ALI ERTEM: ONE DAY TURKEY SHOULD RECONCILE ITSELF TO THE FACT AND RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 25 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 25, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. It is already several
years that journalist Ali Ertem, a citizen of Turkey living in Germany,
Chairman of the “Union against Genocide” organization, comes to Armenia
on April 24 to pay the tribute of his respect to the memory of 1.5
mln victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Only some years ago the
Turkish intellectual collected 11 thousand signatures from Turks of
Germany and submitted them both to the German parliament and to the
parliaments of different European countries, and doing so, rendered
assistance to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide on his and his
co-thinkers’ part. According to Ali Ertem, the top priority task of
the organization headed by him is the recognition and condemnation
of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey and Turkish society. According to
him, first they submitted these signatures to the Turkish parliament,
but the leaders of his country checked and returned them giving no
answer up to this day.
“Hostility cannot last forever. One day Turkey should reconcile itself
to the fact and should recognize the Armenian Genocide. I am convinced
that the peoples living in Turkey will also condemn and admit this
fact,” the Turkish journalist emphasized. In Ali Ertem’s opinion,
in this respect the international organizations have much to do:
they should be mediators in the dialogue between the Turkish and
Armenian peoples in the issue of liquidation of the consequences of
the Genocide.

IN OPINION OF VAHAGN HOVNANIAN, FUTURE GENERATION WILL BE ABLE TO GET BACK ARMENIAN HISTORICAL LANDS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 25 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 25, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Every Armenian
should keep the memory of innocent martyrs and the longing for the
lost Homeland in the heart, and not only on April 24. The well-known
Diasporan Armenian businessman and philanthropist Vahagn Hovnanian
said this during a talk with NT correspondent. Every year on April
24, Vahagn Hovnanian visits Homeland to pay a tribute of respect to
the memory of his ancestors – victims of the Armenian Genocide in
1915. According to him, the recognition of the Armenian Genocide has
become a necessity for Turkey today, since by conducting a policy of
intolerance and denial, Turkey will reach a deadlock. In his opinion,
Turkey’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide will bring a moral
satisfaction to the Armenian people, while the future generation
will be able to get back the historical Armenian lands. It will be
followed by the restoration of Armenian churches, which “were turned
into stables”. V. Hovnanian said that each year, in April the Armenian
community of New Jersey organizes events in memory of the Armenian
Genocide victims, various commemoration ceremonies, whose aim is
“to remind the whole world that one of the most terrible crimes in
human history still remains unpunished.” The famous Diasporan Armenian
philanthropist noted that today the role of the Diasporan Armenians
consists in assisting, including providing financial assistance, to
the process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which will be a
necessary precondition in order to show to the world once again that
“the Armenian people is not a dead nation, that the Armenians are a
struggling and creative nation.”

VALDAS ADAMKUS: THE TIME HAS COME TO SPEAK ABOUT ONE COMMON FUTURE OF SOUTH CAUCASIAN AND BALTIC STATES
Noyan Tapan
Apr 25 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The time has come to speak about one
common future of the South Caucasian and Baltic states. The Lithuanian
President Valdas Adamkus stated this at a press conference following a
meeting with the Armenian President and the negotiations between the
two countries’ delegations on April 25. He expressed confidence that
the so-called “3+3” format will become a reality after this meeting. In
response to a Lithuanian reporter’s question about what Lithuania can
do regarding the Karabakh conflict settlement issue, the Armenian
President Robert Kocharian in his turn pointed out the importance
of promoting the regional cooperation. “We believe that it is much
easier to reach a settlement by means of cooperation, because regional
cooperation may help create an atmosphere of mutual trust, in which
the sides may easily find solutions. In this respect, Lithuania can
make its contribution,” the Armenian President noted. Robert Kocharian
denied the idea (expressed in a Lithuanian reporter’s quesion) of an
increased pressure on Armenia concerning the establishment of closer
relations between the US and Azerbaijan and the possible military
operations against Iran. He explained that “there is no additional
pressure in connection with the regulation of the issue”, there is
a negotiation process, and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs – the US,
France and Russia are working in a coordinated way. “The mandate
of the mediators presupposes not pressure in the settlement issue
but some steps aimed at facilitating the negotiation process,” the
Armenian President underlined. In his opinion, quaite active contacts
and process are underway, and he did not notice any connection between
the negotiation process and the problem of Iran. President Kocharian
does not take the view that an essential thing can be added to the
negotiation process, since each new initiative can in essence open
an extra way for the negotiation process and the sides to avoid many
possible solutions and not to find solutions.

LITHUANIA REASSERTS ITS INTENTION TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO ARMENIA WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF EUROPEAN NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY
Noyan Tapan
Apr 25 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The Lithuanian President Valdas
Adamkus and the delegation headed by him reasserted Lithuania’s
intention to provide support to Armenia, particilarly with respect
to the reforms implemented within the framework of the EU European
Neighborhood Policy. The Armenian President Robert Kocharian announced
it on April 25 during a press conference following the meeting with
the Lithuanian President, who is on an official visit to Armenia, and
the negotiations between the two countries’ delegations. The Armenian
President said that the relations between Armenia and Lithuania have
become quite active in recent years, with the political contacts
having a coordinated character. In the words of R. Kocharian, during
this “quite meaningful and interesting meeting”, an agreement was
reached to organize business forums in Yerevan and Vilnius, which
will open the opportunity to establish more extensive links with
the business world, to exchange information and maybe improve the
current low indices in the economic sphere. “Over the last two years,
the contacts have been so active that it gives us a great hope that
this will help to enhance the quality of the economic sphere as well,”
he noted. Describing the relations of the two countries as excellent,
the Lithuanian President expressed an opinion that there is a lack
of information, so he attached importance to student exchanges and
individual meetings, which, as he put it, is the best diplomacy and
the best way to develop relations.

GEORGE BUSH AGAIN FAILS TO HONOR PLEDGE TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 25 2006
WASHINGTON, APRIL 25, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Despite the call
for moral clarity from over two hundred U.S. legislators, President
Bush failed, once again, to honor his pledge to properly characterize
the Armenian Genocide as a “genocide” in his annual April 24th remarks,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). In a
statement issued on April 24th, the annual day of remembrance for the
Armenian Genocide, the President again resorted to the use of evasive
and euphemistic terminology to obscure the full moral, historical,
and contemporary legal implications of Turkey’s genocide against the
Armenian people between 1915-1923. In retreating from his promise,
the President ignored the counsel of the one hundred and seventy-eight
Representatives and thirty Senators who had written letters urging him
to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide. “Armenian Americans
appreciate President Bush’s willingness to join with Armenians around
the world by speaking out on this solemn occasion, but – sadly,
remain deeply troubled by his failure to honor his campaign pledge –
and his own promise of moral clarity – by properly recognizing the
Armenian Genocide, ” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the
ANCA. “It is truly a sad day when it is left to a lone diplomat, our
Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, to honor the forsaken pledge of
his President – to speak as the moral conscience of our nation in the
face of official White House complicity in the denial of this crime
against all humanity.” As in the past, the ANCA has also expressed
concern that the Administration’s refusal to recognize the Armenian
Genocide reflects a broader unwillingness to confront genocide –
as evidenced by the White House’s failure to take decisive steps
to bring an end to the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. The
ANCA is working with a broad coalition of organizations to pressure
the Administration to respond in a timely and meaningful way to the
worsening crisis in Darfur. “If we are to end the cycle of genocide, we
must, as a nation, generate the resolve to forcefully intervene to stop
genocide when it takes place, to unequivocally reject its denial, to
hold the guilty accountable, and to secure for the victims the justice
they deserve,” added Hamparian. In February of 2000, then presidential
candidate George W. Bush, campaigning for votes among Armenian voters
in the Michigan Republican primary, pledged to properly characterize
the genocidal campaign against the Armenian people. In his statements
as President, he has consistently avoided any clear reference to the
Armenian Genocide, and his Administration has consistently opposed
legislation marking this crime against humanity. The text of the
President’s remarks is provided below: “Today, we remember one of
the horrible tragedies of the 20th century — the mass killings and
forced exile of as many as 1.5 million Armenians in the final days of
the Ottoman Empire in 1915. This was a tragedy for all humanity and
one that we and the world must never forget. We mourn this terrible
chapter of history and recognize that it remains a source of pain
for people in Armenia and for all those who believe in freedom,
tolerance, and the dignity and value of every human life. It is a
credit to the human spirit and generations of Armenians who live
in Armenia, America, and around the globe that they have overcome
this suffering and proudly preserved their centuries-old culture,
traditions, and religion. We praise the individuals in Armenia and
Turkey who have sought to examine the historical events of this
time with honesty and sensitivity. The analysis by the International
Center for Transitional Justice, while not the final word, has made a
significant contribution toward deepening our understanding of these
events. We encourage dialogues, including through joint commissions,
that strive for a shared understanding of these tragic events and
move Armenia and Turkey towards normalized relations. Today, we
look with hope to a bright future for Armenia. Armenia’s Millennium
Challenge Comp act reflects our confidence and the importance we place
in Armenia making progress on democratic reform and advancement of free
markets. We seek to help Armenia bolster its security and deepen its
inclusion in the Euro-Atlantic family. We remain committed to securing
a peaceful and lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and hope the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan will take bold steps
to achieve this goal. On this solemn day of remembrance, Laura and I
express our deepest condolences to the Armenian people. Our nations
stand together, determined to create a future of peace, prosperity,
and freedom for the citizens of our countries and the world.”

BUSH SAYS WORLD MUST NOT FORGET, AVOIDS USING PROPER TERM OF GENOCIDE IN ANNUAL APRIL 24 STATEMENT
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 25 2006
WASHINGTON, APRIL 25, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. In his annual
April 24th commemoration statement, President Bush described the
“mass killings” and “exile” of 1.5 million Armenians noting that
this was a “tragedy for all humanity and one that we and the world
must never forget.” The statement was delivered following strongly
worded letters from more than 200 House and Senate leaders last week,
asking the President to properly acknowledge the genocide in his annual
statement. “While the President once again employed the dictionary
definition of Genocide, we are deeply disappointed that he did not
properly characterize the attempted annihilation of our people as
genocide,” said the Armenian Assembly of America Board of Trustees
Chairman Hirair Hovnanian. “The President had an opportunity to build
on his 2000 campaign statement as well as the words of President Ronald
Reagan who properly acknowledged the Armenian Genocide,” Hovnanian
continued. “Today, as we mark the 91st anniversary of these crimes,
genocide deniers continue their morally bankrupt campaign against
the truth as evidenced by the recent federal lawsuit initiated in the
state of Massachusetts,” said AAA Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “In
the face of this ongoing denial, the United States must make a firm
stand for the truth,” Ardouny continued. Bush’s statement, as in years
past, encourages dialogue between Turks and Armenians and states that
“The analysis by the International Center for Transitional Justice
(ICTJ), while not the final word, has made a significant contribution
toward deepening our understanding of these Events.” The ICTJ report,
issued in 2003, reached the conclusion that: “The Events, viewed
collectively, can thus be said to include all of the elements of the
crime of genocide as defined in the Convention, and legal scholars as
well as historians, politicians, journalists and other people would
be justified in continuing to so describe them.” The President’s
reference to ICTJ serves as an implicit acknowledgment of the Armenian
Genocide. The Administration has clarified its policy on the crime
of genocide and recently stated its views on the need to prevent
its repetition. The President’s National Security Strategy (NSS),
which was released last month, notes that “the world needs to start
honoring a principle that many believe has lost its force in parts
of the international community in recent years: genocide must not be
tolerated. It is a moral imperative that states take action to prevent
and punish genocide. History teaches that sometimes other states will
not act unless America does it part.” “America did act in response to
the first genocide of the twentieth century and Armenian-Americans
are forever grateful for the leading role of the United States in
attempting to stop the Armenian Genocide and for aiding those who
survived,” Hovnanian added. “It is now time for the U.S. to continue
this proud chapter of American history and formally and irrevocably
reaffirm the Armenian Genocide,” he continued. “By so doing, the
U.S. will articulate the same message it has already sent to the
public – that genocide must not be tolerated.”

AAA MOURNS LOSS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SURVIVOR
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 25 2006
WATERTOWN, MA, APRIL 25, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. As Armenians
everywhere mark the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
the Armenian Assembly of America was saddened to learn that Armine
Dedekian, a survivor of those horrific crimes, passed away April 19 in
her Watertown, Massachusetts home. Dedekian was 93 years old. “The
Armenian Assembly mourns the loss of Armine Dedekian and wishes
to express its sincere condolences to her family members and loved
ones,” said Assembly Board of Trustees Counselor and Vice Chair Robert
A. Kaloosdian. “In her memory, we reaffirm our commitment to educate
the world about the Armenian Genocide and help create a better future
for all humanity.” Armine Dedekian, nee Kailian, was born in Banderma,
in the province of Bursa, Western Turkey. That same year, her father
was murdered and Dedekian and her young mother fled to Tekirdagh,
near Constantinople. Unfortunately, the family was not safe there
as the Turks soon forced them from their homes and onto an arduous
journey through the Syrian Desert. Dedekian and her mother reached
Sham, Syria but were separated soon after and Dedekian was raised by
family members. In 1929, Dedekian, at the age of 14, reunited with her
mother in Ellis Island and later settled with her in Massachusetts. She
married Sarkis Dedekian and together they raised two children. During
her lifetime, Dedekian helped raise awareness of the attempted
annihilation of the Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish government. She
discussed her family’s tragic experiences with the national media,
including the Boston Globe, in an effort to draw national attention to
the crimes. She was also actively involved with the Armenian Relief
Society, the Armenian Renaissance Association and Saint Stephen’s
Armenian Apostolic Church. Recently Dedekian became an amicus curiae
(“friend of the court”) along with the Armenian Assembly of America and
seven other individuals in the case of Griswold, et al., vs. Driscoll
et. al., filed in the United States District Court for the District of
Massachusetts. She participated in the amicus curiae brief for she felt
that the case was a denialist tactic by the plaintiffs which included
the Assembly of Turkish American Association and others who referred to
the Armenian Genocide as controversial in their Complaint. Kaloosdian
says that Dedekian was among the last remaining genocide survivors
in the greater Boston community. He recalled her excitement to take
part in the federal case and added that her passing, at this time,
has created renewed focus on her extraordinary life and memory.

CANADA’S MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS REAFFIRMS GOVERNMENT POLICY ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, HOUSE OF COMMONS OBSERVES A MINUTE OF SILENCE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 25 2006
OTTAWA, APRIL 25, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Canada’s Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Peter Mackay, in response to Liberal MP Jim
Karygiannis’ (Scarborough-Agincourt) question, reaffirmed on April
24 Canadian Government’s policy on the Armenian Genocide. According
to the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC), last Friday the
Prime Minister of Canada issued a policy statement, recognizing the
Armenian Genocide. During April 24 debate, Mackay stated that the
Government reaffirmed the motions of the Senate of Canada and the
House of Commons, recognizing the Armenian Genocide. At the end of
the Question Period the Speaker of the House invited the members of
the House to observe a minute of silence in memory of the victims of
the Armenian Genocide. All four party leaders were present during the
minute of silence observance. Earlier in the day a delegation from the
Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) and its regional chapters,
headed by Hagop Der Khachadourian, ANCC International, and Archbishop
Khajak Hagopian, prelate of the Armenian Church of Canada, visited
the Armenian Embassy to lay a wreath at the monument dedicated to the
victims of the Armenian Genocide. Later the charge de’ affaires of the
embassy, Michael Vartanyan, joined Armenian community leaders to attend
the House of Commons session where Genocide affirmation statements were
made by the representative of all political parties. MP Gary Goodyear
(Cambridge) spoke on behalf of the governing Conservative party;
Raymonde Folco (Laval-Les Iles) spoke on behalf of the Liberal Party,
and Nicole Demers(Laval) on behalf of Bloc Quebecois. The successes
of the past few weeks were attained largely due to the tireless
efforts of the ANCC and its regional chapters. In the passed month
ANCC delegates met with representatives of the Government and other
parties to co-ordinate the commemoration of the 91st anniversary of
the Genocide. April 24 affirmation by the Minister of Foreign
Affairs was the third declaration, within a week by the Government,
acknowledging the historical reality of the Armenian Genocide.

THEY STAND IN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VISTIMS’ MEMORY IN KRASNODAR
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 25 2006
KRASNODAR, APRIL 25, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Armenians of
Krasnodar gathered on April 24 in the territory of the Armenian Surb
Hovhannes Avetaranich (John the Evangelist) church to stand in memory
of the Armenian Genocide victims of 1915-1923 in Turkey. According to
the “Yerkramas” (country) newspaper of Armenians of Russia, after the
divine service, dedicated to this tragic data in the history of the
Armenian people, a mourning demonstration took place on the square in
front of the church. Representatives of the Armenian Diaspora of the
city and the guests having made speeches condemned the bloody crime
commited in the Ottaman Turkey against the whole people, and called
on the world community to cotradict Turkey’s entering the European
community. Citizens of Krasnodar gathered on the square were able to
get acquainted with specially prepared stands on which photo facts
irrefutably proving the Armenian Genocide conducted in Turkey were
presented.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SWEDISH ARMENIAN COMMUNITY HOLDS IN UPPSALA CENTRAL EVENT DEDICATED TO 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 25 2006
UPPSALA, APRIL 25, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On the initiative
of the Armenian Unions Uniting Centre and the Armenian Cultural Union
of Uppsala and of the church councils, cooperating with “Hayastan”
(Armenia) All-Armenian Fund, Armenian unions and organizations, the
central event dedicated to memory of the Armenian Genocide victims was
held in Sweden this year on April 22 in Uppsala. Hundreds of sons of
Armenians and representatives of other nations paid tribute of their
respect to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims. People came
by buses from far cities to participate in the memory-evening. Vachik
Karapetian, the Chairman of the Uppsala Church Council opened the
program. After standing in one minute honour of silence, Armenian and
Swedish participants of the event, representatives of political, public
organizations listened to Klas-Joran Karlson, the History Department
Professor of “Lyund” University, author of the books “From Ararat to
Nagorno Karabakh” and “History of Genocides” who touching upon in his
lecture the Armenian people’s history of the last century, under the
light of international political events, explained the phenomenon of
the genocide as well as the process of the international recognition of
the genocide, mentioning the necessity and importance of liquidating
consequences of the genocide. Ulla Hoffman, a member of the Swedish
Parliament, a representative of the Left Party who has visited
Armenia many times and contacted and became to know the Armenian
people closer, stressed in her speech the necessity of Sweden’s and
other European countries’ assisting Armenia at any price. Strictly
condemning Turkey’s denying policy, she emphasized that it would not
be possible to speak about development of Armenian-Turkish real ties
and their reconciliation, without Turkey’s recognition of the Genocide
and revewing its history. Then Helena Linder, a representative of the
Greens’ Party, a member of the Uppsala City Council and a candidate
for the Riksdag deputy made a speech. According to her, the Swedish
society must know about the Armenian Genocide as much as it knows
about the Holocaust. Michael Oskarson, a Rikstag deputy from the
Christian-Democratic party, paying tribute of his respect to the memory
of millions of martyrs, emphasized that Turkey has still a long way
to pass for making a part of the European family. As Noyan Tapan was
informed by the Armenians Unions Uniting Center of Sweden, the Uppsala
Armenian Cultural Union’s “Gayane” dancing group headed by Armine
Zakinian, soloist Arpine Zakinian, to the piano accompaniment of Lilit
Sukiasian, duduk player Haik Hakobian, reciters Nune Haroutiunian,
Ani Galstian and others participated in the artistic part of the
event. The event finished with the hymn of the Republic of Armenia.