Author: nina hovnanian

100 CONCERTS DEDICATED TO 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Panorama
Nov 30 2011
Armenia

Armenian Ministry of Culture, “Pyunik” human resources development
foundation, Armenian Genocide museum-institute present 100 concerts
dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Armenian Genocide.

Armenian Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan has said in a news
conference foreign artists are invited to participate in the concerts,
which will be held not only in Armenia, but all over the world.

“100 years later Armenia stands on firm basis, owns potential for
development, so we should tell the world about our pain, we should
remind that genocide did happen, and after 100 years we remember it,”
said Minister.

The director of Armenian Genocide museum-institute Hayk Demoyan has
said different events are scheduled to be held devoted to the 100th
anniversary of Armenian Genocide, and has signified the current concert
“as we send messaged to the world reminding of Armenian Genocide and
through music we pay tribute to our victims.”

Levon Sargsyan, President of “Pyunik” human resources development
foundation council, has also signified the event: “Let’s show to the
world we don’t forget crimes against our nation.”

YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HAS PAID SCHOLARSHIP FEES – UNIVERSITY

news.am
Nov 30 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Yerevan State University of Economics (YSUE) headship
denies the information that the University’s students did not receive
their scholarship fees, despite Education and Science Minister Armen
Ashotyan’s instruction.

“We inform that the University has transferred two-month scholarship
fees [for September and October]. Therefore, the University properly
carries out the Education and Science Minister’s this and other
instructions,” the University’s press release states.

To note, a group of YSUE students had issued an open letter to the
Education and Science Minister, noting that their university did not
pay the scholarship fees in timely fashion.

Also, the Minister had reflected on the delay in paying the scholarship
fees, and instructed the University Rector Koryun Atoyan to speedily
regulate the matter.

OSCE MINSK GROUP VISITS BAKU

Vestnik Kavkaza
Nov 30 2011
Russia

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has met the co-chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group – Igor Popov (Russia), Robert Bradtke (USA) and Bernard
Fassier (France), with his replacement Jacques Faure. The special
representative of the OSCE chairman Andrezej Kasprzyk was also at
the meeting.

The sides discussed the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and its prospects.

The co-chairs monitored the Armenian-Azerbaijani border at the
village of Jafarli in the Gazakhsky District and met Ayaz Askerov,
head of the local executive authorities.

Fassier made note of the fact that it is the middle of their visit.

They met the president and ministers of foreign affairs and defense
of Armenia. Tension is lower on the border than on the contact line
of forces. A meeting with the president, foreign and defense ministers
will be held in Baku, APA reports.

Fikret Sadykhov, an Azerbaijani political analyst and professor of
the Western University, told Vestnik Kavkaza that the situation is
a stalemate which may enter a hostile stage. It was caused by lack
of new proposals. Foreign officials visit the area but want the
conflicting sides to resolve the problem.

Another problem is that Armenia and Azerbaijan have different
conditions, the expert goes on. The occupied territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh has separatism, which is why the UN Security Council
and PACE passed resolutions and the member-states of the OSCE MG make
declarations. This is, in fact, a flouting of international law. New
ideas for a solution are needed. There are still hopes for the Minsk
Group to resolve the conflict, but such hopes die out more every day.

Sadykhov says that he does not know a single state interested in the
conflict. Regional and European states and Russia would not want an
unstable region. But so far they show indifference. Armenia refuses
to fulfil the resolutions of the UN and heads of the OSCE MG member
states. The expert pointed out the ease of intervention in the
Middle East.

WHY ERDOGAN IS ‘ARMENIAN-MINDED’

Hurriyet Daily News

Nov 29 2011
Turkey

Last week, Kemal Kılıcdaroglu, the leader of Turkey’s all-secularist
main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), gave a furious speech
at Parliament.

He particularly targeted Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, saying:
“The mental map of the prime minister of this country is the same
with that of the Armenian Diaspora. His job is to protect unity, but
he is trying to create divisions in society. He is so wild-eyed that
do not be surprised if he imposes the Armenian genocide allegations
onto this nation soon.”

What made Kılıcdaroglu so angry was the “apology on behalf of the
state” that Erdogan voiced for the massacres that the Turkish state
perpetrated against the Alevi Kurdish tribes of Dersim in the late
1930s. (The city is now known as Tunceli. It was renamed by law in
1935.) Most liberals have welcomed Erdogan’s apology, for this is
really a first in the Republic’s history: So far, statesmen had always
maintained the state makes no mistakes. Erdogan, however, acknowledged
not just a mistake but a “massacre,” and even apologized for it.

Of course, sensible people realize this might be the beginning of a
new era in which ugly truths in near history, including what really
happened to the Armenians in 1915, might be faced. As the cult of the
state unravels, the ghosts from the past will emerge from where they
are locked by the state.

The tragicomical thing is that Kılıcdaroglu should be more sensitive
about the Dersim issue than Erdogan, for he himself is from the city.

However, like many other Dersimians, his commitment to Kemalism
has blinded him to the crimes of Kemalism. For decades, the Alevis
of Tunceli were made to believe that “Ataturk did not know about
the massacres,” and the real culprit was the “Sunni prejudice”
against them. Consequently, they have become lovers of their own
killers. Some Turkish liberals have dubbed this as the Alevi version
of the Stockholm Syndrome.

What makes Erdogan more sensitive to Dersim, despite the “Sunni
prejudice” that really exists in his party to some extent, is that
he represents a segment of Turkish society that has felt oppressed by
the state for decades. That is why he has a strong sense of solidarity
with the oppressed, which can be seen globally in his support for the
Palestinians in Gaza, the Egyptians in Tahrir or the Syrians in Hama.

Within Turkey, too, Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party
(AKP) have clashed with the Kemalist state establishment, which they
see as the cause of many injustices Turkey has suffered in the past
century. The suffering of pious Muslims was the AKP’s main concern,
but the distance this concern put between them and the establishment
created a new space in which all past crimes of the state could be
discussed. That is the main reason why Turkey’s liberals, who have
very little popular support, have supported the AKP, albeit sometimes
half-heartedly. The Kemalists, on the other hand, have blamed the
AKP for being not only too Islamic but also too unpatriotic.

In other words, Kılıcdaroglu’s recent outburst on Erdogan’s
“Armenian-mindedness” is just one example of a common pattern. Last
year, one of the deputies of his party, Ensar Ogut, had blamed Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu for deserving to be called “Davutyan,”
clearly implying an Armenian origin. Canan Arıtman, another CHP
deputy, had made headlines in 2009 by claiming President Abdullah Gul,
a former AKP minister, was a “secret Armenian.”

The truth, however, is less conspiratorial. The AKP, out of its own
political values and interests, has challenged the cult of the state
that permeated Turkey since the 1920s. And the Kemalists, whose minds
are not open to think outside of that cult, cannot just get what is
really happening.

PRESIDENT: THIS YEAR UNPRECEDENTED IN ASPECT OF ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN COOPERATION

Panorama
Nov 29 2011
Armenia

We can assert confidently that this year was unprecedented in the
aspect of cooperation between the two countries, and our relations
developed dynamically over the past two years, President Serzh Sargsyan
told a joint news conference after a private meeting with Georgian
President Mikheil Saakashvili in the Georgian Presidential Palace.

The President named the primary sectors of bilateral cooperation
– interparliamentary ties, education, transport, energy, etc. He
reminded those present that the Armenian-Georgian intergovernmental
commission met in Batumi lately, presided by the Armenian and Georgian
Prime Ministers, six documents were signed during the year 2011,
and another four documents were signed today, as part of President
Serzh Sargsyan’s official visit to Georgia.

“We have reached a very high level in this aspect,” said the President.

Regarding the agreements signed today, Serzh Sargsyan highlighted the
border cooperation agreement between the Armenian National Security
Service and the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs. He noted that
the agreement will improve cross-border mechanisms.

The President also highlighted trade and economic cooperation between
Armenia and Georgia.

“Current year’s data mark a positive shift, 20 percent increase in
trading volume between the two countries, however, this is a small
number for Armenia and Georgia,” stressed the President.

Construction of North-South Expressway will be launched in the
coming months, the President noted. The Expressway will join with the
Ninotsminda-Batumi renovated highway to facilitate freight forwarding.

We will remind that President Serzh Sargsyan started his official
visit to Georgia today.

NOT THE MEDIATORS BUT ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SETTLEMENT, NATO OFFICIAL STATES

Mediamax
Nov 29 2011
Armenia

NATO Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia
James Appathurai said today that not the mediators but Armenia and
Azerbaijan are responsible for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict.

Speaking at the videoconference organized by Armenia’s Information
Center on NATO for the students of the YSU Center for European Studies
today, James Appathurai recalled that NATO is in no way involved in
the process of Karabakh settlement and supports the efforts by the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Mediamax reports.

He said that “everybody had big expectations from the Kazan meeting
held in summer 2011, but the results were disappointing”.

The NATO Special Representative didn’t give a clear answer to the
question whether the Alliance may follow the example of the Minsk
Group Co-Chairs and urge Azerbaijan to withdraw their snipers from
the contact line.

“I don’t think NATO is authorized to advise the conflicting sides on
specific questions”, said James Appathurai.

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US THAT ARMENIA BE SELF-DETERMINING, CONFIDENT, AND STRONG – GEORGIAN PRESIDENT

news.am
Nov 29 2011
Armenia

TBILISI. – Armenian-Georgian relations are not only friendly, but
pragmatic, too, Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili stated during
a joint press conference with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan,
in Tbilisi, on Tuesday.

“There are no problems in our relations. It is vitally important for
us that Armenia be a self-determining, confident, and a strong country,
which is also a reliable partner of Georgia,” Saakashvili stressed.

The Georgian president also noted that the improvement in
Armenian-Georgian relations has been exceptional in these years.

In Mikheil Saakashvili’s words, serious steps are launched to further
improve bilateral relations, and the document signed on “Border
Cooperation” will serve that purpose. As per the Georgian President,
this document will considerably facilitate relations between the two
countries, because the people will no longer have to wait for hours
at the Armenian-Georgian border checkpoints to cross the border.

Speaking about friendly relations, Mikheil Saakashvili recalled that
Armenia was one of the first countries to lend a helping hand to
Georgia during its brief war with Russia, in August 2008.

“There are no problems in the Armenian-Georgian relations,” Saakashvili
said, also underscoring Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan contribution
to bettering relations.

Georgia’s President also spoke about the possibility of creating a
united economic region.

GEORGIA AND ARMENIA SIGN COOPERATION DEALS ON GUARDING BORDER

Vetsnik Kavkaza
Nov 29 2011
Russia

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan visited the Palace of Georgian
President Mikheil Saakashvili on Tuesday and signed a set of
agreements, News Georgia reports.

An agreement was signed by the Ministries for Sports and Youth
of Georgia and Armenia to cooperate in youth issues. The Georgian
Interior Ministry and the Armenian National Security Service signed
a cooperation agreement for guarding the border . The Armenian and
Georgian governments signed a deal on cooperation in standardization
and metrology. A cooperation protocol was signed between the Georgian
and Armenian Foreign Ministries.

ARMENIAN MP URGES PEOPLE NOT TO DANCE ON A VOLCANO BY CONNECTING GAGIK TSARUKYAN’S NAME WITH THE MARCH 2008 DEVELOPMENTS

arminfo
Wednesday, November 30, 00:13

When commenting on the first president of Armenia Levon Ter-
Petrosyan’s latest statement at the rally, Naira Zohrabyan, Armenian
MP from the Prosperous Armenia Party Faction, urges people not to
connect Prosperous Armenia Leader Gagik Tsarukyan’s name with the
March 2008 tragic developments.

To recall, at the Nov 25 rally of the Armenian National Congress
(ANC), the ANC Leader Ter-Petrosyan said that having refused to have
anything to do with Robert Kocharyan, Prosperous Armenia may establish
cooperation with the ANC. The first president of Armenia thinks that
Prosperous Armenia should get rid of Robert Kocharyan to maintain
its rating, because otherwise this party will bear responsibility
for the 1 March 2008 victims.

Zohrabyan is bewildered at the fact that Ter-Petrosyan’s statement
has caused such alarm in the political field and forced some bribed
representatives of the mass media to accuse Tsarukyan’s bodyguards
of the tragic events. “As a member of Prosperous Armenia, I consider
such attempts immoral. Any politician has the right to express his
own opinion, even the first president of the country. After all,
we all speak about the necessity to form a new political culture,
atmosphere of tolerance, freedom of expression. What disturbs us to do
that without initiating such unprecedented inquisitional procedure or
“witch hunt”!?” she says.

Zohrabyan says that Gagik Tsarukyan and the members of his party
actively advocate disclosing all the circumstances of the March 2008
developments, and the attempts to accuse the Prosperous Armenia leader
of privity to these developments are immoral and ungrounded.

KESSAB AND THE KESSABTSIS.

Vahe H. Apelian

20 November 2011

The Kessab Educational Association (K.E,A) of Los Angeles held a
banquet on Saturday October 29, 2011 to celebrate the centennial of the
founding of the Kessab Educational Association – Kessab Ousumnasirats –
in 1910. During the banquet Missak Apelian, the editor, unveiled the
centennial commemorative book titled Kessab and the Kessabtsis and
then ceremoniously presented the first signed copy to Mrs. Sarah,
Vahan Churukian’s widow.

The book is a labor of love and is the culmination of over two years
of efforts to archive the centennial of Ousumnasirats Association
and is dedicated to its founding members who had the vision to
establish it in 1910 at the aftermath of the 1909 progrom. Likewise
it is dedicated to Mr. Vahan Churukian who is the founding member of
the K.E.A. of LA in 1957. Kessab and the Kessabtsis will provide,
especially to the English speaking Kessabtsis (People of Kessab),
a glimpse of history of Kessab and its traditional way of life.

The Book is in 8×10 inches white page with color imprint. It is hard
cover and is 314 pages long. The artwork of the cover is designed and
gifted by Richard Taminossian. It contains 87 articles of which 40
are in English and the rest in Armenian. The first section is devoted
to the English articles that are presented in a columnar layout. The
next section is devoted to Armenian articles that are presented in
a textual layout. Forty-five authors from Australia, Canada, Italy,
Lebanon, Syria, United Arab Emirates and United States of America
have contributed articles. It contains 207 black and white and colored
pictures depicting Kessab and the Kessabtsis through the past century.

Two editorials, one in English the other in Armenian precede the rest
of the contents of this beautifully rendered centennial commemorative
book.

Both the English and Armenian articles are presented in 8 sections that
are titled as follows: Kessab and its History, Kessab Ousoumnasirats
Association and the Kessabtsis in Kessab, Kessabtsis in the Diaspora,
K.E.A. of LA, We Remember With Gratitude, Kessab and its surrounding
Villages, Articles about Kessab and Kessabtsis, Kessabtsis Celebrating
their 100th Birthday, Pictures of Bygone Days.

This centennial commemorative book is the first bilingual book about
Kessab and its people. Its purpose is to bridge the big divide and
to acquaint Kessab’s past and present to a new generation, who do
not read Armenian, especially to those born to Kessabtsi parents in
the Western Hemisphere. However, it is not an exhaustive study, but a
rendering of a sentimental journey at this junction of crossroad where
so much has changed in Kessab especially during the last two decades.

A way of life the Kessabtsis knew is now relegated to memory or
at best within covers of books such as this one. As the English
editorial notes that the once secluded Armenian enclave that is
a remnant of the historical Cilicia, has become a bustling summer
resort that attracts tens of thousands visitors during summer. Its
cherished dialect is endangered as fewer and fewer people speak it
nowadays. However, Kessab still maintains a sizable all year around
Armenians who constitute the majority of its non-transient population.

Anatole France is quoted to have said, “All changes, even the most
longed for, has its melancholy; for what we leave behind is part of
ourselves”. This centennial book is a very readable, picturesque coffee
table book presentation to capture what is now left behind in the
annals of Kessab history and a way of life that is no more. It makes
for a very informative and entertaining leisurely reading. It is a must
especially to those born to Kessabtsi parents who left their village
behind to start a new life elsewhere and provide further opportunities
for their children. The book may be purchased from K.E.A. of LA
by requesting a copy or copies through the address: K.E.A. of LA,
P.O. Box 1507, Reseda, CA 91335. The book retails for $35.