MediaMax, Armenia
Sept 29 2017
Category: 2017
Ardavazt’s Progeny
The Armenian Weekly
Sept 29 2017
We’re on the cusp of Armenian Culture Month, October. This is based on when the translation of the bible into Armenian is honored with a church holiday “Tarkmanchatz” (“Translators’”). While it seems pathetic that a church holiday has given rise to this, cultural manifestations are important and anything that instigates more should not be frowned upon.
A tetradrachm of Ardavazt II bearing his bust
I’m fond of the theatre and always try to go to Armenian plays, since time and other constraints prevent me from getting to other shows. I miss some, and often because I’m not aware of them. I wish I was on more lists which target Armenian theatre goers. It would be great to see more of what Armenian theatre has to offer some 21 centuries King Ardavazt II, Dikran the Great’s son, became known as the first Armenian playwright.
Currently, we have three theatrical performances going on or imminent in the Los Angeles area. The high Armenian population density enables the production of far more plays than in most of our other North American communities since it costs a respectable sum of money to put on a play. Still, there could be even more. And, with enough support, the troupes and plays emanating from LA could then travel to smaller communities who suffer from a dearth of this wonderful aspect of culture.
Vahe Berberian is once again on stage, alone, with the latest of his ever-popular one-man shows. This time, it is titled “Ooremn” (Therefore). I haven’t missed any of them and will be going three weeks from now. It is playing on Saturdays and Sundays at 8 p.m. through Oct. 29 (except Oct. 21) at the Glen Arden Club in Glendale.
Hamazkayin’s regional theatre unit is sponsoring a caste composed of newcomers to the stage who will be performing Jacques Hagopian’s “Armenian Newsuh Guh Gancheh” (The Crane Calls). Appealing to Armenians’ sensibilities regarding that bird, the plot unfolds in 1947 Australia. Two families, one Armenian—Ardzroonee, and the other not—Jackson, are neighbors. The Armenian daughter and the non-Armenian son fall in love. As the play progresses, we learn that the “non-Armenian” actually is. Not only that, but the father is a noted poet who in post-Genocide despair decided to dispense with his Armenianness. And thereby hangs a tale whose relevance to today’s identity issues is patently obvious. Don’t miss it. Performances are on Nov. 4, 5, 10, and 12 at the new AGBU Vache and Tamar Manoukian Performing Arts Center in Pasadena.
Vahik Pirhamzei is presenting “Pogha Petq – Money Needed!” Billed as “A thought-provoking tragedy-comedy that takes place in a church during its renovation an interesting connection between 4 individuals with completely different characters & beliefs”. It is playing only once, on Oct. 8, 7 p.m. at Stars on Brand Glendale, Calif. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to miss this one. It’s too bad there aren’t more performances. At least I found out about this play ahead of time. Usually, I learn of his plays after they have exited the stage.
On the horizon is Aram Kouyoumjian’s “49 States” which should hit the stage about a year from now. It delves into the California secession movement triggered by Donald Trump’s election. It promises to be both serious and funny, looking at the issue through the prism of two friends who are on opposite sides of the political fence. Indeed, how could it be anything else? Further in the future is Aram’s “Constantinople” which tackles a topic woefully unfamiliar to most Armenians. Inspired by Lerna Ekmekcioglu’s book, Recovering Armenia: The Limits of Belonging in Post-Genocide Turkey, the play will imagine what Armenian life in immediate post-Genocide Bolis must have been like. I’m really looking forward to this one. In the interest of full disclosure, I work with Aram on the fundraising end of his productions.
One unfortunate phenomenon is our community’s extreme preference for comedy. This drives our directors to produce plays from that genre, almost exclusively. That’s unhealthy and disables us from looking at important issues in our national and community life. Try one of our more serious plays some time. You might surprise yourself and like it!
Johannes Hahn will visit Armenia to prepare for the EaP Summit
MediaMax, Armenia
Sept 29 2017
The summit will take place in Brussels, on November 24.
Commissioner Hahn will meet with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian, to discuss the priorities of the Eastern Partnership Summit and the deepening of EU-Armenia relations.
This is reflected in the new EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement and Partnership Priorities which will set the joint policy priorities for the coming years.
Ahead of the mission, Commissioner Hahn said:
“This is a very important year for EU-Armenia relations as we broaden and deepen our cooperation based on mutual interests. The EU is ready to sign the new Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement with Armenia. This, together with the agreed Partnership Priorities will shape our cooperation where we plan to invest, among other areas, in education and innovation, as skills development will be key for Armenia’s future”.
In November 2016 Johannes Hahn said in an exclusive interview with Mediamax that “EU and Armenia are entering a new phase”.
UK Minister for Europe notes Armenia’s legendary hospitality
MediaMax, Armenia
Sept 29 2017
Yerevan/Mediamax/. UK Minister for Europe Alan Duncan addressed a video message about his visit to Armenia.
“I’m delighted to be here in Armenia. It’s my first ever visit to Yerevan.
I had a very intensive day of useful political discussions yesterday and I’ve take the opportunity to reiterate the UK’s continued support to the government, its important constitutional changes which bring it closer to that of a parliamentary democracy, and I’m looking at a very strong and prosperous country,” said Alan Duncan.
He informed that the Good Governance Fund will allocate GBP 4 million this and next year to Armenia, which will help the country on that journey to better government.
Touching upon the trade and economy ties, Alan Duncan informed that UK Prime Minister’s new trade envoy Mark Pritchard will visit Armenia in a few days.
In regards to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Sir Duncan noted the UK wish for a lasting, peaceful settlement and confirmed the UK’s continued support to the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.
“Before travelling here I’ve heard of Armenia’s legendary hospitality and I’m pleased to say I’ve been benefitting from it over the last couple of days. I would very much like to reiterate my gratitude for the welcome I’ve received here,” said Alan Duncan.
Young European political figures visiting Artsakh not afraid of appearing in Azerbaijani blacklist
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 29 2017
Politics 13:33 29/09/2017Armenia
A cognitive visit of the representatives of the International Union of Socialist Youth’s member organizations began today in Yerevan, Armenia, to be continued in Nagorno-Karabakh within the next three days, Gevorg Ghukasyan, a board member of ARFD Nikol Aghbalyan Student Union told a news conference on Friday.
“The International Union of Socialist Youth is the biggest political youth organization in the world, representing socialist and social democratic youth organizations. Today’s Yerevan visit has brought together delegations from Europe, U.S., the Middle East and New Zealand. This gives an opportunity to make the future leaders aware of the Karabakh conflict and to create a more favourable political arena to discuss the issue,” the speaker stressed.
Mr. Ghukasyan informed that the young politicians have already met today with Head of the ARFD Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office Kiro Manoyan. Later on, they will be hosted by Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan.
In Artsakh, the European delegates will hold meetings with a number of political figures, Human Rights Defender, as well as representatives of Tumo Center for Creative Technologies. The agenda also features visits to historical monuments.
Board member of the Italian Socialist Party, Roselle Pera, in attendance of the meeting, said she is in Armenia for the first time. Attaching great importance to the perception of the Karabakh conflict’s essence and sharing their knowledge with the European youth, she expressed regret that many people are not aware of the Karabakh conflict and even the country’s existence.
Chairperson of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party, Dimitar Mitev pays his second visit to Armenia. Touching upon the Artsakh conflict, he noted that putting side by side all the facts of the conflict, he realized that Artsakh is a free and independent state, which has been populated by Armenians throughout its entire existence.
“Kosovo has been an independent state for already 17 years, whereas Karabakh, having a richer historical background, unfortunately remains unrecognized. The country will be eventually recognized amid the pressure of the international community,” he stated.
Both politicians appeared to be aware of the possibility of appearing in Azerbaijan’s blacklist when visiting Artsakh.
“We see who are the aggressors are and who are the victims of that aggression. We support our Armenian friends. It is not important for us to be blacklisted by an aggressive state like Azerbaijan. A more important thing is that the people of Artsakh continue to live a safe life,” Mitev said.
The Italian delegate assured the possibility of ending up in Azerbaijan’s blacklist does not frighten them.
Turkish Press: Talat Pasha: Secret leader of Committee for Union and Progress
Daily Sabah, Turkey
Sept 23 2017
HAKAN ARSLANBENZER
1915 was an epic year in modern Turkish history. In that year, our armies defeated the Western aggressors in Gallipoli. The Entente Powers deployed nearly half a million troops for the attack, which they called the Gallipoli Campaign with some 345,000 British troops were supported by 79,000 French, 50,000 Australian and 15,000 New Zealander troops and 2,000 civil laborers. The Gallipoli Campaign led to nearly 200,000 battlefield casualties for the aggressor. In addition, 110,000 men were evacuated sick while thousands died of disease.
However, that same year was also a great tragedy. Warring on seven fronts, the Ottoman government decided to relocate a great number of the Armenian minority from Istanbul and eastern Anatolia to the south to secure the inner land of the Ottoman Empire. The decision and its practical consequences, both controversial in the field of history, have been continuously discussed for decades.
Recent literature evidently shows that the planner and the decision maker of the Armenian relocation was Talat Pasha, who was the last prime minister during the Committee for Union and Progress rule during World War I. He was the interior minister in 1915. He was the primary politician behind the Temporary Act, which is widely known as the Code of Relocation that came into effect on May 27, 1915.
According to Talat Pasha’s own notebooks, the Ottoman government decided to relocate more than 950,000 Armenians, but the exact number relocated to Syria and Iraq was 440,000. The Armenian relocation aroused great reaction in the West and Armenian armed organizations. After the World War I, Talat Pasha was assassinated by a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, also known as Dashnaktsutyun, namely Soghomon Tehlirian, in Berlin on March 15, 1921.
Tehlirian was caught and charged with murder. Although he admitted to the crime before the court, he was found not guilty by a controversial jury and released in hours. He moved to Serbia, Belgium and eventually the U.S. Tehlirian died in 1960. He is buried in a monumental grave in Ararat Cemetery in California. Several other monuments and statues have also been put up in Armenia for his heroic crime.
Talat’s early life
Talat Pasha was born Mehmet Talat in Edirne on Sept. 1, 1874. He was the son of Ahmed Vasıf Efendi, an Ottoman judge from Kardzhali, Bulgaria. Mehmet Talat was first educated in Vize, Kırklareli. After that, he graduated from the Military Secondary School in Edirne.
Talat would not become a military officer. He was unable to continue his education after his father’s death. He worked for the Postal Service. He also taught Turkish in the Alliance Israelite Universelle School in Edirne. He received French lessons privately. According to his civil servant records, he could speak Greek as well.
Revolutionary
İsmail Yürükoğlu, a close relative, introduced him to the Young Turks movement. Talat joined a small group of adversaries in Edirne, which was informed to the government. After that, the committee members were arrested. In 1897, he was sentenced to three years in prison. He lost his civil servant rights as well.
Talat was pardoned and released from prison with other CUP members in 1898. However, he was exiled to Thessaloniki. He returned to his position in the postal service. He worked there until he was finally deposed in 1907.
Various resources say that Talat joined the Freemasons in 1903. He was a member of the Macedonia Risorta lodge. He was also a member of the Bektaşi Sufi order, where he organized political meetings.
Political organizer
Talat established a revolutionary organization called Ottoman Freedom Society in 1906, together with other opponent figures in Thessaloniki. The Union and Progress Society decided to give a hand to their peers in Thessaloniki. Thus, Dr. Nazım Bey visited the city secretly. They decided to unite the two branches of opposition. The Ottoman Freedom Society joined Union and Progress under the name Ottoman Progress and Unity Society Inner Central General.
Talat was the secretary-general of the new organization. He communicated with the Paris branch. He also met members of the Istanbul branch. He was acting as party inspector along with the famous Bahaattin Şakir. These two would act as double secretaries of the CUP both in the Ottoman government and also against Europe after the 1908 revolution.
Revolution, war and exile
After the 1908 revolution, the lives of CUP leaders began flowing like a rapid river. Though they had overthrown Sultan Abdülhamid II, the situation was too ambiguous for them. They were still too young and inexperienced to rule the Ottoman Empire on their own.
The years from 1908 to 1913 passed with gradual changes toward direct rule by the CUP. Talat was one of the most prominent CUP policy makers. He entered parliament in 1908 representing Edirne province and was elected as the first deputy chairman of parliament. In 1909, he was assigned as the interior minister. In 1912, he was assigned as the postal service minister. He joined the Balkan War as a volunteer. However, he was sent to Istanbul since he was making negative propaganda about the Ottoman campaign.
After the Balkan War, he led the Ottoman committee meeting with the Bulgarian side to sign a peace treaty. He was also among the planners of the notorious Sublime Port Raid, which was a CUP coup.
In 1913, Talat Pasha entered the Said Halim Pasha cabinet, which was the first CUPs cabinet ruling directly, as the interior minister for a new go. He played a significant role in the grand strategy of the Ottoman Empire during World War I. He applied a blockade over the Ottoman Greeks to force them to migrate to Greece. He also tried to convince Bulgaria to stand with the Ottoman Empire and Germany against the Entente Powers.
Yet, the most well known decision by Talat Pasha as interior minister is the Armenian Relocation Code made and applied in 1915. He held number one responsibility for the relocation of hundreds of thousand Armenians to Syria and Iraq. This was an edgy decision and had tragic consequences for both the Armenians and Talat Pasha himself, though it helped the Ottomans cut the Russian army and Armenian rebel groups out of Anatolia.
Prime minister
Said Halim Pasha resigned in 1917, and Talat Pasha became the Ottoman grand vizier, equal to the prime minister. Talat Pasha was the first Ottoman grand vizier from parliament.
After World War I, Talat Pasha resigned from office. He also led the last conference of the CUP where they decided to terminate the party. He went into exile in Berlin, where he lived more than two years before Tehlirian assassinated him as he walked out of his house on March 15, 1921.
Talat Pasha’s body was buried in the Turkish cemetery in Berlin. In 1943, his grave was moved to Istanbul. His body is now buried on Hürriyet-i Ebediye (Eternal Freedom) hill in the Şişli neighborhood of Istanbul.
Azerbaijani Press: Turkish minister: Nagorno-Karabakh should be liberated from occupation
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Sept 28 2017
13:27 (UTC+04:00)
970
By Rashid Shirinov
Nagorno-Karabakh is the territory of Azerbaijan and it should be liberated from occupation, Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said in Baku on September 28.
“Sooner or later these lands will be liberated,” he said, Report informed.
Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan’s territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.
Baku has repeatedly expressed its consent to come to the negotiating table with Yerevan to resolve the conflict by peaceful means, but Armenia continues to play for time and avoids substantive negotiations in order to preserve the inadmissible status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Turkish minister further noted that Turkey’s military cooperation with Azerbaijan is at a high level. He added that the two countries act as one, and the strength of Azerbaijan is the power of Turkey and vice versa.
“We are facing problems in the purchase of weapons from abroad. Therefore, we need to make efforts in the field of military industry for production of our own weapons,” Canikli said.
In Baku, Canikli will participate in the closing ceremony of the joint tactical and flight exercises “TurAz Eagle – 2017 of the Air Forces of Azerbaijan and Turkey”
The minister will also hold meetings at Azerbaijan`s Defense Ministry and other government bodies.
Azerbaijan and Turkey enjoy strategic relations in many fields, including the military sphere. Military cooperation between the brotherly countries dates back to 1992 when they signed an agreement on military education. Since then, the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments have been closely cooperating in both defense and security fields.
Azerbaijani Press: US Congress pushing Baku into Kremlin’s hands?
Trend, Azerbaijan
Sept 28 2017
13:06 (UTC+04:00)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28
By Elmira Tariverdiyeva – Trend:
The US experts are concerned about Washington’s lack of attention to the strategic region of South Caucasus, which can lead to undesirable consequences for the US, and urge the government of Donald Trump to pay attention to Azerbaijan.
In its zeal to make foreign policy, a power entrusted by the Constitution to the executive branch, the Congress may be making a serious mistake regarding US interests in the Caucasus, say the experts.
Recently, the Congress threatened to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan and authorized a small expenditure for demining in Nagorno-Karabakh, wrote Stephen Blank, a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council and a former MacArthur Fellow at the U.S. Army War College, in his article published by the Washington Times.
These moves have, in turn, prompted several Azerbaijani officials to warn that they would then cut off ties to NATO if sanctions are imposed, says the article.
According to the expert, while sanctions can serve useful purposes in US foreign policy, e.g., Iran and Russia, they are not necessarily the answer to Azerbaijan’s policies at home. And funding Armenia, even if rhetorically and with minimal amounts of money, only exacerbates the situation, said the author.
Indeed, it is clear that the Congress has not thought through the nuances of the Caucasus in its haste to adopt this legislation, noted Blank.
The authorization for demining in Nagorno-Karabakh calls the region Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, when it is in fact occupied by Armenia, and the decision in connection with the financing of demining is largely due to the domestic policy and the influence of the Armenian lobby, says the article.
“This kind of heavy-handed policy making under conditions of insufficient or inadequate knowledge also does not advance U.S. interests either regarding human rights or in fostering peace in the Caucasus,” noted the author. “By essentially disregarding the fact that Nagorno-Karabakh remains an occupied territory, the Congress, perhaps unintentionally or unwittingly, sends Baku a message that the US is not interested in its agenda or problems.”
Thus, these sanctions damage US interests, for it is clear that a pro-Russian Azerbaijan will be unresponsive to cooperation with the US and that peace in the Caucasus will be surrendered as an issue to Moscow’s discretion, said Blank.
Azerbaijani Press: Azerbaijan opens criminal case against Turkish citizens over illegal visit to Karabakh
APA, Azerbaijan
Sept 28 2017
The Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Office has initiated a criminal case against Turkish citizens who illegally visited Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia.
On 28 September, the Investigative Department on Grave Crimes under the Prosecutor General’s Office opened a criminal case under article 318.2 (illegally crossing the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan) against a group Turkish citizens—Ufuk Uras, Ali Bayramoglu, Said Cekinoglu, and Erol Katircioglu—who, on preliminary arrangement with persons in Armenia and in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, deliberately violated Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders by traveling from Armenia to Khankandi and other occupied residential areas on September 22, the Prosecutor General’s Office told APA.
An international arrest warrant has been issued for the aforementioned Turkish citizens, and the Turkish law enforcement authorities have been appealed to arrest them.
Necessary investigative actions are continuing.
Armenian Assembly Delegation Holds Productive Meeting with Rep. Knight
ARMENIAN AGENDA
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date:
Contact: Danielle Saroyan
Telephone: (202) 393-3434
Web: www.aaainc.org
Armenian
Assembly Delegation Holds Productive Meeting with Rep. Knight
GLENDALE, CA – The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly)
and the leadership of St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church of Santa Clarita,
California recently held a productive meeting with Congressman Steve Knight
(R-CA) in his district office.
“The Armenian
Assembly and members of the Armenian American community who were part of this
meeting are pleased with the discussion we had with Rep. Knight, where he affirmed
his support for robust U.S.-Armenia and U.S.-Artsakh relations,” Assembly
Western Region Director Mihran Toumajan said.
Currently in
his second term in the United States House of Representatives, Congressman
Knight represents thousands of Armenian American constituents residing in
California’s 25th Congressional District. The geographically large district
covers a sizable part of northern Los Angeles County, and includes the Santa
Clarita Valley, Simi Valley, the Antelope Valley, and the northern section of
the San Fernando Valley.
Rep. Knight is
a co-signer of the bipartisan Royce-Engel Letter, which proposes common sense
measures to curtail ongoing Azerbaijani military-initiated attacks against
citizens of Artsakh and Armenia, and calls upon the OSCE Minsk Group to
“publicly condemn specific acts of aggression along the line of contact.” In
addition, Rep. Knight is a backer of House Resolution 354, which condemns the
May 2017 violence inflicted by Turkish president Erdogan’s security guards upon
peaceful protesters in Washington, D.C., and calls for the perpetrators of the attacks
to be brought to justice.
The
Assembly-led delegation expressed its gratitude to Congressman Knight for his
support of Armenian issues in Congress, and also acknowledged his efforts
assisting Armenian American constituents during his tenure in the California
State Assembly (2008-2012) and the California State Senate (2012-2014).
First elected
to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2014, Congressman Knight succeeded
the former Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Howard
“Buck” McKeon (R-CA), a long-time friend of Armenian Americans in
southern California. Rep. Knight
currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the Science Space and
Technology Committee, and the Small Business Committee. For the latter committee, he serves as
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce.
Established
in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. The Assembly is a
non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
###
Photo
Caption: Rep. Steve Knight (R-CA) with
constituents and leaders of St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church of Santa
Clarita, California, and representatives of the Armenian Assembly of America’s
Western Region Office and Southern California Regional Council.
Available
online: