PRESIDENT RECEIVES GEGHARKUNIK GOVERNOR
Panorama.am
19:00 05/03/2007
President Robert Kocharyan and Governor of Gegharkunik region
Arsen Grigoryan discussed social-economic situation of the region,
president press services told Panorama.am . The parties talked about
the implemented works in 2006 and future plans. The governor reported
on the pace of president’s assignments made earlier.
The two also discussed Lake Sevan related topics.
ARMENIA HONORED GUEST OF INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURE EXHIBITION IN FRANCE
Panorama.am
20:35 05/03/2007
Armenian became the honored guest of international 44th agricultural
saloon, which has been taking place in Paris recently. France’s
president Jacques Chirac visited the exhibition mid today. He greeted
Armenian Agriculture Minister David Lokyan and the Armenian ambassador
in France Edward Nalbandyan warmly.
President Chirac asked to deliver warm greetings to the Armenian
president, foreign ministry press services report.
Some eighty countries participated in the respectable exhibition where
Armenian participates for the first time together with Russia and
Japan. The exhibition focuses on ecologically safe products this year.
Armenian ambassador told French reporters that Armenian products
are of interest in this sense and that doors may open for Armenian
products not only in France but also in Europe.
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
02-03-2007
Armenia’s Foreign Minister Meets with New UN Secretary General
On the very day that marked the 15th anniversary of independent Armenia’s
entry into the
UN, Armenia’s Foreign Minister was at UN headquarters in New York, to meet
with new Secretary General Ban-ki Moon. Minister Oskanian congratulated the
Secretary General on his appointment and repeated Armenia’s readiness to
work effectively as a contributing member of the international community.
The Minister said that Armenia is pleased with the work of the various UN
agencies in Armenia. He stressed that such indicators as the Human
Development Index and the Millennium Development Goals offer solid
guidelines for further development. The Minister explained that in addition
to the government’s Poverty Reducation Strategy, a new program aims to
partner international organizations, the diaspora and the country’s own
resources to focus on rural poverty eradication.
The Secretary General and the Minister discussed developments in the
Caucasus region and the Karabakh resolution process. Minister Oskanian
explained the evolution of the negotiations, and the current phase of the
OSCE Minsk process which addresses the issue at the core of the conflict –
the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh for self-determination. In that
spirit, Minister Oskanian explained that efforts to seek statements at the
UN or in other forums which ignore or contradict this reality would damage
the process and further delay a lasting resolution.
PRESS OFFICE
Department of Communications
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 160; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
March 1, 2007
___________________
NYC CATHEDRAL TO HOST JOINT MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR HRANT DINK ON SUNDAY,
MARCH 4
The Armenian-American community will join together at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday,
March 4, 2007, in New York City’s St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral for a joint
memorial and requiem service honoring the life and work of Hrant Dink, the
courageous Armenian-Turkish journalist assassinated outside the office of
his newspaper, Agos, in Istanbul on Friday, January 19, 2007.
The guest preacher at the service will be the Reverend Canon Francis V. Tiso
of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
The service will also include remarks by three special guest speakers: Peter
Steinfels of the New York Times, Jeremy Main of the Overseas Press Club, and
Anna Kushner of the PEN American Center who will speak to the courage of
their fellow journalist and the need to protect journalist as they exercise
free speech rights.
The memorial service will take place at the St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral,
630 Second Avenue at 34th Street in Manhattan followed by remarks at the
reception in the Haik and Alice Kvookjian Auditorium.
COURAGEOUS JOURNALIST
Dink was editor-in-chief of Istanbul’s bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper
Agos. He was a respected member of the Armenian community because of his
open and forthright approach to discussing the Armenian genocide.
He began Agos on April 5, 1996, as a way to build a bridge of understanding
between the Turkish and the Turkish-Armenian communities. He also sought to
pull the Armenian community out of isolation in Turkey.
For statements in support of Genocide recognition, Dink was prosecuted three
times for "denigrating Turkishness."
Dink was assassinated in Istanbul on January 19, 2007, allegedly by Ogün
Samast, an ultra-nationalist Turk. He left behind a wife, two daughters, and
a son.
JOINT COMMUNITY MEMORIAL
The March 4 service is being organized by the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church
of America, the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of America and the Armenian
Missionary Association.
"Hrant Dink never believed that it was disloyal to speak the truth. Indeed,
he believed that it was his, and every Turkish citizen’s duty to seek out
and speak the truth. He believed that Turkey, being bound by a past too
unbearable to even speak, held his country in bondage. So, with a clear
conscience, a good heart and a talent for writing, Hrant and his colleagues
founded Agos, a bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper dedicated to
responsible journalism and advocacy for peaceful change and dialogue," said
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate (or head bishop) of the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America (Eastern), who traveled to Istanbul to attend
Dink’s funeral last month.
"I have been encouraged by the vast majority of people’s reactions to this
tragic event. I have personally witnessed the solidarity with Hrant’s ideas
and dreams demonstrated by well over 100,000 people who lined the streets of
Istanbul as the funeral cortege passed by, as well as those who flocked to
his graveside to pay their respects. These were not the passing whims of
sympathy for a victim of a crime as some would report, but the earnest,
sincere and heartfelt expressions of love and commitment to Hrant’s life’s
work by people who have silently shared his struggle and who now proclaim
their solidarity loudly, vocally and explicitly for the world to see,"
Archbishop Barsamian continued.
The joint memorial and requiem service will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday,
March 4, 2007, at the St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, 630 Second Avenue at
34th Street in Manhattan.
For more on Dink’s life and works, visit:
— 3/1/07
MEHMET Y. YILMAZ: FOLLOWING THE HAGUE’S SREBRENITSA DECISION: TIME TO CHANGE OUR ARMENIAN STRATEGY
Hurriyet, Turkey
March 1 2007
As we all know, Turkey’s usual response to Armenian claims of genocide
has been "let’s leave this subject to the historians."
Which means, we expect that historians will sit down, examine all the
documents from both sides, as well as from third countries, and make
a decision. I don’t think I need to point out that this scenario is
never actually going to take place. The real problem is what label
the historians will decide to put on the tableau which emerges as
they do their work; I don’t think this is really a job which falls
to them. Because opining on the tableau which emerges means the
same thing as issuing a subjective view, and it is an unavoidable
truth that everyone will act according to their own beliefs. So,
once again, the problem will not be solved. Some historians will say
"it was genocide," while others assert "it wasn’t."
The recent decision from the International Court of Justice on the
"ethnic cleansing" and the allegations of genocide in Srebrenitsa,
Bosnia signals to us where we should be looking for solutions to this
problem. Because it makes absolutely no sense to look for a decision
to be issued on genocide in any of the local parliaments in the
world. Turkey should start preparing for this case to be brought to
the Hague’s International Court of Justice, and should begin to focus
its efforts in this direction. In fact, maybe it should even create a
special undersecretariat simply for this purpose, a body which would be
able to turn to domestic and internation law experts for information,
and which would have easy and open access to all of the state’s many
documents on this matter. We have accustomed ourselves to leaving
debate on this subject open to the flow of developments outside of
us, rather than taking action into our own hands. But we have got to
change our strategy, and bring the fast-paced developments on this
subject under our control. The government must not be dissuaded by
the atmosphere of election season, and must not allow this subject
to be postponed!
HALUK IPEK: NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT SHOULD BE SOLVED IN THE FRAMEWORK OF PEACEFUL OPTION APPROVED BY AZERBAIJANI PEOPLE
Today, Azerbaijan
March 1 2007
"26 February is not only one of the saddest days for the Turkish
world and Azerbaijan, but a black page for humanity.
"Armenians committed a massacre against civilians in Khojaly on
February 26 in 1992," Haluk Ipek, chairman of Turkey-Azerbaijan
Friendship Group, one of the heads of parliamentary factions of Justice
and Development Party said at the meeting of the Turkish Parliament
on February 28.
Giving information about the tragedy, Ipek said that Armenians
attacked on Khojaly, which they encircled since October of 1991,
with the support of 366th regiment of Russia.
"Armless, defenseless Azerbaijani Turks, children, women and the old
were murdered by Armenians. 83 children and 106 women were killed
atrociously. They totally killed 613 civilians. 487 were wounded,
1,275 were captured, 150 of which are unidentified. Armenians skinned
people and cut off different parts of their body. A lot of people
were buried being alive. They even burnt the martyrs’ bodies.
Armenians tortured every one," he said.
Haluk Ipek also informed the parliamentarians of the history of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict and occupation of Azerbaijani territories.
He said that the main aim of the massacre started in 1988 is to annex
Karabakh to Armenia.
"The Nagorno Karabakh problem has a negative influence on the stability
of the South Caucasus. The only way out is to liberate the occupied
territories and to solve the problem with Turkey’s support and in
the framework of the peaceful solution satisfying Azerbaijan," he said.
Haluk Ipek accused Western states and parliaments of pursuing double
standard policy and added that they ignore the Khojaly genocide and
the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and concern themselves with
the false claims of Armenian genocide.
URL:
CONSTRUCTION GROWS BY 2.4% IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY 2007 ON SAME MONTH OF LAST YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Feb 28 2007
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. In January 2007, construction of 3
bln 808 mln drams (about 10.5 mln USD) was done in Armenia, including
construction of production facilities of 2 bln 117.2 mln drams. Out
of this construction volume, building and assembly work amounted to
2 bln 982 mln drams, including that of production facilities of 1
bln 318.7 mln drams.
According to the RA National Statistical Service, construction grew by
2.4% in January 2007 on the same month of 2006, building and assembly
work – by 9.9%.
100% of the total area of residential buildings put into operation
in January 2007 was done with resources of the population.
Two comprehensive schools were repaired in Armenia in January of this
year with credit resources of the World Bank.
AMENDMENT IS ENVISAGED TO RA CODE ON ADMINISTRATIVE OFFENSES
Noyan Tapan
Feb 27 2007
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA NA discussed in the first
reading on February 26 the draft on making amendment to the RA Code on
Administrative Offenses. It will perhaps be voted on February 27. The
government which is the author of the draft proposes to recognize
invalid the article of the code concerning entering district center
with armament.
Adoption of the draft is provided by the circumstance that a punishment
is envisaged for the same deed by the amendments made on December 12,
2006, to the RA Criminal Code as well. According to it, if on the vote
day a person having the right of having armament demonstratively enters
district center (vote cell) with an armament without service necessity
is punished by imprisonment with the term from 6 months to 1 year.
GLASS HOUSES
Kirkus Reviews
March 2007
Section: Fiction; Mystery
Gregor Demarkian joins the defense of a man who may or not be
Philadelphia’s Plate Glass Killer.
When Henry Tyder emerges from an alley dripping with blood and
stinking of alcohol and worse, everyone assumes he strangled
the middle-aged woman back there, then slashed her face to bits,
marking her as his 11th victim. Henry confesses, but while two
warring detectives disparage each other and mangle the evidence so
badly that it’s inadmissible, Henry’s public defender has doubts
his client did it. For his part, Henry seems to use jail as a refuge
from the two half-sisters bent on drying him out and restoring him
to the social prominence expected of the family owning most of the
city’s real estate. Called in to untangle matters, Gregor Demarkian,
the Armenian-American Poirot (Hardscrabble Road, 2006, etc.), must
decide whether Henry is guilty, whether the fractious cops served
justice and why these serial killings, unlike others, include no
sexual component. Could someone else be the killer? Is more than one
killer loose? Gregor manages to put things right despite the emotional
upheaval he endures when Bennis Hannaford returns after a year away
without a word and asks him to marry her.
Haddam has great fun letting the Cavanaugh Street regulars skewer an
English reporter convinced that Pennsylvania is a red state. If her
plot unravels a bit at the end, the trip there is exhilarating.
Publication Date: 4/19/2007 0:00:00 Publisher: St. Martin’s Minotaur
Stage: Adult ISBN: 0-312-34307-8 Price: $24.95 Author: Haddam, Jane
Kodadýmedya, Turkey
Feb 23 2007
OTTOMAN ARMENIANS: `WHO KILLED WHO ?’
I. Introduction: `Chronology and History’
These two branches are confused in general; unfortunately, we witness
such confusion initiated by several persons, having studied history.
In fact, while the first of these branches places the events in time
and place, the second branch researches or is obligated to research
reasons and consequences of such events. While the history is making
the research, it shall stick to the time-table presented by the
chronologist, but at the same time evaluate its information on legal,
cultural, geographical, sociological matters and the like.
We will able to get the conclusion only after the examination we
would carry out under the following titles:
II. Reasons Triggering Degeneration of the Ottoman-Armenian Relations
1. Sovereignty Fight Lasted for five (5) Centuries in the Balkans:
`Bogomilism’
When the Ottoman/Turkish Army entered the Balkans in the mid of XIVth
century, both anarchy and despotism existed in the peninsula. The
political power was tyrannically exploiting small principalities
based on territory and the village class people through these
principalities and the village class people were not able to resist
impositions and insistences of the political power and were being
oppressed by the bandits living in the rural areas.
On the other hand, the real victims of the fight between the churches
were the small principalities and the villagers; while the Catholics
on one hand and the Orthodoxies on the other hand were fighting.
Large blocks of people were wildly being exterminated by these two
denominations, as they have strictly believed in Bogomilism.
The Ottoman Empire has benefited such situation by the way of
securing and protecting the oppressed classes; and therefore in a
short period of time, it could find the way to settle in the Balkan
peninsula. In the meantime, Turk tributes continuously and Sufistic
Connoisseurs (`Tasavvuf Erbabý’) migrating from Asia were constantly
being placed in the Balkans. Although this spread was suspended and
even regressed upon lost of Ankara war in the East and dissolution of
the Ottoman Empire, it was going to be completed more strongly than
ever within fifty years and the South and Central Balkans were going
to be Ottomanized/Turkicized. In the mid of the XVth century.
Ottoman-Germen fight was going to continue for one more century in
the North Balkans, constituting the current Hungary. The challenge on
the Balkans was going to continue until the beginning of the XVIIIth
century and until even today. The difference is that Austria,
representing the Germen authority, left its role to the Tsarist
Russia since XVIII.
Russia, which has been more dangerous than the Austrian Empire, has
planned the policy of `sailing along the warm waters’ for
establishing its sovereignty in the territory and considered this as
a matter of life and death. However, this has been considered by
Austria as an economic development area. Then, having eliminated its
powerful neighbor Sweden, it has edged towards the Ottoman Empire
with all of its power but had to divide its power, as Austria could
not have solved its problems in the Western Europe. However, the most
important point is that as Austria was catholic, the Orthodox Church
was on the side of the Ottoman Empire. At that time, Russia usurped
the church. Furthermore, Russia’s being a Slav Country was going to
turn the conflict between the church and the nationalists to its own
pims; so the Ottoman was going to gradually be considered to be a
foreigner or occupier in that territory.
2. Russia and Pan-Slavism: `Küçük Kaynarca Treaty and First Political
Losses’
Nobody should doubt that that the date to be considered to be
milestone in Ottoman-Russian fight was the execution of 1774 Küçük
Kaynarca Treaty. Until this date, Ottoman Empire from time to time
lost or won the wars it entered; but, no records other than border
arrangements and/or commercial matters have been kept to bear
political consequences. However, it was the first time that it was
accepted in this treaty that Russia was the protector of the
orthodoxies in the Ottoman State and they would be able to open a
consulate anywhere they wish.
This situation, considered unimportant by many of our well-known
historians, has been described by Hammer, Austrian Historian as
follows: `…this peace has been the reason for all the troubles of the
Republic of Turkiye (`Turkiye’) since then and has been the
commencement of dissolution of this Empire and was going to cause
disintegration of the same at least in the West’.
Before ending this matter, we should emphasize: `these provisions,
considered to be critical, have been continuously imposed to Turks
thereafter and are still imposed even today.’ We call you to think on
this matter.’
However, we would like to draw attention to the expression of `at
least in the West’. This is because, at that time, Armenians were
still considered `Loyal Nation’ as expressed as `Tebaa-i Sdýka or
Millet-î Sýdýka’ in the Ottoman Turkish and they were not expected to
have contrary acts against the State. Anyhow, there has been no
reason for such a contrary action; this loyal nation has increased
their welfare by conducting the activities of trade and by governing
the foreign relations of the Ottoman Empire.
Upon the execution of Küçük Kaynarca Treaty, the Russians have
increased their activities in the Balkans. They have established
consulates and accordingly, sensitive zones. They have firstly formed
armed committees by sending weapons and ammunition and even rebels;
and afterwards caused rebellions. They had roles in establishment of
independent Romania, Greece and Serbia. However, they could not in
any way rouse the Armenian public mind in the Eastern Anatolia;
because Armenians have preferred to be under the control of the
Ottoman Empire where they have dominant situation in economic terms,
as they had fear for religious sovereignty to possibly be established
by Orthodox Russia. This lasted until the mid of the XIXth century.
3. Events until Paris Imperial Reform Edict: `The Issue of
Minorities’
Russia already seized the Eastern Anatolia in 1828s and has been in
close contact with the Armenian population. A significant change
occurred in the mid of XIXth century. Having expanded, Russia reached
the border of India; and England has suffered from this progress and
France has suffered from availability of Russian navy in the
Mediterranean. In the future these two countries, would on the side
of the Ottoman Empire (in the future the Kingdom of Piedmont would
join to them) declare war against Russia by using Russia’s request of
control of the straits as an excuse.
Although Russia lost the war, the peace settlement was going to cause
dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. However, after England had secured
the Indian border and together with France, settled the matter of
Straits, these two countries put the `Matter of Minorities’ in the
Ottoman Empire on the agenda, as if they won the war together with
Russia against the Ottoman Empire; and thereafter, commenced to
discuss the articles required to be accepted by the Grand
Governorship. Sublime Porte, afraid of such a plot hatched against
it, was obligated to declare in Istanbul a mandate including a series
of arrangement upon recommendation and even intervention of a French
Representative, while Paris Conference was going on. This mandate was
briefly regarding equal rights and liabilities granted to non-Muslims
in the Empire.
It is quite strange that the objection to the provisions of this
mandate was raised by the non-Muslims, who have been granted equal
rights with the Muslims. Moreover, even Fener (`Phanar’) Greek
Patriarch has read the mandate and stated `I hope it would not any
longer come out of its bag’ and replaced it into the bag. The reason
is quite simple: `Equal rights and liabilities as well as the status
of the Muslim Ottoman Society, who spent 20 years of their lives in
the military service and failed to penetrate into the commercial
life, do not suit the purpose of the other societies in the Empire,
who have been exempted from the military service until that time’.
However, Europe has placed pressure on this matter and the
non-Muslims would have been exempted from such duty by the way of
payment of the `cost’ of the military service and would have
maintained their economic superiority.
During all of these arrangements, Armenians were still loyal Ottoman
citizens, who have been stuck to the State. However, this was not
going to last long !..
Due to the influence of the missioners, who have entered from the
borders, opened following Paris Conference, and due to enthusiasm for
the scholarships granted, Armenians were going to be willing to go to
Europe or Russia and start to be organized against the State there.
However, it is not coincidence that committees, which were going to
be, in the future, a great trouble to both Armenians and Turks, have
been established in either Europe or Russia: `Taþnakustyan (`Taþnak’
or `Tashnak’) Committee was established in Tiflis and Hinchak
(`Hýnçak’) Committee was established in Geneva.’
Following the Treaty of Ayastefanos executed on March 3, 1978 after
the war called `93 War’, concluded with great defeat of the Ottoman
Empire and following the Berlin Conference, which is a darned version
of the preceding Treaty in terms of borders; the Ottoman shrinked in
the east; therefore, 800 years of Turkish sovereignty in the
North-East Anatolia ended; and the territories as well as the Muslim
society living thereon were left on the hook of the Armenians
together with whom they have lived for 800 years.
The Ottomans, aware of the aforementioned facts, have been obligated
to ignore a series of agitations in the country due to binding
treaties and in order to prevent any jeopardy to the Muslims left on
the hook of Armenians. Of course, this situation was going to be
considered to be soft spot of the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian
societies were going to aggravate the situation. For instance,
members of Hinchak Committee were going to start consecutive
rebellions.
4. Ottoman – Russian War: `Erzurum Cemetery, Dram and Muslims Force
to Emigrate’
While border arrangement was being made following the Ottoman-Russian
War in 1978, Russian delegates and Ottoman Delegates gathered at the
provincial house. Russians demanded the province of Erzurum in
addition to Kars, Ardahan and Aðrý, they occupied in this war. As
support, or in other terms proof, for such demand, they asserted the
claim that the majority of the population of these territories was
constituted by Armenians. Upon such claim, one of the Ottoman
delegates took the Russian delegate by the arm to the window and
said: `this is the Erzurum Cemetery; this large land from here to
there is the cemetery of the Muslims and this small part is the
cemetery of Armenians. As we know, Armenians bury their corpses as we
do, but don’t eat !..’ This dialogue is in fact quite dramatic.
Then, the idea adopted in the East was: `If a peace negotiation is
held and the population of one of the parties is higher than the
other one’s, the other party is going to loose the relevant
territories’ Therefore, the Muslims on the other side of the border
were forced to emigrate with pressure of any nature. When the war was
started, Armenians on this side of the border were compulsorily being
repressed. We should particularly state that while the oppressions to
the Muslims in the Russian side were wildly being made by Tashnak
Armenian Guerillas, the obligatory emigration on this side of the
border was conducted by the disciplinary gendarme.
5. 1914 Declaration of War against Russia and Armenian Rebellions:
`Obligatory Emigration-Emigrants’
As soon as war was declared against Russia in 1914 autumn, Russia
forced approximately 387,000 Muslims to immediately cross the border
and emigrate into the Ottoman Side. Afterwards, the Sublime Porte
decided that the villages would be evicted excluding Armenians, such
as the doctors, pharmacists and veterinaries, offering public
services in the villages on the borders; and the emigrant Armenians
would be transferred and placed in the South under security; and the
immigrants coming from the Russia would be placed in the evicted
villages.
Three points should be considered in this decision:
i. The decision was made after Russia had forced the Muslim society
to emigrate.
ii. The decision is not related to emigration of Armenians and
members of several occupational group living in the provinces. This
means that this is not a decision made against a group, as they are
Armenians.
iii. The decision has arrangements with respect to that Armenians
would be sent to South for residence and the assets of these
Armenians would be sold and the costs of the same would be delivered
to them or to the Armenian church, in case of failure in finding the
owners of such assets. Documents evidencing such arrangements are
available.
6. Obligatory Emigration Circumstances: `Fatigue, Diseases and
Kurdish Bandits’
At the preliminary stage, 180,000 – 300,000 Armenians were gathered
together and repressed from their villages and collectively caused to
depart towards the South. This departure lasted under quite hard
circumstances and particularly old population died of fatigue and
diseases and young population in considerable number died of the
attacks of the Kurdish Bandits. There are many telegrams filed by the
guardian officers requesting subsidiary forces.
7. Armenian Rebellions: `Yozgat and Tokat’
In the meantime, there has been considerable number of Armenians
stayed. These have been Armenians living in the provinces or those,
succeeded in staying in the villages by hiding or bribing. Those
staying in the territory (Erzurum, Oltu, Erciþ, Van, Malazgirt, Muþ
surrounding, Tekman), occupied by general attacks of the Russian Army
upon Sarýkamýþ Event and in the provinces left to Russia by 1978
Treaty, have put to the torture and killed the Muslim society in the
territory. As for Armenians living in the provinces; the major
evidence that these Armenians have not been forced to emigrate is
1917 Yozgat, 1917 and 1918 Sivas Armenian Rebellions. If these
Armenians had been murdered, it is so hard to understand how they
were up in arms !..
8. The fact of Van: `Paris of the Orient’
We kindly ask you to allow us to disclose a fact, the evidence of
which still exists today, about Van with respect to which we have
talked to the old people:
The city of Van has born the title of `Paris of the Orient’ and the
Muslim or Non-Muslim ladies of Van had been wandering around the lake
by silver embossed phaetons at sundown at the beginning of the last
century according to the claims. The population of Van had consisted
of 1/3 Muslims, 1/3 Armenians and 1/3 Jews.
Well off Muslim society had resided in the quarter on the coast of
the lake in the skirts of the castle, remained from the ancient
Urartu times, and all of the aforementioned societies had lived
together in the skirts of the mountain, 4-5 km far from the lake.
After the Russian Army had arrived, a considerable number of Muslims
left Van together with the Turkish Army falling back towards Edremit.
Afterwards, Armenians of Van set fire to the Turkish quarters and in
their own words `they left not a stick standing’. Relevant evidences
are available.
Even, according to what told by an old native of Van, `Armenians of
Van, who hide their neighbors, have shipped these people in the
vessels for the so-called purpose of missing them, brought them to
Ahdamar Island under the Armenian Control and shot them’. When the
Turkish Army pulled back Van, Armenians of Van, afraid of
retaliation, evicted their quarters together with the Russian Army
falling back. The Turks coming resided in the evicted Armenian
quarters. Then, magnificent city of Van on the coast of the lake
disappeared and today’s Van became a land city.
9. `Armenian State’ and `Armenia’ in Kars
Armenians, surviving compulsory emigration, has put to the North
together with Russian Army falling back in all directions. They have
settled down in the `Kars centered Armenian State’. The life of this
State has been so short and they have been repelled by Kazým
Karabekir Pascha as far as today’s Armenia and left Anatolia.
III. Incrimination of Armenian Genocide: `Malta and Berlin’
1. Malta: `No Evidence’
As mentioned in the first section hereof, Cabinet in London had
difficulties, as no evidence could have been collected about 140 high
officials of the State sent to Malta by English forces, based on a
series of crime regarding massacres against Armenians in South
Caucasus (refers to Eastern Anatolia within the borders of the
Ottoman Empire).
However, the Cabinet in London has called off establishment of courts
as per Article 230 of Sèvres Treaty, as they could not have found any
evidence either in the archives under their possession or in the
archives of the Ottoman. Nevertheless, they have decided to request
from the USA authorities to submit evidences and documents these
authorities have been supposed to possess (!), in order to procure
that those in Malta were going to be arrested to no purpose.
In the meantime, the Chief Public Prosecutor of England, with its
Note dated July 29, 1921, stated that there had been no possibility
to file an action based on the documents submitted to them as
evidences or statements, the reality of which had been impossible to
be believed by any court.’
Having made the situation worse, the response coming from USA has
caused disappointment. Washington Embassy in England (dated 13 July
1921 and by British Ambassador Mr. R.C. Craigie in Washington), in
its Letter issued to Lord CURZON Committee, authorized to prepare
files of the actions against the arrested officials in Malta, has
stated: `There is no evidence available regarding the aforementioned
arrested officials and there are several groundless oral complaints
about two of them. The original of this document is as follows:
‘………. I regret to inform Your Lordship that there was nothing
there in which could be used as evidence against the Turks who are
being detained for trial at Malta…..
Having regards to this stipulation and the fact that the reports in
the possession of the Department do not appear in any case to contain
evidence against these Turks which would be useful even for the
purpose of corroborating information already in the possession of His
Majesty’s Government.’.
We would like to draw attention to one point herein: `No evidence
could have been found against the arrested officials at Malta’. We
would later on return to this matter while evaluating the legal
situation.
When the required evidences could not have been found in USA, the
English Government has waived from all of its claims and converted
the arrested officials into political hostages from the status of
possible offenders and accepted their exchange with the prisoner
Englishmen in the Anatolia on a subsequent date; but this matter is
out of the scope of our matter in respect of its feature.
2. Berlin: `Tayleryan who murdered Talat Pascha’ and `Andonian
Documents’
The second stage of the request of referral of the event to
international platforms has been launched in Berlin.
Talat Pasha, the second important person of the Union and Progress
Government (Ýttihat and Terakki) and the last Grand Vizier of the
Ottoman Vizier, was shot by an Armenian commissioner named
`Tayleryan’ in May 1921. The murderer was caught. At the trial of the
relevant case, it was claimed: Talat Pasha is responsible for
genocide against Armenians (the first pronunciation of the word
`genocide’) and Tayleryan is not a murderer but an executor and he
acted in such a manner under a grievous provocation.’ As evidence for
this case, telegram texts, which were going to be named `Andonian
Documents’ in the future; which have been claimed to have been issued
from Istanbul Internal Affairs Office (Ministry) (to Þam and Halep
Administrations), then handwriting copies of the same were submitted
to the court, as the `originals’, have been burned in a fire, as
claimed. In these documents, expressions ordering eradication of
Armenians brought for imprisonment were used. The Court REJECTED to
take these into consideration as evidence.
These documents have been quite important in claims regarding
Armenian Genocide and have even been known as the only source.
Although the Turkish side has claimed that these documents have been
false; and that neither the style nor the numbers thereon nor the
writing technique has not been compatible; nobody has believed this.
Consequently, 75 years has elapsed from these events and falsity of
these documents has been detected after the archives were opened and
examined.
[* A Technical Matter: A internal affairs telegram may not be deleted
from the archives; this is because it is registered in at least six
books from the Ministry (Office) to the Administrations (Ministry’s
roes, telegram arrival book, telegram acceptance book, receiver
telegram house entry book , telegram delivery roes and
administration’s entry book). Moreover, nobody claims this; but we
wrote for those, who may possibly not know.]
When it was detected that these telegrams were false, came the most
ridiculous defense from the Armenian supporters: They firstly
claimed; `Armenian genocide has been carried out in the past because
Andonian Documents evidence this genocide’, later they started to
claim: `Falsity of the Andonian documents does not change anything,
this is because it is real that these events occurred.’ (Chalian; Les
Armenians).
IV. Sèvres Peace Treaty: `Negotiations’
In the meantime, Sèvres peace negations have been held in Paris. Some
of you may perhaps wonder why Sèvres Peace Treaty Negotiations have
been held in Paris (and signed on August 10, 1920). This is quite
simple; Sèvres Peace Treaty was negotiated by and between the winners
at a hotel room in Paris; furthermore, they have neither accepted the
interview request of Ottoman Grand Vizier, who has begged for being
heard, nor read the letter send by this Grand Vizier.
During these negotiations, any and all opposing groups or ethnic
groups, including but not limited to Armenians, were heard but the
Turks were REJECTED. After issuance of a decision, the Ottoman
delegates were called to Paris and notified of this decision.
Referral of the event to the international platform by Armenians has
not come to naught and they have been granted the Eastern Anatolia by
a treaty.
When during the war of liberation, the Eastern Provinces were taken
back by the 3rd Army, the Armenian events were completely forgotten.
After execution of the Peace Treaty of Gümrü (dated December 3, 1920)
which ended this action, the chief delegates of both sides each
uttered only one but expressive word:
– `Having left the pen, Turkish chief delegate, asked the Armenian
Chief Delegate: `WHY ?.’
– The response of the Armenian Chief Delegate was `WE’VE BEEN DELUDED
!..’.
V. Armenian Diaspora: `ASALA’ and Kurds: `PKK’
Hereafter, deceptions were tended from Armenians to the Kurds. The
requests of Armenians have been forgotten due to the effects of
Dersim and Sheik (`Þeyh’) Sait rebellions, financial crisis of 1930s,
2nd World War, Korean War and Cold War.
Communities of interest, which have considered in 1960s that they
would do nothing with the Kurds, organized the Armenian Diaspora and
founded and supported ASALA.
After each murder by ASALA, the Western Media had repeated the same
sentences and supported Armenians. Then, the public, which has not
been accustomed to ask any questions, has accepted the same as an
`event’. Another update…the number of the lost people, notified by
the Patriarchy as 180-300 thousands in 1920s, was mentioned to be one
(1) million as of 1966 and thereafter as 1.5 – 2 million.
Accordingly, we guess that these Armenians, the only nation whose
population continues to increase although they die, have losses in
1915.
After seriously acting for approximately 15 years, ASALA has
disintegrated officially due to internal conflicts and non-officially
as a result of the efforts of the Turkish Intelligence Service.
Afterwards, somehow, the Kurds were started to be used and `PKK’ was
caused to be established. You know thereafter.
Today, precipitation of PKK, other than small PKK groups, has leaded
the effort to re-agitate Armenians’ or `create a new purpose’. What
would these excitements lead against us in the future ?.
Sometime several games have been intended to be played on `Alevi
society’ and they have started to be organized seriously in Germany
and Belgium; but the majority of the Alevi society disregards such
efforts for the time being
VI. Armenian Emigration and Rebellions
The act of 1915 Armenian forced emigration (obligatory emigration)
was not against a group of a religion or a race.
According to the documents under our possession, the political will
relating to the event was for non-erudite Armenians, supposed to be
Russian comsymps or under the influence of the Russians in the
territories adjacent to the front line and it has been understood
that such forced emigration was conducted particularly for wiping out
of the territory in military terms and making the territory
convenient for a military act. However, at the beginning, erudite
Armenians such as doctors, pharmacists etc., as well as Armenians
living in the cities, Armenians working in the state authorities,
sick and older villager Armenians were exempted;
We have a memory; 2 Turkish officers told how they have been taken
prisoners and how their imprisonments have been. These two officers
could have gone to the 3rd Army in Erzurum from Istanbul in 42 days.
The most important reason for their delay has been interruption of
their travels due to the Armenian gangs or their short laps. These
gangs’ generally being Protestant Armenians might have been taken as
basis for issuance of decision on emigration. However, in our
opinion, the trigger of the event was the intention to clear a field
in the critical zone for about 300,000 Turks, forced to emigrate from
Russian side to Turkish side. In fact, firstly 300,000 Turks were
banished; thereupon 300,000 – 600,000 Armenians were forced to
emigrate to the South.
Has the Armenian population been as mentioned above? No, but I could
not understand the importance of the number of this population;
because the entire of this population has not been forced to
emigrate. The evidences are the rebellions, which have consecutively
broken out after 1915 and particularly upon regression of the Russian
Army after dissolution of the Tsarist Russia in the last years of the
war. Even if, we disregarded the zones under Russian occupation in
1915s such as Kars, Ardahan, Doðu Beyazýt. If there have not been
Armenians in the zones such as Yozgat, Sivas and Merzifon, how would
these rebellions been explained then ? !…
According to what we told in our article relating to lives of the
entire of Armenians in the territory of Van in 1916, how could
general emigration of Armenians be mentioned without any bad faith?
It is hard for a normal person to consider the same! You know that
any single Armenian has not been disturbed in the territories of
Maraþ and Kilikya (`Cilisia’). Moreover, a telegram is regarding
refusal by the Armenians in the relevant zone of the efforts for
placement, in Kilikya, of Armenians forced to emigrate from the East.
We should deem well of the same !..
One day, an Armenian Professor, during his visit to Ani Ruins, told
us: `The worst behavior of you was conscription of the men and
assassination of the women and children in the villages without men’.
We told him that `his knowledge was completely wrong. Regardless of
whether the women and children in these villages have been murdered,
the Armenian men in this zone have established Tashnak gangs and
attacked the Turkish villages or taken shelter of the Russian Army
and constituted Armenian troops’. We told him that `the Armenian
soldiers he mentioned were the aforementioned villagers. He had never
heard something like this !..’. We would like to repeat that it was
calculated that the Armenian men, taken shelter of the Russian Army
and taken part in the newly formed Armenian troops immediately upon
commencement of the war before 1915 events counted at least 70,000.
Moreover, during the Russian occupation, these are the Armenians, who
have caused injustices to the extent these have stroked the Russian
officers the wrong way !..
VII. Conclusions: `Our Specialists and Our Situation’
1. In Terms of Political Will: `False Documents of Lewy Aram
Andonyan’
We told in our article that Armenians’ attitude was so illogical and
extraordinary that the lawyers even could not understand. After the
archives had been opened and the falsification of the Andonian
documents had been understood, Armenians and their supporters, who at
the beginning, made the availability of this political will depend on
completely falsified Andonian documents, wisely and coolly stated:
`This changes nothing; because the Armenian Genocide is anyhow real
and other documents are absolutely available (?!); but, nowadays they
are not accessible !..’.
2. In Legal Terms: `Burden of Proof’
Objective side, contrary to the logic of law, is that the world
public opinion has taken the burden of proof from Armenians asserting
the claim and given the same to us, Turks. They asked us to prove
that such claim is not true instead of asking Armenians to prove
their claim. Moreover, they have even not heard our defense. Let’s
say `c’est de bonne guerre’ in French terms up to that point.
Interests prevail instead of rights and law between the states.
However, the point, which desolates us and which we have difficulty
in understanding is that: WE STILL HOLD OURSELVES RESPONSIBLE FOR
THIS MATTER; AND WE PREFER ACCEPTANCE OF PRESSURE OF THE FOREIGNERS
TO WHAT TOLD BY OUR MEN OF LETTERS AND OUR HISTORIANS.
3. In Other Terms
Yes, this is true; this act has not been conducted without blood. We
guess that approximately 60,000 Armenians have died on the ways and
nearly same number of Armenians in the communication zones due to
climatic conditions in the territory on one hand and their
insufficient supply on the other hand and particularly due to
continuous attacks by the Kurdish Gangs to these public processions,
emigrating with their precious belongings.
However, Istanbul Armenian Patriarchy has firstly mentioned that
300,000 Armenians have died. The figures, claimed today, are not true
and are for the purpose of stirring up disorder in the public
opinion. Those wondering the facts may reach information on census of
population held during the Constitutional Monarchy (`Meþrutiyet’) and
may notice that the population in the territory may not be enough for
this.
We would conclude our article with a current event: A program to
which a Turkish specialist (?!) attended was held in a Belgian-French
Channel. On the matter of acceptance of Armenians by the European
Union and request from Turkiye for recognition of the Armenian
Genocide and if not acceptable, request from EU Parliament for
issuance of a decision on this matter, this Specialist (!) only and
only stated that this is not possible under EU negotiation conditions
and such a condition may not be claimed. He even uttered any other
unfortunate sentences. If we were in his shoes, we would state that
there has been no Armenian Genocide and the claims on this matter are
factitious instead of stating that negotiation of this matter is not
possible.
Do you consider the claim of Armenians that those accepting the
Armenian Genocide has been made are sentenced to imprisonment
according to the Turkish Former Criminal Code? A specialist (!?),
being at the same time a legal advisor, did not state that there is
not such a provision in the Turkish Former Criminal Code; but instead
he stated that there has been no person put in the prison for such
reason. Do you consider our situation ?!..
Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK, at his speech during the opening of the
Turkish Grand National Assembly, stated: `The problem called as
`Armenian Problem’ and intended to be resolved according to the
economic interests of the world capitalists rather than according to
the requests of the Armenian Nation was resolved by the Treaty of
Kars in the most correct manner. Good faith relations of the two
hardworking societies living together in amity for centuries were
re-established with pleasure.’
Please take into consideration my writings as a knowledge sharing.
How come that everybody informs its studies and such studies are not
considered to be abnormal, we would also like to share our knowledge
as they do.
Kindly submitted…
Hakan HANLI
Attorney at Law
International and EU Law Specialist
Brussels, April 23, 2006 [email protected]
; Catx=hakan_hanli