Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

PRESENCE OF AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIAN NATIONAL TEAMS IN SAME GROUP IN 2008 EUROPEAN CUP IS OUR FAULT: UEFA HEAD (VIDEO)

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 17 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend Z.Safarov / The presence of Azerbaijani
and Armenian national teams in the same group of the European Cup 2008
is our fault, Michel Platini, head of UEFA, said at a news conference
in Baku.

He said that the issue regarding the match between the two teams has
been analyzed in detail and afterwards UEFA made the decision not to
hold the qualifying matches.

"We are aware of the situation and will try to avoid the further
presence of Azerbaijan and Armenia in one group in the qualifying
round of the World Championship in 2010," Platini said.

In turn FIFA Head Joseph Blatter said that sports should be far
from politics. "At this moment there evolves an idea to present
Afghanistan a quota at the Olympic games. Another example can be the
recent victory of the Iraqi national team at the recent Asian Cup.

Sports, particularly football should unite people," Blatter said.

Støe?tík sparks Czech rout
Wednesday 17 October 2007Match report by Ladislav Josef

Marek Støe?tík, Tomá? Pekhart and Jiøí Jeslínek were
all on target as the Czech Republic beat Armenia in
Kladno to claim a third successive victory and set up
a pivotal Group 2 meeting with Turkey next month.

Jeslínek influence
The Czechs began their 2009 UEFA European Under-21
Championship campaign with a disappointing 1-1 draw
against Armenia last month but there was to be no
repeat on home turf. Støe?tík broke the deadlock on
two minutes and they were soon strolling when debutant
Jeslínek, whose father won one senior cap in 1985,
rounded the goalkeeper to make it 2-0. Jeslínek turned
provider just before the half-hour, his cross being
headed in by Tottenham Hotspur FC striker Pekhart to
ensure there was no way back for Armenia.

©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.

Turkish MPs back attacks in Iraq

Turkey’s parliament has given permission for the government to launch
military operations into Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish rebels.

The vote was taken in defiance of pressure from the US and Iraq, which
have called on Turkey for restraint.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the motion does
not mean a military operation is imminent.

But he said Turkey needed to be able to respond to a recent rise in
bomb attacks blamed on PKK rebels from Iraq.

Turkish MPs backed him overwhelmingly, by 507 votes to 19.

As the vote was being counted, President George W Bush strongly urged
America’s Turkish ally not to carry out the threatened action.

He said Washington was "making it clear to Turkey it is not in their
interest to send more troops in… there is a better way to deal with
the issue".

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki had earlier phoned the Turkish prime
minister, saying he was "absolutely determined" to remove the PKK from
Iraq and pleading for more time, according to Turkey’s Anatolia news
agency.

The autonomous Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq warned
Turkish MPs that any intervention would be "illegal". It has denied
providing the PKK with any help.

The rebels themselves said they would meet force with force.

The chief of the PKK’s executive council, Murat Karayilan, told the
Kurdish Hawlati newspaper: "Thousands of PKK guerrillas are on standby
to fight Turkish army forces."

However Syrian President Bashar Assad, visiting Turkey, said he
supported the country’s right to take the action "against terrorism
and terrorist activities".

President Bush, speaking during a press conference, criticised
Congress for jeopardising US relations with Turkey with a planned vote
to recognise the mass killing of Armenians in Ottoman times as
genocide.

"One thing Congress should not be doing is sorting out the historical
record of the Ottoman Empire," he said.

Although a Congressional committee has supported the motion, its
chances of passing a full vote appear to be waning.

Key Democrats in the US House of Representatives have joined
Republicans to warn that US strategic interests could be damaged by
the largely symbolic resolution.

Published: 2007/10/17 15:37:13 GMT

(c) BBC MMVII

Source:

THE TIMES RE-PUBLISHED ARTICLE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DATED OCTOBER 8, 1915

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.10.2007 19:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ British The Times re-published article on the
Armenian Genocide dated October 8, 1915. The article titled "The
Armenians Massacre.

Exterminating a race. A record of horrors." tells about systematic
massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, about atrocities of
Turkish gendarmes exiling and killing Armenians, about Kurds who
raided into Armenian villages, about crowds of injured and starving
Armenians whipped across Ter Zor desert, about women, children and
old people who could not survive the torture…

The Times reminds of attempts of the American and European diplomats
to procure some alleviation of the lot of Armenians, however in vain.

It also cites Talaat Pasha saying, "The Armenians are a…race;
their disappearance would be no loss."

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Oct 13 2007

US officials arrive in Turkey to discuss Armenian bill

Ankara, 13 October: The US assistant secretary of state, Dan Fried,
and the US undersecretary of defence, Eric Edelman, arrived in Ankara
on Saturday [13 October] for one-day working visit.

Edelman told reporters at the airport that Fried and he were glad to
be in Turkey, adding, "We obviously wish that circumstances were a
bit better."

"Ambassador Fried and I were in Moscow with the secretary of state,
Condoleezza Rice, and the secretary of defence, Robert Gates, and
they asked us to divert our travel plans to come here to Turkey to
talk with our colleagues and Turkish government first of all to
express our regret over the House vote on the resolution (regarding
Armenian allegations on the incidents of 1915)," he said.

Edelman said that their determination as the administration will
continue to oppose the bill at the Congress.

He said that they also wanted to talk to their colleagues in Turkey
about other issues on current concerns.

Edelman and Fried are expected to meet Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Undersecretary Ertugrul Apakan.

Financial Mirror, Cyprus
Oct 12 2007

Armenian genocide a fact, just like Turkish invasion of Cyprus

12/10/2007

The Armenian genocide by Turkey constitutes an unquestionable
historical fact, just like the fact that Turkey invaded in 1974 the
Republic of Cyprus and still occupies the northern part of its
territory, Government Spokesman Vassilis Palmas said on Thursday.

Palmas was invited to comment on the resolution passed by the US
House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs that describes
the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians early in the last
century as genocide.

`The Armenian genocide by Turkey constitutes an unquestionable
historical fact, just as unquestionable is the fact that Turkey
invaded in 1974 the Republic of Cyprus and still occupies the
northern part of our country,’ Palmas said.

Invited to say whether this development would affect the Cyprus
issue, Palmas said that one should react with caution and realism.

`We should remain cautious and realistic and not consider that the
decisions of a Committee of a Body, like the US House of
Representatives, would shake or change US-Turkey relations to such an
extent that the international political scene would totally change,’
he said.

The issue, he noted, `concerns mainly Turkey and the US, and the
Cypriot government has no other comment to make.’

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied
its northern third.

Pontifical Visit Media Advisory

His Holiness Karekin II
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians

Pontifical Visit of the
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)

630 Second Avenue New York, New York 10016

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate

Pontifical Visit
Media Relations Office

Michael O’Hurley-Pitts, Ph.D.
Director
Telephone: 212.686.0710 ext. 154
[email protected]
Facsimile: 212.689.1934
Cellular: 212.533.0335

Sylvie Keshishian
Public Relations Director
Telephone: 212.686.0710 ext. 160
[email protected]
Facsimile: 212.689.1934

PRESS RELEASE
11 October 2007

His Holiness Karekin II Gives Opening Prayer in United States House of
Representatives –

Meets with Speaker Pelosi

Washington, D.C. – His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of all Armenians gave the opening prayer in the United States House of
Representatives today, October 10, 2007. The House of Representatives was
brought to order by the Speaker of the House, The Honorable Nancy Pelosi,
personally presiding over the session. Speaker Pelosi opened the morning’s
session, greeted His Holiness Karekin II and introduced him before he
delivered his prayer:

"Lord, we thank you for bestowing us with the Grace to pray today for the
leaders of this nation who labor in the universal cause of liberty and
justice. Increase their wisdom and resolution. Their actions grant
inspiration and fulfillment to the desire for justice that lives in every
heart. Our Father in Heaven, render guidance to all nations, including the
Republic of Armenia – our homeland and center of our faith – the Mother See
of Holy Etchmiadzin.

"With the solemn burden of history, we remember the victims of the Genocide
of the Armenians, the consequences of which are still felt by the entire
world in new manifestations of genocide. Grant rest to the souls of all
victims of crimes against humanity and bestow peace and justice on their
descendants. Give pause to those who trample life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness.

"Lord, bless this land and people. Grant peace and safety to America’s sons
and daughters who serve their nation abroad. May the United States continue
her mission as a great beacon of hope. Amen."

His Holiness Karekin II’s prayer was broadcasted live on C-SPAN, the
official and only television network authorized to broadcast the proceedings
of the Unites States House of Representatives.

Following the prayer, the House Chaplain Daniel P. Coughlin, the first Roman
Catholic Chaplain of the House of Representatives since the position was
created in 1774, presented His Holiness Karekin II with a certificate
memorializing his deliverance of a prayer before a session of Congress.

His Holiness Karekin II was accompanied on the floor of the House of
Representatives by His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern). Asked about the
privilege extended to him on the occasion, His Eminence Archbishop Barsamian
reflected on the moment, "It is a great honor to be invited onto the House
floor, to see where our great nation’s laws are made and where the great
debates of our time take place. But more moving for me was watching the
respect the lawmakers showed our beloved Catholicos."

Prior to delivering his prayer, His Holiness Karekin II and Archbishop
Barsamian were greeted by California Congressman Henry Waxman, Chairman of
the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The Honorable Mr. Waxman
told the Catholicos of his support for the Armenian community, "Your
Holiness, I’d like you to know that I was one of the original sponsors of
the Armenian Genocide Resolution. It is something I’m committed to and we
need to see happen."

Other lawmakers, including Representatives Joe Crowley (D-NY), Eliot Engel
(D-NY); and, Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) paid their respects and greeted His
Holiness Karekin II and voiced their support for the Armenian Genocide
Resolution and their friendship with the Republic of Armenian. Congressman
Knollenberg spent considerable time discussing matters with the Catholicos,
including briefing him on the process by which the Resolution would be voted
on in Committee before being considered by the entire House.

His Holiness Karekin II and Archbishop Barsamian Lead Delegation in Meeting
with Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Following the House prayer, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
escorted His Holiness Karekin II, His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian
and Diocesan Legate Archbishop Vicken Aykazian on a short tour of the
Speaker’s lobby and corridors of the House. Receiving the delegation in the
Office of the Speaker in the US Capitol Building. His Holiness raised
several issues of concern in their high-level, private meeting.

His Holiness Karekin II thanked Speaker Pelosi, and all Members of Congress,
Republican and Democrat alike for their efforts on passing the Armenian
Genocide Resolution. "We are well aware of the courage you and your
colleagues have shown in your commitment to justice" said the Catholicos.
"We ask this not for ourselves alone, but for the sake of all human beings
as Genocides still plague us, even nine decades after ours took more than
1.5 million lives. We know of your commitment to human rights and thank you
and the United States of America for your efforts."

At the close of the meeting His Holiness presented Speaker Nancy Pelosi with
a traditional Armenian Cross (Khatchkar). The Speaker told His Holiness that
she looks forward to displaying it with pride and joy in her office.

Later in the day, the House Committee on Foreign Relations voted in favor of
the Armenian Genocide Resolution.

In an subsequent press conference, Speaker Pelosi was asked when the
Armenian Genocide resolution would come to the floor of the House for a full
vote. The Speaker indicated her belief that it would be voted on prior to
the close of the year.

His Holiness Karekin II began his pastoral visit to his flock in the United
States with a visit to California and the Western Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America and began his visit to the Eastern Diocese two days later
in New York. During the course of the Pontifical Visit, His Holiness Karekin
II will visit 18 cities in 14 different states (a complete list of visits
can be found online at:
<http://www.pontificalv isit.org/> ).

Asked about having been invited to deliver the opening prayer before
congress on the day the House Committee on Foreign Affairs would be voting
on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, His Holiness Karekin II replied, "You
might say it is divine Providence."

Daily coverage of the Pontifical Visit can be found online on the official
Pontifical Visit Web Site (). The site provides a
wealth of information about His Holiness Karekin II, the Armenian Church,
and the Diaspora and includes daily photographic and video updates to allow
the faithful throughout the United States and the world to stay abreast of
events, activities and worship services.

For more information on the Pontifical Visit of His Holiness Karekin II,
including supplemental media advisories and background papers, please visit:
and

# # #

TURKEY BLASTS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL
By C. Onur Ant

The Associated Press
Oct 11 2007

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) – Turkey swiftly condemned a House panel’s
approval of a bill describing the World War I-era mass killings of
Armenians as genocide, and newspapers blasted the measure on their
front pages Thursday.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the bill Wednesday by
a 27-21 vote despite intense lobbying by Turkish officials. The
committee’s vote was a triumph for well-organized Armenian-American
interest groups who have lobbied Congress for decades to pass a
resolution. President Bush warned that it could harm U.S.-Turkish
relations, already stretched by accusations that Washington is
unwilling to help Ankara crack down on Kurdish rebels based in Iraq.

"Unfortunately, some politicians in the United States have once again
sacrificed important matters to petty domestic politics despite all
calls to common sense," President Abdullah Gul said late Wednesday.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian welcomed the vote, saying:
"We hope this process will lead to a full recognition by the United
States of America … of the genocide."

However, speaking to reporters Thursday after meeting EU foreign policy
chief Javier Solana, Kocharian also appealed to Turkey to join talks
on restoring bilateral relations.

Gul said in a recent letter there would be "serious troubles" if
Congress adopted the measure. Many analysts have pointed out that a
public backlash in the key NATO ally could lead to restrictions on
crucial supply routes to Iraq and Afghanistan, and the closure of
the U.S. Air Force base at Incirlik.

"Its passage would do great harm to our relations with a key ally in
NATO and in the global war on terror," Bush said of the bill.

Turkey also is considering launching a military offensive into Iraq
against the Kurdish rebels, which could destabilize one of the few
relatively peaceful areas in the country.

The Turkish government condemned the panel’s vote in a statement
early Thursday.

"It is not possible to accept such an accusation of a crime which
was never committed by the Turkish nation," the statement said. "It
is blatantly obvious that the House Committee on Foreign Affairs does
not have a task or function to re-write history by distorting a matter
which specifically concerns the common history of Turks and Armenians."

Turkish newspapers also denounced the decision.

"27 foolish Americans," the daily Vatan said on its front-page
headline, in reference to legislators who voted in favor.

Hurriyet called the resolution: "Bill of hatred."

The U.S. Embassy urged Americans in Turkey to be alert for violent
repercussions.

Ambassador Ross Wilson said he regretted the committee’s decision
and said he hoped it would not be passed by the House.

"I sincerely hope the resolution will not be passed and will continue
my efforts to convince members of Congress not to approve it," he said.

Historians estimate up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed
by genocide scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century.

Turkey, however, denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying that
the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of
civil war and unrest.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said passage of the
resolution by the House would gravely harm U.S.-Turkish relations
and U.S. interests in Europe and the Middle East.

"The United States recognizes the immense suffering of the Armenian
people due to mass killings and forced deportations at the end of the
Ottoman Empire," McCormack said in a statement. "We support a full and
fair accounting of the atrocities that befell as many as 1.5 million
Armenians during World War I" – which he said the measure doesn’t do.

U.S. diplomats have been quietly preparing Turkish officials for
weeks for the likelihood that the resolution would pass, and asking
for a muted response.

Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said the Turks "have not been
threatening anything specific" in response to the vote, and that he
hopes the "disappointment can be limited to statements."

After France voted last year to make it a crime to deny the killings
were genocide, the Turkish government ended its military ties with
that country.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

October 11, 2007

HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
ADOPTS GENOCIDE RESOLUTION, 27 TO 21
Yesterday afternoon, October 10, the House Foreign Affairs Committee
adopted House Resolution 106, the Armenian Genocide Resolution, by a vote of
27 to 21, after intense debate within the committee. Earlier in the day,
prior to the vote, President Bush spoke against the resolution, as did
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, and Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates.
Last week eight former secretaries of state joined in signing a letter
against the resolution. The Turkish lobby and its high-priced consultants
mounted an intense media blitz against the resolution, causing many to
wonder why a non-binding resolution would generate such a heavy duty
response. As one Congressman noted yesterday, "I feel as though there is a
Turkish sword over my head."
None of the Congressmen who spoke yesterday-even those who voted against
the resolution-denied the Genocide; in fact, they acknowledged it, but felt
it should not be pursued at this time because of the threats made by Turkey,
especially about Turkey’s cooperation in the Iraq war.
The resolution must now go to the full House of Representatives for a
vote. If the speaker, Nancy Pelosi, permits it to be presented, the
resolution will most probably pass.
Ironically, once again, the actions of Turkey have generated a
tremendous amount of media attention for the Armenians. Today’s issue of the
New York Times covered yesterday’s vote with a long story, starting on the
first page (above the fold-the most coveted position), with a large photo of
genocide survivors attending the committee vote.
We congratulate the exceptional efforts of the Armenian National
Committee, as well as the Armenian Assembly, the Armenian American Political
Action Committee, and the ordinary Armenian Americans who got on the phone
and let their representatives know their feelings.
It is appropriate now to express thanks to those who voted for the
resolution yesterday. Go to the ANC web page, for details.

HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II OFFERS OPENING PRAYER
AT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES YESTERDAY
His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, delivered the
opening prayer yesterday at the House of Representatives. His Holiness, who
is on a pontifical visit to the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
(Eastern), was invited to deliver the invocation on the very day that the
Foreign Affairs Committee was considering the Armenian Genocide Resolution.
His Holiness spoke eloquently. You can see a video of the prayer on the
pontifical visit web page,

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I SENDS MESSAGE TO PELOSI
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, sent a
letter following the vote in Washington to Speaker of the House Nancy
Pelosi. His Holiness wrote:
"I salute from the headquarters of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia
in Antelias, Lebanon, the courageous step taken by the House Foreign Affairs
Committee in favor of the Armenian Genocide resolution. Indeed, this
decision of the Committee is a concrete and genuine manifestation of the
deep concern of the United States of America in respect to human rights and
all forms of crimes against humanity, including genocide.
"The Armenian Genocide is a fact of history. Not only is it deeply
rooted in the common memory of the Armenian people but also well
substantiated by historical documents and eye-witness accounts. The formal
recognition of such crimes against humanity is indispensable to avoid new
genocides. Hence, the resolution of the Committee is a right response to
this sad page of the history of the Turkish-Ottoman Empire.
"The Cilician Catholicosate of the Armenian Church has been, with its
people and institutions, a victim of this Genocide. The Martyrs’ Chapel, the
Museum, and the thousands of archives existing within the confines of the
Catholicosate, are tangible proof of the Armenian Genocide planned and
executed by the Ottoman-Turkish authorities in 1915.
"I greatly appreciate the action taken by the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, and it is my firm expectation that the entire Congress will soon
adopt the said resolution.
"I would like to seize this opportunity to express my high
appreciation to you for your many years of committed support towards the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
"May God bless you and your colleagues."

PRELATE WILL TRAVEL TO RACINE THIS WEEKEND
Archbishop Oshagan will visit the parish of St. Hagop Church, in
Racine, Wisconsin, this weekend. His Eminence will celebrate the Divine
Liturgy and deliver the sermon on Sunday, October 14, and preside over the
church’s 69th anniversary celebration. On Saturday the Prelate will meet
with the pastor, V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Garabedian, and the lay leadership.

VICAR WILL TRAVEL TO MICHIGAN
Bishop Anoushavan, Vicar General, will visit the parish of St. Sarkis
Church in Dearborn, Michigan, this weekend. His Grace will celebrate the
Divine Liturgy, deliver the sermon, and ordain the following sub-deacons and
acolytes: Sub-Deacons: Kegham Tazian, Jeffrey Narayan. Stolebearers: Chris
Yangouyian, Greg Karapetian, Aaron Broglin. Acolytes: Zaven Shrikian, Alex
Kourtjian, Elliot Stepanian, Aram Cholakian, Peter Crane, Ryan Sirian, Alex
Zazaian, Armen Brus, Vahan Cholakian, Ethan Stepanian, Chris Kourtjian,
Michael Nercesian.
On Saturday, the Vicar will preside over the church’s 45th anniversary
celebration. Awards will be presented to: Verjin Mampreian, Oghnig
Mooradian, Keghouhi Derovakimian, Violet Apkarian, and Harry Dakesian.

BIBLE TRANSLATION CONTINUES
Next week, Monday to Friday, Archbishop Oshagan and Bishop Anoushavan
will be in Montreal, Canada, where they will join with Archbishop Khajag to
continue their Bible translation work.

TWO IRAQI-ARMENIANS KILLED
Two Iraqi-Armenian women were killed this week when an Australian-run
security company struck the car with 40 bullets, killing the driver and a
passenger in the front seat. A woman and boy in the back seat survived. A
priest and relatives near the scene said that all of occupants of the car
were Armenian Christians. The case is being investigated by the Iraqi
government and the United States

HOLY TRANSLATORS REMEMBERED
This Saturday, October 13, the Armenian Church commemorates the lives
and accomplishments of the Holy Translators, including Mesrob, Yeghishe,
Moses the Poet, David the Philosopher, Gregory of Narek, and Nerses the
Graceful.
The Feast of the Holy Translators is one of our most popular feasts.
There are, in fact, two commemorations in our liturgical calendar. One is on
the Thursday following the fourth Sunday after Pentecost which can occur
either in June or July, and on the second Saturday of October.
The October commemoration focuses on the creation of the Armenian
alphabet (406) and on the accomplishments of the Holy Translators. Mesrob
Mashtots, the founder of the alphabet, and Catholicos Sahak, together with
some of their students, translated the Holy Bible (Astvadzashounch, Breath
of God). Schools were opened and the works of world-renowned scholars were
translated. Their work gave the Armenian Church a distinct national
character.
In modern times the entire month of October has been designated as a
"Month of Culture." Armenians throughout the Diaspora and Armenia mark this
with a variety of cultural events not only in remembrance of the past, but
in celebration of modern-day scholars, theologians, and translators.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATORS
A conference for Sunday school teachers will take place October 26-28 at
the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual Vineyard, a Coptic Orthodox Retreat Center in
Charlton, Massachusetts. The theme of the conference is "Prayer-Personal and
Communal," and will feature presentations by Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian,
Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi, Ph.D., Dn. Shant Kazanjian, and Dr. Mary Olson. A
modest fee of $60 covers all expenses including lodging for two nights, five
meals and refreshments. For detailed information click

N EW SERIES OF BIBLE STUDY AT THE PRELACY
A new five-part series of Bible studies ("from Jesus’ meals with sinners
to the Lord’s Supper") will take place at the Prelacy beginning on October
16 and continue on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, from 7:15 to
8:45 pm. Dn. Shant Kazanjian, director of the Armenian Religious Education
Council (AREC) will conduct the Bible studies. For information and
registration, send email to [email protected] or telephone
212-689-7810.

FIRST OF A SERIES OF BOOKLETS IS PUBLISHED
The first in a series of booklets on contemporary ethical issues was
published this week. The entire series is being written by Vigen Guroian,
the well-known theologian and professor at Loyola College in Maryland. All
of the booklets are written from an Armenian Orthodox perspective.
The first booklet is, "Homosexuality and Same-Sex Union." Forthcoming
topics include: Marriage and Divorce; Procreation and Reproductive
Technology; Abortion; Genetic Screening and Genetic Technology; Suicide and
Euthanasia; Organ Donation and Cremation.
Professor Guroian will make a presentation on this important series, and
specifically on the first booklet just published, on Friday evening,
November 16, at the Vahakn and Hasmig Hovnanian Reception Hall at the
Prelacy in New York City.
This series of booklets by the Eastern Prelacy’s Armenian Religious
Education Council is being underwritten by Elza and Haig Didizian in memory
of His Holiness Karekin I, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians.

DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, October 11, are: Proverbs 4:20-27; Jeremiah
15:19-20; 1 Corinthians 12:1-7; Matthew 9:35-10:1.
My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do
not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they
are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your
heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away
>From you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes
look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Keep straight
the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the
right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. (Proverbs 4:20-17)
For listing of the entire week’s Bible readings click
01107.

IN CELEBRATION OF THE YEAR OF THE ARMENIAN LANGUAGE.
To read the message of His Holiness in Armenian click
.
To read the message of His Holiness in English click

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has
designated 2007 as the Year of the Armenian Language. In celebration of this
year-long tribute, each week we will offer an interesting tidbit about the
Armenian language and literature:
Believing in the power of words, Armenians-especially travelers-kept with
them a phylactery scroll (hmayil), rolled up in a cylinder container or a
pouch and worn around the neck or pocket as protection against all kinds of
evil. The scrolls were inscribed with prayers and passages from the Bible.
Many of them were also illustrated.

"It take two to speak the truth-one to speak, and another to hear."
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Calendar of Events

September 27 to November 29-Christian Education classes at Sourp Khatch
Church in Bethesda, Maryland, 8 pm in the church sanctuary. Topic: The
Badarak. Classes held second and fourth Thursdays of each month, except
Thanksgiving week when classes will take place Friday. Armenian and English.
Prior attendance is not a requisite. For information: 301-229-8742.

October 14-St. Illuminator’s Cathedral, New York City, Celebration of the
Year of the Armenian Language. Cultural program and Book Fair following the
Divine Liturgy. For information 212-689-5880.

October 14-St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, 50th anniversary
commemorative lecture, 3 p.m. Guest lecturer Dr. Abraham Terian, Professor
of Armenian Patristics at St. Nersess Seminary, New York.

October 14-St. Hagop Church, Racine, Wisconsin, 69th anniversary dinner. His
Eminence Archbishop Oshagan will preside. For information 262-632-2033.

October 16 to December 18-"From Jesus’ meals with sinners to the Lord’s
Supper," a five part Bible study at the Armenian Prelacy will begin on
October 16 and continue on the first and third Tuesday of the month, from
7:15 to 8:45 pm. Conducted by Dn. Shant Kazanjian, director of the Armenian
Religious Education Council (AREC). For information and registration, please
send e-mail to [email protected] or call 212-689-4481.

October 18, 19, 20-Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, Annual Food
Festival and Bazaar.

October 19 & 20-Annual fall fair/bazaar, St. Gregory Church of Merrimack
Valley, North Andover, Massachusetts, in newly renovated Jaffarian Hall.

October 21-St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, Philadelphia, celebrating the
20th anniversary of the ordination of Rev. Fr. Nerses Manoogian, under the
auspices of the Prelate, Archbishop Oshagan. For information
or 215-482-9200.

October 26-28-National Conference for Christian Educators, a conference for
Sunday School teachers at the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual Vineyard, a Coptic
Orthodox Retreat Center, in Charlton, Massachusetts. Theme: "Prayer-Personal
and Communal." Presentations by Rev. Fr. Paul Tarazi, Bishop Anoushavan
Tanielian, Dn. Shant Kazanjian, and Dr. Mary Olson. For more information
click here.

October 28-St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, presents The Way We Were
group in their new musical "Hello Ellis Island!’ by Hourig
Papazian-Sahagian. Immediately after Sunday services. Refreshments served.
For information 718-224-2275.

November 2-3-Golden Jubilee Annual Bazaar, St. Stephen Church, Watertown,
Massachusetts.

November 7-Soorp Khatch (Bethesda, Maryland) Senior Citizens second reunion
and Thanksgiving luncheon.

November 11-37th anniversary of St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley and
ordination of Nishan Dagley to the office of acolyte and stole bearer.
Presided over by His Grace Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar General of the
Prelacy.

November 11-St. Stephen Church, Watertown, Massachussetts, 50th anniversary
commemorative concert, 4 pm., church hall.

November 10-11-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island, annual
"Armenian Fest," at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, Cranston, Rhode Island. For
information 401-831-6399.

November 11-Greater Worcester Armenian Chorale and Armenian Children’s
Chorus, 7th annual gala concert and dinner, Armenian Church of Our Saviour
Cultural Center. Advance tickets only. Barbara Baljian, 508-799-6972.

November 16-Introduction to the new series of booklets on Contemporary
Ethical Issues: An Armenian Orthodox Perspective, by Vigen Guroian.
Professor Guroian will speak about the series and the first booklet newly
published, "Homosexuality & Same-Sex Union." 7:30 pm at the Prelacy office
in New York City. For information [email protected] or 212-689-7810.

November 16 & 17-Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester, Massachusetts,
Annual Bazaar. All are welcome. For information 508-852-2414.

November 17-Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, 43rd Anniversary
Banquet.

November 18-Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, Divine Liturgy
celebrated by the Prelate Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan.

December 1-Soorp Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts, annual
church bazaar. For information or 508-234-3677.

December 9-St. Stephen’s Church, Watertown, Massachusetts, 50th anniversary
dinner dance, Marriott Hotel, Burlington. For information, (617) 924-7562.

December 23-St. Stephen’s Day Celebration, Watertown, Massachusetts. The
Golden Jubilee celebration will come to a close with a commemoration of the
church’s patron saint, the first deacon and martyr, St. Stephen.

June 27 to July 6-St. Gregory of Datev Institute, Summer Christian Studies
Program for youth ages 13-18 at St. Mary of Providence Center in Elverson,
Pennsylvania, organized by the Armenian Religious Education Council. For
more information click here.

Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacy’s web site.

To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox, add
[email protected] to your address book.

Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please credit
Crossroads as the source.

Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about their
major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected]

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New York Times
October 11, 2007

Turkey May Request Incursion Into Iraq

By REUTERS

Filed at 9:46 a.m. ET

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s prime minister will ask parliament next
week to authorize a military push into north Iraq to fight Kurdish
rebels amid Turkish anger on Thursday at a U.S. vote branding Ottoman
Turk killings of Armenians genocide.

Analysts say a large Turkish cross-border incursion remains unlikely,
but Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government will seek authorization
for it after a public holiday which ends on Sunday, a ruling party
member told Reuters.

Washington fears an offensive could destabilize Iraq’s most peaceful
area and potentially the wider region, but Erdogan has been under
mounting pressure to act after Wednesday’s vote on the highly
sensitive issue of the killings in 1915 of Armenians.

The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approved a
resolution branding the killings genocide — a charge Turkey hotly
denies. The resolution was proposed by a politician with many
Armenian-Americans in his district.

The United States relies on Turkish bases to supply its war effort in
Iraq. Any Turkish offensive into northern Iraq would seriously strain
ties with Washington and possibly hurt Turkey’s European Union
accession bid.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned Turkey
against a possible incursion. "Any possibility of complicating even
more the security situation in Iraq should not be welcome and
therefore that’s the message that we passed to our Turkish friends,"
he said.

Ankara says 3,000 rebels from the outlawed separatist Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK) are based in northern Iraq from where they stage
deadly attacks into Turkey.

"The resolution won’t go to parliament today. It will be sent to
parliament after Bayram (public holiday)," the senior ruling AK Party
politician, who declined to be named, told Reuters. The holiday begins
on Friday and ends on Sunday.

The Turkish government cautioned that relations with its NATO ally
would be harmed by the U.S. committee’s decision. The non-binding
resolution now goes to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives,
where Democratic leaders say there will be a vote by mid-November.

Ankara will lobby Congress to prevent the bill from being approved.
Erdogan is due to travel to Washington in early November for talks
with U.S. President George W. Bush.

The Bush administration on Wednesday urged Turkey not to take any
"concrete" action after the congressional committee angered Ankara by
passing the Armenia genocide resolution.

"The problem that we have is that this is clearly a very sensitive
subject for one of our closest allies and an ally that is incredibly
important to the United States in terms of our operations in Iraq,"
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters in London on
Thursday.

Potential moves could include blocking U.S. access to the Incirlik air
base, cancelling procurement contracts, downscaling bilateral visits
and joint military exercises, diplomats say.

CROSS-BORDER OFFENSIVE

The committee’s decision on Wednesday is expected to weaken U.S.
influence over Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army, at a time
when the government ponders whether to push for the military operation
into mainly Kurdish northern Iraq.

"Unfortunately there is a linkage between the bill and a Turkish
incursion into northern Iraq because the Turkish public will be much
angered towards the United States and the government will feel so as
well," Faruk Logoglu, an influential former Turkish ambassador to
Washington, told Reuters.

"However I think the madness of the Armenian bill wouldn’t be a green
light for an incursion into northern Iraq. On the contrary the U.S.
should, and may, do something against the PKK to please the Turkish
state and its people," he said.

Turkey’s military has frequently called on the government to give them
the green light to pursue the PKK — which is considered a terrorist
organization by the United States, Turkey and the EU — into Iraq.

Parliament, where Erdogan’s ruling centre-right AK Party has a big
majority, would have to grant permission for troops to cross the
border into Iraq. Passing the measure would not automatically mean
troops going into northern Iraq.

Big incursions by Turkey in 1995 and 1997, involving an estimated
35,000 and 50,000 troops respectively, failed to dislodge the rebels.

A senior Turkish diplomat told Reuters Ankara was disappointed with
what he said was U.S. and Iraqi failure so far to stop the PKK. He
said the government was still holding out that their counterparts
would deal with the rebels.

(Additional reporting by Evren Mesci in Ankara, Emma Ross-Thomas in
Istanbul, Sue Pleming in Washington and David Brunnstrom in Brussels)

Source: -turkey-iraq.html?ref=world