ILHAM ALIYEV TO GO TO USA ON TUESDAY
Regnum, Russia
April 24 2006
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s first official visit to the USA
is to start on April 25. It was earlier reported, the visit was to
start on April 28, notes a REGNUM correspondent.
According to the president’s press office, the visit is to be held
under an invitation by US President George Bush, Vice President Dick
Cheney, State Secretary Condoleezza Rice, Defense Minister Donald
Rumsfeld and other governmental officials, including congressmen.
During the visit, agreements on political and economic cooperation
are expected to be signed.
Recently, US Ambassador in Baku Reno Harnish has announced that the
Karabakh problem will occupy not the least place among the issues to
be discussed during the upcoming visit by Ilham Aliyev to Washington.
“The Azerbaijani leader’s visit to Washington and his meeting with US
President George Bush will confirm the fact that the Azerbaijani party
is a supporter of a peaceful way of conflict settlement,” said Harnish.
The ambassador noted that schedule of the four-day visit was well
done. According to the diplomat, the zest of the visit is the
meeting of the two presidents. During their meeting tete-a-tete,
issues of mutual interest will be discussed, including terrorism,
and implementing energy projects in the region.

DEPUTY ARMENIAN FM: WHO SAID WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE TURKISH BORDER?
By Selahattin Sevi, Yerevan
Zaman, Turkey
April 24 2006
Celebrating the anniversary of the so called genocide today, the
Yerevan administration indicated they are working for recognition of
the so-called genocide, and emphasized they have never requested land
from Turkey.
Despite this statement of Armenia, references to the eastern part of
Turkey in Armenia’s constitution and declaration of independence have
already been made. The Mount Ararat is among the state’s symbols. In
an interview with Zaman, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman
Kirakossian also evaluated this contradiction. Upon being reminded
the 1921 Treaty of Kars that determined the border between the two
countries, Kirakossian responded by asking, “Who said we do not
recognize the Treaty of Kars?” and posed for a photograph in front
of the painting of Mount Ararat hanging in his office.
Kirakossian responded: “Things I say have no importance unless
diplomatic relationships between Turkey and Armenia are established.
We can say we are respectful towards each other’s unity of territory
in reciprocal agreements” when asked, “Can you say Armenia does not
have any demand for Turkish lands?”
When reminded of Turkey’s proposal to “Have the incidents of 1915
be investigate by an independent commission made up of historians,
and accept the results,” the Armenian authority said: “Our history is
an indisputable reality,” and referred to Armenian President Robert
Kocharian’s proposal to “Establish an intergovernmental commission.
If Turkey had set up a diplomatic relationship with us in 1991,
we might be speaking at a different level now.”
The Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakossian responded to
the following questions Zaman posed:
You want Turkey to open its Armenian border? Does this mean you accept
the 1921 Treaty of Kars and therefore recognize the border you want
to be opened?
Who said we do not recognize the Treaty of Kars?
But there are references to the eastern regions of Turkey in your
official documents…
I want to say something officially as a representative of the Republic
of Armenia. After Armenia’s independence in 1991, Armenia has wanted
to set up relationships without preconditions with Turkey.
The Republic of Armenia has not declared that it does not recognize
the Treaty of Kars. The preconditions have always been set forth
by Turkey during this time, especially with the problems of the
Mountainous Karabag (Karabakh) and the Armenian genocide.
Can you say that Armenia has no documented evidence of its claims
over eastern Turkish provinces?
What I say will not have any value until we establish actual diplomatic
relations between Armenia and Turkey. Only after we build ties we can
claim to have respect for the territorial integrity of both countries
in mutual agreements.
Because of the ongoing Armenian efforts to prove the so-called genocide
happened, the border is closed and your country is suffering from an
economic depression. Many Armenians tend to leave the country. How
much longer can you keep this up?
Armenia does not suffer economic difficulties. A look at the traffic
in Yerevan will explain my point. Our economy adjusted itself to the
situation within the past 15 years. Of course, we would like to have
a stronger and advanced economy. The opening of borders would be of
great benefit to us. We would like to say that we are ready to have
relations with Turkey and without any prerequisites. If Turkey accepts
it, we could sit around the table and discuss our problems.
Your newspaper [Zaman] is reporting that we are in talks.
Washington will host a guest, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, for
an exchange of official contacts at a time when there is concentrated
discussion of Iran’s nuclear involvement. Are you worried about
this visit?
No, I am not, since we have excellent relations with the administration
in the United States (US). In accordance with the Millennium Challenge
Program, there has been a transfer of $235 million to Armenia, and US
President George W. Bush acknowledges this program is useful to our
economy. Azerbaijan is not eligible for this transfer of financial
aid, since the government in Azerbaijan is not eligible to be part
of the program. The Armenian president will probably be another guest
in Washington in the upcoming days, after Aliyev.
Armenia and the Diaspora carry out intense efforts regarding the
events of 1915. They have 450,000 web-sites set up for this purpose
alone. While efforts are being made regarding an event that happened 90
years ago, 800,000 refugees exiled from Azerbaijan struggle to survive
in negative conditions. Have you ever considered empathizing with them?
We do not accept the figure of 800,000. However, the number is
unimportant. We have 300,000 refugees from Karabakh and Azerbaijan.
The dialogue, which includes this issue between Azerbaijan and Armenia,
still goes on.
Turkey proposes to leave the allegations regarding the events in 1915
to the historians and accept the outcome. Will you keep rejecting it?
Right, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made such
a proposal. On the other hand, Armenian President Robert Kocharian
proposed to the formation of a commission to handle various problems
concerning politics, economy, borders and agreements.
We believe the Turkish people are not responsible for the events of
1915. The Turkish administration at that time is the responsible
party. We expect a step from Turkey akin to the one taken by the
German government. Armenia wants to have unconditional, good and
friendly relations with all its neighbors, especially with Turkey.
The future of the two countries will not be decided by the findings
of historians. Politicians will determine the fate of the two
countries. If Turkey had made diplomatic relations with us, we could
have been holding this conversation at a much different level.

ARMENIA NOT TO JOIN NATO, EU: PRESIDENT
Xinhua, China
2006-04-24 18:24:13
April 24 2006
MOSCOW, April 24 (Xinhua) — Armenia is not going to join NATO and
the European Union (EU), Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said
Monday in an interview with local newspaper Golos Armenii.
“The membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
and the high level of military-technical cooperation with Russia solve
the task of ensuring the country’s security in a sufficient degree,”
Kocharyan said.
Therefore, Armenia will not join NATO, the Armehian president said. The
member states of the CSTO include Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Kocharyan said that the “whole law base of the Armenian-Russian
relations in the military-technical sphere has been ratified by the
republic’s parliament.”
“Within the framework of the individual partnership program, Armenia is
actively broadening the cooperation with the North Atlantic alliance
as a key European security organization. We hope for fruitful
cooperation, especially in the reform of Armenia’s armed forces,
and in the peacekeeping activity,” Kocharyan said.
The president said, “at present, Armenia is preparing for closer
cooperation with the European Union within the framework of the New
Neighborhood Policy, but we do not formulate the task of joining the
European Union.”
“Euro-Atlantic ambitions of Armenia are weighed, realistic, positively
seen by European structures, and do not create problems in the
relations with Russia,” he said.
“We equally articulate our stance in Moscow, Brussels and Washington,”
the president said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN COMMEMORATES VICTIMS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN 1915
Interfax, Russia
April 24 2006
YEREVAN. April 24 (Interfax) – Yerevan is commemorating the more than
1.5 million Armenians massacred in the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
Armenian officials and average citizens visit the Memorial of the
Genocide Victims in Yerevan every April 24.
Yerevan and Ankara still do not have diplomatic relations. Armenian
authorities are ready to establish diplomatic relations without any
preliminary conditions, but Turkish authorities want Yerevan to stop
insisting on the international recognition of the Armenian genocide
and make serious concessions to Azerbaijan in the Karabakh settlement.

ARMENIANS COMMEMORATE OTTOMAN EMPIRE MASSACRES
Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
April 24 2006
Victims of the Ottoman-era deportation and killing of ethnic Armenians
(file photo) (epa) April 24, 2006 — Armenians around the world are
expected today to take part in events held each year to honor the
victims of killings by Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1923.
Armenians believe 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed
in an act of genocide by the Ottoman Turks.
While more than 20 countries now officially describe the killings as
genocide, the present-day Turkish government rejects use of the term
genocide, saying the deaths were the result of the turmoil of war. It
puts the number of dead at several hundred thousand, with most dying
from hunger and illness when they were deported to another part of
the empire.

TORCH-LIGHT PROCESSION STARTED IN YEREVAN: “GENOCIDE WILL BE RECOGNIZED”
Regnum, Russia
April 24 2006
1,500 torches and 300 candles were lighted on April 23 in the
Armenian capital of Yerevan from the Turkish state flag, set on
fire earlier. Nikol Agbalyan Student Union of Dashnaktsutiun Armenian
Revolution Federation (ARFD) initiated here start of annual torch-light
procession to Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Place of Victims of Armenians
Genocide, a REGNUM correspondent informs. Chairman of ARFD youth wing
Ishkhan Sagatelyan is quoted by the REGNUM correspondent as saying,
that more than 3,000 representatives of youth from Armenia and abroad
participated in the meeting. “Active youth gathered here today to show
the whole world, that Genocide is and will be kept in memory of all
Armenian people,” stated Ishkhan Sagatelyan. It should be reminded,
on April 24, the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman
Turkey s commemorated.
Addressing the meeting, Member of ARFD Supreme Body, Head of External
Relations Committee of Armenian Parliament Armen Rustamyan stated
that Armenia had not still achieved victory in its struggle, because
“Turkey continues to falsify history, trying to position itself
as a victim.” “However, the struggle to recognize the Genocide
internationally turned out to be most effective this year; Armenians
demonstrated for the whole world that the Genocide recognition is
not an Armenian internal question; our example is demonstrative
for many countries, and our struggle finds understanding,” stated
the member of ARFD supreme body. Also, Armen Rustamyan informed,
on April 24, Memorial Place of the Armenian Genocide will open in
Marseille (France). “It will be small Tsitsernakaberd,” he stressed,
expressing his assurance, that Armenians’ struggle will necessarily
reach its result: “The Genocide will be recognized.”
At present time, several thousands young people with torches are going
through Yerevan downtown to Tsisternakaberd Memorial Place. The action
participants are holding 30-meter Armenian tricolor flag, hundreds of
flags with national symbols, scanning ‘recognition’ word and singing
patriotic songs. Representatives of Armenian Apostolic Church head
the procession, holding a huge cross.
The traditional procession is peculiar appeal to world to recognize
and to condemn criminal actions of Turkish government in 1915, headed
by Ittikhat ve Terraki (Uniting and Progress) Party. As a result of
ethnical clearance, planned at state level, at least 1.5 millions of
Armenians were killed, and several hundreds of thousands were forced
to leave their historical motherland, looking for shelter. On the
same day, Armenians will be silent for a minute in memory of Genocide
victims in the whole world; all churches and monasteries of Armenian
Apostolic Church will ring bells.
It should be stressed, such countries as Russia, France, Canada,
Lebanon, Uruguay, Cyprus, Argentine, Greece, Belgium, Sweden, Slovakia,
Netherlands, Switzerland, Vatican, Italy, Germany, Lithuania, Poland
recognized Genocide of Armenians. Separate documents are adopted
by more then 30 US states. European Parliament condemned the crime
too. In some countries, denial of the Genocide is considered as crime.
Photos:

RA NA VICE-SPEAKER: ARMENIANS HAVE ALWAYS EXPRESSED WILLINGNESS TO ESTABLISH RELATIONS WITH TURKEY
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 24 2006
YEREVAN, April 24. /ARKA/. Armenians have always expressed willingness
to establish relations with Turkey, as the RA NA (National Assembly)
Vice-Speaker Tigran Torosyan stated after laying flowers on the
Genocide Memorial.
“Armenians has always sought common grounds for cooperation with
Turkey, so Turkey has to think of relations with Armenia itself”,
Torosyan stated.
At the same time he emphasized that development of relations will
not depend on Turkey’s entering or not entering the EU.
“We must think of our Eurointegration, regardless of the fact whether
Turkey is or is not member of the EU”, Torosyan stated.
Armenian Genocide in 1915 – 1923 is considered to be the first
genocide of the XX century, organized and systematically conducted
by the government of Young Turks. In 1915, in Western Armenia, which
was part of Ottoman Empire, more than 1,5 mln Armenians were massacred.
The fact of genocide has been already recognized by many countries,
namely Uruguay (first in 1965 officially recognized the Armenian
Genocide), Russia, France, Argentina, Greece, Low Chamber of the
Italian Parliament, majority of states of the USA, Parliaments
of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium, Wales, National Council of
Switzerland, Chamber of Communities of the Canadian Parliament and
Seim of Poland.

PRESS RELEASE
April 23, 2006
Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th Street, NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
Email: [email protected]
Web:
For more information:
Maral Habeshian
ANCA Telethon Office
ANCA Telethon Launches Web Site
Nationwide Phonathon and Internet Campaign Kicks Off Fundraising Effort
(Washington, DC – April 23, 2006) – The Armenian National Committee of
America Telethon today announced the launch of the web site devoted to
the telethon at (click on Telethon logo) where supporters
of the Armenian Cause can make online donations in advance of the May
21 st nationwide telethon broadcast. In addition, a nationwide
inbound and outbound telephone campaign has been launched to
personally reach out to thousands of Armenian households across the
country during the weeks preceding the telethon. The purpose of the
telethon is to raise financial resources that will propel the advocacy
for the Armenian Cause to a new level of sophistication and reach.
Proceeds will be used to broaden the ANCA’s advocacy and educational
programs on Armenian issues within the halls of Congress, the White
House, state and local governments and the media.
“The campaign leading up to the Telethon broadcast is meant to rally
into action everyone who believes in the Armenian Cause and use the
latest technological tools to unite us as a powerful force regardless
of geography, ” said Steve Artinian, member of the ANCA Telethon’s
outreach team. “There is an amazing pool of professional talent who
have come together to ensure the Telethon reaches as many households
as possible. We are pulling out the stops on this effort and intend
to raise the stakes for the Cause substantially in the process.”
The ANCA Telethon reflects the next stage for the many issues
confronting the community. For example, the ANCA’s media relations
efforts during the last year alone are driving increased media
coverage of the Armenian Genocide. The results are a rapidly
expanding public awareness of the issue and exposure of the shameful
position of the government of Turkey and the U.S. State Department
both of whom continue to deny the Genocide. The most recent example
of the ANCA’s anti-defamation efforts with the media has been
confronting PBS for attempting to broadcast their insulting panel
discussion that featured academics who have been paid by the Turkish
government to deny and distort the Genocide’s historical facts.
However, spurring increased media coverage across the country requires
greater vigilance in anti-defamation efforts to make sure the coverage
is accurate and repels the Turkish government’s denial campaign.
This stage has led to an increased need for professional resources and
media experts in order to continue winning in the court of public
opinion.
The ANCA Telethon will feature the ANCA’s many interesting and
successful programs asking for financial support. As a run up to the
broadcast, the online Internet campaign and phonathon will allow
people to show their support in advance of the broadcast. To make a
donation in advance, people can call 1-866-402-2622 (ANCA) or go to
and click on the Telethon logo to make a donation online.

Transcript of Exclusive Armenia TV April 24th Interview
with Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
Interviewed by Paul Chaderjian for Armenia TV
Airdate: Monday, April 24, 2006 @ 9:00 PM Yerevan / 9:00 AM Los Angeles
Armenia TV: This is the 91st year that we commemorate the Genocide. What
stands out in your mind as you think about this process?
Minister Oskanian: It is humbling to think that today, the children of the
survivors and the Government of Armenia, both, have been transformed from
victims to activists working with the international community to right a
historical wrong, to acknowledge a crime against humanity and to advocate
prevention of such crimes in the future. We have the opportunity to do all
of that because this process has evolved in ways that are both surprising
and gratifying. Look at the history of the evolution: Up to 1965, there was
no talk of recognition, there were only tortured, victimized survivors.
>From 1965 to the 1980s, survivors, their descendants, a handful of political
activists, and a few lone scholars, attempted to focus the world’s attention
on what was almost uniformly referred to as the ‘alleged’ genocide.
Beginning in the 1990s, things changed dramatically. There were various
overlapping factors — A younger generation of survivors’ descendants was
more vocal and confident in using its political influence. The flow of
information about yet new genocides piqued the interest of international
scholars who also began to study the Armenian Genocide. As Europe and the US
became more engaged in Turkey’s modernization and inclusion in Euro-Atlantic
structures, Turkey’s own democratization process brought this taboo topic to
the surface. Today, in its search for European Union membership, Turkey is
having to deal history and memory and identity. And of course, the existence
of an Armenian state means that we can raise these issues at an official
government level.
There can be no doubt that our search for genocide recognition has become
internationalized. It is not an Armenian claim any longer. Today, this is an
acknowledged historic reality by most of the scholarly world, and by most
major media and journalists. Further, the international political community,
too, knows well what happened in 1915, and together, we are seeking ways to
enable more open discussion of why and how the Genocide happened, and its
implications for members of the world community today – and most of all for
Turks and Armenians.
Armenia TV: Some think it is surprising, and perhaps even unwise, for the
Government of Armenia to be engaged in this effort to achieve Genocide
recognition, given its vulnerability. The Turks, too, would like to portray
this as the Diaspora’s cause, and keep wishing that the Armenian government
would put this matter aside.
Minister Oskanian: The Genocide affected every single Armenian. The
responsibility to right the memory of that wrong rests with all of us. The
Armenian Government has the moral responsibility to speak about the Genocide
of the Armenians, and to call for Genocide recognition. This responsibility
is one we fully acknowledge. In fact, the active involvement of the Armenian
Government and its representatives has also played a role in the progress of
the recognition process. The podiums and forums that are available to the
representatives of a state are many and we use them to make our case to the
international community. At the same time, as a responsible member of that
community, we know that we cannot make Genocide recognition a pre-condition
to our relationship with the Republic of Turkey. The irony is that we, the
survivors and the victims of Genocide don’t make normal relations
conditional on its recognition, yet the Turkish side often suggests that
Armenia should put Genocide recognition aside if it wants normal relations
with Turkey. Clearly we cannot. The international community today considers
the threat of Genocide a very real 21st century challenge. Our
responsibility, together with the Diaspora, is to speak out against past and
future uses of Genocide as a political tool by states.
Armenia TV: What is the answer to the repeated charge that Armenians
continue to focus on the past, that Armenians are trapped in the past?
Minister Oskanian: One might accuse us of being trapped in the past if we
made the present conditional on the past. But we do not. Instead, we are
saying we must learn about the past, remember it, understand it, and move
on. Armenians understand that the present is connected to the past, it’s the
consequence of the past. Otherwise why teach history? This is the purpose
of learning and teaching history. The Turkish government, on the other hand,
is demanding that today’s relations be based on a specific interpretation of
the past. Turkey’s authorities and Turkish society do not fully comprehend
or recognize what happened in the last days of the Ottoman Empire, why it
happened, and they have not come to terms with those implications. They are
the ones who are trapped in the past and are not ready to move on. There is
perhaps a fear that entering this realm, embarking on a relationship with
Armenians will place them in a morally uncomfortable and undesirable
situation, and that they will be held responsible for those events. I cannot
repeat this often enough: Armenians are able to distinguish between the
perpetrators and today’s Turkey. But Turks themselves must be willing to do
what is morally right and reject and denounce the crimes of the Ottoman
Empire. Otherwise, today’s denial means implicit endorsement or acceptance
of those past crimes.
Armenia TV: Yet they are far from denouncing those crimes. On the contrary,
they are using their educational system to teach that Armenians killed
Turks, their historians are digging up bones and saying these are the bones
of Turks killed by Armenians.
Minister Oskanian: Justifying, even revering the genocidal state policy of
one regime has become the state policy of another regime. Denial is state
policy, just as genocide is state policy. It is today’s Turkish state that
is wasting money and credibility on denying, distorting, dismissing serious
crimes against humanity committed during the Ottoman years. Not only are
they denying history, they are also legislating denial by making it
difficult, if not impossible, to actually dig into this painful issue and
come face to face with difficult historic and political realities. It is
safe to say that Turkish society – writers, historians, journalists – are in
fact seeking and trying to reach their own conclusions about what really
happened. It is the state that insists on rejecting those questions even.
The people of Turkey are searching for answers. The memoir of US Ambassador
Henry Morgenthau, the British Blue Book, the works of Vahakn Dadrian and
Peter Balakian can be found in Turkish, in Turkey. We welcome this, because
before there can be dialogue with Armenians, there must be internal
questioning and dialogue in Turkey.
Armenia TV: Will there really be dialogue between Turkey and Armenia? What
happened to the Erdogan-Kocharian dialogue about dialogue?
We want there to be dialogue about all of the issues that stand between us.
Prime Minister Erdogan had suggested a commission to study history. But that
suggestion comes at a time when the use of the term ‘genocide’ or even
reference to certain facts and events in Turkish history are legally
punishable. How can such a proposal be taken seriously? Further, the
proposal is to convene a commission composed of historians from two
countries with a closed border between them. In the absence of any relations
whatsoever, in a political, social, economic vacuum, a commission is to be
convened to thrash out issues and events that can’t be discussed? That is
why President Kocharian’s response was that this kind of offer can be taken
seriously only if there is som semblance of normalcy between our two
countries. Then, discussions on all other aspects of our relations,
including the border and genocide, can and should be carried out. We have
not received an official response to that suggestion, but we still hope it
will come. It has been nearly a century that we have had this impasse
between our peoples and our societies. We don’t want to spend another
century trying to unravel this knot. Instead, we want our peoples to have
the opportunities to have new experiences to replace the old ones. The
longer we wait for this to happen, the longer it takes for Turks to
repudiate those acts, the more today’s Turks and yesterday’s Ottomans will
become synonymous in people’s minds. On the other hand, with repudiation of
those acts, with recognition of the crimes of the past, we can move on to a
dialogue of reconciliation. That is the mandate of the 21st century, that is
what our ancestors who did live together for centuries would want.
Armenia TV: Minister Oskanian, thank you very much for taking the time to
talk with Armenia TV. We look forward to having you visit again.
Minister Oskanian: Thank you.

Historic Azerbaijan Graveyard Destroyed
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 21 (UPI) — Officials said a medieval cemetery
with a collection of several thousand carved stone crosses on
Azerbaijan`s southern border has been destroyed.
The destruction of the Jugha cemetery is believed to he related to the
conflict between Azerbaijan and its western neighbor, Armenia, The
Times of London reports.
The Times quoted the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in London
as saying there is only a dry patch of earth where once stood between
2,700 and 10,000 intricately carved headstones dating from the 9th to
the 16th centuries. The act is being likened to the Taliban`s
destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan in 2001, the
newspaper said.
The institute`s report is the first independent confirmation of what
Armenia has long alleged — that Azerbaijani authorities have razed
the cemetery since the two former Soviet republics began a border war
in 1988. The war ended in a cease-fire in 1994 but continues to
simmer.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly dismissed Armenia`s allegations and accused
Armenia of destroying hundreds of Muslim sites, the report said.
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