Author: Tigranian Ani

Weekend Australian
April 11, 2009 Saturday
2 – All-round First Edition

Turkish anger at holocaust remark

Jamie Walker

TURKEY has officially complained to Canberra that a state Labor
minister tried to lever one of the most sensitive episodes in that
country’s modern history into votes for the ALP.

What began as a seemingly unremarkable speech by South Australian
Attorney-General Michael Atkinson to 40 people at a Greek community
function has so angered Ankara that its ambassador to Australia, Murat
Ersavci, protested to Foreign Minister Stephen Smith about the
“defamation” of his country.

“I feel our relations are too important to be used in these
self-serving, petty local politics,” Mr Ersavci told The Weekend
Australian. The Turks are seething over remarks Mr Atkinson made about
the role of one of the country’s towering figures, Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk, in the tragedy that engulfed its Pontian or Black Sea Greek
minority between 1915 and 1922.

Kemal was the commander who broke the hearts of the Anzacs at
Gallipoli and then held out a hand to Australia by declaring its
fallen soldiers would forever be sons of Turkey. He is revered in his
homeland as the founder of the modern Turkish republic.

After doing the honours at the launch of a plaque commemorating what
he called the “genocide” of Pontian Greeks by Turkish nationalists
led by Kemal’s forces — a contention flatly rejected by Ankara — Mr
Atkinson poured petrol on the flames by declaring that anyone who
disputed this version of history was practising a form of “holocaust
denial”.

When his account was challenged in federal parliament last month by
the Deputy President of the Senate, Alan Ferguson, it was the
expatriate Greek community’s turn to be outraged. The veteran Liberal
senator has since apologised for any offence he might have caused.

Mr Atkinson, seizing on this, had Senator Ferguson’s speech to
parliament translated into Greek and mailed out to thousands of voters
from Greek, Assyrian, Syrian Orthodox and Armenian backgrounds in
eight state seats in Adelaide.

Other state Labor MPs followed up with letters urging them to remember
Senator Ferguson’s speech “supporting the Turkish version of
history” at next year’s state election.

Mr Atkinson denied that he had used the issue as a political wedge
against the state Liberals.

“I have an intellectual interest in this … if there were no Greeks
in my electorate, only Armenians and Turks, I would take the same
position,” he said.

For the record, Mr Atkinson said he knew of 12 ethnically Turkish
constituents in his inner Adelaide seat of Croydon, against some 900
of Greek extraction. There were two Armenians.

The 2006 census found that 365,200 Australians described themselves as
being of Greek descent, and 59,400 as Turkish.

Mr Ersavci said he had received “thousands of letters” from Turkish
Australians concerned that they could face discrimination because of
the “defamation situation” in South Australia.

Referring to Mr Atkinson’s speech to the Pontian Brotherhood of South
Australia last December, the ambassador said: “He seemed to be
completely unaware of what is going on in the world. Politicians
should not rewrite history, especially when talking about the Black
Sea Greeks.”

Mr Ersavci, who will attend Anzac Day commemorations with Mr Smith at
Gallipoli in a fortnight, said he had asked the Foreign Minister to
look into the Turkish Government’s concerns. “He said he would do
it,” Mr Ersavci said.

Mr Smith’s office said he had written to South Australian Premier Mike
Rann outlining the federal Government’s position “on these historical
events” in Turkey at the time the remnants of the once mighty Ottoman
Empire gave way to the new republic.

Australia believed “dialogue between the governments and communities
of the countries concerned” was best and would not seek to intervene
in the historical dispute.

Mr Atkinson said he backed independent research findings, contested by
Turkey, that 1.5million ethnic Armenians and 350,000 Pontian Greeks
were massacred during and after World War I.

Mr Ersavci said Turkey acknowledged that a “war within a war” had
taken place, but not on the scale purported. The toll among Pontian
Greeks cited by Mr Atkinson was “simply preposterous”.

Sticking to his guns, Mr Atkinson said: “To say that is a
non-existent event is equivalent to holocaust denial.”

Metro Detroit committee promotes Armenian Genocide awareness through education

it-committee-promotes-armenian-genocide-awareness- through-education
Published: Wednesday April 08, 2009

Clinton Township, – Committed to promoting awareness of, and gaining
U.S. recognition for, the first genocide of the 20th century, The
Metro Detroit Armenian Genocide Committee, in collaboration with
Facing History and Ourselves, organized on March 25 the third
educator’s workshop (in Michigan) on the Armenian Genocide. The
Knights of Vartan, Detroit Lodge, sponsored the project initially
conceived and sponsored by Edgar Hagopian, local businessperson, and
his Hagopian Family Foundation.

Richard Norsigian, a member of the committee as well as a principal in
the South Lake School District, coordinated the event with the help of
Kim Meade, Macomb Social Studies Consultant. Educators representing
13 school districts attended the March 25th workshop held at the
Macomb Intermediate School District offices.

Facilitor for the workshop Dr. Mary Johnson, Senior Historian for
Facing History and Ourselves, used text and video to present a
background on the "universe of obligation" and segued into the history
of the Armenian Genocide. Educators using the provided resource
materials were asked to participate by posing scenarios and voicing
their ideas and opinions on the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians at
the hands of the Ottoman Turks from 1915-1923, and the response at
that time from the international community.

Dr. Johnson then introduced guest speaker Dr. Gerard Libaridian, who
holds the Alex Manoogian Chair in Modern Armenian History at the
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Libaridian also served as
advisor to Armenian President Levon Ter Petrossian from 1991 to 1997.

Participants were reminded of the Second Annual Armenian Genocide
Essay Competition open to all Michigan Middle and High School
Students, sponsored by the Hagopian Family Foundation with cash awards
for both the winning student and the instructor.

The Metro Detroit Armenian Genocide Committee members are Edgar
Hagopian, Edward Bedikian, Ray Boujoulian, Corinne Khederian, Paul
Kulhanjian, Richard Norsigian, David Terzibashian and Madeline
Thomasian.

"The Armenian Genocide – a genocide that is not reflected in our
history books and that on April 24, 2009, represents 94 years later,
even though 42 states and numerous foreign governments have recognized
it, remains unacknowledged by the U.S. Government and the successors
to the Ottoman Turk perpetrators," stated Mr. Hagopian.

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN VISITED ENTERPRISES

RIA OREANDA
April 9 2009
Russia

Syunik. OREANDA-NEWS . April 09 2009. President Serzh Sargsyan
visited Armen-Sarmen cattle farm in Syunik village of Syunik marz. The
President of Armenia observed the farm facilities, familiarized with
the projects aimed at the expansion of the farm, and participated at
the opening of a new milking parlor, reported the Official website
news.president.am.

Currently the farm is implementing programs for the production
of cattle food, creation of a modern milk processing facility,
development of beekeeping, and is also planning to establish a meat
processing facility.

Afterwards, the President of Armenia left for the Tatev
hydroelectricpower station which is a part to the Vorotan
hydroelectricpower system. Serzh Sargsyan toured the station where
recently new equipment was installed through the TASIS grant program,
raising significantly the reliability of the station.

The President of Armenia visited also Saint Grigor Tatevatsi church
in Goris. Later, in the Vienne Park of the town he participated at
the official unveiling of the cross stone memorial dedicated to one
of the leaders of the French Resistance Misak Manousian.

On last leg of his visit to Syunik marz, President Sargsyan visited
VH-Stone mineral processing enterprise in Sisian. The venture
was established in 2000 and is specializing in stone mining and
processing. The enterprise is equipped with modern devices and its
technological chain allows to operate a wasteless production. The
leadership of VH-Stone is planning to open in 2009 a production unit
for the artistic and architectonic processing of stones.

SERZH SARGSYAN: IT IS TIME TO CONDUCT A CIVILIZED DIALOGUE WITH TURKS

ArmInfo
2009-04-09 23:08:00

ArmInfo. ‘First of all, the presumption was that it is the time
to conduct a civilized dialogue with the Turks. It is incorrect to
have close borders and hostile relations with neighbours in the 21st
century. I hope it will succeed to establish diplomatic relations
and open the border in the near future’, President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan said in an interview with "Russia" TV channel when speaking
about the prospect of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

Touching on the problem of overcoming of the global economic crisis
by Armenia, S. Sargsyan emphasized that the country’s authorities
try to support the competitive enterprises which are able to
keep further working with profit in case they receive the relevant
assistance. According to the president, Armenia, first of ll, counts
on its own forces and, of course, on assistance of the friends. ‘The
overwhelming majority of Armenia’s citizens think we are tied up with
Russia by thousand of threads and that Russia is a strategic partner
and friend of us. This has been fixed legally and is confirmed by
everyday life’, S. Sargsyan said. To note, the First channel of the
Russian TV placed a reporting on the air dedicated to the results of
the first year of Serzh Sargsyan’s work as a president of Armenia.

TO MEET WITH TURKMENISTAN ADMINISTRATION

A1+
11:29 am | April 09, 2009

Official

On April 9-11 RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan will leave for
Askhabad to take part in the session of the Council of Ministers of
Foreign Affairs of CIS-member countries.

After the session Nalbandyan will meet with the political elite of
Turkmenistan on the sidelines of his official visit to Turkmenistan,
according to the information of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"ALIEV IS NOT SATISFIED WITH ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS"

Panorama.am
17:02 08/04/2009

Armenian diplomacy managed to leave Nagorno Karabakh issue out of
Armenia-Turkey negotiations, Giro Manoyan, the head of Armenian Cause
Office of the ARF said. Azerbaijan thinks that Turkish blockade over
Armenia is a powerful tool to press on Armenia regarding NKR conflict,
he said. To the question if Mr. Manoyan has any points to say that NKR
conflict is not included in Armenian-Turkish negotiations, he answered:
"The evidence to it is that Aliev did not go to Turkey. I think that
Aliev himself is not satisfied that Artsakh issue has been left out of
the negotiations. Aliev is not satisfied that Armenia-Turkey relations
can become normalized."

ARMENIAN, RUSSIAN LEADERS DISCUSS OUTCOME OF G20 SUMMIT OVER TELEPHONE

Mediamax
April 6 2009
Armenia

Yerevan, 6 April: The Armenian and Russian presidents, Serzh Sargsyan
and Dmitriy Medvedev, had a telephone conversation today to discuss
results of the G20 summit in London and the agreements reached there.

The presidential press service reported that the leaders of the
two countries discussed issues of bilateral political and economic
cooperation and agreed to have a meeting soon.

OBAMA STIRS ARMENIAN ‘CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM’ ON ANKARA VISIT

Agence France Presse
April 6, 2009 Monday 7:09 PM GMT

US President Barack Obama’s comments during his Ankara visit on
Monday on the status of Turkish-Armenian relations give rise to
"cautious optimism," a prominent Armenian activist said.

"He avoided use of the ‘G’ word in front of his hosts," said American
Armenian filmmaker and journalist Carla Garapedian, a campaigner for
the recognition of the killings of Ottoman Armenians nine decades
ago as genocide.

"You can say he has been very clever diplomatically. He went to Turkey
to improve relations with Turkey," said Garapedian, who was in Nicosia
for a screening of her documentary, "Screamers," on the mass killings.

"If he had said the ‘G’ word in front of (Turkey’s President Abdullah)
Gul and the (Turkish) parliament, he would have embarrassed them,"
she told AFP.

But Garapedian stressed Obama had referred to the fate of the Native
Americans, opening the way to a possible face-saving formula for Ankara
to drop its categoric refusal to recognise the killings as a genocide.

"He was trying to help them (Turkey) save face by raising this
issue. It was very interesting … My interpretation is that one can
be cautiously optimistic that he is not going to backtrack on his
position," she said.

"The fact that Obama mentioned the Native Americans shows a certain
courage," Garapedian said. "That is a clear signal that Americans
too have a legacy of genocide in our history."

Obama signalled he had not changed his view that the killings of
hundreds of thousands of Armenians amounted to genocide but insisted
that reconciliation between the two neighbours was of more immediate
importance.

"I want to focus not on my views right now, but on the views of the
Turkish and Armenian people. If they can move forward… the entire
world should encourage them," said Obama at a joint press conference
with Gul.

During his election campaign, Obama pledged to his American Armenian
supporters to recognise the World War I killings as genocide. Ankara
has warned Washington such a move could hit bilateral ties and derail
any reconciliation.

Yerevan and the Armenians in diaspora say that up to 1.5 million of
their kin were killed between 1915 and 1917 as the Ottoman Empire
fell apart, a stand supported by several countries.

Turkey rejects the genocide term and argues that 300,000-500,000
Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when
Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided
with invading Russian troops.

ALL-ASA DAZZLES THOUSANDS WITH ARMENIAN FESTIVAL
By Zain Shauk

Glendale News Press
_4/6/2009_1
Monday, April 6, 2009

BURBANK (Glendale News Press)–Thousands packed the Woodbury University
quad Sunday for an Armenian cultural festival that featured song,
dance and Middle Eastern food.

Teen dance groups wore traditional costumes while performing a set
of routines that left older visitors peering over the shoulders of
onlookers who crowded around a dance floor to watch with pride.

Visitors browsed vendor booths from local businesses, ate kabobs, ice
cream and cotton candy, and mostly spent time chatting with family,
friends and strangers while listening to Armenian hits echo through
the outdoor area.

The gathering was a celebration of culture that was organized by
college students and drew visitors from across Southern California,
said event organizer Arsen Dzhanikyan.

"Enjoying one’s culture and celebrating one’s identity is a must,"
said Dzhanikyan, who is a senior at Woodbury and president of the
university’s Armenian Students’ Assn.

The event was a collaboration of Armenian student groups from 12
colleges and universities throughout Southern California, including
USC, UCLA, Cal State Northridge, Cal State Los Angeles and Glendale
Community College.

The group’s efforts drew an estimated crowd of at least 4,000 and
were crucial in creating a sense of community and identity through a
cultural celebration, said Archbishop Hovnan Derderian of the Western
Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America.

"Culture is a gift from God," Derderian said, stressing the importance
of holding events to celebrate shared traditions.

Sunday’s event was the second annual festival at Woodbury, which
has proven to be a central location for the Armenian community, with
large populations residing in Glendale and Burbank, organizers said.

Although the afternoon dance performances were some of the biggest
visual attractions, visitors mostly enjoyed the event because they had
a chance to spend a day immersed in a cultural celebration, they said.

"Armenian culture is kind of a deep and rich culture," said Burbank
resident Alice Babakhaian, who was looking over the shoulder of
another visitor to catch a glimpse of a group of girls dancing in
shiny green and red gowns.

Babakhaian had performed the dance growing up, but was content to
watch a new generation enjoying the same traditions Sunday.

"It is important because the young generation, they get more together
and they can talk and they can share these things," she said.

Fillmore resident James Baron, a Jew, made the trip to Woodbury with
his Armenian wife to share in the festivities.

"I think every culture should not just celebrate, but teach their
culture," Baron said.

The community gathering, weeks in advance of Armenian Genocide
remembrance events on April 24, was meant to bring people together,
outside of activities focused on the mass killings, organizers said.

"It doesn’t have to be something tragic to get everybody together,"
said Vazgen Keshishyan, who had helped organize food sales for
the event.

****

Editor’s Note: The All-ASA is a confederation of independent ASAs that
seeks to facilitate dialogue, idea-sharing, and provide a forum for
common initiative. The All-ASA meets throughout the year for program
committee meetings as well as general sessions during which constituent
and observer organizations discuss issues of common concern.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Crooked Old Man play starring Nora Armani to be held in Yerevan
04.04.2009 19:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Crooked Old Man play starring Nora Armani, was
planned be held in August within the framework of All Armenian Theater
Project. The play draws on Richard Kalinovski’s work dedicated to
Armenian Genocide.

According to Theater Workers’ Union President, Hakob Ghazanchyan,
plans have altered and play staging will be delayed till autumn. `We
expect certain financial difficulties might occur, considering the
financial crisis,’ Hakob Ghazanchyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.