The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario)
September 27, 2005 Tuesday Final Edition
Armenian was force behind Centre in the Square
Howard Dyck
In Lianne Elliott’s Sept. 24 retrospective of the 25-year history of
the Centre in the Square, 25 Years Of Entertainment; Region’s
Cultural Gem Celebrates A Milestone, she refers to Raffi Armenian as
a “great centre supporter.” That is surely the understatement of the
year.
In fact, Armenian, with the support of strong community leaders, was
the galvanizing force behind the construction of the centre.
Especially important is the fact that while the usual nay-sayers were
stalling plans to begin construction, Armenian stuck to his guns.
The toll taken by particularly high inflation during the delay caused
by political bickering resulted in a facility not quite what had
originally been envisioned.
However, Armenian tenaciously insisted that the acoustics of the
auditorium and the stage facilities would not be compromised. It is
entirely appropriate that this peerless concert hall is named after
him.
The article quite rightly describes the centre as one of the best
concert halls in the world.
But in its pop-dominated list of performers who have appeared there,
it neglects to mention some of the world’s greatest musical artists
who have graced the centre’s stage: tenors Jon Vickers and Ben
Heppner, conductor Lorin Maazel and the Munich Philharmonic
Orchestra, violinist/conductor Yehudi Menuhin, contralto Maureen
Forrester, soprano Measha Brueggergosman, the Arnold Schoenberg Choir
of Vienna, to name just a very few.
Howard Dyck
Artistic Director and Conductor
Kitchener Waterloo Philharmonic Choir

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN
Contact: Howard Gantman
Thursday, September 29, 2005
or Scott Gerber 202/224-9629
Statement by Senator Feinstein on the Upcoming Visit of Aram I
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released
the following statement on the upcoming Pontifical visit of His Holiness
Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.
“I am pleased to join the Armenian American community in welcoming the
upcoming Pontifical visit of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the
Great House of Cilicia. The Pontiff will be visiting the State of
California this October at the invitation of His Eminence, Archbishop
Moushegh Mardirossian of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic
Church of America.
His Holiness is one of the most prominent Christian leaders in the
Middle East and a spiritual leader for hundreds of thousands of
Armenians around the world. The Pontiff presently serves as the
Moderator for the World Council of Churches which is comprised of more
than 340 churches from different cultures and countries around the world
representing over 400 million Christians. Currently serving his second
term, His Holiness is the first Orthodox and the youngest person to be
elevated to Moderator.
The theme of the Pontiff’s visit is “Towards the Light of Knowledge.”
This theme reflects the Pontiff’s faith that only with greater education
and dialogue can the world’s conflicts be addressed properly.
I would like to take this opportunity to not only thank The Pontiff for
his time and worthy endeavors in California, but also thank the sizable
Armenian community which has been actively contributing to the
California culture and economy since 1878. California cities of Los
Angeles and Glendale are home to the second and third largest
populations of Armenians outside of Armenia and are important members of
their communities serving as business leaders and city council members.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
MONTEBELLO-STEPANAKERT SISTER-CITY ASSOCIATION
Contact: Serge Samoniantz
(626) 674-1645.
e-mail: [email protected]
Montebello-Stepanakert Sister-City Association Hosts Inaugural Reception
MONTEBELLO, Calif. – With a flourish, the Montebello-Stepanakert
Sister-City Association held its inaugural reception, Sept. 25 at
Montebello City Hall. The Sunday afternoon event provided not only Armenian
delicacies, wine, dance and music, but also food for thought for the more
than 120 community members who attended.
Raising funds for the upcoming projects planned by the non-profit
Sister-City Association was the objective of the event, organizers said,
but the goal was not monetary.
“We wanted the participation of not only Armenian-Americans, but of the
general population of the city,” said Serge L. Samoniantz, the Committee
Chairman, and the MC for the reception. “We succeeded beyond our
expectations.”
Joining Montebello City Mayor Bill Molinari were Councilpersons Bob Bagwell
and Norma Lopez-Reid – both active members of the Sister-City Committee,
along with Police Chief Garry Couso-Vasquez – and several other officials,
including district representatives from U.S. Congresswoman Grace
Napolitano, and State Assemblyman Ron Calderon.
Before the brief program began, the guests mingled, viewed the extensive
display of photos and rugs from Stepanakert, and tasted the Armenian
delicacies offered in the foyer of the Montebello City Hall.
Samoniantz opened the program by acknowledging the officials present, and
explained the reasons and purpose of the Montebello-Stepanakert Sister City
program. He noted that the program had been initiated by the San Gabriel
Valley Chapter of the Armenian National Committee, with the encouragement
and assistance from the Montebello Armenian Center, as well as the
financial support of the local ARF “Dro” Gomideh.
Detailing the composition of the Sister-City Committee, he observed the
diversity and the breath of support it had secured from the local community
in the short time it had been in existence. “That’s the object of this
sister-city project: bring the community together for the common good.”
Over 24 volunteers from all walks of life participate in the monthly
meetings at the Montebello Armenian Center.
Samoniantz also noted the long and proud history of Armenians in
Montebello, and highlighted the fact that in the mid-sixties, Montebello
was the first, and so far, the only city in the United States, in which a
monument to the 1915 Armenian victims of the Turkish Genocide was erected
on public land. “Montebello became an inseparable part of the Armenian map
then, and the city has justly earned the appreciation of all Armenians for
what it has done.”
Mayor Molinari read and presented the Committee with a proclamation from
the city, and in a pleasant and unexpected surprise, made a personal
contribution of $500 to the Sister-City Committee.
Following the Mayor’s presentation, Montebello businessman Nazareth
Sadorian, the chairman of the non-profit Association, spoke of the great
strides Armenians have made in the city, and their numerous contributions
to local charities and institutions. He also said that the Sister-City
affiliation will allow greater interaction between the city and Armenians
in Stepanakert, broadening the bond between the two.
Also invited to speak was Raffi Hamparian, board member and former chairman
of the Armenian National Committee, Western Region. In his brief yet
powerful address, Hamparian underlined the need for the community to keep
their involvement with each other and the nation at large.
The sister-city affiliation will allow for cultural, educational, health
care and business opportunities between the people of Montebello and the
residents of Stepanakert, who are recovering from their long struggle for
independence from Azerbaijani rule.
At the end of the program, three carpets made by the Stepanakert Rug
Factory were auctioned off, with the spirited assistance of Councilperson
Norma Lopez-Reid. The carpets were donated to the Sister-City Committee by
Hovig Mahseredjian, owner of Hye Keer, of Reseda, Calif. He privatized the
Rug factory in 1999, the first such privatization in Karabagh, and now
provides employment for 50 families in the area.
Capping off the program, Samoniantz invited all the guests to attend the
Montebello City Council meeting on Oct. 12, starting at 7 p.m., where the
councilmembers will formally vote for the affiliation with the City of
Stepanakert.

The Simone de Beauvoir Institute
Concordia University
is pleased to have organized
a reading by
Prof. Arlene Voski Avakian,
Director, Women’s Studies, U. Mass. Amherst
On October 17, 2005
at 7:15 PM
MU 101
2170 Bishop
Montreal
Avakian is going to read from her work on her grandmother’s survival story
of the 1915-1923 Genocide of the Armenians
Copies of Arlene’s Lion Woman’s Legacy will be there as well.
Arlene Avakian’s reading is part of the Institute’s Genocide Seminar WSDB
498X/2/A that meets on Monday nights 6 PM to 8:15 PM.
Free admission!
———————————————————————–
For more on the Seminar contact the Institute
514-848-2424 ex. 2370, or 2373
See this article in Thursday Report on the co-organizers of the seminar.-

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Sept 28 2005
AZERIS CLAIM YEREVAN BACK
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28. ARMINFO. The Azeri nationalists demand that
Yerevan be given back to Azerbaijan.
The “31 March” organization (the day of “the Azeri Genocide”) has
asked the speaker of the Azeri parliament Murtuz Aleskerov to raise
at UN, OSCE and CE the issue of “Armenia’s occupation of Zangezour
and other Azeri territories.”
The Echo newspaper (Baku) reports the chairman of the organization
Hagani Ismail as alleging that May 29 1918 the National Council of
Muslims decided to grant Irevan (Yerevan) to Armenia.
Ismail says that the Azeri public is concerned over the OSCE’s
ineffective work in the Karabakh peace process. He personally
believes that this is due to the effective work of the Armenian
“mafia.”

EU ambassadors meet last minute to clear obstacles ahead of Turkey talks
By CONSTANT BRAND
.c The Associated Press
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) – EU ambassadors meet Thursday in an effort to
overcome differences that threaten to derail the start of Turkey’s
formal EU membership negotiations – with opposition from Austria
appearing to be the biggest obstacle.
Only days before the scheduled start of talks in Luxembourg on Monday,
new strains have increased tensions with Turkey.
The European Parliament, frustrated over Turkey’s refusal to recognize
EU-member Cyprus, voted Wednesday to postpone a vote to ratify
Turkey’s customs union with the EU, a requirement of membership. The
lawmakers also called on Ankara to recognize the 1915-1923 killings of
Armenians as genocide, which Turkey vehemently denies.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan immediately dismissed the
nonbinding European resolution on the extremely sensitive Armenian
issue, saying, “It does not matter whether they took such a decision
or not. We will continue on our way,” according to private CNN-Turk
television.
The membership talks will be a milestone for Europe and predominantly
Muslim Turkey, which has been knocking on the EU’s door since 1963. EU
leaders agreed to open accession talks with Turkey last year.
The ambassadors are working to overcome the final disagreements
because the 25-member EU must agree unanimously on a negotiating
mandate to present to Turkey at the talks. Failure would lead to a
rupture in already tense relations between Ankara and Brussels.
Austria says its people – and many others across the bloc – do not
support full membership for Turkey and is demanding that Ankara be
given the option of privileged partnership rather than full
membership. Turkey has already rejected anything less than full
membership talks.
Austria is also linking the Turkey talks with its wish to see the EU
do more to review Croatia’s now-frozen efforts to join the
bloc. Vienna argues that membership for its Balkan neighbor will help
stabilize the region.
The Croatia talks were frozen earlier this year after the EU said
Zagreb was not fully cooperating with the U.N. war crimes tribunal in
The Hague to hand over a top indicted war crimes suspect.
Britain, which holds the rotating EU presidency, is loath to link
Croatia’s EU bid to talks with Ankara. But Croatian Prime Minister
Ivo Sanader said he would be in Luxembourg on Sunday to meet with EU
officials to try to restart the talks, which were frozen in March.
Diplomats said emergency foreign ministers’ talks would be organized
on Sunday if ambassadors fail to sway Austria.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jack Straw pressed his EU counterparts
Wednesday not to turn their backs on Turkey, and to allow full entry
talks to begin on time.
“It would be a huge betrayal of the hopes and expectations of the
Turkish people and of Prime Minister (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan’s program
of reform if, at this crucial time, we turned our back on Turkey,”
Straw said.
Turkey reiterated Wednesday that any shift from earlier promises on
full EU membership negotiations would be unacceptable.
Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said this week there was
support in Europe for Vienna’s demand that Turkey be given a special
relationship rather than full membership.
09/28/05 20:10 EDT

A1+
| 17:13:57 | 28-09-2005 | Social |
HIGH SALARY AND BUDGET DEFICIT
The Government has approved the RA draft Law on `RA 2006 State Budget’ which
will be represented to the RA NA. According to the RA 2006 budget there will
be 465 billion ARMD as income and 534.9 billion AMRD as expense. The deficit
will be 69.9 billion AMRD.
In 2006 the budget allotments to the social, health and education fields
will be increased. Alongside with that, the civic workers and the NA workers
will have a raise of salary by 50%, and diplomatic workers – by 40%.
Measures have been taken to raise the salaries of court workers. As for the
minimal monthly salary, it has been raised from 13 thousand ARMD to 15
thousand ARMD.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
09/29/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) EU Calls Emergency Talks as Austria Blocks Accord on Turkey 2) Washington-Based Group Accuses Turkey of Abusing Mental Patients, Asks EU to Intervene Pre Negotiations 3) Armenian-US Sides Review Defense Cooperation 4) Georgia's PM Arrives in Armenia 1) EU Calls Emergency Talks as Austria Blocks Accord on Turkey BRUSSELS (AFP)--The EU has called an emergency meeting of foreign ministers to try to end an impasse over Turkey's entry talks, as Austria insisted Ankara be offered less than full EU membership. A 24-1 vote on Thursday meant ambassadors failed to agree on a mandate to start entry negotiations with Ankara. All 25 member states had to back the proposal before entry negotiations could begin. The British EU presidency called the talks for Sunday--the day before the Turkey-EU talks are due to start. "I can confirm that foreign ministers will meet on Sunday," said a British spokesman on Thursday. "Unfortunately it was not possible to agree [on] the negotiating framework today at [an] ambassadorial level, [but] efforts will continue." EU leaders agreed last December to open talks with Turkey on October 3. But the relationship became strained in July when Ankara reaffirmed that it would not recognize member state Cyprus. A dispute over how to respond to that was finally resolved last week, but the negotiating framework row will now be tackled at the emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers, probably over dinner in Luxembourg. One EU official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, explained that "the Austrians maintain their reservations about the negotiating framework." "Their demands involve an alternative or interim solution to membership should the EU be unable to integrate Turkey or should Turkey not fulfill all the criteria," he said. Turkey's parliament speaker Bulent Arinc charged that Turkey was being provoked to walk away from the talks. "It seems as if our patience is being tested. Looking at what is being done to Turkey one shows that there are some who hope to get rid of us by forcing us to walk away from the [negotiating] table," he said in an interview on Turkey's NTV television. Any hold up beyond Monday would be sure to further anger Turkey, which has had ties with the Union for more than 40 years but has seen its efforts to join consistently hampered. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has warned that he will turn his back on the talks if the negotiating framework contains "any formula or suggestion other than full membership." Despite official denials, some diplomats allow that Austria's stance on Turkey could be linked with Croatia's hopes of starting EU talks, which depend on Zagreb's cooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal. Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel suggested as much in an interview in Thursday's Financial Times newspaper. "If we trust Turkey to make further progress we should trust Croatia too," he said. "It is in Europe's interest to start negotiations with Croatia immediately." Austria has been a strong supporter of Croatia's efforts to join the bloc and four out of five Austrians oppose Turkey joining. The EU official said a special EU task force would meet early on Monday with Carla Del Ponte, the head of the UN war crimes tribunal to discuss Croatia's candidature. That meeting would "probably be followed by a global decision on Turkey and Croatia during the morning," he affirmed. A spokeswoman for the EU's executive commission said the two candidacies were not linked from its point of view, but noted that: "The EU is ready to start accession negotiations with Croatia immediately once it has been established that full cooperation (with the tribunal) is there." The frustration in Brussels was palpable. "Twenty-four member states could accept the agreement," said another EU diplomat. "It is not a question of re-drafting but a political issue ... it's not about a tweak here, a tweak there." 2) Washington-Based Group Accuses Turkey of Abusing Mental Patients, Asks EU to Intervene Pre Negotiations ANKARA (Combined Sources)-- A Washington-based human rights group has accused Turkey of subjecting mental health patients to serious abuses, including electric shock treatment without anesthesia, and is urging the European Union to demand an end to the practices. The report, by Mental Disability Rights International, came after several visits in the past year by the group's investigators to Turkish psychiatric hospitals and was published days before Turkey is scheduled to begin negotiations to join the EU. "As the European Union meets to consider Turkey's human rights record... we ask them to demand action by the government of Turkey to end these human rights violations," the report concluded. According to the report, people with mental or psychiatric disorders are "subjected to treatment practices that are tantamount to torture." The group said electric shock therapy was "massively overused in Turkish psychiatric facilities in cases for which there is no clinically proven justification," and that they were used as a form of punishment. Electric Shock Therapy is normally administered with anesthesia and muscle relaxants. Without them it can be painful, terrifying, and dangerous. Patients can break jaws or crack vertebrae during the induced seizures. The investigators also found that the treatment was used as punishment. The report describes patients being dragged to electroshock therapy in straitjackets and forcibly held down during the procedure. "If we use anesthesia the ECT [electroconvulsive therapy] won't be as effective, because they won't feel punished," the report quotes Musa Tosun, the director of the electroconvulsive therapy center, as saying. Referring to that statement, Eric Rosenthal, the founder of the rights group, said in a telephone interview from Istanbul, "That was one of most horrifying statements I've ever heard in 12 years of doing this work." Much of the documented abuse took place in orphanages and rehabilitation centers for children with developmental or intellectual disabilities. Investigators saw emaciated and neglected children, many of whom had behavioral problems that were likely to have been the result of mistreatment rather than pre-existing illness, Rosenthal said. "We saw children who were essentially abandoned, starving, tied down to their beds," he said, adding that investigators had not been allowed to see the worst wards. Although the center keeps no mortality records, a footnote in the report notes that the large number of admissions without a corresponding number of discharges suggests that many children die at the center. "We believe there's a very high death rate in these facilities," Rosenthal said. Turkish Health Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment. 3) Armenian-US Sides Review Defense Cooperation The fourth annual US-Armenia Bilateral Defense Consultations were held in Yerevan, Armenia, in order to review cooperation during the past year, and formulate a plan for cooperation in 2006. The September 28-29 meetings covered a broad range of issues, including national security, defense reform, peacekeeping operations, military training, military education, and the military's role in disaster response. The US delegation, led by Mr. Scott Schless, Principal Director for Eurasia in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, met with Armenian Ministry of Defense officials. The Armenian delegation was led by General-Major Artur Aghabekyan, Deputy Minister of Defense. Both the Defense Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Serge Sargsian, and the US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans also attended. The Ambassador noted the "broadening and deepening" defense relationship between the two countries. The site of the annual meeting alternates between the US and Armenia. 4) Georgia's PM Arrives in Armenia YEREVAN (Armenpress)--Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli arrived in Armenia for the 4th session of the Armenian-Georgian inter-governmental commission. Nogaideli met with his Armenian counterpart Andranik Margarian to tackle a variety of issues between the neighboring countries, including the present state of Javakhk, a majority Armenian region in Georgia. Margarian commended the Georgian government's plans to improve socio-economic conditions in the impoverished region, and again confirmed the Armenian government's readiness to cooperate in development programs. The prime ministers also discussed the opening of the ferry line between Kavkaz and Poti, Armenia's support of the re-opening of the Abkhazian section of the Georgian railway, construction of the Kars-Akhalkalak-Tbilisi railway, the establishment of a Georgian-Armenian university in Georgia, and the possibilites sfor direct flights between Yerevan-Batumi-Kabuleti. Georgia's delegation is composed of the country's energy minister, as well as deputy ministers of foreign affairs, finance, economic development, and health and social security. 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) 2005 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. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Sept 28 2005
KARABAKH SPECIALIST IN POLITICAL STUDIES CALLS REPORTS OF
INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP ONE-SIDED
STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 28. ARMINFO. A well-known Karabakhi specialist
in political studies David Babayan thinks one-sided the report of the
International Crisis Group “Nagorny Karabakh: on the spot of the
conflict.”
He emphasized that the references to Azerbaijani sources (officials,
refugees, resettled-people, publications etc..) in the report trice
exceeded similar sources from Nagorny Karabakh and Armenia. The
report presents the conflict as a territorial dispute between Armenia
and Azerbaijan. Moreover, Nagorny Karabakh is presented here as a
fully militarized formation depending on Armenia. Meanwhile,
Azerbaijan is presented as a victim. The number of Armenian refugees
is reduced and that of the Azerbaijani refugees is stressed. All
these approaches are the official position of Baku. Babayan thinks
senseless mentioning all the other one-sided provision of the report.
“While in NKR, the representatives of the International Crisis Group
spoke of quite another philosophy of the report,” Babayan says. The
specialist thinks the greatest part of the provisions were included
in the report as a result of a strong pressure on the group after it
had visited Azerbaijan.
For conclusion, David Babayan calls it naive thinking such an
approach a diplomatic victory of Azerbaijan. “It could only “comfort”
official Baku, making no contribution to settlement of the conflict.”

Des intellectuels turcs refusent le discours officiel sur l’histoire des
Arméniens ottomans
CAUCAZ.COM
Article paru dans l’édition du 21/09/2005
Par Célia CHAUFFOUR à Paris
Initialement prévue en mai 2005 à l’initiative des universités Bogaziçi,
Bilgi et Sabanci, puis annulée, la conférence sur les Arméniens ottomans
avait alors provoqué un affolement général. Le comité organisateur a
pourtant tenu tête. La conférence se tiendra à Istanbul les 23-25
septembre prochains. Les enjeux sont à la hauteur du tohu-bohu qui
entoure l’événement : cette poignée d’intellectuels turcs
arrivera-t-elle à ses fins – faire entendre une autre voix que celle
d’Ankara sur un dossier aussi épineux que l’histoire des Arméniens
ottomans ?
C’est l’histoire d’une conférence annulée, puis reprogrammée. Intitulée
“Les Arméniens ottomans au moment de la chute de l’Empire :
responsabilité scientifique et démocratie”, elle s’est attirée, au
printemps 2005, les foudres des cercles politiques turcs au pouvoir
comme dans l’opposition, ainsi qu’un flot de critiques acerbes, jusqu’à
être accablée de “trahison” et de “poignarder la nation dans le dos” par
le ministère de la justice turc.
Face aux défenseurs de la thèse officielle turque sur les massacres
arméniens de 1915, cette levée de plumes et de micros d’intellectuels
turcs jusque là réduits au silence a suffisamment effrayé la classe
politique turque pour être soumise à pression et menacée.
Au pied du mur, le comité organisateur avait alors suspendu ces
démarches. La conférence semblait vouée à ne rester qu’une initiative
indépendante et privée, privée d’un pignon sur rue et interdite d’accès
au débat public.
Pourtant le groupe d’universitaires turcs persévère. Une opinitreté qui
porte ses fruits dès l’été 2005, puisque le comité organisateur annonce
que la conférence ouvrira bel et bien ses portes des 23 au 25 septembre
2005, à Istanbul, devant même jusqu’à accueillir, pour le discours
d’ouverture, le ministre turc des Affaires étrangères, Abdullah Gül.
Ouvrir une 3e voie
A l’origine de l’initiative, des universitaires turcs décidés à ouvrir
une 3e voie dans le débat sur le destin des Arméniens ottomans : entre
une puissante société arménienne en diaspora revendiquant la
reconnaissance du génocide arménien de 1915 et un Etat turc foncièrement
hermétique aux discours divergents des lignes directrices émanant des
organes de l’Etat ou des arcanes du pouvoir, ne serait-il pas
préférable, dans un premier temps, de faire la lumière sur la véracité
de faits historiques dont la population turque ignore jusqu’à
l’existence même ?
Sociologue et historienne turque à l’université Ann Arbor du Michigan,
Fatma Müge Göçek suit de près la tenue de la conférence. Intellectuelle
engagée, décidée à développer une narration critique post-nationale,
elle est aussi à l’origine du « Workshop for Armenian-Turkish
Scholarship », rare initiative rassemblant universitaires et
intellectuels turcs et arméniens pour faire avancer le travail de
mémoire collectif, en particulier sur 1915.
« Aujourd’hui, certains universitaires turcs comme Taner Akcam et Fikret
Adanir osent aborder le débat en employant ouvertement une sémantique
que redoutent plus que tout les cercles officiels turcs : substituer le
lexique du `’massacre” par celui du `’génocide” », explique la
sociologue. « Ma propre lecture m’amène à penser que la réceptivité de
la société turque baisse considérablement dès que le terme `’génocide”
est prononcé, de sorte que toute communication recourant à cette
sémantique est systématiquement rejetée ».
Fatma Müge Göçek incrimine un nationalisme profondément ancré, mais
aussi une ignorance répandue et popularisée du passé et de ses faits
historiques. « Un facteur que je connais bien pour l’avoir moi-même vécu
en Turquie. Bien que j’aie probablement reçu la meilleure éducation que
la Turquie pouvait alors offrir, je n’ai strictement rien appris sur les
événements de 1915, ni même sur les raisons pour lesquelles d’autres
événements que ceux que le discours officiel mettait en lumière
pouvaient avoir eu lieu », lance-t-elle.
« Si on ignore le passé en général, et 1915 en particulier, au-delà de
ce que l’histoire officielle donne à voir, et que l’on est confronté à
l’hypothèse d’admettre la responsabilité d’un crime contre l’humanité,
la première réaction sera de nier et de s’opposer à ce nouveau discours,
sous n’importe quel prétexte. Et je pense que c’est ce qui se produit
aujourd’hui en Turquie. La société turque pressent que 1915 ne s’est pas
déroulé comme les livres d’histoire ont pu le prétendre. Elle doit en
apprendre davantage sans véritablement savoir à quoi s’attendre.
Peut-être faut-il, pour que les Turcs admettent la vérité sur 1915,
qu’ils apprennent dans un premier temps, par eux-mêmes, des faits
historiques véridiques. »
Prendre conscience des faits historiques avant d’accepter le terme de
génocide
Mais le recours à la sémantique du génocide ne permettrait-elle pas
d’étioler explicitement la négation du caractère génocidaire des
massacres d’Arméniens de 1915 et mettre un point final à 90 ans de
silence officiel ? « Oui, employer le terme `’génocide” serait
politiquement correct. Mais les soucis pédagogiques et épistémologiques
que je viens de décrire m’empêche d’adopter cette attitude, aussi
respectueuse soit-elle », avise Fatma Göçek. « La société turque doit en
premier lieu avoir la possibilité de débattre, d’échanger, de discuter
sur ce qui s’est réellement passé en 1915 et les raisons des événements
qui ont marqué cette année. Une fois que la société turque aura accès à
l’information historique, et qu’elle aura découvert et compris par
elle-même son histoire, alors il sera possible de recourir à la
sémantique adaptée. »
La sociologue revient sur le sentiment de frustration et d’injustice du
peuple arménien face au refus systématique de l’Etat turc de
reconnaissance du caractère génocidaire de la tragédie de 1915.
Pourquoi, dans les arcanes du pouvoir, craint-on tellement ce débat
devenu tabou ? Fatma Göçek avoue son incompréhension et avance ses
hypothèses. « L’appréhension qui caractérise l’attitude des cercles
politiques face à la tenue de la conférence pourrait prendre ses racines
dans l’étroitesse des liens entre l’épisode ottoman et la république
turque contemporaine. Remettre en cause le mythe fondateur de la Turquie
d’aujourd’hui, l’histoire même qui légitime la politique turque du 21e
siècle, effraye le pouvoir en place. »
Fatma Göçek pousse son raisonnement jusqu’à expliquer la crainte et le
malaise palpable et excessif de la classe politique par « le rejet des
conséquences du manque de responsabilité de l’Etat turc pour les crimes
commis en 1915. Les responsables des crimes perpétrés contre les
Arméniens sont restés en majorité impunis. Certains ont été expulsés
vers Malte par les Anglais, avant d’être libérés, d’autres ont été
protégés par les Forces alliées ou celle du sultan avant de rejoindre la
lutte pour l’indépendance. Ces derniers sont devenus des héros de la
nouvelle république turque. Par conséquent, ces hommes ont non seulement
échappé à la punition pour leurs actes criminels, mais ils ont vu ces
mêmes actes légitimés et valorisés par une forme de nationalisme turc
virulent ».
La conférence promet déjà d’être largement couverte par les médias turcs
et internationaux. Elle pourrait finalement devenir une opération de
relations publiques idéale à quelques jours de l’ouverture, le 3 octobre
prochain, des négociations pour l’adhésion turque à l’Union européenne.
De là à redorer l’image d’une Turquie où le débat démocratique et la
liberté d’expression et d’opinion seraient légitimes et reconnus, celle
d’une Turquie où la voix de l’Etat se serait plus en situation de
monopole ? La question reste ouverte. Et Fatma Göçek se montre prudente.
Quant à savoir si la conférence pourrait également permettre d’embrayer
sur la constitution d’une commission d’historiens indépendants, et
permettre d’envisager un retour au dialogue arméno-turc, seuls les
prochains mois de travail de mémoire collectif nous le diront.
Mais pour sûr, les participants à la conférence des 23 au 25 septembre
prochains auront encore à donner de la voix.