Author: nina hovnanian

NO ARMENIAN CITIZENS IN IRANIAN JAILS, SAYS IRANIAN ATTORNEY GENERAL

14:31 30/04/2013 ” LAW

10-12 Iranian citizens are serving punishment at Armenian correctional
facilities, Armenian Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan told a press
briefing today, adding that 25 Iranian citizens have been sent to
Iran since 2012.

Aghvan Hovsepyan was pleased to note that Armenia cooperates with
Iran in the legal field more actively than with its other neighbors.

Iranian Attorney General Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, for his part,
said that there are no Armenian citizens in the Iranian jails.

Source: Panorama.am

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: MYSTERY OVER NORTH-SOUTH ROAD PROGRAM

08:54 ~U 30.04.13

Referring to the removal of director of the North-South program
the paper says the situation is rather remarkable regarding the
implementation of the program as well.

North-South highway which is to link Bavra and Meghri checkpoints
must be 556 kilometers long.

For its construction the Asian Development Bank expressed readiness to
provide $500 million loan. Besides, just 20 days ago another contract
has been signed with the Eurasian Bank on provision of $100 million.

The paper says the $230 million out of $500 million the ADB provided
two years ago and there seemed to be no problems for the implementation
of the program while it has always been covered with mystery.

The paper says for delaying it for about 1.5 years the Armenian
government has already paid $300,000 fine. The paper says few months
ago during presidential election campaign ground works for launching
the implementation of part of the program ceremonially launched,
while today there is no engineering even standing there. The paper
says the implementation of the program is very suspicious and promised
to refer to the issue in future as well.

SERJ TANKIAN, DEVIN TOWNSEND, IHSAHN TEAM UP FOR CHARITY TRACK

14:19, 30 April, 2013

YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS: Revolution Harmony, a non-profit label
launched by British music journalist Ray Holroyd, will release an
all-star charity single July 18 called “We Are,” reports Armenpress
referring to Metal Underground website.
The song features vocals by Serj Tankian of System of a Down fame and
the one and only Ihsahn, who was in Emperor.
The song additionally features guitar solos by my hero and yours,
Devin Townsend.
Composed, arranged, programmed and produced by Holroyd in Vancouver,
the complex international studio project was recorded in North
America, England, Norway and New Zealand, then mixed by Rohan Onraet
(Slipknot, Machine Head) in London, and mastered by Ted Jensen (Green
Day, Muse) in New York. The single also features Stefan Loh on
guitars, and additional vocals from the young up-and-coming UK singer
Abbie Johnson.
The lyrical theme in “We Are” is based on the concept behind
Revolution Harmony, which is essentially the belief that musical
harmony has the power to inspire a revolution towards societal
harmony.
The single is dedicated to Nelson Mandela and the memory of Lucky
Dube, regarded as South Africa’s Bob Marley, and will be released
worldwide on Mandela Day, with all proceeds donated to Buskaid, a
charity that provides free music lessons and instruments to children
in the townships of South Africa.

QUAND LA TURQUIE S’éVEILLERA

Pour la première fois depuis le génocide de 1915 qui a conduit
a l’extermination de 1 500 000 Arméniens de l’Empire ottoman, une
délégation officielle composée de membres de la société civile
de la diaspora arménienne d’Europe et d’associations antiracistes
européennes, s’est rendue en Turquie pour commémorer le génocide
arménien, a l’appel de deux ONG turques, l’IHD (Ä°nsan Hakları
Dernegi – Human Rights Association) et DurDe ! (Say Stop to Racism
and Nationalism), ainsi que de l’UGAB (Union Générale Arménienne
de Bienfaisance) – représentée par Nicolas Tavitian – et de l’EGAM
(European Grassroots Antiracist Movement) mené par Benjamin Abtan,
ancien Président de l’UEJF.

Ce sont au total 23 responsables de divers mouvements citoyens
(dont, pour la France, Hadrien Lenoir, représentant de SOS Racisme,
Elie Petit, Vice-Président de l’UEJF (Union des Etudiants Juifs de
France) ainsi que de l’European Union of Jewish Students, et Séta
Papazian, Présidente du Collectif VAN [Vigilance Arménienne contre
le Négationnisme]) qui ont participé a Istanbul du 21 au 24 avril
2013 a des rencontres avec des étudiants et des intellectuels turcs,
kurdes et arméniens.

La délégation a assisté a l’ensemble des cérémonies organisées le
24 avril, date qui symbolise le déclenchement du génocide arménien.

Chaque année, en Turquie, le nombre de participants (a 90% des
non-Arméniens) de la commémoration du 24 avril évolue a la hausse
: cette année, 2500 a 3000 citoyens ont, selon la police, répondu
a l’appel de DurDe sur la place Taksim a Istanbul. Auparavant, la
manifestation de l’IHD a Sultanahmet avait, quant a elle, réuni
200 personnes contre une poignée de téméraires seulement l’année
dernière.

Les deux rassemblements ont bénéficié de la protection des forces
de police (en civil a Sultanahmet, et de type ” anti-émeutes ” a
Taksim) qui ont dégagé ou tenu a distance les rares mais virulents
contre-manifestants négationnistes.

De toutes parts, les prises de position deviennent plus claires et
s’alignent sur celles de l’IHD et de personnalités de la trempe de
Ragip Zarakolu : grâce a ces précurseurs qui ont tracé le sillon
et n’ont pas accepté de compromissions, les démocrates turcs qui
continuent a utiliser la terminologie ” sentimentale ” de “Grande
Catastrophe”, sont de plus en plus isolés. L’heure n’est plus – du
moins dans les mots choisis – a la ” peine ” et a la ” souffrance
” mais a des discours sans ambiguïté : le thème des spoliations a
même été maintes fois abordé par les intellectuels turcs au cours
de notre séjour. Lors de chaque conférence, de chaque rencontre avec
des associations et des étudiants turcs, kurdes et arméniens, ainsi
que durant ses multiples déclarations a la presse, Benjamin Abtan,
Président de l’EGAM, a porté un message fort contre le racisme,
les crimes de haine et la perpétuation du génocide arménien par
le négationnisme.

Au premier rang, les représentants des associations UEJF, SOS Racisme,
UGAB Europe, Collectif VAN et EGAM, ont assisté ce 24 avril 2013 aux
commémorations du génocide arménien a Istanbul, organisées par
l’IHD a Sultanahmet et par DurDe sur la place Taksim (photo ci-dessus –
Copyright EGAM (Paul Max Morin). cliquer sur l’image pour agrandir

Accompagné de Séta Papazian, Présidente du Collectif VAN, il
s’est rendu le 24 avril a 14h au Cimetière arménien de Sisli où
est enterré Sevag Balikci. Le Président de l’EGAM a exprimé le
soutien de la délégation civile européenne aux parents du jeune
homme assassiné le 24 avril 2011 dans la caserne de Batman où il
effectuait son service militaire.

98 ans après le génocide de 1915, les Arméniens de Turquie, en
proie aux discriminations, intimidations, menaces et meurtres, vivent
toujours dans la peur. Il n’est d’ailleurs pas anodin de noter que des
mots d’ordre auraient circulé dans la communauté stambouliote pour
dissuader ses membres de prendre part aux commémorations du 24 avril.

Toute la violence exercée par l’Etat profond turc a travers ses
réseaux extrémistes est illustrée dans cette autocensure que
s’appliquent les minorités chrétiennes de Turquie.

Le mouvement solidaire auquel le Collectif VAN a participé ce 24 avril
en Turquie, pour historique qu’il soit, est encore malheureusement
très minoritaire. Néanmoins, en Turquie, tout devient possible.

L’Histoire nous a habitués au pire. Se pourrait-il que le processus
positif enclenché depuis ces dernières années se développe de
facon plus rapide et plus massive que prévu ?

Plutôt que de faire siens les messages de haine de Talaat Pacha, le ”
Hitler ” turc, souhaitons que la jeunesse de Turquie et de diaspora
soit de plus en plus nombreuse a s’identifier au Juste turc Faik Ali
Bey : ce dernier, gouverneur de Kutahya, avait refusé en 1915 d’obéir
aux ordres de déportation de la population arménienne. Un hommage
lui a été rendu le 24 avril en fin de matinée dans le cimetière
de Zincirlikuyu, a l’initiative de l’IHD et de l’historien londonien
Ara Sarafian.

Restons vigilants. Une chose est certaine : il nous appartient
d’accompagner ce travail que des Turcs mènent avec courage pour
l’acceptation de leur passé.

Info Collectif Van (voir lien plus bas)

mardi 30 avril 2013, Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

UN RESPONSABLE DE LA POLICE DE EREVAN LIMOGE POUR VIOLENCES SUR UN JOURNALISTE

mardi30 avril 2013, par Gari/armenews

UN haut responsable de la police de Erevan a ete demis de ses fonctions
en raison des violences policières dont avait ete victim un journaliste
qui couvrait un meeting de campagne du Parti republicain d’Armenie
Party (HHK) au pouvoir, a l’approche des elections municipales dans
la capitale. Hakob Karapetian, journaliste pour le site ilur.am news
proche de l’opposition, affirme avoir ete battu par plusieurs des
organisateurs du rassemblement qui se tenait dans l’arrondissement
de Nor Nork, (…)

BIENTIT UNE RENCONTRE AU SOMMET ENTRE LES PRESIDENTS ARMENIEN ET AZERI ?

Les presidents d’Armenie et d’Azerbaïdjan, qui ne se sont pas
rencontres depuis plus d’un an, pourraient se retrouver pour une
rencontre au sommet afin de tenter de sortir de l’impasse le processus
de paix du Haut Karabagh, a fait savoir le ministre armenien des
affaires etrangères, Edouard Nalbandian, lors d’une visite a Moscou
le jeudi 26 avril.

Le conflit du Karabagh etait a l’ordre du jour des entretiens qu’a eus
dans la capitale risse M. Nalbandian avec son homologue russe Sergeï
Lavrov. M. Nalbandian a annonce a l’issue des entretiens qu’il devait
lui-meme rencontrer son homologue azeri Elmar Mammadyarov dans la
ville polonaise de Cracovie en mai dans le cadre d’une reunion sous
l’egide des copresidents russe, americain et francais du Groupe de
Minsk de l’OSCE. “Par ailleurs, une rencontre au plus haut niveau
n’est pas exclue”, a indique M. Nalbandian lors d’une conference de
presse aux côtes de M. Lavrov. Il n’a pas precise les modalites ni
les dates d’une telle rencontre. Tigrane Balayan, le porte-parole du
ministère armenien des affaires etrangères qui accompagnait M.

Nalbandian durant sa visite a Moscou, a de meme fait savoir par voie
de Twitter qu “une rencontre des presidents est possible”, sans donner
plus de precisions.

A Bakou, on semble confirmer l’information relative a la rencontre
a venir de MM. Nalbandian et Mammadyarov, mais sans s’avancer sur
l’eventualite d’un nouveau sommetentre les presidents armenien et
azerbaïdjanais. Citant une source diplomatique non specifiee, l’agence
de presse azerie Trend a fait savoir que les deux ministres allaient
se rencontrer a Cracovie en marge d’une conference ministerielle des
ex-Republiques sovietiques concernees par le Programme de partenariat
oriental de l’UE. La reunion est prevue pour les 11-18 mai. Les
presidents armenien Serge Sarkissian et azeri Ilham Aliyev s’etaient
reunis la dernière fois pour un sommet sous l’egide de la Russie a
Sotchi en janvier 2012. Les pourparlers s’etaient deroules sous l’egide
du president russe de l’epoque, l’actuel premier ministre Dmitri
Medvedev. Dans une declaration commune diffuse a l’issue du sommet,
MM. Aliyev et Sarkissian s’etaient engages a intensifier leurs efforts
en vue de parvenir a un accord sur les Principes de base d’un règlement
du conflit du Karabagh proposes par les mediateurs internationaux.

Mais le regain de tensions perceptible dans zone du conflit dans les
mois qui ont suivi a souligne l’urgence d’une relance du processus de
paix, les deux parties faisant etat en juin 2012 des violations les
plus meurtrières du cessez-le-feu sur la frontière armeno-azerie. Les
risques d’une nouvelle guerre ont ete soulignes par les menaces
lancees par les autorites azeries a l’encontre des vols civils qui
utiliseraient le nouvel aeroport de Stepanakert, dont les responsables
du Haut Karabagh ont annonce la reouverture prochaine. Les perspectives
d’une percee diplomatique ont ete d’autant plus improbables que
l’affaire Safarov provoquait un regain de tension diplomatique entre
Bakou et Erevan. Les diplomates americain, francais et russe qui
copresident le Groupe de Minsk ont certes organize plusieurs rencontres
entre MM. Mammadyarov et Nalbandian et effectue des tournees dans
la zone du conflit, mais sans constater de progrès allant dans le
sens d’un accord armeno-azeri sur les Principes de base. M. Lavrov a
indique le vendredi 27 avril que la Russie restait fermement ancree
sur ces principes et prevoyait des ” mesures additionnelles qui
aideraient a reprendre les negociations.” “Il n’y a pas de pause dans
nos activites et nous continuons a travailler”, a indique le chef de
la diplomatie russe.

mardi 30 avril 2013, Gari ©armenews.com

TURKEY WINS SUIT ON ARMENIANS’ CLAIMS TO US MILITARY BASE TERRITORY IN INCIRLIK

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
April 29 2013

California Court has ruled in favor of Turkey in the case of
Armenians’ claims to the territory of the current U.S. military base
in Incirlik, Turkey, CNN Turk TV channel reported on Monday.

The judicial proceedings, which lasted about three years, ended by the
court’s verdict that “this issue is political rather than judicial.”

Thus, a group of U.S. citizens of Armenian origin lost the lawsuit.

In December 2010, a group of Armenians living in the United States has
instituted a claim against the Turkish government. The claimants
demanded compensation of $100 million from the Turkish government for
the loss of property of their ancestors. Their grandfathers allegedly
owned lands of 49.5 hectares in Adana, including the territory of the
current U.S. military base in Incirlik.

EXHIBITION REFLECTS DARK PERIOD OF ANATOLIAN HISTORY

Hurriyet, Turkey
April 29 2013

by Vercihan Ziflioðlu
ISTANBUL – Hurriyet Daily News

Istanbul’s Tutun Deposu presents a new exhibition featuring life in
Anatolian society in the 19th century, as seen by the cameras of the
Dildilian brothers

The photograph archive of the Dildilian brothers, who documented the
social life of Anatolia during the 19th century with their cameras,
was brought from the US to Turkey thanks to the efforts of their
grandchildren Armen Tsolag Marsoobian and Tsolag Dildilian.

In their archive, the grandchildren have preserved over 800 pieces
by the Dildilian brothers, who made many contributions to various
outstanding archives of the world. Armen Marsoobian is planning to
open a museum with the archive photos in the Black Sea province of
Amasya’s Merzifon district. The exhibition, entitled “Bearing Witness
to the Lost History of an Armenian Family: Through the Lens of the
Dildilian Brothers,” will be displayed at the Tutun Deposu (Tobacco
Depot) in Istanbul’s Tophane district until June 8.

Moving to Merzifon

The exhibition will also be presented in Merzifon. Armen Marsoobian, a
professor of philosophy at Columbia University and Southern Connecticut
State University, said the photos reflected Anatolian history, adding
that their family came originally from the central Anatolian province
of Sivas.

“Our great grandfather used to have a shoe factory in Sivas. Our
uncles encouraged our grandfather when they discovered his ability in
photography. The Dildilian brothers opened photo studios in Samsun,
Konya, Merzifon and Adana along with Sivas. They photographed the
social life of that period in addition to studio photography,”
Marsoobian said.

Marsoobian said the life of his family in Anatolia was interrupted in
1922, adding that he first came to Turkey a few years ago and visited
the home belonging to his family in Merzifon. “On my first visit,
I felt rather uneasy. I also headed to Merzifon and visited a house
where my family once lived. I stayed there for an hour,” he said.

Stating that he felt at home in Anatolia, Marsoobian said he was
planning to open a museum in Merzifon with the photos in his archive.

“There is a historic house [in Merzifon]. I want to restore it and want
to bring the photos back to the county where they were originated. I
actually wanted to do such a project in Sivas; but it seems not to
be possible for now,” Marsoobian said.

Forgotten History of Anatolia

When asked the reason why they wanted to display their archives in
Turkey, Marsoobian said, “A century ago, there was a rich cultural
past in these territories. We wanted to shed light on the forgotten
history of the 19th century with these photos. If we had not been
forced to leave this territory, Anatolia would be much richer today,”
Marsoobian said.

Marsoobian said various Armenian and Greek photographers of that
period, such as the Dildilian brothers and Abdullah brothers, captured
the 19th century Ottoman lifestyle with their cameras. Marsoobian said
his archive in the US covers more than 800 photos shot in different
Anatolian cities, adding that he spent a major part of his time on
sorting out the pieces in the archive over the last five years.

April/29/2013

EXIT FROM A WELL 1,915 METERS DEEP

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 25 2013

by Markar Esayan

As Turkey is putting an end to its denial policy or at least going
through a significant change in this regard, it is impossible to
stick to the red lines of the old ideological mentality concerning
the 1915 forced relocation of Armenians. The democratic progress
made and reforms implemented during the last 10 years have already
produced a serious curiosity and urge for understanding about this
issue. Every sane person has asked the following question: Now that
the official version of the past is not true, how could its account
of the 1915 incidents be true? Why should we not question it?

The banishment of Armenians from their lands through massacres and
exiles in 1915 is not a problem specific to Armenians. It is one of
the main reasons why the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) and its
supporters forced the country to join World War I so as to endanger
the entire country and make an impact on its fate. Unfortunately,
this ideological preference was inherited by the newly established
republic, paving the way for the emergence of a number of serious
problems such as the Kurdish, Alevi, Armenian and deep state issues.

The violence to which the Armenians had been subjected came to be
imposed on Kurds, non-Muslim religious minorities who chose to stay in
the country, Alevis, Muslims and all dissident groups, albeit with a
changing magnitude depending on the conjuncture. This practice helped
preserve the totalitarian nature of the regime, and democracy couldn’t
flourish in this country.

Thus, people not only refrained from questioning the sins of the
pro-CUP ideology but also glorified the logic and ethics of these
sins. The tendency to cover up these sins made it possible to overthrow
a democratically elected government once every 10 years and inject
hatred and animosity into social groups. Certain segments of society
even long regarded the execution of a prime minister and two ministers
during the military coup of 1960 as a democratic achievement thanks
to this polarization.

After about a century, Turkey is now facing the sins of its past. The
prime minister has made an official apology for the massacres of
Alevis and Kurds in Dersim between 1937 and 1938. And the pressures
backed by the law on non-Muslim religious minorities are being eased.

Not everything is perfect, but there is certainly positive progress.

Most importantly, the state is quickly stripping itself of the old
state’s mentality. Society is becoming freer and people are starting
to ask questions and bad things do not happen to them as they seek
to find answers to these questions. This is because everyone in
this country has problems with the past. These problems signify the
injustices suffered. People realize a new order won’t be permanent if
these injustices are not redressed through confrontation and remedies.

The Great Tragedy (Meds Yeghern) Armenians suffered in 1915 is part of
this story, and it is perhaps the starting point of this story. If the
confrontation with 1915 had occurred during the establishment of the
republic, i.e., if the offenders of the massacre had not been employed
in the civilian and military bureaucracy of the state, then the story
would probably be very different. Thus, a problem that is today causing
tensions for Turkey would have been settled at that time. But we would
also not be experiencing other problems stemming from this mentality.

There is also the Armenian side of the story. As a people who have
been banished from their homeland with a great trauma under whatever
pretext was found for it, Armenians have been trying to tell everyone
that they have suffered from a great injustice for the last 98 years.

Therefore, they couldn’t start to mourn for their losses and they
remain stuck in 1915. But as Hrant Dink put it, this was a gross evil
done by the CUP supporters to the entire country. To get rid of this
disease, Turks need Armenians and vice versa.

I am not talking about state policies. Rather, I say, it is high time
both nations shared their common sorrows and healed each other. They
must jettison the radical tendency to see Turks as genocidal and
Armenians as anti-Turk. They must share this sorrow and exit together
from the wrong path we took at the start. I think this is the only
correct formula.

ARMENIANS, FAMILIES OF PILGRIMS UNITE AGAINST TURKEY ON GENOCIDE ANNIVERSARY

Naharnet, Lebanon
April 24, 2013 Wednesday

Armenians marched from Bourj Hammoud to downtown Beirut’s Martyrs’
Square on Wednesday to mark the 98th anniversary of the genocide of
their kin by Ottoman Turks during World War I. The protesters held
a rally at the square with speeches made by the leaders of several
Armenian parties. The families of nine Lebanese Shiite pilgrims
kidnapped in Syria joined them over what they said was a common cause.

The relatives of the nine men have been holding daily sit-ins near the
Turkish Airlines offices not far from Martyrs’ Square and have called
for boycotting Turkish products. They blame the Turkish government
for the failure to release the pilgrims who are held hostage by Syrian
rebels near the Turkish border in Aleppo district since May 2012.

Ankara is a staunch supporter of the rebel Free Syrian Army that is
fighting regime troops. Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were
killed during World War I as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart,
a claim supported by several other countries. Turkey argues 300,000
to 500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife
when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with
invading Russian troops. Over 20 countries have so far recognized
the massacres as genocide. On the 98th anniversary of the genocide,
Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I slammed Turkey for turning
churches into mosques. “How could Turkey which considers itself a
pioneer in coexistence deny the genocide and transform churches into
mosques?” he wondered in a statement.

Turkey should give compensations to the Armenian people and restore
its rights, he said.