FAON News
Federation of Armenian Organizations in The Netherlands (FAON)
April 24 Committee For Recognition and Commemoration of the Armenian
Genocide of 1915
Address: Weesperstraat 91 – 2574 VS Den Haag
Tel. 070 4490209
Contact: M. Hakhverdian
Website:
E-mail: [email protected]
K.v.K. 27
A report by I. Drost of the meeting of Standing Committee on European
and Foreign Affairs of the Dutch parliament with the minister of
Foreign Affairs Mr. Ben Bot on the meeting of European Foreign
Ministers beginning of September, where the EU negotiation framework
with Turkey will be discussed. At this meeting Mr. Bot declared that
the negotiation framework for Turkey includes Armenian Genocide
issue.
Bot: Negotiation Framework for Turkey includes Armenian genocide
The Hague, 1 September 2005 – Yesterday, in a Parliament meeting,
Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot assured the members of parliament that
the matter of the Armenian genocide is already a part of the
framework for negotiations with Turkey.
Mr. Bot said so in reaction to the urgent request of several factions
to adopt the recognition of the Armenian genocide in the negotiation
framework. In this context he referred to the commitment of good
neighbourly relations and undertaking to resolve any outstanding
border disputes in a peaceful settlement, as mentioned in the draft
negotiation framework.
On Chritian Union MP Rouvoet’s explicit question if he understood
correctly that facing the own history and in particular the Armenian
Genocide are also meant in this wording, Mr. Bot answered in the
affirmative. He also confirmed that this is the European approach of
this matter and that Turkey is very much aware of this requirement.
Mr Bot did not expect any problems, like we have now with Cyprus, as
a result of the implicit wording, because it is the standing approach
within EU and EU itself is master of the ratification process.
Finally, the Minister gave the guarantee that he himself will always
be committed to these statements.

ARMENIAN BUSINESSMEN ALLEGEDLY PROPOSED TO DEVELOP REPORT ZONE OF
ABKHAZIA MORE ACTIVELY
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1. ARMINFO. President of the unrecognized Republic
of Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh during his August visit to Moscow, held a
meeting behind the closed doors with Armenian businessmen proposing
them to more actively invest in development of report sphere in
Abkhazia, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes in its August 30 issue.
By the way, there in Tbilisi say that they have “reliable information”
that Sukhumi authorities are factually ready to give Armenians the
“the most delicious piece” of Abkhaz beaches from Gagra to Pitsounda,
the newspaper writes. Commenting on this information, Tbilisi experts
are doomed to see there not only “investment” component undesirable for
Georgia but also Russia’s attempts to break the recent rapprochement
of Tbilisi and Yerevan using Abkhazian leader Bagapsh. They think
Moscow is seriously concerned that the recent frequent unofficial
meetings of Kocharyan and Saakashivili may lead to loss of Armenia as
the main and only military ally in the South Caucasus. Talking to “NG”
political scientists Ramaz Sakvareldize said that “the step by Bagapsh
and those backing him is, of course, calculated on a sharp negative
response of Georgia and in this sense, it may have consequences.”

OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE TO VISIT ARMENIA AND AZERRBAIJAN
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| 18:56:15 | 01-09-2005 | Politics |
September 6 OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister
Dimitrij Rupel will visit Baku and then Armenia. The purpose of the
visit is to discuss the outcomes of the meeting of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani Presidents in Kazan.
During the regional visit the OSCE Chairman-in-Office will meet with
the Presidents of both states. He is also expected to discuss the
upcoming parliamentary elections with the Azeri officials and watch
the preparations for the referendum on the Constitution in Armenia.

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:
September 1, 2005
___________________
NEW PRIEST IN DIOCESE APPOINTED TO CHARLOTTE
By Jake Goshert
The Armenians of Charlotte, NC, had prayed for a church to call their
own for years before a benefactor provided the final financial boost
needed to build the St. Sarkis Church, which was consecrated earlier
this year.
While God was answering those prayers, a former rock-and-roll
musician-turned-priest in Bulgaria was dreaming of visiting the United
States. Then his wife won a Green Card in a lottery and now that priest
is not only visiting but living and working in the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America (Eastern).
And as if to complete the prayers of the people of Charlotte, Fr. Daniel
Karadjian was appointed the parish’s pastor starting September 1, 2005.
“This is a miracle, because these people from Charlotte, they didn’t
know if they would have a church, and I always dreamt of visiting the
United States,” said Fr. Karadjian, 45. “But look at God’s work: it is
mysterious. These people have a church, and now they have a priest from
Bulgaria.”
HONORING A PROMISE
Growing up in communist Bulgaria, Fr. Karadjian was never able to attend
church, because spies would turn Armenians in as traitors if they freely
practiced their faith. He did learn about prayers and making the sign
of the cross from his grandparents, but never really was taught what
they meant.
But faith percolated through his family. After the fall of Communism,
his father became active in the local Armenian Church. As more people
began worshipping openly, there was a shortage of priests and the
community asked Fr. Karadjian’s father why his son couldn’t become a
priest.
“I told him I wanted to be a rock-and-roll musician, not a priest,” Fr.
Karadjian said. “But later I made a promise to my dying father, and
told him I would make his last dream come true.”
Fr. Karadjian traveled to the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, where
he studied and was ordained in 1994. During his studies in Jerusalem he
was joined by his wife, Mariam, and their two sons: Hagop, now 20, and
Harut, 19. Carrying on the family flame, his two sons served on the
altar in Jerusalem and are now helping Fr. Karadjian with a
deacon-training class in Charlotte. Already, four young people have
signed up.
After being ordained, Fr. Karadjian worked on “Gantegh,” the newspaper
of the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem, and later published a monthly
religious magazine for the St. George Church in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where
he served as pastor.
NEW SPIRITUAL HOME
While he is making his new home in Charlotte, Fr. Karadjian sees his job
as making a new spiritual home for a diverse community. Many of the
Armenians in Charlotte are fairly recent immigrants, and many come from
areas such as Baku, Armenia, and Russia, which were under atheist
communist control for most of their lives.
“I am the same as these people, since I come from Bulgaria,” Fr.
Karadjian said. “Charlotte is fantastic. This is a little community of
Armenians whose members came from all over and they are like new
believers, so we are just starting our spiritual work. After growing up
under the Soviet Union, without permission to visit a church and be
Christian, we are now starting from the beginning, and our work is going
to be very hard and difficult.”
While he admits that the challenges of building a new parish, one made
up largly of immigrants who grew up under Communism, and one with
parishioners with diverse backgrounds and cultures, is a challenge that
will require 24-hour, seven-day-a-week efforts, Fr. Karadjian said the
importance of his work will keep him going.
“I will work more or less 24 hours a day, because the church is new, the
community is new, and everything is new; and to be a success everyone
needs to work hard,” he said. “But we must succeed, because we are all
children of God in need of the church.”
Before being assigned to St. Sarkis, Fr. Karadjian took classes at St.
Nersess Seminary and studied English for a year at Concordia College.
While at St. Nersess Fr. Karadjian also was assigned to work with Fr.
Karekin Kasparian, pastor of the St. Gregory the Enlightener Church in
White Plains, NY, for a year to be introduced to parish life in the
United States.
Along with his studies in America, Fr. Karadjian studied at the Seminary
of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and at St. Kliment Ohridski’s
Theological University in Sofia, Bulgaria, where he earned a master’s
degree.
“Fr. Karadjian is an example of the power of our Christian faith to
overcome darkness,” said Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the
Eastern Diocese. “And many of the people of Charlotte have faced such
challenges as well, so I know they will greatly benefit from Fr.
Karadjian’s background. But, more importantly, they will benefit from
his true Christian spirit and love of the Lord.”
— 9/1/05
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Fr. Daniel Karadjian, front, the new pastor for the
St. Sarkis Church of Charlotte, NC, joins Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,
Primate, and Fr. Daniel Findikyan at the consecration of the new church.
# # #

UNEMPLOYMENT LEVEL IN ARMENIA MADE UP 8.5% IN LATE JULY, 2005
YEREVAN, AUGUST 31. ARMINFO. The unemployment level in Armenia
calculated as the ratio between the number of registered unemployed
people and the economically active population, made up 8.5% by late
July, 2005.
According to the National Statistical Service, 126,500 people were
registered by Armenia’s employment services by the end of July of
the current year. 93.4% or 118,200 people of them are the unemployed.
94,500 people received the status of the unemployed.
In Jan-July, 2005, the average number of economically active population
was 1,212,600 people, out of which 1,109,800 (91.5%) of them were
employed or had other social occupations, and 102,800 (8.5%) had no
permanent jobs, were registered by the Republican Employment Service
and had the unemployment status.

SOME 160 BLN AMD TAXES TO STATE TREASURY OF ARMENIA COLLECTED IN
SEVEN MONTHS OF 2005
YEREVAN, AUGUST 31. ARMINFO. Tax revenues of the Armenian state budget
for the first 7 months of 2005 totaled 17.4% of GDP or 159,610.6 mln
AMD ($346.978 mln) and as compared to the same period of 2004 they
grew 22.6%.
According to the source, VAT revenues for the period under review
grew 23.3% totaling 75.378 bln AMD, income tax revenues grew 19.1%
totaling 13.497 bln AMD, profit tax revenues grew 64.1% to 26.022
bln AMD, customs revenues grew 36.6% totaling 8.669 bln AMD.
It should be noted that tax incomes in 2005 were planned at the
level of 307 bln AMD or 15.1% of GDP as against 257 bln or 14.2%
of GDP in 2004.

ZARAQOLU: 1915 HAS DEEP ROOTS THAT STIPULATE TURKISH DENIALISM
By Hakob Chakrian
AZG Armenian Daily #156, 02/09/2005
Turkey
The hubbub in Turkish society over the decision of the Bosphorus
University of Istanbul to hold “The Ottoman Armenians at the
Decline of the Empire” workshop postponed because of the state
authorities’ opposition is as great as it was while postponing the
workshop. Interestingly, the initiative of holding the workshop came
from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who personal asked
Prof. Ayse Soysal of Bosphorus University about it.
Though the uproar poses the organizers to attacks and stirs
anti-Armenian moods, it still contributes to unearthing the issue of
the Armenian Genocide in Turkish reality and to revealing all bareness
of Turkish denialism. This is happening thanks to tenacious Turkish
scientists. One of such is Ragep Zaraqolu. Akos Armenian newspaper
of Istanbul published in its July 8 issue the article of Zaraqolu
titled “1915 has its deep roots” that was previously published in
Zaraqolu’s Uzun Yuruyus magazine in spring. To prove the historicity
of the Armenian Genocide, the author bares the hidden reasons why
the Turkish Republic takes a firm hold of denialism.
Here is what Zaraqolu writes: “There is an impression that the
tragedy will not look that horrifying, everybody will come down and
the elimination of a whole people will be seen as something natural
once the term ‘genocide’ is eschewed.
“If it is not so, what’s the point of sticking to disgusting
denialism? The point is, of course, distortion of the issue and
prevention of discussions over the essence of the things, over the
scale events and over the historic continuance. But there is one
more point to be mentioned, it is the tendency of keeping the truths
concerning the foundation of Turkish Republic under wraps.
“The state does not want the names of those who occupied high positions
in the mechanism that organized mass killings of the Armenians
come into light. It is attempting to keep this sphere sealed
off. Everything is being done to erase the period from 1915 till
the republic from memory. Those doing the opposite are immediately
accused of dishonoring the republic created by “heroic efforts” and
“honest” purposes. Yet, without examining the official ideology it
is impossible to create a democratic state.
“If you take a look at the group photo shot on occasion of opening the
session of the Turkish National Assembly in 1936, you will notice two
officials right behind the president (Ataturk) who occupied important
posts in 1915. One of them, Mustafa Helik Renda, was the chairman
of the National Assembly in 1936. The second figure was Mustafa
Abdulhalik who was the governor of Bitlis in 1915. I played major
role in uprooting Armenians from Bitlis and Mush. Then he tracked
down those who miraculously escaped to Syrian deserts and killed
them. Abdulhalik was meanwhile one of the chief advisers of Taleat.
“It was greatly thanks to his efforts that Ismet pasha was elected
president after Ataturk’s death. The first thing Ismet pasha did
was granting pardon to members of Ittihat Party and making part of
the authority. In 1943, he signed an agreement with Nazi Germany to
convey remains of Taleat pasha to Turkey.
“Suqru Qajan, interior minister, is another political figure form
the 1936 photo. He was the chief coordinator of the Armenians’
deportation, i.e. annihilation. Qajan, secretary general of People’s
Republican Party in 1927-38, rebuilt the party a la Italian fascistic
organization.
“Prof. Tevfik Salim, rector of Istanbul University in 1943-46, was a
military doctor in 1915. According to a letter published in Alemdar
newspaper on 1919, he carried out medical experiments on Armenian
soldiers injecting them a virus of typhoid. A clinic at the Istanbul
University bearing his name still functions today.
“One of the regions of Van province is named after Qyazm Ozalp,
chairman of the National Assembly in 1924-35. He was elected deputy
from the province of Van. Yet, he also was a member of Ittihat ve
Terakki Party and the commander of the 36th platoon that cleared Mush
off Armenian soldiers. Nurin, brother Enver pasha who quenched the
Commune of Baku in 1918 slaughtering local Armenians, used to trade in
drugs with Germany during the WW II. In 1945, he disappeared together
with his factory of weapons.
“As you can see, events go as deep as the year of 1915. Perhaps that’s
the reason why discussion of such issues is cut immediately.”

AT THE GOVERNMENT SITTING – ASSISTANCE TO COURT OF CASSATIONS
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| 18:05:16 | 01-09-2005 | Politics |
The government has allocated 30 million AMD at the expense of the
reserve fund to the Court of Cassations to secure normal functioning
of the structure.
BIG WATERS OF SEVAN
The amount of water output from Sevan has increased with 30 million
cubic meters.
ON JUBILEE
The government has assigned 27 million 108.2 thousand AMD at the
expense of the reserve fund for launching jubilee event dedicated to
the 100th birth of Artem Mikoyam.

PROCEEDS FROM COMMUNICATION SERVICES IN ARMENIA IN FIRST 7 MONTHS OF
2005 TOTALED $91.420 MLN
YEREVAN, AUGUST 31. ARMINFO. Proceeds from communication services
in Armenia for the first 7 months of 2005 totaled 42,053.6 mln AMD
($91.420 mln) having grown 19.2% as against the same period of 2004.
The National Statistical Service of Armenia reports that proceeds from
communication services provided to the population totaled 23,923.9
mln AMD ($92 mln) and grew 28.3%.

ARMENIANS OF THE NETHERLANDS DEMAND INCLUSION OF ISSUE ON RECOGNITION
OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE INTO EU-TURKEY NEGOTIATIONS
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1. ARMINFO. Commission of the Federation of Armenian
Organizations of the Netherlands has sent a petition to Chairman of
the Standing Commission for Europe Van Heterine for inclusion of the
issues on recognition of Armenian Genocide and lifting the blockade of
the borders with Armenia by official Ankara into negotiation process
with Turkey for the latter’s admission to the EU.
The State Commission for Measures timed to the 90th Anniversary of
Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915 informs ARMINFO that the
petition says that neglecting of these issues will not contribute to
establishment of good- neighbored relations between Armenia and Turkey
and will not lead the negotiations to positive results. The source says
that the Resolution of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands
dated 2004 urges for regular raising of the issue of recognition of
Armenian Genocide within the frameworks of the EU-Turkey negotiations.