PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian
APRIL 11, 2006
Prelate’s 2006 Easter Message – Listen, Break Bread, Proclaim
“The Lord has risen indeed.”
(Luke 24:34)
Can you imagine the joy of the apostles when they confirmed the
Resurrection of their Lord? Their joy became deeper and ingrained when they
heard the testimony of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus who met a
“stranger,” heard the prophetic words from his lips, broke bread on the
modest table, and then suddenly the “stranger” was gone, leaving behind
amazement, regret and thankfulness for becoming the first witnesses, seeing
Christ with their own eyes, and as the first bearers of good news announcing
the Resurrection of the Son of God.
The two travelers to Emmaus are the models for the world’s inhabitants.
We too are travelers in this world and during our journey throughout our
lives, from our student days to our various positions of employment through
adulthood and old age; we are listeners to God’s word. The “stranger” always
speaks to us by and through the Bible. Therefore it is necessary to:
1. Listen to the Prophetic Words. Listening is not a passive activity. In
Biblical and Christian understanding listening to the Gospel and Christ
symbolizes not only understanding God’s word and commandments, but also
practicing them, bearing witness to those truths and demonstrating their
validity by the way we live. When God’s words resonate in our ears and do
not find fertile ground, when the words fall amidst thorns and rocks, they
dry up and wither (Mt 13:6-7), thus drying in us the breath of God,
corrupting the image of God in us, and turning us into beings without
foundation and persons without principles, scattered by the wind. In our
lives, listening represents the seed that falls into healthy soil and blooms
with God’s nurturing. With our Christian faith and life it becomes the flour
in the heavenly bread, which gives life to the world. Whether we are
students, employees, entrepreneurs, employers, or retirees, we are called to
open our souls to God’s word so that we can live the desirable life of a
true and faithful Christian, enriched with His words.
2. Breaking Bread with Christ. “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me
shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” (John
6:35)
The bread of life is distributed to us during every Divine Liturgy. Are we,
therefore, participants with Christ, who as resurrected God sits at the
banquet with all those who want to share His joy with His living presence?
Thus, we are in communion with the resurrected Savior, creating the family
which belongs to Christ that we call Church. The Church becomes one with
Christ when the faithful worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) and
become communicants to each other and to God. The same unity that the
persons of the Trinity have to each other is created in the faithful during
the Divine Liturgy, and Christ with his bread and body lives and makes us
live. We are a part of Christ’s Church by our participation-our working
participation-when we are joined in prayer, when our love to God and to each
other become the consecrated bread and wine of our soul as sacrifice and
offering.
By sharing our bread with Christ we become a living Church (I Cor. 3:16)
where the Holy Spirit joins us to each other and guides us to an everlasting
true life, in order to enjoy God’s Kingdom.
3. Proclaim the Resurrection of Christ. It was with great trust that the
travelers on the road to Emmaus proclaimed they had seen the Lord. Was not
the encounter with Christ the strength that armed the apostles, who became
the evangelizers and witnesses of Christ’s Resurrection? God’s miraculous
influence was necessary to transform fishermen into fishers of men (Luke
5:11) so that we would all be invited to a resurrected and new life. On the
one hand our life on earth is God’s gift to us, and on the one hand the
resurrected and new life is a blessing, like God’s Holy Oil (Muron) that
descends on every faithful who believes in the salvation and resurrection of
Christ. The travelers on the road to Emmaus saw the Lord and believed.
Blessed are we who have not seen and yet have come to believe (John 20:29),
in the same way that our forefathers accepted Christ and sacrificed their
lives to bear witness.
During these days when we live with the mystery of Christ’s Resurrection,
let us all become travelers to Emmaus, meet Christ through our faith, listen
and follow His teachings, and together become communicants to His sacrifice
and be witnesses and preachers to his miraculous resurrection.
Then our Lord will come to us, just the way He came to the disciples right
after the proclamation of the travelers to Emmaus. He will strengthen us by
banishing our weaknesses, doubts, fears and troubles, saying to us:
“It is I, do not be afraid.” (Luke 24:36)
Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate
Armenian Apostolic Church of America
Eastern United States of America
Easter 2006

Music opens Armenian soul, history
Dilijan chamber group plays heartfelt selections
Los Angeles Daily News
4/09/2006
By Alex Dobuzinskis, Staff writer
GLENDALE – Performing the classics to open a window into the Armenian
soul, the directors of the fledgling Dilijan chamber music series have
chosen composers who offer turbulent life stories.
They include an Armenian priest and composer who ended up in an insane
asylum after being deported by the Ottoman Turks in 1915, and a
Russian-trained composer of Armenian descent who was sanctioned by the
Soviet “music police” for creating pieces deemed too abstract.
The Dilijan series has also sought to present the work of emerging
composers, especially those of Armenian descent.
After Armenia’s long history of being ruled by the Ottoman Empire and
then the Soviet Union, the nation’s composers are finally coming into
their own, said Vatsche Barsoumian, a Glendale-based creator of the
Dilijan series. And as Armenian composers create new music, the series
is bringing their work to Southern California audiences.
“Now that (Armenia is) relatively independent,” Barsoumian said, “we are
trying to find out and experiment with sound that is closest to our
heart and experiences as Armenians, without any impediments.”
Dilijan, in its inaugural season, brings together small groups of
musicians to play classical music, using the Colborn School of Music in
downtown Los Angeles as a venue and operating out of the Glendale office
of the nonprofit Lark Musical Society.
The series is not dedicated only to compositions by Armenians. It has
already featured the work of classical music heavyweights Josef Haydn,
Felix Mendelssohn and Johannes Brahms.
And many of the 26 professional musicians involved in the project are
also not of Armenian descent. Phil O’Connor, 33, who plays clarinet and
saxophone, said he has enjoyed being part of the series.
“In the chamber music setting, because it’s less people involved, you
have more ability for everyone to interject their opinion and … you
can develop a group interpretation much more readily than you would in a
symphony,” O’Connor said.
Artistic director Movses Pogossian, 39, of Montrose is a violinist who
made his American debut in 1990 as a soloist with the Boston Pops.
A native of Armenia who taught music at universities in Pittsburgh,
Bowling Green and Detroit, he is impressed by Los Angeles musicians who
are just as comfortable playing at a movie studio as a symphony hall.
“Musically it’s the busiest city in America,” Pogossian said. “I think
it has the greatest number of great musicians in the country.”
On April 21, in a show called “Armenian Genocide Commemoration,”
Pogossian and five other musicians will perform the last installment of
the Dilijan series. The show comes a few days before the date when
Armenians mark the 1915 deportations and killings in the Ottoman Empire
that claimed the lives of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians.
One of the pieces chosen for the evening is a work by the Armenian
priest and composer Komitas. He was deported by the Ottoman Turks in
1915 and narrowly escaped death, but the experience put him in an insane
asylum and he died a few years later.
The April 21 show will also feature work by the living Armenian composer
Tigran Mansurian, and the late French composer Olivier Messiaen’s
“Quartet for the End of Time,” which was written in a German prison camp
during World War II.
“Instead of bringing out the dark and tragic in the piece, basically
Messiaen is singing the glory to God and it’s an incredibly positive and
life-affirming piece,” Pogossian said.
On Oct. 20, the series presented a unique show called “Condemned by
Stalin,” highlighting three Soviet composers who fell out of favor with
dictator Joseph Stalin. They include Aram Khatchaturian, a
Russian-trained composer of Armenian descent.
“They thought that he was trying to do some advanced modernistic
styles,” Barsoumian said.
The other two composers were Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich.
“Their music was going to be checked by people who acted like policemen,
music policemen,” Barsoumian said.
For more information on the Dilijan chamber music series, go to
Contact: [email protected], (818) 546-3304
87
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

California Courier Online, April 13, 2006
1 – Commentary
Those Who Live in Glass Houses
Should not Throw Stones…

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 – Facing History and Ourselves Hosts
Institute on the Armenian Genocide
3 – British Columbia Legislative Assembly
Recognizes the Armenian Genocide
4 – AEF Accepts
Applications for
Scholarships
5 – European Parliament Sends 10-Person Delegation
To Investigate Destruction of Armenian Cemetery
6 – Armenian Youth
May Be Deported
To Azerbaijan
7 – Website for Worldwide
Armenian Genocide Events
******************************************* ******************************
1 – Commentary
Those Who Live in Glass Houses
Should not Throw Stones…
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
The anticipated self-promotional puff-piece by Gunduz Aktan, a former
Turkish Ambassador and member of the infamous Turkish Armenian
Reconciliation Commission (TARC), was finally published in the April 8
issue of the Turkish Daily News.
Aktan and Omer Lutem, another former Turkish ambassador and a notorious
denialist, toured the U.S. during the second half of March, to spread coast
to coast their perverted version of history regarding the Armenian
Genocide.
In his article, Aktan says that the objective of their visit was to give
seminars to Turkish Americans “on the 1915-1916 incidents” and to
“distribute CDs” on this issue. He discloses that the two denialists have
made similar trips to several other European countries.
Aktan makes the following self-serving and questionable observation: “We
were happy to see that a Turkish diaspora is now emerging in America, as is
the case in Europe. Turks who, in the past, failed to come together despite
all the efforts made by Turkish diplomatic missions abroad, are now burying
their differences and joining hands. Due to the fact that they had lived as
subjects of an ’empire’ in the past, Turks failed to develop the kind of
minority psychology that would have enabled them to wage a struggle to
defend their rights when they found themselves living outside the borders
of the Turkish Republic.”
Aktan is implying that he and Lutem deserve some credit for their role in
this miraculous transformation, thereby trying to raise the value of their
services to their paymasters in Ankara. His explanation that Turkish
Americans have not developed the self-defense mechanisms of a minority due
to being “subjects of an ’empire’ in the past,” is utter nonsense, as very
few Turks still living today were around when the Ottoman Empire was in
existence, to be able to acquire such an imperial complex!
Aktan finally gets to the real purpose of his article by falsely claiming:
“Armenians tried to prevent us from arranging meetings at U.S.
universities. Despite their efforts we gave lectures at Columbia University
and the University of Chicago as well as in Congress and held a closed
meeting in Georgetown University. The Armenians who put pressure and issued
threats, on the other hand, prevented the meeting we were to hold at the
University of Southern California.”
The former diplomat makes cheap accusations and sweeping generalizations
against Armenians without providing a shred of evidence to back up his
claims! There have been no reports of threats by a single Armenian at any
of their talks. Aktan also falsely claims that Armenians had “prevented
expression of the Turkish side’s views at a program to be aired by [the]
American PBS television.” He must be referring to a panel discussion
offered by PBS to its affiliate stations. Contrary to Aktan’s assertions,
the panel discussion is not cancelled. Some PBS stations are planning to
air that program, while others have announced that they would not carry it
because it added nothing new to the genocide documentary. Finally, Armenian
Americans, like all Americans, have the constitutionally protected right to
freely express their opinion and disagree with PBS, unlike in Turkey where
one can be accused of “denigrating Turkishness” and thrown in jail for
simply speaking one’s mind!
Aktan finally brings up the same old refrain that he has repeated ad
nauseam in many of his articles claiming that Armenians are “wary of taking
their cause to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague,”
implying that they are afraid of losing. The truth is that Armenians would
be at The Hague tomorrow if there were the slightest possibility that the
ICJ would take up a case that is more than 90 years old! Nevertheless,
should the Turkish government accept the Court’s jurisdiction over the
genocide issue and consequent remedies, this would mean that Ankara would
agree in advance to abide by the Court’s possible verdict to return back to
Armenians the confiscated properties and occupied territories. If Aktan is
so sure of his phony arguments, instead of simply bluffing, he should get
his government to commit to abide by the court’s verdict. Just last year,
after bravely “threatening” to take the Armenian Genocide issue to the
United Nations — a move Armenians welcomed — Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul sheepishly reversed himself by announcing that the UN would not be an
acceptable venue for his government! Gul may have discovered, a little
late, that back in 1985 a UN human rights panel had already classified the
Armenian Genocide as an example of genocide!
What makes Aktan’s entire column so ridiculous is that, contrary to his
assertions, the University of Southern California did not cancel his and
Lutem’s talks because of any “threats” from Armenians. Joshua Fouts, the
Director of USC Center on Public Diplomacy, the sponsor of the lecture,
told the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles that he cancelled it because “the
topic was not what we had previously agreed-upon and thus not something we
could host.” When a former USC Turkish student accused the university of
“curbing free speech,” Fouts responded by quoting Mark Twain: “A lie can
travel halfway around the world, while the truth is still putting its shoes
on.” He told this Turkish individual: “The reason the USC Center on Public
Diplomacy was unable to host the Turkish event is simple: …The topic that
was originally proposed was a different one…. The topic that I discussed
with the Turkish Consulate on Feb. 27 was to be on ‘Turkish Public
Diplomacy,’ specifically the role of Civil Societies in improving
Turkish-Armenian relations…. I notified the Consulate that this was not the
event we agreed on….”
The reason that the Aktan & Lutem show was cancelled had nothing to do with
“threats” or pressure by Armenians. It was a pure and simple case of the
Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles misrepresenting to the university the true
topic of their talk. This is nothing new. Readers may recall that a year
ago, the Ankara Chamber of Commerce placed a Turkish DVD as a paid ad in
TIME Europe, ostensibly promoting tourism to Turkey, but actually including
70-minutes of vicious lies on the Armenian Genocide!
Finally, it is simply ridiculous for Turkish officials and their henchmen
to accuse a major U.S. university of curbing freedom of speech. As the
proverb says: “Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones!”
**************************************** **********************************
2 – Facing History and Ourselves Hosts
Institute on the Armenian Genocide
PASADENA – The Armenian National Committee announced last week the first
California Institute for Educators on the Armenian Genocide, offered by
Facing History and Ourselves will take place June 26-30 at the Krouzian
Zekarian Vasbouragan Armenian School in San Francisco.
The Institute connects a rigorous exploration of the Armenian genocide, to
ethical decision-making students face today. The ANC strongly endorses this
program and is calling for financial support from the community to ensure
teachers from southern California will be able to attend.
The Institute and resource book, Crimes against Humanity and Civilization,
provides one of the most comprehensive guides to the Armenian Genocide
created for secondary education. The Armenian Genocide is placed in
thorough context and is studied through historical facts as presented in
primary sources from the National Archives, Library of Congress and with
the support of prominent specialists in the field.
Dr. Richard Hovannisian, Holder of the AEF Chair in Modern Armenian History
at UCLA, who is a member of Facing History’s National Board of Scholars,
will be a featured speaker at the Institute.
The weeklong institute builds on one-day trainings Facing History has
already provided teachers in Southern California, including district-wide
workshops in Glendale, Montebello and Pasadena.
Teachers of Modern World History, International Relations, and Comparative
Government will find this institute particularly valuable. Individuals in
the San Francisco Bay Area are sponsoring teachers from their region, but
additional funds are needed to ensure teachers from southern California are
able to participate.
Please consider sponsoring a teacher to attend the institute:
$1000 will cover the costs for one teacher, including the $350 tuition,
airfare and accommodations in San Francisco for one week, and all
resources.
The goal is to send 12-15 teachers from Los Angeles, who collectively can
expect to reach 1200-1500 students each year with the lessons and resources
gained at the institute.
Following the institute, Facing History program staff will provide free
follow-up support to help customize the course to meet the teachers’ needs.
************************************************** ************************
3 – British Columbia Legislative Assembly
Recognizes the Armenian Genocide
OTTAWA – The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia unanimously adopted a
Private Member’s Motion 59, recognizing the Armenian Genocide and to
designate April 24 of every year as a remembrance day for the 1.5 million
Armenians who fell victim to the first genocide of the 20th Century.
The debate on the Motion, which was sponsored by Member of the Legislative
Assembly (MLA) Adrian Dix (Vancouver-Kingsway), commenced at 11:00 a.m. and
was voted upon at the end of the allotted one-hour.
Several members spoke in support of the Motion.
Since last August, the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC), the
ANC of Canada – West (ANCCW), and the ANC of Vancouver have worked closely
with the MLAs to build non-partisan support for the motion. The ANCC, ANCCW
and ANCV delegates had numerous meetings with various MLAs to brief them on
the Motion’s importance as a universal human rights issue. In addition, the
delegates presented historical overview of the Genocide and supporting
documents.
The executive director of the ANC of Canada Aris Babikian, on behalf of the
Canadian-Armenian community, thanked MLAs Adrian Dix (NDP) and Randy Hawes
(Liberal) for their leadership role in the successful adoption of the
Motion. Furthermore, Babikian thanked members who spoke in favor of the
Motion and the members who voted to adopt it.
Babikian said: “This is a historic day for our community in Canada and in
British Columbia. The steadfast support and the unanimous vote of the MLAs
demonstrates once again that the Turkish Government’s denial policy and
rewriting of history will not succeed. We call upon the Turkish Government
to be constructive, to come to terms with its dark history and to
acknowledge its predecessors’ guilt and extend a hand of atonement and
reconciliation to the Armenian People.”
The ANC of Canada has nine chapters throughout the country.
***************************************** **********************************
4 – AEF Accepts
Applications for
Scholarships
GLENDALE – The Armenian Educational Foundation (AEF) announced last week
that it is accepting applications for Richard R. Tufenkian Scholarship for
the 2006 – 2007 academic year.
The Richard R. Tufenkian Scholarship was established by Ralph and Savey
Tufenkian in memory of their son. Five $2,000 scholarships will be awarded
to Armenian undergraduate students at an accredited United States
college/university. To qualify for this scholarship, students must be of
Armenian descent, have a minimum 3.0 GPA, show financial need, and be
actively involved in the Armenian community.
Students who meet the above criteria should visit for
scholarship application and more information. All completed scholarship
application packages must be postmarked no later than July 30, 2006 and
mailed to AEF, 600 West Broadway, Suite 130, Glendale, CA 91204, phone
(818) 242-4154 or email [email protected].
********’**************************************** *************************
5 – European Parliament Sends 10-Person Delegation
To Investigate Destruction of Armenian Cemetery
STRASBURG (FRANCE) – A 10-member delegation from the European Parliament
will travel to Djulfa, Azerbaijan, to investigate the destruction of the
Armenian cemetery by Azeri authorities. The treasure of world architectural
heritage was effectively destroyed and replaced by an Azerbaijani military
facility.
Composed of members of the Commission of EU-Armenian parliamentary
cooperation group, the European Parliament delegation was approved by the
leaders of its political parties and the President of the EP on April 6.
The EP leaders unanimously decided to entrust this mission to the
Commission on EU-Armenia parliamentary cooperation rather than to an ad-hoc
delegation, as it had initially been planned.
The mission is being sent in accordance with the Parliament’s resolution
“on cultural heritage in Azerbaijan,” which was adopted in February of
2006. This measure “demands that Azerbaijan allow missions, including
experts working with ICOMOS, who are dedicated to surveying and protecting
archaeological heritage, in particular Armenian heritage, onto its
territory, and that it also allow a European Parliament delegation to visit
the archaeological site at Djulfa.”
The delegation is set to travel to Djulfa as part of their trip to Armenia
from April 17-21. Prior to travelling to Djulfa, they
will need to get the necessary authorizations from the Azerbaijani
authorities, the same authorities responsible for the desecration of the
cemetery.
The delegation includes Parliament members from France, Slovakia, Italy,
The Netherlands, Belgium,, Germany, Austria and Poland.
****************************************** *************************
6 – Armenian Youth
May Be Deported
To Azerbaijan
YEREVAN (Mediamax) – Karen Avanesian, 19 might be forcibly deported from
Great Britain to Baku.
Sources in London said that Avanesian, who arrived in Great Britain
illegally at the age of 16, failed to obtain political asylum, and British
authorities decided to deport him.
According to relatives, Avanesian attended school and lived on welfare as
he had no work permit. His Azerbaijani father left the family when his son
was a little boy.
Since Avanesian was born in Nagorno Karabagh which de-jure is considered to
be part of Azerbaijan, the British authorities decided that his motherland
is Azerbaijan and resolved to deport him to Baku. Avanesian was told that
this week he would be flown to Moscow, and from there to Baku.
Avanesian was held at the Tinsley House detention center at London’s
Gatwick airport.
************************************************* **************************
7 – Website for Worldwide
Armenian Genocide Events
Since April of 2003, GenocideEvents.com has undertaken the task of
informing the general public, as a community service, of the events
commemorating the Armenian Genocide.
The public is encouraged to attend the functions in their area of
residence, watch Armenian Genocide video clips/flash presentation and
reflect upon the horrors which fell upon the Armenian Nation and Armenian
people in the beginning of the last century.
April 24, 2006 marks the 91st Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Armenians worldwide will be commemorating the First Genocide of the 20th
Century with solemn religious and civil ceremonies. Along with the Armenian
people, prominent celebrities and statesmen will be participating in this
day of remembrance.
************************************* *************************************
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*
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LECTURE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
ARA SARAFIAN (Gomidas Institute, UK)
Abril Bookstore & Publishing
415 E. Broadway Ave. Suite #102
Glendale, CA 91205
Tuesday, 18 April 2006
8:00 pm
The British Parliamentary Blue Book and the Denial of the Armenian
Genocide: The Continuing Saga
Last year, on the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish
Grand National Assembly (TGNA) mounted a campaign against the 1916
British Parliamentary Blue Book. Couched in terms of improving relations
with the republic of Armenia and resolving the Armenian Genocide issue,
Turkish Parlimentarians claimed that the root of the Armenian Genocide
thesis were British propagandists during World War I, and the TGNA
requested that the British Parliament rescind the 1916 work.
This official Turkish onslaught, which is still in progress, reflected
the continuing cynicism of Turkish authorities when addressing the
Armenian issue. The soft language of peace masked a more disturbing
agenda. The main culprits in this effort were Sukru Elekdag, the former
Turkish ambassador to the United States (now a member of the TGNA), and
his longstanding ally, Justin McCarthy, a long time denier of the
Armenian Genocide.
Only a few weeks ago, at a special symposium on improving
Turkish-Armenian relations, Sukru Elekdag gave an update on his efforts
to co-opt the British Parliament in the denial of the Armenian Genocide.
In his talk, the British archival historian Ara Sarafian will provide an
update to the activities of Turkish authorities in the United Kingdom,
and discuss the main lines of opposition to Turkish efforts.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Ara Sarafian is an archival historian specialising in
late Ottoman and modern Armenian history. He is the director of Gomidas
Institute (UK) and editor of Gomidas Institute Books. His publications
include the critical edition of the famous 1916 Blue Book, The Treatment
of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire 1916-1916 [Uncensored Edition]. Over
the past year he has advised a group of British Parliamentarians who
have opposed the efforts of the TGNA to deny the Armenian Genocide.
Sarafian was also a participant at the Istanbul University symposium on
Turkish-Armenian relations (March 15-17, 2006).
For more information, please contact [email protected]

The AKP and Other Turkish Islamists Attempt to Block Secular General
From Top Military Post
MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE (MEMRI)
April 11, 2006
Special Dispatch Series – No. 1136
Despite three military coups in the past decades, the Turkish military
is the most respected and trusted institution in the country, as the
guardian and guarantor of the legacy of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk – a
pro-Western, secular Turkish republic.
But in the view of Turkey’s Islamists, a strong and hawkish chief of
general staff would pose a threat to their efforts to move Turkey from
secularism to Islamism.
Turkish military commander Gen. Mehmet Yasar Buyukanit, an outspoken and
tough-on-terrorism anti-Islamist, is expected to become the next chief
of general staff in August 2006. Since last year, a campaign has been
waged to tarnish Gen. Buyukanit’s reputation, in order to block him from
this post.
First in this campaign were allegations, spread through various
websites, that Gen. Buyukanit was not a “pureblood” Turk, but had
Sabbatean Jewish elements in his family tree. It was claimed on these
websites that, in accordance with the traditions of Sabbateans, he had
wed his daughter to a “certified” Sabbatean. One Islamist website posted
a long list of names and citizenship identification numbers of members
of Gen. Buyukanit’s family tree, to “prove” that he was not a “real”
Turk. [1] The site’s homepage heading challenged Gen. Buyukanit: “If you
have any courage, prove to us that you are not a Jewish donme [i.e. a
crypto-Jew; Sabbatean convert to Islam]!” [2]
Then, in early March 2006 came an indictment against him in the matter
of the November 9, 2005 bombing of a bookshop in the mainly Kurdish town
of Semdinli, owned by a former Kurdish member of the PKK. [3]
The charges against Gen. Buyukanit were prepared by the assistant
district attorney for the city of Van, prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya who in
October 2005 had charged and incarcerated Professor Yucel Askin,
president of Yuzuncu Yil University (YYU) in Van [4] who was known for
stopping the Islamist activities in the university.
The charges against Gen. Buyukanit created a political storm in Turkey.
The military called the charges an assault by a certain sect of
Islamists on the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), and hinted that the
followers of Turkish Islamist leader Fethullah Gulen [5] and some AKP
members were involved.
Subsequently, on March 23, the Turkish media reported on the removal of
Turkish Security Directorate intelligence chief Sabri Uzun for
statements inferring that the military was behind the Semdinli events.
Then, a Justice Ministry investigation of Prosecutor Sarikaya found that
the charges against Gen. Buyukanit did not have “the required basis” for
prosecution.
The following are excerpts from the Turkish press’ coverage of the crisis:
“First the Rector, Now the General”
Columnist Bekir Coskun of the secular mainstream Turkish daily Hurriyet
wrote: [6] “The rift is deepening between the [AKP] government and all
the concepts and institutions that are defending the secular republic.
Now the lines are clearer, the attitudes are stronger, [and] the attacks
are more frequent. The religionist [i.e. the Islamist] has abandoned his
calm, softer attitude. The game is over. […] ‘First the rector, now the
general…’ Accusations directed at Gen. Yasar Buyukanit – who is expected
to become chief of general staff in the coming period – is where we have
got to, following the [AKP government’s] purge of thousands of secular
Ataturk followers from government positions. It seems that the armed
forces commanders are next in line.”
In an op-ed titled “The Goal is to Wear Gen. Buyukanit Down,” columnist
Mehmet Y. Yilmaz of Hurriyet wrote: [7] “[…] First they spread lies
about the ethnic origins of Gen. Buyukanit’s family [alleging
Sabbatean/Jewish ancestry]. […] Now on the agenda is the Van
prosecutor’s charge that ‘Buyukanit attempted to influence the
judiciary.’ They base their accusation on what Gen. Buyukanit said about
a soldier allegedly involved in the Semdinli incident: ‘I know him, he
is a good guy.’ The rest of Buyukanit’s statement, ‘Whether he is guilty
or not will be determined by the investigation,’ has been omitted for
some reason. […]”
Columnist Meric Koyatasi of the secular, mainstream daily Aksam wrote:
[8] “[…] Even if it was not heard directly from the mouth of the
government, it is known that circles close to the [AKP] government are
trying to block Gen. Buyukanit. […] The prosecutor is famous for his
previous indictment of the rector of the university at Van [YYU
Professor] Yucel Askin, who had not permitted shari’a [advocates] to
organize on campus. […]
“Everybody already knows that certain circles want to peck at and erode
our military. These [circles] have worked and organized, secretly and
tirelessly, since the [1923] founding of the Republic [of Turkey] […]
Prejudice [in the judiciary] based on ideologies, beliefs, culture, and
form of education is very, very dangerous. […]”
In an article titled “Politics Meddle with the Military,” columnist Ali
Sirmen of the center-left, secular daily Cumhuriyet wrote: [9] “[…] It
is well known that in the process of re-shaping Turkey according to its
own ideology, the AKP government is targeting the military […] Gen.
Kemal Yavuz once clearly said, ‘The military has always been the
ultimate target of any government that based its existence on religion.’
[…]
“Let me underline some strange coincidences. It is well known that the
AKP government is not pleased with universities, especially Yuzuncu Yil
University at Van and its rector, Yucel Askin. Therefore, Van prosecutor
Ferhat Sarikaya appears onstage and prepares the indictment [against
Askin], which was rejected by most legal authorities. […] Everybody also
knows that some circles close to AKP feel uncomfortable with [future
chief of general staff] Gen. Buyukanit […]. [So, again, prosecutor]
Sarikaya prepares a terrible indictment against Buyukanit […]”
The Behind-the-Scenes Role of the AKP and Islamists
The question of who is behind the efforts to block Gen. Buyukanit from
the top military post has been on the Turkish media agenda since the
Semdinli indictment became public in early March 2006. The following are
excerpts from articles by Turkish columnists on this question:
“AKP Members are Overjoyed”
“Some AKP members were overjoyed with the Van prosecutor’s indictment
[of Gen. Buyukanit], which he [i.e. the prosecutor] sent to the military
prosecutor of the Office of General Staff for examination and investigation.
“The AKP MP from Adiyaman, Faruk Unsal, said: ‘[…] The indictment
prepared by the office of the Van prosecutor has done what we were
unable to do.’
“The AKP MP from Manisa, Hakan Tasci, said: ‘What we left unfinished is
now completed by the Van prosecutor.[…] He is right.” [10]
“The AKP and the Turkish Military”
“[…] Prime Minister Erdogan says, ‘This is a matter between the military
and the judiciary, to which the AKP is not a party in any way.’ […] In
reality, statements by AKP MPs show that AKP sides with the indictment
and with the prosecutor [who prepared it], and that they are happy about
the charges [against Gen. Buyukanit]. It would seem that anything that
wears down the armed forces makes the AKP happy. […] The reason the Land
Forces commander’s name appears in the indictment is the testimony
before the parliamentary investigation commission [investigating the
Semdinli incidents] by Diyarbakir businessman Mehmet Ali Altindag. [11]
Altindag was invited to testify before the commission by AKP MP Cavit
Torun of Diyarbakir. Cavit Torun was also formerly Altindag’s attorney
[when Altindag was accused of affiliation with Hizbullah].
“When the [Van] prosecutor demanded [only] the records of Altindag’s
testimony before the commission [out of the testimony of some 40
witnesses], it was again an AKP MP, Musa Savcioglu – chairman of the
Semdinli Commission – who [secretly] sent the confidential records to
the Van prosecutor [without informing the rest of the commission].[…]” [12]
Is the Investigation Against Gen. Buyukanit an AKP Retaliation for His
1983 Action [Against Islamist Leader Fethullah Gulen]?
“In 1983, [then-] Colonel Yasar Buyukanit was commander of the Kuleli
Military High School. [At that time] the newly organized community of
[Turkish Islamist sect leader] Fethullah [Gulen] – which is now very
widespread – managed to infiltrate [the Kuleli School, enrolling] 80 of
their students in it. These students would have become future
commanders! […] A disciplinary committee, of five officers headed by
Buyukanit, expelled all 80. […]
“Now, after the Van indictment, one cannot help asking: ‘Is this
retaliation [for Gen. Buyukanit’s 1983 action], by some Fethullah
followers who have been placed in high public positions by the AKP?'” [13]
“Fethullah Followers Who Targeted Gen. Buyukanit are Under AKP Umbrella”
“What could be the aim of the circles that want to wear down Gen. Yasar
Buyukanit? To create confusion in public opinion about Buyukanit, who is
a follower of [the principles of] Ataturk and a patriotic soldier…[…]
“The plot was led by Fethullah’s daily newspaper Zaman, and religionist
[i.e. Islamist] and divisive [separatist] websites… […] Some years ago,
Fethullah Gulen targeted [another military leader,] Air Force commander
Gen. Ahmet Corekci – because Gen. Corekci had identified, one by one,
Fethullah’s officers and NCOs in the Air Force… […]
“In those days in the residences of the Air Force base at Eskisehir, NCO
wives were wearing black burkahs, and a lieutenant colonel was kissing
the hands of his NCO because of the latter’s high position within the
[Fethullah] sect… Later it was Maltepe Armored Corps commander Gen.
Silahcioglu’s turn to be targeted.; Fethullah’s Zaman had reported
[falsely] that ‘Commander [Silahcioglu] destroyed the minarets of the
mosque…’ Gen. Silahcioglu was a follower of Ataturk, and a patriotic
soldier… Therefore, Fethullah [followers] were uncomfortable with him.
“Aren’t all the followers of the religionist baron [i.e. Fethullah
Gulen] who targeted Land Forces Commander Gen. Buyukanit – with no
evidence – under the umbrella of the AKP government? The Fethullahists
have the political power to influence the judiciary, direct the media,
and even intimidate bank owners by threatening that their followers
might withdraw all their funds from their banks… It is a fact that
Fethullahists know how to use their political and economic power very
well. They are experts in inserting their influence into the judiciary,
the police, politics and the economy [of the country] […]” [14]
Opposition Leader Baykal: “This Operation [Against the Military] was
Planned at the PM’s Office by his Staff Director”
“At a press conference, CHP (Republican People’s Party) Chairman Deniz
Baykal was asked to evaluate rumors that Omer Dincer, the staff director
of the office of Prime Minister Erdogan, was behind the Semdinli
indictment [i.e. of Gen. Buyukanit]. Baykal said: ‘The mentality of the
staff director of the Prime Minister’s Office is not one that respects
Turkey’s secular, democratic republic – as evidenced by his own
publications and acknowledgement. For some time in Turkey, there has
been an intentional and ongoing assault against the Republic’s
institutions and achievements. This operation is being planned at the
offices of the prime minister and his staff director.’ [15]
Justice Ministry for Disciplinary Action Against Prosecutor
“Justice Ministry inspectors sent to investigate Van prosecutor Ferhat
Sarikaya following his allegations against Gen. Yasar Buyukanit have
completed their report. The inspectors have called for disciplinary
action against Sarikaya, noting that his charges against Buyukanit ‘did
not have the required basis.'” [16]
NOTES
[1] (meaning in Turkish: nationaltreason.com).
[2] In Turkey, no member of a non-Muslim minority serves in uniform,
either in the military (beyond compulsory military service) or in any
security or police force. No non-Muslim is a member of the judiciary
(such as prosecutors, judges etc.) or holds any high-ranking position in
any government ministry (Eg. there is not a single non-Muslim Turkish
diplomat).
[3] PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party), a separatist Kurdish organization
which is listed in the U.S. list of terrorist organizations. Turkey’s
fight against PKK terrorism during the last three decades has resulted
in the death of over 30,000 Turkish citizens. Recently the PKK violence
has escalated in many towns in the mainly Kurdish Southeast of Turkey
and in Istanbul resulting in daily casualties.
[4] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 1014, “The AKP Government’s Attempt
to Move Turkey From Secularism to Islamism (Part I): The Clash With
Turkey’s Universities,” November 1, 2005,
amp;Area=turkey&ID=SP101405 .
[5] Fethullah Gulen is known to be a sworn proponent of shari’a and a
caliphate in Turkey, but has in recent years been a relatively moderate
voice advocating for interfaith dialogue (which is regarded as taqiyyah
by Turkey’s secularists and by many Western experts on Islam). Following
his indictment in Turkey for Islamist activity against the secular
regime, he fled to the U.S., where he has lived since 1999. His sect
owns many media organs in Turkey, including Zaman, Samanyolu TV, many
magazines, and radio stations. Many of his followers occupy positions in
Turkish government ministries, police, and military. There are thousands
of Islamic-Turkish Fethullah Gulen schools in Turkey and hundreds more
in over 70 countries worldwide, including Ukraine, Indonasia, South
Africa, Sudan, Australia, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Europe, Russia, and
the U.S.; the schools are built by his many foundations and the source
of their funding is unknown. In March 2006, two additional schools were
opened, one in Argentina and the other in Sudan; AKP Cabinet Minister
Kursad Tuzmen attended the inaugural ceremony in Sudan. It is believed
that during the last years of the communist Soviet Union, Fethullah
Gulen supporters created unrest in the Muslim communities in the north
of the Black Sea, against the Soviets.
[6] Hurriyet (Turkey), March 7, 2006.
[7] Hurriyet (Turkey), March 6, 2006.
[8] Aksam (Turkey) March 6, 2006.
[9] Cumhuriyet (Turkey), March 7, 2006.
[10] Hurriyet (Turkey), Mehmet Yilmaz, March 7, 2006.
[11] According to the Turkish media, the charges against Gen. Buyukanit
were based solely on Mehmet Ali Altindag’s testimony for the
parliamentary probe of the Semdinli events. Altindag (AKA “Hadji”), a
businessman from Diyarbakir owns a local newspaper and a local TV
channel, and has many times been charged for his alleged ties first with
the terrorist organization PKK and then with the Islamist Hizbullah. He
has been called Hizbullah’s “financier.” He has also won many government
tenders for multi-million government projects (see reports in Hurriyet,
March 20, 2006; Cumhuriyet, March 7, 2006).
[12] Yenicag (Turkey), Umit Ozdag, March 11, 2006.
[13] Hurriyet (Turkey) Emin Colasan, March 12, 2006. The article also
said: “Their investigation revealed that all these students had been
educated in Fethullah’s ‘houses of light,’ and while the brightest were
directed to universities to study law and political sciences to become
future judges, prosecutors, and bureaucrats, others were sent to
military high schools with the goal of [eventually] holding positions in
the Turkish Armed Forces. The Kuleli [School] then determined the
addresses of the said ‘houses of light’ and informed the police; the
police took no action. (Today, there are tens of thousands of such
houses of light all over Turkey. They house and feed their students,
[and] assign them ‘mentor brothers’ to educate them. All for free. Their
source of funding is unknown!)
“Then the investigation also showed that the students whom they [i.e.
the Fethullah followers] sent to [entrance] exams at Kuleli had each
been instructed to memorize five questions to be added to a question
bank, for future use by student candidates [taking entrance exams for
military schools ].”
[14] Cumhuriyet (Turkey), Hikmet Cetinkaya, March 7, 2006.
[15] Hurriyet (Turkey), March 25, 2006.
[16] Hurriyet (Turkey), March 29, 2006.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
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04/11/2006
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) ARF Is for Territorial Integrity of Georgia 2) Armenia Must Always Be Ready for War 3) Azeri Leader to Meet George W. Bush 4) Case against Four Turkish Journalists Dropped 5) Armenian Writers' Conference Ends with Special Ceremony 6) Armenian Military Says Hundreds Still Kept in Azeri Captivity 1) ARF Is for Territorial Integrity of Georgia YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)--Vahan Hovhannisian, Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament and Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau member, said that the ARF is not at all against the territorial integrity of Georgia. Responding to a question of the "Golos Armenii" (Voice of Armenia) newspaper, he also said the ARF is not responsible for the strained situation in Javakhk. According to Hovhannisian, if the Georgian state is willing to give wide autonomous rights to its national minorities (Abkhazians, Ossetians), the law-abiding Armenian citizens in Javakhk deserve the same rights. "I think that Georgia, entering different European structures, must show a European approach to the issue of national minorities," Hovhannisian stated. 2) Armenia Must Always Be Ready for War YEREVAN (Yerkir)--Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsian said Tuesday that Armenia, like any other country, must always be prepared for war. "The Defense Minister of any country, the Armenian Defense Minister in particular, must realize that military operations may start at any moment," said Sargsian in response to a question about whether or he foresees a chance of war. Regarding the increased ceasefire violations along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border zone, the Defense Minister said that today's situation is no different from the previous situation. "There have always been shots fired, and even if there is a difference, the situation has become milder," he added. 3) Azeri Leader to Meet George W. Bush WASHINGTON (Armenpress)--Azeri President Ilham Aliyev will meet with US President George W. Bush later this month to discuss energy and the promotion of democracy in Asia, the White House said Monday. Bush and Aliyev will also discuss Azerbaijan's role in helping stabilize Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo during the April 28 meeting. Aliyev will also discuss Karabagh conflict regulation issue and US-Azerbaijan bilateral relations, Trend news agency cited the head of the social-political department of the Azeri president's executive staff Ali Hasanov as saying. 4) Case against Four Turkish Journalists Dropped ISTANBUL (AP)--A court on Tuesday dropped charges against four Turkish journalists accused of insulting the country's courts, but decided to press ahead with the trial of a fifth journalist. All five journalists were on trial for criticizing in print a court's decision last year to shut down a conference in Istanbul about the genocide of Armenians by Turks during the Ottoman Empire. Prosecutors said their writings were illegal attempts to influence the outcome of a trial and insulted the court system. On Tuesday, the court dropped charges against journalists Hasan Cemal, Ismet Berkan, Haluk Sahin, and Erol Katircioglu, on grounds that prosecutors had not filed charges within the required two-month period following the publication of the articles, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported. The court, however, decided to proceeded with the trial of Murat Belge, a columnist for the liberal Radikal newspaper, the agency said. The trial is seen as a test of Turkey's readiness for membership in the European Union. Turkey, which embarked on membership talks in October, is under heavy pressure from the EU and human rights organizations to address its infringements on freedom of expression. The five had faced between six months to 10 years in prison. Charges on the grounds of insulting the republic, state institutions or "Turkishness" are frequently leveled against journalists, scholars, and dissidents. Discussion of the Armenian genocide is still extremely sensitive in Turkey, which vehemently denies that the Genocide took place. The conference in September went on despite the court order to close it down after organizers changed the venue at the last minute. It was the first time the issue was publicly discussed in Turkey. A case against Orhan Pamuk, the country's best-known novelist, for "insulting Turkishness," was dropped earlier this year after Turkey came under harsh criticism from the EU. 5) Armenian Writers' Conference Ends with Special Ceremony The Third Pan-Armenian Writers' Conference officially ended with a special ceremony held on the evening of April 9 in the Antelias headquarters of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, under the patronage of His Holiness Aram I. The president of the Writers' Union of Armenia, Levon Ananian thanked His Holiness Aram I on behalf of the participants in the conference and Armenian writers who were unable to make the conference. Ananian expressed his gratitude not only for the organization of the conference, but for the love, support, care, and commitment that the Armenian Pontiff shows towards Armenian writers and culture. Following the heart-felt words of the oldest participant in the conference, poet Jack Hagopian, a similar opportunity to speak was given to the youngest participant, poet Nanor Indjedjigian. IN her speech during the closing ceremony, the young poet said she considered Armenian literature to be a source of youth. His Holiness Aram I then delivered the concluding remarks, expressing his impressions of the conference. The Catholicos made use of his experience as a participant in numerous national and international conferences to make several constructive suggestions for the next conference. The Pontiff proposed that in the future more time be reserved for discussion sessions, which should include more questions than statements. He suggested penetrating into the heart of the presented topics and bringing problems clearly under the spotlight. His Holiness stressed the importance of participation by the youth, considering it the source of persistence of Armenian institutions, culture, and literature. His Holiness Aram I particularly emphasized the importance of looking for new paths to cooperation between Armenia and the diaspora and pointed out that Armenian literature can help contribute to this. In this context, he focused on mutual recognition and acquaintance, stressing that Armenian language textbooks should include the works of both Armenia-based and diaspora-based Armenian writers. His Holiness called on bravely facing difficult and sensitive issues rather than escaping from them. Mentioning the issue of dictation as an example, he said that as one of the strong factors of the Armenian nation's unity, the matter needs to be discussed in a periodical manner. His Holiness Aram I then identified the deterioration of quality in all the fields of Armenian literature as a major problem and called for establishing a new level of quality with collective efforts and commitment. At the end of the ceremony, His Holiness Aram I decorated the president of the Writers' Union of Armenia with the "St. Mesrob Mashdots" insignia. The Seminary choir then performed a series of national and patriotic songs to mark the end of the conference. 6) Armenian Military Says Hundreds Still Kept in Azeri Captivity YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Hundreds of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians remain in Azeri captivity nearly twelve years after the end of large-scale fighting in Karabagh, a senior Armenian Defense Ministry official said on Tuesday. "We have information that they are used as slave labor in Azerbaijan," said Colonel Ashot Balian, a member of a ministry commission dealing missing Armenian soldiers and civilian hostages. "The Azerbaijani authorities keep moving them around and leaving no traces of them." "I therefore can't name any specific locations, but we are convinced that they are in Azerbaijan. Some are even said to have been relocated to Turkey," he said. "We still hope that our missing sons will return to their families one day." The Azeri authorities have denied holding any Armenian prisoners in the past. The Red Cross, which has offices in both Baku and Yerevan, is the main international institution that arranges Armenian-Azeri prisoner exchanges and repatriations. Both conflicting armies continue to turn to it for assistance after reporting soldier disappearances. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) US Suggests New Proposals for Settling Karabagh Issue 2) Karabagh Asks Azerbaijan to Maintain Ceasefire 3) Third Pan-Armenian Writers' Conference Concludes in Antelias 4) Aznavour Hails New Paris-Yerevan Flights; Visits Monasteries in Tavush 5) Morgenthau's Memoirs Published for First Time in Turkey 6) First Part of Russian Material to Be Withdrawn in May 1) US Suggests New Proposals for Settling Karabagh Issue BAKU (Armenpress)--The United States has suggested new proposals to continue the Prague process of the Karabagh conflict regulation, said Azeri Foreign Minister, Elmar Mamedyarov. He said that the proposals are interesting. Azeri officials will analyze the new proposals and give their opinion when Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk group co-chairman Steven Mann visits Baku. Mamedyarov also said that a recent decision to promote US-Azeri relations has been made, in accordance with Azeri national interests. 2) Karabagh Asks Azerbaijan to Maintain Ceasefire STEPANAKERT (Armenpress)--The Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR) Foreign Ministry expressed its concern last week over frequent ceasefire violations along the contact line between the Armenian and Azeri armed forces. The statement blamed the incidents on increasingly hostile statements made by top Azeri government officials. The statement said that the ceasefire violations have increased casualties along the contract line, led to mutual distrust, and could possibly escalate tensions in the Karabagh conflict zone, threatening the stability in the entire region. "The Nagorno Karabagh republic confirms its adherence only to the peaceful settlement of the conflict, as well as its readiness to implement the sides' open-ended obligations to maintain the cease-fire, which is confirmed by the 6 February 1995 agreement signed between the defense ministers of the Nagorno-Karabagh, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. We call on the two other parties that signed the agreement, namely Azerbaijan and Armenia, to join our initiative. "We hope that through joint efforts and with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen and other international mediators and interested sides, it will be possible to confirm our adherence to the agreement and implement the mechanisms it indicates in order to localize incidents on the armed forces' contact line," the statement said. MKR confirmed its position that along with the strict observance of the ceasefire, other preconditions for a peaceful solution are a peace process that involves all the parties to the conflict, confidence-building, strengthening of democracy, and respect for human rights. 3) Third Pan-Armenian Writers' Conference Concludes in Antelias The Third Pan-Armenian Writers' Conference, which began Thursday in the Antelias headquarters of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, concluded its sessions Saturday. The official closing ceremony of the conference was held on Palm Sunday, under the patronage of His Holiness Aram I, who also delivered his Pontifical speech on this occasion. The conference was initiated by the Writers' Union of Armenia in cooperation with the Assembly of Lebanese-Armenian Writers. It was held under the patronage of His Holiness Aram I. More than 300 Armenian writers from Armenia, Karabagh, Lebanon, the Middle East, Europe, Northern and Southern America, Canada and Australia gathered in Antelias, Lebanon to participate in the conference. Thursday's sessions were dedicated to, "Modern Children's Literature and National Schools." Eduard Milidonian from Armenia and Krikor Shahinian from Lebanon gave two expert presentations about this topic. The next session was dedicated to proposals about the Fourth Pan-Armenian Writer's Conference. Under the chairmanship of Norayr Atalian from Armenia and Markar Sharabkhian from Canada the participant Armenian writers made various proposals about the importance of contact between Armenian writers around the world. The idea of establishing a website for this purpose was proposed. Other suggestions were made on the organization of the printing press. The ninth session was dedicated to the concerns and difficulties of Armenian writers. Seiran Krikorian from Armenia and Jirayr Tanielian from Lebanon chaired the session, during which various suggestions were made about coordinating intellectual activities in Armenia and the diaspora. The conference also included a performance of "I Veh Partsants" and "Cilicia" by the Seminary Choir and an exhibition of books published in Armenia. 4) Aznavour Hails New Paris-Yerevan Flights; Visits Monasteries in Tavush YEREVAN (RFE/RL/Armenpress)--Charles Aznavour, the famous French singer of Armenian descent, was in Armenia Monday to inaugurate new regular flights between Yerevan and Paris by Air France, one of the world's biggest airlines. Aznavour was among 39 French officials, business executives and other dignitaries who arrived in the Armenian capital on Saturday on the flagship French carrier's first-ever flight to the South Caucasus. "I feel happy attending any event that strengthens Armenian-French friendship," he said during the official presentation of the new flight service at the French embassy in Yerevan. The 75-year-old crooner, who has a square named after him in the city center, took the opportunity to again emphasize his Armenian heritage. "I am 100 percent Armenian by heart, by soul and by family language," he told reporters in French. On Sunday, Aznavour visited the Armenian region of Tavush, where he was welcomed by the local governor and the head of Gugarats diocese of the Church. Aznavour visited two medieval monasteries in the region-Goshavank and Haghartsin, and was welcomed by local residents. Aznavour also met with President Robert Kocharian, telling him that he has decided to visit Armenia "at least a couple of times a year." "I am happy to see that life is moving forward in the country," Kocharian's office quoted him as saying. Air France will fly to Armenia three times a week in addition to two weekly Yerevan-Paris flights that have long been carried out by the Armavia national carrier. A senior company executive, Etienne Rachou, said the launch of the new flight service is part of a broader Air France strategy of boosting its passenger traffic in Central and Eastern Europe by 10 percent. "And in this development of Eastern Europe Armenia is naturally findings its place now," Rachou told a news conference. The French ambassador in Yerevan, Henry Cuny, said the Air France flights will testify to the "strengthening of political relations between France and Armenia." "The presence of Air France underscores Armenia's rapprochement with Europe," he said. "It is also an appeal addressed to new French investors." Air France is the fourth major Western airline to operate flights to Armenia. The three other carriers are Austrian Airlines, British Airways and Germany's Lufthansa. They are believed to mainly cater for passengers traveling between the United States and Armenia. 5) Morgenthau's Memoirs Published for First Time in Turkey Ragip Zarakolu, owner of Belge Publishing House, recently published Henry Morgenthau's memoirs of his term as US Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire during the Armenian genocide. This is the first time his memoirs have been published in Turkey. Zarakolu is notorious in Turkey for publishing books deemed subversive by the Turkish authorities. Because of his work, Zarakolu spent three years in prison in the 1970's. His wife also spent several years in prison. Belge Publishing House has published countless books about the Armenian genocide, including Franz Werfel's Forty Days in Musa Dagh, Tessa Hoffman's Talaat Pasha Trials in Berlin, and Peter Balakian's Black Dog of the Fate. When Zarakolu was acquitted of charges against him for publishing a book by Vahakn Dadrian, the possibility of more free discussion about the Armenian genocide in Turkey increased. Since then he has withstood a constant barrage of criminal charges, further imprisonment, confiscation and destruction of books, the bombing of his publishing house, and heavy government fines and taxes. His publishing house has endured more than 40 criminal indictments. 6) First Part of Russian Material to Be Withdrawn in May TBILISI (Prime-News/OSCE)--The first train loaded with military equipment from Russian military bases will be removed from Georgia in mid-May. "According to the negotiated plan, the train will be loaded with armored vehicles of the 62nd military base of Akhalkalaki," reported Interfax, quoting Vladimer Quparadze, Deputy Commander of Group of Russian Forces in South Caucasus. According to him, Valeri Evnevich, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Russian Land Forces has arrived in Georgia to negotiate the details of base withdrawal from Georgia with the representatives of the Ministry of Defense of Georgia. The bases are being dismantled under an agreement signed last week between Russia and Georgia on the temporary functioning and withdrawal of Russian military bases and other military facilities deployed in Georgia. Under the agreement, Russia would complete the withdrawal of the military base in Akhalkalaki by 2007, and finalize the closure of the military base in Batumi by 2008. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, has welcomed the agreement between the two countries. "This agreement marks significant progress in the talks between the Russian Federation and Georgia, and is a way forward in the establishment of good neighborly relations between the two countries," said Minister De Gucht. "It also contributes to enhanced confidence among the countries of the region," he added. "The Chairmanship remains ready to promote OSCE assistance in support of the implementation of the agreement, should this be requested by the Russian and Georgian Governments." All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

Turkish writers report
The World (from Public Radio International)
April 10, 2006
Correspondent Rhoda Metcalfe reports on the trial of five Turkish
writers who are charged with criticizing judges who tried to suppress a
public debate on the Armenian genocide. Behind the trial is a struggle
in Turkey — between reformers who want to join the European Union, and
nationalists who don’t.
(5:00 minutes)
WEB LINK: .shtml
AUDIO LINK:

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
THOU SANDS OF ARMENIAN CHILDREN CELEBRATE PALM SUNDAY
IN THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA
Thousands of Armenian children gathered with their parents in the St.
Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias on April 9 to celebrate Palm
Sunday.
Holy Mass was held in the Cathedral on this occasion and a special
procession of children walked out of the Cathedral, circulating outside and
returning to the Cathedral.
Bishop Nareg Alemezian performed the Holy Mass. His Holiness Aram I
delivered a special speech from the balcony of the Veharan with the
participants in the Third Pan-Armenian Conference standing beside him.
The Armenian Pontiff greeted all the Armenian children in all the corners of
the globe, relating the significance of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to the
Armenian motherland, which is a new Jerusalem for Armenians in the words of
His Holiness.
His Holiness then received the thousand of Armenian children, blessing them
and distributing special Easter gifts to them.
A service for the “opening of the door of heaven” was held in the afternoon.
The service was presided by His Holiness Aram I and conducted by Bishop
Nareg, who delivered a sermon about Jesus Christ’s second coming into the
world.
##
View photos here:
es40.htm
ctures41.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

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:
April 11, 2006
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TRADITIONAL ARMENIAN LAMB DINNER AT ST. VARTAN CATHEDRAL
Easter is a time for families to come together and celebrate.
This year, a beloved St. Vartan Cathedral tradition is back. The New York
City cathedral will once again hold its Easter luncheon, a highly
anticipated event in the community during which families and the larger
community gather and enjoy the glad tidings of the season.
This year the luncheon will feature a truly traditional multi-course
luncheon, featuring lamb and other Armenian delicacies.
The luncheon will follow the badarak on Easter Sunday, April 16, 2006. The
program during the luncheon will feature a performance from the Yeraz dance
group.
“We encourage all Armenians to join us, gather with us as we mark this great
day,” said Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of the St. Vartan Cathedral.
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese, will celebrate the
Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. on April 16. The luncheon will follow in the
cathedral’s Haik and Alice Kavookjian Auditorium (630 Second Ave. at 34th
St. in New York City).
Tickets for the luncheon and program are $30 for adults and $20 for children
under 12. Tables of 8 or 10 can be reserved by calling the Diocese at (212)
686-0710. Other tickets will be available at the door.
— 4/11/06
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress