Author: Tavakalian Edgar

AZG Armenian Daily #226, 16/12/2004

Diaspora

YOUNG ARMENIANS RALLY BEFORE TURKISH EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON

More than 50 young activists joined the protest action before
the Turkish embassy in Washington organized by the Youth Union of
Armenian Revolutionary Party. The embassy was hosting the Assembly of
Turkish-American Associations (ATAA) known for the policy of denying
the Armenian Genocide.

Representatives of Livingston Group, organization hired by Turkey
to carry out anti-Armenian lobby in the US, former congressman Bob
Livingston and US State Undersecretary Mark Grossman, were received
by Turkish ambassador Faruk Loghloghlu.

Young Armenians were crying out “Shame on Turkey”, “Turkey – Convicted
of Genocide”, “NO to Turkey’s Accession to EU”. “We rallied here to
show the Turkish government and its mouthpieces in the States that we
shall never forget the massacres of the Armenians in 1915-1923. We’ll
not stop till the Armenian Genocide is recognized and the historic
justice prevails”, Tsoghik Markosian, head of the Youth Union, said.

L’Humanité, France
15 décembre 2004

La Sublime Porte à la porte ?;

Élargissement. À la veille du sommet de Bruxelles, le chef de l’État
s’exprime ce soir sur TF1 pour expliquer aux Français les
conséquences de l’ouverture éventuelle des négociations avec la
Turquie en vue de son adhésion à l’UE.

par Stéphane Sahuc

C’est sur TF1 que le président de la République a décidé de
s’exprimer à la veille de l’ouverture du sommet de Bruxelles. Avec
cette intervention, Jacques Chirac espère dédramatiser l’enjeu du
sommet des 16 et 17 décembre en ce qui concerne l’ouverture probable
par l’Union européenne des négociations d’adhésion avec la Turquie.
Il devrait rappeler qu’il s’engage à consulter le peuple français par
référendum quand la question de l’adhésion se posera en expliquant
que, lors de la révision constitutionnelle sur la cons- titution
européenne, un article sera introduit prévoyant que toute nouvelle
entrée dans l’UE sera soumise à référendum. Il devrait également
affirmer son souhait que les conclusions du sommet prévoient « un
lien fort » avec Ankara au cas où les négociations échoueraient.
allemands et Français à l’unisson
À quelques mois du référendum de 2005 sur le traité constitutionnel
européen, le président de la République semble craindre que cette
question ne complique la victoire du « oui » qu’il appelle de ses
voeux. Selon un sondage IFOP publié lundi dans le Figaro, 67 % des
Français seraient contre une adhésion turque. Ils partageraient ce
sentiment avec les seuls Allemands. Parmi les principales raisons de
leur opposition, 39 % des Français estiment que les droits de l’homme
n’y sont pas toujours respectés. Ils invoquent également à 34 % les
différences culturelles et religieuses. Une autre enquête de CSA pour
le Bleu de profession politique donne des résultats moins tranchés.
Un Français sur deux serait opposé à l’entrée de la Turquie dans
l’UE, 37 % favorables, 13 % ne se prononçant pas. Parmi les raisons –
invoquées pour refuser l’adhésion de la Turquie à l’UE, les Français
mettent au premier plan le manque de démocratie à 45 %, puis à 39 %
la question géographique de la non-appartenance de la Turquie à
l’Europe. 34 % avancent comme raison le fait que « le niveau de
développement économique et social de la Turquie est trop éloigné de
celui des autres pays de l’UE ». Enfin 28 % d’entre eux font valoir
que « c’est un pays dont la majorité des habitants sont musulmans ».
Négocier n’est pas adhérer
Reste que ce débat prend une ampleur assez surprenante puisque, comme
le rappelait le ministre français des Affaires étrangères, Michel
Barnier, lundi dans le Parisien, « les négociations d’adhésion (de la
Turquie à l’UE) ne sont pas l’adhésion », rappelant que « la
conclusion des négociations qui vont s’ouvrir n’est, en effet, pas
écrite. C’est un processus dont le résultat n’est pas garanti
d’avance ». D’autant que si adhésion il devait y avoir, celle-ci
n’interviendrait pas avant dix ou quinze ans et sous condition, comme
le rappelait le président de la République en janvier 2003, que « la
Turquie affirme clairement son adhésion sans réserve, dans les
principes et sur le terrain, aux critères de Copenhague, c’est-à-dire
à tout ce qui touche aux exigences des droits de l’homme et de
l’économie de marché ». Dans ce sens, Michel Barnier a d’ailleurs
annoncé qu’au cours des négociations d’adhésion la France demanderait
à Ankara de « reconnaître la tragédie arménienne du début du siècle
».
Pas question d’adhésion de la Turquie demain ou après-demain donc. Ce
qui prouve que ce que remettent en cause les opposants à l’entrée
d’Ankara dans l’UE, c’est le principe même de l’adhésion turque à
l’Europe. Du coup, la tentative de déminage pourrait ne pas suffire
tant cette question agite fortement la classe politique française,
aussi bien la majorité que le PS. À l’Assemblée nationale, la séance
d’hier des questions au gouvernement était marquée par cette
polémique. Et à l’occasion d’un débat parlementaire en octobre, la
majorité des députés, à l’exception notable du groupe communiste,
avait plaidé pour que d’autres « options » que celle de l’adhésion
soient envisagées au terme des négociations, comme celle d’un «
partenariat privilégié » avec Ankara. Particulièrement virulent,
l’UDF de François Bayrou, qui fait de cette question le centre de la
construction européenne qui « porte l’héritage du triptyque
Rome-Athènes-Jérusalem », un club chrétien et libéral, donc sans la
Turquie. Il s’agit aussi, pour François Bayrou, de tenter d’exister
dans le débat entre partisans du « oui » à la constitution, et de
mettre l’UMP en difficulté. Quant à Nicolas Sarkozy, sa position
tranche avec celle de Jacques Chirac. « L’Europe ne peut s’élargir
indéfiniment », estime le nouveau président de l’UMP, qui « souhaite
que la Turquie soit associée à l’Europe et pas intégrée ». Le
secrétaire général délégué de l’UMP, Brice Hortefeux, a annoncé
qu’aujourd’hui la délégation UMP au Parlement européen votera « très
certainement contre » le rapport du Parlement européen, qui
recommande l’ouverture des négociations avec Ankara, sans envisager
un partenariat privilégié comme alternative à une adhésion.
non à la constitution, oui à la turquie
À gauche, le Parti socialiste se positionne « pour l’ouverture de
négociations avec la Turquie » mais souhaite « que ces négociations
ne présagent en aucune manière de la forme de participation de la
Turquie à l’Europe », selon le porte-parole du PS Julien Dray.
Pourtant, dans le même temps, Laurent Fabius et le sénateur des
Hauts-de-Seine Robert Badinter se sont eux farouchement opposés à
toute idée d’adhésion, estimant que la construction d’une Europe
puissance ne pouvait se faire avec la Turquie atlantiste. Seuls les
communistes tentent de poser le débat à un autre niveau en estimant
que « pour que les conditions de l’adhésion de la Turquie soient un
jour remplies, il faut bien sûr scruter l’évolution des conditions
démocratiques et sociales de l’autre côte du Bosphore […] mais il
faut aussi, de Rome à Berlin en passant par Paris, Londres et
Varsovie, opérer une rupture avec le système libéral ». « Le “non” à
la constitution européenne, c’est la clé pour résoudre la question de
l’adhésion de la Turquie », expliquait ainsi Alain Bocquet, le
président du groupe communiste à l’Assemblée.
Stéphane Sahuc

Le Figaro, France
mardi 14 décembre 2004

Génocide arménien : la question sera posée à la Turquie

Le ministre des Affaires étrangères, Michel Barnier, a déclaré
aujourd’hui devant les députés que la France poserait «toutes les
questions, notamment celle du génocide arménien» lors des
négociations d’adhésion avec la Turquie. Ce matin, le chef de la
diplomatie a cependant précisé que la reconnaissance du génocide
arménien par la Turquie «n’est pas une condition que nous posons pour
l’ouverture des négociations» d’adhésion d’Ankara à l’Union
européenne.

La «tragédie» des Arméniens en Turquie est «une blessure qui ne
cicatrise pas», a déclaré aujourd’hui Michel Barnier, en rappelant
que l’assemblée nationale l’avait qualifiée de «génocide» en 2001.
(Photo AFP.)

«Nous poserons toutes les questions, notamment celle du génocide
arménien, notamment celle de Chypre, au long de cette négociation»
d’adhésion de la Turquie, a déclaré le ministre des Affaires
étrangères, Michel Barnier aujourd’hui devant les députés, prononçant
pour la première fois le terme de «génocide».

Le ministre avait jusqu’ici utilisé le terme de «tragédie», à propos
de cette page d’histoire.

Interrogé auparavant par un autre parlementaire, M. Barnier a
souligné que «la France veut tenir un langage de vérité à l’égard de
ce pays» (la Turquie, ndlr). «Toutes les questions seront posées,
tous les problèmes seront soulevés et c’est le cas en particulier de
cette tragédie», a-t-il dit.

Le ministre a souligné qu’il «n’oubliait pas que votre assemblée à
l’unanimité a qualifié cette tragédie de génocide en 2001», en
rappelant que la Turquie avait «martyrisé des centaines de milliers
d’Arméniens».

«Nous avons donc posé la question de la reconnaissance de cette
tragédie», a poursuivi M. Barnier. «C’est une blessure qui ne
cicatrise pas», a-t-il estimé, ajoutant: «cette question est au coeur
même du projet européen qui est fondé sur la reconciliation».

ARMENIA THIS WEEK

Monday, December 6, 2004

In this issue:

Armenia concerns with EU decision on Turkey

Efforts to release pilots held in Eq. Guinea continue

Most funding for Karabakh highway secured

Statement of Slovak MP on Armenian Genocide

ARMENIA URGES EU TO DISCUSS TURKEY’S DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES

Armenia wants the European Union (EU) to consider Turkey’s Armenia
policies as it mulls Turkey’s bid for membership at the December 17
summit. In a letter sent to the EU leaders last week, Armenia’s
President Robert Kocharian urged the EU to discuss Turkey’s ongoing land
blockade of Armenia. The EU summit is expected to give conditional
approval to negotiations on Turkey’s membership application. Earlier EU
calls for lifting of the blockade were followed by bilateral
Armenian-Turkish talks, but no practical results.

Turkey refuses to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia and has
kept the mutual border closed for over a decade. As the main
precondition for relations, Turkey wants Armenia to end the
international campaign for the affirmation of the Armenia Genocide, led
primarily by the descendants of survivors of the crime now living in the
Diaspora. The new Turkish Penal Code makes the Genocide’s affirmation
within Turkey punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Turkey has also
pressured foreign governments not to discuss the issue. A European
Parliament committee has already called for a repeal of the Penal Code
clause and Turkish protests last week did not stop the Parliament of
Slovakia from joining a growing numbers of countries worldwide from
condemning the Armenian Genocide.

For its part, Armenia is ready to establish normal relations without any
preconditions. Armenian officials have generally backed Turkey’s EU bid
in a hope that the process would contribute to changes in Turkey’s
policies. And in fact, Turkish officials have until this year hinted
that they are considering normalization, but bilateral talks have so far
been fruitless. Last October, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian publicly
expressed concern that by not putting stronger emphasis on the issue,
the EU was sacrificing its principles for the sake of perceived
political expediency.

As part of an apparent effort to draw closer to the EU states such as
France and Germany, Turkey has stepped up its criticism of the United
States’ policies. The Turkish parliamentary human rights committee
accused the United States of conducting a ‘genocide’ in Iraq. Turkish
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul justified the remarks as reflecting
“freedom of speech” in Turkey (where it is now illegal to publicly refer
to the Armenian Genocide or call for Turkish forces’ withdrawal from
Cyprus). In a public response to an apparent back-channel warning from
the U.S., Gul considered a possible U.S. congressional statement on the
Armenian Genocide to be “blackmail.”

A prominent Yerevan commentator Aleksandr Iskandarian suggested last
week that Turkey’s joining the EU “as is” may become an “insurmountable
obstacle” for Armenia’s own effort to integrate with Europe. Turkey has
already lobbied against Armenia in organizations such as the World Trade
Organization, Council of Europe and the Western European Union, where it
is already a member. (Sources: Armenia This Week 10-18; Turkish Daily
News 11-12, 28; Noyan Tapan 11-22, 30; Reuters 11-26; Arminfo 11-30,
12-3; WEU PA 11-30; Zaman 11-30; European Armenian Federation 12-2;
Associated Press 12-3)

ARMENIA TO FIGHT ON FOR PILOTS IMPRISONED IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian promised last week to
continue to do everything possible for the release of Armenian pilots
currently imprisoned in Equatorial Guinea. In a trial characterized by
Amnesty International as “grossly unfair,” the crew of Armenia’s private
Tiga Air company was last month sentenced to between 14 and 24 years in
prison on charges of involvement in an attempted coup. Ambassador Sergei
Manaserian, who has made repeated trips to the African country, said
this week that Armenia will continue to seek the pilots’ release through
appeal, negotiations or extradition. Both Armenian officials and Amnesty
International, which monitored the trial, insist that EquatoGuinean
authorities failed to provide credible evidence to support the
accusations.

The local authorities claim that Armenian pilots contracted by a German
company to fly in cargo to the oil-rich country were abetting an
international conspiracy to topple the local ruler. According to the
governments of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea, the
conspiracy involved dozens of South African and Angolan mercenaries and
was allegedly financed by Mark Thatcher, son of the former British Prime
Minister. Key co-conspirators have repeatedly denied that Armenian
pilots have been part of the plot and the pilots themselves maintain
they are innocent. Manaserian confirmed that the pilots are held in
difficult conditions, subject to torture and lacking in adequate food or
medical care. (Sources: Arm. This Week 8-30; RFE/RL Arm. Report 12-1;
Noyan Tapan 12-2; Arminfo 12-6)

MOST FUNDING SECURED FOR KEY KARABAKH HIGHWAY

Some $11 million has been pledged for a key throughway in Nagorno
Karabakh in the latest fundraising campaign completed by the Hayastan
All-Armenian Fund last week. The amount, which is almost twice as much
as was collected in a similar effort last year, includes over $1 million
in donations from within Armenia, with most of the money due to come
from Armenian-American contributors. Half of the 105-mile $25 million
highway, which is designed to connect the northern and southern tips of
Nagorno Karabakh, has already been finished. The Fund’s executive
director Naira Melkumian anticipates the highway’s completion within two
years. (Sources: Armenia This Week 11-22; Arminfo 12-3; RFE/RL Armenia
Report 12-3)

Visit the Armenia This Week archive dating back to 1997 at

A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA

122 C Street, N.W., Suite 350, Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 393-3434 FAX
(202) 638-4904

E-Mail [email protected] WEB

November 30, 2004

Statement by a Member of Slovak Parliament Frantisek Miklosko

[AAA Note: English translation provided by Noyan Tapan news agency
12/3/2004.

Miklosko was the first Parliament Speaker of independent Slovakia and
past presidential candidate.]

“On the Christmas of 1990, immediately after the first free elections of
that year, the Slovakian National Assembly adopted its first historical
statement, a request for apology addressed to all the Jewish compatriots
for their deportation in 1939-1945 and the tragic aftermath.

In February 1991, the Slovakian National Assembly adopted another
statement addressed to the Carpathian Germans who had lived in the
territory of our country for centuries. It was again a request for
apology for their collective deportation. Meanwhile, the Slovakian
Parliament verified the principle of collective sin.

Thus, we were eager to start a new era in 1989. A retrospective glance
with acknowledgement of one’s own sins may be a reliable glance at the
future. I tell you this, because today I am going to speak of a key
issue, the Genocide that the Ottoman Empire committed against the
Armenian people in 1915.

True, as introduction to the aforementioned statements we, as the
representatives of Slovakia, commented on our own problems, but it is
also true that in the global unification of continents and the world, as
well as in conditions of freedom and democracy, there exist no internal
problems of a country, especially when the matter concerns a crime
against the humanity and it is also true that the Turkish state, of
which we speak today, has refused to recognize the Armenian Genocide so
far.

What has occurred in reality?

Two million Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire during the World War
I. The decision to commit a Genocide against Armenians was made by the
Ottoman authorities in 1915. Over a million people were deported and
expelled to the Der Zor desert of Syria in 1915. Thousands were cruelly
massacred in places. Many died of hunger in the way, others died of
exhaustion and epidemics in concentration camps. Mass deportation and
massacre were carried out by Turkish nationalists in 1920-1923. Those
nationalists were representing a new political union against Young Turks
who had adopted a similar ethnic and ideological orientation. Thousands
of Armenians fled to Russia where they lived as refugees. The so-called
regiment of Young Turks intruded into the Caucasus in 1918 where about
1.8 million Armenians lived under the Russian ruling. The Ottoman units
crossed Azerbaijan to get to Southern Armenia and continue massacres. It
is well known that over 1.5 million Armenians were killed in 1915-1918.
The historic Armenia and minor Asia had been relieved of Armenians by
1923. The Armenian community was abolished from that part of the world.

What’s the situation today?

Turkey has not recognized the 1915 Armenian Genocide so far. As soon as
Armenia was declared an independent state, Turkey closed the border with
Armenia. Armenia has neither a short way to Europe nor any economic or
diplomatic relations with Turkey. The Turkish Parliament has adopted a
law condemning any public statement about the Armenian Genocide or the
division of Cyprus. The Armenian community now living in Turkey is
usually exposed to political pressure as a national minority.

When entering Poland Hitler stated: “Who speaks of the Armenians today?”

In what way are his words being carried out today and how does the world
feel for this tragedy? Statements, declarations and laws on the Armenian
Genocide have been adopted by the governments and parliaments of the
following countries so far. Canada adopted it in 2004, Argentina in
2004, Uruguay in 1965, 2004, Switzerland in 2003, European Parliament in
1987, 2000, 2002, Italy in 2000, Vatican in 2000, UN in 1985, France in
2000, Lebanon in 1997, 2000, Sweden in 2000, Belgium in 1998, Greece in
2003, Russia in 1995, Cyprus in 1982, the United States in 1916, 1920,
1984, 1996.

Theodore Roosevelt once stated “…The Armenian massacres have been the
most serious war crime, thus the inability to oppose to the Ottoman
Empire means to forgive those actions. A weak or non radical treatment
of the Turkish horror means wasting empty promises and ordinary nonsense
providing guarantees of peaceful future…”

Unfortunately, the decades that followed came to prove his rightness.

Let us express our sympathy to this small nation with ancient history
and culture, the people who have struggled for survival throughout their
existence.

Joining the aforementioned countries I suggest that the Slovakian
National Assembly adopt a Statement on the 1915 Armenian Genocide.”

FEDERATION EURO-ARMENIENNE
pour la Justice et la Démocratie
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B – 1000 BRUXELLES
Tel: +32 (0) 2 732 70 26
Tel./Fax : +32 (0) 2 732 70 27
E-mail : [email protected]
Web :

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE
02 décembre 2004
Contact: Talline Tachdjian
Tel.: +32 (0)2 732 70 27

TURQUIE : LA COMMISSION DES AFFAIRES ETRANGERES CONTRE LE PARLEMENT EUROPEEN

Bruxelles, Belgique – La Commission des Affaires étrangères du Parlement
européen (AFET) a adopté le 30 novembre dernier une proposition de
résolution sur le «rapport régulier 2004 et recommandation de la Commission
européenne concernant les progrès réalisés par la Turquie sur la voie de
l’adhésion », présentée par le député Chrétien-Démocrate hollandais Camiel
Eurlings, avec 50 voix pour, 18 contre et 6 abstentions.

Le texte résultant du vote de la Commission demande l’abrogation de
l’article 305 du nouveau code pénal turc. Il s’agit de l’article qui
criminalise les publications censées mettre en danger les “intérêts
fondamentaux” de la Turquie, avec les exemples explicites de l’affirmation
du génocide des Arméniens et de l’occupation militaire de Chypre.

Il demande en outre au gouvernement turc de considérer l’inscription des
monuments appartenant au patrimoine culturel des minorités, tels que
Hasankankeyf, Ani, Zeugma ou Aghtamar au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO.

Deux amendements adoptés font référence au génocide des Arméniens sans le
nommer : l’un d’eux renvoie la question à la responsabilité des
gouvernements arménien et turc, prétendant qu’il existe un processus de
réconciliation entre eux, avant de demander au gouvernement turc de rouvrir
les frontières.

Le deuxième, déposé par le socialiste français Michel Rocard, se réjouit de
la réouverture d’un prétendu “Mausolée national arménien d’Anatolie du
Nord”, de la suppression de l’interdiction pesant sur l’usage des langues
minoritaires dont l’arménien, du travail remarquable des historiens turcs
sur le génocide et de la renaissance des rapports entre la Turquie et
l’Arménie.

La Fédération Euro-Arménienne note que l’adoption de ces amendements
contestables sur le génocide a résulté d’un vote très serré opposant des
forces sensiblement égales; “la commission était scindée en deux et les
amendements ont été adoptés à une très faible majorité” a déclaré Laurent
Leylekian, Directeur de la Fédération Euro- Arménienne.

La Fédération souligne qu’un nombre réduit de députés tente de parler au nom
de groupes politiques entiers. Elle réfute toute une série d’affirmations
mensongères qui figurent dans le rapport : “Le mausolée arménien du nord de
l’Anatolie est un mystère pour le monde et pour les Arméniens eux mêmes ;
nous connaissons les milliers d’églises et de monastères détruits pour
effacer la trace des Arméniens de leurs terres ancestrales. Les prétendus
rapports de la Turquie avec l’Etat arménien sont aussi une vue de l’esprit.
Quant au “remarquable travail” des historiens turcs sur le génocide, il est
le fait d’un seul sociologue actuellement en exil en raison du danger
qu’il encourt en cas de retour au pays”. La Fédération dénonce les
historiens officiels du gouvernement d’Ankara pour leur complicité avec les
purges des archives nationales turques sur la période du génocide.

Globalement, la Fédération considère que ce vote dresse la Commission des
Affaires étrangères contre les positions du Parlement européen. “Le 14
décembre prochain, lors du vote final à Strasbourg, le Parlement européen
doit réaffirmer ses principes, ceux du 18 juin 1987, réitérés en novembre
2000, en mars 2002, en février et en mai 2004” a conclu le directeur de la
Fédération.

#####

Annexes : EXTRAITS DU RAPPORT ADOPTE PAR LA COMMISSION AFET :

– « se félicite en particulier de la réforme de la procédure pénale, qui
renforce les droits de la défense; considère toutefois que l’article 305 du
nouveau code pénal turc qui sanctionne de supposées “menaces à l’encontre
des intérêts nationaux fondamentaux” et son exposé des motifs qui cible la
liberté d’expression, relative en particulier aux questions chypriotes et
arméniennes, est incompatible avec la Convention pour la Protection des
Droits de l’homme et des libertés fondamentales de 1950, et demande donc son
abrogation »

– « croit que les gouvernements de Turquie et d’Arménie doivent poursuivre
leur processus de réconciliation, éventuellement avec l’assistance d’un
comité bilatéral d’experts indépendants, afin de surmonter explicitement
l’expérience tragique du passé et demande au gouvernement turc de rouvrir
les frontières avec l’Arménie le plus rapidement possible ».

– « invite la Turquie à améliorer considérablement sa perception des
minorités ethniques ou religieuses, par exemple en soulignant leurs
contributions au patrimoine culturel du pays; demande en particulier aux
autorités turques de tenir certaines de ces contributions spécifiques,
telles Hasankeyf, Ani, Zeugma ou Aghtamar, pour dignes d’être inscrites au
patrimoine mondial par l’Organisation des Nations unies pour l’éducation, la
science et la culture (Unesco)».

– «considérant que la réouverture du Mausolée national arménien d’Anatolie
du nord aux pèlerinages, la suppression de l’interdiction d’usage des
langues minoritaires dont le kurde et l’arménien, ainsi que le remarquable
travail des historiens turcs sur le génocide et la renaissance des rapports
d’État à État avec la République arménienne sont des pas en avant essentiels
mais qu’il reste nécessaire d’aller jusqu’au bout de cette démarche
notamment en rouvrant les frontières entre la Turquie et l’Arménie »

La Nouvelle République du Centre Ouest
02 décembre 2004

Exposition-vente

Artisanat russe, avec l’association « Droujba », de 14 h à 19 h, à
l’hôtel de ville, jusqu’à samedi, ainsi qu’une exposition de photos
sur « L’Arménie, 3000 ans d’histoire, et la Lituanie, de la
mythologie à l’Union européenne ». Renseignements au 05.49.47.65.88.

Conférences

– « L’Arménie à l’épreuve des siècles », par Jean-Pierre Mahé, membre
de l’Institut, à 17 h 30, à l’hôtel de ville, salle du Blason, place
du Maréchal-Leclerc. Renseignements au 05.49.47.65.88.

Ex-president groomed to replace Armenia’s incumbent head – paper

Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
1 Dec 04

Text of unattributed report by Armenian newspaper Haykakan Zhamanak on
1 December headlined “It continues”

Armenia’s first President Levon Ter-Petrosyan met Pietro Ago yesterday
[30 November]. Ago used to head the Ago group [of the Council of
Europe] that implemented monitoring in Armenia. At present, Ago is an
adviser at the foreign relations department of the Italian Foreign
Ministry.

Anyway, this meeting is evidence of the fact that the process of
Ter-Petrosyan’s political activation is continuing. The West shows
interest in Ter-Petrosyan since it wants to understand whether he is
ready to be an alternative to [incumbent Armenian President Robert]
Kocharyan. The West has been paying special attention recently to the
real rating of Ter-Petrosyan, his potential, the attitude of other
political forces to his possible return, as well as Ter-Petrosyan’s
mood, which is very important.

According to our information, at meetings with western ambassadors,
Ter-Petrosyan says that he is ready to return to politics when he is
sure that he can be elected in free and fair elections. Incidentally,
our source from one of foreign embassies has said that they think
Ter-Petrosyan’s rating is high especially in the state apparatus.

ANOTHER ARMENIAN GENIUS????? YESTERDAY IT WAS A 16 YEAR OLD GETTING
HIS PhD.. TODAY, AN ORGAN PLAYER… 🙂

KAT

The Associated Press State & Local Wire
November 30, 2004, Tuesday, BC cycle

Nine-year-old boy takes over organ duties at New Britain church

By DON STACOM, The Hartford Courant

NEW BRITAIN, Conn.

It is a tale shared by so many old, ethnic churches entrenched in
Northeast cities: The pews are getting a bit emptier, the
parishioners a bit more elderly.

As the first-wave immigrants who once clustered together in
tight-knit neighborhoods die off, their children – or grandchildren –
move on. And the churches that had been vibrant centers of worship,
culture and social life begin to fade, their vitality sapped.

In the heart of downtown, the 100 or so dues-paying members of St.
Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church are committed to keeping the
oldest Armenian church in Connecticut alive and well. And they
believe they have in their midst someone who will strengthen their
link to the next generation. His name is Vahe Hovhannisyan, and in
March he will be 10.

“Vahe is a gift to us from God,” said Father Krikor Keshishian,
priest at St. Stephen’s. “He loves his music, and he loves his
church.”

Vahe captured the congregation’s attention last summer when longtime
church organist Shirley Kevorkian announced she was tiring of her
duties.

“I thought we would have to start playing recorded music on CDs; I
didn’t know what we could do,” Keshishian recalled. “Vahe came up to
me and said ‘I’ll play.”‘

And now the shy 9-year-old – who has never formally studied music –
is St. Stephen’s organist. For 2 1/2 hours every Sunday morning, Vahe
accompanies the choir and deacon for the liturgical service.

Vahe plays a keyboard at home, and takes music classes twice a week
with his fourth-grade class at Griswold School in Berlin. But he has
never formally studied music or taken professional lessons. He
practices at the church every weekday afternoon, and recently learned
the music for the funeral and wedding ceremonies.

“You’re just overwhelmed that this little boy would take over playing
the organ, and that he would want so badly to do it,” said Lila
Winters, 75, a lifelong member of St. Stephen’s.

>From the pews, the diminutive boy can hardly be seen behind the 3
1/2-foot-high Conn organ. First-time visitors to the church
occasionally ask who played the music, and are astonished when
Keshishian points to the boy.

“When he plays, you look at the older parishioners and they’ve all
got smiles on their faces,” said George Rustigian, former chairman of
the church’s trustees. “He’s probably doing as much for the elderly
as for the youth.”

There is no doubt that St. Stephen’s seeks more youth. Some second-
and third-generation parishioners remain, of course, but others have
drifted off, drawn to more comfortable homes in distant suburbs, or
to jobs in the Sunbelt, or perhaps simply away from the church that
bound their parents and grandparents so closely.

St. Stephen’s parishioners have seen that cycle play out just a few
blocks away. All Saints Church served the city’s once-thriving Slovak
community for 84 years, but faltered in the later decades and closed
in 2002.

“We’re hanging on, sometimes by a string,” said Winters. “Some people
are so old, they don’t come because they can’t make the stairs. We
have a banquet every year with more than 150 people. If they’d come
to church every week, we’d be fine.”

Out of perhaps 100 dues-paying members at St. Stephen’s now, more
than a third live in the city and many attend services sporadically.

“Maybe we have 50 people one week, then the next Sunday we’ll get
10,” Rustigian said. “It’s very difficult if just the parents and
grandparents support the church. We need the younger Armenians.”

Kevorkian is one of the last members of the original community. Her
parents were founders of the church in 1925, and she still lives
nearby.

“I was practically raised in the church. It’s like a second home to
all of us,” she said. “Everything runs around it, all our functions.”

She played St. Stephen’s organ for 60 years, and this year was ready
to stop.

“You become very popular, everyone knows me and every little thing
about me. But you get tired,” she said.

Vahe, who has listened to classical music since he was a toddler,
volunteered to take her place. Keshishian was skeptical, but said the
boy won him over with a relentless determination to learn the music.

“When you love something, you do it. And I know the boy loves music,”
Kevorkian said. “He’s only at the beginning stages. He’ll be very
good when he’s really into it.”

Tigran and Sophia Hovhannisyan brought their son, Vahe, and daughter,
Annie, to the United States from Armenia eight years ago. They are
precisely the sort of young family that St. Stephen’s seeks: Devoted
to the church, and eager to keep up their cultural heritage.

Vahe is a Boy Scout, swims at the YMCA and plays soccer and
basketball; but every afternoon he goes to St. Stephen’s to practice.
At his home in Kensington, he listens to Strauss, Verdi and
Beethoven, and plays on a Yamaha keyboard in the living room.

Asked about his music, he is almost bashful, and says quietly, “I
think I wanted to play the piano when I was 3.”

What is his favorite piece in the liturgy? Vahe replied by walking to
the Yamaha to play Amen Hayr Soorp, or Amen Holy Father.

“I like the melody,” Yahe said simply. “I just like to play it.”

Keshishian patted him on the head, and said: “We are all proud of
Vahe. He’s very awake for a 9-year-old boy. What was I doing when I
was 9? I don’t remember. But he is playing the entire divine
liturgy.”

Armenia interested in stable Ukraine – president says

Noyan Tapan news agency
26 Nov 04

Yerevan, 26 November: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan today said
at the ceremony to mark the opening of the new building of the Yerevan
mayor’s office that the “congratulations to Viktor Yanukovych on his
victory in the presidential elections were expressed in the interests
of Armenia”.

The president went on to explain: “Throughout the elections in Ukraine
we did not express any opinions and had no preferences. Had Viktor
Yushchenko won, I would have congratulated him after a corresponding
statement by the Central Electoral Commission. But Yanukovych has
been elected and I congratulated him.”

Robert Kocharyan stressed that Armenia is interested in a stable
Ukraine because it is a serious partner, especially in transport
communications.

“The sooner the tension subsides, the better for Armenia,” he said.

YOUTH MARCHING TO TSITSERNAKABERD

Azg/arm
25 Nov 04

More than 3 thousand young people marched to Tsitsernakaberd
(memorial to the victims of the Armenian Genocide) yesterday marking
the launch of the lawsuit on murder of Armenian officer Gurgen
Margarian. Organizers of the march consider Gurgen Margarian a victim
of genocide and thatâ~@~Ys why they made their way to Tsitsernakaberd.

“The process of the trial should leave no Armenian
indifferent. Armenian officer became a victim of an unprecedented
slaughter only because of his nationality. Axe of the villain
instructed in Turkey was directed against every Armenian, against the
historic justice. Despite admitting all the meanness of the heinous
crime, Azerbaijan tries to justify the criminal”, an appeal of Gurgen
Margarian NGO reads.

President of the Writersâ~@~Y Union of Armenia Levon Ananian
underscored the importance of the program carried out by the youth:
“We are in a kind of a slumber today. Diplomacy does not respond
accordingly, society seems to be indifferent. But the march showed
that the youth understands that it is the bearer of national ideology
and national issues”. Levon Ananian also noted that the Genocide
of 1915 did not get an appropriate response ninety years ago and
today we try to draw worldâ~@~Ys attention to that fact. Today when
another act of vandalism was carried out in the center of Europe,
we have no right to waste time. “Time passes by but the Turksâ~@~Y
essence does not change, deep inside they are still vandals, cynics
and swindlers. Azerbaijan takes steps to protect the criminal. We
see here the same handwriting of Ottoman Turks”, Ananian said.

The multitude was composed mainly of students of Yerevanâ~@~Ys
universities. On their way to Tsitsernakaberd students stopped before
the embassies of Great Britain and the USA.

BY Tamar Minasian

–Boundary_(ID_eLm8posuW53dp1UA9p89Jw)–