Category: News

Cork City miss out
Irish Independent
Jun 09, 2004
CORK CITY have missed out on a place in the UEFA Cup following the
FairPlay League draw in Germany last night – Pat Dolan’s side will
contest the Inter TottoCup instead.
Armenian side FC Mika, plus a team from Ukraine yet to be decided as
their league season runs until June 19, were the lucky names drawn
from the hat during half-time at the European Under-21 Championship
final in Bochum.
The other teams in the draw, together with with Cork and Charlton,
were Esbjerg ofDenmark, SK Brann of Norway, German side Freiburg,
FC Lahti of Finland, Spanish sideReal Mallorca, KS Teuta of Albania
and Throttur Reykjavik of Iceland.

USA applying double standards in Karabakh settlement – Azeri pundit
Zerkalo, Baku
9 Jun 04
The head of the Centre for Political Innovations and Technologies,
Mubariz Ahmadoglu, has familiarized reporters with his assessment
of the political situation in the South Caucasus again. This time
a considerable amount of the analytical report is given to the
geopolitical situation in neighbouring Armenia, a country which is
unfriendly to us.
However, according to Ahmadoglu, the Azerbaijani media have
lately abused the coverage of the domestic political situation in
neighbouring countries: “I think that the Azerbaijani public should
pay more attention to the situation in Azerbaijan instead of showing a
‘sporting’ interest in other states,” the pundit said.
[Passage omitted: Armenia losing its positions in the economic and
social spheres]
The pundit believes that the events taking place in Iraq clearly reveal
the following picture: The USA is playing the role of an international
policeman, and this is obvious at least from the fact that Iran and
Turkey are not taking an active part in the Iraq events. In turn,
Armenia, which is a historic ally of Russia, is trying to benefit
from it, involving “Uncle Sam” in the geopolitical situation in the
region. Armenian politicians openly let US political circles know
that they are ready to make various overtures to Washington.
On the other hand, Ahmadoglu believes that the USA is applying dual
political standards not only with regard to the Karabakh problem, but
also with regard to the domestic political situation in Armenia. If the
USA really wishes a fair solution to the Karabakh conflict, it should
provide financial aid to Karabakh via Azerbaijani banks. “Washington is
often talking about a mechanism of trust in the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict settlement, forgetting that transferring investments via
Azerbaijani banks could serve as an additional resource for a peaceful
solution to the problem. The USA’s discrimination against the sides
to the conflict and the application of double standards by the USA
put a brake on the settlement process and create serious obstacles
to the region’s stable economic development,” Ahmadoglu said.

Azeri ministry plans Baku-London satellite link, broadcast upgrade
MPA news agency
9 Jun 04
Baku, 9 June: The Teleradio company of the Azerbaijani Ministry of
Communications and Information Technology will put into operation
a Baku-London international satellite communications link by 15
June 2004.
Measures are being taken to increase the quality of radio and TV
broadcasts, the ministry has told MPA news agency. A 1-kW transmitter
[as received, does not clarify radio or TV] has been installed in
the Ganca TV and radio broadcast centre and a 5-kW transmitter [as
received, does not clarify radio or TV] is to be installed there.
By the end of 2004, radio and TV stations in Ganca and Xanlar District
[northwestern Azerbaijan] will be provided with modern technical
equipment. Similar measures are to be taken in Gadabay, Samkir,
Agstafa and Fuzuli districts [all in western Azerbaijan, along the
frontline in Karabakh and the Armenian border].

Armenian ombudsman warns Georgia against resettling Meskhetian Turks
Noyan Tapan news agency
8 Jun 04
Tbilisi, 8 June: Armenian rights activist Larisa Alaverdyan has said
she understands the concern of the Armenian population of Georgia’s
Samtskhe-Javakheti Region over the possible mass return of Meskhetian
Turks to the region.
Larisa Alaverdyan said in an interview with [Georgian news agency]
Kavkasia-Press that if the Georgian government decides to take in
the Meskhetian Turks who wish to return to Samtskhe-Javakheti, a real
conflict might break out in the region.
Meskhetian Turks were evicted to Central Asia during Stalin’s
repression in the middle of the last century. Their return was a
condition when Georgia was admitted to the Council of Europe.
According to the Armenian ombudsman, the Georgian government should
be maximally careful and wise while taking any specific decisions on
this issue. About 300,000 representatives of this people are living
in CIS countries today. The largest diaspora of Meskhetian Turks –
about 80,000 – lives in Azerbaijan.

Thoroughly modern meze
COOKING
Los Angeles Times
June 9, 2004
By Anya von Bremzen, Special to The Times
ISTANBUL — By 11 p.m., the street theater on Nevizade Street, a narrow
lane lined with outdoor restaurants around Istanbul’s fish market, works
up to a kind of Felliniesque mayhem. Flower sellers push big thorny
roses at passersby’s noses, while a Gypsy quartet cranks background
music for a parade of street peddlers.
Amid this carnival, waiters unload trays of small dishes on tables and
refill glasses with raki, Turkey’s favorite anise-based liquor. Our own
table, at an old Armenian restaurant called Boncuk, is mosaicked with
plates of dips, crisp fish croquettes redolent of allspice and cinnamon,
a chickpea pâté layered with dried currants and pine nuts, and a
majestic /börek/, a pastry oozing a tangy filling of cheese and
/pastirma/, or spiced cured beef.
These are meze, Turkey’s signature little dishes and the Middle East’s
answer to Spanish /tapas/, Venetian /baccari/ or Mexican /antojitos/.
On our own shores, meze offer yet another twist on the small-plates
trend. Entertaining at home? Meze could have been invented for Southern
California, where, much like in Istanbul, they can be languidly savored
al fresco on the patio. Less fussy than hors d’oeuvres, a welcome break
from Italian antipasti, infinitely more varied than hummus and baba
ghanouj, a few meze together make an exciting light feast.
Meze — the name is derived from the Persian word /maza/, or flavor —
seem to flourish in Istanbul as an edible life force: from a plethora of
eggplant preparations to a veritable encyclopedia of dolma, or stuffed
vegetables; from multitudes of /böreks/, savory pastries, to a vast
roster of salads and dips. They can be cold or hot, light or
substantial, as humble as a wedge of salty white cheese or as chichi as
the langoustine salads dished out at the glamorous fish restaurants
along the Bosphorus shores. / /Though most travelers to Turkey encounter
meze at restaurants, they taste even better when prepared at home. “Meze
is all about socializing — nibbling, drinking, laughing,” says Gökçan
Adar, an Istanbul food writer. One breezy night, under a sour cherry
tree in his overgrown garden, he treats us to a 19-dish meze marathon.
Spontaneity is essential
**Typical of modern-day Istanbul, where the cuisine evolves with
lightning speed, his spread is both creative and classic: braised
eggplant topped with a flourish of walnut and sun-dried tomato paste,
langoustines with their roe resting atop lemony wild greens, fritters of
just-picked zucchini flowers on a vibrant red pepper purée. This could
almost be Catalonia — or California. Not to be outdone, my friend Engin
Akin, a food writer and radio host legendary in Istanbul for her swank
soirees, throws a bash on the lawn of her home overlooking the
Bosphorus. Ever willing to experiment, Akin deep-fries paper-thin leaves
of /yufka/ (a phyllo-like dough) and serves the crisps with shavings of
Turkish cured mullet roe similar to /bottarga/. She fashions nifty
bruschetta from the ubiquitous fava bean pâté, topping the toasts with
fried almonds.
Grazing gets more cosmopolitan still when Akin and I move on to Bodrum,
a jet-set resort on the Aegean. Here, at a cocktail party at the
white-washed villa of a shipping tycoon, white-gloved waiters pass such
dainties as miniature French fry “kebabs,” Gruyère /köfte /(meatballs),
and spicy /sucuk /(/soujuk)/ sausage wrapped in phyllo.
In Turkey, meze are intimately linked with the city’s history as a
cosmopolitan port and to drinking establishments called /meyhane/.
What — drinking in a Muslim culture, with its Koranic prohibitions on
alcohol? Well … sure.
Even before Kemal Atatürk secularized Turkey in the 1920s, restrictions
on alcohol were sporadic, a whim of one sultan or another. Selling
alcohol was taboo, though, entrusted to Istanbul’s numerous non-Muslim
minorities: Greeks, Armenians and Jews. It was they who established the
original /meyhane/, raucous dives packed with foreign sailors, where
meze was an excuse for another round of raki. Dating back to early
Ottoman times or even further, /meyhane/ continue to thrive.
To learn more, I rendezvous with Akin and Deniz Gursoy, an author of
books on raki and meze, at Safa, the city’s oldest /meyhane./ With
whirling fans, burnished mirrors and pictures of Atatürk striking
Hollywood poses, the place feels like a souvenir from another era. When
Safa opened some 125 ago, Gursoy explains, meze came free with
consumption, consisting of basics like anchovies, pickled cabbage, a
tiny /börek//leblebi/, or dried chickpeas. Today, the repertoire seems
inexhaustible.
Akin explains that flavors Westerners usually associate with Middle
Eastern cuisines — bulgur, pomegranate molasses, lavish spicing,
hummus, kebabs — are rather new to Istanbul, a consequence of the
enormous influx of immigrants from eastern Turkey.
Other classic meze we sample reflect the city’s historical layers of
cultures. Delicious fried liver nuggets, with wisps of raw onion and a
dusting of sumac, hail from the Balkans. The /plaki/ is Greek, Gursoy
notes, referring to a classic cold preparation in which beans or fish
are simmered in tomato sauce sweetened with onions and cinnamon. Jews
might have contributed /zeytinyagli/, an iconic cold meze of vegetables,
such as artichokes or leeks, braised slowly in water and olive oil with
a little sugar until they melt in the mouth.
And though raki still reigns, these days, younger Turks are just as
likely to sip a locally made Cabernet or a dry Muscat with their meze.
It is actually on Istanbul’s Asian side, at a humble joint called Çiya,
that I discover the city’s most exciting small dishes. Little surprise,
because chef-owner Musa Dageviren hails from Gaziantep, a city near the
Syrian border renowned for Turkey’s finest cuisine.
Each of his dishes vibrates with flavor: A simple tomato and parsley
salad comes alive with a sprinkling of pungent orange-hued powder made
from dried curd cheese. Grape leaves are filled with dried onions,
bulgur and pomegranate syrup. Boiled wheat berries and home-pickled
green tomatoes sport a creamy cloak of dense, tart yogurt.
“Gaziantep doesn’t have a meze tradition per se,” Dageviren explains,
“but small dishes are normally served at kebab houses. At home, cooks
often fashion light cold meals from leftovers.”
Lacking white-gloved waiters or a grandma from Gaziantep, a meze spread
is still easy to improvise. The rich thick Turkish yogurt alone — which
can be replicated in the United States by draining good-quality yogurt
in a cheesecloth-lined sieve — provides a dozen simple ideas. Stir in
some crushed garlic, minced herbs and grated cucumbers and spread it on
pita. Or fold it into shredded beets, sautéed zucchini or the chopped
smoky flesh of an eggplant that has been grilled whole over charcoal
(and why not sprinkle some toasted almond on top?). Alternatively, a
dollop of yogurt can top fried eggplant or zucchini slices.
Bulgur also makes a fine meze, say as a salad tossed with chickpeas,
tomatoes, parsley and mint and drizzled with pomegranate molasses and
olive oil. The mandatory raki accompaniment of feta and honeydew melon
becomes elegant when cut into cubes and threaded on long wooden skewers.
Not to forget olives, pistachios, good, creamy feta and roasted
chickpeas. And unless you have a bottle of raki that’s been burning a
hole in your liquor cabinet, try Greek ouzo, Pernod, a fruity, light red
wine (slightly chilled) or a crisp, delicate white (no oaky Chardonnay,
please).
Still, raki is our drink as Akin and I prepare a meze feast on her boat
for an indolent Aegean voyage. As for the menu, our plan is to test-run
the best meze recipes we’ve collected from parties and restaurants. From
Tugra, the palatial Ottoman restaurant at Istanbul’s Çiragan Palace
hotel, we steal the idea of wrapping /haloumi/ cheese in grape leaves,
grilling them and serving this unusual dolma drizzled with pomegranate
molasses. A hit.
A floating feast
**
**From the shipping tycoon’s party we’ve emerged with a recipe for
/müjver/, crisp zucchini pancakes, which we make cocktail-sized, with
the addition of the nontraditional baking soda — for puffier fritters.
In Akin’s hands, the ubiquitous /köfte/, or meatballs, turn out studded
with nuts and laced with herbs.
Suddenly, Akin confesses that she’s never made /topik/, my favorite
Armenian chickpea pâté filled with caramelized onions, currants and pine
nuts and dusted with cinnamon. A flurry of phone calls to Armenian
matriarchs. Akin nods and scribbles furiously. She got it. Except we are
not shaping it by spreading the chickpea purée on a wet muslin cloth
with a rolling pin, as tradition dictates. A shortcut will do.
The table is finally set on the deck under a vast starry sky. Akin’s
husband, Nuri, proffers a CD with /fasil/, the traditional /meyhane/ music.
“You pour, we drink,” the song blasts. We take the cue. A sip, a nibble,
a gulp — and luckily no one falls in the water. Luckier still, we don’t
have far to go. No need for a /hamal/, a porter who in Ottoman times
would wait by the /meyhane/ doors to deliver the inebriated back to
their families.
*
Topik (layered garbanzo bean pâté )
*Total time: *1½ hours, plus chilling time
*Servings: *Makes 9 squares
2/3cups dried Zante currants
1/4cup mild olive oil
4 cups chopped white onions (medium dice)
1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling the pâté
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
3 cups canned garbanzo beans, well drained, liquid
reserved
3 tablespoons tahini paste, room temperature, well stirred
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 medium-sized yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and boiled
Salt
*1. Place the currants *in a medium bowl, add boiling water to a level
one-half inch above the currants and let them stand for 30 minutes.
Drain and reserve the soaking liquid.
*2. In a large skillet, *heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onions
and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 7 minutes. Reduce
heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until
onions are soft and very lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes, adding
2 to 3 tablespoons of the currant soaking liquid when onions begin to
look dry.
*3. Add the currants *and another 2 to 3 tablespoons of their soaking
liquid and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring. Stir in the cinnamon and
allspice and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and let the
mixture cool to room temperature. Stir in the pine nuts.
*4. In a food processor, *purée the garbanzo beans in 2 batches with the
tahini, lemon juice and 4 to 5 tablespoons of the bean liquid until very
smooth. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl.
*5. Mash the potatoes *until smooth with a potato masher or pass through
a ricer. Stir the mashed potatoes into the puréed mixture and mix
thoroughly. Season with salt.
*6. Line an 8-inch square *baking pan with plastic wrap, leaving 4 to 5
inches of overhang on all sides. Wet your hands with cold water and use
them to spread half of the garbanzo mixture evenly on the bottom. Spread
the onion mixture evenly on top; it will be a rather thick layer. With
wet hands, spread the other half of the garbanzo mixture on top of that.
Fold in the overhang to enclose the pâté. Weight the pâté with a small
cast-iron skillet, a plate topped with two 16-ounce cans or something of
similar weight, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
*7. To serve, *bring the pâté to room temperature, invert it onto a
serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. Sprinkle the top lightly with
cinnamon (you can do this decoratively through a doily). Cut into squares.
*Each serving: *306 calories; 9 grams protein; 41 grams carbohydrates; 7
grams fiber; 14 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 246 mg.
sodium.
*
Herbed zucchini and feta fritters
*Total time: *1 hour, 30 minutes, plus refrigerator time
*Servings: *36 fritters
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt, preferably full-fat organic
1 large garlic clove, crushed through a garlic press
Salt
1 pound zucchini (about 2 large), shredded in a food processor using a
three-eighths-inch hole
4 ounces feta, grated
1/3cup minced dill
1/3cup minced parsley
1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves
2/3cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, beaten
Mild olive oil for frying
*1. Place yogurt *in a small sieve lined with cheesecloth and set over a
bowl. Drain in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
*2. Place drained yogurt *in a bowl, stir in garlic and salt to taste
and let mixture stand at room temperature while preparing fritters.
*3. Place shredded zucchini *in a fine sieve and press hard against the
sieve to extract as much liquid as possible. In a large bowl, mix
zucchini, feta, dill, parsley and mint and stir until well combined.
*4. **Sift flour *and baking powder into bowl. Add half of mixture to
the eggs and stir to form a smooth paste. Stir paste into zucchini and
combine thoroughly. Sprinkle in the rest of the flour mixture and stir
in well. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Stir again.
*5. Line a cookie sheet *with paper towels. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1
inch of oil to 375 degrees, or until a drop of batter sizzles on
contact. Drop 3 (1-tablespoon) portions of batter into oil without
overcrowding and flatten lightly with the back of a spoon. Fry until
deep golden and crusty, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. With a slotted
spoon, transfer fritters to the paper towels to drain and continue to
fry remaining fritters. Serve hot or warm, with the yogurt dip.
*Each fritter: *50 calories; 2 grams protein; 3 grams carbohydrates;
0 fiber; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 16 mg. cholesterol; 52 mg.
sodium.
*
Herbed köfte with tahini sauce
*Total time: *45 minutes plus 1 hour chilling time
*Servings: *42 meatballs
*Note: *Sumac is available at Middle Eastern markets.
*Tahini sauce*
**
**
1/2 cup tahini paste, well stirred
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon mild paprika
*1. Combine *tahini, chicken broth, lemon juice, cumin and paprika,
stirring well.
*Meatballs*
**
**
2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground lamb
1 medium onion, grated
1 heaping teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Large pinch ground allspice
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup minced parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped mint
1 cup toasted walnut pieces
2 tablespoons mild olive oil
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
Minced parsley or sumac for garnish
Tahini sauce
*1. Dip the bread *in cold water and squeeze dry against the bottom of a
fine sieve. In a large bowl, mix bread with beef, lamb, onion, salt,
cumin, allspice, red pepper and black pepper. Mix thoroughly, but avoid
overhandling. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
*2. Mix in parsley, *mint and walnuts with your hands and shape mixture
into balls.
*3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil *over medium heat in a large skillet. Add half
the meatballs and sauté until browned and cooked through, about 7
minutes. Regulate heat so meatballs don’t burn, and shake pan vigorously
to turn them. Transfer to paper towels. Wipe skillet and repeat with
remaining oil and meatballs.
*4. Top with onions. *Garnish and serve hot or warm, with tahini sauce.
*Each meatball: *69 calories;
3 grams protein; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 6 grams fat; 1 gram
saturated fat; 7 mg. cholesterol; 78 mg. sodium.
*
Grilled haloumi-stuffed grape leaves with pomegranate sauce
*Total time: *25 minutes
*Servings: *Makes 12 dolmas
*Note: *Haloumi cheese is available at Bristol Farms and at Middle
Eastern markets. Haloumi and grape leaves can both be quite salty; if
your brand of leaves is too briny, soak them longer or blanch in boiling
water for 1 minute.
12 grape leaves preserved in brine
12 (3-inch by one-half-inch) logs haloumi cheese, one-half-inch thick
(queso blanco can be substituted)
2 1/2 tablespoons mild olive oil,
divided
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
*1. Place the grape leaves *in a bowl. Add boiling water to cover and
soak for about 2 minutes. Taste, and if the leaves still taste
assertively briny, soak for few minutes more. Rinse under cold water,
drain and pat dry with paper towels. Heat the grill to medium.
*2. Place a grape leaf *shiny side down on a work surface with the stem
facing you. Trim off the stem. Place a log of haloumi across the bottom
end of the leaf and fold the bottom over it. Fold in the sides and roll
up like a cigar to make a dolma. Make sure there are no tears in the
leaf, or the cheese will ooze out. Continue until you have used all the
grape leaves.
*3. Brush the dolmas lightly *with one-half tablespoon olive oil. Grill
them until they are lightly charred and the cheese is beginning to
soften but is not oozing out, about 1½ minutes per side. Transfer the
dolmas to a plate and let them cool for about 10 minutes.
*4. Meanwhile, whisk *the remaining oil with the pomegranate molasses,
water and sugar.
*5. To serve,* drizzle a white serving plate with the pomegranate
mixture and arrange the dolmas on top, drizzling with some extra sauce
if desired.
*Each dolma: *246 calories; 14 grams protein; 3 grams carbohydrates;
0 fiber; 20 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 50 mg. cholesterol; 418
mg. sodium.
,1,7717227.story?coll=la-home-food

Cyprus Press and Information Office – Turkish Cypriot Press Review
June 9 2004
Degrading statements by the Ambassador of Sweden to Turkey for the
Cypriots and their President who are under the yoke of the brutal
Turkish occupation for 30-years. Reference to Russia and the Arab
countries
Turkish Daily News (08.06.04) publishes an article, which according
to the editor´s note, is a contribution to the paper by the
Ambassador of Sweden, Mr Henrik Liljegren.
The article, under the title “Waiting for the NATO summit” is
insulting for the President and the people of Cyprus who were forced
by the Turkish troops to abandon their homes and properties and are
deprived of all their fundamental human rights by 40,000 heavily
equipped Turkish troops which keep northern Cyprus under their
control.
The article, is as follows:
“President George W. Bush looked noticeably relieved the other day as
he commented on the establishment of an interim government in Iraq at
a press conference. Here was a man who seemed to say to himself, ”
OK, we created a big mess in Iraq, but, by God, now we are getting
out of it and others will have to deal with it.”
“A free Iraq will be a game changer, an agent of change,” said Bush.
These words revealed what the administration probably considered to
be the most important motive for attacking Iraq. The neo-conservative
hawks, who dominated the foreign policy agenda in Washington after
9/11, believed that a successful war against Iraq would create a
“shock and awe” effect in the whole region. It would make the rogue
states stop supporting terrorists and prepare the ground for the
democratization of the authoritarian Arab regimes. “It would change
the game,” as the president said.
Instead, the war and occupation has led to intensified terrorism both
inside and outside of Iraq. In addition, relations between the United
States and its allies have been severely strained and
anti-Americanism has risen to previously unimaginable heights all
over the world. The credibility of U.S. intelligence services has
been badly damaged; with the conflict between the Israelis and the
Palestinians becoming more violent than ever.
This is the bad news; but the good news is that there are signs that
many people in the greater Middle East have recently seen the need
for democratic reform. Moreover, it seems that some regimes have
concluded that it is dangerous to tolerate or aid terrorists or to
attempt to build or sell nuclear weapons. More importantly, Iraq
could, in spite of everything, eventually turn out to be a more
stable place once the transition to a sovereign Iraqi government has
been completed. At least one should not totally exclude such a
scenario in the long-term; the game may change and developments
become more benign than anybody can foresee today.
Right now the best news is that the Bush administration is adjusting
to the realities on the ground in a pragmatic spirit. As Winston
Churchill once said, “The Americans always do the right thing after
they have exhausted all the alternatives.”
The Clinton administration learned the lesson in the Balkans that it
had to be prepared to back up diplomacy with military action. The
Bush administration has learnt the lesson in Iraq that military
action must be backed up by diplomacy. It is now trying to repair
relations with its allies and to involve the United Nations in the
future of Iraq. I think we can safely assume that the United States
will not start a preventive war against another country in the near
future. Last but not least, it seems that the U.S. intelligence
community will undergo a much-needed overhaul.
How the readjusted foreign policy of the Bush administration will
play out in the context of NATO will be interesting to observe at the
NATO summit in Istanbul on June 28-29. Turkey not only has to take
the responsibility for the nightmarish organizational and security
problems of the summit, it must also act diplomatically in advance of
the summit in the hope that NATO comes up with policies for the
region that are beneficial, rather than detrimental, to the security
of Turkey.
In connection with a conference arranged by the Istanbul Policy
Center in the summer of 2002, we were told by a participant, a short
time after 9/11, that planning had begun to move about a third of
U.S. forces in Europe to the Black Sea region and beyond, and that
the Pentagon regarded this area as the “new central front” in the
fight against terrorism. The planning included establishing “forward
operating sites” in what were termed “vulnerable battle ground
states” in Central Asia. It also foresaw helping these states
strengthen their own security against terrorists.
While the United States recently began to consult with its NATO
allies about this plan, the plan was gradually revealed to the
public. Michael R. Gordon, in The New York Times on June 4, wrote of
“the most significant rearrangement of American military around the
world since the beginning of the cold war.” The same article says
that Secretary of State Colin Powell thought it “unlikely that the
Turks would agree to allow the United States to operate freely from
Turkish bases.”
My guess is that Turkey is already discreetly taking creative
diplomatic action in the relevant capitals. The role and intentions
of Russia might be a matter of concern to some at the summit.
President Vladimir Putin, in his recent state of the nation speech,
talked of Russia’s “vital interests.” His new and smooth foreign
minister, Lavrov, in an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal
explained that for Russia “the territory of the former USSR is a
sphere of vital interests, prompted by its entire history.” Lavrov
added, “By vital interests we do not mean some kind of right to bring
pressure on our neighbors.”
But if history is any guide, that is exactly what it does mean. As
for the Russian military, it still thinks in terms of the Cold War,
regrets the expansion of NATO and would like to resurrect Russia as a
superpower as soon as possible. When speaking to his domestic
audience, Putin has to take the attitude of the nationalistic forces
within the military and the Duma into account.
One thing is clear: Just like in the good old days of the Cold War,
the United States and Russia are competing for geopolitical
influence, this time in countries in the neighborhood of Russia and,
in some cases, Turkey. Nowadays this competition is tempered by the
fact that the United States and Russia have an overriding common
interest in cooperating with each other in the fight against
terrorism.
Since the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
conference in Istanbul, both NATO and the OSCE have expressed concern
that Russia has failed to fulfill its 1999 commitments to withdraw
forces from Georgia and Moldova. Russian diplomacy would now like
NATO to ratify the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty
without demands to fulfill its Istanbul commitments.
By saying that he will not attend the NATO summit, Putin presumably
wants to put pressure on the West to accept Russia’s demands. Turkey
has tried to contribute to stability to the west and south of its
borders, and by its diplomacy regarding Cyprus, and has consequently
received many favorable comments in the international media.
The same cannot be said for the Greek Cypriots. In one of his weekly
electronic letters, Carl Bildt, the former prime minister of Sweden,
writes that Greek nationalistic forces carry the main responsibility
for the failure to solve the issue. Bildt talks of “the almost
hateful rhetoric of the Greek-Orthodox Church and the blatantly
cynical way that the Greek Cypriot president Papadopoulos played on
prejudice and fear in order to stop the peace plan. Bildt continues:
“That he belonged to the Greek support troops for Milosevic is hardly
surprising. The methods of agitation are recognizable.” I really hope
that the other leaders of the European Union will distance themselves
from Papadopoulos and treat him with the icy coldness that he
deserves.” Bildt predicts that various measures will be taken to
“ease the restrictions against the Turkish Cypriot part of the
island.”
To the extent that Bildt’s views are representative of views within
the EU, Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots should in principle benefit
from the general goodwill that their support for the Annan plan has
generated. Eventually it might lead to some level of recognition of
the Turkish Cypriot state. Outside the EU the only important state
that supports the Greek Cypriots seems to be Russia.
Since the EU does not wish to import border disputes when admitting
new members, it has also encouraged Turkish diplomatic activity
regarding Turkish relations with Armenia. In this context the 2003
Regular Report of the EU Commission mentions grassroots civil society
initiatives with a view to promoting closer cooperation between
Turkey and Armenia.
The other day I was invited to attend a meeting of a select group of
prominent Turkish and Armenian media representatives. Under the
chairmanship of the managing editor of the Turkish Daily News, Yusuf
Kanli, the group discussed how the media in their respective
countries could deal with the sensitive subjects that prevent
reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia, and did so in a
dispassionate and objective manner.
“We are not out to solve any of the outstanding issues, but to
prepare the ground for the dealing of them by politicians, if and
when they choose to do so. We are simply trying to ‘clarify’ the
respective terminologies and help create a better understanding,”
said Mr Kanli, who also explained that the meeting was a follow-up to
a series of meetings sponsored by the American University in
Washington since May 2001.
Such initiatives are important as confidence-building measures could
inspire the Turkish and Armenian governments to make progress in
their diplomatic relations. However, they also require tact and
discretion since Russia casts a long shadow over Armenia, and, it is
not obvious that Russia finds friendship between Armenia and Turkey
desirable. The group that Mr Kanli has brought together is making a
laudable effort in a way that is in the best interests of their
respective nations. Who knows, maybe the NATO summit can bring new
momentum to these efforts by meetings at both the levels of
government and civil society.
The NATO summit will, in fact, bring more clarity to many important
issues of global security that are now shrouded in uncertainty.
Hopefully the run-up to the summit will be an occasion for
exceptionally creative diplomacy. It is sorely needed.”

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA MOURNS PASSING OF RONALD REAGAN
— President Reagan was the Last U.S. President
to Properly Commemorate the Armenian Genocide
WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
mourns the passing of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and extends
its deepest condolences to the Reagan family as the nation prepares
to lay the respected statesman to rest this Friday.
“We join with all Americans in mourning the loss of President Reagan
and in sending our condolences to his wife and family,” said ANCA
Chairman Ken Hachikian. “We will remember President Reagan as the
last U.S. President to properly commemorate the Armenian Genocide, the
U.S. leader who initiated humanitarian aid to the survivors of the 1988
earthquake in Armenia, and a leader who believed deeply, throughout
the dark years of the Cold War, in the independence of Armenia.”
Ronald Reagan began his years in politics a close friend and supporter
of Armenian American interests. As California Governor from 1966
through 1974, Reagan reached out to the Armenian American community
and joined in their annual commemorations of the Armenian Genocide.
Most notably, in 1969, Reagan joined His Holiness Khoren I, Catholicos
of the Great House of Cilicia, a host of state and local dignitaries
and over 10,000 Armenian Americans at the Armenian Genocide Memorial
in Montebello, where he gave a rousing 15-minute speech honoring the
victims of that crime against humanity. “I am proud and appreciate
this opportunity to participate in this event,” said Gov. Reagan.
“Today, I humbly bow in memory of the Armenian martyrs, who died in
the name of freedom at the hands of Turkish perpetrators of Genocide.”
Following his election to the presidency in 1980, Reagan distinguished
himself as the last U.S. President to properly acknowledge the Armenian
Genocide as “genocide.” In Proclamation 4838, issued on April 22,
1981 to proclaim April 26-May 3 as “Days of Remembrance of Victims of
Holocaust,” Reagan stated, “Like the genocide of the Armenians before
it, and the genocide of the Cambodians which followed it and like too
many other such persecutions of too many other peoples­the lessons
of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.” Later in his first term,
the Reagan Administration, at the urging of Secretary of State George
Schultz and Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger, retreated from this
stand and opposed successive Armenian Genocide Resolutions in 1985
and 1987.
Armenian Americans will also remember President Reagan as a primary
force in encouraging the U.S. Senate to ratify and implement the United
Nations Genocide Convention. Adopted by the United Nations in 1948,
the Convention languished on the Senate docket for some 40 years,
despite the heroic efforts of Wisconsin Senator William Proxmire
(D) and later Rhode Island Senator Claiborne Pell (D) to obtain
passage of the measure. In 1986, President Reagan urged the Senate
leadership to take up the bill and, after a number of modifications,
the Convention was signed into law by Reagan in 1988.
Congress is currently considering legislation (H.Res.193 and
S.Res.164) marking the 15th anniversary of the implementation of
the Genocide Convention. Introduced in the Senate in June, 2003
by Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Jon Corzine (D-NJ), S.Res. 164
currently has 39 cosponsors. Its companion House measure, H.Res.193,
led by Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA),
and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and
Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), was adopted unanimously by the House Judiciary
Committee in May, 2003, and has 111 cosponsors. The resolution cites
the importance of remembering past crimes against humanity, including
the Armenian Genocide, Holocaust, Cambodian and Rwandan genocides, in
an effort to stop future atrocities. Support for the measure has been
widespread, with a diverse coalition of over 100 ethnic, religious,
civil and human rights organizations calling for its passage, including
American Values, National Organization of Women, Sons of Italy, NAACP,
Union of Orthodox Rabbis, and the National Council of La Raza.
In the last days of his second term, President Reagan led a U.S.
effort to help the victims of the devastating December 7th,
1988 earthquake in Armenia. Reversing a 40-year standing policy
that lasted throughout the Cold War, President Reagan airlifted
several planeloads of humanitarian assistance to Soviet Armenia
within weeks of the tragedy. In his December 25th radio address to
the American people, Reagan stated that, in the time of tragedy,
“the real differences that divide us and will continue to divide us
fall away.” He went on to note the tremendous outpouring of U.S.
assistance in light of the Armenian earthquake. “From the United
States the response has been staggering,” he said. “Relief workers,
tens of millions of dollars in private contributions, food, clothing,
a cascade of good will and fellow feeling.”
President Reagan will be given a state funeral on Friday, June 11th.
#####

As We See It
By Prof. Osheen Keshishian
The Armenian Observer
2 June 2004
Recently I told a friend: “Did you know that the Armenian government
sold the AGBU-sponsored and donated cold storage facility for
$150,000?”
The answer was: “What else is new? Isn’t that routine?”
For some people the sale of the Gumri (Armenia) cold food storage
facility did not come as a surprise because for months rumors
were circulating in Armenia and the Diaspora about the transfer
of ownership. But the real surprise was the price tag: $150,000! A
storage facility which cost $5 million to build…
It’s not hard to figure out — the facility was sold for 3% of it’s
value… What a sham! And all this, as they say, in broad daylight. I
would have bid had I known it was on the auction block. Did anyone
else get a chance to bid?
The 10,000-ton cold storage facility was built by Intercool, a renowned
Danish company, for $5 million. The Armenian General Benevolent
Union (AGBU) raised the money and built the facility following the
devastating 1988 earthquake with the hope that food will be stored in
the summer so that during the harsh winter season in this northern
region of Armenia, people will have something to eat. What a great
idea it was and the community quickly raised the funds. Unfortunately,
the facility did not function for a while because of the energy crisis.
Hagop Avedikian, editor of the Yerevan-based Azg daily and Tatul
Hagopian, a writer, in a signed article revealed some interesting
details.
The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Garen Jeshmaridian (the last
name literally means “truth-teller”) in a letter to the writers states:
“I am informing you that Gumri’s cold storage facility was on the
list of the denationalization program of 1998-2000 but procedures were
not initiated. At the same time I am informing you that by decision
of the court, dated April 18, 2002, the cold storage facility has
been declared non-solvent and on March 12, 2003, the entire facility
was sold at auction to the Gechor company.”
Non-solvency in Armenia means the enterprise did not pay taxes. Since
it was a gift to the government of Armenia, and belonged to the
government, then who collects taxes and from whom? Or, who pays
taxes to whom? Probably, you collect taxes from… yourself? Does
this make sense?
Technically, the AGBU cannot make an issue out of this because
it was given as a gift and the receiver can do whatever he wants
with it. Right? But as I understand, and I may be slightly wrong,
if a facility is sold in Armenia by the government, the donor of the
facility should have first option to bid on the entity. Just like the
51% stockholder in an enterprise in Armenia is given the opportunity
to buy the rest of the stocks.
The law is there, and I am not sure if anyone has enforced it. On
the contrary, several Diasporan Armenians have lost their shirts
(maybe not their entire shirts, only their sleeves…)
This is a serious matter, and if it is not clarified, relations
could spiral downward and I think we should not be satisfied with
the worn-out statement that “Armenia is a new country. Give it a
chance.” No band-aid solutions, please.
There are laws enacted in Armenia. But, unfortunately, they are not
enforced. The government has only selectively enforced the laws,
presenting an opportunity to people to abuse their authority and
position, whether related to human rights or economic graft. US senior
State Department official, Ambassador Carlos Pascual only recently
said that the Armenian Government’s human rights record remains poor.
The AGBU was planning to invest money in Armenia in the near
future. The organization should think twice (or three times) before
taking new steps.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA PRESSES STATE DEPARTMENT ON CONTINUED EXCLUSION OF
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FROM OFFICIAL WEBSITE ON ARMENIAN HISTORY
— State Department Website’s History of Armenia Fails
to Make any Mention of the Systematic Destruction and
Exile of the Armenian Population between 1915 and 1923
WASHINGTON, DC – In a detailed letter sent today to Secretary of
State Colin Powell, Armenian National Committee Of America (ANCA)
Chairman Ken Hachikian pressed the State Department to end its
practice of excluding any mention of the Armenian Genocide from the
history section of its official website on Armenia.
The State Department website features Background Notes on one
hundred ninety-eight nations. Each entry includes a brief
historical review. The historical section for Armenia makes no
mention of Ottoman Turkey’s systematic destruction of over one and
a half million Armenians, or the “demographic disaster” described
by the Library of Congress as having “shifted the center of the
Armenian population from the heartland of historical Armenia.” The
ANCA issued an action alert on this issue in January of this year.
Hachikian’s letter was written in response to a State Department
letter, dated May 6th, sent to Joe Dagdigian, Chairman of the
Merrimack Valley ANC chapter. Dagdigian had earlier written a
letter, dated April 20th, documenting a series of serious
shortcomings in the State Department website on the history of
Armenia. Dagdigian noted, in part, that:
The historical survey of Armenia omits any reference
to the Armenian Genocide committed by Ottoman Turkey
beginning in 1915. To recount nearly 3,000 years of
Armenian history without the inclusion of this
cataclysmic and relatively recent event in the history
of the Armenian people is inexcusable. Rather than
contributing to an understanding of the region, it
obscures the region’s history and fails to provide the
background necessary for understanding current
Armenian and regional issues.
In response to Dagdigian’s letter, John Fox, the Director of the
Office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs, noted that:
Country background notes on the State Department’s
web-site were designed to provide interested readers
with concise and up-to-date information regarding key
economic and political issues in the country, as well
as travel conditions and commercial opportunities.
Country background notes also provide a very brief
introduction to the country’s history. Typically,
each background page will collapse over 2,000 years of
history into 3-4 concise paragraphs. Consequently,
even episodes of great historical importance are often
not treated in our background notes.
Hachikian, responding to this letter from John Fox, wrote a sharply
critical letter to Secretary Powell spelling out the historical
inaccuracy, the basic inconsistency, and the moral bankruptcy of
the State Department’s position of excluding the Armenian Genocide
from its history of Armenia. In this letter, Hachikian wrote that:
Rather than acknowledging and taking steps to correct
this obvious error – or even indicating a willingness
to review this flawed document, the State Department’s
letter, signed by John Fox of the Office of Caucasus
and Central Asian Affairs, instead, sought to reduce
this issue of profound historical and contemporary
significance to a simple consideration of space.
The Hachikian letter then provides an in-depth review of the
assertions made in the State Department letter, concluding that,
“we find it plainly disingenuous, if not outright dishonest, to
imply that the exclusion of the Armenian Genocide is based on space
considerations.” Hachikian added, that, “it is clear that this
historically inaccurate refusal to even acknowledge the
premeditated extermination between 1915 and 1923 of fully two
thirds of all Armenians by Ottoman Turkey and the exile of a nation
from its historic homeland of more than three thousand years,
represents another very sad chapter in the State Department’s
complicity in the Turkish government’s ongoing immoral campaign to
deny the Armenian Genocide.”
Hachikian closed his letter by sharing with Secretary Powell, “how
truly regrettable I find it to have to engage in word-counts to
illustrate the ridiculous and reprehensible lengths to which the
State Department goes to help the government of Turkey to deny the
undeniable – the crime of genocide committed against the Armenian
nation. In the interest of basic morality, historical accuracy,
and the State Department’s credibility, on behalf of the American-
Armenian community, I ask you to immediately correct this obvious
and insulting ‘error.'”
Armenian Americans can express their concern about the Armenia
Background Notes by visiting the following link on the ANCA website.
The full text of the ANCA letter to Secretary Powell is provided below.
#####
Text of ANCA letter to the State Department – June 4, 2003
June 4, 2004
The Hon. Colin Powell
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C St NW 7th Floor
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Powell:
I am writing to share with you our grave concerns regarding the
State Department’s response (see attached) to the letter that our
Merrimack Valley Armenian National Committee Chairman, Joe
Dagdigian, sent on April 20th to Under Secretary Margaret Tutwiler,
regarding the Country Profile of Armenia on the State Department’s
website.
I refer specifically to the point raised by Mr. Dagdigian that the
State Department’s “historical survey of Armenia omits any
reference to the Armenian Genocide committed by Ottoman Turkey
beginning in 1915. To recount nearly 3,000 years of Armenian
history without the inclusion of this cataclysmic and relatively
recent event in the history of the Armenian people is inexcusable.
Rather than contributing to an understanding of the region, it
obscures the region’s history and fails to provide the background
necessary for understanding current Armenian and regional issues.”
Rather than acknowledging and taking steps to correct this obvious
error – or even indicating a willingness to review this flawed
document, the State Department’s letter, signed by John Fox, the
Director of the Office of Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs,
instead, sought to reduce this issue of profound historical and
contemporary significance to a simple consideration of space. In
his response, Mr. Fox specifically noted that, because “typically,
each background page will collapse over 2,000 years of history into
3-4 concise paragraphs. . . even episodes of great historical
importance are often not treated in our background notes.”
Although we are deeply troubled – morally, historically, and on
humanitarian grounds – by the Department’s willingness to dismiss
the Armenian Genocide in this fashion, we, nonetheless, took a
serious look at the defenses offered in Mr. Fox’s letter. First,
we surveyed the lengths of each of the one hundred ninety-eight
Background Notes on the Department’s website (see attached list).
Next, we examined the entries for nations that are universally
understood to have suffered genocidal crimes. And, finally, we
reviewed each entry against the standard that “even episodes of
great historical importance” are often not included in Background
Notes due to space considerations. Based on this review, we
discovered the following:
1) Space considerations:
At three hundred three words, the history section in the Armenia
Background Notes is among the shortest of all the one hundred
ninety-eight nations on the State Department’s Background Notes
website. While we appreciate that word length does not necessarily
correlate to the merits of a particular historical overview, we
observe, in light of Mr. Fox’s comments about space limitations,
that fully one hundred sixty-eight entries are larger than
Armenia’s, many being substantially larger. For example, the entry
on Honduras is five times larger, while the one for Bangladesh is
ten times the size of Armenia’s entry; fifty-seven countries are
over one thousand words.
Given that the length of the Armenian Background Notes history
section is less than half the average word-count of eight hundred
sixty-two words, we find it plainly disingenuous, if not outright
dishonest, to imply that the exclusion of the Armenian Genocide is
based on space considerations.
2) Other instances of genocide
Unlike in the Armenian case, the Department of State does properly
address the issue of genocidal campaigns in the Background Notes of
three other nations, namely Cambodia, Israel, and Rwanda, whose
people experienced genocide in the 20th Century. The relevant
portions of these Background Notes are provided below:
Cambodia: “The regime controlled every aspect of life
and reduced everyone to the level of abject obedience
through terror. Torture centers were established, and
detailed records were kept of the thousands murdered
there. Public executions of those considered
unreliable or with links to the previous government
were common. Few succeeded in escaping the military
patrols and fleeing the country. Solid estimates of
the numbers who died between 1975 and 1979 are not
available, but it is likely that hundreds of thousands
were brutally executed by the regime. Hundreds of
thousands more died of starvation and disease–both
under the Khmer Rouge and during the Vietnamese
invasion in 1978. Estimates of the dead range from 1.7
million to 3 million, out of a 1975 population
estimated at 7.3 million.”
Israel: “Mounting British efforts to restrict this
immigration were countered by international support
for Jewish national aspirations following the near-
extermination of European Jewry by the Nazis during
World War II.”
Rwanda: “The killing swiftly spread from Kigali to
all corners of the country; between April 6 and the
beginning of July, a genocide of unprecedented
swiftness left up to 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus
dead at the hands of organized bands of militia­
Interahamwe. Even ordinary citizens were called on to
kill their neighbors by local officials and
government-sponsored radio. The president’s MRND
Party was implicated in organizing many aspects of the
genocide.”
3) Exclusion of “episodes of great historical importance”
In Mr. Fox’s letter, he notes that “even episodes of great
historical importance” are not included in Background Notes due to
space considerations. This apparent effort to excuse the absence
of any mention of the Armenian Genocide prompted us to review other
entries in order to determine if this standard was applied
uniformly. While the Department could not find the space, even in
a sentence or two, to deal with a central event in modern Armenian
history, it did manage to include the following entries for other
countries:
Papua New Guinea: “Early garden crops–many of which
are indigenous–included sugarcane, Pacific bananas,
yams, and taros, while sago and pandanus were two
commonly exploited native forest crops. Today’s
staples – sweet potatoes and pigs – are later
arrivals, but shellfish and fish have long been
mainstays of coastal dwellers’ diets.”
Lithuania: “…the Roman historian Tacitus referred
to the Lithuanians as excellent farmers.”
Mali: “Malians express great pride in their
ancestry.”
Based on this review of the Department’s response, it is clear that
the exclusion of the Armenian Genocide from the Background Notes
entry for Armenia is not, as Mr. Fox implied in his letter, based
on space considerations. Rather, it is clear that this
historically inaccurate refusal to even acknowledge the
premeditated extermination between 1915 and 1923 of fully two
thirds of all Armenians by Ottoman Turkey and the exile of a nation
from its historic homeland of more than three thousand years,
represents another very sad chapter in the State Department’s
complicity in the Turkish government’s ongoing immoral campaign to
deny the Armenian Genocide.
By any historical standard, the Armenian Genocide represents an
important chapter in world history and a major milestone in the
life of the Armenian nation. The Library of Congress Country Study
of Armenia, which estimates the number of Armenians killed in the
Armenian Genocide at up to two million, describes the Genocide as
“a demographic disaster that shifted the center of the Armenian
population from the heartland of historical Armenia.” The
exclusion of the Armenian Genocide from any history of Armenia,
however brief, is morally and historically inexcusable.
I will close by sharing with you how truly regrettable I find it to
have to engage in word-counts to illustrate the ridiculous and
reprehensible lengths to which the State Department goes to help
the government of Turkey to deny the undeniable – the crime of
genocide committed against the Armenian nation. In the interest of
basic morality, historical accuracy, and the State Department’s
credibility, on behalf of the American-Armenian community, I ask
you to immediately correct this obvious and insulting “error.”
I would be pleased to meet with you personally to discuss this
matter in greater detail.
Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Kenneth V. Hachikian
Chairman

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
June 9, 2004
___________________
RECORD NUMBERS OF YOUNG LEADERS HEAD TO TEXAS FOR BUSINESS, FELLOWSHIP,
AND WORSHIP
The young people of the St. Sarkis Church of Dallas, TX, chapter of the
Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA) played host to
hundreds of ACYOA members during the group’s energetic and successful
General Assembly and Sports Weekend.
The Assembly, from May 27 to 28, brought together 40 representatives
from 17 parishes. It was the first time the Dallas chapter hosted the
events.
“This was my first time attending the General Assembly, and it was very
encouraging and inspiring to discover that others share the same
dedication, hope and excitement about having a successful ACYOA, locally
and nationally,” said Melissa DerPilbosian, an ACYOA member from the
Holy Trinity Church of Cheltenham, PA
YOUNG STEWARDS
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese, told the
young faithful that it is never too early for them to step forward and
take roles of responsibility in the church community.
“Armenians, throughout our history, have beautifully exemplified the
Christian tradition of stewardship. All of our worthy achievements, our
long survival in the face of terrible obstacles, are in the deepest
sense a record of faithful stewardship, by the Armenian people to our
Almighty Lord and Master,” the Primate said. “Our parents and
grandparents did not take on all these challenges because they felt
there was something in it for themselves. Quite the reverse. They
worked and sacrificed and contributed because they regarded the church
itself, and service to God, as something greater than themselves: as a
duty they had inherited from prior generations; as a legacy they were
obliged to hand down to generations yet to come.”
“Now, all of this heritage has been placed in your hands,” he told the
young delegates. “You are the new stewards of the Armenian Church. It
is now your turn — your obligation — to be its care-takers, its
defenders, its creative builders.”
The Primate also read to the Assembly a message from His Holiness
Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; and led
the young delegates in a bible study dealing with the idea of
stewardship. The Primate then hosted the delegates for a luncheon,
during which he answered questions on a variety of issues.
The Assembly was a chance not only for the delegates to get business
done, but to get to know the Primate better and get to know each other
as well.
“It’s always a pleasure being with people my age who share the same
faith and values that I do,” said Dn. Armen Jesralyan, an ACYOA member
at the St. Leon Church of Fair Lawn, NJ. “I can’t express how much of
an influence this has on me.”
Also speaking during the assembly was Jason Demerjian, the Eastern
Diocese’s college ministry facilitator, who spoke on remaining a
faithful Armenian Christian. His ministry is the newest effort by the
Eastern Diocese to reach out to those who do not attend regular
services.
“It was a true blessing to witness the strong commitment and fresh ideas
demonstrated at the Assembly,” said Gregory Andonian, ACYOA
representative from the St. Gregory of Narek Church in Cleveland, OH.
“The Armenian Church and its people have a bright future.”
CHOOSING NEW LEADERS
The ACYOA delegates voted for three Central Council seats. Re-elected
for another two-year term were Maria Derderian of the St. Sahag and St.
Mesrob Church of Wynnewood, PA; and Rita Akaraz of the St. John Church
of Southfield, MI. Also elected was Karen Khatchadourian of the St.
Thomas Church of Tenafly, NJ.
“The ACYOA Central Council continues to be an integral part of the
Armenian Church. Their wisdom and passion has helped strengthen this
organization in the past few years,” said Steve Megrdichian, the youth
director from the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church of Providence, RI.
“Their mission has been to collectively put forth each of their talents
to promote the ACYOA and its programs.”
The new Central Council officers for the 2004-05 year are: Jennifer
Morris, chair; Dn. Diran Jebejian, vice chair; Rita Akaraz, treasurer;
Tammy Bagdigian, secretary; Maria Derderian, public relations;
Christopher Tashjian, chapter relations; and Karen Khatchadourian,
programming.
“This year’s Central Council is composed of strong leaders and
passionate servants of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” said Morris,
who begins her last year on the Central Council after 15 years of
involvement. “We will work together to continue strengthening the ACYOA
on the national level, while focusing on effective communication and
programming to help benefit young adults throughout the Eastern
Diocese.”
CELEBRATING THEIR FAITH
On Sunday, more than 75 of the young delegates joined the faithful
parishioners of St. Sarkis Church for a Divine Liturgy, celebrated by
Fr. Daniel Findikyan, dean of St. Nersess Seminary. Fr. Haigazoun
Najarian, pastor of the St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Church of Wynnewood,
PA, delivered the Armenian sermon and the English sermon was delivered
by Fr. Vazken Movsesian, from the Western Diocese.
After the liturgy, the Primate conducted a special Service of
Installation for the new ACYOA Central Council.
“We, and the faithful present here, ask for God’s blessings upon these
servants of the Church, that they may continue to serve God and the Holy
Mother Church of Armenia,” said Nancy Basmajian, executive secretary of
the ACYOA, as she presented the council to the Primate.
SPORTS AND GAMES
Following a weekend of business and church services, 350 young adults
from the Eastern Diocese took part in the Sports Weekend, which ran from
May 28 to 31, 2004. The Sports Weekend committee was chaired by Evelyn
Boyajian. More than 172 athletes from 12 parishes competed in events
ranging from chess and tavloo to track and basketball.
Along with sports events on Saturday, there were also a series of
workshops, covering topics such as: college life and the church; the
realities of sex, drugs, and violence; the state of marriage; a
discussion on the movie “The Passion of the Christ”; and presentations
on the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the Armenian Genocide
Museum and Memorial.
The young members of the Eastern Diocese were joined by the chair of the
Armenian Church Youth Organization (ACYO) of the Western Diocese, Hovig
Artinian, who was accompanied by about 50 ACYO-WD members. He told the
ACYOA delegates at the Assembly that he hoped a new era of open
communication could build joint ventures between the two organizations.
Several clergymen also spent the weekend with the ACYOA members,
including: Fr. Daniel Findikyan, dean of the St. Nersess Seminary; Fr.
Nersess Jebejian, pastor of the St. Hagop Church in St. Petersburg, FL;
Fr. Garabed Kochakian, pastor of the St. John Church of Southfield, MI;
and Fr. Haigazoun Najarian, pastor of the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church
of Wynnewood, PA.
* * *
Taking home first place honors during the ACYOA Sports Weekend were:
Men’s Basketball – St. Vartan Cathedral
Women’s Basketball – St. John Church, Detroit, MI
Volleyball – St. James Church, Watertown, MA
Soccer – Holy Ascension Church, Trumbull, CT
Tug-of-War – St. Sarkis Church, Dallas, TX
Bull Riding – Onnik Madanyan, St. Gregory the Illuminator Church,
Chicago, TX
Chess – David Avanesov, St. Gregory of Narek Church, Cleveland, OH
Tavloo – Ara Minassian, St. Sarkis Church, Dallas, TX
Ping-Pong – Fernando Maraslioglu, St. Sarkis Church, Dallas, TX
Track, Men’s 100 meters – Diran Belekian, California
Track, Women’s 100 meters – Kelly Karakashian, St. John Church, Detroit,
MI
Track, Men’s 200 meters – Diran Balekian, California
Track, Women’s 200 meters – Kelly Karakashian, St. John Church, Detroit,
MI
Track, Men’s 400 meters – Diran Balekian, California
Track, Men’s 800 meters – Charlie Stamboulian, St. John Church, Detroit,
MI
Track, Men’s 1,600 meters – Thomas Stamboulian, St. John Church,
Detroit, MI
Massis Award – St. Sarkis Church, Dallas, TX
Babayan Cup – St. James Church, Watertown, MA
— 6/9/04
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable on the Eastern
Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese
of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), with the newly chosen ACYOA
Central Council at St. Sarkis Church of Dallas, TX, the host of the 2004
ACYOA General Assembly and Sports Weekend.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): The Primate discusses stewardship with the delegates
at the 2004 ACYOA General Assembly in Dallas, TX.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): A team takes part in the tug-of-war competition
during the ACYOA Sports Weekend in Dallas, TX.
PHOTO CAPTION (4): Basketball was one of the sports in the 2004 ACYOA
Sports Weekend, hosted by the St. Sarkis Church of Dallas, TX.
# # #
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress