –
November 6, 2008).

At the session of November 14 Ruzan Minasian presented this assessment to
the court. Artur Ghevondian announced that if "Aravot" published the
assessment, he would revoke the suit. The next day, November 15, the daily
published the text of the expert assessment of the Media Ethics Observatory
on "If Your Neighbor Is a Policeman" article. On November 18 the court
secured the petition of Artur Ghevondian about revoking the suit. The ruling
on the case will be announced on November 26.

Thus, a precedent has appeared in Armenia. For the first time, upon the
request of a party, the self-regulation body makes an assessment on the
litigation subject, and the opponent party, being satisfied with the content
and publicizing of the document, revokes the suit.

The Media Ethics Observatory was set up on March 10, 2007 by the heads of
Armenian media that supported the self-regulation initiative of Yerevan
Press Club (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, March 9-15, 2007). The mission of the
MEO is to study the complaints on the violations of the Code of Conduct of
Media Representatives and making judgments on them. As of today, the Code of
Conduct and the appendix to it, the Declaration of Election and Referenda
Coverage Principles, is signed by 31 media. The initiative is also supported
by 8 journalistic associations.

FIFTH SOUTH CAUCASUS MEDIA CONFERENCE ADDRESSED THE CHALLENGES OF PUBLIC
BROADCASTING

On November 13-14 in Tbilisi the Fifth South Caucasus Media Conference was
held. The conference was organized by the Office of the OSCE Representative
on Freedom of the Media and OSCE Mission in Georgia. The event was dealing
with the challenges of public broadcasters and the digital switchover. In
the conference heads of media, journalistic associations, state officials of
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, international experts and OSCE representatives
took part.

"ZHAMANAK-YEREVAN" HAS A NEW EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Since November 13, 2008, the member of Political Council and the
spokesperson of "Republic" party Suren Sureniants has become the Executive
Editor of "Zhamanak-Yerevan" daily. As it has been reported, earlier in 2008
the daily was managed by Aydin Morikian (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, January
3-10, 2008).

When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.

You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]

Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]

Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
_____________________________________ _______
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
0002, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 10) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:

L. ZURABYAN: MADRID PRINCIPLES NOT PUBLISHED

Panorama.am
20:19 18/11/2008

The representatives of Armenian National Congress met with the OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairman Mattew Bryza and were informed of some details
of the negotiations’ process, said ANC member Levon Zurabyan in a
press conference and added that he can not publish any details.

To the question whether they have felt concerned with those details,
Zurabyan said that if some of them are not solved in the future it
will be unacceptable for them. "For instance, if Lachin is not under
control of Armenian forces, it will be an unacceptable solution for
us," he said.

Regarding Madrid principles, Zurabyan said that those principles are
not published anywhere, though the President announced that they are
available in internet.

VARDAN OSKANYAN: "GIVEN THE VAGUE AND INDIRECT REFERENCE TO MADRID PRINCIPLES, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE LONG EXISTING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PARTIES HAVE BECOME EVEN DEEPER"

Today.Az
litics/49021.html
Nov 17 2008
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with former foreign minister of Armenia, president
of Sivilitas foundation Vardan Oskanyan.

– You have been leading the foreign ministry of Armenia for long,
taking an active part in the negotiation process on the peaceful
resolution of the Karabakh conflict. You are one of these rare
specialists, who are well familiar with the Karabakh problem. What do
you think about the adoption of the Moscow declaration on Karabakh by
the presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia? Can this document
be called "an ordinary paper"?

– I don’t think this document will add anything to the process. It
does not go beyond generalities. But for someone who can read
between the lines, it is very telling. First, in my view, given the
Russian mediation and what transpired in Georgia, this document was
to affirm the commitment of all involved to non use of force which
does not. Second, given the vague and indirect reference to Madrid
principles, it is clear that the long existing differences between
the parties have become even deeper. Thirdly, Azerbaijan remains
fixated on non Minsk process documents advancing one sided solution
which are contrary to the letter and spirit of the very document that
the parties seemingly remain committed to.

– Why do you think Moscow decided to undertake the resolution of the
Karabakh conflict at this moment? Which dividends does Russia hope
to take from its mediation mission?

– It is not unusual that a president of a co-chair country
intermittently take such initiative. President Chirac of France has
done it before, President Putin on few occasions, even president
Bush has done it right after Key West meeting. Today the context
and the circumstances under which this meeting has taken place of
course are different. Russia clearly would like to demonstrate its
leadership in the region and rebuff the criticism leveled against
her for recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

– Press says that Moscow is extremely displeased with Sargsyan,
who did not justify its hopes. Are the leaders of the unrecognized
Nagorno Karabakh also displeased with the Armenian President. How can
such moods be called? Do you share this opinion? If it is really like
that, why are they displeased?

– We have heard similar speculations before which I knew were
not true. This one is of similar pattern and nature. President
Sarkissian’s relations with both Moscow and NK leadership seem to be
good and friendly, and I have not detected any strains, or seen any
particular development that could lead to any complication.

– Is it possible that today the Kremlin puts pressure on Yerevan
for the latter to make concessions in the Karabakh issue? If yes,
will Serzh Sargsyan be able to persuade Karabakh Armenians to make
concessions in this conflict, as it is not ruled out that under
such developments his fate might be the same as of former Armenian
President Levon Ter-Petrosyan?

– I am not in the inner circles of decision making and cannot say
whether there is pressure or not. In the past there has not been any
pressure from any quarter. But again the situation in the region and
the world is different today. Armenia’s president’s options, however,
for compromise are limited. As far as I sense our public’s sentiments,
we have already pushed that to the limit in the Madrid document for the
sake of reaching a peaceful solution. I really don’t see how anyone
can sign a document in which Karabagh people’s unequivocal right to
self-determination, its integral link to Armenia and security are
not guaranteed.

– "Robert Kocharyan, Vardan Oskanyan and Tigran Torosyan intend
to create a new party. As is known, they have been invited to the
"Belaccio" restaurant by Kocharyan’s initiative", according to mass
media. Is it true? Do you plan to return to politics?

– Those rumors are far from being true. I will return to politics
one day, but the timing and the form of that will be contingent on
the development in and out of the country.

– Russian analysts say that the independent position of Turkey is
favorable for the Kremlin, which scares Armenia that there will be a
reorientation of the Russian external policy towards Ankara-Baku and
Armenia will be in a difficult state. The quo status in the region,
so profitable for Armenia, is violated and Sargsyan is obliged to
hold talks in conditions of the complete absence of maneuver…

– International relations is not a zero sum game. The possibilities are
so many and diverse, that even multitude of bilateral commitments and
engagements need not be at someone else’s expanse. Russian-Armenian
relations are on solid footing, based on mutual political, security
and economic interests. Russia’s engagement on the Ankara-Baku axis
may even be beneficial to Armenia, being the missing piece in that
puzzle which could complete the bigger picture of a Caucasus with
multiple transportation links rather than complete reliance on Georgia.

TURKEY CALLS ON ARMENIA TO OPEN ARCHIEVES ON 1915 INCIDENTS

Today’s Zaman
Nov 14 2008
Turkey

Turkey’s prime minister once again called on the Armenian government
to open their archives for studies on the incidents of 1915.

In 2005, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter
to then Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and proposed to establish
a joint committee of historians to study the incidents of 1915.

"Our offer is still on the table. Let’s leave it to historians,"
Erdogan told a conference in New York’s Columbia University. "We have
opened our archives and Armenians should open their archives too. We
have studied over 1 million documents so far."

Erdogan said Turkey and Armenia should abide by the final decision
of historians following these studies.

Asked about Turkish government’s reaction regarding
U.S. president-elect Barack Obama and his team’s close stance on the
Armenian allegations, Erdogan said the campaign carried out by the
Armenian diaspora in the United States was not fair.

"I hope the new U.S. administration would take into account Turkey’s
efforts. It is not fair to make a judgement upon such cheap political
lobbying," he said.

Asked whether Turkey, as the new member of the UN Security Council,
would pursue its own national policy or UN policies if a problem
about the Caucasus and the Upper Karabakh was brought to the Council,
Erdogan said Turkey would contribute to speed up efforts for settlement
of the problem.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh
Sargsian met in Moscow early November and agreed to continue to work
on a political resolution of the Upper Karabakh dispute.

Erdogan said the two leaders made a significant step and expressed
Turkey’s willingness to host the second meeting of Aliyev and Sargsian.

He said solution of the problem could lead to a new step and start
of a new process regarding relations between Turkey and Armenia.

ARMENIANS CELEBRATE KOLKATA LINK
Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey

Times of India
menians_celebrate_Kolkata_link/articleshow/3706527 .cms
Nov 13 2008
India

KOLKATA: It was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and no member of the
Armenian community who has ever lived in the city wanted to miss it.

Hundreds of them flew in from across the globe to be part of the
celebrations to mark 400 years of the community in the city and the
tercentenary of the Holy Nazareth Church on Armenian Street.

On Wednesday, when all of them trooped into the Armenian College
grounds on Free School Street, you would be forgiven for mistaking
it for a neighbourhood in Armenia. It was a pleasant sight for those
who’ve stayed on in the city.

The community has been reduced to just 35 families now, but at their
height of glory in the early 20th century, Armenians — led by famous
men like J C Galstaun, the racing mogul, and Arathoon Stephen, the
real estate czar — numbered 30,000. Wednesday’s gala event, with a
host of cultural programmes, must have been a reminder of old times.

People had flown in from the UK, US, Turkey, Iran, Australia and
a number of other countries for the celebrations. Many of them had
studied or taught at the Armenian College many years ago and had left
for foreign shores.

Take the case of Father Kegham, who came from California and returned
to the city after 36 years. He was the parish priest of the Armenians
in the city between 1964 and 1972 and had come from Jerusalem to take
charge. "The very thought of visiting my favourite city once again was
enough to pull me out of home even at this age. A lot has changed,
the crowd are bigger and there’s more traffic today, but there’s no
missing the warmth of this place," he said.

His thoughts were echoed by Richard Hovannisian, a retired teacher of
Armenian at the University of California, Los Angeles, who returned to
the city after 50 years. "I came as a student and spent a few years
here. Those days the city teemed with Armenians and there were rows
of bungalows and bread-and-breakfast joints owned by them. Today I
see none. The community also led an active club life and I was a part
of that. Did you know that most of the ghats along Hooghly were built
by the Armenians?" Richard asked.

And then there was Assadour Guzelian, who flew down from the UK. He
taught at the College between 1957 and 1964 and then returned to
UK to start The Sun, a celebrated Armenian newspaper and the London
Armenian Monthly, a periodical.

"I was very close to linguist Suniti Chattopadhyay, who authored books
on famous Armenian heroes and the epic on David of Sassoon. I had
delivered several lectures at the Asiatic Society, which even published
my article in a journal in 1962," Guzelian said. The greatest moment
for this teacher was meeting his former students Hovannes Kaloyan,
Simon Gregory and Malcolm Arconan. While Kaloyan is an environmental
scientist in the UK and passed out of the school in 1960, Gregory
and Arconan studied here in the late ’50s.

The high point of the celebration was the presence of His Holiness
Karekin II, the worldwide religious head of the Armenians. He has come
from Armenia for the celebrations. He called upon the Armenians of
the city to help preserve their national identity and values so that
the community continues to prosper. "It should not be that Armenian
monuments are the only thing this city remembers about our community,"
he said.

He reminded the gathering that India holds a special place in the
hearts of Armenians around the globe because it was in Chennai
in 1773 that the intellectuals of the community drafted the first
constitution of a liberated Armenia. Again, in 1794, they published
the first Armenian periodical here.

On a lighter vein, he said, "We are a fan of your Hindi films. It
started with the Raj Kapoor films and that song… Mera joota hai
Japani… that was on everyone’s lips. Today our TV channels show
Hindi films at least twice a week and there is a huge fan following
of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai."